BWW Recap: THE GOOD WIFE Enters Dangerous Territory in The Red Zone

When you enter the red zone, you have taken yourself beyond the limits of safety. You go to where things are dangerous, prohibited even. Or, to borrow from football, you find yourself in a situation where things could go any which way, where either side could score. Whichever definition you relate to, the red zone is not the securest place to find yourself, and certainly not a place you want to stay for long.

Tonight, all of our characters are in that red zone, in one way or another. And if that last scene is anything to go by, some are heading into even more dangerous territory, with the threat of Lemond Bishop looming larger than it ever has before.

Lemond Bishop. The villain THE GOOD WIFE deserves. We've had nasty characters like Castro, we've had foils for Alicia like Canning and Martha Plimpton's gloriously cynical Patti Nyholm, and we've had prize manipulators like Wendy Scott Carr come out to play. Then there are the grimy missteps like He Who Shall Not Be Named Nick, and the various anti-Kalinda investigators. But for all these bad characters' manipulations and occasional point-scoring, it's always been clear who is going to win. The good guys. The good wife. Good always trumps bad, right?

Unless the good guys entered a Faustian deal with the bad guy a long time ago. And that bad guy happens to be really, ready bad. Bad like Lemond Bishop, bad. A villain worthy of a TV show where everything is just a little bit better than it is on other shows. In my opinion. Here, it's worth remembering that our good guys courted the bad guy in earlier seasons, campaigning for - and even fighting over - his legitimate business. They knew what they were doing, or at the very least what was behind that legitimate business. Heck, Alicia even knows that Bishop is behind the Super PAC that is helping to finance her run for State's Attorney.

They all know. But there has always been a difference between knowing and believing.

Tonight's episode is all about believing, and the consequences that come with cherry-picking what it is you accept to be true. Truth has in fact always been an amorphous concept on THE GOOD WIFE, where the law trades in meaning and manipulation. When Cary says to Viola Walsh in his trial prep that "It's not a lie in the way you mean it," what he's really saying is that, just like truth, lies are not fixed. They come with context, and caveats, and in a way, they can be more honest than the truth itself. Either way, knowing the truth is not the same as believing it. Tonight, the case of the week, along with Cary's ongoing drama with both his case, and his Kalinda, prove that. If neither Cary nor Jodie, the campus rape victim Alicia represents in said case of the week are believed, then the truth doesn't really matter at all ...

That's what it says in the handbook

I've said before that I'm not the biggest fan of the procedural elements of THE GOOD WIFE. But I do love when the writers dip their pens (okay, computer keys) into topical stories. Like BOSTON LEGAL, the beloved, crazy cousin of THE GOOD WIFE, our show excels when the case of the week is relatable, and subversively political. Tonight they address rape culture, and specifically, the pervasive culture of campus rape. The tie-in is Owen (oh how we love you, Owen!), when he brings his puppy dog eyes to Alicia and asks her to sit in on a disciplinary hearing for Jodie, a young student he has been counselling after she was assaulted by a fellow student, Troy. What starts as a bit of sibling blackmail soon turns into an old-fashioned Alicia crusade however, when she realises - and THE GOOD WIFE drives home - just how awful and fixed the system is.

THE GOOD WIFE is a beautifully subtle show, so we don't get speeches or stats on the failings of Universities to protect their students from sexual assault - instead we get a behind-the-scenes look at the horrifically careless way rape victims are treated when they accuse a fellow student.

We get to see the callous disbelief of the cop who took Jodie's statement, we get to see how Troy is able to openly victim-blame and intimidate his accuser, and we get to see how being a stickler for the rules only seems to count when it's in Troy's favour, as Alicia is castigated by the Disciplinary Hearing Committee for trying to interject on the side of the law - because it's outside the rules - but no-one bothers to check the part of the 250 page rule book that says Troy is not allowed to make any statements - of which he makes many.

Because THE GOOD WIFE can't resist technology, we get a neat trick resolution to the problem of Alicia being muzzled, when she texts instructions to Jodie and then Owen (err ... nice auto-correct Alicia. Just how often have you been using that word lately?!) through-out the hearing. It doesn't work in the end, because the board doesn't believe Jodie. Mind you, this is the same University that is currently attempting to paint over a so-called rape wall - the very public canvas detailing the epidemic of assaults on their campus. Armed with this extra truth, and 60 names, Alicia convinces Jodie to sue the University for failing to provide a safe environment.

