S07.E21: Verdict

[ElectricBoogaloo]

As Peter's trial begins, Alicia works desperately to keep her husband from returning to jail. Diane and Lucca move aggressively to expand the law firm, but face serious opposition from David Lee.

 

Promo:

[CaptainCranky]

This episode sounds like Tammy Wynette's old song, "Stand by your Man".

[TigerLynx]

Eli being more upset that Peter might have still been cheating on Alicia than Alicia was was funny.

Cary was a stand up guy to the end.

I hope going forward Diane and Kurt keep their personal and their business lives separate.

What is David Lee whining about?  This was the deal he made behind Cary's back with Diane when he agreed to make Alicia a partner.

Do the writers know if Peter is guilty?  Are they just going to keep flip flopping back and forth between Peter being guilty vs. Peter being set up until the end leaving the viewers with no answer?

Alicia is pathetic.  If Jason doesn't want to live happily ever after with her, is Alicia going to stupidly stay married to lying cheating Peter who she no longer loves and is no longer happy with, because being single would somehow be worse?  Seriously?  Do the idiot writers realize it is 2016?

[tennisgurl]

I still do not get the appeal of the all female firm. Would they only take female clients, or deal with "womens issues"? No one has really explained what this thing is or what its purpose is. 

Honestly, I did kind of like the Peter and Alicia stuff. Peter and Alicia are rather awful, but they have a lot of history, and I do find them compelling in a way. I liked when Peter admitted he never liked wine. I think if Alcia had known that early, she would have filed for irreconcilable differences! I would rather watch them than be bored watching Alicia/Jason.

To me, the biggest issue this season was all the focus on new characters Jason and Luca, and not enough on people like Carey and Dianne. 

Carey has become a real stand up guy. I hope he gets a happy ending. 

[me5671]

23 minutes ago, TigerLynx said:

Do the writers know if Peter is guilty?  Are they just going to keep flip flopping back and forth between Peter being guilty vs. Peter being set up until the end leaving the viewers with no answer?

Amen!  This is my biggest complaint about this whole story line with Peter's trial.  I have no idea if I'm supposed to be rooting for him to be convicted or not.  The whole thing has been so arbitrary and inconsistently written.  What's worse, I think the writers believe that we're supposed to root for Peter and Alicia 'til the end, as if that's all we care about and the truth of the matter is irrelevant.  If that's what the writers think (which is how it appears from how this story line has unfolded so far), then I'm afraid that they won't even address the issue of whether or not Peter actually did something wrong in this instance.  

I also hate what the writers have reduced Alicia too this season.  She just seems so pathetic: sitting there beside Peter, a prop once again, just like she was during his S1 scandal.  All of the independence and assertiveness she had gained throughout those middle seasons is just *POOF* gone for no discernible reason. I don't get the writing here, I really don't.

Here's hoping that we get some sort of satisfying conclusion next week.  I have no idea what such a conclusion would be, so if the writers find a way to make it so I'll be impressed!

Edited May 2, 2016 by me5671

[dbell1]

Peter's speech to Alicia was one of the best prices of writing this season, if not the series.  It reminded me of why I fell in love with this show and why I've stayed with it through the bad, the silly, and the boring.  And Alicia fake crying to Canning was brilliant.  

The construction bs, the annoying music, and smirky Jason, now that can all go away.

I did get worried for Diane and Kurt, the show is not allowed to do that for the final episode. At all.

[Athena5217]

I wanted to hug Cary  when he told Alicia she doesn't know him at all after all thes years. Cary seems to be getting the child-caught-up-in-the-divorce edit.

i'm a woman and proud to call myself a feminist, and I HATE the all female partner law firm plot more every week. It just makes no sense for an established law firm.  If this idea is so important to Diane, why has she had so many male named partners?

I dont know whether to believe Peter or not about the affair with Geneva Pine. It's scary how convincing he is.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Athena5217

[PurpleFishHead]

That was the dullest penultimate episode I've ever seen. 

