BWW Recap: Courting and Cooking on THE GOOD WIFE

I'm always telling people to watch THE GOOD WIFE. There aren't enough people watching THE GOOD WIFE. That's my opinion - and somewhat of a ratings fact. But the thing is, I don't really get to watch THE GOOD WIFE anymore. Recapping is a different kind of viewing experience, one where I have to pause, rewind, scan individual scenes for the right sound bite or reveal. With such focus on each beat of the show, sometimes I feel like I miss the forest for the trees. If the trees are all the good things that make up THE GOOD WIFE, and the forest is how it all comes together each episode.

So tonight I decided to watch THE GOOD WIFE straight through, no pauses, no notes. Just a regular old viewing. The consideration - would the show feel as deep, as meaningful, if I weren't looking so hard?

The answer is yes. And no.

Because I forgot how funny THE GOOD WIFE is. How quick, and how cheeky. This is a fun show. The hour goes really fast when you're enjoying all the side-eye/eye-rolls/grimaces that these characters dish out to each other, whether they're mother and daughter, nearly-friends, or scheming political partners. Relationships on THE GOOD WIFE are not sentimental, at least not on the surface. Characters are allowed to hate the sight of each other. Be openly contemptuous. Exasperated. That last one is the default for Alicia Florrick in particular. Eli exasperates her. Her mother exasperates her. Tonight Howard Lyman exasperates her. You get the feeling Alicia's generally one held breath away from screaming - or bursting out laughing at the insanity of her life.

With all sorts of insanity on display, affecting all sorts of people (and no notes), I thought I'd break down tonight's episode one main player at a time:

Alicia

Tonight Alicia is once again nailing bond court, or rather, finding that one big case amongst the pile of DUIs and petty thefts. This time it's a guy with a silent letter in his name, and he's been charged with manufacturing GHB, even though he maintains he was making a new and better version of the drug to render it less dangerous. Lucca is representing his dealer, effectively tying her case to Alicia's, and their nearly-friendship shifts to barely when Alicia convinces Lucca not to take a deal for the dealer - then decides it's better if they sever the cases after all.

There's good reason though, one Alicia can't easily explain to the now-pissed Lucca. Grace was doing some sleuthing and discovered the guy with the silent letter had some other letters missing from his name - F, B & I, specifically. Turns out he's an undercover agent, trying to bust Alicia's bond court judge for corruption. Before she knows the full story, Alicia goes to Eli, concerned the FBI is after Peter, or THE GOOD WIFE herself. This might be the dumbest thing she's done, even dumber than agreeing to cook with her Mom on TV, because ...

Eli

... Eli! The show ends with Eli being thanked by the bond court judge for tipping him off re. the FBI set up, before he went ahead and corrupted himself. This machination of Eli's will no doubt have far-reaching consequences for him, and for the currently unwitting Alicia. It feels like the first time since the voicemail travesty deletion that Eli has gone behind Alicia's back in such a major way. It's a much darker moment for Eli, who has been busy weaving his way back into Peter's campaign up until now. This is not sparring with Ruth, or reluctantly accepting his new cupboard-sized headquarters. This is the ruining of a two-year FBI sting, and the placing of Alicia squarely back in the corruption zone.

That's the thing with Eli. He may look cute, but he doesn't even need to be cornered to attack.

Diane

Diane is also on the attack, after she finds out Alicia has given Howard Lyman advice on how to sue Lockhart, Agos & Lee for ageism. The splendidly dressed Diane first came to Alicia with a peace offering - the overflow of clients that their firm cannot currently manage. But when she gets wind of Howard's visit to Alicia for legal advice, she shows up at her ex-partner's door, fuming. Diane's assumption is that Alicia wants revenge, and there isn't anything Alicia can say to prove otherwise, because she did technically give Howard advice when he came to her. We know Alicia wasn't trying to hurt Diane, and one gets the feeling Diane just feels hurt, full stop, no matter the cause. She's all but lost the firm she created, in spirit and soul anyway, and she's watching Alicia set out on her own to fight the good fight - the fight that was always meant to be Diane's, before something or other got in the way.

The young associates want to spend time with their boyfriends. The old associates, like Howard, are bringing in big business. Last week Diane was meeting with Emily's List, she hasn't forgotten that capital F on her chest, but it's clearly getting harder to balance her personal and political motivations. That's why she's mad at Alicia, if you ask me.

Alicia is in the process of figuring that very equation out.

Jackie and Howard

They flirted. They drank red wine. They listened to opera. And they kissed - a lot. I don't need to say much more than that, except thumbs up for showing their romance unfold. It looks (and sounds) pretty good to me.

Grace

As mentioned above, Grace has turned into something of a super sleuth. She remains on her Grace is Ace trajectory - as unexpected and delightful as a Howard/Jackie romance.

Veronica

I wholeheartedly agree that wine with lunch is not drinking. I love Veronica. I love Alicia with Veronica. Reluctant cooking. Throwing verbal darts at each other. Whatever. Veronica is a much-needed chink in Alicia's armor, and she has the best, dirtiest laugh ever. For those two things alone, we need much, much more of Veronica.

Cary

Nope. Nothing.

Jason

It's okay. He'll be back. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Mom will see to it, surely.

And that's my recap without notes. All the things I'd say if I were telling a friend about the characters on the show, and why they just have to watch THE GOOD WIFE. As long as they're prepared to have their heart ripped out in Season 5.

By Season 7, it'll almost be worth it, don't you think?

Image Credit: CBS