The Good Wife Season 3 (Premiers September 25)

it's a lawyer show that usually doesn't make me cringe ... so that's something. archie panjabi is nice to look at, too.

Liked:
Alicia's new 'do.

Disliked:
Cary's new 'do.

Really liked:
Kalinda's erstwhile blond paramour becoming recurring character???

Really really liked:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls5gyalD8Q1qgkpqho1_500.png

Kalinda is so amazing. I don't know if I should continue watching this show if they focus on the Will/Alicia thing. Will is Satan.

Are we, the audience, supposed to view Chris Noth as a villain or am I reading the show's intentions too simply? Because I totally think he's getting a raw deal and, yes, Will is Satan.

So many shades of gray in The Good Wife! argh.

he didn't seem totally villainous before, unless you think of making a conversion to christianity under the guidance of an influential black minister in order to win re-election is kind of suspect; a lot of it hinged on whether you thought he had really properly atoned for his infidelities and whether you thought he had committed any of the corrupt acts he was accused of (and whether the marriage stuff should have any connection to the possible corruption stuff in your judgment of him).

but the focal character is alicia, and most of the attitudes toward peter you could have adopted before depended on what you made of the fact that she had a number of different reservations about whether to fully accept him back and forgive him (expecting full truth from him, getting mad when it was revealed he had concealed some things, not wanting to sleep with him, sticking by him for the kids or because of her vows or something very vague that was hardly ever made explicit). and the reveal at the end of last season that he had been concealing sleeping with kalinda, along with all the other things, was the final straw. but given the timing of it - to coincide with his election win - i don't know if you can tell if alicia decided to kick peter to the curb because she thought she had adequately fulfilled some obligation to stand by her man, through an intense aversion him; or because she had remained willing to continue some aspects of their marital arrangement (power couple, kids, etc.) because she thought he had previously made good enough on his infidelities, but then was forced to retract her (limited) forgiveness because it was offered under conditions of deception (and, since it involved kalinda, was especially hurtful and hard to weather).

i have a hard time seeing peter as getting a raw deal because alicia's commitment to their marriage seems so thin - she stuck with it but was usually so silent about the why. (she acted more than she said, but that doesn't make things too unambiguous.) it would have made a lot more sense to me if she had just dumped his ass immediately after the press conference scene from the pilot. so any extra that she's stuck around seems like it's nothing but undeserved grace for peter. but, given the stress the show has put on her marriage-commitment, i reckon they just want it to play differently, so that somehow the idea is that peter deserves a break, somehow, if she's going to continue to be married to him.

(i don't get why will is satan. i mean i kind of do, but, not really.)

it's a lawyer show that usually doesn't make me cringe ... so that's something.

Tad, I'm curious to know what distinguishes The Good Wife from your run-of-the-mill cringe-worthy lawyer shows?

but given the timing of it - to coincide with his election win - i don't know if you can tell if alicia decided to kick peter to the curb because she thought she had adequately fulfilled some obligation to stand by her man, through an intense aversion him; or because she had remained willing to continue some aspects of their marital arrangement (power couple, kids, etc.) because she thought he had previously made good enough on his infidelities, but then was forced to retract her (limited) forgiveness because it was offered under conditions of deception (and, since it involved kalinda, was especially hurtful and hard to weather).

I think it's pretty strongly the second one, since her involvement with Peter's campaign was almost purely limited to passive and/or implicit activities (e.g. of course not divorcing him, and removing, for the most part, her and her kids from the campaign almost entirely). IOW, I think the political considerations were minimal, and it's the multi-layered depth of Peter's deceptions that set her over the edge (and that part of the betrayal came from her BFF too).

Are we, the audience, supposed to view Chris Noth as a villain or am I reading the show's intentions too simply?

As nuanced as this show can be, I do think that it's 100% conventional when it comes to depicting a character as either good or bad (e.g. Cary for the first season firmly being a good guy in season 1, but in season 2 becoming a bad guy though with a redemptive arc towards the end). Characters tend to either be categorically helping, or categorically working against at any given time. So, yes, ATM Peter is the villain, pending of course future storylines that would actually complicate him as a character.

