S07.E17: Shoot

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Diane, Cary, and Lucca defend the grieving father of a shooting victim in a defamation suit over a billboard he put up describing a gun store owner as a murderer. Also, a romantic rendezvous between Alicia and Jason is interrupted when Alicia learns that Grace is being accused of plagiarizing her college entrance essay.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Welp.  I am very disappointed that that's all that the fine Blair Underwood had to do on this show.

 

Dorota from Gossip Girl speaking with an American accent got me like "Whaa??????????????"

[TigerLynx]

I don't know why Alicia and Eli are trying to help Peter, but their antics with the grand jury are amusing.

 

Jason, you idiot, you have no reason or right to be jealous of Peter.  Alicia loves Will, and you are no Will.

 

I liked Alicia standing up for Grace.

[shapeshifter]

Satisfying judgement/award of damages.

[Thog]

Well, that was the most depressing first 10 minutes of a show since _Up_.

 

Could they not get Gary Cole? I was very surprised to see Diane argue a case all about guns without any mention of her pro-gun rights ballistics expert husband.

 

WTH was Alicia wearing on her arms in the kitchen? Were those leg warmers, or were they somehow attached to her sheer sweater?

 

At least she's well aware of the dangerous game she's playing by being so public with her affections for a man who is not her public figure of a husband.

 

I would never want to go to a college that my mom had to fight to get me into. Did Grace not apply anywhere else? Maybe this is a world in which there is just one college in Chicago, in addition to a single law firm?

 

I actually did enjoy the case and its resolution. but so much else about this episode was distracting.

[vibeology]

A few episodes ago Grace was failing classes. If she didn't get into college, maybe that's why.  

 

I will miss Abernathy when this show is done. He's been a well-written judge who has his quirks but because of Dennis O'Hare's great performance has never been over the top.

 

As for Alicia, I cannot believe she can so easily turn on Cary. Cary, who started a law firm with her and Cary who had her back over and over all because Diane got Luca an office. Does she not think she owes Cary anything? Does their history not matter at all to her?

 

I hope someone did get a picture of Alicia and Smirky all over each other in public. I get that she and Peter have an arrangement, but I would have assumed some discretion was implied. That was just sloppy.

[kwnyc]

 

I would never want to go to a college that my mom had to fight to get me into. Did Grace not apply anywhere else?

I think this was her standard college essay: one she'd use to submit to many colleges. And if she's blackballed by the essay-checking software, then she actually is up shit's creek. So Alicia made herself quite useful as both a Mom and a lawyer without breaking a sweat. I still think Alicia ought to start a class action suit against them if the software is that bad. 

 

(Oh, in the case of the week, as someone who used to work in the travel industry, I can tell you that trick of using people who pass through the airport as part of the total annual tourism figure is an actual technique some tourism boards use.)

 

Also, that moment when PI Smirk lost his Smirk at Lucca's reveal that Alicia saw him with his "friend" was amazing. It's the only time we haven't seen him with that look on his face since he's been on the show.

[Inquisitionist]

I missed the last few minutes due to DVR issues (and Madame Secretary running waaaaaaay over).  Did anything of substance happen after accepted the invitation to celebrate Lucca's promotion?

[CleoCaesar]

To my great surprise, I kind of liked this one. For the first time in weeks I didn't fast-forward anything.

 

Hands-down the most depressing opening ever. Blair Underwood is like a fine wine.

 

Totally did not place Dorota! She looked so familiar, but the accent just threw me off.

 

JM looked quite pretty in the scene in the kitchen when she confronted Smirky. But holy hell, Alicia is such a snake. What did Cary ever do to her? I get that she has an underdeveloped sense of loyalty to anyone, but geez. That was just cold.

 

What exactly did Luca do to "earn" that office over the other associates? Nothing? Thought so.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Totally did not place Dorota! She looked so familiar, but the accent just threw me off.

 

Her very deep voice and looks brought to mind Rosie O'Donnell and Paula Poundstone.

 

The high school counselor's hairstyle made me laugh.  

 

I've said this before, but JDM's red/orange tan bothers me way more than the Smirk!

