Season finale review: 'The Good Wife' - 'The Dream Team': Kalinda's secret stash
Michael J. Fox and Martha Plimpton team up in a memorable finale
Michael J. Fox, Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski in "The Good Wife" season 3 finale.
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A review of the "The Good Wife" season finale coming up just as soon as I pick out the right sledgehammer...
It's practically a TV critic cliché (and one I've used a time or three) by this point to say that "The Good Wife" blends the best of what you can do with a network drama (accessible storytelling, familiar faces) and what you can do with one on cable (moral ambiguity, more long-term plotting). The show's season 3 finale, "The Dream Team," exemplified all of that.
It brought back two of the show's best individual rival attorneys — Michael J. Fox's shameless Louis Canning and Martha Plimpton's devious Patti Nyholm — and let them team up in an attack on Lockhart Gardner. It was pure pleasure to watch Fox and Plimpton working side by side, and even though we're supposed to be rooting for Alicia, Diane and Will, it's hard not to enjoy the bad guys running such a successful con (distracting Lockhart Gardner with a nuisance suit while they were busy poaching one of the firm's biggest clients) and putting our heroes into a very tenuous position going into next season.
At the same time, the finale continued to tug at the messy thread involving Kalinda's IRS problem, and the past she's kept hidden, which includes a husband so dangerous she waits for him with a loaded gun under her seat. (And that's only after she decides she likes her current life enough to not just run away from it like she presumably ran away from this guy.) And it continued to do a bang-up job dealing with the messy realities of Alicia's relationship with Peter (who puts his concern for Alicia's well-being ahead of his political ambitions by going on record about their separation), with her hated mother-in-law (Alicia is the only one who can see that the stroke took more out of Jackie than it seemed at first), and with Will (who takes a very different, much more awkward elevator ride with Alicia than they had at the end of last season).
It was among the best hours of "The Good Wife" this season: surprising without feeling manipulative, funny (particularly Patti and Andrew Wiley approaching Kalinda with The Double Strollers of Doom) without the comedy feeling shoehorned, and hitting the right emotional notes for Alicia, Kalinda and Peter.
At the same time, "The Dream Team" was also a reminder of the thing that will always clearly separate "The Good Wife" from its cable counterparts. Where they only have to produce 13 episodes a year (or fewer, in some cases), "The Good Wife" still operates on the traditional network model of 22 per season. On the one hand, if you love "The Good Wife," you get more "Good Wife." On the other, the cable model shows that less can often be more: that your story arcs are tighter and that you don't have to pad things out just to fill time and make sure certain events don't happen until the finale.
A lot happened this season on "The Good Wife," and while some of it was terrific, other parts were forgettable. In the finale, for instance, Alicia spent her first concentrated time with her kids in what felt like forever. And while that relationship is a huge part of the show — and a huge part of the tug Alicia still feels towards Peter — and while the kids' stories can sometimes be interesting, I realized when watching them in the finale how little I had missed them. And though Louis and Patti are always a ton of fun when they're around, there are many other Lockhart Gardner cases of the week that tend to drag.
And because Kalinda's backstory — and the trouble she's frequently in with various ex-lovers and/or rivals — is so long and complicated, I find I sometimes lose track of it, especially since these 22 episodes aired over the course of seven months, with gaps in between batches of episodes.
It was a good season overall, and an excellent finale. Every now and then, though, I wonder what this show would be like if Robert and Michelle King were told, "Okay, you're just making 13 episodes, and we want you to go full-speed ahead with them."
What did everybody else think?
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April 30, 2012 at 10:39AM EST Reply to CommentThe 13/22 case is an interesting one. I can't stand the "we're going to do it this way because it's the way we've always done it" argument, but the inelastic demands of a network TV season make for a steep hill to climb in crafting the better "there's a way to do things that builds from the past and is more effective for the future" argument. The main way to make a 13-episode network order plausible is to develop enough quality dramas (I don't think there's ANY way that there's any traction for doing this with comedies) that they could replace something like a regular TGW season with 13 eps of TGW and another show for a net 26-episode block inside a 2013-14 season or something like that. Syndication will take longer, actor and writer salaries will take a hit, but that might really be the trend going forward.
Omagus I don't see that happening anytime soon. Network TV is still a ratings game. Havimg to use two shows to fill the same amount as what one currently does is probably too risky a proposition for most execs. If one of the shows isn't a hit, they'll be in trouble.
April 30, 2012 at 11:36AM ESTLost and Friday Night Ligjts were both able to do it in later seasons but those were both pretty unique circumstances.
webdiva I don't mind the 22 ep season: it provides more time for character development. I don't expect every single ep to be a smash and grab me every single time, but I do expect 22 eps to help me understand and empathize with the characters -- and make me want to keep watching to see what happens.
