The Good Wife 5.06

[selenak]

The Empire Gardner Strikes Back.



First of all, something that's not in the episode: I know Michael J. Fox has his own new show, but given all the effort Louis Canning put into luring Alicia away from L & G for several seasons, he'd be on her doorstep the moment he hears of Florrick & Agos going public. Not that I mind Nancy as a guest star, but still. I want more Canning!!

Now, on to actual events: this was mainly to reestablish/emphasize Will as a fearsome, capable law shark and show just why Diane has very personal reasons to get even. The fascinating thing about the new set up is that while in the past, L & G lost a few cases per season but you could be sure that about 2/3 of all cases, L & G, represented by Our Heroine mainly, would win, the new Alicia & Cary versus Will & Diane scenario is by no means as certain, which adds a nice suspense to all episodes from this point onwards. Well, other than about the part where I'm very sure Florick & Agos won't crash within a month, as Will so confidently predicted, but the episode emphasizes they will have their fights cut out for them.

Another great thing: everyone on both teams gets to be competent. Which pleases yours truly. (Case in point: Kalinda and Robin in this episode.) The only thing I'm a bit side-eyeing is the implication that could be read in to the comparison between Will & Diane's "no more discussing and voting, it's all absolute monarchy and butt kicking from this point onwards" and the ex-Fourth Years/New Florick & Agos associate4s debating whether or not to join the tax lawyers, thereby giving Will the time to poach them, i.e. that hearing your partners out and debating instead of uniformely deciding is bad. Not just because it displeases me as a matter of principle but because last season showcased that it was the already pretty autocratic style of Will, Diane and David Lee that lost them the fourth years to begin with.

I hope this whole Grace thing is going somewhere, because right now I don't see the point of repetitive scenes of "Alicia is uneasy about her daughter now being potentially seen as a sexual being by men"

Otoh, speaking of going somewhere: the Marilyn subplot just got more interesting because her scenes with Alicia were unexpected and intriguing and a great example of this show writing two female characters with not necessarily compatible agendas that might put them at odds without writing them as enemies/rivals. More, please.

Lastly: Will complaining about Peter being protective/vengeful if someone hurts his wife after hurting her himself and Diane replying by describing Peter and Alicia as "Bill and Hillary on steroids" cracked me up, but it did remind me again that the Alicia/Hillary comparison is one Diane makes in the pilot, and that Julianne M. has compared the Florick to the Clinton marriage in an s4 interview last year. However, if Alicia is a metaphorical Hillary, is she now in the Senator Hillary, Defeated Presidential Candidate Hillary of Secretary of State Hillary phase? Senator should be her time at L & G, though I don't like to think her founding her new law firm is treated as the equivalent of Hillary's failed presidential run, not least because that would mean she'll have to crawl back to Will-as-Obama (ugh). Then again, like I said: I can't see the show letting Florick & Agos fail, not just because of Alicia but because of Cary. (Cary is a better Obama equivalent anyway, strictly speaking in terms of former-rival-then-ally-and-professional-opportunity.)

P.S. As for Will's newest girlfriend, she may not just be kidding about wanting to get pregnant. *has a sudden vision of Will being sued for alimony because that could so happen on this show*

Comments

[quarter_to_five]

I find myself surprisingly intrigued by the possibility of Will having a child. It's completely out of nowhere and should be terrible, on paper, but it totally works for me in the context of the episode. Here he is, all playing the game and crushing the betraying traitors with his vengeful might and blahblah and generally acting like he lives in some bad action movie. I'd love to see that deliberately undercut. I want to see real life catch up with him - you know, family, responsibilities, emotions that aren't big and theatrical and painted in black and white, and see how it goes.

[selenak]

You know, that would work for me, too. Will and Alicia's kids have only had a very few awkward encounters, and he never had a real reply to her s1 question "I get the romance, but tell me the plan", listing teacher conversations, doctor appointments etc as part of what she meant. Having a child of his own to deal with would be a part of life he's always avoided.

[boxofdelights]

she may not just be kidding about wanting to get pregnant

I wonder, would she be able to get more child support if she can testify that she said "Make me pregnant" and he responded by inseminating her? Or is the just kidding/no I'm not/yes I am behavior as irrational as it seems?

[selenak]

Well, now she can take an oath, without lying, to the fact she alerted him to her wish for a pregnancy and he responded not by saying "never" or by using protection but by having sex again. I don't think his "but I thought she was kidding!" would be a good counterargument...