S06.E22: Wanna Partner?

[Boundary]

..and with that, I am out...Christine Baranski, get thee to a Netflix drama where our talents will be used to their fullest!

 

Like most sharks/dragons with money and good sense, "I'm out".

 

I wish AP all the luck with her upcoming projects at Fox. Josh Charles just landed a great gig, an extended arc on The Masters of Sex. That's what we call an upgrade. I too do hope to see Baranski on my Netflix list in the near future. While we're at it, Matt Czuchry should get out when his contract is up, just for what they did to Cary last season. I'm a completist, if I survive the first season I tend to stick to the bitter end (I stayed with Heroes) but this one's too bitter for my taste. I can put up with bad creative decisions because it's people really trying to entertain others. But I can't put up with what the Kings and JM have done to Archie. Now that she's finally free, I really do hope next season this show loses half of the ratings, if only to prove that we should not condone this type of behaviour. CGI really? Good luck AP, farewell Kalinda, I hope you found Lana, aka Agent Sexy and rode to some other crime ridden sunset to put things right over there. I'd watch that show, Fox are you reading this?

[marceline]

I haven watched this episode yet and frankly I probably won't. I just popped in here to see if the grown ass adults who work on this show could behave as professionals for the finale and put JM and AP together in a real scene. Apparently not.

[readster]

 What a mess of a season finale. I have seen some bad seasons on TV but this one really was horrible. Not just the lack of how the storylines weren't complete but right up to Archie's departure from the show and this horrible split screen CGI. I am glad that Finn is gone too, in theory and early work, it clicked but now... its just bad and now Keating being Alicia's new partner to stick it to Cary and Co. I'm sorry, I'm done. I have always loved Michael J. Fox but really, Keating should be dead by now and the only people who love using him are the Kings because they don't want the story to die. I also want to knock Peter and upside the head. Grace said it best: "Are you going to still pretend you are married?" They aren't little kids anymore and Zach knows who is father is. I can deal with Peter being governor and the Kings want to now move away since Rouner is now in charge of IL (God helps us all). There is no way you can convince us with the history of the show that Keating's wife wasn't a mole or something. I'm on Cary and David's side, they are tired of it just like Diane was tired of the entire Lemon Bishop. I got a kick out of them trying to have it where we think we would have a scene with Kalinda and Bishop. He is way too busy filming A.K.A Jessica Jones and then after a month break he will be filming the Luke Cage series that will run during the fall season. Plus, he will be on Iron Fist and the Defenders series, he's a busy guy for the next two years with only the summers off. Even if next season is the last for TGW, he probably be in just one episode or two for his trial or to end up dead or they will pull a Will and have him played by another actor with the shadows covering his face all the time. 

  JM, I always wanted to be in acting when I was younger and many of my former classmates have worked with you but seeing how everything went down since you were made a producer. I'm happy I never got into the business. You are like the assistant manager who wants things their way and can do no wrong even though you get other people fired or want to quit because of creating a hostile work space but you are the star of the show. So, everyone kisses your butt and the show suffers as result. 

[JodhaBai]

 

Plus, when they would block a head shot, the other actress' hair was never in line with how they showed it from the orienting shot. For example, if Kalinda was talking, they would show Alicia's hair flat back, not as if she was turned toward her.

 

Also when you compare it to the previous scene with Alicia and Finn you can see the difference.   In the Alicia/Finn convo when the camera is focused on Alicia, you also see Finns profile in the shot.  In the Alicia/Kalinda scene every shot focused on one of the actresses, you only see the back of a head which we can assume is a wig of a stand in. 