May 3, 2012 at 11:21PM ESTJon88
April 30, 2012 at 10:41AM EST Reply to Comment1. This episode made me laugh more than the previous 21 combined.
2. I apologize for thinking Jackie had faked her stroke. What was that movie she was hallucinating seeing?
3. Sure sounded like Adrian Pasdar on the phone from Canada.
zoz Jackie was watching "Whistle Stop"
May 1, 2012 at 1:34AM ESThttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039101/combined
Bern
April 30, 2012 at 10:44AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, did you get to watch the "Alienation of Affection" episode? I know you didn't at the time due to TCA's, but the general consensus (over at the AVClub at least) was that it was one of the best episodes this season.
Lauren
April 30, 2012 at 11:07AM EST Reply to CommentGood review, although I don't agree with your suggestion that the show might be better with 13 episodes instead of 22. I don't like that cable shows have short seasons. Maybe that is the way the networks will go, but I hope not.
jenfullmoon Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the short season either. It occasionally works for me--Jericho really cut the lamer characters for their 7-episode season and that made that show go from middling level to awesome-- but most of the time, I'll still enjoy a middling show where there's 22 episodes of it. And it's fine for more open-ended shows like this one.
April 30, 2012 at 11:18AM ESTcoxlaw
April 30, 2012 at 11:09AM EST Reply to CommentIn real life, no law firm can have this much drama and still survive.
Asta77 I'm not a lawyer, but I work in a law firm and a lot of the drama and legal shenanigans came off as ridiculous to me.
April 30, 2012 at 12:14PM ESTcadfile That's the difference between real life and TV drama - if it were exactly like real life no one would watch it.
April 30, 2012 at 4:29PM ESTDwayne Mendoza The people who produce the 97 gazillion hours of reality TV currently airing would be surprised to learn that no one watches real life.
April 30, 2012 at 5:29PM ESTMore to the point. Lockhart-Gardner's financial position is even sillier than Don Draper's marriage. If you don't like what's being presented in this episode, wait a week for the opposite to occur. In the odd-numbered episodes, they're shorthanded and desperately hiring in order to keep up with the unbelievable volume of business. Even-numbered ones, they're going bankrupt. Nobody in the firm has ever heard the words "Business Line of Credit", either.
It's those Sidney Sheldon plotlines (which call up memories of the old Star Trek shows that asked us to worry about whether Kirk, Spock and McCoy would be killed by the evil computer)-- not the number of episodes-- that are the show's biggest flaw. It's the finale, so I assume I'm supposed to be concerned about the firm. But the thing that crossed my mind was "If they do bankrupt, which would I prefer-- having Juliana Margulies get an apartment with Krysten Ritter... or Kat Dennings?"
cadfile Even reality TV isn't real life - it may not all be scripted but it is edited and outlined for a specific story end
April 30, 2012 at 6:03PM ESTBrian J @Dwayne Mendoza:
June 1, 2012 at 2:02AM ESTI just started watching, and can't stop, but I assume you are exaggerating a bit when you say the show alternates between success and financial trouble so casually. Are you?
And while I won't begin to pretend to be an expert in the finances of a law firm, my understanding based on what I've seen so far is that the firm is successful but not huge, even though it wants to grow. If that's the case, and if it's true that many businesses are still having trouble attaining credit due to the financial crisis and/or recession, does it seem so odd that a business line of credit wouldn't be a possible solution?
Detie
April 30, 2012 at 11:16AM EST Reply to CommentThere is so little really good TV these days, I want all The Good Wife I can get. I can deal with a not too interesting show a lot easier than no show at all.
PY
April 30, 2012 at 11:18AM EST Reply to CommentIt's not exactly the same genre as The Good Wife or the "cable dramas," but didn't Chuck give us some good insight into the 13-vs-22 debate and tightness of story arcs? For all the meandering you can get in 22 episodes, you also have to rush many things in a 13 episode season and not give some things room to "breathe". Pros and cons to everything. I'd prefer to get more of something if it's done well, which I feel the Good Wife is.
sepinwall That's a very fair counter-point.
April 30, 2012 at 11:23AM ESTandythesaint Another benefit to the longer season (when done right), the extra time gives the producer an episode or two to play around a bit. They can try something new without sacrificing an hour needed to the overall master narrative.
April 30, 2012 at 11:41AM ESTSo it's a balance.
sepinwall True, although Breaking Bad has been able to do the odd experimental episode (4 Days Out, Fly), as has Mad Men, as did The Sopranos very frequently.
