S06.E04: Oppo Research

[Tara Ariano]

Alicia explores the option of running for State's Attorney. To help her decide, Eli brings in a respected campaign manager.

[ShellSeeker]

I wonder who the stunt casting will be tonight? Hillary Clinton, perhaps?

[whack-a-mole]

I wonder who the stunt casting will be tonight? Hillary Clinton, perhaps?

She seems unlikely. How about Malala?

[Rhondinella]

Matthew Goode's haircut is a crime against nature.  That is all.

[Abstract]

Matthew Goode's haircut is a crime against nature. That is all.

I agree. So is this plot line.

[mrsdalgliesh]

QUIT!  DO NOT RUN!  ARE YOU INSANE?

 

I'm visiting my parents and this was the basic tenor of the family shouting at the television -- and that was *before* the final scene in the parking lot.  If the Kings are taking Alicia forward in this, I really have to wonder if we're going to be seeing "Breaking Bad 2: Alicia Boogaloo."   

 

I mean, I get the reactionary nature of her decision.  Castro is an ass.  There's probably some "I could be better than Peter."  Ok, fine.  I can buy that, even if I hate it.

 

But would that desire completely override her relationship with her brother and son?  Would she really run knowing that Bishop is funding her?  Is that the character we know?  We've seen her compromising more and more, but I didn't see her as this morally disturbed, at least not yet.  

 

P.S.  Nice audio manipulation of the wine pouring at the start of the episode.  Sounded like Niagara Falls.

P.P.S.  Cary, now with pretty much no control over his life and business.  So sad.

P.P.P.S.  See the 2 posts above mine.

Edited October 13, 2014 by mrsdalgliesh

[meatball77]

Ok, I love that fake cop show that Alicia is always watching.  The Stag standing behind the body. . . . . .

 

I don't want her to run because I don't want her in the SA's office.  I want to see the new firm.  They didn't give us much of it.

[Abstract]

Why am I watching two shows where the ostensibly strong 40-something female leads are acting like complete dandelions? No firm direction of their own, just manipulated by whomever. (The other is Nashville.)

[Driad]

 

Hasn't Alicia heard the advice that if you are going to get into politics, you should decide by age 12, and you and your family live un-attackable lives from then on?

[Amelie06]

How can Alicia run knowing that Zach and Nissa are going to be cross examined about their teenaged abortion? That is pretty devastating. I totally got Alicia's anger. I don't have kids, but I think I would be just as angry. Also, they seemed to have a very close relationship, so the fact that he didn't tell her is a slap in the face. That being said, I wasn't loving the extremely cold way Alicia spoke to Zach in the end. She seemed to have no empathy for Zach in that moment. He must have been incredibly scared on a lot of different levels when this was going down.

 

What was with the flashes Alicia kept having? Was that what actually happened, or what she was imagining? I mean...Zach doing laundry?

 

Poor Cary.

[stonehaven]

I don't want her to run but the comedy in this episode was off the charts..For that, it was entertaining..and the weird lunch betweeb Eli and Kalinda was gold...Very little Diane...

[pennben]

I have to admit, I loved the first 15 minutes or so.  Alicia taking body blow after body blow of oppo research, Marguiles was fantastic in the reaction shots!  And then the end cut of "oh how I love Jesus" or whatever from Grace's bedroom....I was rolling!

 

And then, the rest of the episode happened.  So, Alicia is running because she's angry, and as far as I can tell, she's angry at people "ruining" her life:  her mom, her husband, Kalinda, her son (seriously, she cut him off?), her brother, her drug-dealing client, Cary, Wil, Flynn.....her anger to run seems to stem from her anger at those close to her that have made her running harder.  Hardly a noble cause.  She never really answered the question as to why she was running.

 

I can't believe that the King's want us to cheer for the Alicia that was in this episode.  Maybe they have her reject this overture only to have her run as an Independent on her own terms without a party behind her?  Or maybe, this is a morality play, and at the end, we see Peter standing by her side, not in celebration of her win, but standing with her as she is accused of the corruption that brought him low in the beginning. Full circle indeed.

 

They really can't think we should root for this Alicia can they?

Edited October 13, 2014 by pennben

[HappyDancex2]

Bishop is the best written and acted character on this show. His presence oozes tension, fear, unpredictability and deliberate choice of very few words. He scares me. I love him like the bad man he is.

[izabella]

So Peter isnt sleeping with the intern, but did he seem rather close with the intern's mother?