[CleoCaesar]

The only things I am rooting for are 1) Cary's happiness, and 2) for David Lee's discrimination lawsuit to succeed and for the firm to go under. It's not like the firm ISN'T discriminating by sex - it is and proudly, deliberately so.

Seriously, these are all vile people. Why should I want Peter to go free? Or for Alicia to be happy? Or for Jason, or Diane (her feminist crap and backstabbing Cary has made me actually hate her, and she was one of my favorites all along), or ANY of them?

ONLY ONE MORE TO GO.
 

[Frozendiva]

The all-female law firm seems like a cheap gimmick and a marketing ploy. Maybe if it was the 1970s or early 1980s when female lawyers were seemingly as rare as female engineers. What is the point of it? Will it attract more rich female clients? The female sisterhood is still polluted with Queen Bees and WannaBees. High school for 40 year olds.

I don't really even know why exactly Peter is on trial, except as a plot point. As an example, sure. There are bigger fish to fry. Alicia, it is 2016 (maybe you should have watched some actual Canadian news coverage when our PM was called on why he has an equal male and female Cabinet - because it's 2015!) and you no longer have to be the 'good wife' who puts up with a husband you do not love or want in your life and a marriage that has gone well past its expiration date. You can end it quietly and move on to a better life. Mr. Smirky Investigator may not be right for you, but you do have options. It's better to be single than wishing you were. You get the whole bed, the whole fridge, and the TV remote. Maybe you are just afraid of being on your own. Being a 'good wife' validated you.

No idea if I believe Peter about him having another affair. Who knows at this point. He may just believe his own lies which kinda become his truth.

Cary deserves his own firm and a happy ending. A man of care and integrity.

[Hoi Polloi]

This show has never been realistic with the legal issues.  There are no surprise witnesses at a criminal trial (or a civil trial), and certainly not during the prosecution's case in chief.  David Lee cannot file an EEOC complaint because he's not an employee.

[vibeology]

I tend to assume that if Peter is talking, he's lying but I don't think he was sleeping with Geneva. There were points where she hated him, went after him about his racist hiring practices and we've scenes of them alone together. If they were really having an affair for years, seems like they probably should have been a little more romantic, right? That's assuming the writers remember the plot of this show. 

The law firm thing is stupid, I resent spending time in Luca and Jason scenes, the construction bit was another bad joke and I can't believe that Diane would be Peter's lawyer knowing the connection to Kurt existed. 

I did  think all the Alicia and Peter scenes were very strong  this show is best when it  taps into its history. Loved Cary, loved Kurt and Diane and I loved Eli being team Alicia. 

[willco]

I missed the first 30 -35 minutes due to weather coverage. Is it worth it to try and see the first half ? I guess it's better to see how it ends than the other way around, but, damn, these weather people sure can drone on about the same thing for a long time !

[photo fox]

Peter is a sexy beast, and Chris Noth is a powerhouse. It makes me (unfairly) resent a bit that he was never a regular, so we didn't get to see him every week.

It's so fitting to have Judge Cuesta, the first judge to appear on TGW, back for the final trial. I love the actor and the character. 

As usual since halfway through S6, they didn't give Cary nearly enough to do, but MC did a lot with the little he had to work with. I just hope in the final episode he gets some good scenes and an honest-to-God ending. 

I love Kurt, but I'm growing weary of his "delicate artiste" routine. So they cast shade onto his findings and called into question his integrity. Wouldn't that happen every time he takes the stand? Did it really require that he take to his bed? 

Remember when Lucca was smart and funny and interesting? And had other things to do besides sitting around asking Jason, "but, do you LIKE like her?" What a waste! And the two of them texting Alicia, who they know is at her governor-husband's corruption trial, and being upset/surprised that she didn't respond immediately? Are they teenagers? 

Everything with the offices and David Lee was wasted time. Once Cary was out, they should have just implied that everything was quietly going ahead and brought that story to a close. There's more than enough story with Peter's trial, the potential divorce, Cary's future, Diane and Kurt, etc.