[readster]

I was also angry with how the police situation went. That should have gone back to what happened with Cary's arrest because that was basically what happened to him. The dirty detective denied him his phone calls, put him in the system without a second thought and his excuse: "You guys think you know the law? You don't and we are sick of it." These cops do the same, keep changing their stories and also denied the judge not once but twice. They were screwed from the beginning and it came down to: "We were doing our jobs." Oh please! I know it was based on a situation that happened in Boston a couple of years ago but they got caught because a new cop did allow a person to make his phone call and outed the entire cover up as a result after it had been happening for years. Which was what happened here with the younger cop conflicted that what his staff sergeant and staff were doing was wrong. That what has really made me want to stop watching the last couple of years. The lawyers from Castro to Geneva to the police detective to even Keating. These guys would have all been disbarred or stripped of their badge years ago. They keep getting caught and shown to do illegal things. Yet an episode later they are right back doing the underhanded stuff come on they aren't super villains escaping from prison all the time. They are suppose to be people who do the wrong thing because they think its for the right reasons.

[riverheightsnancy]

Ok, so it is obvious that there must be a real issue in real life that precludes JM from working with Archie. But seriously, what could be SO BAD that a professional actor could not share the set with another professional actor for a 2 minute scene here and there? Haven't we all had to work with people that we despise or hate for a variety of legitimate and no so legitimate reasons? WE still had to suck it up and just do it!! I just don't get it. I saw on late night a few days ago some early seasons (3 or 4 , I think) and the vibe was just so different in the show. Alicia was talking and allowing Kalinda back into her life after she learned of the affair. So, her freezing out Kalinda in the context of the show, doesn't ring true at this point. This has to be something in real life that is so huge to JM that she cannot get past it, even to be a professional at her job. OR she is such a massive mega-narcissist and her head has gotten so huge that they cannot fit anyone else in the scenes with Alicia anymore. You know the show has taken a major wrong path when the fan discussion is constantly pondering real life influences on script direction as opposed to what actually happened in the plot. It's a shame. This used to be appointment TV for me. 

[Aethera]

I am so beyond sick of Canning, and now we're being promised more of him. That annoyed me more than the terrible scene between Kalinda and Alicia, if that's possible. Ugly.

 

Very little in this episode made any sense. I think actually K&A could have been in that scene together, just the way Alicia was reacting. It was so awkward. If it had been split-screen, I think Juliana would have done a better job.  She looked like she was going to throw up the whole time.

 

I think I'm done. Christine Baranski, I love you, but you aren't enough to keep me watching anymore. Too many great characters have vanished or been diminished by the shenanigans.

[tearbender]

Like most sharks/dragons with money and good sense, "I'm out".

 

I wish AP all the luck with her upcoming projects at Fox. Josh Charles just landed a great gig, an extended arc on The Masters of Sex. That's what we call an upgrade.

 

But..but... that's a cable show. With a measly 10-13 episodes, unlike The Good Wife, aka The Best Show on Television. How could the quality possibly compare?!

 

[Dowel Jones]

So, if Peter gets the VP nod and fades away, and Finn gets his job back at the States Attorney's office, and Alicia ends up marrying him.....

[Cutty]

I had one thought watching the season finale that kept popping into my head -- "CBS renewed this for another season?" 

 

Really sad seeing how far this show has fallen. I'm out for next season. I hope JM and the Kings enjoy their paychecks. 

[readster]

I had one thought watching the season finale that kept popping into my head -- "CBS renewed this for another season?" 

 

Really sad seeing how far this show has fallen. I'm out for next season. I hope JM and the Kings enjoy their paychecks. 

Its like with ABC deciding last minute to renew Last Man Standing. They did it over getting syndication since the show is just 5 episodes away from 100 and making sure Disney keeps Tim Allen in their good graces. Because this past season has been just like Good Wife. Story lines that went on forever with no resolution or quick tie up and characters being written to fit the plots. I know actors are people just trying to make a living like everyone else but sometimes the networks have to say to themselves: "Can't we do better?"

[marny]

They should have had the actresses hug goodbye in profile, just to put an end to all this foolishness.

[Julie23]

I hope someone is coming up with good shows for next year because I now have an hour open on Sunday nights again. I have been dropping shows I've watched for years lately, because hate-watching was just not enough for me anymore. Is it so hard to ask for quality scripted programming anymore? Most stuff is either reality crap or not well-written.  Scandal, How to get away with murder and Gray's anatomy already hit the dust, now time for this one to be off my DVR list as well. 

