S07.E12: Tracks

[Marni]

This episode was like 'The Good Wife: Lite.' It was a return to basics and all the usual shticks I used to enjoy so much, but the magic was gone. Everything felt clumsy and slightly off. 

 

I wish they created a new musician client. These overly quirky one note guest stars are only fun for one episode stints, after that they run out of juice and become played out. Rowby got annoying real fast. Luca sleeping with him was so half baked. Luca is awesome, I did not buying she would want to have a fling with some daft cheesy mediocre musician client who is fifteen years older then her and keeps hitting on her while she's trying to do her job just because she likes artists. The whole thing felt so forced and pointless. I want to know something new about Luca's personal life, again the only thing we're given is the guy she is involved with.

 

The bit with the opposing lawyer constantly mentioning her adopted Chinese baby was weak, it felt like the writers trying way to hard to be eccentric.

 

Can we please be done with the musical chair law firms, the thrill is gone now it's just boring. How many times can they repeat the same dramatic scene with some combination of Alicia, Diane, Cary, David, Louis etc asking the others to join their firm. Just put everyone together at one firm and be done with it. Diane and Cary are being wasted.

 

Alicia is so entitled. I have no problem with a character being flawed, but I wish they would acknowledge it and play around with it, rather than always framing her as the victim.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Marni

[Kromm]

Alicia is so entitled. I have no problem with a character being flawed, but I wish they would acknowledge it and play around with it, rather than always framing her as the victim.

And this was them doubling down on that, because wasn't it just last episode we learned that via David Lee's machinations, the firm had basically defrauded her and cheated her out of her share of a a lot of capital?

 

Carey knows about this, as well as what happened this episode, so his innocent act is coming off as scummy. And what's he supposed to be thinking asking her back into the fold?  Forget Diane, there'd be Slimeball Lee to deal with. And a constant fear that them cheating her last time could come out too (it would be more likely with her there constantly around them).

 

I did like that at least the show got off its pre-Alicia bias enough to imply Alicia was being unfair with Eli. As heinous as what he did was, the writing is definitely on his side in this.

The bit with the opposing lawyer constantly mentioning her adopted Chinese baby was weak, it felt like the writers trying way to hard to be eccentric.

It felt like one of those weird character beats from a David Kelly show, like Ally McBeal or Boston Legal, where someone is weird for the hell of it. But without the sense of ridiculousness that let it (sometimes barely) work in those shows.

[whatsatool]

I would also totally watch a spin-off called The Good Daughters, where Marissa and Grace team up to bring down minor-level corruptions throughout the city. That's a good pairing, those two.

I would also totally watch a spin-off called The Good Daughters, where Marissa and Grace team up to bring down minor-level corruptions throughout the city. That's a good pairing, those two.

I second that Edited January 19, 2016 by whatsatool

[lrockyb]

Interesting that Madame Secretary which preceded it had an identical plot line with the one neighbor in the HMO wanting to evict her. My biggest bitch though is that whole wrong floor business. If you're looking for 903 and you get off on the sixth floor, why would you knock at a door clearly marked 603? Plus how does having 'confusing' numbers on the elevator account for her getting the wrong mail? I came late to this show. So I have to wonder if it has always been this ridiculous or did it become a parody of itself at some point.

Edited January 19, 2016 by lrockyb

[Kromm]

has always been this ridiculous or did it become a parody of itself at some point.

That.

Although it happened earlier in the run than most people will likely admit.

[NutMeg]

All right, and this might sound crazy. but maybe TPTB want us to hate Alicia. I mean, come on...

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I don't blame the neighbor on the sixth floor for getting annoyed with all of those random people constantly knocking on her door.

 

Good Morning, Magic Sunshine has nothing on Thicky Trick which was a hilarious earworm of a song.

 

Why on earth would Eli have a framed picture of himself with Alicia in his office? That came out of nowhere.

 

I am not a professional musician but now I totally want a program like Super Scribe!

 

 

 

On other fronts, I love Marissa, but she seems to be a bit over-sexed for her age.  Daddy's nightmare.

How did anything Marissa said this week make her seem oversexed? As for her sexuality being daddy's nightmare, Marissa is an adult so she's allowed to have sex even if it makes her father uncomfortable. People talk about sex constantly from the time they're teenagers so Marissa is pretty tame.

