A quick review of last night’s “The Good Wife” coming up just as soon as my assistant validates your parking…
I missed the last couple of episodes due to press tour, and so could have been easily lost in an episode like “Another Ham Sandwich” that was almost entirely devoted to ongoing business like the grand jury and Eli’s rivalry with Stacie Hall. But I was able to follow all of it – only Kalinda’s apparent betrayal of Will briefly threw me, and that was explained as a ruse quickly enough – which either suggests the last couple of episodes weren’t incredibly relevant to the larger arcs, or (more likely) that the Kings continue to do an excellent job of marrying cable style with network needs. It’s a complex (narratively and morally) show that rewards ongoing viewership, but it’s also one where you can miss a few episodes and not feel like you need to just give up and wait for the DVD.
And I would say that 90% of how the grand jury denouement played out was very, very satisfying. I knew Will was setting up Wendy by bringing the envelope to the judge’s office (he’s not that arrogant), and it was nice to see his trap play out so elegantly. Alicia’s barely-controlled rage at Wendy overstepping her bounds was also a very strong moment. And the brief scene with the grand jurors taking the entirely wrong message from the testimony was a good reminder of how capricious the legal system can be.
My only issue is that Wendy Scott-Carr turned from formidable adversary into flustered clown much too easily. Yes, Will set her up, and, yes, the grand jurors went far off the reservation, but Wendy was completely unable to roll with any of the punches unexpectedly being thrown at her. It’s a case of the character being brilliant when the plot demands it, and then a naive fool when that’s what the story needed.
Compare that to Eli and Stacie’s feud – now with hate sex! – where they’re evenly-matched and each capable of quickly turning the tables on the other. It’s a lot more fun to watch when the odds are even, I think.
On the more personal front, I also think Alicia’s decision to not tell the kids about Will is going to come back and bite her later. Obviously, sleeping with her boss looks a bit shady, as does starting the affair not long after kicking Peter out of the apartment, but it’s still not as big a deal as I imagine it will seem when they inevitably find out from a source other than Alicia.
What did everybody else think?