[Artsda]

That scene with Kalinda and Alicia was ridiculous. Seriously you could tell it was spliced together, when Kalinda was talking you'd only see the back of Alicia's head. 

 

I rater watch this show without Alicia all together and Peter should divorce her then run for President. It's insane he was Governor, so VP doesn't shock me.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Sunday is actually an amazing night for television for me, what with the following:  Secrets and Lies, The Last Man on Earth, The Royals, and VEEP.  (And more shows that I don't watch I'm sure).  For some of those shows, I'm really pushing it by calling the night 'amazing' but they are all classes above The Good Wife.  This is the first season where I was eagerly watching all the other shows before dread-watching this crap.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[Janimo]

Sunday nights for me has been The Walking Dead on AMC. I've been dvr'ing TGW this past season..,..and eventually watching the taped ep, but now that Archie is gone, not gonna do that anymore. Not worth my time. JM's Saint Alicia isn't of any interest to me. She's such an unlikeable character.

 

I know you guys who choose to stay here and post on previously,tv will be helpful in keeping me up to speed with what's going on (or isn't) with TGW. :D Y'all are GREAT!!!

[GHScorpiosRule]

Thank God for all of y'all, so I didn't have to watch this. I wasn't planning to, because like I said awhile back, The Kings are fucking liars.

 

That said, this thing with Peter? I'm not surprised. I mean, as soon as he was out of prison at the end of season 1, he decided to run for SA again. All of the second season was his campaign, right?  And then after a season or two? of being State's Attorney, Eli decided he should run for Governor. And the campaign for that was also one season, right? Last year? So this year he was Governor for a year. So naturally, now's the time to run for President or Vice President.

 

I often wonder what kind of Crack the writers are smoking when they come up with this crap.

[readster]

Thank God for all of y'all, so I didn't have to watch this. I wasn't planning to, because like I said awhile back, The Kings are fucking liars.

 

That said, this thing with Peter? I'm not surprised. I mean, as soon as he was out of prison at the end of season 1, he decided to run for SA again. All of the second season was his campaign, right?  And then after a season or two? of being State's Attorney, Eli decided he should run for Governor. And the campaign for that was also one season, right? Last year? So this year he was Governor for a year. So naturally, now's the time to run for President or Vice President.

 

I often wonder what kind of Crack the writers are smoking when they come up with this crap.

 

 Also the timelines don't work well either. If Peter had gone next season as governor and then decided for president, that would have been fine. However, he is one year of elections, one year in office and then he's off campaigning/election the next season and then in the seat again. SA to governor was more fitting since SA's are only in office usually 2 years. Because you know Eli, he has to have one person running for a high end office so he has something to do with his life. Like I said, I rather both Zach and Grace tell Peter and Alicia to just end the crap and get divorce and be done with it. They aren't little kids anymore and basically they've lived as children of a divorce couple for almost four years now.

[sheetmoss]

 

Yes, the off-site detention story is built on fact.  I'm not sure in what city it took place, but I remember reading about it recently.

It's in Chicago-- the Homan Square blacksite.

I'm really impressed the show went there actually using/calling  it Homan

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-homan-square-police-lawsuit-met-20150320-story.html

[Primetimer]

Alicia's first client's rendition to Chicago's black site gets a brief interruption in the form of Kalinda returning for ten seconds, probably actually for the last time.

Read the story

[Noreaster]

Yeah, I'm sure Archie Panjabi has had a blast, her character's arc being destroyed and her character becoming completely unanchored on this show due to her not being allowed to film scenes with the show's titular lead. It's a total coincidence that S4, when the ban started, is when she decided she wanted to leave the show. She said in a number of interviews over the past couple of years that she wanted Kalinda and Alicia to have scenes together, that the Kalinda character didn't have a place on the show without the relationship with Alicia.

 

A poorly tacked-on ending is not what most fans of the Kalinda/Alicia relationship wanted to see. Really, we'd accepted quite a while ago that the relationship was dead and that it would make little sense for them to have something now after all this time. Like others, I would have been completely fine with Kalinda's "Goodbye" to viewers two episodes ago being her exit.

