S07.E13: Judged

[TigerLynx]

The musical chairs law firms have never made sense to me.  Going all the way back to when Will and Diane had their first falling out in Season One.  Both Will and Diane were supposedly great attorneys who brought in clients and money.  Law firms don't get rid of lawyers who make them money.  Partners egos might get the best of them, they clash, decide to open their own firm or go somewhere else, but they don't reconcile and break up 50 million times after that.

 

Alicia divorcing Peter would be the first step to her taking control of her life, and becoming one of the things she told Luca she wanted to be, which was happy.  The only time Alicia has been happy with Peter was in the flashbacks that were shown in Season One, before Alicia found out about Peter cheating on her, and Peter going to prison for corruption.  That ended Alicia's fantasy about her happy marriage, and reality came to bite in a big way.  Unfortunately, the show has had Alicia have a million epiphanies, and then they never follow through on her finally ending her shame worthless marriage to Peter.

[MissLucas]

Maybe 'I want a divorce' will be the very last word uttered in the final episode?

 

I just couldn't with this episode. Watching the show has become a chore.

[Kel Varnsen]

Diane`s trial seemed weird. What kind of college shuts down their whole newspaper just because of one article? What kind of student body even cares that much about one editorial? 

That whole thing didn't make any sense to me. I really didn't get the whole first amendment angle. Does the 1st amendment obligate universities to fund student newspapers? I mean it is not like they expelled her for what she wrote, just decided they wouldn't pay for it. 

[NutMeg]

The whole episode dynamic felt weird, like two different shows had been edited to form one, without any interaction between the two - the Alicia show and the Diane/college show - there's not even a parallel to be made between the two cases or set of cases, in my opinion.

 

And then there's this sudden retcon of Luca, who seems to me a pretty open and social person, suddenly being friendless and all alone and needing Alicia's friendship. That line would have made sense for Kalinda, or heck, even the serial killer client (Sweeny?), or if we want to be creative, MJ Fox' character, but not for Luca! Or are we supposed to think that contraintuitively it makes sense to appeal to the woman who says she's not even sure she likes her kids so that she realizes that she is indeed still able to feel positive emotions? 

The musical chairs law firms have never made sense to me.  Going all the way back to when Will and Diane had their first falling out in Season One.  Both Will and Diane were supposedly great attorneys who brought in clients and money.  Law firms don't get rid of lawyers who make them money.  Partners egos might get the best of them, they clash, decide to open their own firm or go somewhere else, but they don't reconcile and break up 50 million times after that.

 

Alicia divorcing Peter would be the first step to her taking control of her life, and becoming one of the things she told Luca she wanted to be, which was happy.  The only time Alicia has been happy with Peter was in the flashbacks that were shown in Season One, before Alicia found out about Peter cheating on her, and Peter going to prison for corruption.  That ended Alicia's fantasy about her happy marriage, and reality came to bite in a big way.  Unfortunately, the show has had Alicia have a million epiphanies, and then they never follow through on her finally ending her shame worthless marriage to Peter.

While this (bolded mine) is true somewhat for someone dealing with the end of a happy marriage that was just a fantasy, it should and usually does not stretch over 7 seasons. I'm tired of sad and mourning Alicia, but if this show wants to be true to life, her sudden smile-and-kisses persona should be followed by a new low. Alicia in therapy? Wouldn't be worse than what we've just saw.

 

Also, the musical chairs law firms does not make any sense - it's like there was just a tiny, tiny pool of lawyers these firms could chose from. But the judge who compared the successive trials to musical chairs made me laugh - meta maybe? ;)

 

Cary ordering wine for Alicia: is that supposed to suggest how much he's not in touch with her any more? It feels like a long time since we last saw her drinking wine! Or is that supposed to herald to come back (to her old self) of Alicia ?

 

Despite the name of the show, I liked it way better when it was truly a cast ensemble. Diane has become so underused that it's verging on criminal. And no, seeing her in this "trial" didn't make up for it, because she just played random lawyer in a way, not Awesome Diane.