 

 

 

The downstairs neighbor said what they were when she brought her misdelivered report card to Alicia and they were not great - more Cs than Bs and no As, IIRC.

Schmoopy said that Grace had two Bs and three Cs which is a 2.4 GPA. If I were Alicia, I would have told Grace that as helpful as she's been with the firm, she needs to get her grades up so she can get into college unless she wants her only career option to be working for her mom the rest of her life. My parents' rule was extracurriculars were fine as long as our grades didn't suffer so I'm fine with Alicia telling Grace she needs to concentrate on her schoolwork.

 

I would also totally watch a spin-off called The Good Daughters, where Marissa and Grace team up to bring down minor-level corruptions throughout the city. That's a good pairing, those two.

I would totally watch that too!

Edited January 19, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[fivestone]

Why do I even watch anymore? I hate Alicia and Zach, I've grown sour on Luca and Diane, Cary, Marissa, and Peter are barely around, and the writers have run out of interesting plot points. I'm giving it one more episode, and if I end up hate-watching again, I'm out, because life's too short.

[rubyred]

This show is flailing so much I wasn't surprised to hear the Kings won't be back if there is a next season. They've clearly run out of ideas and now are just burning through previously successful guest stars to gin up some warm feelings towards the show. They've already ruined Colin Sweeney and Elsbeth Tascioni, now it was Rowby's turn. JM's face looks more and more like a mask, and I keep watching her hairline to see the wig slip. And the willful ignorance of show canon (Will's declaration of love) being used as a "poor Alicia" cudgel -- way to underestimate the intelligence of your audience, show! You didn't used to do that!

[Noreaster]

I know about JM's issues with Kalinda (the actress), but are there other actors on the show she won't film with?

Nah, all this is still speculation.  Even though many discuss this like it's fact that JM has issues with a lot of people and is dictating storylines and refusing to work with others.  And people keep on calling her an executive producer even though she's just a producer and has been one since season 3.  Don't believe everything you read on the internet.  :-)

 

I was only hanging on for JDM & the potential story with him & Alicia, but in real life he's off to another show, so they've deep-sixed his character.  

Based on this EW interview with the Kings, it sounds like Jeffrey Dean Morgan is still on The Good Wife: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/15/good-wife-eli-gold-alicia-confession

[BusyOctober]

Re. the mixed up elevator/wrong floor stupidity...I was on Team Annoyed Neighbor from the get-go.  I was infuriated every time someone referred to her as "that bitch". OK, let me knock on your door at all hours and leave piles of UPS boxes outside your door for several weeks and see how you'd react.  it would have made much more sense if the story was Alicia moved to a new unit in the building, and the clients/delivery schmos kept going to the "old" unit.  Of course, that wouldn't address how NEW visitors/clients went to the wrong floor. But it would eliminate the ridiculous premise that fair to mid intelligent people (aka- anyone past preschool) can't recognize ordinal numbers & find the right button.  And I highly doubt in a multi-million dollar per unit Chicago condo building doesn't have a doorman or a concierge desk for deliveries. 

 

Add me to the list of viewers exhausted by the musical chair revolving door of law firms.  I don't care about the machinations of these relationships any more.  They are all incredible unlikeable at this point.  The only one that has been consistently written is David Lee. HE should start his own firm and leave Diane, Cary and the rest to squabble over hurt feelings.

[panthergirl13]

The only thing that could have saved this episode would have been for Schmoopy to slam her door, at which point the 6 spins downward on its nail and becomes a 9. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Rowby Canton Returns To The Good Wife To Get The Old Band Back Together
And when he's not romancing Lucca, the only two law firms in Chicago are battling each other over poaching and re-poaching clients.

[pennben]

Alicia is so entitled. I have no problem with a character being flawed, but I wish they would acknowledge it and play around with it, rather than always framing her as the victim.

 

Although there's lots on the show that gives me headaches, I'm curious where they are going with the Alicia character seeing as how the Kings only have a dozen or so more episodes to get there.  I feel like it has taken them a long time (too long) to perhaps get her to this point where she seems to have shut out or alienated almost everyone from her life.  Is this rock bottom for her, or can she go further down? I want to see if/how Alicia comes out on the other side.  I'm willing to hang on to the end of the year to see the story the Kings have wanted to tell with this character.  The end being in sight (at least as far as the King's stories) makes it easier for me. I'm not sure I'd hang on but for that knowledge.