 

I do agree with you that the Kings are purposely trolling the viewers, only for not quite the reason you think. JM took away their toy, and the end result of the last few episodes has been that the existence of backstage problems have become widely accepted, and since JM is the one who has power as a producer while AP had no power but is on record as wanting to have scenes, people know the ban came from JM. That'll hurt her when TGW ends and she tries to get another show, because a lot of showrunners will not want to run the risk of that kind of bullshit. (Someone hilariously tweeted that if JM had pulled that crap on a Shonda Rhimes show, Alicia would've been run over by a bus.)

 

How many more firms and partners is Alicia going to go through? So much wheel-spinning for so little effect. The original shakeup was awesome. Going back on that was a little disappointing, albeit understandable. But the successive variations on that are much the same as Kalinda's multiple exits - each packs less punch in itself while robbing the previous of its original punch. It's a joke at this point.

Yet fans have kept on complaining about the lack of Kalinda/Alicia scenes.  I think these last couple of episodes included scenes solely to service these fans.  Fans who just can't let go of the fact that the Kalinda/Alicia relationship had come to an end a few season ago. Regardless of whatever behind-the-scenes stuff is going on, the characters Kalinda and Alicia have been shown to only have a work relationship left.  No personal stuff. The friendship is done and there is no real need for these actresses to actually be in the same scenes together.  Yet some fans still complain. And keep track of the number of episodes where the two actresses don't share a scene.  Like really, this is what's important to the show?

 

Season 5 was arguably one of the strongest seasons ever according to critics.  And not just for The Good Wife, but for network TV.  I agree.  Apparently there were also no JM/AP scenes that year. So are the Kalinda/Alicia scenes really all that important?  Who cares about the behind-the-scenes stuff if the end product is of great quality?  I mean, people don't have to agree that the show was that good without the Kalinda/Alicia relationship, but then just stop watching.  Why continue to harp on something that's apparently not important to the show anymore? 

 

So it seems like the show decided to go to the other extreme to write out Kalinda's exit.  Let's give the fans what they've been asking for. Cheesy lines like (I'm paraphrasing) "You are the best (friend) I've ever had", "I wish we were able to make things work", "Will I ever see you again", "That's too bad".  It's like fan fiction for those Kalinda/Alicia shippers.  The entire scene is so laughable.  Not at all organic to the way the show has been developing the past few seasons.  Total lack of subtlety.  All the contrived stuff over the past couple of episodes...Kalinda walking through Alicia's apartment, the letter that she dropped off (OMG, what does it say???), the flashbacks, etc.  I also have to think the two actresses have been reading the script and kind of laughing or rolling their eyes at it.  I mean, how ridiculous are these scenes?  It's almost as if the producers/writers knew it didn't make sense to put in Kalinda/Alicia scenes at this point, but since there has been endless fan focus on this topic, they decided to go extra silly.  People won't stop talking about this non-existent relationship, so let's give them something to talk about. 

 

Obviously I'm speculating and don't know for sure what the Kings or JM or AP are thinking.  But I find the intense focus on the JM/AP stuff bizarre and I suspect that the people working on the show think similarly.  Yeah, I guess it can be viewed as insulting to some fans, but presumably some folks have been "hate-watching" and saying how they were going to stop watching when AP leaves anyway.  Personally I'm just glad AP is gone and viewers can finally stop talking about this nonsense.  

 

Just a few things regarding all this unfounded speculation that JM is entirely at fault: 

 

-Yes, JM is a producer, but maybe consider the timeline?  She has been one since season 3.  JM and AP have had scenes together through season 4. There also are a lot of other decision-makers on the show, not just JM. 

 

-If JM really had all this power as producer and really hated AP, why wouldn't AP have been gone a while ago?  AP has to honor the 6-year contract she signed, but the show can actually get rid of her at anytime. Again, there are other people pulling the strings on this show.

 

-Based on the recent interviews, it seems like AP may not be the easiest person to work with.  She talked about how she is looking forward to a leading role (totally understandable), she actually describes the fans as "obsessed", and she wishes some things were written differently on the show. Maybe she wanted more than the show was able to give her. Nothing wrong with this of course.  But perhaps people should stop automatically casting AP as this helpless party.  She might not exactly have been a gem on set if she's been wanting to leave since season 4.

