selenak

I had the chance to watch one more tv episode before hitting the road again, and thus:

Those Lamont Bishop chickens really have come home to roost for our characters. His low key (and therefore even more impressive) menace, when asking Kalinda to make a Sophie's Choice as to whom to kill among his henchmen (which was what "which witness does Cary need?" amounted to) , in between cheering his son on in the boy's game, made up for that episode several season's ago which annoyed me by playing the Bishop: Devoted Single Dad card without mentioning (or letting Alicia remember) that the reason why that boy is half an orphan is because Bishop had his mother killed when she tried to get out.

Meanwhile, looks like Flynn's main purpose with the Cary prosecution is to nail Bishop (legitimate) while Castro's is to nail Bishop and discredit Alicia now that Eli's polling has alerted him to the possibility she could be competition. Alicia not compaigning while everyone treats it as a campaign strikes me as another nod to Hillary Clinton, btw, whose photo Diane takes with her when she leaves her L & G office for the last time and makes her powerwalk exit.

Btw, speaking of Diane: now I loved the exit. I love that she's part of a triad with Alicia and Cary now. But I'm honestly surprised at the reviews who seem to take her at her word re: her pitch about putting women and people of color into a position of power at a new firm and cheered her for this as well. Because, um. For starters, I do distinctly remember Diane and Will teaming up against the sole black partner they had. I also remember Diane giving Alicia the "we women must stick together in a man's world, female solidarity yay!" speech in the pilot...followed by choosing Cary, Mr. Young White Male Privilege himself (I love Cary, but he was), not Alicia, as her protegé. That Alicia was at L & G at all was due to Will lobbying for her. That Alicia was picked over Cary at the end of her first year was due to Diane wanting Eli Gold as a client and Eli making it clear he'd only be that if Alicia stays at the firm. Not out of female solidarity. When Alicia was promoted to partner, it was a (smart) power move by Diane, Will and David Lee to separate her from the other fourth years and play her out against them. Followed by Alicia having to pay money for the privilege because L & G was in debt.

Now, currently Diane respects the hell out of the fellow legal shark Alicia has become, and values her as an ally (and vice versa). But Alicia certainly didn't get there due to Diane pursueing any type of empowering women agenda. And Diane's speech was just the right thing to hook an ambitious black lawyer, but do I expect her to follow it up by transforming Florick & Agos into a firm dominated by poc and women other than herself and Alicia, who founded it? Based on what I know of Diane, nope.

Cary and Alicia conferring on the current case du jour (other than Cary's own) so that business can continue reminded me of Diane and Will doing that while Will was barred. And I admit to cooing at their hug at the end. Partners forever! (I hope.) (I really do. Cary and Alicia's relationship through the show, that mixture of rivalry, respect and support, which was never about UST, was one of its delightful surprises.)

Considering that the show for a while now had seemed to be unsure what to do with Kalinda that wasn't about her love life, I am happy that in these two eps of the new season, she's really well used as a detective, in a classic noir scenario to boot - with the shady gangster boss leaning on her and impending her investigation, the need to continue to clear a friend, and the cops unhelpful for actually a good reason, and moral compromises. I look forward to finding out how that death sentence she must have given to one of the henchman will impact her.

In conclusion: this show just purrs along like a sleek cat. May it long continue!