I've grown to loathe Jason and the focus that his character is pulling away from everyone else I've loved for seven years. I like JDM, but he has eaten the show (and it's promotion) this season. If Alicia's story ends in any way with her walking into the sunset with him, it will be a giant fail. I simply can't believe that any woman who has loved and been loved by Peter Florrick and Will Gardner would think of Smirky as anything more than a temporary diversion. 

[pennben]

Okay, I admit I have skipped a lot of episodes in this last season, particularly after McSmirky (I'm generally not one to use nicknames, but I can't be bothered to remember his character's name)  joined the cast, so I didn't end up hating the show.

Upfront, however, I would be remiss not acknowledging that the law firm stuff is just too stupid to comment on anymore.  Honestly.  I would recommend that the show "be better", but that clearly won't be happening in a single episode.

Peter and Alicia have always been fascinating when they've been given time together on the show.  Tonight was no different.  The show really does come down to them.  Sometimes I hate him, sometimes I hate her, sometimes I hate them together, sometimes I can't imagine how they don't see how they complement each other (perhaps destructively, perhaps in a survival way). 

At the end of the day, I can see Alicia walking away from Peter.  That makes sense to end the cycle.  I can also see Alicia staying with Peter.  That too makes sense when we see them together and how they support each other (regardless of where they are at a moment in time). I can see her staying in limbo, if you will, not walking away/not being with him, just still where she is because it's easy (I'm not sure that's the right word).  She can't be with Will (not that I'm sure she ever should have been), so that's not an option.

However, if this show ends with her walking away with McSmirky, I will have no words.  It would be a profoundly disappointing ending for what was once a great series.  It won't be "How I Met Your Mother" levels of blowing up a series awful (really, not much can equal that), but it will be so, so disappointing.

I just keep hoping no matter how this ends, that someday the Kings will tell us how they really would have wanted the story to go and to end if Josh Charles hadn't opted out after 5 years and whatever happened to/with Archie Panjabi hadn't happened.

Here's to hope for a satisfying finale!

Edited May 2, 2016 by pennben

[Klapaucius]

Cary is the only character who deserves an happy end and probably the first one who won't get it. He's also the only one I can still stand.

And the amount of screentime wasted on Jason has been atrocious.

[HappyDancex2]

I'm trying to figure out if the writers feel like they have created enough emotional intrigue with Jason such that we are supposed to be rooting for them to be together?  I don't feel it in the least but the way they are shoving the character on us leads me to believe this is supposed to be Will 2.0.  And the second time around she picks WillJason.  And it's supposed to appease us as viewers.  The flashback will be longings of what could have been with Will but the reality of moving on.....with Jason.

I just can't even.

id rather them not address any of it and let her be single.  Walk off into the sunset in her heels, wine bottle in one hand...wig in the other.  Peace out.

[HawaiiTVGuy]

Easiest way to impeach the blonde gun expert is to ask, is it not true you had a verbal agreement to buy Mr. McVeigh's business for way below market value?  And what happened?  Oh so Ms. Lockhart, Mr. McVeigh's wife prevented you from buying the business on the cheap?  And this made you angry right?

 

And how stupid is the prosecutor to pretty much impeach the credibility of his own star witness by accusing her of sleeping with Peter when crossing Peter and then no one used the obvious smoking gun in Geneva for having the affair with the dirty cop?

Edited May 2, 2016 by HawaiiTVGuy

[AudienceofOne]

I really enjoyed that episode. I think it was the first one I've enjoyed this season. I felt like we got real character insight and that the action was pared down to the case so the story was allowed to breathe. I still don't buy into Alicia and Jason but if you have to have them together, use them this way.

I really liked the cross. I liked how Alicia finally communicated to Peter what he did wrong and that for the first time he finally got it. The hypocrisy of his false equivalency between what he did to what she's done still annoys the crap out of me. But is very consistent for his characters.

 

22 minutes ago, HawaiiTVGuy said:

And how stupid is the prosecutor to pretty much impeach the credibility of his own star witness by accusing her of sleeping with Peter when crossing Peter and then no one used the obvious smoking gun in Geneva for having the affair with the dirty cop?

