Customer Reviews

The Good Wife: The First Season

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Never was a phrase, "torn from the headlines," more appropriate for a TV show. This dramatic tale of a wronged politician's wife brings instantly to mind famous couples such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, John and Elizabeth Edwards, Darlene and John Ensign, Jenny and Mark Sanford, and David and Wendy Vitter. But the circumstances that most closely resemble those used in "The Good Wife" are those of Silda and Eliot Spitzer. In 2008, Spitzer resigned as governor of New York after it was revealed that he had spent public funds on high-priced call girls. In his case, his resignation halted potential prosecution. Not so for Peter Florrick (Chris Noth, best known as Mr. Big, Carrie's lover in Sex and the City). In "The Good Wife," the husband of the titular "good wife," resigns as the state's attorney of Cook County, in the Chicago area of Illinois, after he's exposed for the same crime as Spitzer. But his successor gets Peter thrown in jail.

The series' opening scene involves Peter's wife, Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies, ER), nobly, and humiliatingly, backing up Peter as he announces to the press he is resigning. Then the scene switches to six months in the future. Peter is in jail. Alicia has been forced to downsize from a big house to an apartment, and she's looking for a job. For her entire marriage, Alicia has sacrificed her education and professional talents in favor of supporting her husband's political career and caring for their two children, now young teenagers. But with Peter's needs now moot, and his income gone, it's time to dust off her law degree and seek a paid position.

Though she is forty-something and out of touch with the legal world, Alicia manages to use one of her own connections to snag a position as a junior associate at the firm of a friend from law school, Will Gardner (Josh Charles, best known for Sports Night). But the job has two major drawbacks. First, Will sees her as the one that got away, and Alicia is in no mood for that kind of complication. And, second, the job is not secure. She is in competition with another new junior associate, Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry, Rory's college boyfriend in Gilmore Girls), who is the very definition of a whiz kid. Worse, though Cary is extremely competitive, Alicia is naturally collegial and kind, and it goes totally against the grain for her to try and cut anyone out.

I was sold on this show from the opening scene of the pilot. Every actor in it is great, but the three main female actors are particular standouts. First and foremost, Margulies is wonderful. In fact, one might say she was made for this part. It requires some of the most difficult skills an actor can have, in my humble opinion, to subtly indicate a whole range of emotion on the face of a character who is dignified and reserved by nature. Margulies manages to accomplish this with astounding ease given the limitations of her character's personality. It would have been out of character, for example, for Alicia to employ standard "bits of business" that other actors use such as grabbing or shoving to show anger. Instead, she shows subtle nuances of expression. Most of all, Margulies reveals Alicia to us by displaying in every scene perhaps Alicia's most sterling virtue, a quiet empathy which connects her to and draws out every other character she comes in contact with. This quality coupled with keen observation and a brilliant, analytical mind are the main attributes that allow Alicia to not only succeed as a trial attorney but to solve mysteries surrounding the cases she takes on--allowing this series to be a fascinating combination of mystery, political, legal and relationship drama, all rolled into one. Most of all, Margulies's talent as an actor allows the audience to understand and believe in every choice that Alicia makes, no matter how difficult, from the loyalty she displays to the unfaithful husband she obviously has loved deeply for many years, to her firm but affectionate relationship with her children, to her tactful handling of her meddling mother-in-law, to her often morally ambiguous encounters with her co-workers and her clients.

The second amazing woman in this series is the ever marvelous Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia! and Cybill) as Diane Lockhart, a co-partner with Alicia's boss Will. It does not surprise me that a comic actor as phenomenal as Baranski is also an outstanding dramatic actor. Most actors seem to agree that doing comedy is so difficult that drama seems comparatively easy. In this series, Baranski's character Diane has a complex relationship with Alicia and has plenty of juicy plot lines of her own.

