The Good Wife Season Finale Review
May. 18th, 2011 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatThe Good Wife has proven itself to be far and away the best television series this year. Not one episode has bored me nor has my attention wandered during -- which is saying a lot. Every other tv show I've seen this year, with the possible exception of Game of Thrones and Doctor Who (also rewind tv), my attention has wandered during at some point. I suppose that tells you more about my taste than it does about the Good Wife.
But it did pull all the plot threads together and set up some interesting new ones for next year, without moving too far afield of the twin themes of power and how women struggle with it in a predominately male world.
First off - a round of applause for Alicia.
The court case reminded me a great deal of the OJ Simpson trial - "the bloody glove" - was how Simpson got off. That case was being tried around the same time I was in law school. Was the first and most likely the last time a judge idiotically permitted an entire court case to be filmed on television live. We all learned what not to do during that stupid trial. The court case in The Good Wife - being scripted - actually played better. And it, like most of the relationships in the episode all turned on the revelation of the bloody glove.
We enter the episode at the end of the court case - the case having been started at the very end of last week's episode, and ending at the very beginning of this week's episode - how's that for off-screen bookending? Will Gardner is completing his closing arguments - highlighting the fact that one glove is missing from the crime scene. What happened to that glove? Alicia leaves the court-room and heads back to Lockhart/Gardner - where she runs into Diane and tells her how the case is going then she picks up an envelope that the mail clerk delivers to her, addressed to her attention.
As she's opening the envelope, her brother, Owen, calls, to discuss the kids. They talk for a bit, and the bloody glove falls out of the envelope on to Alicia's desk. She stares at it, and says goodbye to Owen, promising she'll meet him and the kids at an Italian restaurant that night for dinner. Then she attempts to call out to Diane - but Diane is elsewhere. Instead Kalinda walks by, twice. She tries to get Kalinda's attention the first time, but backs off, the second, she says loudly "Hey". Kalinda looks at her and Alicia gestures at the glove.
Meanwhile, Eli has found out from the DNC that they want him to handle Peter's campaign for Governor or Senator and have him set up shop in an area law firm - run his lobbying business out of the law firm and prepare the campaign. There's only one little problem - Peter can't run without Alicia.
Without Alicia, Peter looks like a two-bit John who paid too much to have sex with a prostitute, with Alicia - he looks like Kennedy. Alicia's polling very well and won Peter the DA seat, a stepping stone for Senate or Governor. (This is very true in American Politics - actually. As is infidelity.
Examples: The Governor of South Carolina got booted for his affair with the woman from Argentina, his wife polled very well - if she stood by him, which she may have previously, he'd have been okay.
Although that was slightly different - he took off for a month and didn't tell anyone where he was - which was with this woman. Arnie - the ex-Governor of California was unfaithful. Kennedy was notoriously unfaithful, but since Jackie turned a blind eye so did the nation. Same deal with Bill Clinton - who was unfaithful before he became President (hello, Jennifer Flowers) and during. The list goes on. The paper had five wives listed.) But Eli has a problem - Alicia has let him know she and Peter are separated and she has no plans to reconcile. He attempts to tell the DNC (Democratic National Committee or all boys club) that Alicia is stepping back from it - but they tell him that Alicia doesn't get to decide, they do.
Eli attempts to call Alicia while she's dealing with the glove, Kalinda answers and hangs up on him.
Go Kalinda. (Kalinda reminds me a lot of Lisbeth Salander in Girl with The Dragon Tattoo - actually.
Although far less victimized.) Kalinda also calls her girlfriend at the security firm (an actress I've seen somewhere before and rather adore) to get DNA test done quickly. And they contact Diane.
Diane calls Will - who as luck would have it, has not left the courthouse yet, he's in the process of leaving - when she tells him to see if he can delay things. He races back into the court-room and informs everyone present that the bloody glove was sent to Lockhardt/Gardner. Ironically, Will was on his way to see his girlfriend Tammy and try to stop her from going to London to prepare for the Olympics...again (I thought he'd already done that - and this was resolved three weeks ago. But I'm guessing Tammy still had not gotten the firm commitment from him that she wanted? And this was a last ditch effort to get it? More on that later.)