April 30, 2012 at 12:25PM ESTAdam B. You can't do bottle episodes as freely in a 13-ep season, and season two's death penalty appeal ep is one of my favorites.
April 30, 2012 at 2:51PM ESTsepinwall The two Breaking Bad episodes I mentioned were both designed as bottle episodes, Adam.
April 30, 2012 at 6:05PM ESTAdam B. Oops.
April 30, 2012 at 6:06PM ESTRyanT
April 30, 2012 at 11:20AM EST Reply to CommentThat whole Kalinda/sledgehammer/packing scene felt so Breaking Bad-esque. I was giddy throughout.
The rest of the episode was just as excellent. I can't wait for next season.
ChampSkins
April 30, 2012 at 11:37AM EST Reply to CommentKalinda owned this episode. I know a lot of people think she is overkill and her "sexiness" is a bit of a reach, but she really makes the show for me. I am excited about the prospect of who her husband is. TGW always nails its guest stars, so I know they will get this one right too.
Wizard64
April 30, 2012 at 11:49AM EST Reply to CommentThe Louis Canning character is always great, but pitting him against a judge in a wheelchair set up some excellent counterplay. Kalinda continues to be a fascinating character. "Flexible" is how she put it. Alicia's feelings for Peter are ambivalent. She really can't trust him, but is being self-pressured into allowing him closer, especially since Will is out of range, and because of her kids. This is one of the better network shows-can't stand with MM or "Game" but easily watchable and respectful of a viewer's intelect.
albatross
April 30, 2012 at 12:08PM EST Reply to CommentI thought they used the baby in the walker to maximum comedy effect. That kid has good timing.
pkdof13 I kept wondering if there was a bug in the walker so that Patty could listen in to what Will/Alicia/Diane were saying.
April 30, 2012 at 5:11PM ESTOriginal jan PKDOF13: Me, too!
May 1, 2012 at 2:35AM ESTFarrah
April 30, 2012 at 1:09PM EST Reply to CommentMy favorite was the awkward scene between Alicia, Peter, Will, Eli, and Cary haha. It just got funnier as each new character showed up
d?fijh I totally agree with you too
April 30, 2012 at 2:19PM ESTisaacl Great acting/direction to have Cary be the only one to behave naturally with only a minimal bit of awkwardness. He demonstrated his respect for the state attorney's office and the mutual respect between Peter and Cary, and illustrated how he generally gets along well with everyone. This attention to detail makes watching The Good Wife all the more enjoyable.
May 1, 2012 at 4:21AM ESTKokuanani
April 30, 2012 at 1:39PM EST Reply to CommentPerhaps I'm the only one on the planet who feels this way, but I HATE the Michael J. Fox character, and the Martha Plimption one as well. Someone on another board suggested that they play like two villains from the old Batman tv series.
I thought the best moment of the evening was when Mark-Lynn Baker [the judge] called Michael J. Fox on his two attempts "pity-buddy" moves.
I'm delighted Cary is back. Alicia's kids: meh.
Dwayne Mendoza You're not alone. I think of them as J.R. Ewing and Alexis Carrington, because the show never allows them to lose-- there's always some last twist of fate to show it was all part of a master plan.
April 30, 2012 at 5:35PM ESTHowever skillful the acting is, it's cartoonish. There's no suspense when you know Michael J. Fox will get to twirl his handlebar moustache and say "MWA-HA-HA!!!"in the last scene
Another Guest "Someone on another board suggested that they play like two villains from the old Batman tv series." Great observation. This series relies on a lot of caricatures, including most of the judges. I find that lazy.
April 30, 2012 at 7:53PM ESTwebdiva K -- I agree on all points. Cary good, the opponents are cartoons, and the judge nailed it. Yes!
May 3, 2012 at 11:24PM ESTDepartedAviator
April 30, 2012 at 2:13PM EST Reply to CommentDo you think it would hurt or benefit the show, Alan? (Were it forced to be a 10-13 episode drama?) It's an intriguing question, and I found myself asking the opposite last year.
Boardwalk Empire, for me, has had the finest year of any drama this season and it's one of the shows with a very expansive cast that doesn't (usually) feel as if performers or characters are being shortchanged, but I wonder with a 22 episode structure how much more we'd see of Mol, or Huston or Stuhlbarg expanding on their fantastic work. And then, I think, would the expansion dilute it?