Not stupid at all. Peter denied it, which means the defence can't use it. So the jury is left with the general impression of Peter's wrongdoing without anything the defence can use against him. It was a masterstroke.

What I couldn't understand was that Jason still appears to be working for the defence and he had evidence last week that Peter was being framed. And that there was a possible conspiracy in the lab to tank his cases. But that wasn't mentioned here at all?

I've always liked it when this show examined the difference between the reality and perception of corruption. That what we actually do is less important than what we're perceived as doing. Wee know that Peter is corrupt. So, within that context, it's thematically appropriate for him to finally go to jail for something that he didn't do rather than something he did.

I will be very disappointed though if Alicia doesn't find out about the vote rigging, especially since she lost her role as State's Attorney over it. But one episode left? That seems unlikely.

Edited May 2, 2016 by AudienceofOne

[ElectricBoogaloo]

You guys, one more episode and then we are all FREE!

I just assume that Peter is lying whenever he denies sleeping with someone. Notice that in this episode after Alicia said he slept with Geneva Pine, she also said that he slept with Marilyn and Ramona. Peter denied sleeping with the first two but after she mentioned Ramona, he threw Will and Jason back at her. IIRC Ramona was crying in the back of a limo when he broke up with her and when Marilyn said she was going to name her baby Peter, he was totally freaked out (which I interpreted as meaning that there was a possibility that it was his).

Best parts of the episode: Alicia fake crying to Canning, Diane sarcastically telling David how difficult it must be to be outnumbered by people of the opposite sex, and Cary reminding Alicia that he was in court to tell the truth.

Edited May 2, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[cardigirl]

Well, I don't think Peter was freaked out about Marilyn  but Eli was, until he tracked down who the father was. 

I hate that Geneva Pine supposedly had an affair with Peter when there was never even a hint of that given before, and that is what makes me think it wasn't true.  I dunno, I call it unfair and lazy writing about Peter. 

I always liked Alicia and Peter scenes, so I enjoyed most of this episode.

[Inquisitionist]

7 hours ago, photo fox said:

I love Kurt, but I'm growing weary of his "delicate artiste" routine. So they cast shade onto his findings and called into question his integrity. Wouldn't that happen every time he takes the stand? Did it really require that he take to his bed? 

A-frickin'-men, except that I've never been on the Kurt bandwagon.  I hate Diane with him; she turns into sniveling ninny.

3 hours ago, HawaiiTVGuy said:

Easiest way to impeach the blonde gun expert is to ask, is it not true you had a verbal agreement to buy Mr. McVeigh's business for way below market value?  And what happened?  Oh so Ms. Lockhart, Mr. McVeigh's wife prevented you from buying the business on the cheap?  And this made you angry right?

In the past, I've characterized this show's handling of courtroom/testimony issues as feeling like a high schooler's interpretation of how the law works.  They've regressed to grade schooler.

[AriAu]

The show has generally been pretty accurate on how the law works, but this was silly. When Mr. Schu said he had a secret witness IN A CRIMINAL CASE, I really wish Alicia had gone all Mona Lisa Vito on him and pointed out you an't have secret witnesses or evidence..."it's called discovery dickhead". On top of that, do they have any actual evidence or just circumstantial evidence like "why else would he have made Geneva Pine follow the law on Miranda warnings"?.

I don';t get why everyone thinks Cary was a standup guy when he intentionally slipped and thru Peter's name in there instead of the other guy.

[CrashTextDummie]

I thought the Peter/Alicia scenes were stellar. That's about the only aspect left of the show that I will genuinely miss. The alleged affair with Geneva Pine was out of left field and not supported by what we saw over the seasons, but I like that it's actually not implausible given Peter's history. The man truly is good at giving speeches. After all this time, it's still hard to get a read on him. And besides, it was a welcome opportunity to see Renée Elise Goldbserry on the show for one last time, who certainly doesn't need the role or the show anymore seeing as she's hit the Broadway jackpot.