I get annoyed at how willfully ignorant the DA tends to be.

Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think DA (especially Carey) would think that an online multiplayer video game would be worthwhile evidence in a case.

They are all villains

Tad, I'm curious to know what distinguishes The Good Wife from your run-of-the-mill cringe-worthy lawyer shows?

well, in that they (more or less) get certain technical lawyer-y things right (like what is/isn't admissible as evidence, what's permissible as far as questioning on direct and cross). they had an episode or two where their "Chinese wall" would get a real-life firm disciplined (if not disbarred). at this point, i'm used to the fact that these shows compress the litigation process into a week or two (in show time) -- as opposed to real life, where cases can drag on and on, and you have motion after motion and status conference after status conference and adjournment after adjournment -- so there's no point in getting too worked up about that.

also, the other lawyer shows don't have archie panjabi to stare at :D

kalinda-and-eli seems a lot more promising than kalinda-and-blonde-foe.

am i right to have read the end of this last one as ambiguous, where will and diane both say 'works against us' but one seems to have said, 'turns out to be a political liability with the DA's office', and the other seems to have said, 'tries to undermine us'?

freestyle

lisa edelstein!

eli seems pretty bonkers in this one. i thought he was supposed to be the best?

lisa edelstein!

eli seems pretty bonkers in this one. i thought he was supposed to be the best?

well, it surely is not in the cards for eli to stay with lockhart-gardner for very long. was not in the cards, from the start.

Best episode!

Will is Satan.

― Turangalila, Tuesday, September 27, 2011

wau @ foresight! All this time I've been mesmerized by his big puppy dog eyes, srsly.

Nice to see that Celeste Cuddy isn't just going to be breaking Alicia's balls all the time.

donna brazile!

this was the first not-terrible ep of the season afaic

Nice to see that Celeste Cuddy isn't just going to be breaking Alicia's balls all the time.

Didn't anyone else feel that she only told Alicia about her plan to break up her and Will because she's so confident of being able to do it that she doesn't care if Alicia knows? I didn't get the feeling that that conversation really changed anything. Maybe I'm too cynical.

I get the feeling that it's going to be a long hard slog for Alicia this year, that Celeste and Will are going to end up as her enemies, and that she will have to enlist Kalinda and Peter to turn things around for her.

B-b-b-but they were knocking back tequila with each other! That's always a sign of Alicia having a long and fruitful relationship!!

Also: PARKER POSEY!!!!! In a scene with Alan Cumming!!!!! zomg. *_*

everybody's talking about it, i mean—mark penn—

'come on, eli, you know how this works. the semen doesn't just stay in us'

Tonight's episode is the best of season so far, probably one of the best of the entire series

Though I must say the kids subplots on this show are consistently awful...

Really? I was nodding off because of the time change, so I probably missed a lot of stuff. I was amused by the eccentricity of the guests, but in the scope of the show's realism ("realism"), thought it was laying it on too thick.

i think the grace-wants-to-be-a-christian subplots are pretty dope. what a horrifying thing to find out about your kid!

This was awesome, loved all the scenes of them trying to negotiate the insane legal loopholes. Also, Carrie Preston was great.

'is it my right to consult with a lawyer?'

'it is ALWAYS your right.

… but I wouldn't advise it.'

legal stuff was okay but it seems wayyyy out of character for will to be a gung-ho anti-terrorist hawk

yeah, that was a bit weird all of a sudden. maybe the writers thought it fit in with the sharkish-greedy-defense-lawyer aspect of his character that they like to play up now and then?

Is there a website that grades the legal accuracy of this show, like the one that grades the legal accuracy of House episodes? Or do we have enough lawyers around here to do that for ourselves? (And by "ourselves" I don't mean me.) I found all the anti-terrorism runaround stuff fascinating and I wondered how accurate it was.

i don't know, i bought will being that gung-ho anti-terrorist hawk. i know people like that, liberals who are carrying some unexamined trauma from 9/11.

last two episodes have been great, imo. back on the wagon.

at first i hated the kid subplots on this show, but i think grace has become a genuinely amazing, creepy character.