[teebax]

I am so beyond sick of Canning, and now we're being promised more of him. That annoyed me more than the terrible scene between Kalinda and Alicia, if that's possible. Ugly.

 

Very little in this episode made any sense. I think actually K&A could have been in that scene together, just the way Alicia was reacting. It was so awkward. If it had been split-screen, I think Juliana would have done a better job.  She looked like she was going to throw up the whole time.

 

I think I'm done. Christine Baranski, I love you, but you aren't enough to keep me watching anymore. Too many great characters have vanished or been diminished by the shenanigans.

Christine Baranski had to deal with Cybil Shepherd's oversized ego and now has to put up with Julianna/Archie feud/non-feud (who knows what the truth is there?)

 

Maybe someone should give Baranski her own damn show. She's certainly earned it.

[Kromm]

If Fox is actually up to be a real "regular", putting Alicia in bed with him (metaphorically) is about the best thing they could do.

 

It was actually kind of predictable though.  Seemed obvious the moment his name first was brought up in the episode.

 

That said, we really ARE getting wash, rinse, repeat with this show.  Lord knows it's obvious at some point that Alicia, Diane and Carey will wind up on the same side again.

[fauntleroy]

I'm with you Noreaster. I've watched this show since its beginning, and couldn't really care less about the personal whatever between Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi. Nor whether they have been onscreen more, or less, or at all. Or whether that scene was spliced together. Nor do I share the JM hate which is, wow.

 

I'd like to see less churn in the law firms and more focus on cases. This week's case was frightening, that you can be detained without being arrested, on this new pretext of 'being a danger to yourself or others'. Something really has gone wrong in our country, or has it always been wrong, and is just now being exposed?

 

I guess it must be difficult or boring or something for law shows to keep up the focus on the law, as Suits has the same kind of problem, with the partners at each other's throats all the time, and alliances constantly shifting. Maybe it's a reaction to Law and Order which in its disinterest in the personal lives of the main characters, focused on the law, and was then deemed formulaic.

 

As for next season, I'm not done. I'm in!

[AndySmith]

Adios, Kalinda & Archie! I'll definitely be missing you more than either Alicia & Julianna and the producers will.

So we lost Kalinda and got Canning? Oh dear God we certainly got shafted in that exchange.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Alicia to Eli: "Please sit down."

 

Eli, but I forget the exact quote: "I can't sit on steps. I just think of the dogs who have peed on them." 

 

I wish that Peter's announcement was that he had filed for divorce.  Darn it.  It was cute to see how excited Zach was about the idea of his father running for president/vice president.

[photo fox]

A couple of quick mod notes:

 

• Everyone is allowed to love, hate, etc., whatever they want regarding the show, the writing, the actors, the producers, what have you.  You don't have to agree, but please refrain from commenting about other members.  Snark the show, not your fellow posters, and don't tell others what they can post.
• Behind the scenes speculation and discussion is fine, but please keep the bulk of that to the "Behind the Scenes" topic.  Let's keep this topic to discussion about the scenes in this episode only.

 

Thanks in advance!

[CrashTextDummie]

I thought the Kalicia bar scene was kind of glorious, CGI or not. Mostly because I didn't expect to get it going into the episode. I don't need the actresses to be in a room together, I need the characters to be in a room together. And clearly the show needed it to. No matter how it was achieved, I thought the scene worked as a reminder of what once was a compelling relationship on this show.

 

I also thought this felt like a proper sendoff to Kalinda, unlike two weeks ago. So on that front I thought the finale was a success. In most other aspects it wasn't: this show used to be really good at bringing all its major characters together in season finales, with great guest stars added to the mix. This one was as fractured as the entire season. Lockhard, Agos & Lee (or whatever the firm is called now) doesn't really factor into Alicia, the protagonist's life anymore and clearly that's a problem when a good portion of the main cast is holed up there.