 

Oh, Alicia.  You're not even in office and you're bought and paid for.  Bishop is never letting go.

[Cattitude]

Really didn't care for that episode at all. There were a few comedic highlights but I really don't watch TGW for comedy.

 

Alicia running for office is very disappointing so a whole show about it was boring and disappointing.

 

The whole bizarro meeting in her apartment was just too much.

 

I love Owen, Alicia really hurt him....boo!

 

I did like Bishop, he is so well played and Eli's eyebrow. You knew just from his use of the eyebrow that the intern's mother is more a problem than the intern ever was.

 

I hope next week gets back on track. Cases and courtroom is what I like about TGW.

[mrsdalgliesh]

 

So Peter isn't sleeping with the intern, but did he seem rather close with the intern's mother?

 

Yes.  I mean, that's Connie Nielsen and she's not just stopping by the show for a 2 minute appearance.  And if not, why wouldn't Peter have told Eli why he was keeping the intern around? 

 

I keep thinking about Cary.  I can hear a conversation in which Alicia says to him, "But I'm running because of you, because of what Castro did to you," and Cary replies, "I would rather you had paid attention to our firm and not let it get taken over by Diane and Company and made decisions I opposed."  Because this Alicia is not even in the same room as her moral compass right now.

 

I think it was only a week or two ago that I wrote, of the Kings, that they earn things on this show.  But this Alicia?  I don't think they've earned it.

 

ETA: The baroque music was missing this episode, wasn't it?  Was there a soundtrack at all?

Edited October 13, 2014 by mrsdalgliesh

[pennben]

 

Yes.  I mean, that's Connie Nielsen and she's not just stopping by the show for a 2 minute appearance.  And if not, why wouldn't Peter have told Eli why he was keeping the intern around?

 

Yeah, I don't understand him not saying he's doing a favor for a "friend" to Eli, but maybe he didn't want him to know who he was really dating?  I'm sure Peter will get in trouble, but apparantly he's dating an age appropriate woman after the time that he and Alicia decided they could date other folks.

 

Sidenote, but why did Eli think "set her up with a great job" meant publicly firing her?  That was crazy on Eli's part. But, all's well that ends well?

[picklesprite]

Did Shonda take over this program, and nobody told us? Is that why yet another strong female character is turning into somebody unlikeable and morally repulsive?  Really, Alicia? Because Castro said something about Will you are going to make life miserable for your family? I am *really* looking forward to the episode in which she comes to her senses and is appalled at herself. I sure hope that happens.

 

On the other hand, I did love the oppo research scene and the start of the scene with her mom and brother.

 

Did Finn set her up, or was he being used by Castro to unknowingly set her up?

 

Eili's hair is. . . interestingly . . .highlighted. I kind of like it.

 

Cary, YOU run for SA, and bring them all down.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Stockard Channing might want to consider easing up on the work she's been having done to her face. I think she's starting to look like Jack Nicholson's version of The Joker, and not in a good way.

[beeble]

Hm, had I been Zach I would have said something along the lines of, "Sorry Mom, because at that horrible time in my life I forgot that everything was all about you.  So there is no need for you to ask me how I am dealing with this or how I felt at the time.  Have some wine. Are you drinking right now? Good. It will probably help you deal better with the hookers dad hired six years ago. Don't worry about how I am reacting to it. I'm here to help you. Glad you're running for State's Attorney because God knows what Illinois needs is another Florick in public office while the family is going down the tubes."

 

I thought Alicia crossed a line in this episode that she hasn't crossed before, and it made me not like her. So much so that I laughed out loud when I learned what Bishop had done. 

 

A bit of projecting on my part: I have an attorney/politician father (not big time at all) and everything we did as pre-teens to college students was examined through the lens of "how will this hurt/help dad?"  It's a shitty thing to do to kids.  Seriously - upset over how a kid's abortion hurts you? Only an asshat would do that.

 

Having said all of this, I loved Eli in this episode.  They ought to call the show The Good Stuff by Alan Cumming.

[CleoCaesar]

A pretty brisk, light episode. I enjoyed the reprieve from feeling bad for Cary and mad on Cary's behalf that his law firm was being overrun with LG yahoos.

 

Not surprised about Zach and the abortion - the show spent a lot of time in the early seasons hinting that his girlfriends were trouble (for the Florricks) in one way or another and teen pregnancy was strong foreshadowed in the Becca storylines. Kind of unrealistic that he wouldn't have told Alicia, though, given their closeness.

