Review/Meta: The Good Wife season one
Mar. 31st, 2011 01:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_rose The Good Wife season one overview
Plot – from Wikipedia
The storyline focuses on Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), the wife of Peter Florrick (Chris Noth). Peter, a former Cook County state's attorney, has been jailed following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Alicia returns to her old job as a litigator to rebuild her reputation and provide for her two children
Overview:
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scandaloussteph was very fond of the show which I wasn't aware of beyond the name – which sounded like a soapy drama to me – so it was on her recommendation that I gave it a chance.
The show really surprised me. It's a clever legal drama with some compelling characters. Everyone make mistakes, everyone has their own agenda, everyone has good qualities.
Characters
Female characters
Alicia: I like Alicia. She's strong and capable and clever. She works hard and wants the best for her family, her clients, and herself – this last is where things get tricky. Does she forgive her husband his infidelity and resume her relationship with him, or does she stand by him for the sake of his career and their children while keeping him personally at a distance? And what about Will? If she begins a relationship with him, isn't she as guilty of adultery as Peter?
Kalinda: Kalinda is awesome. She's awesome like Parker from 'Leverage' or Elizabeth from 'White Collar' in a way that's hard to pin down but is undeniable. She's devious and tough and cynical to offset Alicia's idealism, but she's also human and vulnerable. She seems to be bisexual. She wears knee high boots and drinks shots and alternately charms and bullies her way through the seedier side of the legal system. She's the antihero to Alicia's hero.
A highlight for her was when she was compelled to testify at Peter's trial, told Alicia not go to court – she didn’t want to upset her – and proceeded to derail the proceedings by hinting that the presiding judge was mixed up in the same scandal.
Kalinda plays both sides of the system, though I believe she's loyal to Alicia and considers her a friend.
Diane is great too, a strong and ambitious woman who is more of a mentor to Alicia than I expected given how she was presented in the pilot episode, and Peter's mother, Jackie, despite her faults, brings a strength and dignity to the character that's admirable.
Male characters
Cary; I didn’t expect to like Cary. Then 'Hi' happened – I'll talk a bit more about it below. Cary is the antagonist. He and Alicia are competing for the same position. He has youth and his lack of ties on his side, willing to work harder and longer than Alicia can afford to. His credentials are top notch and his enthusiasm and self-confidence undeniable. On the other hand, Alicia has her reputation – her husband's reputation – and some previous experience that offsets her age.
Eli Gold; Wiki describes him as Peter Florrick's new campaign manager. Often rude, or at least not afraid to say what he thinks, but gets things done. Because of his six-figure paycheck and a desire to keep his reputation as a bad-mouthed political genius, is very dedicated to preparing Peter's campaign. Knows a lot of important people. Likes to make references to movies in order to explain himself. He's very self assured and forthright.
A standout moment was when he discovered it was Alicia's son's girlfriend who was badmouthing Alicia on Twitter and confronted her; she was recalcitrant and even screamed in order to suggest he was potentially molesting her outside her school when a police cruiser drove by. To her chagrin, the cops knew Eli and greeted him, accepting his assertion that there was no problem without question. "None of my friends are in homeroom," Eli smirked.
Will: I don't really have strong feelings for Will. While the character is a competent lawyer, his main purpose is to provide romantic tension with Alicia in a blatantly obvious and inevitable fashion – they're even old friends who were almost lovers. And I have problems with inevitable romance, as I've written about previously.
While season one has the problems of his bias in selecting the associate to consider, as well as Alicia's marriage to Peter, going forth to season two there's only her marriage which is utterly on the rocks despite her outward support for his campaign. Will's strongest episode was 'Lifeguard' – also a great Diane episode – where he had to confront an old friend over issues of corruption, and also worthy of mention is 'Mock', where he presided over a mock court – though this too was mostly to introduce a further romantic subplot with a law student.
Daniel and Peter are also interesting characters, ones who you aren't always sure what their motivations are. Glenn Childs is vital to the plot, the villain of the piece who framed Peter in order to take his place as State's Attorney.
