A quick review of last night’s “The Good Wife” coming up just as soon as I stop selling those gnomes on the Internet…
“The Next Week” was a bit of a comedown from the last few episodes for several reasons. First, Will’s case was fairly unmemorable, and only briefly tied into the war between the firms. Second, I would like Sexy Grace Vs. The Internet to go away now, please. Third, Anthony’s betrayal of the new firm for the old one was one of those instances of “The Good Wife” leaning too heavily on a last-minute plot reversal, involving a character so brazenly shady that it makes Alicia and Cary repeatedly look dumb for keeping around.
Mostly, though, I found it a disappointment because of Owen and Will’s conversation in the elevator. Part of what’s made this arc so satisfying, going back to last season’s finale, was that it seemed like a movement away from the dreary, never-ending story of Alicia and Will, star-crossed lovers. I recognize that they have a history, and that can fuel excellent scenes like Will’s anger at the beginning of “Hitting the Fan,” but through four-plus seasons of “The Good Wife,” Alicia’s feelings for Will hover around Grace or Zach stories in terms of level of successful execution. It’s just not a thing these writers have done well, and I’d rather we not revisit it – which I suspect we will, despite Will’s insistence otherwise. Also, making that a primary motivator of Alicia’s decision – and we are meant to trust Owen’s judgment – is a much less complicated and interesting character choice than if she had just gotten fed up with learning how things really worked at Lockhart-Gardner.
Glad to have Nathan Lane back for a bit, but overall “The Next Week” felt like a relic from a period the show had seemingly transcended this season.
What did everybody else think?