22 July, 2012

Why 2012 is the Year of Christine Baranski

25 Reasons Why Christine Baranski Deserves an Emmy for her Role as The Good Wife's Diane Lockhart
Summer 2012 Hiatus | Original Post Date: July 22, 2012
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Emmy nomination day (and, let’s be honest, the weeks and months leading up to this day) is like Christmas in my house.  Think: decorations, champagne, party favours and jazz hands.  I wake up with eager anticipation of what’s to come, having done my research on who’s up for consideration and which shows are likely to lead the pack.  Of course, I’m prone to cheering for all things having to do with The Good Wife, so the announcement that Julianna Margulies, Archie Panjabi and Christine Baranski were all showered with Emmy nods left me more than a little excited.  This week, all was right with the world.  Thank you Emmy committee.


For the entirety of season three, I spent 100% of my time touting Christine Baranski as the next person deserving of an Emmy for her role on The Good Wife.  It’s no secret I love her outfits and her outrageously wicked and comedic laugh. I’m similarly enamored with her ability to command a room and outsmart even the stealthiest of opponents.  It has been, without question, the year of Diane Lockhart and by extension, the year of Christine Baranski. 

25 Reasons Why Christine Baranski Deserves an Emmy for her Role as Diane Lockhart

1. Diane held almost every storyline of season three together.  She selflessly gave Will credit for the firm’s pro-bono program, she managed the firm after Will was suspended (no easy feat with Eli and David battling it out using their Sun Tzu ‘art of war’-style maneuvers), and, and, and...


2. We’ve watched Diane seamlessly transition from antagonist to mentor (see “
The Evolution of Diane Lockhart”).

3. Diane doesn’t shy away from confrontation (let’s flash back to her yelling at Will on the rooftop re: his relationship with Alicia.  Pa chow!  One point for making Will punch a metal pole, two points for doing it while wearing a stunning dress).


4. She can is as comfortable drinking Scotch as she is with drinking wine.

5. Diane cares more about upholding the law than almost anything else.  Sure, she can play the game, but at the end of the day, she loves justice.


6. Speaking of which, for the first season, she had a dog named Justice.  What ever happened to him?


7. She has the best laugh on television.


8. She can maintain her composure even when David Lee is sporting his HMS Pinafore costume during business hours.


9. Her shoe collection is epic (We’ve seen her wear everything from Stuart Weitzman to Salvatore Ferragamo) and her broach collection is something jewelry historians will marvel at into the next century.


10. Diane and Will have the best work marriage in the history of television.  They are perfectly paired, even when the going gets tough.  Need proof?  This “Love Will Keep Us Together” montage I found is sure to convince you!


11. Quick on her feet, Diane can outwit everyone at the firm.

12. She can juggle multiple love interests without batting an eye.

13. Diane’s not afraid to ask for help.  Whenever she wants more information, or needs to learn something, so goes right to the source.  In most cases, this means Kalinda.  In need of gun-toting lessons?  Diane calls Kalinda.  In need of information about Will and past business associates?  Diane calls Kalinda.  Who can blame her, really?  I mean, I adopted the “what would Kalinda do?” life motto in 2009.  The fact Diane has embraced a similar attitude makes me love her even more.


14. Diane is a woman you don’t want to cross.  See point #12 – she’s now a trained marksman (markswoman?).  Also, since Kalinda was her instructor, you can bet Diane is now equipped with more street smarts than Lemond Bishop.  

15. Diane doesn't get fazed by even the most outrageous of questions (like Wendy Scott-Carr’s aggressive interrogation during Will’s grand jury about why Diane doesn't play basketball in “Another Ham Sandwich”).

16. Her comedic timing is second-to-none.

17. Diane doesn't put up with traitors – she’s loyal to a fault.

18. She’s the only woman on television who can pull off a smoking jacket.  Exhibit A:


19. No one has ever argued that Diane gets too much screen time.  In fact, most of the time we don't get to see her nearly enough.  The more Diane, the better!  Who's with me?

20. Diane is comfortable with who she is: the firm’s matriarch, Will’s business partner (and, let’s face it, devoted friend), the driving force behind the Lockhart Gardner pro-bono program, an esteemed advisor and a brilliant legal mind. 

21. Diane loves to celebrate, especially when it comes to a win in the courtroom.  Note: She deserves the Emmy if not solely for the fact she has danced in the office with Will on more than one occasion.  It melts my heart.


22. She’s not afraid to stand her ground – Take season one’s “Lifeguard” for example.  Diane turned down a judicial appointment because they wanted her to compromise her values and her name.  The thing about Diane is that she doesn’t need outside validation – she knows who she is and what makes her strong.  Also, who would act as firm’s referee if she were to leave?  Julius doesn't have the legs for those pencil skirts.  Just saying. 

23. Diane is great at giving advice.  Her “suck it up” speech to Eli after he lost the Dairy Association is just one of dozens of examples.

24. Everyone wants to be like her.  Seriously.

25. This is Baranski’s third consecutive nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Diane Lockhart – While she has been great other years, she was exemplary in The Good Wife’s third season.  There is no one who deserves their moment in sun more than Christine Baranski in 2012.

Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart | GIF credit:  Deelylah86

While I will be sitting on my couch cheering for each nominee from The Good Wife on Emmy night (Sunday, September 23... just seven short days before the season premiere!), I will be most looking forward to seeing the incomparable Christine Baranski battle the field to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.  Who will you be cheering for at the Emmys?  Do you think it's Baranski's time to win for her performance as Diane Lockhart? Sound off in the comments below!
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