 

Also I'm over Luis Canning and the prospect of him partnering with Alicia is not exactly filling me with excitement for next season. Nevertheless I will continue watching, as I'm kind of curious whether they can write themselves out of this current mess.

[diggle]

I remember the few several seasons. I would be running behind and finally watch TGW from my DVR and when the episode was over I would be "Wow, I forget how good a show that is."

I only just now remembered that I have not had that feeling in quite some time.

The original AP farewell, directly into the camera, was brilliant and well done.

Not sure why we had to see her again in these contrived, unnecessary, and in the case of the bar scene, totally ridiculous, moments.

Sigh.

[mythoughtis]

I would like to know what happened to this show.  Alicia Florrick has gone from a good person, whose husband was unfaithful to her, and who began rebuilding her life.... to a hate-filled conniving arrogant woman who sleeps  with every male that shows an interest in her (while still pretending to be married, and yelling at her husband for doing the same thing).  I don 't know what was going on in JMs' personal life this season, but she's  looked like she was recovering from a severe physical illness. 

 

All the other co-stars appear to have filmed all their lines for the entire season in one week, while JM is in almost every scene.  I would guess each week a different one came in and filmed most of their scenes while the rest slept in.  This was a much better show when it seemed more of an ensemble cast.  I don't care about Alicia's 3rd try at starting a firm or who she starts it with. I've almost forgotten the other lawyers, paralegals, secretaries, etc.  I really miss Elizabeth, Robin and other of the fringe characters.  Hopefully I will remember to not watch this show next season. 

[TigerLynx]

I don't know what the point was in an Alicia/Kalinda scene now, but I did enjoy Alicia burning the note in front of Lester, and Kalinda getting Lester to back off.

 

It's good Alicia finally admitted she and Peter have a fake marriage.  Now she needs to follow through and get a divorce.  I thought that was where the scene with Alicia and Eli might be going when she said she says no to all of it.

 

More partner merry-go-round?  So it won't be Alicia and Finn, it will be Alicia and Canning?

[kwnyc]

 

Maybe someone should give Baranski her own damn show. She's certainly earned it.

 

I'd still watch this show if it were rebooted to focus on Agos/Lockhart/Lee. Bring back Robyn, Nathan Lane's character & David Hyde-Pierce as SA Prady. Kind of like "The Hogan Family" after Valerie Harper left ;-)

[AudienceofOne]

Not the best season and I felt this finale was just a retread of previous ones. Maybe that was the point; that after Will's death and the election and everything that's happened she's rebuilding and has come full circle again. I just don't feel it worked. It felt like a TV retread rather than a plot retread. I still like the show but it's been milked for all its worth, really.

[Joimiaroxeu]

So, if Peter gets the VP nod and fades away, and Finn gets his job back at the States Attorney's office, and Alicia ends up marrying him.....

Or Alicia runs for the vacated governor's slot and wins, while Peter's campaign ends in a loss and he ends up being the Good Husband. Whatever, I'm done with this show after that nonsense scene between Kalinda and Alicia. I doubt they were even in the same area code when their dialogue was filmed.

[newsjunkie]

What speaks against editing to me is the very clear way in which Alicia seems to react and follow Kalinda's movement both when she sits down and when she is ordering the drink. It's very concurrent, and it would seem almost impossible to fake. As repeated watcher of the 90's Parent Trap, the scenes in which they are together in that movie in my memory usually lacked that kid of concurrent/receptive movement, and there was more shooting from the back or the side than there was here. Here there at least a few shots where they were facing each other, they were together in the same frame and Alicia was reacting to Kalinda's movements.

[Tetraneutron]

This season really fell apart.

 

When did Kalinda turn into the chubby best friend in a romantic comedy? No life, thoughts, dreams, of her own, just exists to prop up the other characters. It's been a few seasons now. I know we were supposed to be invested in whether she'd escape Bishop and save Florrick/Agos/Whoever, but of course she will. And we've pretty much been expecting this since last year when we learned Archie Panjabi was leaving the show and they made her character Dylan's babysitter for reasons that I still don't get.