 

Very shallow note: I noticed a couple of times this season that JM seems to have lost a lot of weight. I noticed it again in this episode when she was standing in front of the washing machine and dryer. I also noticed this season (after skipping the last 2 or 3) that she looks much older than she used to (and of course the ugly wig doesn't help). And because I'm relatively close to her age, this got me thinking about the old adage that at some stage you have to choose between your face or your body. I used to think she looked very good, face and body shape, in the first two seasons, and it seems like this weight loss is now ageing her face. So, when I grow up, I want to be Christine Baranski who, despite being 14 years older (I just checked), looks better, I think. 

[lovinbob]

Agree with many of you. I felt nothing during Alicia's rant. No sympathy for her whatsoever. And truly, you can't tell me Luca has no friends. Nothing about her says no friends. It's as if that speech were written for Kalinda and they just lifted it and planted it on Luca. It was a PERFECT speech for Kalinda. It had nothing to do with the character of Luca whom we've met so far.

[CleoCaesar]

It was a PERFECT speech for Kalinda. It had nothing to do with the character of Luca whom we've met so far.

 

My thoughts exactly. I wondered if the writers had that speech written for Kalinda but never used it, and just trotted it out for NuKalinda to use. Luca is smart, spunky, fun, and has an outgoing personality - does she really seem like the withdrawn loner who would give a "I have no friends" speech? Not even the slightest.

[lidarose9]

Lucca is also sexually adventurous and unconventional. If they were *trying* to make her Kalinda 2.0, they couldn't do any better. Next week, she will be wearing spike-heeled boots.

 

I guess I'm fresh out of enthusiasm for more stories about how our court system is clogged up with egotistical assholes in nice suits suing and countersuing as the whimsy takes them, playing legal chicken with peoples' lives. I hate everything this show tells me about how the law and the courts work today. I hate the juvenile competition between the law firms, and I hate everything it tells me about how people get elected to public office. Why do we watch this? It's cuz Alicia was like us, the outsider getting her comeuppance about the seedy underbelly of this world. She was the little underdog who was going to hang onto her moral compass as she swam in the deep water with the sharks. (I'm going overboard on the metaphors tonight!) I was about to say "now she's one of them" but that's not even true. Current Alicia as a character makes no sense. She is a basket case. She hates everything about her life but does nothing to change it. She keeps pretending to have breath-throughs but then nothing changes. She gets her little dramatic moments. She gets to stare off into space. She gets to make speeches about her feelings. Boo-hoo. Get over it. Quit, already. Move on. Go and get your realtor's license or something. Divorce Peter and move to Tampa and sell condos. Sheesh.

[Lnmop]

I know JM wears wigs for this role, however Alicia's Eddie Munster head looked horrible last night and she went through the entire episode with it being obvious she'd had too many Botox injections. The SL sucked. And who does laundry like that? The Good Wife is no longer a good show.

[rubyred]

While I welcomed any kind of illuminating monologue from Lucca, I did think she wasn't even describing herself. Lucca has friends. She just told Alicia that Jason was a friend minutes before the breakdown. To me it seemed like she was saying what she thought Alicia needed to hear. Because Alicia is the 50 year old with no friends. In fact I thought Lucca was going to be the one to tell Alicia to put on her big girl panties. That breakdown was an embarrassment. Also, bolting to the laundry room in the middle of a discussion? Rude.

 

I think one of the things that's bugging me this season is that in place of any character depth or interesting plot development, they keep doing closeups of Alicia's frozen, mask-like face. I'm sure JM thinks she's Catherine Deneuve-ing all over the place but actually, no. I am not getting "inner torment", I'm getting "self-involved, self-designated martyr who is dead inside."

[ktwo]

But in her big Emmy scene, she never mentioned Peter. She never gave him as a reason she was unhappy.

That was SO unrealistic to me. Negated the whole rant/confession.

[Inquisitionist]

This show exists in some bizarro world where being the wife of the governor of a major state has absolutely no bearing on how the character interacts with anyone.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Inquisitionist

[dahling]

This show exists in some bizarro world where being the wife of the governor of a major state has absolutely no bearing on how a character interacts with anyone.

 

... and men treat the wife like a single woman who is freely available to date.  No questions are ever asked when she comes on to her colleagues (Matthew Goode) or co-workers (Smirky). No man hesitates...hey, whoah, wait a minute, this is the Governor's wife!  Wife!

