Season 4, Episode 18 | Original Air Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013
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This week,
there’s no time for small talk. “Death
of a Client” was the much anticipated party episode with more twists than a
Sherlock mystery. I laughed, I cried, I
covered my face and let out audible bursts of elation… and then of rage. Oh, and I decided my new morning alarm should
be Grace’s ‘Mom pick up the phone ringtone,’ as I would surely bolt out of bed
each morning with gusto never before seen in an attempt to silence the enemy.
As for what
happened in “Death of a Client?” How
about everything? Okay, that’s a little
vague, I know, but this episode was all over the map. However, there was one uniting factor: The
number of gasp-worthy moments. I counted
five – but then again, I like to spend my Sunday night’s on the edge of my seat…
and with a paper bag close at hand.
Death of a
Client: Five Gasp-Worthy Moments
Clap on, clap off… the clapper
Will and
Alicia. Love them or hate them (wait,
who am I kidding? No one can hate these
two!), they have undeniable chemistry. Whether they’re sharing an elevator, a
beer or a late lunch with some peeled grapes for dessert, it’s impossible not
see what these two have. With flashbacks
to a time when we were all a little happier – me especially, as I was riding a
Team Gardner high – Alicia couldn’t help but think back and daydream about
those secret moments when they were hidden from life’s complexities.
Enter Will
in a tux, James Bond-style, coming to Alicia’s aid because, let’s face it, that’s
what he loves doing. Maybe not more than
Kalinda, but I’d be willing to watch these two duke it out over who loves
Alicia more. But I digress - K will be in the picture before long anyways.
So there’s
Will, at the police station meeting with Alicia (who’s floor-length two-toned ruby
gown is really classing up the joint), and once again, they find themselves
alone together. This ‘let’s not be in
the same room’ thing has gone off the rails about 12 times in the last three
episodes. Horray! In any case, after seeing Will dressed to the
nines, Alicia can’t help but share exactly what she’s thinking: “You really
look good.” And he does. We all know it… not just because it’s nearly
impossible to look bad in a tux, but because there’s something so sincere about
why he came to the police station and how sad his eyes look when Alicia says
things like, “We were good together, weren’t we?”
As I’ve
learned, screaming answers back at my TV to questions like this are futile; however, it doesn't stop me from doing it at least once an episode. In “Death of a Client” this was my
moment. “Yes! You were good together! I
have the Team Gardner mug to prove it!” Spoiler alert: My yelling didn’t help…
and neither did my beloved mug. Alicia
and Will are trapped in an invisible (well, sort of) circle where they can’t
escape their feelings for each other. We’ve
been here before: That moment when Alicia says something along the lines of, “This
has to end” and Will comes back with “Can you just decide that?” and Alicia
says she “can,” she “has to,” even though everyone knows that’s
impossible. This isn’t the clapper – you
can’t control your feelings like a late night infomercial light. Somehow in this place though, it makes sense.
Okay, I’m just saying that. It doesn’t make sense. I’m officially hating this episode… even
though I’m loving it. Damn it. I need the clapper. STAT!
Just when I
think my heart couldn't be broken any further for the evening, I hear the noise
that has haunted my dreams since “Parenting Made Easy.” 'Mom, pick up the phone.' Are you kidding me? This did not just happen. Grace’s heinous ringtone has reared its exhaustingly
ugly head back into the centre of Alicia and Will’s relationship. Didn’t Alicia delete this from her phone last
season? Now I’m sad because Will’s eyes
look devastated, Alicia is saying things she doesn’t mean and somehow, the
world’s most annoying ringtone still exists.
This is like a Shakespearean tragedy… but worse.
Side note:
I’m loving Amanda Peet as Laura Hellinger… and while I’ll forever
ship/love/dream about/champion Will and Alicia, I get that we need a slight
diversion… at least for awhile. A dating
arch for Will and Laura seems inevitable at this point, so I’m going to ride
the wave, at least until the beginning of season five. My ultimate hope is that Laura and Will’s relationship
will bring Will and Alicia back together.
