Season finale review: 'The Good Wife' - 'Closing Arguments': Glove and an elevator
Alicia, Will and Kalinda all work together to free an accused killer
Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Will (Josh Charles) on "The Good Wife."
I'm ironically spending so much of my day reporting on the new CBS schedule - which will move "The Good Wife" to Sundays at 9 - that I have very little time to actually write about the season finale of the show itself, but I have a few thoughts coming up just as soon as I press all the buttons on the elevator...
"The Good Wife" is capable of doing a lot of things very well, and "Closing Arguments" - co-written by both of the Kings and directed by Robert (Matt Seitz has a longer appreciation of how well-directed the episode was) - admirably tackled a whole bunch of them. We got shady legal ethics (albeit in pursuit of a just cause), clever backdoor maneuvers (showing Peter tearing up the shipping receipt was a nice little touch) maneuvering through different corridors of power, sexual tension (and, though we didn't see it on-screen with either Kalinda or Alicia, sex), etc.
The Kings even, at least for one episode, made me enjoy the Alicia/Will thing. They've had so many false starts and contrived roadblocks that it was hard to remember if they'd ever had chemistry in the first place. But they did in that scene at the bar, and on the elevator, and in the hall, in part because the characters were allowed to acknowledge all the stupid things that have gotten in their way - to, even after WIll had payed $7800 for the presidential suite, worry that Peter or Tammy or Jackie or some other distraction would be on the other side of those elevator doors that kept opening and closing and opening and closing.
Just a terrific sequence, and the two of them finally consummating their relationship will only make things messier for Alicia in season three - and messy is where this show tends to work best.
What did everybody else think?
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May 18, 2011 at 12:19PM EST Reply to CommentI thought the chemistry between Will and Alicia was especially strong in the bar, when they were joking around. I wondered if her leaning over to check his lap after his incontinence joke was something Margulies improvised on the spot; their reactions to her doing it were so spontaneous feeling.
I also liked the scene of Peter tearing up the receipt, as it tagged back a little to Alicia's first case: Peter letting her know that the DA's office had been sitting on exculpatory evidence. He really knows where all the bodies are buried around there, doesn't he?
The one thing that shocked me a little, though it was understandable, was Will and Alicia in the elevator. I mean, surely they've used hotel elevator surveillance footage in cases before? She would know there might be a record of it? Is her separation legal enough for this fling not to have an impact on whatever divorce plans she might have?
May 18, 2011 at 12:24PM EST Reply to CommentYou win my "Headline of the Day" award, Alan.
berkowit28 Is it a clever adaptation of a saying or quote I'm not familiar with? "Glove and an elevator"? On its own merits it doesn't seem all that striking. What am I missing?
May 18, 2011 at 2:39PM EST
May 18, 2011 at 2:57PM ESTJedy K Aside from sounding like a Mad Men episode title.. the first thing that came to mind was the Aerosmith classic.. and that seemed very appropiate. =)
May 18, 2011 at 3:18PM ESTberkowit28 OK, thanks. I'm not up on pop music. I was about to google "Love and an elevator"...
May 18, 2011 at 3:46PM EST
May 18, 2011 at 12:26PM EST Reply to CommentAnd the elevator thing WAS stupid. Alicia's almost a public figure, and indeed, that will come up again. Count on it.
Jobin Of course, I wonder if the creepy winking old guy will even make it into the "last season on the Good Wife" montage next year.
May 18, 2011 at 12:39PM ESTChrissy Beyond that, she's pretty recognizable, and Will used his credit card. I don't think either of them were thinking about that; I also think Peter would have an uphill climb painting her as the adulterer, given his past.
May 18, 2011 at 12:56PM EST(Which isn't to say that you all aren't right and that it won't come up again. I can see Peter playing dirty in this divorce, easy.)
Jobin I seem to remember in season 1, there were rumors that Will/Alicia hooked up at a hotel, when they were investigating a case and had to talk to a hotel front desk.
May 18, 2011 at 1:19PM ESTGranted this was when Alicia was all over all news stations even national news, but they are also stating that Alicia has a huge approval rating from her pre-election interview, so I'm guessing she's still quite recognizeable.
May 18, 2011 at 2:03PM ESTI didn't think this episode was as strong as the two previous ones. Putting Eli in Alicia's law firm is just TOO easy. I thought the Grandmother crashing her grandkids and the brother for dinner totally negated what should have been closure on that plot point last week. And as much as I love Kalinda's character she's literally all over the place. Shades of gray and mystery are all well and good, but just what on earth is her motivation? I don't think the writers even know anymore...