 

I rather enjoy Lemond Bishop from time to time - for the suits and that voice, if nothing else - and seeing him turn Alicia into his paid-for SA pet will be interesting.

 

Sigh. We really are in for another election storyline, aren't we? Somebody fetch the wine, it's going to be a long season. Things to look out for: YouTube videos of Grace getting millions of views, quirky campaign workers, novelty rap songs written about Alicia, dramatic fall-outs with Eli, maybe an inappropriate flirtation with hot Johnny the campaign manager, stunt casting, the entire thing being treated like a presidential election.   *sobs quietly*

[jjj]

I actually was laughing though most of this episode, and it felt good.  Nice to see the entire family in an episode, even if not in the same room.

 

You know what would really convince Alicia to run?  Oppo research on Jackie.  Yes, air it, get it on teevee! 

 

I probably would have been out of the race after the Zack revelation, and absolutely by the staged DUI test.  Ugh.  When Kalinda walked up to Bishop's car, there was an initial millisecond eye glance at the car, and she was clearly ready to be whacked; then she followed that first animal-like glance with another side glance when she got closer. 

 

The baroque music was missing this episode, wasn't it?

There was a little bit near the end. 

[buckboard]

Doesn't a PAC have to indicate who set it up?  Even if that's not true, wouldn't Eli and the campaign manager and Alicia want to know who was raising money for her - and before she even has officially entered the race?

Hoping that Alicia sees the light.  She's treated her family like crap, all sorts of skeletons will come out of her closet and she'll be in the pocket of Bishop.  So much for integrity in office. 

I'm surprised her campaign manager took on her campaign.  She really has no good explanation of why she wants to be SA and the negatives far outweigh the "but she stood by her husband."  She might be ahead by eight points today, but Castro has months to dig up more dirt, real or made up (like the DUI stop).

 

[lunastartron]

I've found Alicia increasingly repugnant on a moral level since season 3, so I'm a little surprised at, well, the surprise over her behavior. Personally, I never really interpreted her relationship with Zach as particularly close; he certainly jetted out of the apartment as quickly as he could upon high school graduation. In season 2, she asserted to Jackie that her children were "grown" and never appeared especially invested in their lives. That, of course, was probably a function of writing focus, but, if anything, Zach always seemed to definitively prefer Peter. Prior to this episode, Alicia's parenting was most memorably exemplified for me by her disparate reactions to the possibilities that each of her kids were having sex. When she asked Grace if she was being "a good girl," I literally cringed.

 

She's pretty consistent to me in her narcissism (I mean, she decided apropos of nothing that Will spent the last hours of his life pining away for her instead of, you know, thinking about the high-stakes murder trial in which he was involved) and ethical inconsistency, which quite frequently manifests as hypocrisy and wanting to have her cake and eat it, too. There was that time she blanched at Caitlin benefiting from nepotism a mere two years after she herself leveraged crony ties to her benefit.

 

She had no problem taking dirty money from Bishop for Cary's bail but balked when (horror of horrors!) some political supporter wanted to position himself first in line. Taking money from Bishop for her campaign is exactly the sort of thing she would do.

 

The purpose of a PAC is to circumnavigate the donor caps on direct campaign contributions (which are really low for federal offices and generally higher for state/local ones). I don't know that there's really an effective way to bury who the donors to the PAC are, though. The Kochs, Sheldon Adelson, etc, still leave paper trails. Bishop would have to filter the money through several proxies before a donation was ever made.

 

So I kind of have to applaud the Kings for realizing that Zach's life mistakes would be something Alicia would invariably turn into some sort of betrayal of herself. I am increasingly wondering, though, why they make their title character more insufferable every year in this respect.

 

Another problematic detail, though: political circles of influence aren't all that big. Connie's character has been described in the press as someone with "connections." I would think that Eli would a) know who she was and b) likely be familiar with the fact that the intern was her daughter.

Edited October 13, 2014 by lunastartron

[jjj]

Yes, the PAC funding bugged me, too.  I do not know state law in Illinois, but in my state, PAC contributions have to be reported to the Public Disclosure Commission and contributors are publicly listed.  You can try to launder money into a campaign or PAC, but the penalties are not pleasant.  (There was just a case like this in the national news in the past month, but I can't remember who.) 

