In my opinion this has been the show's most uneven season. There's probably not a single episodes I can point to as a particular stand out (although Death of a Client came close). There were far too many bad secondary plots - yes Kalinda's husband, I am looking at you. So in looking at the season's finale I think I need to break it down into what worked, what failed and what the finale means in terms of season 5.
The Bad - Aside from the misguided introduction of Kalinda's husband that was universally despised, I think it exposed a real problem the show may continue to have moving forward - Kalinda. Kalinda in the first couple of seasons was interesting because of her mystery and the juxtaposition she gave to Alicia, especially in season 1. Their evolving friendship was the single most interesting relationship in the show. When that imploded with the discovery of Peter and Kalinda's affair, it was palpably devastating. Kalinda's character has never recovered from it. Her close to the vest, vague stature now feels redundant and overplayed. Archie Panjabi continues to be a vexing presence on screen but sadly her character feels one-dimensional and stilted. Ending the season with her decision to remain with Lockhart Gardner and go directly against Cary and now Alicia I hope will offer new and interesting land for Kalinda to explore.
Also in the bad category - the lack of Eli Gold this season. Part of what makes this show delicious is Eli Gold's complete lack of filter. He is the audience's voice and pathway into the crazy world that is Peter's political career, but also the absurdity of the inner-workings of Lockhart Gardner. Season 5 must have more of his humor, insight and razor like observation. The show is always better for it.
Finally, guest stars*. I love them and really for The Good Wife they are a blessing and a curse. At their most effective they are used in the vein of recurring characters, the best of which hands down has been Martha Plimpton (Patti Nyholm) and Dylan Baker (Colin Sweeney). At their worst they overwhelm and take away from the characters we've come to care about over the course of 4 seasons. Last night's finale is a perfect example of where the cup runneth over. Seriously, by the time we got to the bar I was half expecting Kristen Chenoweth to be the bartender. Here's my scorecard for them -- keep the opposing attorneys, key clients, Stockard Channing and Dallas Roberts. Drop the quirky judges (because really, it's starting to feel like Ally McBeal) and most of the folks connected to Peter.
The Good - The main cast continues to be The Good Wife's greatest strength. I was never a fan of Julianna Margulies. Truth be told, my adoration of Christine Baranski, Josh Charles and Chris Noth is what drove me to the show. However, her work this season and the show delving into her ethical compromise has been interesting to watch, particularly in her scenes with Peter. My hope is that last night's reshuffling of the deck of attorneys will give us more interplay with Will, Alicia, Cary, David Lee and Diane. Speaking of Diane, I only have praise for Christine Baranski on a normal day. Her performance all season long was on point, often hilarious and at key moments poignant. I am going to reserve judgement on her ascension to the Supreme Court, but my memo to the show creators is don't do to Diane what you did to Eli this season. More Diane and Eli make for a better Good Wife. It's a fact, you can look it up. Which brings us to Peter. Peter had an interesting season because of the constant cadence of his potential for nobility. We saw it in his commitment to Alicia, the clean up of the DA's office, the campaign choices he made. As a result, that scene with Will when we discover he absolutely knew about the ballot tampering was crucial. Peter hasn't changed, his outside game has just gotten better. I think this sets up very interesting potential for Peter and Alicia next year.
The Decision - Let's start with the easy one first. From the moment Cary returned to Lockhart Gardner I always believed that eventually Alicia and he would break out and start their own firm. The moment they put it in play about 6-7 episodes ago I knew we were going to end our season with an Agos Florrick firm. So 'the big reveal' was a let down for me in execution. In terms of next season, I think it is just the type of pivot the show needed. Much like when Desperate Housewives brilliantly jumped 5 years, I believe this will open up an entirely different batch of storytelling that I am eager to watch. As for the Will or Peter question. The creators have gone on record stating that she chose Peter and the move to go with Cary was a deliberate move away from Will. I am nonplussed about it entirely. I admit, I am in the Will and Alicia camp if forced to chose. However, I hope that the ambiguity in the decision means the door isn't completely closed. Moreover, now that she is gone from Lockhart Gardner I hope it results in Will actually fighting for her openly, because, seriously, anything that puts Will and Peter toe to toe in scenes together is going to make for a better show. The proof is in their 2 minute scene last night.
I remain convinced that The Good Wife continues to be one of the best shows on TV. I hope they take some lessons from this season's misses and make the most out of this trajectory shift of Cary and Alicia's new found partnership. The bottom line, on a crowded night of TV The Good Wife remains priority viewing.
* The link will take you to an exhaustive and excellent ranking of the Good Wife's guest stars over the first 4 seasons. I almost 100% agree with it, except I would not rank Michael J. Fox #1. For me Martha Plimpton rules that roost.
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