'The Good Wife': Twelve Angry People

One of the consistent pleasures of watching “The Good Wife” is that the show doesn't use the same storytelling format week after week.   Sometimes, we'll follow a case start to finish; other times, we're thrown into a case in medias res. This nimble format is central to the show's unique, bipolar charm: it allows "The Good Wife" to be more of a procedural one week, and something of a domestic drama the next. Plus, it means we can't predict with laser-like precision when the first body will appear, or when the jury will hand down a verdict.  With some shows -- from "Law & Order" to "Full House" -- it's comforting to know that each episode will basically be the same, even when it's different; with "The Good Wife," the thrill is in the relative unpredictability. 

Tuesday night’s episode, told largely as a flashback from the perspective of the jury on Alicia’s case, was probably the boldest storytelling departure yet this season.  Bianca Stark (Kelli Barrett) is a pretty coed accused of an Amanda Knox-esque crime involving a love triangle, some sleeping pills and a whole lot of “fluffing.” The episode begins as the (extremely articulate and reasonable) jury was deliberating.  At first, it’s a hung jury, with the women siding against Bianca, and the men suspicious of a male cop wearing an earring. But as the episode unraveled, the jurors switch back and forth multiple times.  They ultimately deliver a “not guilty” verdict, but it’s irrelevant:  Bianca has accepted a plea bargain, rather than face the judgment of the jury.   It was a poignant twist ending that O. Henry would have liked.

Of course, the episode’s clever conceit also meant there was little advancement in the story lines we really, really care about, i.e. what's going on with Peter, Will and Alicia.  And that’s true of the show in general: When “The Good Wife” focuses on procedure, we get less of the really good stuff.  Darn those clever writers.  They’ve figured out how to stall and still be entertaining.  With their passionate kiss clearly weighing on their minds, Alicia and Will shared a few awkward encounters (sample dialogue:  “Is everything OK?”  “Oh, what?  Yeah, good.”) and then a frank, if unproductive, phone call.  Alicia is back playing the good wife and tries to defuse the romantic tension.  With her daughter eavesdropping, she tells Will that what they had at Georgetown was romantic only because nothing ever happened.  Interesting, though I wonder what kind of "nothing" this "nothing" was, exactly.  I’m guessing it means they never “fluffed,” but the jury, as they say, is still out. 

At least the television gods seemed to be listening when it came to Diane and her budding romance with ballistics expert/Sarah Palin fan, Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole).  Like me, Diane was ecstatic to see McVeigh return.  She was so overjoyed, in fact, that in an interview with “Mother Jones,” she could hardly finish her prepackaged talking points about judicial activism — she was too distracted by the cowboy in the lobby.  Somehow Christine Baranski and Cole make this unlikely relationship seem believable.  I’m still hoping the affair lasts long enough for a spinoff, but with the dalliance now made public, Diane seems likely to keep her passion in check in the future.  Fooey.

Kalinda's talents as an investigator continue to grow more extraordinary by the week.  At the beginning of the season, she was earthy and a little Machiavellian (remember the cleavage from the first episode?); nowadays, she's basically a Jedi knight in a miniskirt.  Tuesday night, for instance, she convinced one guy to break the law and let her search a locker without a warrant by staring at him and saying, "I'm Kalinda” -- no cleavage or anything.  Like that's supposed to work?

What we learned:  Peter and Alicia had crushes on each other at Georgetown, but the relationship didn't go (much?) further than that.  Kalinda can get anyone to do anything simply by looking at them. 

New questions:  Where the heck was Peter this week? Will Alicia's daughter say something about the conversation she overheard?  What is up with Kalinda and Det. Burton? And exactly when did Diane change her mind about sleeping with McVeigh (presumably, it was after she stormed off from dinner)?

--Meredith Blake (follow me on Twitter@MeredithBlake)

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Photo: Almost in spite of herself, Diane (Christine Baranski) can't help being attracted to Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole).

Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS

Comments

[Juliana]

Great episode. Great writing and great acting!