[MissLucas]

Although there's lots on the show that gives me headaches, I'm curious where they are going with the Alicia character seeing as how the Kings only have a dozen or so more episodes to get there.  I feel like it has taken them a long time (too long) to perhaps get her to this point where she seems to have shut out or alienated almost everyone from her life.  Is this rock bottom for her, or can she go further down? I want to see if/how Alicia comes out on the other side.  I'm willing to hang on to the end of the year to see the story the Kings have wanted to tell with this character.  The end being in sight (at least as far as the King's stories) makes it easier for me. I'm not sure I'd hang on but for that knowledge.

I'm afraid this is not where they are going with her. I think the victimization of Alicia will continue. We already had Eli's betrayal and two more are in line to be revealed: Lockhart & whomever's financial fraud and Peter's election shenanigans. That makes three betrayals of St. Alicia.

[pennben]

Call me overly optimistic about the Kings' intent, but I'm not so sure they expect us to see Alicia as a victim in all of these interactions, even though Alicia certainly sees herself that way at all times and it shows in the story.  Only time will tell...

[Ms Blue Jay]

I've actually SEEN people get off on the wrong floor of my building, a lot of the time.  (They don't pay attention to the fact that someone else came into the elevator after they did and pressed another, lower floor than they did.  So they just get off the elevator on the wrong floor.  They are self-involved).

 

BUT THEY DON'T ACTUALLY GO TO THE WRONG UNIT, AFTERWARDS!  

 

They get off, they immediately see their error, and then get back on the elevator!  Hello!?!  Am I missing something?  Who gets off on the wrong floor and then says, you know what, I'll just continue this incorrect trip all the way to the end of it and deliver this pizza to 901 instead of 601 because forget life.

 

Also I am far from wealthy but as a woman who's scared of a lot in life I purposely moved into a building that has a concierge and would hold all of my packages in a locked room on the lobby.  And in my old place, I couldn't even receive packages there because there was no such service and I wasn't home between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm.  So this magical system of no concierge in a fancy Chicago building and packages arriving willy-nilly just doesn't sit with me.   The only thing I've seen hand-delivered to a unit is food (THAT IS BUZZED UP), newspapers, and election flyers (which are of course not unit-specific).

 

Schmoopy said that Grace had two Bs and three Cs which is a 2.4 GPA. If I were Alicia, I would have told Grace that as helpful as she's been with the firm, she needs to get her grades up so she can get into college unless she wants her only career option to be working for her mom the rest of her life. My parents' rule was extracurriculars were fine as long as our grades didn't suffer so I'm fine with Alicia telling Grace she needs to concentrate on her schoolwork.

 

Grace is still in high school?  My word.  I've ranted and ranted about Alicia being a passive parent in the past but here we go beyond the pale yet again.  

Edited January 19, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Risky Librarian]

Oh. Huh. I was coming to comment on the episode when I realized that I'm only about three-quarters of the way through it. I started to stream it, got distracted by work and paused it, closed the browser window, and forgot all about finishing it. And then honestly thought I had. 

 

I guess...I guess that's pretty much all you guys need to know about how I felt about this episode. Carry on then. >.>

 

 

I've actually SEEN people get off on the wrong floor of my building, a lot of the time.  (They don't pay attention to the fact that someone else came into the elevator after they did and pressed another, lower floor than they did.  So they just get off the elevator on the wrong floor.  They are self-involved).

 

BUT THEY DON'T ACTUALLY GO TO THE WRONG UNIT, AFTERWARDS!  

 

They get off, they immediately see their error, and then get back on the elevator!  Hello!?!  Am I missing something?  Who gets off on the wrong floor and then says, you know what, I'll just continue this incorrect trip all the way to the end of it and deliver this pizza to 901 instead of 601 because forget life.

 

Also, this. I mean really. The set-up was dumb as hell.

[Noreaster]

It makes for better TV if characters can just pop up at Alicia's door.  It's just one of those many things we have to overlook for the sake of entertaining TV.  Similar to how Lockhart Gardner's offices all have glass walls and the waiting area is wide open so clients and lawyers can see what's going on everywhere.  