[Athena5217]

I think Alicia is now into dressing up like a giant panda as foreplay. That is the only logical explanation for that wierd top she wore in the kitchen.

The easy software was so bad it was not believable. If it flags every essay with a quotation as plagiarized, wouldn't it flag the majority of essays? I would think a college would find those results suspicious, and stop using the software rather than defend it. But hey, I'm just a rational human being not a fictional admissions officer for a fictional college.

[CleoCaesar]

Her very deep voice and looks brought to mind Rosie O'Donnell and Paula Poundstone.

 

I picked up a little young Isabella Rossellini for some reason.

 

 

The easy software was so bad it was not believable. If it flags every essay with a quotation as plagiarized, wouldn't it flag the majority of essays?

 

When I was in college, some professors had us turn in our papers via TurnItIn.com, I think it was called. It was basically the same software described on the show, but it showed a percentage of potentially plagiarized text. Like say if only 5% of the text matched similar papers (I'm just using a made-up percentage), a professor could conclude that it was probably quotations that showed up as "plagiarism" and could disregard it. Now if, say, 70% matched similar papers, that looks much more suspicious.

[AttackTurtle]

Three years ago, this was my must-see show of the week. Now I could care less how it all ends. PI Smirky and Alicia have zero chemistry. All the storyline does is make me miss Will more; however I no longer think Alicia is worthy of Will. And screw you Alicia for lying to Carey.

[Kathyk1024]

Are we even supposed to like Alicia anymore? Are we supposed to be happy for her happiness with Smirky? Are we supposed to believe the blonde was just a friend?

[Ms Blue Jay]

I'd love to hear the people behind the show justifying Alicia screwing over Cary.  There's no way that goes down okay with whatever "fans" remain.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Kathyk1024]

I'd like Cary to win, whatever that may be.

[pennben]

I missed the last few minutes due to DVR issues (and Madame Secretary running waaaaaaay over).  Did anything of substance happen after accepted the invitation to celebrate Lucca's promotion?

 

I think this was after that point, Alicia lied to Cary about Diane approaching her about an all women firm.  Oh, and Alicia gave Smirky (great nickname by the way whoever came up with it) a hand job at a restaurant while joking how much fun it would be if someone noticed them and it was a front page story.

 

 

Are we even supposed to like Alicia anymore?

 

I'm conflicted on the answer to this question. On the one hand, I think they may think we are cheering her on after all of these years of seeing her being the one being played that she has come into her own now and is making her own way.  On the other hand, I think maybe they don't want us to like her because, it seems her lessons from all of these past transgressions against her is, basically, what the hell, I can be as big as a jackass as they were to me.

 

Okay, I watch How To Get Away With Murder.  Now, before your eyes glaze over, it is not nearly the show that this show used to be and it never will be, that's not where I'm going with this.  I only raise this because it has a lead woman attorney, Annalise, as the star of the show.  And Annalise is someone that does awful things and is not a good person and is not someone that should be liked.  But, as a viewer, I can see how the things the show has been telling us about what happened to her in the past have led her to be how she is now.  Also, Viola Davis plays the character and just makes you feel everything that character feels.

 

I simply don't understand Alicia's motives anymore, and I've been watching six years of things that she's been involved in leading up to where she is today.  To me, she has been coming off as petulant and rebellious with no real purpose behind anything she's doing recently.  And I don't mean to imply it's just an acting issue here (because in the past, I've bought into what JM is selling as Alicia), I think it's a writing/show direction issue here as well.

 

ETA:  Beyond that, I thought both legal issue explorations tonight were really interesting and well-done.  The grand jury machinations just reminded me of "Another Ham Sandwich" and the other episodes in Season 3 dealing with Wendy Scott Carr and a grand jury.

Edited March 21, 2016 by pennben

[lidarose9]

Sunday nights are so stressful now. I worry every minute of the hour that someone will get killed on The Walking Dead, and then I have to endure an hour of The Good Wife, wishing zombies would eat them all. Ugh.