The bloody glove sets everything in motion. Because of the glove - Alicia is forced to work with Kalinda, Diane goes off to question Carey - who she becomes convinced sent it, Will goes off to attempt to convince the new State's Attorney, Peter Florick, to intercede and have the case dismissed based on the introduction of new evidence. Note - the case is Childs (Florick's rival) last hurrah.
There's tension in all three scenarios. It also takes Alicia away from her kids, and Will away from Tammy.
Two mysteries this week present themselves - only one is solved by our heroes, the other we find out the answer, but they don't.
1. Who killed the Judge.
2. Who sent Alicia the bloody glove.
The bloody glove - we discover came from the State's Attorney's office - which of course leads Diane to question Carey. He's the obvious suspect. Carey denies it. Diane states whoever did it - had a receipt and she pulls out the one she has. Which she's guessing he shredded. And it came from this office. And Carey was seen at the post office at the same time the mail envelope was delivered.
Their conversation is fairly twisty - with Carey delicately side-stepping most of Diane's questions.
To such an extent that both the audience and Diane is convinced Carey did it.
Alicia and Kalinda actually work well together, even though it is stiffly and little discussion. Kalinda's new relationship with Alicia is taking its toll on her other relationships. Carey wonders why she's freezing him out now - Did you tell Alicia - she refuses to say. And when her girlfriend reveals that she's married after they've had sex, Kalinda feels uncomfortable and leaves. Prompting the girlfriend to wonder what is wrong with Kalinda - "you had to know I was married, I showed you his picture." Kalinda is beginning to see sex in a different light - not just a means to an end, or a way to enjoy yourself. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. Including herself. You can tell that she misses Alicia and is hoping for a way of making it right with her. (This is actually the relationship I care the most about in this story - Kalinda/Alicia. So I'm rooting for them too.)
Eli meanwhile drops by Diane's office and manages to convince Diane to expand the firm, providing him with office space to do his lobbying business and have Alicia be the liason between them. He tells Diane in confidence that he plans on running Peter Florick's campaign for Governor out of their firm and Alicia being close by would aid in that. He, in other words, dangles a tasty chocolate bar in front of Diane's nose and says - grab it before I give it to someone else, Diane being no fool grabs - because it's a golden chocolate bar. Also she likes Eli. So do I. So I'm applauding Diane.
No fool, Alicia isn't happy about it and tries to tell him to go elsewhere - that she does not want to get involved in his plans for Peter to run for governor or senator or whatever and she's fully aware that is what he is doing and why he's placing himself in her firm. I don't want you as my boss, she tells him. But Eli stands his ground and denies that it is about politics or that he has any alterior motives. Or that she'd be working for him in any capacity outside of liaison. He's merely making a business decision and he likes working with her. I like Eli, but he is the consummate politician.
Kalinda and Alicia reach a dead end with the glove, until Diane suggests cases the Judge recused himself from. Which is when they hit gold. Also, Kalinda's girlfriend (well, ex-girlfriend now) discovers that the person who killed the Judge may have been female.
Will hits a dead-end with Peter, who implies heavily that Will is involved with Alicia. Alicia sort of warns Will that Peter may believe this. But says, she may be worrying unnecessarily. Will's interaction with Peter is fascinating for what isn't said. Both actors pull it off rather well - Peter goading Will and Will deflecting. Peter doesn't realize that all he's doing is making it clear to Will that he and Alicia aren't together any more. Removing any qualms Will might have for hitting on Alicia. It's not clear in the play-by-play who has the upper hand exactly. Peter refuses to help, stating he won't get involved yet. Also he keeps asking Will how his wife is, how work is going.
It's a rather tense scene, with more said physically, than verbally. Next season is going to be fun.
