Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

The Good Wife in the Media


Recommended Posts

I don't watch the show anymore, but I'm swinging in to say good for Archie Panjabi. The show has just given her horrible material for the last 3 seasons--way below her talents--and it's obvious Margulies has been a total jackass to her. I'll definitely tune in for her new series...and now I don't even have to occasionally watch a TGW episode just to see her. :)

  • Love 12
Link to comment

I am so happy for Archie!! She definitely does deserve better than the crappy material she's been given the last few seasons. After  Archie leaves, I'll prolly give up on the show, that is, if it even makes it to another season. I'm just to the point that I don't even care anymore, 'cause I can't stomach Alicia.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

I hate to speculate beyond what we've been told are the reasons for keeping Kalinda and Alicia apart. However, no matter the motivation, the result has been to absolutely marginalize AP on the show. When a show has a central title character who is in 75%(?) of the scenes, and your character is not allowed to share scenes with that person, the writing is on the wall.

 

I'll still stick around for Cary and Diane, but this is a hard blow to my love of the show. I was hoping against hope they'd give AP something interesting, and I still hope they give her a good exit arc.

  • Love 6
Link to comment

This sounds like a smart move on all sides to me. I have never bought the rumors about Margulies hating her and this makes me doubt them anymore. If the lead actress and an executive producer on her breakout show had such an intense hatred of her that she was pushed out I can't see her getting a lead role in her own series out of the deal. Panjabi just isn't a big enough deal to get that kind of trade without a lot of people, including Margulies IMO, backing her.

I do think Margulies wanted the character of Kalinda gone but that doesn't automatically equal she hates Panjabi. I think this sounds like a great deal all around. The show loses Kalinda, a character who has been problematic for a few seasons now and who IMO the show has evolved past now that the firms have completely changed, the Alicia/Kalinda debate goes away both for the fans and Margulies, and Panjabi gets a great next step. This is an all around yay!! for me.

  • Love 4
Link to comment

 

Maybe her next gig will allow her a chance to make an expression or speak with inflection.

THIS

Because I don't really know her as an actress. I used to like the character but never bought the actress as phenomenal. IMO, she is ok, average

  • Love 1
Link to comment

 

I can't see her getting a lead role in her own series out of the deal.

Archie won an Emmy before JM even sniffed it. I have no problem at all believing that she could get her own development deal (she is also quite well regarded for her work on The Fall in similar kind of supporting role Kalinda was). Also she hasn't been "pushed" out, her contract is over. I think it's indicative of how high the network/Kings/industry is on Archie that they wouldn't get rid of her even IF JM resented the hell out of her. I can't imagine how awkward the situation has been, I always liked that she kept it classy while also throwing a tone of deserved shade.

 

I'm really excited that an East Indian actress and kickass one a that has this opportunity. I kind of wish Matt was going with her because they treat him like crap too, and they are like best buds.

  • Love 10
Link to comment
I have no problem at all believing that she could get her own development deal (she is also quite well regarded for her work on The Fall in similar kind of supporting role Kalinda was). Also she hasn't been "pushed" out, her contract is over.

 

I have no problem believing this either.  I wish Archie well and will miss her on TGW but the writing for the character has been crap for a few seasons now regardless of what may or may not have gone on behind the scenes possibly due to the nature of the type of character Kalinda is.  How far can you really take a character arc like that?  Of course, excuse me if I will always give the Kings a side eye after that nonsense that was Kalinda's husband's storyline where the Kings basically blamed the audience for not getting it...

 

I wasn't familiar with Archie until TGW and then heard she'd been in the movie, Bend It Like Beckham.  She has, in addition to The Fall, been working in other shows and movies such as the ITV miniseries The Widower and will appear in the feature San Andreas and has appeared in the feature I Origins.

 

I hope TPTB at least give her a good exit storyline seeing as they have the rest of the season.

Edited by milkyaqua
  • Love 3
Link to comment

I really like Archie but I'll admit that I won't be sad to see Kalinda go. Somewhere along the line the character stopped working for me. It might've been the fallout with Alicia or the mess with the husband or the fact that Kalinda sexually manipulates everyone around her but I feel like the character "broke" a few years ago and has never been repaired. 

 

I'm not dealing with any of the rumors that she's been pushed out. This show has run longer than I think most expected. Josh Charles left, Noth has never committed full-time and now Archie's contract is up. I can't see TGW going for more than one more season so I can see where Archie might decide to move on now. If the show goes on longer and they don't kill her off, there's no reason AP can't pop back in like so many others.

