Quibbling Siblings talk about The Good Wife

Bob:

I know you “sometimes” watch The Good Wife (or at least used to), but as I watch its second season it is continuing to blow me away. No other drama on the networks comes close to being as good as this show in my book. It is definitely a must see for me every week and I swear it keeps getting better.

Last week was a standout episode that saw a really unique “case of the week,” or lack of case as it were. The show is always creative in its cases and I loved seeing a completely different view of the legal game in this episode. It was courtroom free and focused entirely on interviewing a woman who was going to bring up a harassment suit against a Nobel prize winning women’s rights activist. It was unique and fascinating watching the partners try to figure out what happened and whether or not this woman was legitimate or just someone out throwing mud.

That episode was good, but the whole season has been outstanding. I know Aryeh doesn’t love every second of the show, but I pretty much do, which leads me to my question: why aren’t you watching? Was there something last season that turned you off? Are episodes getting stacked up on your DVR? Does Keith not like it? I know it’s not going to be for everyone, but I’m curious why it fell off your list.

Debbie:

I ask myself this question every week when Tuesday rolls around and I wish I knew the answer. There are several shows I regret not watching, and Bones and The Good Wife are two that come to mind. I was planning on catching up this past summer on The Good Wife and the summer just got away from me.

When the pilot premiered last season, it was my favorite pilot. I loved everything about it and even wrote that in my preview post.

I don’t know … did it become a typical law procedural? I think for a few episodes after the pilot it did. After that, they tried to tease us with the photoshopped picture of Peter with the hooker and make it look like he really was set up. I actually don’t know the outcome of all that — trying to stay unspoiled for when I catch up! — but that part did intrigue me. It was just not enough to counterbalance the other two things against it: Keith wasn’t impressed and it airs at 10:00 … so hard to fit those 10:00 shows in … sigh.

Are there certain episodes I should watch from last season and this season so I can feel caught up without missing any story arc stuff, or any standout episodes?

Bob:

I don’t want to spoil things for you either, but let me say that the continuing storyline of Peter and Alicia has advanced quite a bit. The writers are not just stringing along the loyal viewers, instead we are rewarded with quality advancing story, including the addition of new and interesting characters.

One of the things I think The Good Wife does really, really well is creating a rich and deep stable of minor and recurring characters. I loved the two episodes last season with Dylan Baker as a creepy (alright, SUPER creepy) business mogul with strange bed habits and a knack for getting accused of murder. Apparently, the academy loved those episodes too because Baker was nominated for an Emmy last season. Any episode with Martha Plimpton is a treat (too bad she has her own show now… though I guess it’s good for her).

I think what I’m getting at here is that there are no bad episodes for you to skip. At its heart, though, it really is a procedural and you could probably pop in and out without missing a whole lot. Sure, you’ll be a little behind on the lives of the characters and changes around the firm, but the cases of the week are so strong, I doubt it would be too upsetting for you.

Debbie:

Well, sooner rather than later we’ll be in the winter hiatus and I’ll make it a point to start watching last season’s queued up episodes. I’m weird about going in order, which is how I fell into the bottomless pit of five seasons of missed Bones. I’ll catch up one day, really I will!

So this begs the question — what shows do I need to drop to make time for The Good Wife? Too. Many. Choices.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Nov 04, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT