TV REVIEW - The Good Wife

Warning - Spoilers ahead!

Season 6 Episode 1 - The Line

If there's one thing The Good Wife does beautifully (and there are many, FYI) it's resolving its cliffhangers. At the end of last season, viewers were left with a question which would surely determine the course of the sixth season - would Alicia Florrick run for State's Attorney? Now, this episode doesn't definitively answer this question, but the opportunity is clearly there and as Eli runs the polls and realises Alicia comes first in just about every demographic and carefully manipulates Peter to support this endeavour. The only one who needs convincing is Alicia herself.

State's Attorney: yes or no?

But first we have figuratively bigger fish to fry with the first surprise turn of the season - and boy, is it a surprise. He of the adorable dimples, Harvard alum, golden boy, Cary Agos is arrested on drug charges in a scheme to catch out drug lord, Lemont Bishop. This brief look at jail from an inside perspective shows that The Good Wife can handle the harsh realities of prison as well as it portrays sleek boardroom battles. Over the course of the episode, we see Cary transform from a total fish-out-of-water, his obscenely expensive suit and suave, all-American charm making him stick out like a sore thumb, to just another grey, grim-faced inmate, desperate for a break. Even the most cold-hearted amongst you gotta feel a bit bad for the guy, right? 

I was missing Cary from the second half of the fifth season as he understandably took a back seat in light of Will's death, so it's nice to see some great development for his character here, which Matt Czuchry plays wonderfully. His arrest also shed light on some of his relationships. Kalinda leaps into action and Robyn offers up more money than she can probably afford towards his bail. We're reminded (and my heart is stomped on) of Cary's strained relationship with his lobbyist father, who only offers up $8,000. Man, I hate that guy. What truly warmed the cockles of my heart though, was the way that Alicia immediately dropped everything to support him, despite the fact that they weren't on the best of terms, even considering taking out a second mortgage for his bail. Best friend ever? Watching their relationship evolve from competitors to opponents to tentative friendship has been one of my favourite things about the show and I hate to see them fight, so this was just lovely.

Just look at those sad puppy dog eyes! How could you?

Though Cary's arrest dominates the later half of the episode, there is still an incredible amount going on, with Diane planning her escape from Lockhart, Gardner & Canning (is that what it's called now? I can't even keep track anymore!), Eli desperately trying to keep Peter on the straight and narrow while getting the pieces in place for Alicia's possibly campaign and Canning and David Lee trying to foil Diane's move and poach her clients. 

As all great season openers should, this episode opened up a whole lotta fascinating directions for the series to go in this season. I think it's pretty clear at this stage the Alicia will run for State's Attorney, it's just been foreshadowed too much. The question is, what is going to change her mind? Will it be something in Cary's case? (Please don't be anything too horrible, I am still fragile from Will's death).What role will Finn Polmar play in all of this?  Also what's going on with Bishop? This plot line is something that has quietly been simmering in the background of the last several seasons and it was made clear from the get-go that signing him on as a client would lead to complications somewhere down the line - could it all come to a head this season? I don't know what's going on with Peter and the panty-less intern, but I don't like it. I'm no prude, but what. the. hell is with turning up to work (in the freaking governor's office!!) with no underwear? Flashing a whole load of people? Jesus. I'm not sure that Peter is cheating again...I'm leaning towards no, but this is clearly all a scandal waiting to happen. Also, it must be said, did Peter and Eli go to the same hairdresser? And get really weird dye jobs? What the hell is going on there?

On a final note, I don't know if the music director changed or something, but the music has seriously been amazing since the beginning of season 5, and this is no exception. It's great and suits the show to a T. As must be fairly clear, I really, really enjoyed this episode and am excited for the season to come. This show is in its sixth season and is the strongest its ever been, and I hope this trend continues. I give it 4/5.