The usually legal silliness was there, but other than that I'm happy with how the show chose to go out. Looking forward to the finale.

[vibeology]

3 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Well, I don't think Peter was freaked out about Marilyn  but Eli was, until he tracked down who the father was. 

I hate that Geneva Pine supposedly had an affair with Peter when there was never even a hint of that given before, and that is what makes me think it wasn't true.  I dunno, I call it unfair and lazy writing about Peter. 

I know Peter had an affair with Ramona. I know Peter slept with Kalinda at least once. I know Peter paid for prostitutes. I don't think he had an affair with Marilyn and I don't think he had an affair with Geneva but with his history, we can't really know and I don't think the show plans on giving us closure.

I agree that based on what we've seen in the past, an affair with Geneva doesn't really line up but my concern is that I don't trust the writers anymore to remember the past on this show. The loose way they played with musical law firms in particular really makes me doubt their ability with continuity. Its truly infuriating that what was once a tightly written show got so sloppy to the point where I can't tell if I'm supposed to remember Geneva calling Peter out on being a racist and think Peter is telling the truth now or if the show has forgotten that moment and the reveal that Geneva was having a long-time affair with that cop (not that that entirely precludes her from also sleeping with Peter, but it would be surprising for her to be having two long-term work affairs at the same time) and I'm supposed to think that Peter is lying now. I wish this show had been more consistent these past two years because then I think I could parse out what happened in last night's episode but I cannot trust this show anymore and that makes it so hard to even have an opinion about the show. I get that real life doesn't always have answers, but in fiction I expect a little more.

[MakeMeLaugh]

God I love Chris Noth. The scenes with him and JM are always the most intense. They really have more chemistry than any of the other romantic pairings on this show IMO.

If we have to watch secondary characters why can't they be Marissa and Eli. The whole secondary plot about the wrong construction and expanding up to the 29th floor. Who cares. And recruiting another female attorney, as if most of their clients won't be fleeing from the new all-female law firm, LegalVaginas-R-Us! is just soooo insulting in this day and age. 

Edited May 2, 2016 by MakeMeLaugh

[Klapaucius]

1 hour ago, AriAu said:

I don';t get why everyone thinks Cary was a standup guy when he intentionally slipped and thru Peter's name in there instead of the other guy.

Because it wasn't intentional. And there's no element to think so especially after what Cary said to Alicia. 

[TV Diva Queen]

Wasn't it funny how the construction workers were doing a demolition while people were sitting IN THE ROOM?  Hilarious!!  I work in the C-suite of a big big place and not in 4 million years would that EVER happen.  

[MissLucas]

The construction-gone-wrong-plot was one of these ridiculous plots TGW seems to be fond of yet always make me think the show is suffering from an identity crisis and thinks it's Ally McBeal.

Like many others I really don't care anymore whether Peter is guilty or not, whether Alicia stays with Peter or not etc. - I only care for Cary (and Diane and Kurt's marriage). It's true that Alicia never had the same mesmerizing (and toxic) chemistry  she had with Peter with anyone else - Margulies and Noth are always great together. But even that energy seems wasted on listless plots. Too bad.

[lynny]

Can someone please explain to me what actually happened there with Cary's testimony? I understand that he said Peter's name. But, I don't understand what it means. Did he say "Peter" on purpose because then it made it look like he had a grudge on Peter and it would tank his testimony? That's what I thought at first. But then the conversation in the hallway seemed to indicate that wasn't the case. But the conversation in the hall didn't make sense to me either because he did seem a bit bitter towards Alicia. And I'm so confused.

[CaptainCranky]

I like the Jason character as an investigator but as Alicia's love interest, I don't think so.

[Primetimer]

But can even the intercession of St. Alicia save him now?

View the full article

[TigerLynx]

I keep thinking about how the scenes with Alicia would be playing out if they were with Will instead of Jason.

The all female law firm makes no sense.  Lockhart Gardner was already a diverse law firm that already had women and other minorities working there, some of them name partners.