Excuse the rambling, what I mean to say - with a 13 episode structure we might get a tighter story, but don't you think we might also get lesser chances for some of the performers to thrive (Czuchry, Cumming, even Baranski to some extent)?
evolution1085
April 30, 2012 at 4:24PM EST Reply to CommentTo borrow a turn of phrase from the great Colin Quinn, I don't give a care about Kalinda's backstory. Her entire character is so cartoony on what is otherwise a relatively grounded show (Archie Punjabi is attractive, but to have people falling over themselves to hand her information because of her feminine wiles, and all the deceit with the backstory, it feels like it belongs in Damages more than the Good Wife). I find Peter's moral concerns more interesting than Alicia's lately, especially as he's been the character who has shown the most narrative growth since the pilot. Hopefully next season gives Alicia a little less floundering in her personal life, save the moral gray areas for the show. Eventually "nuance" becomes narrative stalling after a while, especially in what essentially is several years I'd imagine in the timeline of the show.
evolution1085 *Save the moral gray aspects for the legal aspects of the show.
April 30, 2012 at 4:25PM ESTerika_herzog
April 30, 2012 at 4:44PM EST Reply to CommentDisagree on the Kalinda turn.
Kalinda only seemed to change her mind -- not because she realized she likes her current life (where did you get THAT from?!?) but only because Kalinda realizes Alicia is in pretty serious danger from making that dumb phone call (weak and specious plot point there).
SophieB210
April 30, 2012 at 10:47PM EST Reply to CommentWhy the binary options of 13 or 22? If the season for a 1-hour show were 16 or so episodes, it could run uninterrupted on a fall or spring "semester" schedule without interruption. Lighter fare could run 8-13 episodes in the summer, also without interruption. I'm sure this is a common enough idea, so I'm curious as to what the barriers are.
EmEm
May 1, 2012 at 1:04AM EST Reply to CommentAnd what about the two different scenes of electric lights flickering and the elevator lurching? Were these just throw-away moments? Evidence they did they not pay their electric bill? Or is there a looming building infrastructure disaster for Lockhart/Gardner?
pecola
May 1, 2012 at 1:58AM EST Reply to CommentAfter the last two episodes, I'm really hoping for the opening episode of Season Four to be entirely devoted to Kalinda. I'd love to see Robert and Michelle King try their hand at a flashback episode so we can get Kalinda's backstory. I get that the mystery has always been part of Kalinda's appeal but all the unanswered questions are starting to become a distraction.
I agree with Erika_Herzog...had Kalinda's husband--or, rather, Laila's husband--not threatened Alicia, I think the investigator would've found her way out of town. I was actually a bit surprised that she sat en garde in her own apartment rather than watching over Alicia and her kids.
The scene by the elevator brought some much needed levity to this episode but a couple of things stood out to me: first, I'm supposed to believe that Eli is a great campaign strategist and yet, as his candidate appears, set to be deposed, Eli seems positively indifferent.* It's a stark contrast from the controlling manager we saw leading the State's Attorney campaign and doesn't really make much sense. Eli's inconsistency has been one of the low points of an otherwise good season.
[Sidenote: In my imagination, Eli's nonchalant about the deposition because he and Peter have agreed to admit to the separation--not as some magnanimous gesture for Alicia, but to disarm an attack from Mike Kresteva. Between that and the Democratic Party support promised a few episodes ago, Kresteva's campaign would be DOA...giving the writers an out, in case Matthew Perry can't come back. But yeah...it would've been nice to see that play out on screen.]
And, second, why's Cary so anxious around Peter? Last week, Cary leaves the bar to answer a phone call from him, but now they're exchanging awkward handshakes? Methinks there might be more there.
May 1, 2012 at 6:36AM ESTAgree also on the Eli Gold thing. Again want more (like last week)..,. :-)
Edward
May 1, 2012 at 10:39AM EST Reply to CommentIt should be interesting to see how TGW does in S4 because they are slated for 18 episodes instead of 22. One is already earmarked according to Josh Charles on Twitter as his directors debut.
My problem with the finale is that the last three 19, 20, and 21 were the best of the season. The whole Lemond Bishop, and FBI Agent Delaney story for Kalinda was outstanding. This was the buzz along with Mike Kresteva that everyone was talking about these past few weeks. It's no surprise to me that TGW lost nielsen ratings on Sunday because savy fans already knew that there would be no Matthew Perry, Jill Flint or Mike Colter in the finale. Now that Perry has a NBC sitcom his appearances in S4 won't be as linear either. The writers should seriously do betting booking of their recurring guest casts. I think this will help the reduce filler in 22 episodes.
xavier Isn't this the challenge of a show to always have top-flite recurring guest stars? Their availability is always going to be an issue because they're never bound to be out of permanent work all that long.
May 1, 2012 at 11:09AM ESTWonder why the S4 episode order was cut to 18 episodes instead of 22 - is it a preference of the TGW's creators to go for quality over quantity or are the show's long-term prospects on shaky ground?