That said, I did think having Peter be the one who sent to the glove - to HELP Alicia was a very nice touch.
Chrissy What are you referring to regarding Kalinda's motivation? I think she just wants to do her job; do you think there's more to it?
May 18, 2011 at 3:54PM ESTIf you mean Cary, well, I think that's complicated, but in a way that makes sense.
May 18, 2011 at 5:34PM EST@Chrissy: But it's always different when men screw around, didn't you get the memo? :) At his heart, I think Peter always has been an entitled SOB who thinks his genuine charm, intelligence and political street-fighting skills will ultimately get him a pass for everything. He's also been cheerfully enabled by people like Jackie, Eli and even Alicia herself
Chrissy True, true. This might be one place where a double standard could work in the woman's facor, though. Since women aren't naturally sexual creatures, she could only go outside her relationship for love. She's beloved and respected, and Will is age appropriate and her college sweetheart (and in a position of power over her).
May 18, 2011 at 10:54PM ESTCertainly Peter could try. But I think Alicia would win the people's sympathy, should that matter. I mean, she can even point out that she only reunited with Will after she had to back to work to take care of her family after Peter royally screwed up.
isaacl
May 18, 2011 at 12:27PM EST Reply to CommentKudos all around: very well-plotted, with existing, intricate threads being picked up and wove together to tell a compelling story, and great execution by the actors and production team. I'm a bit worried that the "what happens now?" question won't be handled as well, but for the moment, I'll just enjoy how effective the season finale was.
Fran I'm actually not as worried about the "what happens now" question than I thought I'd be, after this episode. At least, less worried than I am about the unexpected pregnancy storyline that "Justified" threw in in its finale. Color me pleasantly surprised.
May 19, 2011 at 7:34AM ESTJobin
May 18, 2011 at 12:36PM EST Reply to CommentI zoned out, what did Peter have to gain by sending the bloody glove to Alicia?
What's the motivation in making Childs look bad, since Peter had already won the election?
Whats the motivation in making Cary look somewhat bad by proxy since he's the number 2?
I'm having a hard time believing that Peter has now gone from a born-again religious awakening to a villan who's out to stir up trouble...all because of he got kicked out for never admitting to a previous affair with Kalinda. I know its neccessary for the show, to keep the heros (Alicia, Will, LG in general) at war with the DA (formally Childs, then Childs/Cary, now Peter/Cary), but it doesn't really make much sense for Peter.
Kalinda apparently the greatest investigator, has a blind spot when it comes to spotting wedding rings. Classic, plot hole...well done.
Shannon I never thought Peter's religious phase was sincere. He was doing it to look better to voters. And if I recall correctly, Kalinda's friend wasn't wearing a wedding ring.
May 18, 2011 at 12:50PM ESTI thought it was a great finale. The case was interesting, the tension between the characters was great, and I definitely felt the chemistry between Will and Alicia. Looking forward to next season.
Juppe58 As I understood it, Peter didn't want any skeletons in his DA's office which the glove would have been if it had stayed. I guess he wanted to stick it to Childs as well, out of spite. Another motivation could be to see that justice was done. I think all three are pretty good reasons.
May 18, 2011 at 1:10PM ESTJobin I guess the problem was they never really explained his motivation directly, then just showed a him with this evil/menancing look on his face as he tore up the receipt.
May 18, 2011 at 1:21PM ESTsarak Kalinda's friend was never wearing a wedding ring. I looked for it the whole time, since I saw that clip earlier.
May 18, 2011 at 3:52PM ESTalbatross JOBIN, I interpreted Peter's look as wryly satisfied, perhaps even ironic.
May 18, 2011 at 5:38PM ESTklg19 I saw Peter's motivation as clearing out a skeleton that might have come back to haunt him once he took over AND sticking it to Childs one final time.
May 18, 2011 at 6:54PM ESTDwayne Mendoza
May 18, 2011 at 1:14PM EST Reply to CommentI wish every component of the episode had been as strong as Alan's pun.It was exceptionally stylish and very nicely done, but if you like your plausibility quotient high, it was pretty weak.
The glove plot was resolved with a Judith Krantz-style reverse. Yeah, it was a real shocker. Didn't see it coming, since Chris Noth (a) hasn't been sworn in yet, and (b) has a toxic relationship with his predecessor (so he's not likely to get many favors), but (c) still manages, somehow to get access to a key piece of evidence, which (d) exculpates the innocent man, and (e) the prosecutor has been sitting on, which he (f) manages to mail to the defense counsel (g) without being detected, even though (h) someone at the post office manages to remember Matt Czuchry (who isn't an elected official and hasn't been the epicenter of two major scandals.