  • Love 2
Link to comment

I think the Kings no longer had any heart in writing for Kalinda once they couldn't write the Kalicia relationship anymore after S4a. The writing for Kalinda became perfunctory, repetitious and one-dimensional. They really should have just let AP out of her contract after S4 so she could pursue other opportunities, rather than keeping her stuck for another 2 years, but they probably 1) hoped that JM would relent 2) figured that the show could not take losing both JC and AP in S5. I'm glad to see that despite AP having to wait for her contract to end while getting garbage writing, she's been able to get the development deal. A deal would have been an easy call in seasons 1-2, when AP was the breakout star of the show, but with her character being allowed to grow cold there was a chance the interest would die down. It's a relief to me that that's not the case and that AP's career hasn't been permanently derailed by JM's unprofessionalism.

 

Speaking of, it's good to see the media acknowledging openly now that there were problems between AP and JM. Alan Sepinwall said it first, and now TVLine. I very much hope that two years from now, AP will be in the second season of her new show while JM is searching to be relevant again after the end of TGW. That would amuse me greatly.

  • Love 8
Link to comment

I kind of wish Matt was going with her because they treat him like crap too, and they are like best buds.

That brings up a good point - are all of the originals' contracts up at the end of the season?

I do wonder what MC thinks of the whole thing - be it truth or rumors. As you say, he and AP are close friends.

I don't fully understand how development deals work. If AP's pilot doesn't get picked up, is that it for her contract with them? Or is she basically on retainer for other projects?

  • Love 1
Link to comment

Who says Archie would have wanted to be released from her contract early? This is a job, a job that led to a major award win. All the talent in the world doesn't guarantee an actor another and particularly another with award potential. Just look at the number of Emmy and Oscar winners who are now doing bit roles just to get by.

Archie won an Emmy before JM even sniffed it.

We can debate the rest but I disagree with this factually. JM already had an Emmy and multiple award nominations for different projects before this show. She has more SAG awards than any other actress. She won every other award available that year and was far and away considered the favorite for the Emmy. I don't begrudge Archie her Emmy at all but let's not pretend lack of award attention for JM has any basis in this.
  • Love 5
Link to comment

If the lead actress and an executive producer on her breakout show had such an intense hatred of her that she was pushed out I can't see her getting a lead role in her own series out of the deal.

I doubt the networks are checking Archie's references, this isn't a managers job at Walmart. They care about Q scores, her fan base, and her talent. So what if one actress refuses to work with her? Katherine Heigl continues to get work even though she continually clashes with co-workers.

Something was going on for the lead actress to want to cut down the screen time of an Emmy award winning fan favorite. She has no problem with Chris Noth still being on the show? He should have been let go long ago if JM was that invested in her character.

I'm not into Kalinda. I never really appreciate too cool for school characters who are absolutely the best at their job. But I never saw her as a powerhouse actress. Like her role on The Fall, she does an adequate job on procedurals, and that's what I predict she does next.

Edited by Morbs
  • Love 1
Link to comment

Hate this, loved early seasons Kalinda before they stuck her character in a corner and wouldn't let her get a story or scene interaction that she deserved. She gets an Emmy and then punished for it.

 

She deserves better.

  • Love 7
Link to comment

Just chiming in to echo the other posts - good for Archie. Lord knows I'm not a fan of Kalinda but the downgrade in the quality of story lines and screen time for Archie between season 1 and season 6 is ridiculous. I'm glad she stuck out her contract but good for Archie on finding what will hopefully be a better job, and one that actually uses her talents.

  • Love 3
Link to comment

I can't help but think JM wasn't happy with the popularity and praise Archie was receiving in the early seasons.    That and the combination of the Kings really messing up Kalinda's storyline beginning in S4 contributed to probably why Archie wants out now. 

  • Love 2
Link to comment

The article makes it sound as though TGW will almost certainly continue after this season.  Not sure I can sustain interest (although I say that every year...)  But really, there are so many set-ups in this season already that make it feel like it could be the perfect book-end finale to the opening season.

Link to comment

Just curious, are the main cast of TGW on 6 year contracts,, or was that just Archie?  I know Josh Charles had signed for only five years but if the rest of the regular cast  is on the hook for only 6 years, I would think a 7th season with renegotiated one year contracts might get too prohibitively expensive so they would just wrap things up this year with Archie's departure  and decide by this winter.

Edited by caracas1914
Link to comment

The show seems to be slated to go for at least seven seasons from my understanding.

 

Yep. In that show on Sundance, "Inside the Writers Room" or something like that,  both Kings stated that they slated this show to run for seven seasons.