If they thought Childs was a pain, wait until they get a load of Peter Florick who is a lot smarter and far more vindictive.
Will is more successful delaying the case - by employing two underhanded tactics (which by the way are realistic - I've seen lawyers do these things): 1) he talks to Diane in the bathroom well aware a juror is there when he's talking (this backfires a bit on him, because one of his preferred jurors is also in the bathroom - which means two jurors get dismissed and the two alternates called), 2) when the jury wants a specific paragraph of evidence read back to it - Diane suggests Will get them to read the entire case. Will successfully argues this to the judge (who likes him - portrayed by Jane Alexander). The case is 186 pages long. Childs is understandably annoyed. If I were the Jury? I'd be annoyed.
The delay provides Alicia and Kalinda with enough time to solve the case - they figure out that
it was a woman who sued for a faulty infertility procedure and bribed the judge to settle it in her favor, but he recused himself costing her millions. The recusal - metaphorically relates to Peter and Childs, Peter keeps stating he can't get involved because he's not the State's Attorney yet, and Childs who clearly has an ax to grind, is doing his last hurrah. Neither should go anywhere near the case of course. As a sideline - Kalinda and Alicia first go off to question the Judge's daughter - together, Alicia questions, while Kalinda searches the bathroom. The daughter makes it clear her father always put work first. This comments on Alicia who misses out on the Italian dinner with her family, and as a result Grandmom Jackie stops by and joins Owen and the kids. Both parents are working.
Kalinda gives Carey the new evidence and Carey presents it. As a result, they get the mistrial and the defendant skips off with his two children and wife, the happy family. Will and Alicia do tequila shots at the hotel - where Alicia used to drink with Kalinda. And this is where Alicia asks Will about Tammy and he informs her that Tammy as far as he knows is "probably" in London right now.
That he missed his chance, because he got the call about the glove, and stayed at the courthouse instead of racing off to stop her one last time from flying off to London. (Again, wasn't this resolved three episodes ago? How insecure about Will is Tammy? Granted, it makes sense that she
didn't completely buy his - I care about you please stay routine - since it was purely motivated by the funeral of Stern and a fear of dying alone. If I were Tammy - I'd want a bit more than that to give up an excellent career opportunity in London. Also, as it turns out? Tammy was right to be a little insecure. Go Tammy - you'll most likely be happier in London.) Long story short - Will and Alicia hook up. (Great sequence and somewhat comical - getting the hotel room, only one available being the $7,280 Presidential Suite, and then being forced to take the local elevator as opposed to the express, so they literally stop on every floor and you watch them move gradually towards each other and the idea of having an affair. Good Wife does sex scenes better than anyone - they are subtlely erotic. Remind me a great deal of old films in how they are shot - the big stuff implied.)
I'm not an Alicia/Will shipper, but I was pleased she chose to sleep with Will - because Peter really deserved it, and well, Alicia deserves a bit of pleasure. I don't see it lasting long term though - too many obstacles. But it certainly makes things interesting.
Meanwhile - we see Peter Florick tearing up the receipt for the Bloody Glove Fedex Envelope - indicating that it was in fact Peter and not Carey that sent the Glove to Alicia. So Peter set everything in motion, oddly manipulating Alicia and Will into each others arms without even realizing it. Of course he thought they were already having an affair. The question is of course why did he send the glove to Alicia? To screw with Childs one last time? To help Alicia? It's hard to tell.
He did do the right thing, but was it for the right reasons? I honestly think he did it to screw with Childs. But it had reprecussions, Peter can't even imagine.
A well-written season finale to an overall above-average season. This season was far better than last in some respects. Yes, the Bond/Blake plot thread was a bit weak in places, but it did move the story forward. I'm hoping we get more of the male investigator with the kid and Owen next season - two new characters that I rather liked. So the season introduce two fascinating new characters, and two somewhat one dimensional ones. We also got the great Diane/Malaboro Man (Gary Cole) ship. (My favorite romantic ship of the series.) Next season will definitely be fun. Looking forward to seeing how Eli deals with the Peter/Kalinda/Alicia/Will obstacle to his political agenda.