[TigerLynx]

I didn't think we were supposed to see Alicia as justified in lying to Cary.  It's just business as usual at Lockhart, Gardner, Florrick, Aggos, Canning, Lee et al.  Next week Cary or Diane will team up with David Lee to get rid of Aicia, or Diane, Cary, Alicia will team up to get rid of David Lee, or Canning will join the firm and stab all of them in the back, or Will will return from the dead and fire all of them.

 

I don't think Alicia gives a damn about her fake marriage to Peter.  I think she wants to get caught.  She told Jason she has wasted the last 20 years of her life.  Having "dangerous sex" and risking getting caught is way of ending her marriage to Peter, and humiliating Peter in the process would just be icing on the cake.

[Tetraneutron]

Wow. The current Presidential candidates aren't trying as hard to sell themselves as this show is trying to sell Alicia and Jason as this epic, romantic love story (and also with amazing set-off-the-sprinklers sexual chemistry). Tone it down, Jesus. The harder you try, the more we notice you try. Let narrative convention take care of it. 

 

Could they not get Gary Cole? I was very surprised to see Diane argue a case all about guns without any mention of her pro-gun rights ballistics expert husband.

 

I would never want to go to a college that my mom had to fight to get me into. Did Grace not apply anywhere else? Maybe this is a world in which there is just one college in Chicago, in addition to a single law firm?

 

I actually did enjoy the case and its resolution. but so much else about this episode was distracting.

Gary Cole's character wouldn't have made sense. He's a ballistics expert, meaning he deals with how guns are used. The case had nothing to do with the actual gun, but the business practices of the place that sold it. 

 

As for Grace, her mother wasn't fighting to get her into anything. The show made extraordinarily clear that Faketurnitin.com was completely incompetent and had flagged an obviously non-plagiarised essay as plagiarised. Since students submit one essay for every college they apply to, and since plagiarism can get you expelled and is generally a huge deal for colleges, Alicia had to fight it. Personally, I thought two cases of the week were too much - neither one was developed. And it seemed like the writers are getting bored with Abernathy. Usually he's a much worse liberal caricature. He was just kind of blah, like the writers remembered "Oh yeah, he's the liberal wuss! Have him say something lefty." 

 

Loving the courtroom stuff. We didn't get any new info, just that AUSA Glee is a dick. They're doling out tiny drops of info at a time. Now we learn that the defendant in Peter's old trial was his donor's son, not his. We still don't know why any of this would involve Ruth, Marisa, or Judge Shakowsky. Especially Ruth. And all that stuff about the election board they were setting up this season, nothing's going to happen with that? 

[Dowel Jones]

I don't think Alicia gives a damn about her fake marriage to Peter.

 

 

I noticed the show did not have her wearing a ring this week.  Last week, I believe, she did have it on.

[pennben]

Loving the courtroom stuff. We didn't get any new info, just that AUSA Glee is a dick. They're doling out tiny drops of info at a time. Now we learn that the defendant in Peter's old trial was his donor's son, not his. We still don't know why any of this would involve Ruth, Marisa, or Judge Shakowsky. Especially Ruth. And all that stuff about the election board they were setting up this season, nothing's going to happen with that? 

 

To me, the most interesting thing in this grand jury stuff is that Alicia waived her spousal privilege in front of the grand jury thinking she (and Eli) knew what was really going on with the investigation and the grand jurors.  This means if she's called back for further testimony for something that she doesn't want to discuss, she's a bit stuck now as once waived, she can't now just claim spousal privilege for questions. Now, maybe the AUSA tricked her into this, or maybe he decided that once the door was open, might as well bring in the wheelbarrow carrying god knows what against Peter.  Beyond that, I guess she can always then go to asserting her fifth amendment rights if it is something that could incriminate her, but that will leave the grand jurors wondering why she was so open to talk earlier. 

 

Anyway, that's just something that struck me about the emphasis on 'once waived, it's waived' at the beginning of her testimony.  I just went back and watched "Another Ham Sandwich", there's some parallel/funhouse mirror-like things going on in both these grand jury episodes.