 

I like Archie as an actress, and she does have range. I saw her in Bend it Like Beckham first, and was so excited when she appeared on this show.  But I agree, the character has been totally marginalized ever since the reveal that Kalinda slept with Peter.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

Just heard the news about Archie's departure. Not all that sad about it - Kalinda has been so one-note and the "mysterious bisexual trades sexual favors for tips" thing got old years ago. The Kalicia friendship was one of my favorite things about early Good Wife, maybe even my favorite thing. After that inexplicably, idiotically, pointlessly died, so did my interest in Kalinda.

 

Now I'm curious if Bishop is going to whack Kalinda or if she just disappears.

Link to comment

I tend to think there is some sort of issue between Julianna and Archie.  To not go back to the Alicia/Kalinda friendhip at all seems odd to me, and all of the comments that I've read from Julianna on the subject certainly give me the impression that is a done deal never to be touched upon again.  Whatever the issue is, both women were able to continue to work on the show, but I think some sort of issue exists.

 

I also think that Kalinda's fate as a character was affected when Josh decided to leave and Will was killed.  Backstory alluded to the fact that there was history between Will and Kalinda, but that history was never fully explored.

 

I will definitely watch Archie's new pilot.  I hope she does well, and it gets picked up.

  • Love 5
Link to comment

Someone in the media just needs to point blank ask JM why Kalinda hasn't been allowed to share the screen with Alicia in almost two years. I'm tired of this being tap danced around. JM can say all she likes that Kalicia would never be friends again the way they used to or whatever, but that doesn't explain why the hell their charcters can't ever be in the same damn room at the same time. Because I 100% believe that decision is JM's doing, and not the Kings or AP. And it's a move that has really been to the detriment of the show, so I wish the Kings had fought her on it a little more.

  • Love 6
Link to comment

Wow, his answers were really odd. This caught me most:

It’s all story driven, as far as that’s concerned.

I know popular opinion is still that JM is the problem but this makes me think even more that that is not the case. It's so specific- like that specific issue is just because of stories but the real problems are not. This interview absolutely erases any lingering doubt for me that there are problems behind the scenes but I think it's bigger than actors not getting along (though that wouldn't surprise me either). I wonder if it's less about JM disliking people and choosing storylines as a producer and more about an attitude from the Kings and/or CBS that she is the Big Star and the others are expendable. That kind of thing can breed serious discontent and fracture workplaces, particularly if it starts effecting salary, schedules, and perks at the expense of the rest of the cast.

  • Love 2
Link to comment

I just find it refreshing that MC acknowledged his awareness of the issue instead of pretending like he had NO idea. I still mantain that JM has to be the problem. The Kings are smart enough writers to know that keeping Alicia and Kalinda completely separated makes no sense in terms of good storytelling (not to mention that one of Kalicia's last scenes together seemed to indicate that they were slowly reconnecting), so that decision has to be imposed on them, IMO. In no way do I believe this is the Kings' decision.

 

Something else that doesn't make sense in terms of good storytelling is that the revelation that Kalinda and Peter had slept together ultimately amounted to a whole lot of nothing storyline wise other than dismantling a friendship that was at the heart of the show. Three seasons later, I'm still wondering what the point of revealing that was.

Edited by jb1183
  • Love 2
Link to comment

My impression (so, JMHO) is that tptb believe we, the collective viewers, understand that the firm only needs 1 investigator so it was a Kalinda for Robin trade.

 

IIRC, Diane said, "Kalinda comes with me.  That's nonnegotiable."  Perhaps the scene with further explanation ended up on the cutting room floor. 

Link to comment

I know popular opinion is still that JM is the problem but this makes me think even more that that is not the case. It's so specific- like that specific issue is just because of stories but the real problems are not. This interview absolutely erases any lingering doubt for me that there are problems behind the scenes but I think it's bigger than actors not getting along (though that wouldn't surprise me either).

I've never really held an opinion about why these two don't share scenes but how do you reach the conclusion that JM isn't the problem?  I thought Matt's answer was very much "touting the party" line and that party line--JM's stock answer has been that Alicia wouldn't be friends with a woman who slept with her husband.  His answer came off to me as if he were telling the interviewer that ultimately it wasn't his place to say so move along...

 

But as often has been pointed out here, not having them be friends is one thing.  Not having them share scenes is a whole other ball of wax. 

Edited by Irlandesa
Link to comment

All I have to say in regards to the idea that JM possibly being the reason Alicia and Kalinda can't share scenes anymore is that whenever Christine Baranski writes her memoir it's hopefully going to be juicy w/tales from the set of "Cybil" and hopefully "The Good Wife."  This woman has got to have some good stories from on set feuds of the shows she has been involved with.

  • Love 5
Link to comment

 

 

Now, no Robyn either.

https://twitter.com/...727918103384064

Well that sucks! Especially since Kalinda will be leaving eventually. Why not just have Robyn stick around? It can't be that expensive. If Diane is throwing money around leasing space (yeah show still held the LG lease but the rent is higher then they were paying at the place with the brick walls) surely they could find some money to pay Robyn. Robyn took a chance and went with them. Robyn was willing to borrow money from her parents AND put in her money from her savings for Cary's bail. So basically Cary got outvoted on absolutely everything he wanted regarding this merger with Diane (that he didn't want). They won;t even keep the one person unquestionably loyal to him. I know Kalinda and Cary are some type of thing now, but she has shown when push comes to shove where her loyalties lie.

  • Love 1
Link to comment
All I have to say in regards to the idea that JM possibly being the reason Alicia and Kalinda can't share scenes anymore is that whenever Christine Baranski writes her memoir it's hopefully going to be juicy w/tales from the set of "Cybil" and hopefully "The Good Wife."  This woman has got to have some good stories from on set feuds of the shows she has been involved with.

 

Bwah, I'm old enough to have watched Cybil when it was first run.  I remember the chatter about how Shepard was not happy about Baranski's popularity.  Though compared to what's going on with TGW, it was pretty well known by the public at the time.

 

I don't understand Robin not being around.  It never made sense that Kalinda being there would affect Robin since Diane is Miss Moneybag's.  It especially made no sense considering that AP is gone after this season and there's still at least one more season for this show to go.  I'm not even convinced that Kalinda will make it to the end of the season.  I can see TPTB writing her out during Feb sweeps.  I call shenanigans.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

 

I'm not even convinced that Kalinda will make it to the end of the season.  I can see TPTB writing her out during Feb sweeps

I've been getting the same feeling. For some reason, I don't see her making it until the end of the season. I don't  think it will be anything dramatic like with Will, but I think she is out of there before the end of this season. 

Link to comment

I, like everyone else, have no idea what the deal is with JM & AP,  but I do know that during the ER years, I had the opportunity to meet  with someone rather high up who worked on "ER" and he said, "Julianna is a bit of a princess." So, maybe the rumors are true.

Link to comment

Regarding this past week's ep of TGW (Nov.2, 2014)-

https://tv.yahoo.com/news/ratings-abc-dramas-madam-secy-rise-good-wife-165920549.html

From the article-CBS  "Pending adjustments due to football overrun, Madam Secretary (12.8 mil/1.8) right now is looking at best-since-premiere numbers (up 9 and 20 percent week-to-week), while The Good Wife (9.6 mil/1.3) is down 6 and 13 percent."

I'm not surprised the ratings are down, I've been DVR'ing The Good Wife and watching The Walking Dead. TWD is CREAMING the competition.

  • Love 1
Link to comment

From TV Line's Ask Ausiello:

 

Question: Has The Good Wife completely written Jess Weixler (Robyn) out of the season now that Kalinda is with Florrick Agos and Lockhart? —Jordan

Ausiello: Robyn’s not currently set to appear in any of the show’s remaining Season 6 episodes, but I’d be shocked — no, make that stupefied — if we didn’t see her back before the end of the season.

Link to comment

I read MC's interview that was posted hear earlier.  Thank you.

 

It is interesting that MC doesn't even know if there will be a S7.  I believe the Kings have gone on record saying the series was scripted for 7 seasons....

 

However things seem to be imploding.  The actors who play Josh, Kalinda and her son are gone or on the way out.  The Kings have taken the magic out of good supporting players Canning and Elsbeth.  MC's story line would take the entire season but it appears to be expedited.  Diane L would have more than 1 case in the works - could have worked with Alicia on the rape case - but that didn't happen - why?

 

I feel like JM is being separated from the cast.  A good visual is when she is absorbed in her election last week and watched through glass as Cary's life imploded with the death of another witness. 

Link to comment

Aw, what a great article with Matt, I missed that it had been posted. His joy for Archie is adorable, and wow he's not a bad shade thrower (not surprising Archie is good too). His response that he's "aware" of the rumors, and answering with it's story driven (yet never denying there IS an issue), and anyway maybe you should talk to the Kings about *THAT*. Hey.

 

 I kind of hope he leaves the show after this year too, though it would make full circle sense for this to be the last season, have Alicia elected to public office.

Link to comment
×
×
  • Create New...