With The Good Wife coming to a close this season, this was probably Elsbeth Tascioni’s last appearance ever. That’s a real pity as Carrie Preston was probably my favorite guest-star throughout the years (and there are many on this show). Thankfully, Targets was a wonderfully amusing swan song for the character, and it has me hoping that the Powers That Be will recognize her brilliance and give her some badass spinoff. Also interesting to note is the appearance of Tascioni’s ex, Michael, played by Will Paxton. Unsurprisingly, he’s also an eccentric character and it was an absolute joy to watch the two bounce off each other. Kudos show for crafting such unforgettable characters.
But Targets‘ greatest achievement is the fact that it FINALLY got me rooting for Alicia and Jason. Their office sex scene (and all that heated foreplay leading up to it) was undeniably the sexiest scene the two have ever had. I’ve often said that Margulies and Morgan don’t have much chemistry, but within a single sequence, that dynamic seems to have been salvaged. Whew.
The Good Wife has always loved tackling unorthodox cases, and this was no different with our heroine being called in for a special security hearing. The fact that she had to help provide the government with justification to kill an ISIS recruiter was quite gripping, and the twist that the man in question was an American made the proceedings even more captivating. In addition, the case wisely lead us back to the NSA arc; apparently those pesky tech brats are STILL snooping into Alicia’s life – the ramifications of which are bound to be explosive as the show amps up its endgame.
Cases & Bits
– Tascioni doing tai chi? Priceless.
– The photographer telling David not to show too much teeth was epic.
– So does Diane wants a female-run firm or is David being paranoid?
– Why is Carey an ass, only inviting Lucca to lunch because he wants information about Alicia? Not cool bro.
– Great little touch with Alicia choosing to listen to Jason’s voicemail instead of Peter’s.
– Seriously that office scene was electric (particularly the “breathing” stuff).
– I kind of want Marissa to join an Elsbeth spinoff. Can you imagine the possiblities?
– I love how the writers always make Alicia super cheerful the morning after she gets laid.
– Nifty upside down camera angle from Elsbeth’s perspective as Eli interrupts her Tai-Chi.
– Seriously Mike Tascioni and his puppy were hilarious.
– The NSA boys listening to Alicia having sex… not okay!
– What a bizarre ending with the avalanche/tidal wave effect. Metaphor much?
Good Lines
Alicia: So… you need a lawyer to figure out why you need a lawyer?
David: You kind of got a cowboy thing going, don’t you?
Jason: Not intentionally.
Elsbeth: Okay. Let’s crack open the green notebook. That’s for serious notes.
Alicia; I was gonna break this bottle if I couldn’t get the cork out.
Jason: That might be a problem.
Elsbeth: So why did you know about the vote rigging? Because you were Mrs. Florrick’s body woman?
Marissa: Yes. Keeper of confidences, you know? Pourer of comfort cereal.
Elsbeth: What kind of cereal? I don’t know. Life. Wheat Chex. Why?
Elsbeth: I like Wheat Chex.
Michael Tascioni: Are you a cat person?
Eli: No. I’m a person person.
Lucca: I thought bond court was a jungle, but wow.
Alicia: Best thing to do… stay on the sidelines.
Lucca: We could just leave.
Alicia: We could. But money.
Lucca: Money.
Conclusion
Another week, another top-notch hour of The Good Wife.
Nad Rating
A-
It's always a delight to see Elsbeth on the show. She's like the Leslie Knope of the Good Wife. And it's no surprise that her ex-husband is just as quirky as she is.
The scene between Jason and Alicia was hot. I'm surprised by how close the show gets to the edge without falling off when it comes to the level of sexual content they have on the show. The subplot with Cary and Lee suspecting Diane and Alicia of a secret takeover drove me crazy with its out-of-the-blue paranoia. I think Lucca and Jason felt the same, being caught up in the middle of it. The situation makes me question how long the firm can survive in its current dynamic.
The NSA guys always annoy me with their nosing into Alicia's life. But at least one of them seems to be suffering a consequence of that surveillance when being brought in for questioning. I think the avalanche at the end represents the coming of consequences, that what comes up must come down. I think that applies to the NSA guys and the other characters.
This was Elsbeth Tascioni's last appearance? 🙁
Now I desperately need a spinoff with Elsbeth, her ex-husband (how hilarious is he with his dog?), maybe Diane and the IN MY OPINION judge hahahahaha! Really hope she returns for one last time!