[Artsda]

I always thought Alicia wasn't the best mother and put everything else first, but this episode took the cake in how she treated Zach. He was a scared teenage boy who lied to his parents so they wouldn't look at him differently or flip out. I can understand that. Alicia's response is to cut him off financially and treat him so cold? Just proves he was right to not say anything to her. 

 

The second she found out that running would end up outing Zach's abortion and would have made it/him public knowledge to the media about it she should have said no way. But her beating the other guy because he attacked Will is all that matters to her I guess. She's just so unlikable. 

 

Owen was the "cheating police" when it came to Peter but he has no qualms cheating with someone else? 

 

I feel for Cary the most.

[Lillybee]

Quite frankly, if one of my sons' gf had an abortion, I really wouldn't expect them to tell me and my sons tell me almost everything.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Alicia really, really aggravated me in the early scene with Eli and the campaign manager.  As far as I can see these two men are just doing their jobs, and she's bitter, cold, angry, and sarcastic through the entire meeting.  It was so incredibly unattractive and unearned.  It was so gross and passive aggressive.  God, I hated her attitude.  I really did.  She wants to run for campaign manager.   These men are bringing up the skeletons in her closet.  Why can't she just STFU or quit the campaign?  I hate hate hate when she's like this.  What was that even supposed to be?  Her displaced anger at how going into politics makes other people dive into your personal life?  What is her plan to do something about that, then?  To drink wine bitterly and make threats against her son?  Great.

 

Alicia's wonderful parenting rears its ugly head yet again.  She's a parent and she goes into shock when she's lied to about something that's incredibly difficult to confess and discuss?   Please cut Zach off so that he learns his lesson -- next time, he'll for sure come to you first!

 

The rest of the episode was great.  I love Bishop.  I love Eli and I love him with his assistant (Nadia?) -- I'm glad they gave her a bit more to do this episode.  Diane and Cary weren't even in it (hardly) and the episode was still pretty great.  I love that actor who plays Owen.  

 

Bishop is the best written and acted character on this show.

 

I'm with you.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Ms Blue Jay

[Former Nun]

Eili's hair is. . . interestingly . . .highlighted. I kind of like it.

 

 

Don't become too enchanted with it, PickleSprite...it usually changes from scene to scene on the same episode--completely black, a bit of gray...or this "highlighting."

[lunastartron]

Jjj, that case was the trial and conviction of Dinesh D'Souza, a noted conservative writer and pundit. He laundered donations to the campaign of a friend of his from Dartmouth who was running for a Senate seat in NY. I think he got sentenced to a little less than a year in prison.

[jjj]

Thanks, lunastartron! I was amazed that a public figure actually got a sentence (looks like it is eight months in a halfway house plus community service). More for The Good Wife to rip from the headlines!

Edited October 13, 2014 by jjj

[possibilities]

In addition to the ethical problem of having her campaign funded by Bishop (and whatever payoff he will try to extract from her down the line), there's the problem that her advisors think the surge in money indicated grassroots support. I'd say that having a groundswell of voters donating is way different than having an infusion of organized crime dictated cash.

[jjj]

Nice audio manipulation of the wine pouring at the start of the episode.  Sounded like Niagara Falls.

 

Just watching the opening on the cbs.com site, and indeed, GLUG, GLUG, GURGLE.  Also serious high heel on wood floor sounds.  Foley artist was having some fun. 

[TheodoraK]

i swear to freaking god, between Scandal and this show, i am so freaking tired of women drinking large glasses of red wine and never being the least bit drunk. at least Alicia's glasses were not Full. it's enough already. not sure why this is bothering me so much. yes, i am sure. but this is one of my favorite shows, one that i look forward to, and i don't think i can watch it anymore. i'm not interested in the Gangster storyline. it's just creepy and stupid and boring. every other tv show now is full of evil and torture porn and fear and suspense and blah blah blah... i can find that anywhere. what i was interested in is what i signed on to with this show. a drama about legal shenanigans and compelling characters in complex situations that challenged and entertained me every week.Will died. that was horrible. it was ugly and evil. that's enough of that. and i am NOT AT ALL interested in the running for office crap. i enjoyed the Enfant Terrible thing but the rest of it? i'm bored already and it's barely started. i was intrigued by the New Firm scenario. there is plenty of conflict there, even without the case of the week, to carry through this season. the Cary thing was tolerable as long as it was the only such storyline. i am furious and broken-hearted and frustrated.