This was awesome, loved all the scenes of them trying to negotiate the insane legal loopholes. Also, Carrie Preston was great.

― Simon H., Monday, November 7, 2011 4:40 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark

is Carrie Preston the woman who played Alicia's lawyer. she was amazing!

She is great. She is just basically being lady Columbo though, isn't she?

shes ben linus's wife!

last two episodes have been great, imo. back on the wagon.

― horseshoe, Sunday, November 13, 2011 11:56 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark

so...tonight's episode was really annoying. i hate when alica does that trembling lip, but this man did something BAD thing. also the way he told his mom and brother to burn in hell was a bit much. also if they're going to try a cary plays kallinda storyline, i mean, please.

also she's a grown woman she should know how she feels about the death penalty already

at least romany malco was in it. someone should sleep with him imo. christine baranski, maybe?

also she's a grown woman she should know how she feels about the death penalty already

but they're HER DAUGHTERS AGE snif

i think i saw grace's tutor on the subway. she was wearing sweatpants and wrestling shoes. she did not dance in the time I was on the train with her.

You-kno-who was looking like srsly omg.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu4ab0Uyf51qgp9r8o1_500.jpg

~* sWOOn *~

Lots of major lols this week, but hoo boy is the "who does Kalinda want to bang?" stuff getting so boring. Give us back badass Kalinda please.

That said, I like Matt Czuchry more every season. He *really* has that deadpan down pat.

Back tonight!

yay (hey leee)

So glad this is back! So much quality sass this week.

Ripped! Straight from the pages of The New Yorker (again)!

Carrie Preston is now doing her own great little spinoff within this show whenever she's onscreen.

I am a few episodes into S4 of The Good Wife and Mr Veg and I are both unanimous in being over Alicia and her obtuse uppityness.
Also I hate her idiot children
Christine Baranski’s hair gets more perfect every season god she’s the fucking best
mainly though
I am TIRED of Kalinda wearing GO GO BOOTS and LEATHER JACKETS and generally dressing like a 90s NIGHT CLUB PROMOTER. They have signified her edgy otherness to death dear god will her sexy pirate costume ever end.
And this stupid dom/sub storyline with her creepy-ass husband is so dumb
She deserves so much better!

This show is so weird why do i like it

That was absolutely the worst season. After that it gets good again.

almost everything after s5 is the worst. s6 features maybe the single worst ep they ever did

haa which one? i dont remember specifics any more about this show.

the episode that incorporates/references the Michael Brown verdict

i gotta rewatch now.

there was not a single current topic they were worse equipped to make an episode about

Lol/smdh at the title and concept of the last ep of The Good Fight

The seventh/final season of Good Wife (I want to say it’s the nsa one but I can’t remember) is a pretty good rally. S5 starts great but then loses it big time. Sixth season’s a mess all round, with weird parallels to S6 of Buffy

I loved season 2 of good fight but I had to bail for s3 because I was so tense about when those fucking dreadful animations and monologues were going to start

yeah and the musical numbers

for lawyers, those characters had great voices

I don't remember which season of good wife it was but the Noth running in Iowa plotline was especially dire

I remember nothing good about s6 or 7 tbh. You're better off pretending the s5 finale is just a cliffhanger ending.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyqsmEfcP4

the episode that incorporates/references the Michael Brown verdict

Oh Jesus, yes, you're right. I'd completely forgotten about that.

With good reason. I was recapping the show at the time and struggled to convey my disgust.

So-so episodes never bothered me because I liked the show. I always thought this thread was too heavy on disgust.

I'm encouraged to watch the spin-off by the seldom praise it has received in this thread.