Edited March 21, 2016 by pennben

[Klapaucius]

I'd love to hear the people behind the show justifying Alicia screwing over Cary.  There's no way that goes down okay with whatever "fans" remain.

"It was intentional". That's the way Robert King alway explains all the writing mess in that show. Said that I thought the "justification" is Lucca. It's like Alicia is teaming with Diane, screwing over Cary and lying to him to give Lucca an office and a promotion. But I don't get it and I don't buy it. I don't buy that instant friendship between those two and I loathe that those writers screwed over core characters like Diane and Cary, with a 7 years long history, and their relationships with Alicia to favor two new and mostly undeveloped characters (who mostly I don't give a damn about). Everytime I saw those 3 (Jason, Alicia and Lucca) I think "that is so fake and unfounded. And underserved.".  Also notice: even when other characters are plotting to screw him over, Cary has nothing to do or to say. Matt Czuchry really pissed producers off to get that treatment.

[wendyg]

My theory is that the team of writers has changed, and the newer writers are more comfortable with the characters they created than the original ones that came with the show. I think that also explains the show's forgetfulness - not just that Diane's husband is never mentioned, but a few episodes ago when they had Diane do a potted history of the firm she mentioned Stern (I was amazed they remembered him) but not Will, which just seemed bizarre for the characters, but par for a group of writers who want to pretend that the show as it is now is how it's always been.

[Klapaucius]

My theory is that the team of writers has changed, and the newer writers are more comfortable with the characters they created than the original ones that came with the show. I think that also explains the show's forgetfulness - not just that Diane's husband is never mentioned, but a few episodes ago when they had Diane do a potted history of the firm she mentioned Stern (I was amazed they remembered him) but not Will, which just seemed bizarre for the characters, but par for a group of writers who want to pretend that the show as it is now is how it's always been.

It's a good theory. But it doesn't explain why they were pretty much comfortable with Eli but not with Cary and Diane.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awww, it was nice to see Lindsay's mom from Freaks and Geeks again! Bonus: Dorota!

 

Helicopter parenting annoys me, so it was great to see a situation where parental involvement was merited (as opposed to the parents who call their kids' teachers and ask them to change their grades because Snowflake is sooooooo much smarter than the grade they were given).

 

It feels like it's been a while since Eli got a win, so it was fun to see him get totally excited when he heard the juror start questioning Mr. Schue. To be honest, given all the giant desk/tiny office stunts Eli has been stuck with, I was afraid they were going to have him fall off the trash can.

 

Alicia and Jason are complete idiots. it was bad enough when they were getting snuggly in the corner as she whispered in his ear, but DUDE, you're going to jerk him off under the table? She is starting to remind me of Mariah Carey after her divorce. You can enjoy your freedom without acting out or making yourself look like a dumb 14 year old whose parents are away for the weekend for the first time.

Edited March 21, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Thog]

 

Gary Cole's character wouldn't have made sense. He's a ballistics expert, meaning he deals with how guns are used. The case had nothing to do with the actual gun, but the business practices of the place that sold it.

Oh, sure. I just thought he might be mentioned because Diane had a gun rights-related case, and he would certainly have an opinion. I used to really enjoy their discussions, and seeing how they could disagree yet respect each other's perspectives. It was refreshing.

[shapeshifter]

When I was in college, some professors had us turn in our papers via TurnItIn.com, I think it was called. It was basically the same software described on the show, but it showed a percentage of potentially plagiarized text. Like say if only 5% of the text matched similar papers (I'm just using a made-up percentage), a professor could conclude that it was probably quotations that showed up as "plagiarism" and could disregard it. Now if, say, 70% matched similar papers, that looks much more suspicious.

The institution where I am employed chose not use TurnItIn because once the papers are inputted, Turnitin has copyrights to them, so I have often been asked to read papers suspected of plagiarism--though never an admission essay. My problem was that Alicia complained that the plagiarism charge would not have stuck if Grace had put the Sermon on the Mount phrase in quotes. I probably would have presented that as an reason for it being plagiarism, but more importantly would have stated that since there was no presumption that the readers were familiar with the source, it had to be referenced--which was not mentioned in the episode. It seems like the writers misinterpreted their fact checkers info on plagiarism and gave the lines to the wrong character. Or maybe they just thought it sounded better that way. Or maybe it's fine the way it is because they made it clear that the Admissions lady did not know it was from the Sermon on the Mount--in part because Not-Turnitin wouldn't have told her.