 

Although there's lots on the show that gives me headaches, I'm curious where they are going with the Alicia character seeing as how the Kings only have a dozen or so more episodes to get there.  I feel like it has taken them a long time (too long) to perhaps get her to this point where she seems to have shut out or alienated almost everyone from her life.  Is this rock bottom for her, or can she go further down? I want to see if/how Alicia comes out on the other side.  I'm willing to hang on to the end of the year to see the story the Kings have wanted to tell with this character.  The end being in sight (at least as far as the King's stories) makes it easier for me. I'm not sure I'd hang on but for that knowledge.

 

Call me overly optimistic about the Kings' intent, but I'm not so sure they expect us to see Alicia as a victim in all of these interactions, even though Alicia certainly sees herself that way at all times and it shows in the story.  Only time will tell...

I'm curious as well.

 

I remember liking how the show seemed to be moving the Alicia character forward in season 5.  She was becoming very unlikable and I thought that was the point.  Owning up to her ambition and needing to screw others to get ahead. Leaving Lockhart Gardner, basically betraying Will and Diane, running for office, making the decision to stay with Peter solely for political reasons, etc.  I thought the show was trying to model Alicia after Hillary Clinton.  

 

But then it seemed like the show backtracked in season 6.  I still wonder if the original intent was for Alicia to win the election and serve as the SA, but then the showrunners changed their minds when viewers were not happy with the storyline.  Do the Kings really have an end game? Or are they just making stuff up as they go along?  Did the network tell the Kings to make Alicia more likable and relatable or something? Or they needed to stretch the show out another season?  I don't know. Just thinking out loud.  I feel like the Alicia character has been all over the place this season and last.  

Edited January 20, 2016 by Noreaster

[Kel Varnsen]

An injunction, trial, new complaint, new trial, all within a few days?   Sometimes I watch this show just to see how ridiculous it can get. 

That has been pretty much standard legal procedure on this show (it seems like for years). Try one legal strategy and it doesn't work and you lose, no problem, the next day you can just try another crazy strategy (the episode with the guy where naked pictures of him as a kid were at an art gallery come to mind). If I was a client of one of these firms I would be pissed they were working like this, since it seems like trying these strategies one at a time would cost a ton of money. 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Kel Varnsen

[Kromm]

Nah, all this is still speculation.  Even though many discuss this like it's fact that JM has issues with a lot of people and is dictating storylines and refusing to work with others.  And people keep on calling her an executive producer even though she's just a producer and has been one since season 3.  Don't believe everything you read on the internet.  :-)

 

Based on this EW interview with the Kings, it sounds like Jeffrey Dean Morgan is still on The Good Wife: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/15/good-wife-eli-gold-alicia-confession

The problems with Archie were hardly smoke.  Is there hard evidence like recordings?  No. But her having problems, serious fuck-with-the-entire-filming-process level problems with that particular actress was crystal clear.  Does she have issues with anyone else on the show?  That indeed is far more speculative--that's just taking the specific people do know about, interpreting the rather dodgy statements everyone makes about working with her when interviewed, and running with it.

[Noreaster]

The problems with Archie were hardly smoke. Is there hard evidence like recordings? No. But her having problems, serious fuck-with-the-entire-filming-process level problems with that particular actress was crystal clear. Does she have issues with anyone else on the show? That indeed is far more speculative--that's just taking the specific people do know about, interpreting the rather dodgy statements everyone makes about working with her when interviewed, and running with it.

This discussion probably belongs in the behind the scenes thread. But I just think people think JM has far more power that she really does.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Noreaster

[Inquisitionist]

It makes for better TV if characters can just pop up at Alicia's door.  It's just one of those many things we have to overlook for the sake of entertaining TV.  Similar to how Lockhart Gardner's offices all have glass walls and the waiting area is wide open so clients and lawyers can see what's going on everywhere.  

 

As far as I could tell, Mad Men never resorted to these contrivances.  Then again, to mention MM and TGW in the same breath almost makes me choke.

[Noreaster]

Why compare to Mad Men?  So odd.  The vast majority of TV shows have contrivances. 

[needschocolate]

I missed something - why was Cary working with Alicia and Lucca on Rowby's case?   (Yeah, I know that it was because they needed Alicia and Lucca to have a reason to be at LAL and find out that they were trying meeting with FQ clients, but I want to know what reason the show gave) 
 
Thank you to everyone who commented on the whole 6 and 9 wackiness - you saved me a bunch of typing, because you said everything I was thinking.  
 