Why wasn't the lab tech who screwed up so many cases called to testify?

I laughed when Alicia told Peter she wasn't the one on trial.  It was a quick way to say, "If you are going to run for public office, cheat on your wife with prostitutes and who knows who else, and possibly be corrupt at your job in the process, don't get caught, you brain dead idiot, and don't lecture me about my behavior."

[JenFromCincy]

I laughed out loud at the Alicia crying to Canning scene and rewound it to watch it again.  I also loved the scenes she had with Peter.  I know the show isn't what it once was, and seems a little forced and rushed in the wrap up, but I really am going to miss it. 

Ideal ending for me....Peter gets a not-guilty verdict (because I actually bought his speech even though he's a consummate liar,) Alicia picks neither of them and stands on her own, David Lee gets the pants sued off of him and he has to hire the all women's firm to defend him, and the final scene is Cary lying on a beach next to Kalinda sipping a Mai Tai.....fade to black.

[marny]

Alicia's wig looked better this week.  Just in time to retire it.

[Cynna]

I can barely watch the show, and am just desperate to get to the end. Marguiles' acting and scenes have become so terrible; I'd blame it on the director or the writing, but we know how involved she is with the show and I'm sure it's all to make her look fabulous.

All Alicia's shrugging, eye-rolling, her casualness, no decision-making, and complete change of personality - not an evolution of her character, but a total change - are distracting and disappointing. And the way everyone panders to her, saying they love her, etc - makes no sense. Her fake crying scene with Canning - so *not* Alicia. I could possibly see her doing it a different way that was silly and charming, but so extreme and mocking - that's not her character. It's felt like the last 4 or 5 episodes have had her personality completely changed. The only time she seems 'Alicia' is when it's only her and Peter - and those scenes are still intense and well acted.

I hate that they messed with Kurt's integrity - that would never have happened with the character, nor would Diane have asked. I'm wondering if they have writers doing these scenes who have never watched the previous seasons.



 

[Klapaucius]

10 minutes ago, Cynna said:

I'm wondering if they have writers doing these scenes who have never watched the previous seasons.


 

Stop to wonder. It's a sure thing.

[Trepie]

The all female-named partners law firm would make a lot more sense if Diane were doing it to raise the profile of female lawyers.  The writers would probably even bet on us forgetting that she's never seemed to care about actually mentoring and promoting other women.  In reality, women struggle just as much in the law to break the glass ceiling as in other careers.  Women only make up 18% of equity partners at law firms in 2016.   Maybe it would even generate enough buzz (and credit for using a MWOB) for the firm to attract attention. But the show has done a shitty job of selling the idea.  

[lovinbob]

I hated the fake crying with Canning moment. It felt very out of character. I don't have a problem with Alicia changing, but if she could loosen up in any other aspect of her life maybe I'd believe it.

I agree that Alicia-Peter/Julianna-Chris chemistry is better than anyone else's. Watching Lucca and Jason in that conference room was so eye-rollingly tedious, I couldn't stand it. And I like Lucca! But this show fucked itself when they lost Josh Charles and then gave Archie Panjabi away, and essentially shunted Matt Czuchry. Those are the relationships that this show was built on, not these two characters we barely know and whom the show just expects we'll all care about. Nope.

I loved Cary's comment to Alicia. Almost felt a little meta. As someone who didn't care for Matt Czuchry on Gilmore Girls, I really came to love Cary's character and I've missed him. I think the show did Cary (and Alicia-Cary relationship) a disservice.

I liked the Peter trial and really disliked the renovation hijinks. The trial and the Peter-Alicia interaction had energy and direction ... the rest of it was annoying filler.

I'm also tired of people being surprised that Alicia isn't surprised by Peter's affairs. I mean, Eli, you know Alicia is OVER him! Come on!

Oh, and Matthew Morrison. HATED him on Glee. Like, bitterly hated him. But I like him here, and I thought he and Alicia also had a good, if weird, chemistry.