 

All she ever did in the later seasons is support the other characters. Either by unsing her magic powes to win all their trials, or by putting herself in harm's way to help a bunch of rich, politically-connected lawyers avoid a trumped-up charge, or by being Alicia's personal cheeleader. I'm not sad Kalinda's leaving, as it's been a few seasons since she had anything real to do.

[Keira]

I had a bad feeling back when Alicia decided to go for SA - I didn't want to watch a season of campaigning that isn't Veep. Then there were more quality control warning signs, including the episode where they won a case using a torrent website's HELPLINE - those pirates sure give good customer service!

But the real moment it lost all credibility for me - the final straw (or zip-up blazer, as it were) - was when Alicia used that door as a table extender. You're a cashed-up lawyer not a dude-bro start-up - GO BUY A BIG FUCKING DESK. FFS.

As for Kalinda's last scene with Alicia, an Orphan Black clones shot is far more convincing. Hey, maybe AP and JM are the same person...

[Kel Varnsen]

The thought that Peter could seriously be considered as a viable candidate for President, or even Vice President, is ridiculous. 

I am not even American, but it seems to me like the only people who would really want Peter running for president would be late night talk show hosts, SNL writers and maybe the opposing party. There would be million jokes about him doing time and the hookers and all of that. And even if he were named vice presidential candidate the attack ads showing his mug shot (in black and white of course with a creepy voice) would run non stop. 

 

The other big thing that bugged me is we had nearly a whole season about the SA election, but I still don't know who the Chicago SA is. Alicia withdrew before she was even sworn in, but the election was over and officially she won right? So does the job go to Prady, or do they have an election, or can the governor appoint someone. It seems like a weird grey area to me since if she stepped down the day before the election I can probably figure out what would happen, and if she stepped down after doing the job for a week I can probably figure out what would happen.

[mythoughtis]

Illinois recently had an elected official die after the election where she was re-elected but before the start of her new term.  The outgoing governor appointed her replacement until the end of her current term.  The in-coming governor appointed her replacement for the beginning of her newly elected term. It was quite a discussion.

 

So, most likely Lisa Madigan (the ILLINOIS states attorney) would appoint someone to begin Alicia's term, and then order a special election.

[BusyOctober]

I have no idea how it works in the world of lawyers/firms/partners, but as someone who has worked in the HR field I can say Alicia's resume (and most of TGW lawyers too) would set off a million warning bells for me.  When someone jumps from job to job to job in very short spans of time, most hiring managers would think "what's wrong with her/him that she/he can't stay put in one place long enough to make an impact on the business, gain valuable experience, etc. If I were a long time client of any of these people I'd be looking to find new representation.  As a prospective new client, Alicia's track record of employment history would suggest she isn't dependable or loyal.  The only businesses gaining credibility in TGW world are the sign makers and stationary suppliers. They churn out new letterhead and office graphics on a dime! 

 

I like Matthew Goode a lot and I believe he will be a major character on "Downton Abbey" for its final season.  I hope he's gone from TGW for good since I do not want to watch another "will they or won't they?!?" scenario.  And as for Alica's love life...poop or get off the pot re. Peter and the marriage.  He's securely in the Governor's seat and could be for another a term, despite all the ridiculous scandals around his neck.  She's self sufficient and  setting up yet another new practice and her political aspirations are behind her.  Get divorced and move on!  I don't think they should be together.  He's been shown as a serial cheater and won't stop.  If her husband's wandering eye (and penis) are deal breakers for Alicia, then break the damn deal.  Go find a new guy and enjoy it - whether it's for a night or a month.

[OptimisticCynic]

What speaks against editing to me is the very clear way in which Alicia seems to react and follow Kalinda's movement both when she sits down and when she is ordering the drink. It's very concurrent, and it would seem almost impossible to fake. As repeated watcher of the 90's Parent Trap, the scenes in which they are together in that movie in my memory usually lacked that kid of concurrent/receptive movement, and there was more shooting from the back or the side than there was here. Here there at least a few shots where they were facing each other, they were together in the same frame and Alicia was reacting to Kalinda's movements.

Orphan Black is able to do this incredibly well on a much lower budget. Parent Trap is older technology.