Two consecutive posts featuring the word "awful."  Seems like this season's GW has incredible consensus-building powers.  Did anyone else notice how makeup and wardrobe made Grace look like a "mini-Alicia" in their final scene?  I hadn't seen any familial resemblance between the two previously.

 
 I noticed last week that JM is looking unhealthly thin and noticed it about Grace this week.  I am hoping it is just the settings on my tv.
 

I'm pretty sure Alicia "fired" Grace because of her grades. The downstairs neighbor said what they were when she brought her misdelivered report card to Alicia and they were not great - more Cs than Bs and no As, IIRC.

 

Maybe Alicia fired Grace because she discovered that Grace was a better lawyer than she is. After all, Grace was able to win the case without an investigator saving the day by turning up at the last minute with some evidence/plan that should have been obvious from start.

Edited January 21, 2016 by needschocolate

[Inquisitionist]

Why compare to Mad Men?  So odd.  The vast majority of TV shows have contrivances. 

 

Because Mad Men was great and the vast majority of TV shows are crap. :-) 

Maybe Alicia fired Grace because she discovered that Grace was a better lawyer than she is. After all, Grace was able to win the case without an investigator saving the day by turning up at the last minute with some evidence/plan that should have been obvious from start.

 

LOL, thanks, I loved this.  :-)

[Dowel Jones]

The only one that has been consistently written is David Lee. HE should start his own firm and leave Diane, Cary and the rest to squabble over hurt feelings.

 

Maybe Alicia fired Grace because she discovered that Grace was a better lawyer than she is.

 

If that happens, I would love it if Grace went off to work for David Lee as his investigator.

 

I'm still wondering why the Governor's wife is living in a 9th floor apartment.

[Tetraneutron]

I missed something - why was Cary working with Alicia and Lucca on Rowby's case?   (Yeah, I know that it was because they needed Alicia and Lucca to have a reason to be at LAL and find out that they were trying meeting with AQ clients, but I want to know what reason the show gave) 

 

The reason the show gave was Rowby insisted. He went to the old firm, saw Alicia wasn't there any more, and told Carey he wanted them both as his lawyers. 

[needschocolate]

The reason the show gave was Rowby insisted. He went to the old firm, saw Alicia wasn't there any more, and told Carey he wanted them both as his lawyers. 

 

Thank you for the info.  Now that I know the story, I have to say that it is just silly.  The guy spends most of the episode talking about how he makes his money doing kid's birthday parties, but he has enough money to be able to pay two firms to handle the same case?  They should have just went with the truth - had Cary show up at Alicia's door and say "Rowby is being sued and we need to work on this case together as a plot contrivance."

[Kromm]

This discussion probably belongs in the behind the scenes thread. But I just think people think JM has far more power that she really does.

What does power have to do with her having the conflict with Archie? It's why the woman was sidelined rather than fired (the fact that JMs power was limited).

 

She doesn't need power to be a bitch/be difficult. 

 

True beyond Archie it's still speculative that the others (seem) to pussyfoot around talking about her in the press and the speculative part is why. But again, the reality is even if it were true, she doesn't need power to be unpleasant to work with.  They literally can't do the show without her though, so she's got enough leeway to be difficult.

[Noreaster]

The only thing anyone knows is that JM and AP didn't share scenes for a long time. Everything else is speculation. My thoughts are in the behind the scenes thread. Cheers.

[AngYouDontStop]

Why on earth would Eli have a framed picture of himself with Alicia in his office? That came out of nowhere.

 

 

Not to mention, they're all smiling and cracking up. Julianna Margulies might smile and laugh, but Alicia Florrick is as dour as it gets. She never laughs. She barely cracks a smile. That photo just looked weird to me, like it took me out of the show because it was obviously Allan Cumming and Julianna Margulies, not Eli and Alicia.

[meisje]

Not to mention, they're all smiling and cracking up. Julianna Margulies might smile and laugh, but Alicia Florrick is as dour as it gets. She never laughs. She barely cracks a smile. That photo just looked weird to me, like it took me out of the show because it was obviously Allan Cumming and Julianna Margulies, not Eli and Alicia.

