Contributor: Henry T.
Written by Robert and Michelle King
Directed by Michael Zinberg
There is a striking amount of familiar material with this season premiere of “The Good Wife”. I feel like I’ve seen these storylines on the show before. It’s almost as if the writers were checking off a list in order: The firm is having money problems because the firm always has some kind of money problem. Peter is in a race for governor that’s heating up with every passing day. Kalinda has to deal with associates of her psycho ex-husband. Topping it off is one of Alicia’s kids running into hot water once again.
If it weren’t for the fact that this show is one of the few elegant adult dramas on television, I would think it stemmed from some laziness or lack of good direction to take with the storylines from the writers. The episode is something of a mess, but it does hint at some good long-term possibilities for how the season will progress. The Florricks seem to be gaining more power in their respective jobs, and I do wonder if the series will use that fact to build on the stories the writers want to tell in the future.
The intrigue at the firm is the main draw here. Lockhart-Gardner is filing for bankruptcy due to the loss of a big client from last season’s finale and they are bleeding staff as a result. A trustee (Nathan Lane, one of many prominent guest stars for this season) is brought in as an overseer to steer the firm through the bankruptcy. The most ominous news from the trustee is that he is going to lay off as much as thirty percent of the firm’s staff. It makes him out initially to look like the bad guy who is coming in to gut the firm, but there are some benefits to having him around. He manages to keep the loathsome David Lee around to keep the firm from going completely under. The firm has always been struggling through one crisis after another. If it isn’t the threat from the equitable partners to oust one of the name partners, it’s keeping major litigators, or money issues.
While it seems like the money problems will come to a head this season, it almost feels redundant. It remains to be seen whether the trustee will be a mainstay. I just hope the show doesn’t go back to the well of Cary and Alicia fighting for a spot in the firm again. I actually like them working together instead of in competition with each other. Lost in all of the drama surrounding the firm is the fact that Will returns from his mandated six-month suspension at the end of the episode. His presence was never really missed given that the writers always found a way around the suspension to keep him involved, but not too involved, with what the firm’s lawyers were doing. This show has always done understated very well, though, and the little celebration between Diane and Will at the end (with Alicia literally on the outside looking in) was another in a stable of triumphant moments that worked.
The other storylines were less successful, I thought. Peter continues campaigning for governor, and everyone’s already hunting for juicy headlines. Alicia and Peter have never really defined what their relationship is now. It’s clear that they are separated, yet they still have some affection for each other. But they are not together in the sense that political candidates would traditionally be with their spouses. It’s an interesting dynamic that should be explored as the season goes on. Complicating matters is Zach’s arrest for recording a bogus traffic stop. The plot goes in several directions, but it boils down to a different county’s rules being enforced and the State’s Attorney for that county trying to make Peter look bad. It’s old-world Chicago politics with a healthy dose of strong-arm tactics from both sides. I liked that Alicia inadvertently opened a can of worms that the State’s Attorney didn’t want to be opened.
The plot just stops short right there, with the state trooper apologizing to Zach and everything being swept under the rug. It’s the shady side of things in this world that also informs on what Kalinda is up to in this episode. Frankly, I think everything about her storyline is veering into the goofy side. As soon as Kalinda shot a look at the British guy with the tow truck business at the firm and then bolted, I knew she was going to hit him. It’s foreshadowed by the way she treated one of his associates at the beginning of the episode. We don’t know exactly who this guy is (I’m betting on him being her ex-husband), but Kalinda does have some kind of love-hate relationship with him, and the brawl in the elevator was a predictable manifestation of that relationship.
I think the writers need to wrap this storyline up quick and start fresh with Kalinda. It’s getting a bit stale. “The Good Wife” is known for its slow starts to its seasons, though. It will pick up in time. It needs to get away from over-reliance on familiar patterns and formats. It’s the only way for the show to leave its shell and develop into a consistently great drama.
Score: 7/10