This means I need Laura and because I like her, it’s a win-win for
everyone, right?
There’s the Grab
Kalinda,
having bailed on a date with a lovely massage therapist, is off investigating to
keep Alicia and her brood safe. Knowing
Alicia could be in danger, Cary jumps on board to help K as she rushes from the
Shamrock dinner to get back to the mean streets of Chicago. Before she can leave, Cary says, “be careful”
and then reaches up and takes Kalinda’s hand.
It’s a gesture that’s riddled in friendship and romance and drenched in
a delicious query dating back to whether or not they went home together after sharing
drinks at the bar a few weeks ago.
Oh Grandma
Typically I
would whip this phrase out for Jackie, but this week, Grandma Veronica is in
town and let’s just say: she’s crazy. I
mean sure, she’s entertaining, but she took the Florrick kids to a bar on St.
Patrick’s Day and told them stories of Alicia’s past that were heavily weighing
on the side of inappropriate. I’m all
for drama, but having Grace call Alicia (*the* call, by the way, that
interrupted the Team Gardner talk) to ask if she was a “mistake” was awkward
and terrible. Also, the guy barfing next
to Veronica at the bar during this exchange was disgusting. All of that said, I commend Grace on her
ability to see beyond her own sphere and be able to understand that Alicia had
a life before the kids and that if things had been different, she may not have
ended up with Peter.
Ka-Pow!
Mike Kresteva:
Sociopath, master manipulator, drunk.
Even though this is the first time we’ve seen Mike “live” this season,
his ability to infuriate is admiringly remarkable. The one thing I didn’t see coming? Even though Mike claims not to drink and only
orders club sodas or waters while in the vicinity of those he’s wary of, he still
managed to fall down, drunk, in the bathroom at the Shamrock Dinner. Even if someone – say… Peter Florrick – had punch
him out, I’m not going to be the one to blow the whistle. No, not a chance. Because if there’s one person on this show
who needs a quick dose of reality, it’s Mike Kresetva. While he’s off dabbing his wounds, I’m thrilled
to share in the simple of pleasure of watching Alicia and Eli bond over a scene
that was, in one word, epic.
Diane Lockhart: Supreme Court Justice?
There’s
something intriguing about the new relationship we’re seeing form between Peter
and Diane. I’m not sure if it grew from
Eli working at the firm, or from Peter having seen Diane’s work through the
years, but it’s interesting to watch.
Diane helping Peter with the campaign was a turn of events I didn't anticipate. While I don’t support Alicia
and Peter as a couple, I *do* support Peter in the race for Governor. What could be better for the campaign then to
have Diane ‘I can’t help but vote democrat’ Lockhart on his side? Nothing.
She’s smart, stealthy and does a killer impression of Maddie
Hayward. There’s no losing here.
That’s why
it’s interesting Peter wants Diane appointed to the role of Supreme Court
Justice. This would mean leaving Lockhart
Gardner (could they be called Gardner and Associates?) and being on the other
side of the fence. This is not the first
time Diane has been offered such a carrot, but this one doesn't involve
Victoria Adler (a definite plus!). The
downside? If something happens to Peter
(which it inevitably will), she’s going to be tied to him in what could turn
out to be an I Owe You type of situation.
With just a few hours to decide, what way will she go? Season four is quickly slipping away and I
have a feeling some changes could be blowing through Chicago…
What’s Next?
Colin
Sweeney returns! And he has a goatee! Somehow, his new facial hair is making him
creepier than ever. Well, it does until
he pulls out the quote, “Alicia Florrick… you feed my Mary Poppins obsession”
and then follows it up with a purring sound.
Ewww. But also, yay! He’s so sketchy I can’t help but be intrigued
by his every move. We can also look
forward to a decision from Diane on whether or not she’s leaving the practice
for her next big gig. Here's to next Sunday and "The Wheels of Justice."