Since I'm not a lawyer, no bending of the finer points of law on the show annoy me, and I doubt very many viewers caught the plagiarism ommission of the main reason it was considered plagiarism--but it definitely took me out of the scene.

It feels like it's been a while since Eli got a win, so it was fun to see him get totally excited when he heard the juror start questioning Mr. Schue. To be honest, given all the giant desk/tiny office stunts Eli has been stuck with, I was afraid they were going to have him fall off the trash can.

Given Alan Cumming's experience with dancing and pratfalls on Broadway, it sounds like an opportunity missed. Edited March 21, 2016 by shapeshifter

[33kaitykaity]

The under-the-table hand-job was gross and stupid.  The things I liked were the $0.10-per-day damages, the AUSA being so flustered by Alicia actually answering his questions, Alicia standing up for Grace and totally smoking that admissions official, and Luka getting that freaking office.  

 

I only starting watching the show last year.  The whole concept of it just put me off, Chris Noth never did anything for me, and I couldn't stand Matt Czuchry from his days on Gilmore Girls.  I had a lull in something to watch and I liked JDM from Extant, so I thought why not?  Something tells me when I go back to binge-watch the earlier episodes after the show is over, I'll be kicking myself for enjoying what they're doing now.  

Edited March 21, 2016 by 33kaitykaity

[BusyOctober]

I don't like most of the main characters anymore.  Cary and David Lee are the only ones from the original bunch that hold my interest. And they are hardly ever on screen unless wring their hands and wondering who to partner with next.  I do love Eliot and would watch him standing on a trash can eavesdropping in a spin-off.

 

Diane has become a paranoid crone who is more interested in being top dog rather than the law. 

 

 I can't sand Lucca or Jason.  Lucca is supposed to be brilliant and no-nonsense and a "straight shooter" who tells it like it is.  However all I see is someone who is miserable all the time.  She as a perma-bitch face thing vs. just "resting bitch face".  If Jason is Smirky McSmirkison, Lucca is Frowny McFrownsalot. I don't see ANY chemistry between her and Alicia as friends. Drinking buddies, maybe.

 

Jason and the smirks and sly "sexy" side eye glances...ENOUGH!  I don't know the actor from anything else, but I hope the guy has more tricks in his bag than that infuriating smirk.  He's become so one-note, I want to FF through his scenes.

 

Alicia has been unlikeable for a few years, but I think maybe her character is supposed to be going through a mid-life crisis/mental breakdown.  I'm tired of hearing how she "wasted 20 years" of her life.  If you are done with your marriage, end it already!  Don't be a martyr.  Staying married to Peter is not doing him or Alicia any good.  Plenty of politicians survive the "horror" of a divorce, so using the Floricks' political ambitions as an excuse to stay together is ridiculous.  And part of those "wasted" 20 years includes your 2 children.  How do you think that would make your kid feel if they heard you say their entire childhood was a "waste" of your time?

 

When does this show end?  I'm only staying with it in the hopes that 1) Peter goes to jail, 2)the revolving law firm fails, 3) the Florick kids catch on that their parents are egomaniacal shells of human beings & disown them 4) Alicia ends up in rehab for her drinking.  I don't want any happily ever after for anyone except Cary & Eliot.

[preeya]

Are we even supposed to like Alicia anymore? Are we supposed to be happy for her happiness with Smirky? Are we supposed to believe the blonde was just a friend?

His encounter with the woman seemed much more than a "just a friend" kiss.

[marny]

Alicia's wig looked better this week.  So there's that.

 

I was hoping the rest of this season would be about the governor's wife publicly canoodling with guys in bars and the blowback from the press about that.  Instead it looks like it's more about Peter who, frankly, no one actually gives a shit about.  He's barely a character on the show at this point. So, why do the writers think we care about what happens to him? 