[Lee4U]

This is a female owned/run law firm in NYC (I know one of the partners) and their focus was and is focused on "women's health and safety issues"/cases.  They do have a male attorney but it was started by two women.

Blurb from their website - http://personalinjurylawyermanhattanny.com : 

"Women’s Health & Medical Malpractice Lawyers Serving New York

Kramer & Dunleavy, LLP is one of the premier personal injury law firms in New York State. It is also the first woman-owned law firm in New York State to focus on women’s health and safety issues, offering women the opportunity to live independently and with dignity despite any injuries or wrongdoing they have suffered. With more than 90 years of combined experience, Kramer & Dunleavy, LLP brings aggressive, trustworthy and compassionate legal representation to accident victims and their families."

[AudienceofOne]

As I've said before, I have no problem with the female-partner firm. I do think it's weird for Diane to want to turn this firm into one rather than starting a new one. She and Alicia could have gone off to start their own firm instead of the dumb "Alicia is back working here again" plotline.

Meanwhile, if I lived in Chicago there is no way I would hire the ongoing fustercluck that is Lockhart/ Florrick/ Stern/ Gardner/ Argos/ Lee/ Canning.

[MakeMeLaugh]

An all-woman firm like the NY firm mentioned above that specializes in women's health and safety issues can probably capture most of that business and do well and be highly regarded, but then it sure wouldn't be representing Peter, for instance, or most of Lockhart Whoever's other clients. It would have to be one glass-ceiling-breaking firm to be successful in the areas it currently seemingly is already with those xy chromosone partners on board. Just another dumb development for what apparently is already one of the only two or three law firms in the whole city of Chicago. But Kalinda or Robin (?) would have to be the PI, and Marissa the intern--I could do that. And Ruth could come back to be their first client. 

I'm looking forward ro the finale for so many reasons.

Edited May 2, 2016 by MakeMeLaugh

[ParadoxLost]

1 hour ago, lovinbob said:

I hated the fake crying with Canning moment. It felt very out of character. I don't have a problem with Alicia changing, but if she could loosen up in any other aspect of her life maybe I'd believe it.

It was that scene that I realized that I've completely missed the point of the entire series.  I really did believe that they were trying to paint a portrait of the woman that stands behind a politician caught up in a sex scandal to show that there is an actual human being with feelings behind the man.  Failing at it, but trying.  That's not it at all.  They are showing that woman is the sum of every unkind stereotype applied to them.  I don't know why it took me this long to understand that.

[TigerLynx]

Diane has never had a problem working within the old boys network.  In a previous season, Diane asked Alicia to take her spot on a review committee.  She told Alicia she would just be the token woman, but it would be good for her profile and the firms.  Diane has not only been a name partner for years, she has been the top name partner at Lockhart, Gardner, Florrick, Aggos, Lee, Canning, et al.  Cary was the one who had a problem with Howard's racist and sexist comments, not Diane.  I agree I wouldn't hire a group of attorneys that have been playing musical law firms for years, and I wouldn't want to work there either.  Male or female, no talented attorney would want to get caught up in the idiocy of this place.  Whatever prestige Lockhart Gardner once had, they've lost it by flip flopping all over the place every couple of months.

I wish Alicia would have said her reason for finally divorcing Peter was because she realized how foolish she had been to stay all these years in a sham marriage, and she didn't want to waste anymore time.  I like JDM, but I don't believe Alicia would base her decision on Jason.  Of course Peter will probably go to prison, and Alicia will be stupid enough to stay married to him.

Edited May 3, 2016 by TigerLynx

[AudienceofOne]

3 minutes ago, TigerLynx said:

I wish Alicia would have said her reason for finally divorcing Peter was because she realized how foolish she had been to stay all these years in a sham marriage, and she didn't want to waste anymore time. 

? I thought that's what she did say. Literally, she said something like "I don't want to waste any more time". She also said Jason was incidental to her decision. She's tired of putting off what she wants for a commitment she made 20 years ago to a man who has done nothing but let her down. She stayed mostly because of the kids and because she didn't want to be seen as the kind of person who leaves a marriage when things got rough. Both of those things were resolved. The problem is that the second thing - leaving a marriage when things get rough - has now been un-un-resolved. That's why Jason's right. She's not going to divorce somebody she's been married to for 20 years when she thinks he needs her.