Because the words "class action" get uttered, Louis Canning's signal goes off, and he comes in to defend the University. Canning might be dying, but he's still got fight in him, especially when it comes to his favourite sparring partner, Alicia (who, despite her eye rolls, does seem genuinely concerned at his plight). She beats him in court, but Canning dips into his own bag of tricks, and advises Jodie that Troy has been expelled after a "random" search of his dorm turned up marijuana. Jodie has had enough of the process, and takes this circuitous justice, rather than pursuing the class action. It's a disappointing resolution, but one that is - unfortunately - not hard to believe.

Thank you, and go to hell!

Now to the other case. The Cary case. The case shaping this season. Tonight, the writers have neat tricks too, such as bringing back the caustic Viola Walsh to help Diane (and Howard) prep Cary for trial. Everyone knows lawyers are terrible on the stand - and we get to really, really believe that, when Cary proves himself his own worst enemy, in the face of Viola's apparently "soft" questioning.

See, the tape Castro and his crew have of Cary talking with Bishop's crew is cut together so well that it truly sounds like Cary is guilty of helping Bishop avoid the law. And the key witnesses who could corroborate either side's story keep getting murdered. The combination of these incriminatory layers of evidence, and Cary's wounded bull levels of indignation are making his situation very, very dangerous. Even Viola, normally one to take pleasure in one-upping Diane, seems concerned. 15 years' worth of jail time, concerned.

Diane knows they're in the red zone now, and admonishes Cary to get his head back in the game - and away from wherever it's gone.

The trouble is, his head is with Kalinda. He knows she's on his side, but here we come to that pesky problem with believing again. He doubts her allegiance enough to go looking for her, and of course, because it's Kalinda, he finds her with another woman. Not just any woman, but the delectable Lana Delaney, against whom, let's be honest, not even the adorable Matt Czuchry stands a chance. Cary confronts Kalinda, telling her he only wants to be with her, and Kalinda tells him the truth, that she doesn't feel the same.

Or is it the truth? Cary broke his bail terms to see her, and whatever her romantic feelings for him, it's very clear Kalinda cares about him. Maybe she's pushing him away to literally push him away. It might break his heart, but it also just might save his life.

You're sleeping with a Federal Agent

Kalinda's got a couple of lives in her hands, actually. Bishop has figured out her connection to FBI Agent Delaney, and he's not happy. He doesn't believe Kalinda when she tells him Lana is not working on his case, and Kalinda probably doesn't believe it, either.

To threaten her test her loyalty, Bishop tells Kalinda to place a mysterious white card into Lana's purse. And Kalinda nearly does it too, until she makes the split-second decision to break the card in half, instead. There will be consequences to this action. There is no doubt about it. The only question is who will fall on the sword first. Cary, Kalinda and Lana are all in Bishop's line of sight - and it's hard to imagine any of them escaping this unholy alliance unscathed.

That pot was dirty!

Speaking of escaping unscathed, turns out St. Alicia's time is up. When Eli and her campaign manager Johnny run a series of focus groups, they discover her halo has been tilted slightly since deciding to run for office. Some members of the public find her entitled, some even consider her selfish. Cue a knowing re-enactment of what it's like to drop in on THE GOOD WIFE fan forums - Alicia is this, Alicia is that, usually in relation to how she treats her husband. The Kings are well and truly connected to their viewers, and this episode highlights that connection like a wry and knowing smile.

Alicia doesn't like not being liked, and she's always been a bit of a fixator, so she starts obsessing over how to win over pretty much everyone. She turns to Finn for assistance - he of the new, spectacular office view, and the great advice on what to do Wednesday nights (must be the one night he's not drinking with Alicia). Finn looks really, really good dressed down, particularly when he is helping out at Soup Kitchens. Alicia decides to accompany him, but doesn't quite master the ensemble, making yet another tonal error when she's photographed in her fancy work outfit, scrubbing away at what looks like an already clean pot.

When it comes down to it, the political Alicia needs to be told what to do. She needs Eli to guide her, and tonight she finally admits it. It can't be easy for a lawyer so used to telling other people what to do, but there's something in that accusation of entitlement that rings true. It's something she passes on to the struggling Cary too, in a brief but poignant scene that shows the bond these two former rivals really have. She needs the public to like her. He needs a jury to like him. They both need to be believed - even if that means letting go of what they know to be true about themselves.

The facts don't always save you, after-all.

Who do you think is deepest into the red zone? Is it a forgone conclusion that Cary is going to serve time? And did you enjoy dressed-down Finn as much as I did?!

Check out a sneak peek at next week's episode below:

Photo Credit: CBS

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