Edited March 21, 2016 by marny

[Ms Blue Jay]

Yes, Mariah Carey admits she's stuck in the teenage years and enjoys movies like Mean Girls, but she has never been caught giving an HJ in public

Edited March 21, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Thog]

You know, Lucca did give them the option of just going home and getting a room rather than staying to help her celebrate. That display was not only juvenile and risky, it was also disrespectful to her.

 

I did notice that Jason told Alicia the blonde was an old friend and it didn't mean anything, but he did not say that nothing happened.

[Primetimer]

Is there any opponent Alicia can't beat off?

Read the story

[Tetraneutron]

You know, Lucca did give them the option of just going home and getting a room rather than staying to help her celebrate. That display was not only juvenile and risky, it was also disrespectful to her.

 

I did notice that Jason told Alicia the blonde was an old friend and it didn't mean anything, but he did not say that nothing happened.

Am I the only one who completely forgets Luca exists when she's not on screen? I like her fine but she doesn't register. She's not a character, she's a prop to show Alicia being a good and loyal friend. Or else she's a plot device to start her own firm/be the catalyst for the latest law firm musical chairs/move the Alicia and Jason romance forward. I can't imagine Luca off in her own plot, driven by HER character, her motivations, her goals, the way I can with the main cast, or even David Lee or Howard or Peter. 

 

As for Jason, we know the show ends with him and Alicia happily ever after, right? Alicia ends up with a man madly in love with her who would never cheat on her. 

[Inquisitionist]

 Oh, and Alicia gave Smirky (great nickname by the way whoever came up with it) a hand job at a restaurant while joking how much fun it would be if someone noticed them and it was a front page story.

 

I thought you were making a sarcastic joke, but having seen other people refer to this, all I can add is "Eeeeeew." 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Inquisitionist

[matragy]

Did anyone else get the sense that the scene between Alicia and Diane wasn't done with the two actresses together? I haven't gone back to look, but my first impression was you never see the two of them head on, or even in profile, in the same shot.

[candall]

I gave this show up temporarily so I could live-chat TWD (fun!) but Madam Secretary ran late so I stayed to catch up with the old gang.

 

Guess what?  It's exactly like sugar--once it's out of your system, you don't really care that much anymore.

 

 

[tennisgurl]

Did we ever find out if Smirky was a sociopath? Isn't that still a legit question? I am certainly still asking it. I do not think Alicia is a sociopath. I do not think she is a particularly good person, but I wouldn't go so far as calling her a sociopath. Smirky? Still up for debate. 

 

I admit, and I did feel bad about this for a second, but I laughed out loud at the random "everybody hurts" song lyric the second Alicia saw Smirky kiss blond girl. It was just so dramatic and ridiculous. Like, truly this moment if the truest tragedy of Alicia's life.  

 

Wish we had seen more of Blair Underwood and his story. I was way more emotionally invested in the opener about his daughter than I have been in the main characters in ages. 

 

I continue to question what the point of a Girl Power law firm is. I know they said that it was to get people to expect a kinder, gentler law firm, so they would be...underestimated? Will they work with "women issues"? What would that mean? How would that function? I do not get it! 

 

Also, watching the courtroom scenes kind of just make me want to watch Daredevil. 

Edited March 21, 2016 by tennisgurl

[CleoCaesar]

I know they said that it was to get people to expect a kinder, gentler law firm, so they would be...underestimated? Will they work with "women issues"? What would that mean? How would that function? I do not get it!

 

It makes no goddamn sense. First of all, who would even want to hire a kinder, gentler law firm? People want to hire sharks who get results. Secondly, anyone who pretends to be for "equality" with a straight face and then proceed to exhibit ridiculously discriminatory hiring practices is a hypocrite of the first order. Thirdly, what is going to happen with all the male associates already at the firm?

 

Maybe Diane is having some kind of mental health episode because her behavior is illogical, erratic, and totally out of character.

Edited March 21, 2016 by CleoCaesar

[Dowel Jones]

Oh, and Alicia gave Smirky (great nickname by the way whoever came up with it) a hand job at a restaurant while joking how much fun it would be if someone noticed them and it was a front page story.