Guest characters
People spotting is fun; lots of genre players here. There are some great guest stars and/or great guest characters; including lawyers Martha Plimpton, who I'll mention below, and Carrie Preston -whose character appears even ditzyier than her True Blood character Arlene – but pulls the rabbit out of the hat at just the right moment , liberal judge Abernathy played by Denis O'Hare who he doesn't always lean the way Lockhart Gardener would like or expect him, and Amy Acker in a surprising portrayal of a widowed wife.
Episodes
Favourite episode: There were some absolutely wonderful ones. Each episode has a standalone storyline focussing on a client, alongside the overall story arcs of Alicia's struggle to win the junior associate position and Peter's struggle to prove his innocence.
I'm going to choose 'Hi' as a favourite though.
'Hi'; the firm has forty eight hours to find evidence that will prevent their client beign arrested. Soon it becomes a battle between the spouses, with Will representing one spouse and Diane the other. Cary, having ingested mushrooms with a girlfriend on anticipation on his day off, staggers into work high. He spends the first half of the episode staring at his tie in fascination and in one memorable moment almost touches Alicia inappropriately.
When he's coming down, he confesses as such to Alicia, and is surprised and grateful that she didn't report him to Will.
"I don't want you to lose," he tells her.
"I don't want you to lose either," she acknowledges.
[I may be paraphrasing here, since I can't find an actual quote online]
It's a sweet moment, to be bittersweet when the choice must finally be made between them. It also serves to show us a more human, fallible side to Cary, and a more caring one.
Alicia faces a morally grey area during her investigation, taking items from the client's studio rental before the police can get there with a warrant. It's legal for her to do this, Will assures her. It goes against her instincts to pocket potentially damning evidence, but this is just one example of where putting the client first comes before moral considerations.
Ultimately, and to Will and Diane's mutual surprise, both spouses are proven innocent – thanks in no small part to Kalinda's persistent digging.
Other episodes:
Other great episodes included 'Painkiller' with a great twist in the tale, 'Home' which shows us Alicia's background and uses it to great effect, and 'Infamy' in which Childs wife asks for Alicia to oversee her divorce – and it's an interesting case about 'factual' media and the effects it has on its viewers. The events of Boom/Mock provide drama surrounding the Will/Alicia/Peter and Peter's house arrest situation.
Least favourite: Heart
My overall feeling of this episode was So Very American, and thus rather unrelatable to me, with insurance funded healthcare and companies trying to avoid payouts, and strong views on abortion and religion influencing law
The one bright spot was the return of Martha Plimpton as a lawyer who didn't hesitate to use her pregnancy as leverage in a previous episode, and now isn't afraid to use her baby as emotional blackmail. Plimpton is a great adversary for Alicia.
Others: Similarly, 'Unorthodox' didn’t really appeal to me, because I don't think religious beliefs should ever trump public safety – though admittedly the lawsuit was a scam – nor your duties. While this latter wasn't at issue, I feel that Conscience clauses ought to outlawed; if you won't fulfil the job requirements, pick another profession. So I'm not going to swayed by religious arguments in legal matters.
Story Arc decisions: Unplugged and Hybristophilia
Like 'Highlander', there can be only one. Despite Cary and Alicia's excellence, the firm cannot afford them both – they've been penny pinching on things like parking validation in a desperate attempt to stay afloat.
Cary's flair and commitment is obvious. Alicia's brilliance and loyalty is just as clear. Ultimately it is Alicia's name and connections [bringing Peter's campaign manager Eli's business to the firm on the tacit understanding she will support Peter's bid for re-election] that secures her the position, to Cary's bitter disappointment, though I agree with Kalinda: had Cary the same resource he would undoubtedly have used it as Alicia did. He was, after all, the one who tried buttering up the associates when the rumour of the impending final decision circulated.
I'm not sure why Cary didn't pack up his office immediately after the decision; presumably so he can be upset when he's locked out of it the next day and accuse Alicia of political manoeuvring.