[l star]

I didn't find Alicia's behavior surprising. I actually like how stark it was. She made a flat out decision without being dragged into it. I don't know why exactly she wants to run but she does. Running is not great for her family but everyone negatively affected is an adult and in the case of Zach, several states away. I can't feel that bad for Veronica getting called out for hitting a stranger's child in a store and Owen for sleeping with a married man.

As for Zach, I think understanding and empathy will come later. If it had just happened she might have felt more of it now but it was over a year ago. Right now she is in full on postal mode. I don't think she actually cut him off. That was part of her rant to Peter not to Zach (Peter who also doesn't seem to care about the abortion hitting the media). She was ice cold at the end but that is Alicia when she's hurt. Earlier in the series she would have cried as she said it but they have evolved her pretty thoroughly into someone whose frequent coldness is more than just a front.

I loved the opening scene. Alicia was so rigid and defensive. It was perfect. I also loved that Eli was walking on egg shells with her. I like Alicia but handling her can quickly become a full time job if you miss a step. Margulies' reactions were fabulous and all the background detail made it even better. I love that the running gag about Darkness at Noon has now become a show that Alicia is pissed she might get spoilers for. I also liked that when Alicia mentioned the one nigh stand, Eli immediately started connecting dots. I always wondered what everyone thought happened there.

I thought Alicia believed Owen already knew about his boyfriend's side job. I thought that was why she called him into the kitchen, so that their mother wouldn't hear about the boyfriend until he was ready to tell her, and why she started with safe sex instead of some kind of subject tip off. Then she was so flat when she mentioned the porn I thought she was just saying she knew, not breaking the news. Obviously she was wrong and it side swiped him but I'm not sure she understood.

I don't know what to make of Peter lately. The disconnect between the Florricks is so absolute right now. If he isn't sleeping with the new woman yet he will be shortly. I just wish I had more of a feel for his feelings about everything with his family right now.

I also can't get a feel for Alicia/Finn. The flirtiness is definitely there and he brings out a lightness in her that is refreshing. This Ep I wonder if that was as much about him being totally separate from her anger and frustration with everyone in her personal life as him. It's like he took Will's old role in her life as someone to flirt with and have fun with. It's just missing the depth.

I think Alicia is running because she wants to. That's what her law answer was about. It's partly to be someone other than the silent, smiling spouse. It's partly because she hates Castro. It's partly outrage over his treatment of Cary, Finn and Will's memory. It's partly the challenge and the fight. Mainly though I think she just wants to and sees her families' screw ups as theirs to take responsibility for. It's cold but I like it.

Edited October 13, 2014 by l star

[photo fox]

Stockard Channing is perfect in her role, as is Dallas Roberts. And Mike Colter's Lemond Bishop is so smart, sexy, and downright delicious that I can't help but root for him, even though he's a drug dealing slimeball. The casting for this show is so great.

 

I keep thinking about Cary.  I can hear a conversation in which Alicia says to him, "But I'm running because of you, because of what Castro did to you," and Cary replies, "I would rather you had paid attention to our firm and not let it get taken over by Diane and Company and made decisions I opposed."

 

Not to mention, it's not like Alicia can walk in the office on her first day and say, "drop the case against my good friend and former partner". Ethically (not that this Alicia cares about ethics) she wouldn't be able to touch his case. It would get turned over to a neighboring county or the state's Attorney General, I would think. If Alicia wants to help Cary, the best way she can do that is by defending him. 

 

I'm surprised her campaign manager took on her campaign.  She really has no good explanation of why she wants to be SA <snip>

 

Yeah, seriously. Her only response seemed to be, "Castro is a big bully who picks on people." That's... not a platform. It was refreshing to hear her admit she doesn't really care about people, though. lol

 

Personally, I never really interpreted her relationship with Zach as particularly close; he certainly jetted out of the apartment as quickly as he could upon high school graduation. In season 2, she asserted to Jackie that her children were "grown" and never appeared especially invested in their lives. That, of course, was probably a function of writing focus, but, if anything, Zach always seemed to definitively prefer Peter.

 

<snip>

 

I am increasingly wondering, though, why they make their title character more insufferable every year in this respect.

 

I always saw Zach as being closer to Peter, as well, and Alicia seems to agree with us, since she assumed that Peter already knew about the abortion. And her reaction! I can totally understand being upset, angry, hurt, whatever, but to not even consider how this might have affected Zach, let alone his poor girlfriend. Alicia acted like he lied to her about going to Boston so he could have a kegger. And not to be insensitive, but wouldn't one of the bigger reasons for teenagers to consider an abortion be that they're terrified of telling their parents? I would think a boy in that position volunteering that information to his mother would be the rare exception. No surprise to me that he kept it to himself.