 

What would have happened had one of Alicia's clients/supporters walked up to the table, said hi, and stuck out their hand for a greeting handshake?  Eww.

 

 

I don't know the actor from anything else,...

 

In one of the most ignominious scenes from Grey's Anatomy, he had what's commonly known as Dead Denny Sex with Izzy Stephens.  It was Katherine Heigl's jump the shark moment for the series.

 

Regarding the bathroom plot device, wouldn't that vent work both ways, such as possibly hearing a toilet flush, or maybe the cleaning woman singing as she worked?

[Tetraneutron]

It makes no goddamn sense. First of all, who would even want to hire a kinder, gentler law firm? People want to hire sharks who get results. Secondly, anyone who pretends to be for "equality" with a straight face and then proceed to exhibit ridiculously discriminatory hiring practices is a hypocrite of the first order. Thirdly, what is going to happen with all the male associates already at the firm?

 

Yeah, you can tell the writers know this is a stupid plot device because they keep trying to justify it. This week Diane claimed she only got the idea for a women's only firm because David and Cary tried to backstab her first. Last time the issue came up, it was about how a women-only firm was a sound business move, because clients like female partners (which, as you point out, is garbage). The writers are making sure we don't see this move as some sort of big feminist statement because they know it won't hold up to scrutiny. 

 

I don't mind Diane being the villain (her character has consistently been written as paranoid, screwed over in the past, and willing to screw others over in turn so this is all par for the course) so I can buy that she'd go for another spin on the name-partner merry-go-round. It just makes no sense for Alicia to join her. Of all the partners, why would Alicia trust Diane, or support her over Cary? It's either some pseudofeminist principle, which is dumb and the show isn't asking me to buy Alicia believes that in the second place, or it's the standard power grabs, which at least make sense - IF WE IGNORE THAT JUST A FEW EPISODES AGO DIANE DIDN'T EVEN WANT ALICIA AT L/A/L AND HAD TO HAVE CARY TALK HER INTO IT.

 

And both Cary and Diane know David Lee embezzeled, remember? If Diane wants to make a power grab against David Lee, why isn't she using that as leverage? Why is Cary allying with him? I have officially put more thought into this plotline than the writers have. 

 

Any guesses as to what the AUSA is trying to do? We all agree it's more complicated than just ASA Peter tanking a trial to help out the love child of a big donor, right?

[TigerLynx]

I don't think Alicia and Jason are supposed to be a romantic love story.  I fully expect Peter and Jason to get blindsided by Alicia in a variation of "I chose me.  I would chose Will, but he's dead.  I'm tired of standing by you through all your sleazy actions (to Peter), and I'm only using you for sex (to Jason)."

 

I can't help thinking about how this would all be playing out if Will was still alive and on the show, Kalinda was still there, and Alicia and Cary (who actually has a SL, meaningful scenes and dialogue) had stayed partners at their law firm, and never gone back to Lockhart, Gardner, etc. etc.

 

The Diane, Alicia, Cary, David Lee stuff just seems like redundant nonsense the writers keep repeating because they can't figure out any new interesting conflicts, so they keep doing the shake up at the law firm every week which has become beyond boring and ridiculous.

Edited March 21, 2016 by TigerLynx

[kwnyc]

Is there any opponent Alicia can't beat off?

 

My hat is off to you. But please don't shake my hand.

Edited March 21, 2016 by kwnyc

[shapeshifter]

As for Jason, we know the show ends with him and Alicia happily ever after, right? Alicia ends up with a man madly in love with her who would never cheat on her.

Sarcasm, right? Because that "didn't mean anything" old girlfriend kiss did indeed mean to me that he is a cheater.

[Inquisitionist]

The only top-flight law firm I know of that is predominantly women did not set out for that status.

Brune & Richard:

 

They never intended to build an all-female firm. “That wasn’t the plan,” Ms. Brune said. “It just happened, and then it became kind of a thing.”

