The Good Wife..."Hitting the Fan"

[shadowkat]

The Good Wife this season is kicking butt - it's sooo good. This episode, one twist after another, and hilarious in places. A perfect satirical take on politics on various levels.
Also a realistic one - folks, lawyers and law firms are really like that. There's a great non-fiction novel entitled The Partners that shows some of it. I certainly saw games like that played in law school.

Now, I really, really want Michael J Fox to pop up.

One of the best hours of television that I've seen this year.



Peter's actions, subtly in support of his wife, are interesting. And it's hard to feel sympathetic towards Will and Diane, mainly because they used Alicia to get Peter's favor and Alicia's position as wife to the DA and the Governor's Wife to their own advantage. Alicia got the job over Cary because of Peter. So ...that old adage what goes around, comes around...

Will and Diane's power politics come to bite them in the ass. Peter warns Will that he does not want him as his enemy. But Will ignores him.

Diane niavely asks Eli if her actions or Will's towards Alicia will adversely affect her chances to become a Supreme Court Justice. Of course they will. It's ironic. The interview she gave two episodes was unnecessary - Peter got her a pass. But her support of Will and attack on Alicia...does result in Peter considering other candidates. It turns out it wasn't the Chief Justice she needed to worry about, but Peter Florick and by association Alicia.
The fact that Diane has played similar games in the past...well, has a nice karmic feel to it. (Don't get me wrong I love Diane.) That said, it makes sense that Diane would fight for her former firm and for Will. I just hope they'll let her back in when the judgeship falls through.

There's so much in this episode to unpack. The writers do a marvelous job of showing everyone's motivations and points of view. There really are no good guys or bad guys here.

My only quibble? Is can the 4th year associates be any more annoying? But I get their complaints - they are the worker bees, they do all the work.

This season is turning out to be one of the best to date. And it works, it tracks to the beginning, not only that it makes all the seasons before crunchier and even more ironic.
Almost want to buy them and do a re-watch. But can't afford it - time-wise or financially at the moment.

Comments

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

You know, I watch an ep like this, and what keep coming to mind is that scene at the end of BtVS S7, episode 1, where the First Evil cycles through the forms of the various big bads of the previous seasons, ending up in the form of Buffy, while reciting probably the most accurate evaluation of human relations in the world in a mere three short sentences.

Namely--

"It's not about right or wrong."

"It's not about good and evil."

"It's about power."

And why do I get the feeling that Peter's admittedly clever move to save Alicia's fledgling law firm is going to have all sorts of unintended consequences?

Oh, and I loved the difference in reactions between Diane and Will in this, and the way each handled the fallout. Rather revealing.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

It is rather interesting that Peter, David Lee and Will react emotionally to what happens, while Alicia, Kalinda and Diane react logically. Very nice subversion of gender stereotypes.

And both Will and Peter make huge mistakes in their emotional reactions.

*Diane tells Will to document everything. But Will blatantly ignores her and confronts Alicia, throwing everything off her desk, and then attempting to boot her out. He also confiscates her personal phone, which results in a confrontation with Peter.

* Alicia is smarter, she doesn't say anything that could get her into trouble, tells Robin she can't tell her what to do. And doesn't start playing hardball until she's been fired and escorted out of the firm.

Lockhardt/Gardner handled it wrong. Will should have gone directly to the Board, called the full board, explained what Diane said, got Alicia booted by security. Confronting Alicia and in front of everyone was a huge mistake and will come back and bite him.

Diane handled it correctly, but unfortunately she miscalculated with Will - thinking he'd handle it calmly and logically like she did.

Peter's clever move regarding the taxation could have consequences demonstrating wishy-washy or lack of ethics. But, it's relatively minor and just an opinion - he hasn't acted on it. IT's a veiled threat and they do that all the time in politics. No, the yanking of the judgeship from Diane is a bigger deal - although he probably shouldn't have offered it to Diane in the first place, due to her association with Alicia. Remember the episode in which the Melissa George character (his former head of Ethics) told him not to pick the person he had because that guy was a friend or had connections to the Governor, and it was better to pick someone who was a rival or not a friend or associated with him on a personal basis? The fact he picks her (when Alicia's with her firm) then decides to dismiss her (after Alicia is summarily fired) is highly suspect.