The third female actor whose performance I greatly admire is Archie Panjaba (the heroine's older sister in Bend It Like Beckham), who plays the enigmatic Kalinda Sharma. Kalinda rather rapidly develops what seems to be a strong friendship with Alicia, demonstrating an amazing amount of helpfulness and loyalty to her. But Kalinda's background and true intentions toward Alicia remain intriguingly unclear throughout the whole first season.

Among the male actors, my personal favorite is the fabulously versatile Scottish actor Alan Cumming (Glitch the Scarecrow in Tin Man and Nightcrawler in X-Men). He plays Peter's cunning political adviser, Eli Gold, and this role is the dead opposite of the odd, quirky types he's most famous for. Eli is conservative and muted, almost benignly invisible in his presentation to the general public. But underneath he seethes with passion and is a powerful, back-room player in the world of politics. His relationship with Alicia is one of the most dynamic in the series and his role in one of the key decisions she makes at the climax of season 1 is absolutely pitch perfect. And, by the way, his American accent is perfect.

I personally adore dramas that present the protagonist with moral dilemmas every week that are filled with shades of gray. This series abounds in that dynamic. I also much prefer dramas that have two clear story tracks, the protagonist's professional life (in this series a weekly legal case for Alicia to pursue, with a frequent mystery thrown into the mix as I mentioned above), and the protagonist's personal life. Because of Peter's scandal, there are plenty of juicy sinkholes for Alicia to inadvertently step into as she weaves her way through a landscape of seemingly endless people who want to use her or abuse her because of her connection to her husband. This thread in the series has allowed it to avoid falling into the aggravating pattern of so many dramatic TV series of melodramatic emphasis on the personal failings of the protagonist and her close family members in ways that often turn that protagonist from sympathetic to pathetic and annoying. I am greatly hoping this series continues to avoid that pitfall for many years to come.

"The Good Wife" ranks at the very top, in the cream of the cream, of the best television series ever created. Such a strong statement needs verification. Just what makes this weekly series so powerful?

1. Julianne Margulies, foremost, plays the "good wife" in perfect pitch. The wife wronged by her successful, ambitious, attractive, but absolutely corrupt husband (the gorgeous Chris Noth) as a fallen, disreputable district attorney, you know, the kind voters love to put back into office. Then there's the sex scandal that horribly embarrasses both his "good wife" and children? What is her reaction to his scandal? How does she cope?

2. Her education as an attorney, no, not just an attorney, but an insightful, resourceful, brilliant attorney, not only gets her a job quickly, but proves she deserves it.

3. Kalinda, the private investigator is the biggest mystery on the show. Just whose side is she on? Just whom has she been intimate with? She represents the ultimate pragmatist, the bottom-liner. She gets my vote as the most mysterious and intriguing of all the characters!

4. Add the mother-in-law, who is helping out while son tries to get out of jail. Viewers eventually discover that she is one of those controlling mothers who push their children onto the success track at any cost.

5. One strand involves the growing attraction between Margulies and her male boss whom she knew in college. Although not the gorgeous, virile type (like her husband), he represents the intelligent, successful, but perpetual bachelor, one to be wary of.

6. Which also includes office politics and two more fascinating characters: the driven woman partner (whose own love interest is one of the pings later described) and the young male attorney also vying for the one slot that both the Margulies character and he fiercely want.

6. Another Subplot involves her son and a cougar-like older girl intent on using the boy for her own devious plans.

Now wrap all this back story into the various strands that it takes to create a tightly woven plot, utterly fascinating, utterly unpredictable. Ping! What?! Yes, something came loose. What is it? Something that makes this series so gripping, so unexpected, so dramatic that viewers are on the edge of their seats, expectant, breathless. Frankly, I've been stunned any number of times.

Addition: Two days after publishing this review, I realized I had covered only one-half of the program. The personal lives of the characters make up one-half, the other half concerns the weekly trial (after all, this is partially a courtroom drama). Each case is unique and equally fascinating. Just as in real life, each case is not necessarily resolved for the viewer's total satisfaction. Sometimes the viewer--and the attorney--don't really know if the client is truly innocent. This holding to what actually happens also makes this series a winner--provocative, perspicacious, gripping. Verisimilitude is practiced here.

