The perspective utilized on last night’s episode of The Good Wife was intriguing. In fact, it was so interesting that I hope we see more of it — looking back on a case as the jury deliberates its verdict. I watch so many legal series, and it would be really interesting to see how the jury translates all that we experience in the courtroom into a determination of guilt or innocence. Very cool.
It also made it a little more heartbreaking that the plea bargain swooped in right before the jury came out with its “not guilty” verdict. We still don’t know for sure whether or not Bianca (Kelli Barrett) was guilty, so I can’t say with any certainty that she’s now serving ten years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, but to know that she almost walked free makes it all the more difficult to imagine what she’ll have to go through for ten years. She’s better off not knowing how close she was to going home.
It’s the legal cases that have really been the strength of the show for me of late. I definitely want to see how Alicia continues to pick up the pieces of her life, and I’m anxious to know how far she can be pushed by Peter before she inevitably (I hope!) smacks him upside the head for his arrogance and selfishness. But the personal relationships the show is cultivating right now? Will and Alicia, and Diane and Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole)? Please spare us all.
I liked McVeigh this time around. I really did. But I can’t get over the hump of how much I dislike Diane, which means I’ll never really be able to enjoy her story lines. She’s just so annoying. She hit a brick wall at dinner over extreme political differences? Can an evolved person really be that dense?
Will and Alicia, on the other hand, continue to bother me because of how forced the entire situation continues to seem. Diane confronted Will about it after he yelled at her about McVeigh — he was lying, but he was right to tell her to use her eyes in order to see that nothing was going on. Because there’s not a thing apparent to anyone to indicate that anything is going on! Wake up!
Maybe it’s that they have no chemistry together. Or maybe it’s because the idea of Alicia having a wandering eye is just plain dumb and out-of-character. Either way, this whole budding romance between them only exists because the writers decided to write lines and scenes about it. There is no organic feel to it whatsoever; it’s entirely, 100% contrived. And, quite frankly, rather stupid.
It’s almost as if the writers felt obliged to add a romantic twist to the show because focus groups or critics said they felt it was missing. Well, I may only be one person, but I am attempting to scream to them that it very much is not. The Good Wife continues to be a tremendously enjoyable show, but it never used to drag in the past — now, anything having to do with Will and Alicia leaves me bored.
And maybe thinking a little less of Alicia as a person. And that’s something I definitely don’t want to be doing.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Apr 07, 2010 @ 12:30 EST5EDT
This seems to be a common thread through a lot of CBS shows. The viewer has to watch an unwatchable relationship on a show that they enjoy. Hello, NCIS, Mentalist, CSI anywhere, Good Wife – I am looking at you. Thankfully Criminal Minds has not gone there yet.
Interesting. From the very first episode I knew there was sexual tension between Alicia and Will. The storyline makes perfect sense. Especially the part where she says in the episode that its romantic because it didn’t happen. I can still romanticize situations in that same way.
Not sure about Gary Cole. He’s such a cliche character. I feel like I’m watching an episode of Justified when he’s on. I hate cliches.
*POST AUTHOR*
More people seem to agree with you then with me; I just don’t see the relationship in moments other than the ones where we’re told to. Maybe I just don’t want to? I don’t know.
I agree with your Aryeh, the supposed attraction between Alicia and Will seems contrived and forced..not believable. And I am so uncomfortable with Diane doing anything! and I couldn’t put my finger on it until you said that she annoyed you and that’s it. I feel like she is ‘smirking’ through her lines..Anyway, I love Eli and, also, the asst that is an investigator?? Now, the tension between her and the cop that she interacts with, is good.
I like the show and Julianna M. but it could use a little help with those weak parts.
*POST AUTHOR*
Definitely agree. If they gave more of a spotlight to Kalinda as a stand-alone, I’d be really interested to learn more about the history between her and the cop.
By the way, Dark Blue just popped back up on my DVR “to do” list. Are they re-running season one in prelude to something?