It really is about power - how people handle it, use it, and seek it.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Certainly, Peter's ethics commissioner is going to ding him for dropping Diane... Eli could tell him that, and could also tell him that the judgeship might be the one thing that protected Alicia from Diane. That Diane can't afford to be seen so heavily doing favors for one law firm if she wants to be a judge...

It would be kind of hard to believe that Diane would believe Eli assurance, knowing Peter's temper and animosity toward Will. But Diane has always looked the other way even though she knew about Alicia's affair with Will. And she wants the judgeship enough to believe it.

That is Will's largest vulnerability - the number of favors he did for Alicia because he was in love with her and sleeping with her - and he's protected from because none of the people who could hurt him with it (Diane, Cary, Peter, Alicia) want it to get out either. I guess Kalinda could use it to hose everybody, but I don't see that coming yet.

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

I guess Kalinda could use it to hose everybody, but I don't see that coming yet.

Yeah, I'm totally unable to suss out where Kalinda is going. It seems that she's going to stay with the firm, and be loyal to Will, but... why do I get the impression that there's some more drastically complicated plot that's going to unfold? Like, is she playing for time, so as to be able to jump ship and move to Alicia's firm once she's sure it's going to survive, and can come up with a compelling reason to give Will when she does? Or is it for real, and she'll really stay where she is?

t would be kind of hard to believe that Diane would believe Eli assurance, knowing Peter's temper and animosity toward Will. But Diane has always looked the other way even though she knew about Alicia's affair with Will. And she wants the judgeship enough to believe it.

I don't think she believed him. She's too smart, but she's also suddenly without a clear course of action to follow, and she didn't want to let anything on to Eli about just how badly things have so suddenly gone wrong.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

It's hard to figure out what Kalinda will do. She won't hose anyone, I know that. And her game with Carey - was in a way her revenge on Carey and Alicia for offering Robin the job. Kalinda was playing Lockhardt/Gardner and Carey against each other - to get more money, because she was jealous of Robin's package and though Robin had more money and better benefits. (She didn't).
Carey bowed out finally and picked Robin - because he could not afford Kalinda.
Kalinda has always done what is best for Kalinda. It's not personal.

I'd agree on Diane, I think she realized when she voted with the Board to remove Alicia from the firm - that she was voting herself out of the judgeship. It's why she told them - "I need a minute". She could have abstained, claiming conflict of interest (although that's a difficult argument to support). It's also why she rushes over to tell Peter what happened, hoping to smooth things over. She knows her appointment as a Judge is in danger, mainly because the only reason she got it - was her relationship with Peter through Alicia.

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

Kalinda has always done what is best for Kalinda. It's not personal.

I keep coming back to what Kalinda said to Carey-- "If Diane leaves the firm, it's over for the firm" or words to that effect. Essentially, if Will takes over, the firm is doomed. I don't believe that was part of playing Carey, I think that's exactly what she thinks will happen. And after the friction with Will and the other partners over her severence package (and perceived value to the firm), if Diane loses the judgeship-- would Lockhardt/Gardner take her back?

So if what you said above is true, and her comment to Carey is real, then indeed what she's doing right now makes perfect sense-- going with the best bet until she sees what the fallout is.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

1)The selection of Diane to begin with was a dicey issue from an Ethics standpoint. He chose someone who was associated with him "personally" and the head of his wife's firm and had not only hired his wife but made her a partner. Remember the episode - where his ethic's officer told him to pick the commissioner who he had no personal association with? Granted Peter wanted the more qualified and better person for the role. BUT...selecting someone who you have a personal relationship with or has aided family members is suspect. Now, dropping Diane and going elsewhere underlines that, clearly he did not select her for her skills - if he had, this would have no effect.

