Well this was a very packed hour wasn’t it?
Bang Bang
Day 471 pulls off a brilliant misdirect. With all the ominous killings taking place this season, I was sure it would be Diane on the receiving end of a bullet (she was super paranoid the whole time after all). So imagine my utter shock when Adrian got shot entering the elevator in the most casual way possible. In fact, everything about this sequence is spectacular: the way Adrian tells Sweeney to call 911 (of course the psychopath doesn’t), the way he alerts the receptionist (and it’s her first day by the way), and finally how he doesn’t immediately reveal the gunshot to Marissa (who is hounding him with questions). It’s such a realistic and unorthodox take on your typical TV shooting, and it further cements this show as something truly special. Of course the sense of urgency is kicked into high gear when Marissa jumps into action, and that really lends a sense of fear to the proceedings as Liz and Diane rush to Adrian’s side. Wow, I get chills just thinking about it.
Sneaky Solomon
How good is Alan Alda as Solomon Walzer? The sneaky lawyer pretends to care about Adrian when he bonds with Diane at the hospital, but very deviously starts to rob the firm of their clients. Alda has that perfect balance of warmth and sinister energy, and he’s perfectly cast in this show’s world. His plot is also a clever way for the writers to finally bring Diane back from the dark side. Christine Baranski is tremendous here as she finally pulls herself together, dumps the drugs, and commits to saving her firm.
It’s also worth nothing that as a result of her comeback, her feud with Liz comes to an end as the two apologize to one another. It’s a bit too easy but I liked the whole “two-woman job” aspect. Also, I need a GIF of Diane giving Solomon the middle finger asap.
The Gang Is Back
Speaking of Diane saving her firm, Day 471 features the return of a number of epic Good Wife characters including Lemon Bishop and Collin Sweeney. The two caused a whole lot of drama on the parent show with Alicia constantly debating if they were worth defending, so I’m pleased to see those shades of grey making their reappearance (particularly with Liz being outspoke about the firm’s defense of two criminals). Here’s hoping they continue to pop back in on the show in the future.
Bits & Cases
– Love the teaser with Solomon, the balloons, Lemon Bishop and Collin Sweeney! So many details to soak in!
– It’s always fun to see all four partners argue. Also, how annoying is Julius?
– Brilliant touch with the opening credits musical score being completely different. In fact, it’s ten times more powerful with the explosions. Wow!
– Diane puts her gun in her purse but doesn’t use it in this episode. Please let her shoot someone in the finale!
– Raise your hand if you saw Liz revealing the client list to her husband.
– Colin is the Democratic nominee! Can’t say I’m too excited.
– I loved the balloons. Hilarious. We still don’t know who sent them right?
– Colin panicking and driving to Lucca is a really stress-inducing scene. The highlight is him trying to read the breaking news article while the ads keep getting in the way. It’s such a relatable moment that’s perfectly realized. Of course Lucca is just asleep.
– Notice that we later see Diane urgently driving as well. Most shows cut out transitional scenes, but The Good Fight uses these moments to amplify the sense of urgency.
– Hey look Wallace Shawn is back as Lemond’s lawyer Charles Lester. I find this guy absolutely hilarious so I was ecstatic to see him again. He’s equally funny on Young Sheldon (my favorite new comedy of the year).
– Loved Diane and Lucca defending Bishop against Liz’s husband. They make a badass duo.
– There’s a sweet moment where Lemond asks Lucca about her pregnancy. It’s a low-key moment that proves he has a heart.
– Sweeney says that Diane intimidates him. Who wouldn’t be intimidated by her?
– Maia and Diane double-calling Solomon to reveal his true intentions was just genius.
– Diane orders a guy to straighten his tie when she makes her comeback. It’s hysterical.
– Priceless scene: Diane and Lucca popping all the balloons and releasing all their frustrations.
– So who shot Adrian? One of the suspects/past clients that Marissa and Jay discussed.
– Lucca finally expresses how much Colin means to her with a kiss under the stairs in true high school fashion.
– Who knew Frank Landau could be so useful?
– So Sweeney’s wife is now Maia’s client. Interesting.
– Lester tells Liz he turned over new leaf. I vaguely remember him and her butting heads on The Good Wife.
– I kind of wanted a more powerful ending than Jay drawing Adrian and the suspects. I guess it’s meant to show how powerful the bond is between them but again, we’re not that invested in Jay (as I previous mentioned).
Good Lines
Cop: Attorney-client privilege is not a suicide pact.
Solomon: The world’s gone crazy.
Diane: I can’t remember when it was sane.
Solomon: What good is judgment if you can’t do anything about it? What’s the good of eyesight if you have nothing to look at?
Diane: I realize it’s all right that the world is crazy, as long as I make my little corner of the world sane.
Conclusion
An enormously powerful episode that features a number of memorable returns and one particularly harrowing sequence.