Glenn Childs is quick to offer Cary a job and he's just as quick to take it. Childs is using Cary for his inside knowledge on Lockhart Gardener and Alicia, and while Cary is well aware of this, he needs the job, relishes the opportunity and, probably, is still smarting from his defeat enough to want a taste of revenge. This will make, I hope, for some great Alicia vs Cary court scenes. I'd also like to think they might one day make their back to friendship; Kalinda's past loyalties and associations have bolstered her value to Alicia, not diminished it.
Story Arc: Running
Peter is running for office again but Alicia is torn between Will and Peter when her cell rings during Peter's speech and the season ends without resolving things for her.
Second Season:
The Good Wife catch up aired on Channel Four mornings, Mon-Fri, during March. Unfortunately the second season had already begun its UK showings, and by the time the final episode of season one was repeated, the second season was about nine episodes in. I really want to watch the second season from the start, given the story arcs that are integral to the plot, so I'll have to wait for re-runs. Poor scheduling, Four. Very poor indeed.
Plot – from Wikipedia
The storyline focuses on Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), the wife of Peter Florrick (Chris Noth). Peter, a former Cook County state's attorney, has been jailed following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Alicia returns to her old job as a litigator to rebuild her reputation and provide for her two children
Overview:
scandaloussteph was very fond of the show which I wasn't aware of beyond the name – which sounded like a soapy drama to me – so it was on her recommendation that I gave it a chance.The show really surprised me. It's a clever legal drama with some compelling characters. Everyone make mistakes, everyone has their own agenda, everyone has good qualities.
Characters
Female characters
Alicia: I like Alicia. She's strong and capable and clever. She works hard and wants the best for her family, her clients, and herself – this last is where things get tricky. Does she forgive her husband his infidelity and resume her relationship with him, or does she stand by him for the sake of his career and their children while keeping him personally at a distance? And what about Will? If she begins a relationship with him, isn't she as guilty of adultery as Peter?
Kalinda: Kalinda is awesome. She's awesome like Parker from 'Leverage' or Elizabeth from 'White Collar' in a way that's hard to pin down but is undeniable. She's devious and tough and cynical to offset Alicia's idealism, but she's also human and vulnerable. She seems to be bisexual. She wears knee high boots and drinks shots and alternately charms and bullies her way through the seedier side of the legal system. She's the antihero to Alicia's hero.
A highlight for her was when she was compelled to testify at Peter's trial, told Alicia not go to court – she didn’t want to upset her – and proceeded to derail the proceedings by hinting that the presiding judge was mixed up in the same scandal.
Kalinda plays both sides of the system, though I believe she's loyal to Alicia and considers her a friend.
Diane is great too, a strong and ambitious woman who is more of a mentor to Alicia than I expected given how she was presented in the pilot episode, and Peter's mother, Jackie, despite her faults, brings a strength and dignity to the character that's admirable.
Male characters
Cary; I didn’t expect to like Cary. Then 'Hi' happened – I'll talk a bit more about it below. Cary is the antagonist. He and Alicia are competing for the same position. He has youth and his lack of ties on his side, willing to work harder and longer than Alicia can afford to. His credentials are top notch and his enthusiasm and self-confidence undeniable. On the other hand, Alicia has her reputation – her husband's reputation – and some previous experience that offsets her age.
Eli Gold; Wiki describes him as Peter Florrick's new campaign manager. Often rude, or at least not afraid to say what he thinks, but gets things done. Because of his six-figure paycheck and a desire to keep his reputation as a bad-mouthed political genius, is very dedicated to preparing Peter's campaign. Knows a lot of important people. Likes to make references to movies in order to explain himself. He's very self assured and forthright.
A standout moment was when he discovered it was Alicia's son's girlfriend who was badmouthing Alicia on Twitter and confronted her; she was recalcitrant and even screamed in order to suggest he was potentially molesting her outside her school when a police cruiser drove by. To her chagrin, the cops knew Eli and greeted him, accepting his assertion that there was no problem without question. "None of my friends are in homeroom," Eli smirked.