It’s still kind of a thing. Today, 13 of the 19 lawyers at Brune & Richard are women. Six of its nine partners are women. Across 220 of the country’s largest law firms, women represent 19 percent of all partners, according to a recent National Law Journal study.

 

The article is from April 2013.  Since then, Hillary Richard has retired and Susan Brune now heads Brune Law.

[crashdown]

Add me to the list of formerly serious fans who is terribly disappointed by how the show appears to be winding up the story.  I do blame the problems that I'm seeing on the fact that the writers are relying so heavily on the new characters of Jason and Lucca.  A really good drama deepens and improves as it builds on the nuances that we've learned about established characters over a long period of time--that's one reason why episodes like "Another Ham Sandwich" and "Hitting the Fan" worked so well: they traded on years of character development that suddenly exploded into powerful plots.  (That's also why "The Americans" just gets better every season--they know how to build drama carefully and deeply, grounded in character above everything else.)  If Will and Kalinda were still around, things would feel altogether different.  Since they're not around, the writers should have focused Alicia's character arc on interactions with Diane and Cary, not on interactions with Smirky and Lucca.

 

i don't believe for one second, by the way, that Alicia and Jason will skip happily off into the sunset.  My best guess is that Jason will disappoint/betray Alicia in some fashion, but that she'll still choose not to stand beside Peter with regard to this latest scandal.  My second-best guess is that she WILL still stick with Peter.  The Kings love to confound expectations, and they'd enjoy leaving viewers annoyed and dissatisfied if they feel as though what they're doing is true to Alicia's character and her seven-season "education."

[HawaiiTVGuy]

Of course...anyone see the obvious solution to defamation.  Add the words..."sold the gun that" in between "Gloria's" and "murdered" in really really SMALL print, or as a footnote, and you are not liable for defamation.

Geezus.

 

Kind of a good way for the judge to put the matter to bed though.  The damages portion of the case was iffy at best according to what we knew from the show, so it wasn't like a huge amount was being owed the store owner.  And the store owner can't appeal the finding, as it was in her favor, and the billboard owner won't appeal the finding because the damages are so minimal.  In other words, is it worth it to the gun owner, whose business has actually been better, to waste money on an appeal over damages that are iffy and open themselves up to a cross-appeal on the findings?

 

And come on...the whole handjob thing in public is so over-the-top.  At least go into the damn bathroom.  Or just don't sit so freaking close together.  It isn't like you don't have arms.

[Tetraneutron]

i don't believe for one second, by the way, that Alicia and Jason will skip happily off into the sunset.  My best guess is that Jason will disappoint/betray Alicia in some fashion, but that she'll still choose not to stand beside Peter with regard to this latest scandal.  My second-best guess is that she WILL still stick with Peter.  The Kings love to confound expectations, and they'd enjoy leaving viewers annoyed and dissatisfied if they feel as though what they're doing is true to Alicia's character and her seven-season "education."

 

I think giving another man a public handy while Peter's facing a federal prosecutor makes it pretty clear Alicia isn't sticking with Peter. As for Will and Kalinda, I agree that if Will were there the  show would be better since they wouldn't have to push so hard trying to make Jason into the sexiest love interest ever. With Will they had a character to draw back on in telling his story with Alicia. They didn't have enough time to develop a personality with Jason so they just made him a generic pheromone bomb. (Kalinda was basically a nonentity by the end of season 3, so it didn't matter as much with her). 

Sarcasm, right? Because that "didn't mean anything" old girlfriend kiss did indeed mean to me that he is a cheater.

I don't think the show will go in that direction. It would mean that Alicia is no better than she was 7 years ago, when she was the meek, frumpy, suburban housewife having no idea her man was cheating on her right under her nose. The whole point of the show is that's not who Alicia is anymore, that she's not only a tough, brilliant lawyer but confident and sexy, with men more desirable than Peter madly in love with her. So I don't see how the Jason storyline ends any other way than Jason making it clear it's over with the blonde woman and it's all about Alicia for him. 

 

(The show COULD do an "I choose me" plot for Alicia, but I don't see it. What kind of TV show doesn't end with the heroine happily in love?)