The Good Wife Season 1 Episode 8 Recap

Alicia is able to witness her husband Peter in a TV interview, dodging question about his political future and apologies for his sexual misgivings. I find it amazing how his vocal tones change when in political mode. Alicia also meets Peter's new sexy, blond reputation manager, Kya.

Back at the law firm everyone is watching the fumbling, apologizing Professor Ellen Whitton third prep session. She is a stem cell researcher accused of burning down her laboratory. So Ellen is to weak for the stand and the partners come up with a "Darwinian" play to prepare the other witnesses. They are pitting two attorneys, one playing prosecutor and one defense, against each other.

So it is Alicia and Cary playing the roles. Cary turns into the prosecutor whipping out questions and even destroying the credibility of their arson witness. Sorry, can't say the lab spontaneously combusted. So they now have to turn the case into arson, just not by Ellen. Could be easy since Ellen has been receiving hate mail from religious zealots and animal rights activates. Kalinda is sent to investigate, of course.

Back to Peter in court in a suit, and shaking hands with everyone, even ASA Landry the man Peter taught everything he knows. Peter asks for a new hearing on new exculpatory evidence and bail. If everything goes right Peter could be out in two days time.

At home Alicia is met and asked tons of questions by her daughter, Grace, and son, Zach. Zach wants Peter home. Grace not so much.

While being coached by Kya, Peter is offered the influence of the judge by a different ASA. After a pat down Peter seems to say no but sees the encounter as a change in his direction and is delighted.

Kalinda gets the help of the FBI but they can only give one possibility, the Christian Coalition for Bioethics. They are against stem cell research and Ellen even finds a letter on the windshield of her car.

Zach and Grace receive a package on their doorstep as well. This is a DVD of a meeting between three men in a hotel room. One even looks like Peter. It is a bad copy and you can only see the back of the believed Peter's head. Of course Zach hides it from Alicia against Grace's protest. Zach becomes detective and uses his iPod nano as a security camera in a plant outside the door to find out who is dropping off these packages.

Peter's lawyer tells Alicia she well need to testify at the bail hearing to show Peter will have a safe and stable environment at home.

The arson case starts up and the first witness bombs against the prosecution. This does not rattle Diane. Kalinda finds hate mail is a red herring. Good reason, the Protestant group is quoting the Catholic Bible. Alicia and Carl must prepare the final witness, a fellow scientist, and someone who goes off topic often.

Zach shows up at Peter's bail hearing to give the secret packages to his father but Alicia spots him on the stand. This leads Alicia to give a strong talking to ASA Landry when he tries to badger her. Peter's not in court so Zach has to switch gears and complements his mom and the envelope in his lab…homework.

The fellow scientist is caught in a lie when Alicia and Cary are outside the building and have no cell reception. So, how did the follow scientist call his mom? Evidence soon points to him as the one who set the fire. Diane puts him on the stand and gets him to tell the truth, which isn't hard since he likes to talk. Ellen is cleared.

Peter is in hot water at court when that ASA offer from earlier is now saying Peter paid him to influence the judge. Peter is denied bail.

Oh and Zach's iPod catches someone on tape taking pictures of their door. Finally Zach is scared, maybe for the first time.