 

They do seem to make Alicia more "gray" and insufferable as time goes by. I can't decide if making her so unlikable is stupid, brave, or both.

[l star]

I also found it odd how Kalinda pointed Bishop straight at Alicia. I don't have a problem at all with her not protecting Alicia at this point, particularly with Cary involved, but she put Bishop's focus firmly on Alicia and her campaign. With so many options to spread the blame, it seemed like she singled Alicia out for the most self serving of all the possible motives. It surprised me.

[AudienceofOne]

We know what's Alicia's like when she's made a decision. That's it. It's made. She sticks by it through thick and thin.

 

In this case, though, I wish the Bishop scene at the end would cause her to rethink because he's the last man she wants to be beholden to. I mean he's not just a criminal; he's fucking terrifying.

 

With so many options to spread the blame, it seemed like she singled Alicia out for the most self serving of all the possible motives

 

 

See above: Bishop is the one person Kalinda is truly terrified of. She always tells him the truth, which is why he goes to her.

Edited October 13, 2014 by AudienceofOne

[BetyBee]

I actually felt sorry for Alicia as she stood in the parking lot after talking to Lemond Bishop and realized that she wasn't as popular with the people as it seems; instead she will be beholden to a drug kingpin if she runs.  And honestly, as a resident of her state, I find it highly unlikely that she would be 8 points ahead.  Her husband is a scandal ridden governor, who has already been in prison.  Most of our governors go to prison after serving in office, not before.  Yes, it's a blue state, but the right holds a lot of power and regardless of what people think, Chicago is not the entire state!  I can't imagine Patti Blagojevichh running for state's attorney and that being well received by the people of Illinois during Rod B's time in office. The "good wife" of season 1, the loving mother and sister we have seen, would not subject her family to having their lives opened up in that way.  I don't care for this story line, though it was fun to see her react to each new tidbit and she got some zingers in as she learned of the skeletons in her family closet. 

 

I am very curious as to what is the story behind the non-existent scar on Johnny Elfman's face?  That was an odd, apparently incorrect factoid that is sure to come up again.
 

[SaabStory]

I am very curious as to what is the story behind the non-existent scar on Johnny Elfman's face?  That was an odd, apparently incorrect factoid that is sure to come up again.

 

I just took that comment as Peter's way of seeing if he was as good looking as he used to be. A little jealously on Peter's part.

 

I would think that ultimately she might not run or back out early on in the race once she realizes the affect it is having on her family, friends and her firm. Her conversation with Zach on how he needs to handle the abortion was ridiculous.

 

It also seems like this was a good opportunity to minimize the Kalinda/Alicia relationship and put some distance between them going forward.

I would still like to know the circumstances surrounding the Peter/Kalinda ONS.  Peter claimed Kalinda was not to blame and that interests me.

But it looks like that ship has passed....

Edited October 13, 2014 by SaabStory

[Primetimer]

...Has she just been sleepwalking for the past five years?

Read the story

[merylinkid]

Remember when Alicia was banging Peter on the campaign bus and Eli was freaked by the rockin'?   She came out and was all "Don't worry, it's just the wife."   That Alicia got what scandal can do to a campaign.   This one?   "Scandal, what's a scandal?"   

 

And I am sorry, Miss Bleeding Heart Liberal is all upset that her baby boy and his teenage girlfried had an abortion.   Would she liked to have been a grandmother already?   Oh right, it's not the abortion that's the problem, it's not telling St. Alicia so she can solve the problem for them.

 

I will laugh my ass off when her campaign goes down in flames, no one in her family is speaking to her, and her firms votes her out.   Then she can sit home by herself drinking red wine and hallucinating about a life with Will.

[Julie23]

I live for the moments Eli, Bishop and Diane are on my TV screen. I really, really hate almost the entire show was about a stupid decision to campaigning for SA instead of focusing on the law, which is what I watch this show for. (and Eli's reactions to the Gov).

[Janimo]

I am getting to the point that I am starting to HATE this show. I'm hoping that (a) "Saint Alicia" wins as States Attorney and leaves the show, or (b) her character has a nervous breakdown and leaves the show. That way, in my mind at least, hopefully the show runners will better utilize the remaining  characters with less stupid, idiotic, plotlines....and maybe the writers could start over and do well again, like they did in season one.and give CB, AP, MC and the rest something intelligent to do. These actors, not to mention, the viewing audience, deserve so much better.