 

You've all covered very well how bad this show is.  One minor additional thing - does it seem like Lucca is acting as if she and Smirky have a previously existing relationship?  Not necessarily romantic, but as if they have known each other for 20 years and she knows him in and out? I thought they didn't know each other previous to him being hired by Alicia?  But the way she was demanding of him "what did you do to her?" sounded overly familiar.  It doesn't make any sense in this show. But what does, these days? 

 

Eli pointed out that Alicia and Will had a relationship.  Yay. But someone should also remind her that she left Will.  She left him for no reason, I remember, because I yelled at her through my TV when she did it.  Wasn't that the episode where Grace went AWOL for a few hours and Alicia decided that she was being a bad mother by having a relationship?  She left Will, who loved her.  Will moved on.  Alicia plotted behind his back to steal his clients and leave his firm, which she did.  Will told her "you're awful, and you don't even know how awful you are." (Coincidentally, this was probably one of the last compelling episodes of this show.)  They were civil but not on great terms when he died.  And I can't tell if the show wants us to think she's full of shit, or wants us to believe this storyline of her One True Love who died. 

[MissLucas]

You've all covered very well how bad this show is.  One minor additional thing - does it seem like Lucca is acting as if she and Smirky have a previously existing relationship?  Not necessarily romantic, but as if they have known each other for 20 years and she knows him in and out? I thought they didn't know each other previous to him being hired by Alicia?  But the way she was demanding of him "what did you do to her?" sounded overly familiar.  It doesn't make any sense in this show. But what does, these days? 

There was a similar exchange in episode 7.11 that made me wonder if they've known each other before and are hiding that for some reasons (because everybody is plotting against Alicia!) - but I thought it might just have been an odd bit of writing.  Who can tell anymore with this show? There was a time when I would have said that two such exchanges can't be a coincidence and it must mean more. But right now I'm not willing to bet any money that it's not just some weird retconing (like Alicia forgetting that she damn well knew about the voice-mail's existence and that Will had lied about its content and that either way they were still getting together and arrgh!)

[Kathyk1024]

On Lucca/Smirky - I am going to post my thoughts to this down in the It-didn't happen yet thread.  I have a theory. 

[izabella]

I guess I'm fresh out of enthusiasm for more stories about how our court system is clogged up with egotistical assholes in nice suits suing and countersuing as the whimsy takes them, playing legal chicken with peoples' lives. I hate everything this show tells me about how the law and the courts work today. I hate the juvenile competition between the law firms, and I hate everything it tells me about how people get elected to public office. Why do we watch this? It's cuz Alicia was like us, the outsider getting her comeuppance about the seedy underbelly of this world. She was the little underdog who was going to hang onto her moral compass as she swam in the deep water with the sharks. (I'm going overboard on the metaphors tonight!) I was about to say "now she's one of them" but that's not even true. Current Alicia as a character makes no sense. She is a basket case. She hates everything about her life but does nothing to change it. She keeps pretending to have breath-throughs but then nothing changes. She gets her little dramatic moments. She gets to stare off into space. She gets to make speeches about her feelings. Boo-hoo. Get over it. Quit, already. Move on. Go and get your realtor's license or something. Divorce Peter and move to Tampa and sell condos. Sheesh.

 

Hey, now, I think that's a bit insulting to sharks.  They aren't prideful, vengeful, power-seeking assholes.  Nor do they shift their loyalties every 5 seconds, and they don't dump their school of sharks to go join a different one because they mismanaged their business.

[TigerLynx]

I would have believed Diane joining Alicia and Cary's law firm after Will died, and Alicia having that break down with Kalinda at that time.  Then Alicia finally tells Peter it is over, and she wants a divorce.  End of show.  Diane, Alicia, Cary, and Kalinda are all in their own way starting over, and it's left to the viewers imagination where they all end up.  This show has definitely gone on to long.

 

If Jason and Lucca do have some kind of past with each other, it will just be one more thing on this show I am not interested in.

[orza]

While I welcomed any kind of illuminating monologue from Lucca, I did think she wasn't even describing herself. Lucca has friends. She just told Alicia that Jason was a friend minutes before the breakdown. To me it seemed like she was saying what she thought Alicia needed to hear. .

Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear what Luca was doing. She was describing Alicia but framing it as her own situation so Alicia would first f all calm down and then feel she was not alone.