 

So true. A repeating plot point, year after year, is how utterly miserable, oppressed and anti-social Alicia feels at every public function, which is the only place she would be just hanging out with Eli (and a phone or camera). Now, if Eli had unearthed a picture of Alicia smiling into a basin of wine, grinning at a briefcase full of money or in one of her emo-outfits with glasses and earbuds, that would have been both believable in terms of her character and even in so far as what it is that Eli enjoys about her. Instead, it completely pulled the show out of the show, like some meta ad for CBS and TGW cast. I still can't get over the hokiness of the character Eli pulling a photo out of his mostly-empty (and only?) moving box like a teen from an ABC Family drama uncovering a diary, it was just a poor excuse for a plot. I'm very pro Eli being more than the caricature he started out as, but lately I just don't have a clue where his drive, personality and humor have gone. Eli has always been a mix of affectionate and competitive in his relationships with women who've piqued his interest in whatever context, a great feminist in his own way, really. I'm sure being relegated to a closet by Peter took its toll, but didn't actually time travel him to pre-puberty! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The reason the show gave was Rowby insisted. He went to the old firm, saw Alicia wasn't there any more, and told Carey he wanted them both as his lawyers.

Just to elaborate on that a little more, it's because Alicia and Cary worked together on Rowby's previous "Thicky Trick" case.

[backgroundnoise]

It seems Grace isn't falling far from the tree.  I guess this week's parenting lesson is, when confronted with a situation you helped cause:

1.  Don't make even one action, no matter how small, to help eleviate the problem.
2.  Encourage everyone to call any objecter a bitch.
3.  Rat out anyone else you can.
4.  Never genuinely apologize.
5.  Smile smugly.

 

Ugh.

[needschocolate]

So true. A repeating plot point, year after year, is how utterly miserable, oppressed and anti-social Alicia feels at every public function, which is the only place she would be just hanging out with Eli (and a phone or camera). Now, if Eli had unearthed a picture of Alicia smiling into a basin of wine, grinning at a briefcase full of money or in one of her emo-outfits with glasses and earbuds, that would have been both believable in terms of her character and even in so far as what it is that Eli enjoys about her. Instead, it completely pulled the show out of the show, like some meta ad for CBS and TGW cast. I still can't get over the hokiness of the character Eli pulling a photo out of his mostly-empty (and only?) moving box like a teen from an ABC Family drama uncovering a diary, it was just a poor excuse for a plot. 

 

I just realized that maybe we all missed the real point of Eli's photo of him an a happy Alicia. Perhaps the real story of the photo is this ---

 

After Eli was done deleting texts from Alicia's phone, he started going through the pictures and found a selfie of Alicia and Will having fun.  Eli sent himself the photo, and then photoshopped his face over Will's.  

 

Maybe the whole story of TGW isn't the story of a woman who has to work hard and put up with indignities and unfairness to rebuild her life after staying with her politician husband after he admits to affairs and goes to prison, and has to do this while her only friends are bottles of wine and tequila.  Perhaps, The Good Wife is really the tale of a political adviser and/or chief of staff who is so obsessed with the wife of his boss that his only reason to try to keep his boss in office is so he could be in close proximity with the enticing woman of his dreams.  

 

Yeah, probably not.  I need to go wash my hands now, they feel kinda yucky after typing all that.   

[Meow25]

 

It felt like one of those weird character beats from a David Kelly show, like Ally McBeal or Boston Legal, where someone is weird for the hell of it. But without the sense of ridiculousness that let it (sometimes barely) work in those shows.

 

I just bulk watched this show from S1 to this episode over the past few weeks.  I was also very (very) into Ally McBeal back in the day, and I have noticed quite a few parallels, not just in this episode (thinking of you Elsbeth Tascioni!), and the mentioning of the Chinese adoptions most certainly was a David E. Kelly move.  

 

Watching it all at once, I can say that this show took a hard, sharp downturn when Alicia & Cary left the firm, and I'm really bummed that they've never gotten back into the swing of things.  The second nose dive was when Alicia ran for SA, and I don't think it can come back from that.  

 

On topic:  This episode was one of the worst on this show so far.  Watching in bulk I can say that I do not even give two craps about the new girl, Lucca.  I miss Cary & Dianne, and losing Kalinda was the nail.  Such a boring, boring episode.  Doesn't anyone remember that Will & Alicia already worked out the voicemail conundrum?  

 

Edited January 28, 2016 by Meow25