Just my two cents. I am so frustrated,.

End of rant.

[jjj]

Is there an award category for Best Commentary by An Eyebrow? Because I'd love to see Eli and Phil from The Amazing Race slug it out.

[Day2Day]

Stockard Channing might want to consider easing up on the work she's been having done to her face.

I found myself totally fascinated by the mask-like, mis-shapen angles and implants during that scene!!!

She could pass for Barry Manilow's mom .. OR... the model for Wayland Flowers' (may he RIP) puppet "Madam".

[Pollock]

Unpopular opinion party of one : I love this season, I love the storylines and for the first time since the beginning of the show, I love Alicia.

She doesn't take crap in a pissy or crying way anymore. She doesn't take crap, period !

 

Why should she bow down because her stupid son knocked up a girl even if he had access to all the informations in the world to have safe sex ? Boohoooo, how traumatic for him to have gone through that, how frightening that must have been. Cry me a river. Zach made a point 10026 times he was to be trusted and he was not a baby anymore. Yeah, right, how well that worked out for him. He made a big mistake and didn't have the courage to talk about it to his parents while the girl didn't have that chance. It's his right, no problem but Alicia has the right to be pissed off at him for hiding that. 

 

Of course Peter as the good role once again, he gets to be the one to talk to his son and take that as an opportunity to bond, after all he's already in office why would he care, while Alicia gets to be the bad mother who doesn't care about her son's feelings. 

 

ETA : I have no empathy for the boy, I think it's clear, wow, I didn't know I was so angry at him. The girl a lot more. That would give me a pause about running, the thought of ruining her life.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Pollock

[BearCat49]

I just took that comment as Peter's way of seeing if he was as good looking as he used to be. A little jealously on Peter's part.

 

I would think that ultimately she might not run or back out early on in the race once she realizes the affect it is having on her family, friends and her firm. Her conversation with Zach on how he needs to handle the abortion was ridiculous.

 

It also seems like this was a good opportunity to minimize the Kalinda/Alicia relationship and put some distance between them going forward.

I would still like to know the circumstances surrounding the Peter/Kalinda ONS.  Peter claimed Kalinda was not to blame and that interests me.

But it looks like that ship has passed....

 

My understanding was that Peter knew about Kalinda's faked identity/INS issues and used that to blackmail her, sleeping with her.  Don't believe the Kings ever developed that storyline.

 

Thought the scar comment was jealousy on Peter's part, too.

 

Would rather see her back out to focus on the firm.  No COTW this week and hardly any firm interaction with no appearances from L/G.

[riverheightsnancy]

If I were to put myself in Alicia's shoes, (I have a 16.5 year old daughter), I would have been destroyed that it happened on my watch. That I was a bad mom and not involved enough. I would have been wrecked at the potential for a human life that is part of my own genetic history, that is now gone (& I am 100% not against a women's right to choose). I would have been distraught with sadness that it happened. I would not expect my kid to tell me, especially with all the secrets and lies those kids keep from their mom because they are trying to protect her. Alicia is delusional. 

 

Oh, and when you get into bed with a bad guy like Bishop, are they so stupid that they would EVER think that they could come out with clean hands? Alicia and LG, broke their moral code for MONEY a long, long time ago. Now the rooster has come home to roost. It is a morality play and they should have stuck to their guns a long time ago and NOT have taken his blood money. There will be a time to pay. Bishop will see to it.  (I love the actor and the character of Bishop-but what did they expect?)

[BearCat49]

We know what's Alicia's like when she's made a decision. That's it. It's made. She sticks by it through thick and thin.

 

In this case, though, I wish the Bishop scene at the end would cause her to rethink because he's the last man she wants to be beholden to. I mean he's not just a criminal; he's fucking terrifying.

 

 

See above: Bishop is the one person Kalinda is truly terrified of. She always tells him the truth, which is why he goes to her.

 

Agree, I don't believe Kalinda singled out Alicia for any reason.  She was terrified, sitting there outnumbered by him plus his goons.  You could see Bishop's wheels turning as she told him so not surprised the PAC appeared.  He's thrilled to have an SA (possibly) beholden to him.

 

Too bad for Kalinda - she's now Bishop's contact  /go-between.