Monday, October 28, 2013

Good Is Great All the Time (Television Review: The Good Wife, Season Five...So Far)


Last night's episode, "Hitting The Fan," of The Good Wife (CBS, Sundays at 9 pm) was the game changer for this series, which I think is one of the best on television right now (Michael Ausiello of TV Line says it is the best show on television right now) Things have been boiling slowly but surely for the first four episodes of the season, and last night everything exploded! Diane Lockhart (played by the hottest cool intensity by Christien Baranski) finds out that Alicia Florrick has been planning to leave the firm and told Will Gardner  (Josh Charles, his best performance on the series yet) and Will explodes: firing Alicia on the spot. Hell ensues and not even five minutes has passed in the episode. What happens next is a master class of fine storytelling, with everyone miles away from where they started at the start of the episode. Is there a more nuanced actress on television right now than Julianna Marguilles? Her Alicia is vulnerable, strong, hurt, bull headed, strong and weakened all in one episode, and she goes through all these emotions so effectively, and you re a viewer are torn between loving her, protecting her, getting scared for her, and joyous at her freedom. Josh Charles has always been competent in the series btu last night he showed a ferocious intensity that is almost scary. And I mentioned Baranski, and she is magnificent, her eyes icy and menacing. they all play off each other so well, you root for all of them at once. Matt Czuchry has always been an underutilized here, and still is, in my opinion. Hopefully they let him flex his chops soon. This story/show  ill just keep on getting better, and we all benefit. I cannot wait.

No comments:

Post a Comment