The Good Wife 5.17

An episode which meanders a lot in the second half when Alicia goes MIA due to her grief over Will.

• The case-of-the-week was interesting mostly in terms of how David Lee was using it to drive a wedge between Alicia and Diane. Ultimately it was just another story where the two firms met in court. Something we’ve seen far too much of, this season.
• Finn Polmar got more screentime this week, making me suspect that he’s a new regular character. Damian Boyle made (what I presume is) his last appearance on the show, having sown much disharmony in his time with us.
  
• The huge (and ugly) Alicia/Peter confrontation at the end felt like it came from nowhere, and it certainly seems like something that will dramatically affect the show moving forward.
  

8/10

The Good Wife 5.16

Many shows have killed off a major character but rarely has it been done as well as this.

• Alicia goes on a quest to find out why Will wanted to phone her, just before he was shot. A quest that, ultimately, provides no answers. From a storytelling perspective this was absolutely the right choice.
  
• Kalinda goes on a quest to find out exactly which shot killed Will. And when she has an answer, she extracts a kind of revenge/justice. Also very powerful storytelling.
  
• Diana got one of the best scenes in the episode when she fired a heartless client. Cary got the other great scene when he opened a can of whupass on some schmucks during a deposition. And Eli had a brilliant comedic scene at the very start of the episode. All three scenes were ‘larger’ than the show would normally do, but worked here as a counterpoint to the slow, somber mourning that occupied virtually every other scene.
  
• Across the board this was an intelligent and sorrowful episode.
  

10/10

The Good Wife 5.15

Even before the terrible, shocking events at the end this was a gripping compelling case. But the game-changing final scenes come out of nowhere and are dreadfully sad. 10/10

The Good Wife 5.14

• TGW starts the back nine with an episode that feels like a season premier. We are treated to events in Alicia’s life in the days leading up to the pilot episode. These are presented in flashback. Some are good, some are fine. Overall, it’s a bit pointless.
• Much is made of the fact that Alicia has to give a big speech. And much is made of the fact that she must do this really to impress a new character, played by Jill Hennessy. In the end, her speech is a bit of a damp squib. For the audience, if not for the characters. And the JH character goes in a different direction. So, what was the point? I don’t know.
  
• The Will storyline is good. Easily the best storyline in the episode. The tension mounts. Carrie Preston is back as Elsbeth Tascioni (always a good thing) and she kicks ass. As usual. That’s fun to see. And, in the end, when events take a sudden negative turn, the audience feels like it has been gut-punched. Poor Will. Trouble ahead.
  
• Will had the best scene in the episode. The conversation with Alicia in the coffee shop in New York. Wonderful. High point of a mixed-bag episode.
  

8/10

The Good Wife 5.13

Wow, what a thriller! A brilliant episode with enough developments for two hours.

• Always a joy to see Wallace Shawn back.
  
• Impossible dilemma for Marilyn.
• Return of NSA wire tap guys. Brilliant.
  
• Eric Bogosian: So. Much. Menace. Wow.
• The fake TV show at the start and end? Hilarious.
  

10/10

The Good Wife 5.12

Another comedic episode? Or, at least, one with a lot of comedy. Methinks they are going to this well too often. Every episode can’t be about Alicia meeting Will in court! Never mind, at least the two b-stories are excellent. Especially the one about the ballot box video. 9/10

The Good Wife 5.11

Solid story about music copyright, which is often beautifully staged and filmed. But (unusual for this show) it is simply trying too hard to be amusing. And the Kalinda/Jenna b-story is trying too hard to be ominous. 8/10

The Good Wife 5.10

• This Christmas episode about two wills is a reminder of how dignified and classy a heroine Alicia really is. There were some great scenes, like the early ones with Damian Boyle, showing us (again) how Alicia behaves in the face of rude and/or intrusive behaviour. She’s a class act. 
• The highlight of this 100th episode was surely the lengthy question-and-answer session that took place inside Will’s head. Truly great writing, and an amazing performance from Josh Charles. So sad.
  

10/10

The Good Wife 5.9

This was a brilliant episode. Great, fascinating case-of-the-week and so much other good stuff. Funny stuff. Broad comedy. But also a clever storyline for Jackie, showing her taking on an old nemesis. And, best of all, Jason O'Mara made his debut as a shady lawyer. How long will he be around for? 10/10

The Good Wife 5.8

Solid case-of-the-week instead of the ‘new firm’ drama that has driven the season so far. Good scenes for Robyn. Great to see America Ferrera back on the show, and really enjoyed the scenes with her character and Eli. 9/10

Last 10 shows I watched. Best at the top.

Last 10 shows I watched.

Best at the top.

The Good Wife 5.7

I finished Banshee last Saturday night (sob! gonna miss that...

I finished Banshee last Saturday night (sob! gonna miss that show!) so tonight I’ll either start back into watching The Good Wife or watch the first episode of Stranger Things. Decisions, decisions…

2015 BEST TV DRAMA #2 -> The Good Wife

The Good Wife 5.6

Maria Dizzia.

• This episode is basically a full-on battle between Alicia & Cary and Will & Diane. And riveting television it is.
  
• Best performance? Christine Baranski, definitely.
  

10/10

The Good Wife 5.5

The Good Wife 5.4

Robert Klein. Another storytelling masterclass with a strong Diane story at the core and a huge amount of story arc intrigue and politics back at the office. The impending departure of Alicia and Cary and the 4th Years has been like a ticking bomb underscoring everything else that has happened this season. And the bomb looks have finally exploded with the final words uttered by Diane in this episode’s cliffhanger. 10/10

The Good Wife 5.3

The Good Wife 5.2

Zach Woods.

• A good episode, even if no storyline really stands out.
  
• The case-of-the-week was engrossing and rewarding to watch. Fun and quirky, as the balance of power swapped over and back. Jeffrey Tambor was a hoot.
  
• It was also fun the way the narrative kept jumping over to the NSA who are listening in on everything. Great casting for these guys.
  
• The Diane storyline was probably the best thing here. Proving two great scenes: Diane refusing to see Will out during her interview, and Peter going up against Chief Justice Virgil Ryvlan. That was cool.
  
• The tension surrounding Alicia and Cary leaving keeps building. Terrific.
• Loved the scenes with Alicia’s mother. Stockard Channing is awesome.
  
• Speaking of awesome: this episode saw the return of Dreama Walker. Yay!
  

9/10

The Good Wife 5.1