 

As for Alicia being so distraught about Eli's revelation, even though Alicia and Will eventually got together, Alicia is just now understanding the depth of Will's feelings for her. Since she never returned Will's call or mentioned it and he acted like the call never happened, Alicia probably thought that while Will loved her it had limits so she adjusted her expectations about their relationship accordingly. Had Alicia known that she was the love Will's life and he was prepared to give up a whole lot to be with her, Alicia would surely have made different decisions about a lot of things in her life. She probably would have finally divorced Peter, never considered starting a new firm with Cary, perhaps even started a new firm with Will, maybe leading to him not being in the in the court room the day he was killed. Lots of what-if scenarios to ponder. I can understand how it would be devastating for her to realize that so much of what was wrong with her life now might have been in part the result of a missed phone call..

[pbutler111]

As I watched Alicia's meltdown, I was mostly just happy to discover that I'm not the only one who doesn't like Alicia's kids.

[TV Diva Queen]

I think what the writers are trying to show us that all you need is life is an Emmy reel of a potential breakdown - , then and only then are you able to forgive someone,  be done feeling sorry for yourself and be ready to move on (oh and to join your old law firm in a lesser position).  

[MakeMeLaugh]

I didn't even notice the actual meltdown as I was too engrossed on how they filmed that scene without ever having the two actors in the frame at the same time--Lucca was hugging Alicia's standin when we saw Lucca's face, and Alicia was hugging Lucca's standin when we saw Alicia's face. Maybe that's why JM wears that wig, so it can be worn by a standin and no one will know it's not her. Maybe the wig will win an emmy this year.

It must be in JM's contract that she never has to actually be in a scene with another woman.

[Tara Ariano]

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

 

The Good Wife Makes A Defensive Defendant
Getting sued by an old client for not having represented him with sufficient zeal joins 'processing Eli's confession' and 'figuring out how to deal with Jason's return' on Alicia's list of priorities.

[milkyaqua]

And then there's this sudden retcon of Luca, who seems to me a pretty open and social person, suddenly being friendless and all alone and needing Alicia's friendship. That line would have made sense for Kalinda, or heck, even the serial killer client (Sweeny?), or if we want to be creative, MJ Fox' character, but not for Luca! Or are we supposed to think that contraintuitively it makes sense to appeal to the woman who says she's not even sure she likes her kids so that she realizes that she is indeed still able to feel positive emotions?

 

If this show is good at anything, it's retconning and I don't mean that as a compliment.

 

As for Alicia being so distraught about Eli's revelation, even though Alicia and Will eventually got together, Alicia is just now understanding the depth of Will's feelings for her. Since she never returned Will's call or mentioned it and he acted like the call never happened, Alicia probably thought that while Will loved her it had limits so she adjusted her expectations about their relationship accordingly. Had Alicia known that she was the love Will's life and he was prepared to give up a whole lot to be with her, Alicia would surely have made different decisions about a lot of things in her life. She probably would have finally divorced Peter, never considered starting a new firm with Cary, perhaps even started a new firm with Will, maybe leading to him not being in the in the court room the day he was killed. Lots of what-if scenarios to ponder. I can understand how it would be devastating for her to realize that so much of what was wrong with her life now might have been in part the result of a missed phone call..

 

I can understand this point of view but at this point, don't care.  The only thing that will redeem Alicia for me is her leaving Peter when this show ends.  Otherwise, I could care less about her realization at the loss of her true love.  Bah.

[izabella]

Sigh, I'm at a point where I'm wishing Peter would leave Alicia.  One of them needs to just cut the damned cord, and it might as well be Peter.  Maybe that will force her to face her mid-life crisis.  And seek therapy, lots of it.

Edited February 3, 2016 by izabella

[panthergirl13]

"Do you have any guns in this apartment? No? Only pills and booze? WHEW... you had me worried there for a minute."