Overall rating ? A+
But it did pull all the plot threads together and set up some interesting new ones for next year, without moving too far afield of the twin themes of power and how women struggle with it in a predominately male world.
First off - a round of applause for Alicia.
The court case reminded me a great deal of the OJ Simpson trial - "the bloody glove" - was how Simpson got off. That case was being tried around the same time I was in law school. Was the first and most likely the last time a judge idiotically permitted an entire court case to be filmed on television live. We all learned what not to do during that stupid trial. The court case in The Good Wife - being scripted - actually played better. And it, like most of the relationships in the episode all turned on the revelation of the bloody glove.
We enter the episode at the end of the court case - the case having been started at the very end of last week's episode, and ending at the very beginning of this week's episode - how's that for off-screen bookending? Will Gardner is completing his closing arguments - highlighting the fact that one glove is missing from the crime scene. What happened to that glove? Alicia leaves the court-room and heads back to Lockhart/Gardner - where she runs into Diane and tells her how the case is going then she picks up an envelope that the mail clerk delivers to her, addressed to her attention.
As she's opening the envelope, her brother, Owen, calls, to discuss the kids. They talk for a bit, and the bloody glove falls out of the envelope on to Alicia's desk. She stares at it, and says goodbye to Owen, promising she'll meet him and the kids at an Italian restaurant that night for dinner. Then she attempts to call out to Diane - but Diane is elsewhere. Instead Kalinda walks by, twice. She tries to get Kalinda's attention the first time, but backs off, the second, she says loudly "Hey". Kalinda looks at her and Alicia gestures at the glove.
Meanwhile, Eli has found out from the DNC that they want him to handle Peter's campaign for Governor or Senator and have him set up shop in an area law firm - run his lobbying business out of the law firm and prepare the campaign. There's only one little problem - Peter can't run without Alicia.
Without Alicia, Peter looks like a two-bit John who paid too much to have sex with a prostitute, with Alicia - he looks like Kennedy. Alicia's polling very well and won Peter the DA seat, a stepping stone for Senate or Governor. (This is very true in American Politics - actually. As is infidelity.
Examples: The Governor of South Carolina got booted for his affair with the woman from Argentina, his wife polled very well - if she stood by him, which she may have previously, he'd have been okay.
Although that was slightly different - he took off for a month and didn't tell anyone where he was - which was with this woman. Arnie - the ex-Governor of California was unfaithful. Kennedy was notoriously unfaithful, but since Jackie turned a blind eye so did the nation. Same deal with Bill Clinton - who was unfaithful before he became President (hello, Jennifer Flowers) and during. The list goes on. The paper had five wives listed.) But Eli has a problem - Alicia has let him know she and Peter are separated and she has no plans to reconcile. He attempts to tell the DNC (Democratic National Committee or all boys club) that Alicia is stepping back from it - but they tell him that Alicia doesn't get to decide, they do.
Eli attempts to call Alicia while she's dealing with the glove, Kalinda answers and hangs up on him.
Go Kalinda. (Kalinda reminds me a lot of Lisbeth Salander in Girl with The Dragon Tattoo - actually.
Although far less victimized.) Kalinda also calls her girlfriend at the security firm (an actress I've seen somewhere before and rather adore) to get DNA test done quickly. And they contact Diane.
Diane calls Will - who as luck would have it, has not left the courthouse yet, he's in the process of leaving - when she tells him to see if he can delay things. He races back into the court-room and informs everyone present that the bloody glove was sent to Lockhardt/Gardner. Ironically, Will was on his way to see his girlfriend Tammy and try to stop her from going to London to prepare for the Olympics...again (I thought he'd already done that - and this was resolved three weeks ago. But I'm guessing Tammy still had not gotten the firm commitment from him that she wanted? And this was a last ditch effort to get it? More on that later.)
