In an effort to cinch up all of the loose ends still left dangling as its first season draws to a close, last night The Good Wife managed to come up short on every continuing story currently in its hopper. I suppose that’s some sort of accomplishment, right?
The esteemed and dysfunctional Will and Diane were desperately searching for a solution to their financial woes, which continued to demand the wildly unnecessary trimming of one $165,000 salary. While it was very cool that the show managed to bring in real life attorney, and former advisor to President Clinton, Vernon Jordan, the stunt casting didn’t help add any organic feel to the situation. I’d love to see the firm seriously cutting back, regrouping and coming out leaner and meaner, but I’m not sure The Good Wife will ever have that kind of time to devote to Lockhart & Gardner.
The entire idea of the associate competition was stupid from the beginning, and that was only highlighted by Cary’s lame attempts to campaign with the equity partners. For that alone he deserved to be cut, but let me tell you something — was there ever any doubt that it wouldn’t be Alicia?
In fact, the entire situation was such a gimme that the manner in which Alicia won felt like dumb being piled on top of dumb. Her lame protestations at going to Eli (Alan Cumming), or any connections for that matter, seemed like a feeble attempt to appear above it all, when the show was clearly just following these stage directions: “Alicia’s job in jeopardy. Alicia make bold move. Alicia safe. Blow out sigh of relief.”
And that’s forgetting about the fact that all business is built through contacts. Hello, who else do you try to drum up business from? How else do you get a foot in the door? No white collar, big firm attorney, even in Chicago (zing!), is cold-calling potential clients. It’s all about who’s in your rolodex. Yet Alicia’s above not “that behavior,” but normal course of business for everyone else? Why, because Peter’s a slime bag who used his influence to take bribes and sleep with hookers?
I guess I just don’t get it … this show is tremendous! Alicia Florrick is one of the best characters on television, and I’ve loved watching her pick herself back up and get on with her own life. So can you imagine my frustration when the show messes around with something so good? I just don’t understand what the writers are playing at.
And just to keep a good thing going, I’m really not into Kalinda and Detective Burton (James Carpinello) hooking up. I mentioned a ways back how the inconsistency with Kalinda’s character (We get to see her outside work, then we don’t. She’s neck-deep in Peter’s mess, then she’s nowhere to be found) drives me crazy, and adding this nonsense physical relationship with her police contact is little more than scrounging around for something else for her to do. Let her be the awesome investigator that she is, and leave it at that.
Let’s get back to them basics, folks!
Oh, and there was the guy in the coma. Right.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on May 12, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
Maybe somebody else can fill me in, but haven’t there been hints in previous episodes that Kalinda is a lesbian? And if so, how do we read her interactions with the detective (whom I can’t believe Kalinda would find attractive)? I wasn’t sure how that whole subplot related to the other story lines, or whether it was simply intended to give us more insight into Kalinda’s character.
I must say, too, that the whole resolution to the rock-star-in-a-coma plot left me a little baffled. The manager gave him the antifreeze, right? But I’m still not sure what his motive was.
I agree — this was one of the less satisfying episodes. But the show’s been so consistently good, we were bound to have a misstep.
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t think the relationship spoke to her sexuality. And although I think we’re being led to believe that she’s a lesbian, we don’t know anything one way or another.
The manager was afraid of being written out of the will, so he attempted to kill the rocker before he could alter his will.
Well, Aryeh – let me tell ya. First of all, I doubt Cary is going anywhere. It’s my guess that he will be around via another law firm for seasons to come.
As for Kalinda? Given your lack of insight into women’s character (I’m sorry, but I still cannot believe you are the writer for so many shows in which women are the protagonists), what you saw was a woman doing something for her job. Taking one for the team, if you will. Nothing about what she did spoke about her sexuality. She was hunting.
Hope that helps.
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t see Cary leaving the show either; I see him suing or otherwise making trouble on the assumption that Alicia slept with Will to get the job.
I appreciate your confidence in my insight into the female psyche ;) — I didn’t comment on Kalinda’s motivations, or her sexuality. All I said was I didn’t like that they hooked up. At this point I don’t really care why she did it.
I also thought that we were led to believe that Kalinda was a lesbian. And, I don’t think whatever is going on with the detective is “real”. I think she is using him to get what she wants. When she was leaving the bar to presumably follow the detective out, there was a look she gave to the hot female bartender. I took that as an indication again to the audience that she is in fact a lesbian and there is something else going on with the detective.
Overall, I really liked this episode. I thought the case was interesting. Also, while I assumed Alicia would win (as the show is about her), I was wondering what she was going to have to do to win. Her going to Eli for a favor, I think will change her and of course she will be paying for it by helping her husband campaign. But, what else??? Sets up an intriguing look at how far she is willing or not willing to go, perhaps?
*POST AUTHOR*
Alicia’s need to repay Eli aside — and I am not ignoring the fact that doing so will be dehumanizing for her — her going to him for a favor was nothing more than what everyone else does every single day. I didn’t understand why Alicia was supposed to seem too good for normal business practices … unless her problem was going to Peter‘s contacts. But then, she should have said that.