Will: I don't really have strong feelings for Will. While the character is a competent lawyer, his main purpose is to provide romantic tension with Alicia in a blatantly obvious and inevitable fashion – they're even old friends who were almost lovers. And I have problems with inevitable romance, as I've written about previously.
While season one has the problems of his bias in selecting the associate to consider, as well as Alicia's marriage to Peter, going forth to season two there's only her marriage which is utterly on the rocks despite her outward support for his campaign. Will's strongest episode was 'Lifeguard' – also a great Diane episode – where he had to confront an old friend over issues of corruption, and also worthy of mention is 'Mock', where he presided over a mock court – though this too was mostly to introduce a further romantic subplot with a law student.
Daniel and Peter are also interesting characters, ones who you aren't always sure what their motivations are. Glenn Childs is vital to the plot, the villain of the piece who framed Peter in order to take his place as State's Attorney.
Guest characters
People spotting is fun; lots of genre players here. There are some great guest stars and/or great guest characters; including lawyers Martha Plimpton, who I'll mention below, and Carrie Preston -whose character appears even ditzyier than her True Blood character Arlene – but pulls the rabbit out of the hat at just the right moment , liberal judge Abernathy played by Denis O'Hare who he doesn't always lean the way Lockhart Gardener would like or expect him, and Amy Acker in a surprising portrayal of a widowed wife.
Episodes
Favourite episode: There were some absolutely wonderful ones. Each episode has a standalone storyline focussing on a client, alongside the overall story arcs of Alicia's struggle to win the junior associate position and Peter's struggle to prove his innocence.
I'm going to choose 'Hi' as a favourite though.
'Hi'; the firm has forty eight hours to find evidence that will prevent their client beign arrested. Soon it becomes a battle between the spouses, with Will representing one spouse and Diane the other. Cary, having ingested mushrooms with a girlfriend on anticipation on his day off, staggers into work high. He spends the first half of the episode staring at his tie in fascination and in one memorable moment almost touches Alicia inappropriately.
When he's coming down, he confesses as such to Alicia, and is surprised and grateful that she didn't report him to Will.
"I don't want you to lose," he tells her.
"I don't want you to lose either," she acknowledges.
[I may be paraphrasing here, since I can't find an actual quote online]
It's a sweet moment, to be bittersweet when the choice must finally be made between them. It also serves to show us a more human, fallible side to Cary, and a more caring one.
Alicia faces a morally grey area during her investigation, taking items from the client's studio rental before the police can get there with a warrant. It's legal for her to do this, Will assures her. It goes against her instincts to pocket potentially damning evidence, but this is just one example of where putting the client first comes before moral considerations.
Ultimately, and to Will and Diane's mutual surprise, both spouses are proven innocent – thanks in no small part to Kalinda's persistent digging.
Other episodes:
Other great episodes included 'Painkiller' with a great twist in the tale, 'Home' which shows us Alicia's background and uses it to great effect, and 'Infamy' in which Childs wife asks for Alicia to oversee her divorce – and it's an interesting case about 'factual' media and the effects it has on its viewers. The events of Boom/Mock provide drama surrounding the Will/Alicia/Peter and Peter's house arrest situation.
Least favourite: Heart
My overall feeling of this episode was So Very American, and thus rather unrelatable to me, with insurance funded healthcare and companies trying to avoid payouts, and strong views on abortion and religion influencing law
The one bright spot was the return of Martha Plimpton as a lawyer who didn't hesitate to use her pregnancy as leverage in a previous episode, and now isn't afraid to use her baby as emotional blackmail. Plimpton is a great adversary for Alicia.
Others: Similarly, 'Unorthodox' didn’t really appeal to me, because I don't think religious beliefs should ever trump public safety – though admittedly the lawsuit was a scam – nor your duties. While this latter wasn't at issue, I feel that Conscience clauses ought to outlawed; if you won't fulfil the job requirements, pick another profession. So I'm not going to swayed by religious arguments in legal matters.
Story Arc decisions: Unplugged and Hybristophilia
Like 'Highlander', there can be only one. Despite Cary and Alicia's excellence, the firm cannot afford them both – they've been penny pinching on things like parking validation in a desperate attempt to stay afloat.