Chalk up another "Perry Mason" triumph for Lockhart-Gardner, the world's leading Criminal Defense / Court of Last Resort. BOOYAH!, Saul Goodman.
You can rationalize it a bit. Czuchry is co-counsel on the case, so let's suppose he discovered the glove was being suppressed. Maybe he went to Noth and said "Hey, soon--to-be-boss, something stinks" and Noth said "you have to expose this" and sent him to the Post Office.
Why doesn't Czuchry just doesn't stand up in court and introduce it? What-- he's afraid of being fired by a prosecutor who has two days left to serve? Gee, I can see him not being re-hired-- or not getting picked up by some other firm-- and dying broke in a gutter.
Also: The post office? Can't just drop it in a Fedex box, or hire a courier service? That's really taking some chances with the timing.
Also, not to get too feral about it (not like they spent much screen time on this psych), but big-ticket law firms run criminal background checks on everyone they hire and DO NOT take anyone who with a prior felony conviction or a Class A misdemeanor (which is what all sex offenses in Illinois are).
I didn't know the gay brother was still in town, and I'm surprised Juliana Margulies didn't tell him to keep Toxic Granny away from the kids... but they didn't make a big deal about either, so I'll just note it in passing too.
The plot twist where Alan Cumming gets to be Marguilies's boss is contrived to anyone who understands politics or law, but they haven't done anything stupid yet, so we'll pass that, too.
The affair between Josh Charles and Margulies was handled nicely-- I didn't vomit and I thought I would. And maybe it'll just be a one-nighter, like they hinted.
Also, they get points for not having Noth immediately morph into a 'heel" (to use the wrestling term for bad guy with no redeeming qualities).
I just wish this show-- which really could be the best drama on network TV (that is, non-cable) with a little paint and a couple of throw rugs-- wouldn't do so many things that make an intelligent viewer want to smash their head against the wall.
Jobin "I just wish this show-- which really could be the best drama on network TV (that is, non-cable) with a little paint and a couple of throw rugs-- wouldn't do so many things that make an intelligent viewer want to smash their head against the wall."
May 18, 2011 at 1:29PM ESTCompletely agree, it always gets like 75% of the way there, but it is frustrating as a viewer you always walk away feeling they could have done more because all the pieces were there.
Oh and I'm guessing the brother is back in town because Alicia asked him back, since Toxic Granny was the one primarily watching the kids. Though I keep wanting him to morph into his Rubicon character.
Dwayne Mendoza Do we know that he and Margulies are really related? Could he be a plant from Atlas-McDowell? Could they have been the ones who set "Peter Florrick" up?
May 18, 2011 at 4:53PM ESTRUBICON was another show that (like THE GOOD WIFE) was never content to shoot itself in the foot if it could possibly manage a head shot.
And is it really just coincidence that THE GOOD WIFE is being moved to Sunday at 9 PM?
May 18, 2011 at 5:47PM ESTUm, not really sure about that. I don't think Alicia and Jackie EVER liked each other -- don't know if was made explicit, but got the sense that Jackie always thought her golden boy could have married better; and of course, Peter screwing around must be Alicia's fault.
But I don't think Alicia would try and isolate her children from their grandmother, no matter how big a bitch she is. That's just not how she rolls.
cgeye "Also, not to get too feral about it (not like they spent much screen time on this psych), but big-ticket law firms run criminal background checks on everyone they hire and DO NOT take anyone who with a prior felony conviction or a Class A misdemeanor (which is what all sex offenses in Illinois are)."
May 18, 2011 at 7:06PM ESTThat got to me, too -- no way would a sex offender would be hired to work with a support staff mostly composed of women -- and no way would their risk management would support even a parolee-release program for anyone more guilty of a non-moving parking ticket.
Dwayne Mendoza Craig, I am sure. I thought Margulies made it clear, but I went back and watched the scene at the club again, and here's a transcript of the key sentences: "From now on Jackie, if you want to come to my home you will call me. If you can't get me, call my assistant. If you can't get her, try again... The next time you try to turn my children against me, I will keep them permanently off-limits to you... [In response to "They're Peter's children!"], But they're not yours... The next time you want to see your grandchildren, you call first."
May 19, 2011 at 12:00PM ESTDoesn't sound like those words meant "But if you want to intercept them when they're out in public, feel free" to me. And, having said that-- in a conversation that raised custody-- a lawyer who asked someone to take the kids out would instruct them about what to allow and what not to. If not, you have a problem when the kids maybe say "Let's go see Dad!!!"