If you enjoy watching the good wife and you don't mind its sillier moments, you will probably also enjoy the good fight

The first season is fine, the second season is almost as good as Good Wife in its peak, the third season I’ll return to eventually

I might do a rewatch of just s5

OK, after reading a description of the Good Fight's s3 "finale' I might have to give it another try starting from s2

It tickles me that the Kings are Epstein obsessives

Watched a couple of s5. What I really miss about this show is

1. The dialogue, which asks "what if Whedon and Sorkin didn't suck"
2. those obscure bits of absurd but real legal minutiae that get sprinkled liberally into every episode and blow your mind for a few minutes, like House only interesting

Why, the Good Fight doesn't have those two things?

I found s1 joyless and rose leslie fatally miscast, too annoyed throughout to enjoy things

is there a podcast where woke lawyers recap the good wife

Well, the most recent season does not have Rose Leslie

season 3 just started in the uk. halfway through first episode and part of me wants this to continue and part of wants it to stop.

anyone else other than Simon watch Evil? S2 starts streaming today

lol'd at the bad dubbing for the Shocking Swear Word they used now that they're not encumbered by network standards

way more people should be watching this hilarious and batshit television series imo. michael emerson having the time of his goddamn life, even more than on lost

Hilarious and batshit in a good way?

yes, though it doesn't reveal quite how weird it's willing to get until, idk, maybe 3/4 of the way through s1

Simon is making it sound like those "I swear it gets good later!" shows that are mostly prominent amongst prestige TV but Evil is great all the way through imo and is worth trudging through even if you're not impressed by it at first

one of the things I admire the most about this show, which I think may be a thing with all of the Kings' shows, is that storylines never resolve themselves the way you'd predict, I wouldn't say their storylines are unpredictable thrill rides through and through, but the resolutions are never quite what I expect, especially with one near the end of S1, and I bet Simon knows which one I'm talking about

Sounds great! Enjoy their shows but thought TGF lost its way in S3 (after only finding it in S2)

Watched three episodes. It's fun! Also it continually skirts with badness but somehow that's part of the fun too.

Some of the performances (e.g. Colter and Emerson) are enjoyable but verrrry unconvincing - but it's almost like the bad acting amps up the feeling that No One Is Who They Seem.

No animations or musical numbers or monologues please.

Obsessed with Evil now. The first season was a bit so-so, but the second season is so fantastically creepy and bonkers, love it.

the elevator episode fucked me up.

aww fuck, upcoming season of Evil will be its last :(

boo

I need to catch up on this! I only got halfway through the first season, not sure why I stopped, it was a lot of fun.

I ditched Good Fight during the third season (musical cartoons were too cringe and I felt tense about when they were gonna turn up).

And there's a new spin-off procedural show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ2WX99QXXY

Hope it’s good.

Absolutely adore Carrie Preston and Elsbeth on the Good Wife/Good Fight and I’ll prob check a couple of episodes out but she feels like a character that is best in small doses/as a regular guest star, not sure if I wanna watch a whole season.

"Every generation gets the Columbo it deserves." - Bob Marley

"The first episode of Columbo only had 10 million viewers, but everyone who saw it formed a detective agency."
--Gandhi

i do love elsbeth. if i remember correctly she is simply "quirky" and doesn't have any real DSM-5 detective skills? or PTSD or anything like that? i like that new Will Trent show but it seems like they really threw the book at him as far as trauma and spectrum stuff. it is kind of refreshing to watch someone solve crimes who is just super-smart and having fun being underestimated as opposed to someone having a lifetime of pain behind them. no offense to people in pain...but it does feel like a cliche ever since Monk. and all those British shows where every cop is living under the burden of 10 lifetimes of fuckedupness.
i could be wrong though and maybe elsbeth was diagnosed in some early episode of Good Wife. been years since i watched them.

I think it's the same shtick as Monk (neurodiversity-as-secret-weapon) minus the murder backstory. Wonder how that plays in 2024 vs. 2009 when The Good wife debuted.

Preston is such a good actor though (and also v cute IMO, irrelevantly)