While on one hand Alicia would have been better off with Diane as a Supreme Court Justice - because she'd have to recuse herself from all Lockhardt/Gardner "legal" matters. However, she doesn't have to disinvest in the firm or back away from it's business matters. So the fight between Alicia/Cary's firm and Lockhardt/Gardner could still go forward. Diane has the right to protect her business investment, that does not effect her judgement as a Justice. She'd just have to recuse herself from cases involving Alicia and Will - which she'd have had to do anyway.

2)That is Will's largest vulnerability - the number of favors he did for Alicia because he was in love with her and sleeping with her - and he's protected from because none of the people who could hurt him with it (Diane, Cary, Peter, Alicia) want it to get out either. I guess Kalinda could use it to hose everybody, but I don't see that coming yet.

Remember the paralegal who sued Lockhardt/Gardner for sexual harrassment? And that question regarding whether Will had slept with an underling in his office (it was actually in the bathroom)?

The problem Will has is that he had the power in this situation. He was the managing partner, Alicia was a 4th year Associate. He could fire her/promote her any time. Also he chose which cases and clients she handled. And his decisions were motivated by his sexual desire for her and possibly love. His reaction to her decision to leave with top clients - sort of underlined it. Instead of calmly calling a meeting of the full board, and getting her dismissed and out without confronting her, and documenting everything. Will reacts emotionally and has a volatile scene with her in front of many witnesses. He also confiscates her personal phone - and takes calls from two family members on it, no clients.

Add to this - that when they had to choose which associate to keep, Will pushed for Alicia. Will has an affair with Alicia shortly thereafter. Then when they decide they have to promote one of the 4th Year Associates to Partner, because yanking all the promotions from all of the 4th Years has royally pissed them off - in fact enough for them to want to start their own firm, they pick Alicia (for her association with Peter and because Will wants her). Who Diane knows had an affair with Will. And had slept with Will at the office.

Alicia was deserving of the position. She's a fantastic lawyer. But Will's motivation for hiring her had little to do with that. Then there's Will's less than stellar ethical record. Will bribed judges. Will was disbarred.

If Kalinda used it - she'd destroy Will. More so than everyone else.
Will actually is the most vulnerable party here - because in the Will/Alicia relationship - Will abused his power. It's why Alicia decided to leave Lockhardt/Gardner - she left because of Will. She was attracted to him and that she knew was destructive - on multiple levels. Also, as Cary put it, if she stayed at Lockhardt/Gardner, even in Diane's managing partner position, she would be always be "under" Will. Literally and figuratively. And after watching how Will dealt with poor Diane - who started the firm with him, she wisely wanted no part of that. (Add to that - Diane's promotion to Supreme Court Justice by Alicia's husband, results in Alicia being made managing partner?)

No, Kalinda is wise enough not to use it.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Yup. As I said, Will could be destroyed by Alicia. He's lucky that the people who could use that info won't.

Also, less remarked, the continuing slow play of the 4th years perving on Grace storyline... started with Cary Agos raising his eyebrows at her earlier. This week with her drinking wine with Cary 2...

Show has about 500 things it could play with at any time, and really likes to do so.

[shapinglight]

Avoiding spoilers because I'm still in the middle of season 2 of The Good Wife (got stalled, then my viewing went on hold) and enjoying it enormously.

I remember you said that there'd been problems with Kalinda's storyline going forward, as if the writers didn't really know what to do with her.

Without going into spoilery specifics, can you say if that problem's sorted out now?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's sorted out.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

PS - avoid the comments thread.

[shapinglight]

Great! Thanks.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was an absolutely thrilling hour of television. The most dramatic hall-walking scenes since The West Wing. And the music was just perfect -- playful at times, extremely tense when needed.

The Good Wife is on a whole 'nother level. This season is amazing.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm loving the music choices...there's a playfulness to it. And it does have the best hall-walking dialogue since The West Wing.

This is going to be a great season. They did what a lot of tv shows promise to do but never quite have the guts to carry out - which is completely change the series status quo.