It's one of those myriad issues that makes comparisons between THE GOOD WIFE and THE WIRE laughable. TGW is a nice show with lots of impressive components, but I never for a minute imagine I'm watching lawyers, police or political pros at work. It isn't even reality stylized, condensed or simplified for TV (which you can apply, to different degrees, to BREAKING BAD, THE WEST WING, MAD MEN, HOMICIDE or OZ).
It's just one of those glaring bits of dissonance that blows suspension of disbelief-- like "Matthew Perry can write a 90-minute comedy show every week by himself."
If the show wants to make Margulies a flawed character who forgets details or doesn't anticipate or won't do every last thing to win-- and sometimes gets burned by it-- that's fine. A third season story arc where daughter and son (plus a good chunk of Mom's paycheck and bonus) end up with Dad because Mom didn't do everything her divorce attorney warned her about-- and then banged a co-worker and got caught-- is a perfectly valid decision and would make one hell of a season.
But I don't get that's where they want to take her-- and the degree that characters triumph in spite of themselves determines whether a show becomes must-see TV or NO ORDINARY FAMILY.
cadfile
May 18, 2011 at 1:15PM EST Reply to CommentGood episode to end the season.
Only quibble was the case of the week - they seem to go to the "we only have a few hours to find the real killer" plot to often. It makes the drama better to be sure but I see it also being used too much.
Still one of the best dramas on TV right now
IreneInIdaho
May 18, 2011 at 1:56PM EST Reply to CommentHow much did Peter pay the hooker he had sex with? Less than $7,800?? Because with Will paying that much to have sex with Alicia, it kind of makes her seem like a high-priced hooker, even if she didn't get the money. And I didn't see chemistry as much as tequila-fueled disregard for consequences. As others have pointed out, she is quite recognizable, he used his credit card, and tapes from the elevator cameras could come back to haunt them.
Chrissy I think that's a pretty broad definition of hooker.
May 18, 2011 at 3:57PM EST
May 18, 2011 at 5:29PM ESTAnd do you think it might be the whole point that when Alicia -- usually so self-contained and calculating she makes Kalinda look like Oprah by comparison -- finally lets loose, she doesn't screw around. Well, she does... but not in that sense. :)
rcade To save you the embarrassment of a Three's Company-style mixup in the future, you're confused about how prostitution works. You don't pay the hotel; you pay the hooker.
May 19, 2011 at 1:47PM EST
May 18, 2011 at 2:43PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, I loved every minute of this closing episode. Laughed out loud over the dinner with Jackie scene. Can see all sorts of possible repercussions from the Presidential Suite impulse. They were great in the bar and warm and comfortable during the elevator ride from hell.
Can't wait until the new season. Lots of mess, lots of room for TGW to do what it does so well.
LizC
May 18, 2011 at 2:44PM EST Reply to CommentI've never had a problem with Will/Alicia and I'm not sure what the contrived road blocks are. Her marriage? Her kids? That he's her boss? Yep. Those are totally contrived and not at all realistic road blocks. I guess the biggest contrivance I can think of is Eli deleting that voice mail but even that I'm ok with because it was a totally in character thing for Eli to do.
That said the consummation was a huge pay off for me and demonstrated just why I do prefer them as a pairing. And I think it's pretty clear they weren't thinking about the consequences. I suppose tequila, years of unrequited lust, and a dash of winning a case high will do that to you.
martha_s
May 18, 2011 at 4:08PM EST Reply to CommentI just wanted to add a shout-out to Jane Alexander, who I thought was particularly strong in this episode. The interplay between her and Will was very well done indeed. And I'm happy that Eli is bringing his business to Lockhart Gardner if it means more Alan Cumming next season. At Peter's victory party, I was already starting to miss him.
Craig Ranapia
May 18, 2011 at 5:10PM EST Reply to CommentI still find Alicia and Kalinda's weird, spiky friendship much more interesting that Willicia -- but I agree with Mo Ryan the show had reached a point where Alicia and Will got together or the whole thing got shut down.
klg19 Yes, I love Alicia and Kalinda together as well (I mean working together, that is). And one of the things the finale did so well was show how smoothly things go when they DO work together. Clearly, Alicia did NOT want to have to turn to Kalinda, and it got off to a bad start. But they just click as working partners--and I think that that's what will be the saving of their friendship. It will evolve from necessity.
May 18, 2011 at 7:02PM ESTKalinda has clearly been profoundly affected by what she did to Alicia, no matter how irritated she might be by the enormity of Alicia's reaction. One doesn't sense that she would have left the bed of her married lover so quickly in the past.
