The Good Wife: “Judged”

Overwhelmed, heartbroken and wondering what life is all about, Alicia hit rock bottom while doing laundry in “Judged.”

First of all, Alicia does her own laundry?!? Secondly, that scene was definitely the one Julianna Margulies needs to submit come Emmy time. Her grief was palpable, and if you didn’t well up while watching, you may be made of stone.

Pressed by Lucca about what is wrong, Alicia, so often controlled and restrained, breaks down and tells Lucca everything. That the man she loved is dead. That she’s drinking like she never has before (I knew there was something up with all those glasses of wine). That she has two children she’s not even sure she likes (I mean I know I’ve been tough on Grace this season but that’s harsh). “I hurt. And I want it over. I just want it to end,” she sobs to Lucca. Alicia is clearly clinically depressed and even sounding suicidal. Lucca tells her, “Alicia you are here because I need you here. I don’t like people, but I like you.” It’s telling that the one person Alicia is completely honest with is the person she hasn’t even known for a full year. Lucca tells Alicia that she doesn’t have any real friends. And when you think about it, Alicia doesn’t either.

Completely baring her soul seems to be all the therapy Alicia needed. Holding in all her long festering emotions was her downfall. Then, after her big scene with Lucca, Alicia makes out with Jason in the elevator (because on this show, it’s the best place for a sexy rendezvous) and forgives a very, very relieved Eli. I’m not sure the series is sending the most realistic message about how one works through clinical depression (Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s smoldering eyes are the cure for what ails you?) but what happened kind of made sense in Alicia’s world.

The cases were almost inconsequential. Alicia finds out that one of her bond clients, Clayton Riggs, is still in prison eight months after she represented him. His bail was set at $150,000 because Judge Schakowsky was punishing Alicia. Clayton asks Alicia to help him which she does by suing the Judge for violating Clayton’s right to a speedy trial. She loses that battle only to have Clayton sue her. Cary represents Alicia, but she loses that one too—even after Jason has audio of Judge Schakowsky threatening lawyers with “taxing” their clients. Alicia’s malpractice insurance is capped at $300,000 and she’s being sued for over one million. The hour ends with Cary telling her to come back to Lockhart, Agos and Lee as a junior partner and they’ll cover the amount she’s being sued for. “Come on Alicia. Come on home,” he says. This week’s case was really a means to an end.

As frustrated as I can get with the show spinning in circles (this move will put everyone back where they originally started plus add Jason and Lucca into the mix), this is a much-needed plot development. I had to think hard to even remember what Diane’s case was all about this week (she was trying to stop a university from shutting down the school paper). We need these lawyers working together without the writers constantly having to dream up ways in which they would cross paths.

The show is poised well for the back half of the season. What do you think?

Stray Observations:

I’m so glad that Eli brought up the fact that Alicia and Will did get together, even though she never heard the voice mail message. It was bugging me that the show was almost pretending as if that very sexy plot point (remember the hotel hallway scene?) never happened.

Many signs are pointing to this being the final season of The Good Wife. Show runners Robert King and Michelle King are stepping down after this season. Margulies herself joked in a speech at the Casting Society of America’s Artios Awards last week that she would be “unemployed come April.” If this is the final season, we need to know that NOW. The show deserves a proper farewell.

Now that Alicia and Eli are friends again, what do you think Eli’s next move will be? I still kind of think he’s plotting revenge against Peter.

I doubt we’ve seen the last of Judge Schakowsky.

Meanwhile poor Clayton is still in jail.