Isn't The Good Wife great?

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Seeing as The Good Wife was egregiously ignored at the Emmys, I thought I'd encourage y'all to tune into the new season, starting this Sunnday night.

I'm sure at least some of you are already fans, but for those who have let this great show pass them by - now's your chance! It really is the best show on network TV, which is probably damning it with faint praise. Great writing, complex plots, interesting arcs, a fine roster of great New York-based guest stars, brilliant acting, and of course, Christine Baranski.

Even if you've missed the previous four seasons, just jump in! You won't be sorry.

[AC126748]

It's the best show on network television. Period.

Season 4 was so great, I was shocked by its lack of Emmy presence this year. (Though I was thrilled that Carrie Preston won--second year in a row they've taken guest actress.)

[Jordan Catalano]

I can't believe it's up I season 5 already.

And the lack of Emmy love has so much to do with the fact that there are just too many shows nominated since they don't break them up for network/cable. They seriously need to do something about that soon.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

I suppose, but I wouldn't like to see too many sub-divisions and categories - the awards would become meaningless. That's what the Grammys are for.

But you're right - The Good Wife would've swept the boards a few years back.

[Jungle Red]

I started watching this show a few weeks ago on Hulu+. I'm somewhere on season 3. I love it, but watching five or so episodes a day shows how formulaic the show is. I love the season arc plot points, but the episodes themselves are very cut and dry.

The only thing that keeps me watching is the drama between Alicia and Peter, Kalinda, Cary and Diana. I keep on hoping that Alexis Bledel will guest star, just for old times sake.

[songanddanceman2]

I ADORE this show, it bugs me that this and Sons of Anarchy (one of the best things on TV) were ignored

[dtzumbrunnen]

I've binged through this in a matter of months, and was thrilled that Season 4 finally hit Amazon Prime earlier this month. I'm saving the finale of Season 4 to watch right before Season 5 starts on Sunday.

[Roscoe]

Well, it's okay, I guess. There was that one subplot with the woman with the psycho ex-husband that got annoying, I just wanted her to kill him and get it over with.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

...and isn't that what she did? (Kalinda)

[bwayrose7]

Implied, I think, never confirmed. I love this show too, absolutely adore it. Really looking forward to all the tension with Alicia and Cary starting their new firm. Also: Will Gardner has to be among the TV characters I most just want to give a hug to. He always gets pitted against Peter, and he always loses even though he's (I think) the better man; now Peter's going to take the two things that matter most: Alicia (personally) and Diane (professionally).

All that said, looking forward to Sunday night!

[Jungle Red]

I really need to catch up. It's on Hulu+ and Netflix, so I should be able to. Like I said earlier, watching more than three in a row shows how formulaic it is. There are some interesting story lines, but things get bundled up nicely at the end.

I'm stuck on Breaking Bad now, though.

[suestorm]

I loved this show until they turned Archie into lisbeth salander.

I wonder what Huma thinks of this show. Or Hilary for that matter.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

I don't think it's formulaic.

Just what is the formula, Jungle Red?

The structure of the episodes may follow a certain route each week, but the plots themselves are complex and intriguing - at least to me. I don't know how each case is going to turn out, and there's often some twist I don't see coming.

When I think of "formulaic" shows, I think of CSI, NCIS, etc.

Not this show. Tune in, folks!

[EricMontreal22]

I may be overstating things. But, for some reason the critics and press seemed to cool to the show a couple of years back--though the quality has if anything just improved. I would have also put Parenthood into some categories (at least writing) but again, all the cable competition, and with Parenthood anyway it's extremely low rated--and ratings do seem to play a part with Emmy noms.

[Jordan Catalano]

Somehow this show just keeps getting better and better.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Agreed.

Btw, did anybody over on the Into the Woods thread ever establish how much time Christine Baranski will be missing from her day job?

[Jordan Catalano]

They can easily film batches of Diane's scenes before she leaves, editing them together in episode they'll be filming while she's gone.

[strummergirl]

Give the Kings credit about the Kalinda thing. They heard the complaints loud and clear and no more ex-husband. Some show-runners would have force-fed audience what they thought was good TV.

[Tom1071]

I don't recall...maybe one of you could remind me. Did Kalinda's husband die or did he just leave town?

Last night's episode was fantastic.

[bwayrose7]

Tom 1071- They never made it clear what happened to Kalinda's husband. I think I remember reading somewhere that they realized the storyline turned out badly and so just got rid of him as quickly as possible.

And last night's premiere was amazing! Really tense case, plus the added tension of the impending "civil war" at the firm. Peter's still kind of a jerk- I really don't like him and probably never will. David Lee is quickly overtaking Eli as my favorite snark-master on TV; I particularly enjoyed the running gag of the Skype-robot :) Hoping for another excellent season.

[Tom1071]

I hated that storyline last year and was so glad that it ended. I just couldn't remember what became of him.

I love that Cary and Alicia are allys now.

[Jordan Catalano]

For the time being. I have a feeling Alicia will be staying right where she is.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Graeme Phillips, who plays Alicia's son Zach, tweeted that the fifth episode of this season is the equivalent of the Red Wedding episode of Game of Thrones...admittedly I don't watch GOT so I have no idea what that means. Maybe Peter is beheaded.

Also, it was never explained what exactly happened to Kalinda's husband, but it was clear that Kalinda had something to do with it. She made up her mind he had to go after Alicia was threatened, and made sure it happened. He didn't just randomly disappear.

[bwayrose7]

Ha! I wouldn't mind that :) The Red Wedding, for the record, was an infamously deadly event in the GOT universe that managed to kill off many characters- some red shirts, but also essentially wiped out one camp of the "good guys". If they're comparing an episode to the Red Wedding, we're in for seriously explosive confrontations!

[dtzumbrunnen]

I'm so bummed that I have to wait every week for this show now, but the season opener didn't disappoint. It's so simple, but I loved Cary's line to Alicia - "we're the new Will and Diane."

But really, I think the highlight was the screaming goat interrupting the skype robot!!!

[strummergirl]

The Red Wedding has now become code for, nobody is sacred, safe, or untouchable in an episode. Like Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias" being called/compared to The Red Wedding (good guys die, moral center gets punished and tortured with a fate worse than death, bad guys are in control, innocent gets kidnapped, and family gets irredeemably destroyed and shattered) when it aired. I assume people might get fired or in hot water on the show and since it was from one of the people who plays the Florrick kid, family-centered drama.