[izabella]

I'm glad Grace piped up and asked if Peter and Alicia would keep pretending to be married.  Those two are the dumbest people ever.  They could have gotten a divorce at any point in time, which would have freed Peter to find a new wife/campaign prop.  He could have been remarried for years now, with no need for Alicia for anything but as a co-parent to their children.

[readster]

I'm glad Grace piped up and asked if Peter and Alicia would keep pretending to be married.  Those two are the dumbest people ever.  They could have gotten a divorce at any point in time, which would have freed Peter to find a new wife/campaign prop.  He could have been remarried for years now, with no need for Alicia for anything but as a co-parent to their children.

 

 I completely agree, say what you will but many people get divorced in office and then rerun or run in a new position and get elected all the time. Eli (The Kings) can say whatever he wants. There is no reason for JM to be the "Good Wife" anymore. Even the kids are tired of it. Alicia's mom said it best: "Just divorce and move on. It be better for you both in the long run." Most likely next year will be the final year for the show and really, they should divorce at the end and move on.

[Tetraneutron]

Has that ever happened? A sitting governor of a big, competitive state, where both parties are likely to be in office, gets divorced while in office and after a major, public hooker scandal, and a corruption scandal. Mark Sanford comes closest, though he went from Governor to Rep, but that's in a state that will elect a monkey as long as there's an ( R) after his name. 

 

I can completely buy that, as long as Peter and Alicia want to be in politics, they have a sham marriage. Alicia admitted as much to Grace. Can you imagine Eli throwing a fit at the very suggestion?

 

If Peter decides not to run for re-election, and Alicia decided she wanted to stay in private practice, then yes. I'd expect a divorce. Maybe that will be the finale. Peter gets appointed to an Ambassadorship or something, decides to be a one-termer, they get amicably divorced, leaving Alicia to find happiness in the arms of . . . well, the show kind of screwed itself there. 

Edited May 12, 2015 by Obviously

[kwnyc]

I completely agree, say what you will but many people get divorced in office and then rerun or run in a new position and get elected all the time.

 

Well, here in NY, our current governor had a VERY nasty divorce (from a Kennedy, no less), and now lives with TV personality Sandra Lee. It's pretty much a non-issue in the press. So clearly it can be done...though Cuomo divorced between being HUD secretary and running for governor (the second time).

[TigerLynx]

I wish Alicia had dropped out of the SA's race after they got the charges against Cary dropped.  I would love for her to have said, "I was doing this to help Cary.  Now back to business."

 

I don't know why any firm would hire these attorneys, or why any client would choose them to represent them in a case.  They aren't reliable, can't be depended on, and flip flop all over the place.  Depending on the day of the week, Alicia, Cary, Diane, and David Lee may be working together, or they may be trying to destroy each other.

[ktwo]

The other big thing that bugged me is we had nearly a whole season about the SA election, but I still don't know who the Chicago SA is. Alicia withdrew before she was even sworn in, but the election was over and officially she won right? So does the job go to Prady, or do they have an election, or can the governor appoint someone. It seems like a weird grey area to me since if she stepped down the day before the election I can probably figure out what would happen, and if she stepped down after doing the job for a week I can probably figure out what would happen.

Thanks so much for mentioning this, I thought I was the only one bothered by this as my mom was an elected official who had to step down due to illness. It's really weird that they've never resolved this, particularly since Alicia has been up against ASA Matan and not other law firms in the last two episodes. If it falls to Peter to try to appoint a replacement, all the better to tie it into the plot.

[izabella]

See, I thought Prady would win at that point since the purported reason he lost was the voting machines scandal.  Or did the voting machine tampering invalidate the entire election? 

 

Oh, why do I bother?  None of this makes any sense in the real world.

[Klapaucius]

I wish Alicia had dropped out of the SA's race after they got the charges against Cary dropped.  I would love for her to have said, "I was doing this to help Cary.  Now back to business."

But she didn't it for her AGOS, IMO. She did it for her EGO.

[tennisgurl]

Well, at least we enjoy the thoughts of Peter as the new Selena on Veep. 

 

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