[Jolene]

Your last bit about 'What we learned?', it was Will and Alicia that had a thing going on in college and not Peter. Great recap anyway!

[erica stephens]

Great episode,I personally like the legal trials,especially in a show about attorneys.....I also thought Diane acted like a dog in heat,a departure from her usual cool demeanor.

[madosc]

is anyone else wondering what Will said to Alicia on the phone to make her say "Will, don't say that, please"??

I think we'll never know...

Great episode. Left me wih a bitter aftertaste on that plea. Sometimes you just don't know what they're thinking...

[bedtimeforbonzo]

I thought the strongest part of the episode, oddly perhaps, was the extended peaks into the jury room.

It's to the show's credit how badly it made you feel for the sad fate of a fictional character, Bianca, who we barely knew. Great acting from that young actress. Like madosc, I imagine, I wish she had listened to Carey, who has grown from being a bit of a slickster to a character with real humanity.

The ending came so swiftly that it left me wondering if Will and Alicia leaned toward wanting her to take the plea. Or if Carey's gut was the only one guiding her the right way. All in all, the ending, while bittersweet, felt extremely real since it appeared the jury could go either way and the defense was questioning its own case.

Will seems to be letting his feelings for Alicia cloud his professional thinking -- for instance, not listening to Alicia, whose measured style allows her to think clearly, and her advice that Carey should have had a more active role in the case.

I felt for Diane. There was no way she could have known her dinner with Mr. Cowboy would lead to such problems. Or maybe she should have been more cautious. Seems like a tough one.

It was awfully coincidental that the prosecution would catch her having dinner with the star witness. I thought the episode would have been just as strong, maybe stronger, without this twist.

That leads me to my one criticism about last night's episode, which seems to put me in the minority, and that is that it felt very busy in a soap opera-ish kind of way.

Still, I really like the way this show isn't afraid to take risks and paint outside the numbers with its court cases.

[Jean]

I really loved this episode, but I am so disappointed that I didn't get more Will and Alicia honestly.
Is it just me or did it seem like they jumped an entire episode or a week or something. At the end of the previous episode it seemed like Will and Alicia had definite plans for dinner (although now I realize she never really committed to it). Now it feels like she brushed him off while we weren't looking. There were a few other things, in terms of how they related that made me wonder if there was some kind of gap. (I know, it's just me.)
And did you notice how Alicia grimaced when he called her at home. That was so sad. Poor Will.
And do you think that Diane or someone else saw them kissing in the last episode. I was wondering when she told him to turn out the lights when he's leaving, or am I simply reading too much into it?
Anyways. I am in love with this show, and expect that I will be for some time to come.
If they wanted to, they could totally have a spinoff show called "What Happened at Georgetown."

[zee]

What we learned: I guess you mean Will and Alicia had crushes not Peter and ALicia?

[bedtimeforbonzo]

No, Jean, it isn't just you. There seemed to be an awful lot of shorthand going on between Will and Alicia. And he did seem to be pushing things more. His phone call seemed out of character from past episodes, but left us wondering if he had called before. Also, in general, it seemed like Alicia was enjoying Will's attention more (while still thinking better of it: our Alicia is so pragmatic and smart).

To amplify my criticism about the soap opera-ish tint to this episode: There seemed to be a lot of who's kissing whom, who's sleeping with whom, who's giving whom what look.

The lawyering in this show seems strong and colorful (but not absurd in a "Practice" way) and I enjoy the court cases and the procedural aspects.

At the same time, I like the character-driven side to "The Good Wife" -- so I guess I want my cake and to eat it, too.

This show is special. Among other things, it has emerged as a great ensemble drama while remaining true to its title character and her story.

P.S. That was a great "peek" inside the jury room (to spell the word correctly unlike in my post above).

[zee]

Totally agree with Jean....what a great suggestion ! Should have a spin off " What happened in Georgetown"

[Harry Rag]

"Everything I have said in regards to my involvement in Meredith’s death, even though it is contrasting, are the best truth that I have been able to think." (Amanda Knox, 6 November 2007).