"The Good Wife" is what television should be about: quality of the highest order. This is not a series a viewer can simply tune into with the mistaken notion of joining the story. It's too complicated, too nuanced for such a cavalier attitude. That's what makes "The Good Wife: The First Season" so essential--it provides a full appreciation of this excellent and outstanding drama! Frankly, my viewing mode is in idle for the summer, barely containing a great desire to discover what in the world will happen next!

Update in late August 2010: It was just announced that Michael J. Fox is coming aboard for some episodes of this show's second season to play an attorney. He recently won an Emmy for doing the same on RESCUE ME. I am very excited about this as I think he will be a very good foil for these characters. My original review follows.

This show never ignores its central premise: what is it like being the wife of one of these political figures who gets involved in a lurid sex scandal. Julia Marguiles does a very good job answering that question week in and week out. Chris Noth plays her sex scandal husband. Some viewers know him from SEX AND THE CITY while others know him from LAW & ORDER shows, both the original and CRIMINAL INTENT. He also does a very good job because you never like or trust him. His role is getting meatier as the weeks go on and that is all to the good. I frankly would be tempted to just dump him in her place but she holds on for a variety of reasons, the most compelling being her two teen children who are already deeply conflicted by their father's behavior. He starts out the season in prison and the action steps up when he is allowed to come home under house arrest, with an ankle bracelet. She is left as the main wage earner and she is a very good attorney in her own right. At her firm, she is surrounded by a partner, who is clearly smitten by her, another partner who is the reigning superwoman, and a woman private investigator for the firm, who is fast becoming one of the breakout stars from the series. I think this show is well worth your giving it a try.

Margolis gives a fascinating, very sympathetic performance as a smart, accomplished woman, a more-than-competent lawyer, loving mother, accomodating daughter-in-law, and betrayed but tenuously hopeful wife. She is a model of self-restraint, self-respect, and compassion. You cannot help but watch her face every second she is on the screen. Noth is the ambitious, attractive, self-indulgent, man-of-the-people politician who wants to come back home after a very public number of sexual and possibly ethical missteps have landed him in jail and alienated his family. More than that, he desperately wants to regain the trust and love of all the people he betrayed. The writing is superb! I can't wait to see what will happen every Tuesday. The private investigator is indeed a riveting character: whose side is she on? has SHE had her own affair with Noth? is she loyal to the good wife? what's up with those 6 inch heeled thigh high leather boots? The only problem I've had with the show is the frequent mid-season replays. But if this helps them keep up their excellent writing, I'll be patient. If you couldn't already tell, I highly recommend this!

Sometimes the stars align and a cast and crew is lucky enough to produce a season of television that is pretty much flawless. The third season of "Friday Night Lights." The fifth season of "The X-Files." The second season of "Gilmore Girls." But normally these seasons of perfection come only after a show has slowly built itself into something great after making a few missteps.

From the opening moments of its pilot to the closing seconds of the twenty-third episode of its first season, "The Good Wife" was flawless.

Part of its elegance comes from the fact that it refuses to define itself, easily veering between lawyer procedural, family drama, conspiracy thriller and romantic drama throughout the year, often over the course of one episode. The shocking thing is that each of the above is just as well-handled as the others, and it is a delight to watch the ensemble juggle the storylines. More than that, each storyline is meticulously layered unlike any other drama of (dare I say) the past decade. Here the viewer feels mixed feelings with every new twist and turn. Like life, nothing on this show (except the main titles) is black and white and every happiness comes with a few notable reservations.

The large cast is diverse and obscenely talented. Part of the joy of watching "The Good Wife" is watching the worlds of the shows briefly intertwine with one another and seeing characters you know well but would never expect to share the screen together feel one another out. From Archie Panjabi's smart-but-labyrinthine investigator to Alan Cumming's oily, brilliant publicist (the show is also notable as being first time I haven't wanted to reach through the screen and strangle Cumming), there isn't a weak link in the bunch.