I'm much more invested in Kalinda and Alicia getting past this major roadblock in their friendship than I am in Will and Alicia going anywhere, although I *do* like them as a couple and have had such a dumb crush on Josh Charles for so long (going back a dozen years to "Sports Night) that I can't imagine anyone resisting him...
May 19, 2011 at 2:04AM ESTAnd, yeah, I totally agree that Kalinda actually feels guilty (and angry at herself for feeling that way)and it's going to be interesting to see what she does with that. The most interesting thing about their dynamic is that, at heart, Kalinda and Alicia are more alike than they care to admit: They're scary-smart, and use (and abuse) that intelligence to protect themselves from a world in which they feel outsiders in. They both opened those doors a crack, and it turns out they screwed each other over before they even met. Awkward. :)
Fran The Alicia/Kalinda relationship was the show's hook, for me. I can think of several movies and tv shows that I enjoyed that featured male friendships, but very, very few female ones that were nearly as enjoyable to watch. And the Alicia/Eli friendship is an added bonus.
May 19, 2011 at 7:43AM ESTklg19 @CraigMichaelRanapia: I absolutely agree about Alicia and Kalinda's similarities. A friend once said that their friendship was boring, but I replied that looking at two women who are so practiced at keeping their emotions tamped down begin to reach out, to show each other their hidden selves, is fascinating. Neither are good at letting others in and yet they opened up to each other. I have to believe that that's going to be the saving of their friendship.
May 19, 2011 at 8:02AM ESTlztouchthedream
May 18, 2011 at 7:03PM EST Reply to CommentHey Alan, have any thoughts on Todd VanDerWerff's piece about The Good Wife being a worthy successor to The Wire? As a huge fan of The Wire (and someone who hasn't watched a second of The Good Wife), it was intriguing, though I'm still not sold enough to buy the DVDs.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-good-wife-has-proven-itself-a-worthy-successor,56168
klg19 Oh, dear. No. I love The Good Wife as much as anyone can, but it is not a successor to The Wire. That is just crazy talk.
May 18, 2011 at 7:46PM ESTklg19 Sorry. That was glib.
May 18, 2011 at 7:52PM ESTBut, no, The Good Wife is NOT about the life and death of an American city, and the interconnectedness and degradation of its systems. It might make reference to those things, but it is not the theme.
Far closer to the sophistication of The Wire, to the realism of characters who are never thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad, would be a show like Battlestar Galactica. And even THAT show wasn't as brilliant as The Wire.
The AV Club reviewer is dazzled by well-crafted characters and often (but not always) carefully-constructed plots; those are so rare on television--broadcast, especially--that it's easy to overinflate them when you see them.
May 19, 2011 at 3:16PM ESTThe Good Wife is candy. Occasionally it surprises me -- I have enjoyed the Alicia/Kalinda relationship and am starting to enjoy Alicia/Eli -- but when I get my hopes up, it lets me down. (Headless Hugo Chavez??) As a previous commenter wrote, it's only partially intelligent. The Wire, on the other hand, is everything Alan wrote about it, and more. It would not surprise me if in my lifetime I don't see another drama as rich and funny and hearbreaking and thought-provoking and ...
And it wouldn't bother me, because when I'm 90 and can barely remember my name, I'll just pop in whatever media exists in whatever player exists and watch Bubs eat lunch with his sister and probably choke up as much as I did when I saw it the first time.
But back to TGW: Is it me, or does it seem like Lockhart-Gardner wins a lot, lot more cases than it loses? I recall one loss, but but it sure seems that in most weeks, the intrepid Alicia or dogged (and ethically sterile) Kalinda come up with the nugget that saves their client. This week I found myself almost laughing: Kalinda talks to a suspect who mentions the judge's family problems. From that, Diane surmises the judge recused himself, which leads to the Real Guilty Person. And why didn't the prosecutors figure this out? None of it seemed like intellectual gymnastics; it seemed simple and logical.
I'll take Bunk's policework any day of any year over Kalinda's...
Alf The network wanted the firm to win a lot, so it does. It kind of sucks, but that's TV.
May 20, 2011 at 7:52AM ESTKmarko
May 23, 2011 at 1:40PM EST Reply to CommentGood show, but it sure feels like it's being wildly overpraised all the sudden. It seems to be no more or less than a solid network tv drama at a time when that's a rare breed. Which I guess explains the overpraising, but still.
Oh, and has this Kalinda person ever met a human being without sleeping with them? Alicia should really give her husband a pass on that, he clearly had no say in the matter. Actually, I assume Alicia will sleep with Kalinda next season.