Cary's flair and commitment is obvious. Alicia's brilliance and loyalty is just as clear. Ultimately it is Alicia's name and connections [bringing Peter's campaign manager Eli's business to the firm on the tacit understanding she will support Peter's bid for re-election] that secures her the position, to Cary's bitter disappointment, though I agree with Kalinda: had Cary the same resource he would undoubtedly have used it as Alicia did. He was, after all, the one who tried buttering up the associates when the rumour of the impending final decision circulated.
I'm not sure why Cary didn't pack up his office immediately after the decision; presumably so he can be upset when he's locked out of it the next day and accuse Alicia of political manoeuvring.
Glenn Childs is quick to offer Cary a job and he's just as quick to take it. Childs is using Cary for his inside knowledge on Lockhart Gardener and Alicia, and while Cary is well aware of this, he needs the job, relishes the opportunity and, probably, is still smarting from his defeat enough to want a taste of revenge. This will make, I hope, for some great Alicia vs Cary court scenes. I'd also like to think they might one day make their back to friendship; Kalinda's past loyalties and associations have bolstered her value to Alicia, not diminished it.
Story Arc: Running
Peter is running for office again but Alicia is torn between Will and Peter when her cell rings during Peter's speech and the season ends without resolving things for her.
Second Season:
The Good Wife catch up aired on Channel Four mornings, Mon-Fri, during March. Unfortunately the second season had already begun its UK showings, and by the time the final episode of season one was repeated, the second season was about nine episodes in. I really want to watch the second season from the start, given the story arcs that are integral to the plot, so I'll have to wait for re-runs. Poor scheduling, Four. Very poor indeed.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 05:31 pm (UTC)I think it's a really interesting show, it's not your ordinary legal drama. It goes beyond the Courtroom, I like that.
And I love all the characters.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-31 06:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 12:11 am (UTC)AND the Good Wife? And Leverage? I couldn't agree more! I promise I will write more over the next couple of days as I just got back and I feel soooo sleepy! But I'm definately coming back to comment! :D (and also read the Dollhouse fic ;) -not a Whedon fan, just liked Dollhouse) :D
I loooove Kalinda! I like her style. I love how they built her up as the strong woman and now her vulnerabilities have started showing. :) I think we are going to stuck our noses on the screens over a pretty possible cliffhanger by the end of the season.
More to come tomorrow! ;)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-01 12:23 pm (UTC)Also, I am a multifandom whore :D
no subject
Date: 2011-04-18 11:16 am (UTC)I like Alicia because she may be the hero but it has a good realistic quality in it. You can see she has a difficult time juggling everything and trying to be good, nice and true to herself and her children.
I'm sure the ambiguity over her husband's forgiveness is part of the plot but I don't think anyone would be able to make up their mind fast. This kind of thing takes time, especially if you have two teenage kids. Divorce may not be as simple as it may sound.
Kalinda is my favourite. I like her style (although I admit sometimes her bullying is a bit overkill), her clothing style (I ship boots and skirts :D ), her wits. She may be the anti-hero but she doesn't have it all figured out or any easier than the hero does. It almost feel like that no matter what side you're on, good or evil, it's just never easy! :S Although, I love how Alicia seems to influence her. I think that her motives may not have been that innocent when she first met Alicia and stuck by her but over time Kalinda wanted to be true and honest with herself. It almost feels like her character was partly in denial as the primary goal was survival no matter what, but now she just wants to correct/forget/forgive and move on from past troubles and mistakes.
I don't want to talk about Will. It gets me frustrated. I think he is the typical man. I don't know if it's just me, but I hate the whole concept of unrequited love. :S
Diane is like the 'steel lady'. I like her despite her rigidness every now and then.
My favourite episodes was the ones plotting with Will. Wooo hoooo!
I hope you get to see early 2nd season too. *crosses fingers*
no subject
Date: 2011-04-20 01:14 pm (UTC)With Alicia as the hero, a traditionally male role, Will is cast as the love interest. And it's a pretty dull thing to be, to be only seen as a trophy for Alicia or the law student - her name escapes me, sorry.