And then, of course, we have Julianna Margulies in the performance of her career. No other actress can say so much while speaking so little and her fantastic, multi-layered performance already has me ranking Alicia next to Lorelai Gilmore and Buffy Summers in terms of my favorite heroines of all time.

The show is a major hit for CBS, but not many of my friends are watching. Perhaps it is because, on the surface, it seems to be nothing more than another glossy procedural. What a damn shame.

The fact that "The Good Wife" can be this consistently good in its first season is unheard of. It is the best show of the 2009-2010 season and has done in one season what most shows cannot in their entire runs. And the best part? The journey has just started.

It is hard to see how TV entertainment could be any better.
A convincing frame story (a spritzer taken from real life with a dash of Spitzer and a slight shot of a few other scandals), stretched into a thrilling even if soapy tale of corruption, betrayal, disappointment, hope, hope betrayed... wrapped around a series of generally equally convincing court room drama around a struggling Chicago law firm. High class scripts, a brilliant lead actress, an astonishing complexity of plot, a dash of humor which never derails the suspense. Crème de la crème, as one of my favorite reviewers headlined her review.
One of the lessons that the story teaches is: everything comes at a price (there are no free lunches; you have to break eggs if you want to make an omelet; etc). Our heroine learns this lesson the hard way. She finds that she can hardly keep all her rules at the same time. She wants to feed her family and be independant, she needs to keep her job as a lawyer, she wants to play clean, she does not want to be involved with her husband's trials and campaigns ... how to reconcile all this?
The price that I pay here is that I am glued to the screen much longer than I ever expected. My wife tops this: she is watching it for the second time.

To fully appreciate "The Good Wife," the first three episodes must be seen. They clarify the subtlety of the series and the restrained approach of the lead actress. The restraint is so taut, that another character, Kalinda, almost takes over the show - she is feisty. Arguably, this is one of the great series in TV history. You can compare it to the first two seasons of the great "Hill Street Blues" to see its glimpse approach to show everything. For example, a winning statement in a trial ends coverage of the trial. You know who won, so the show moves on.

If you take TV seriously and its evolution (e.g. male sexuality is treated very straightforwardly at times), then this show is for you.

What started off seeming like a feminist cliche, developed into a very compelling, layered and well-rounded story. If you can get past the shows slightly rocky beginning, great rewards lie ahead! High praise for "The Good Wife" is fully merited, and I'd give the show 5 stars if I hadn't foolishly written my original interview after having only watched the first 5 episodes (with which I was not greatly impressed). Not long after that however I did start becoming intrigued by the show. The actors suddenly "became" the characters, the plot thickened very effectively and the story suddenly began to show a great deal of depth and breadth - in effect, it found its groove (I remember similar experience with "The Wire" which also started off weakly - though perhaps had fewer weak initial shows).

In every episode of "The Good Wife" you get both an individual case for the episode along with the continuing story saga of Alicia and her husband (and family). While I wasn't convinced by the saga part of the story initially (not to mention some of the episode cases), the quality of both the episode cases AND the family saga started to become a lot more interesting as the season evolves, as if the show had gotten new writers or as if the old ones had started giving their audiences more credit. The saga element while weak in the beginning starts gaining prominence as the show continues and the characters round out into more interesting individuals as the stories themselves become better.

I'd fully recommend "The Good Wife" to anyone who likes courtroom drama and a continuing cliffhanger saga laced with politics, law, the ironies of destiny and forbidden love! Having finished the first season at this point I am looking forward to season 2.

I purchased this for myself and it never reached me. Can't seem to find any help here, and I got such a good price on it that I can't really reorder at the higher price. :(

I've watched this show since the beginning episode and love it. It's really a joy to watch commercial free on a lazy afternoon. It brings home how great this show really is! Will purchase the rest of the seasons too.