[thewhiteowl]

It feels strange to say this but I don't see a retcon of Luca at all. She has always struck me as kind of coldly superior and those kind of people do not have friends. She only warmed up to Alicia when there was the possibility of money and I am clueless as to why she wants to be her friend or even likes her but it appears that she does. Luca was quite the bitch to the musician that liked her so much, walking out while he was singing to her. Cold. Anyway, I bought it. Lol

[morgankobi]

Yeah, uh, where the fuck did that come from?  So far in the short time we've seen her Luca has got along fine with Alicia and Jason (and Cary? I forget) and she fucked that singer-songwriter guy.  But her life is just so empty and all she wants is to be Alicia's friend!  Oh, Christ!  It's just like how every serial killer, asshole out there like Chandler Bing and Colin Sweeney and Michael J. Fox just LOVE LOVE LOVE Alicia even though she has no personality or outward emotion!  Oh she's just so goddamn irresistible!  Barf!

 

 

 

I just realized how I'd like this show to end...

Edited February 5, 2016 by morgankobi

[lucindabelle]

Yeah the Alicia meltdown, was about 4-6 years too late. I always said that Alicia was drinking too much and was an alcoholic and I would always get jumped on in the forums for that opinion, but she just admitted it. She is clinically depressed. The acting during that scene, oy vey. That scene should have been with Kalinda, years ago. It's such a shame that the show has to be all Alicia, all the time. The show used to be really great. Now, it is just, whatever and it ain't good.

 

Hats off you were right and I was wrong, maybe it's watching too many British procedurals... Watched one starring Brenda Blethyn yesterday and literally in every interrogation scene someone was drinking something. Brenda even had a glass of wine at someone's she was investigating a house. But not only her, the subjects too. Also. A 14 year old girl had sex with her boyfriend and nobody thought that was a Bad Thing.

 

That whole thing didn't make any sense to me. I really didn't get the whole first amendment angle. Does the 1st amendment obligate universities to fund student newspapers? I mean it is not like they expelled her for what she wrote, just decided they wouldn't pay for it.

Actually, it's a pretty clear case of political censorship. As a journalist I was interested in the storyline. The university was attempting to shut down the one organ that didn't agree with it politically. Of course hard to believe any college anywhere doesn't et some public funding but they had to go there for Jason to save the day.

For first time I hated Alicia too. Ugh on that phony meltdown. Ugh on not liking her kids. Ugh on pity party.

[Kel Varnsen]

 

 

Actually, it's a pretty clear case of political censorship. As a journalist I was interested in the storyline. The university was attempting to shut down the one organ that didn't agree with it politically. Of course hard to believe any college anywhere doesn't et some public funding but they had to go there for Jason to save the day.

 

 So a university would really be obligated to fund and produce a newspaper if they liked it or not? Seems strange to me. I get the idea that they were cutting funding because of the article, but what if they waited a month and just said we are stopping for financial reasons or because they didn't feel like having a newspaper anymore. Now if it had been a student funded newspaper and the school was trying to make some kind of sanctions on the paper or the student (like if she got expelled or something for what she wrote) that I think would have worked for me

[Dowel Jones]

 I'm at a point where I'm wishing Peter would leave Alicia.

 

Right after he has an affair with Lucca.

[webruce]

I think Jason had a hard past and maybe his anger got the best of him before. So now he just goes with the flow and controls his anger. So its fine even if it isn't fine, he seems to control it better. He also maybe thinks that all these problems with lawyers life's is funny compared to where he was years ago and to him it is nothing.

 

One problem seems to me to be that the show tried to have Louis Canning be more into it, like working with Lockart/Argos/Lee and the fans pushed it away as to much of him, Then he tried to work with Alisha and the same thing. So his involvement can only be tolerated in small does like when he started on the show. Then maybe David Lee was to much, and he to was pushed into a part time role, again. So maybe the writers don't know what to do with the show and it's legal firms? I agree they shouldn't have broken up the teams and then back together so often. But what do we do now? Lucca is a good add, but we have lost Robyn, Kalinda, Will, Carey(the other one), and many others back to Glenn Childs. They need to straighten out the story line and not go through so many regulars maybe?

[lucindabelle]

So a university would really be obligated to fund and produce a newspaper if they liked it or not? Seems strange to me. I get the idea that they were cutting funding because of the article, but what if they waited a month and just said we are stopping for financial reasons or because they didn't feel like having a newspaper anymore. Now if it had been a student funded newspaper and the school was trying to make some kind of sanctions on the paper or the student (like if she got expelled or something for what she wrote) that I think would have worked for me

Nah because it would be easy to show political bias. Universities even private ones get huge tax breaks from the state and are held to high standards. They also can't find their way around discrimination laws etc. they aren't obligated to have a newspaper but if they do they can't run it by flouting us law.

