In an effort to find a new television series that wasn’t a teen drama or a medical show I decided to take the advice of the reviews I’ve read and check out The Good Wife. And I’m so glad I did. Starring Juliana Margulies as Alicia Florrick, the wife of Peter Florrick (played by the fabulous Chris Noth) this show is extremely topical. Peter, a former Chicago state's attorney, has been jailed following a very public sex and corruption scandal forcing Alicia to return to her old job as a litigator to rebuild her reputation and provide for their two children.
What’s great about Alicia is that she is tough as nails but is also extremely relatable and kind. Faced with public humiliation, the realization that she has a cheating husband, the need to return to the working world and the responsibility of doing everything in her power to shield her extremely smart children from their father’s misjudgments, Alicia is a force to be reckoned with. She has an amazing ability to keep her composure when random people bring up her husband by saying a lot with very few words. She is cool, calm and collected at all times and she handles her precarious situation with grace and strength.
As far as her job goes there is no question that Alicia is an excellent lawyer as she is observant and pays very close attention to detail. Additionally, she is also a good listener and a tough litigator while maintaining compassion and kindness when and where it’s deserved.
Although I’m only on the second disc of the first season there is a lot to be said about our heroine and the rest of the cast. The people Alicia works with are characters all their own and are each very smart and likable. My two favorites are Will (Josh Charles) and Kalinda (Archie Panjabi). Will is a partner at the new law firm who went to Georgetown with Alicia and who may have a thing for her. The firm’s private investigator, Kalinda, is funny, sarcastic and very cynical about the human race. She has no fear and will do whatever it takes to get evidence she needs.
This series was partly inspired by the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal, as well as by other prominent American political sex scandals, particularly those of John Edwards and Bill Clinton. But, this is not a show about a politician’s scandal – it’s about the woman behind the man. And that woman has no choice but to pick up the pieces, be tough and move forward.
It is no surprise at all that The Good Wife was nominated for eight Emmys and won four. This show is sharp and refreshing. It’s anything but another law show – in fact it’s completely new and brings a totally different perspective which explains why I am flying through these episodes at seemingly warp speed. Do yourself a favor and pick up season one on DVD…if you do you might want to cancel your evening plans for the following few days.
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