I think this has long been a problem for females in media, not to be seen as well-rounded characters in their own right. It's odd though, because all the other men - even recurring characters such as Eli and Daniel - are presented as characters with actual depth and personality.
Yes, I'm hoping that once season two finishes airing, a repeat run will follow shortly afterwards. Fingers crossed :D
no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 09:03 am (UTC)Cary seems to be the regular ambitious person (neither man nor woman), he just wants to succeed. He tried unfair play during 1st season and it didn't stick. He, then, tried 'honourable' unfairplay in account of his fondness of Kalinda and it seems he's getting somewhere [meaning he was upfront with his friends but was playing dirty with his enemies]. His character, seems to me, a naturally developed one. But, I don't care about him. He is the young one who hasn't found his way and seems eager to try new things. I guess what probably ticks me off is that he, obviously, forgets that some things cannot be forgotten no matter how much you're determined or you've succeded to change.
I think Peter falls into the same category but he is the mature one who tried to have it both ways and got caught. Again, if something
trustbreaks, even if it gets glued back, can break again far too easily; it cannot get somehow unbroken. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually the one to give people one too many chances to prove themselves but it's always that little 'itch' that won't let you trust them again, not like you did before.As for Will. I think he is the one to distract Alicia, not her trophy. He seems to me like the man who cannot make his mind
over Aliciain his personal life and in the meantime keeps turning lives upside-down all around him. He cannot commit to a relationship and yet he is pursuing every chance.His reasons may not be typical but his life is. Very successful in his job but a mess in his life. He respects Alicia's wishes but he also keeps going back and questioning his decision, causing Alicia trouble over it like it's her fault.
At least, Cary learns from his mistakes and he is half-conscious of his trial and error attitude. Will keeps revisiting the same mistakes again and again and again... to no good end.
I like Eli. At least he knows what he wants and he is aware if a situation goes straight down the toilet and in that event he will either try and fix it, if he can, or will let it go. If Will was in Eli's shoes, he would have pushed America Ferrera's character to the extreme! :S
*pheeewww*
I apologise if I sound offensive, honestly, I am not!! :) It's just that some of these 'virtues' really get to me. 0:)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-25 09:21 am (UTC)I'm not offended. I think we're coming at the 'text' from different angles.
I suppose it all depends on what you see as 'typical male' and 'typical female' in media terms - the paradigm, you might say, the representation against which a character is measured.
Typical Male for me might be 'I am always right/know best, I am the hero of the story, Ends justify the means, Intellect over emotion'.
Typical Female might be 'I am mainly the love interest, I put emotions over intellect, I exist to make the hero look good, I put others before myself - or I act selfishly to secure a husband'
Since I see Alicia as being the hero and trying to secure a career and gain respect on her own merits, while Will mainly seems to chase after Alicia, I peg her as showing more 'traditionally masculine' traits and Will as more 'traditionally feminine' traits, at least as far as media portrayals go.
I don't know how old you are, but I know I grew up with more female role models than my mother, but less than I have now. It's the difference between 'Terminator' with the damsel in distress and 'Terminator Two' with a kickass heroine. Media moves on slowly; we're starting to see more fully realized female characters - 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chroicles' has a kickass heroine who is also in touch with her emotions.
I use the examples only to try and explain why I probably have particular ideas of media male roles vs female roles. Not so long back, Cara wouldn't have existed or would have been male - snarky badass is a traditionally male role - and Kahlan would have been far less a proficient fighter, needing Richard to rescue her more often :D
no subject
Date: 2011-05-07 01:26 pm (UTC)Also, sorry if I spoiled the early 2nd season for you. X(
Now I see your point. I'm 27 so I didn't catch all this female character development from the beginning, if nothing else, it coincided more or less with my growing up, so the older I got the stronger the female role models became (in Star Trek terms, when I was in my late teens I already had a female captain, captain Kathryn Janeway (Voyager), as a role model! :D ).
As for the characters changes on LotS... ZOMG!!! :X:X:X:X