[morgankobi]

I think Jason had a hard past and maybe his anger got the best of him before. So now he just goes with the flow and controls his anger. So its fine even if it isn't fine, he seems to control it better. He also maybe thinks that all these problems with lawyers life's is funny compared to where he was years ago and to him it is nothing.

 

You want to know his secret? He's always angry.

 

 

(sorry)

[Former Nun]

For first time I hated Alicia too. Ugh on that phony meltdown. Ugh on not liking her kids. Ugh on pity party.

 

 

...and the ugh-ly wig!

[NutMeg]

It feels weird to be defending Alicia, but as I recall, she never said she hated her kids, just that she wasn't sure she liked them. Which is a big difference. Don't we all love some people we're not sure we like (I'm thinking relatives here, if some of them were not relatives I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with friends, but I still love them to pieces !).

[Long Days Night]

I wonder if the full circle ending will be Alicia in another press conference, standing to the side of Peter as he vows to fight this charge (election machine fraud), with reporters yelling questions and cameras flashing. But this time, instead of being The Good Wife and sticking mutely supportive by his side, she loses it, makes a big speech, and then officially leaves him, in public and on camera.  The End to The Good Wife.  Cut to black.

 

And then there's this sudden retcon of Luca, who seems to me a pretty open and social person, suddenly being friendless and all alone and needing Alicia's friendship. That line would have made sense for Kalinda...

 

The idea that the writers would see no problem in swapping in one POC female friend/confidant character for another, as if they were interchangeable pieces with no purpose other than to service a pre-planned plot line is pretty yucky to me.  Also completely believable, given what they've been giving us for a while now.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Long Days Night

[Tetraneutron]

I don't understand why it would be a good idea, or make sense for the character or the show, to have Alicia publicly dump Peter, or to have her quit her job and drink Mai Tais on the beach with Jason. The show has always been about Alicia coming into her own as someone who has power, someone who controls her own fate. And the show has also been consistent about that kind of power requiring making bsckroom deals with slime balls and using your influence and horse trading. That it's not about burning your bridges in a blaze of self-righteousness.

Someone with no purpose to her days or no goals but making moony eyes with whoever they've slotted into the love interest role doesn't strike me as a happy ending.

[Kathyk1024]

How about this one? Divorces Peter. Jason leaves. A year later. Alicia receives telephone call from Jon Elfman (who I would have slotted as love interest), "Bernie is setting up his cabinet and your name came up got Attorney General Are you interested?" Fade to black.

[Inquisitionist]

"Bernie is setting up his cabinet and your name came up got Attorney General Are you interested?" Fade to black.

 

If they want to go out on a comically absurd note.

[Kathyk1024]

More absurd than sipping Mai Tais on the beach?

[Hanahope]

I hope we've reached the end of mopey Alicia whining about how she's "hurt" and just wants to stay in bed all day.  Quit your damn whining and get on with your life.  Nothing you do is going to change what happened to Will.

[Splash]

I rolled my eyes at Alicia's little breakdown.  Peter cheated, blew up her nice little suburban life, and she was left to pick up the pieces, because he went to jail.  And when he got out, and wanted to have a reconciliation (because it looked good for him to be married when he ran for office again), instead of say no and filing for divorce, they did that ridiculous separation.  Sorry, Alicia; at that point, most of your misery is of your own making.  I realize she didn't mention Peter, but I felt that it was implied.  But besides that, I wasn't impressed because it just looked like bad acting.  It's like she went from silence to wailing in 60 seconds, which felt very so out of character.  

 

It's always good to see Diane and Cary, even though Diane's case was stupid and Cary didn't have much to do.  My favorite scene of the entire show was Eli's apology at the door.  I loved the fact that he was so upset by what he had done and was going to try one more time to say how sorry he was.  I knew Alicia was going to shut the door in his face, and I can't blame her for being furious with him, but her non-reaction bugged me.  Either sincerely accept his apology or tell him to stop trying to make things better, but the dead-eyed stare and flat "I forgive you" was cold.