The bloody glove sets everything in motion. Because of the glove - Alicia is forced to work with Kalinda, Diane goes off to question Carey - who she becomes convinced sent it, Will goes off to attempt to convince the new State's Attorney, Peter Florick, to intercede and have the case dismissed based on the introduction of new evidence. Note - the case is Childs (Florick's rival) last hurrah.
There's tension in all three scenarios. It also takes Alicia away from her kids, and Will away from Tammy.
Two mysteries this week present themselves - only one is solved by our heroes, the other we find out the answer, but they don't.
1. Who killed the Judge.
2. Who sent Alicia the bloody glove.
The bloody glove - we discover came from the State's Attorney's office - which of course leads Diane to question Carey. He's the obvious suspect. Carey denies it. Diane states whoever did it - had a receipt and she pulls out the one she has. Which she's guessing he shredded. And it came from this office. And Carey was seen at the post office at the same time the mail envelope was delivered.
Their conversation is fairly twisty - with Carey delicately side-stepping most of Diane's questions.
To such an extent that both the audience and Diane is convinced Carey did it.
Alicia and Kalinda actually work well together, even though it is stiffly and little discussion. Kalinda's new relationship with Alicia is taking its toll on her other relationships. Carey wonders why she's freezing him out now - Did you tell Alicia - she refuses to say. And when her girlfriend reveals that she's married after they've had sex, Kalinda feels uncomfortable and leaves. Prompting the girlfriend to wonder what is wrong with Kalinda - "you had to know I was married, I showed you his picture." Kalinda is beginning to see sex in a different light - not just a means to an end, or a way to enjoy yourself. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. Including herself. You can tell that she misses Alicia and is hoping for a way of making it right with her. (This is actually the relationship I care the most about in this story - Kalinda/Alicia. So I'm rooting for them too.)
Eli meanwhile drops by Diane's office and manages to convince Diane to expand the firm, providing him with office space to do his lobbying business and have Alicia be the liason between them. He tells Diane in confidence that he plans on running Peter Florick's campaign for Governor out of their firm and Alicia being close by would aid in that. He, in other words, dangles a tasty chocolate bar in front of Diane's nose and says - grab it before I give it to someone else, Diane being no fool grabs - because it's a golden chocolate bar. Also she likes Eli. So do I. So I'm applauding Diane.
No fool, Alicia isn't happy about it and tries to tell him to go elsewhere - that she does not want to get involved in his plans for Peter to run for governor or senator or whatever and she's fully aware that is what he is doing and why he's placing himself in her firm. I don't want you as my boss, she tells him. But Eli stands his ground and denies that it is about politics or that he has any alterior motives. Or that she'd be working for him in any capacity outside of liaison. He's merely making a business decision and he likes working with her. I like Eli, but he is the consummate politician.
Kalinda and Alicia reach a dead end with the glove, until Diane suggests cases the Judge recused himself from. Which is when they hit gold. Also, Kalinda's girlfriend (well, ex-girlfriend now) discovers that the person who killed the Judge may have been female.
Will hits a dead-end with Peter, who implies heavily that Will is involved with Alicia. Alicia sort of warns Will that Peter may believe this. But says, she may be worrying unnecessarily. Will's interaction with Peter is fascinating for what isn't said. Both actors pull it off rather well - Peter goading Will and Will deflecting. Peter doesn't realize that all he's doing is making it clear to Will that he and Alicia aren't together any more. Removing any qualms Will might have for hitting on Alicia. It's not clear in the play-by-play who has the upper hand exactly. Peter refuses to help, stating he won't get involved yet. Also he keeps asking Will how his wife is, how work is going.
It's a rather tense scene, with more said physically, than verbally. Next season is going to be fun.
If they thought Childs was a pain, wait until they get a load of Peter Florick who is a lot smarter and far more vindictive.