[TigerLynx]

Alicia said she didn't want to waste anymore time, and Jason wasn't a factor in her decision.  However, whenever it looks like Jason might not be in it for the long haul, or even the short haul, Alicia gets flustered and starts second guessing herself and her decision.  The blasé way Alicia just shrugged off (to Canning, Diane, Eli) the possibility that Peter had been cheating with Geneva for years, she wasn't surprised and she didn't care, should have confirmed to Alicia she was making the right decision by divorcing Peter.  Alicia shouldn't need a guarantee that Jason or anyone else is going to be there when she leaves Peter.  She should divorce Peter, whether he goes to prison or not, because it's time Alicia took control of her own life.  It's ridiculous that Alicia is standing by Peter through this trial.  Alicia doesn't owe Peter loyalty or anything else.

[ParadoxLost]

I thought Jason was dead right when he said that Alicia would divorce Peter if he was found not guilty and stay with him if he was convicted.  Alicia all but confirmed it when Peter was talking about being afraid of being forgotten and asking if Alicia would visit while he was in prison.  All the while he was planning to do this whole thing again where he goes to jail for a couple years, writes a book, and gets a new start.  The implication is...and then Alicia will be free.  But everytime Peter starts the cycle over again.  I think they have to convict Peter and have Alicia cut him loose to end the show.  I just don't know if they will because every time I think they have to, they don't.

[morgankobi]

Since Peter served jail time under an overturned conviction, could they maybe use his time served for this sentence? Especially if he did not sue after?

How long did he serve before-does anyone know?

[Dowel Jones]

I am not a building engineer, but, aside from plot requirements, wouldn't a load-bearing wall on the 28th floor holding up the 29th floor need to be resting on another load-bearing wall on the 27th floor?  Because if it isn't, then both floors would logically come crashing down onto the 27th, and possibly lower floors.  Maybe that's how the writers are looking at ending the show.  And I find it hard to believe that the workers would just waltz right by the receptionist and start crashing and banging.  Nobody checked with anybody?  But I did like the scene of the Lockhart, Florrick, & Lee sign come crashing down.

Again, I'm not the expert, but wouldn't the police detectives be doing all the initial questioning and Mirandizing?  I ask this because if you have several different investigations going on simultaneously, things will slip through the cracks.  Regardless of Peter's stated reasoning of keeping close tabs on the investigation, this would not be the way to do it.  Hence, I think he had ulterior motives.

The prosecutor blundered by allowing Peter to go on and on (NEVER ask why!) in answering his question, which allowed Peter to put a good front on to the jurors.

All those affidavits that said Peter was sleeping with Geneva?  If they aren't true, are not the employees putting their careers at risk by saying so?  Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Governor.

[Ms Blue Jay]

It's the second to last episode, so I'm going to kind of throw away the 'rules' and I apologize up front for that.

1)  Why did Josh Charles want to leave the show after 5 years?
2)  What is Cary's job now?
3)  I'm sorry, but I've NEVER been a fan of Peter and Alicia's chemistry!  I loved Willicia's though.  I think it might be Noth, then again it might also be Marguiles.  I'm a big fan of SATC and Noth rarely did anything for me there, either.
4)  I like to see differing opinions on the Diane/Kurt relationship.  To be honest, I don't know if I still really love them as a couple.  I think I'm just such a big fan of Gary Cole and Christine Baranski's acting around him.  He's a weak and weird character though - not sure if I get it or am supposed to like it.  I have to admit it's very interesting how Diane manipulates him and uses him for her own purposes.  It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last, LOL.

This show used to be very good.  I remember when I devoured the first season.  And Kalinda and Eli were such revelations, so exciting and interesting and cool.   I'll miss you guys when it is over, but I won't miss Alicia.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay