I didn’t know it was possible, but The Good Wife just keeps getting better and better.
After weeks of built up tension between Lockhart/Gardner and Cary and Alicia, the two law firms finally exist completely on their own. But rather than let the energy fizzle, the show has seemed to harness the power of the momentum to create TV perfection.
Honestly, I was completely prepared to hate this episode. As soon as I realized that this week wasn’t going to be another head-to-head battle between Will and Alicia, I thought the writers had lost their minds. But about five minutes in, I realized the ingeniousness in the plot. Rather than take a predictable ark, the show has segued into a new direction, allowing the tension between the two law firms to continue, while still letting each firm have its own plotline. Brilliant. Plus did I mention that Nathan Lane has reprised his role as Mr. Hayden? Doubly brilliant.
The episode focused on two Lockhart/Gardner cases: one lawsuit against the firm and another case that Will decided to take on spontaneously. Will and Diane were being sued for malpractice after their clients lost their bid for adoption (apparently the baby’s heritage guaranteed the Native American tribe preference over the kid). Diane and David Lee think they have the suit in the bag until they realize that the managing lawyer in the case was none other than Alicia. Oops!
Of course, Alicia must testify but she’ll demand a bribe before she can guarantee that Diane will like what she hears. Diane quickly agrees but even their short standoff doesn’t last long. Diane and David try to make Alicia personally liable for the possible damages and Lockhart/Gardner even convinces one of Alicia’s own to testify against her. The whole plot is secondary to Will’s case, but it still manages to provide just enough tension between the two competing law firms to keep things interesting.
Meanwhile, Will has taken on a college kid that was pulled over for a fake DUI. Why are the police always depicted as so corrupt? Anyways, these police certainly are corrupt as you soon find out that the fake DUI was to trick the kid into arresting him for murder! But Will is in superman mode and won’t let this case go down without a fight. He draws on Kalinda’s brilliance to help him solve the mystery but every lead she has turns into a dead end. Not to mention that her first instincts prove correct when the college kid's DNA is found on the victim. The kid swears up and down that he didn’t do it and Will promises that he will have his vengeance.
The ending came to a rather uncertain close, but I think that was a big part of the episode's success. One of my biggest complaints of The Good Wife is when the show tries to wrap things up nice and neatly every time, even when it has to happen very abruptly. But this episode left many things up in the air. Both lawsuits remained unsolved and the future of Florrick/Agos’ financials still remains uncertain. Plus, the episode kept up its pace without ever hitting you over the head with dramatic plotlines. If this is how the series is going to continue, then I think it’s safe to say that the Good Wife has a long future ahead of it.