Will is more successful delaying the case - by employing two underhanded tactics (which by the way are realistic - I've seen lawyers do these things): 1) he talks to Diane in the bathroom well aware a juror is there when he's talking (this backfires a bit on him, because one of his preferred jurors is also in the bathroom - which means two jurors get dismissed and the two alternates called), 2) when the jury wants a specific paragraph of evidence read back to it - Diane suggests Will get them to read the entire case. Will successfully argues this to the judge (who likes him - portrayed by Jane Alexander). The case is 186 pages long. Childs is understandably annoyed. If I were the Jury? I'd be annoyed.
The delay provides Alicia and Kalinda with enough time to solve the case - they figure out that
it was a woman who sued for a faulty infertility procedure and bribed the judge to settle it in her favor, but he recused himself costing her millions. The recusal - metaphorically relates to Peter and Childs, Peter keeps stating he can't get involved because he's not the State's Attorney yet, and Childs who clearly has an ax to grind, is doing his last hurrah. Neither should go anywhere near the case of course. As a sideline - Kalinda and Alicia first go off to question the Judge's daughter - together, Alicia questions, while Kalinda searches the bathroom. The daughter makes it clear her father always put work first. This comments on Alicia who misses out on the Italian dinner with her family, and as a result Grandmom Jackie stops by and joins Owen and the kids. Both parents are working.
Kalinda gives Carey the new evidence and Carey presents it. As a result, they get the mistrial and the defendant skips off with his two children and wife, the happy family. Will and Alicia do tequila shots at the hotel - where Alicia used to drink with Kalinda. And this is where Alicia asks Will about Tammy and he informs her that Tammy as far as he knows is "probably" in London right now.
That he missed his chance, because he got the call about the glove, and stayed at the courthouse instead of racing off to stop her one last time from flying off to London. (Again, wasn't this resolved three episodes ago? How insecure about Will is Tammy? Granted, it makes sense that she
didn't completely buy his - I care about you please stay routine - since it was purely motivated by the funeral of Stern and a fear of dying alone. If I were Tammy - I'd want a bit more than that to give up an excellent career opportunity in London. Also, as it turns out? Tammy was right to be a little insecure. Go Tammy - you'll most likely be happier in London.) Long story short - Will and Alicia hook up. (Great sequence and somewhat comical - getting the hotel room, only one available being the $7,280 Presidential Suite, and then being forced to take the local elevator as opposed to the express, so they literally stop on every floor and you watch them move gradually towards each other and the idea of having an affair. Good Wife does sex scenes better than anyone - they are subtlely erotic. Remind me a great deal of old films in how they are shot - the big stuff implied.)
I'm not an Alicia/Will shipper, but I was pleased she chose to sleep with Will - because Peter really deserved it, and well, Alicia deserves a bit of pleasure. I don't see it lasting long term though - too many obstacles. But it certainly makes things interesting.
Meanwhile - we see Peter Florick tearing up the receipt for the Bloody Glove Fedex Envelope - indicating that it was in fact Peter and not Carey that sent the Glove to Alicia. So Peter set everything in motion, oddly manipulating Alicia and Will into each others arms without even realizing it. Of course he thought they were already having an affair. The question is of course why did he send the glove to Alicia? To screw with Childs one last time? To help Alicia? It's hard to tell.
He did do the right thing, but was it for the right reasons? I honestly think he did it to screw with Childs. But it had reprecussions, Peter can't even imagine.
A well-written season finale to an overall above-average season. This season was far better than last in some respects. Yes, the Bond/Blake plot thread was a bit weak in places, but it did move the story forward. I'm hoping we get more of the male investigator with the kid and Owen next season - two new characters that I rather liked. So the season introduce two fascinating new characters, and two somewhat one dimensional ones. We also got the great Diane/Malaboro Man (Gary Cole) ship. (My favorite romantic ship of the series.) Next season will definitely be fun. Looking forward to seeing how Eli deals with the Peter/Kalinda/Alicia/Will obstacle to his political agenda.
Overall rating ? A+
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Date: 2011-05-19 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-19 05:17 pm (UTC)