The Good Wife: Going for the Gold and the Great Debate

Season 4, Episode 15 | Original Air Date: Sunday, March 3, 2013

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What’s better than one cold?  Two.  Especially when they’re shared.

Now, I’ll admit this isn’t usually a motto I live by.  Colds are annoying, but in the case of The Good Wife, I’m jumping on the bandwagon, carrying a sign and writing a jingle: Bring on the spreadable germs!

So, there they were, my two favourite star-crossed lawyers, Will and Alicia, sneezing and coughing up a storm while standing in Diane’s office.  Alicia looked at Will looking at Alicia, both from the corners of their eyes, hoping Diane wouldn't notice they had come down with the same pesky bug.  “You two need to say away from me” is all she could say, while backing away from them both.   Lucky for Diane, she’s probably safe as she hasn't made out with her inter-office colleagues… ever.  Well, maybe not ever.  We’re still not sure what happened between she and Stern, but that’s a story for another time.  So, as Diane was sliding out of her office, trying not to breathe, I was sitting there exclaiming: “They gave each other that cold – Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!’  Seriously.  When the world gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  The joy of watching people sneeze in unison is the best I've got in my campaign for Team Gardner.  It’s not much, but I’ll take it.

Now that’s out of the way, it’s time to jump into the rest of the show (because, believe it or not, the sneezequence only lasted one minute and sixteen seconds… ish).   This week I’m going to skip the play-by-play recap and go straight to the highs and lows of “Going for the Gold.”  Feel free to jump in on the comments below and share your thoughts!

Going for the Gold – The Highs

A Working Lunch

Where else can I start accept with Elsbeth Tascioni?  She continues to amaze and amuse – she’s nothing short of extraordinary.  While her back and forth with Josh in ‘musical co-conspirators’ was inspiring (more about that later), it was her clumsy escape from the Indian lunch that made me love her even more.  

After sliding away from Josh, a giant cup of mango juice, his compliments about her ‘pillow-ie lips’ and a basket of naan, Elsbeth popped over to Alicia’s office to ask for help.  This gave way to one of the best quotes of the episode:  “You want me to play act a lawyer in your sham defamation suit?”  Why yes, yes she does.  And, of course, Alicia agreed.

The Elephant in the Elevator

Meanwhile, Alicia and Will have a pact to avoid being in the same place alone together.  Of course, a rule like that is meant to be broken (hopefully multiple times).  While I sense a great bit of foreshadowing with that pronouncement, this week, these two found themselves on the same elevator, alone, behind sliding doors.  Will, standing behind Alicia and looking awkward, calmly asked about the state of Alicia’s cold and then reiterated the kiss was a moment of weakness and that they aren't going to act on it… again.  It was a moment of honesty that I love seeing between these two.  So often we note these characters as pillars of strength around each other and in life, but together they are vulnerable and think about things in different ways.  While I sincerely hope we get to see them have a more evolved relationship going forward, I’m thankful for these moments of honest but awkward interplay.  It’s real.  It’s life.  And yes, it’s complicated.

Who Doesn't Love a Co-Conspirator?

I know I do.  Especially when there are multiples from which to choose.  What’s great about watching Elsbeth and Josh is that they have so many similarities they can predict each will be outdone by the other, they just don’t know when, where or how.   This week, Elsbeth was determined to beat Josh at his own game and that meant doing battle in two courts.  The same issues were at play: the idea that Eli bought votes for a discount of his services.  You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.  That quickly turned into a defamation case when an article hit the press about this controversy thanks to Eli’s old pal, Frank Landau.  Enter the co-conspirators as dreamt up by Josh:  Hugh Saxon, CEO of Greengate Retirement Centre; Diane Lockhart (because she initialed a receipt) and, my favourite, Jackie Florrick. 

I’m not going to go into details here (it’s better to watch the drama unfold… and see how the quote “She’s easily confused… like a blind donkey” comes into play), but what’s terrific about this scene is watching how Jackie knows how to play Eli (and the system) like a finely tuned piano.  She can’t throw Eli under the bus because she knows that will hurt Peter’s chances of winning the election.  Suddenly Jackie Florrick has to side with he who has been her arch nemesis for months… and it’s wonderful.

The Great Debate

Let’s face it: Peter’s great in the hot seat.  I can’t imagine the press throwing a question at him that he couldn’t answer.  With Maddie facing off and waving the race equality card in Peter’s face, there was nothing left to do but school her on the ways of televised debate.  With help from Eli, Maddie could barely speak in coherent sentences.  It was bliss… or better yet, gold.

The best part?  Eli’s back in business.  The second best part?  Unlike the Alicia of old, who simply stood by Peter, Alicia 2.0 is giving him advice and helping him win.  Perhaps her career in politics isn't so far off after all.

Side note: Does anyone else love this picture of Maddie with Peter lurking in the background as much as I do?  

Going for the Gold – The Lows

My What a Pretty Label You Have

Lockhart Gardner is after the State’s Attorney’s civil business… again.  Will was sent in to bat and hit a fly ball caught by Geneva Pine for the out.  It was a disaster, made worse only by Laura probing Will with questions about Lemond Bishop and Chinese Walls – Lockhart Gardner’s two favourite subjects.  In the end, Will couldn't save the day, but not for lack of trying.  Geneva Pine just really hates drug dealers.  Really, who can blame her?  Sure she’s probably getting her suits dry cleaned at one of his legit businesses, but that’s beside the point.

Meanwhile, Will took Laura’s questioning very personally and came at her with the kind of verbal aggression he saves for Alicia on a late night at the office. If he didn't have that cold, he might have kissed her.  Instead, he tried to make up for his rage by purchasing an expensive bottle of wine and using his ‘come hither’ Tammy voice to woo her back to his side.  I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I know I don’t like it.  And not just because I don’t like Will’s ‘I’m trying to pick you up voice,’ which by the way, I don’t (and, for the record, which he has never used on Alicia), but because I strangely think Laura could do better.  I’m a huge fan of Will, but Laura doesn't deserve to be yelled at over ridiculous things.  She’d do better catching the eye of one Mr. Agos who might just have some extra time on his hands if the partners have anything to say about it…

Trimming Hours

Alicia’s the new boss in town… and I’m not sure I like it.  Correction.  Alicia’s the new boss in town… and I don’t like it.  She’s suddenly having to cut hours of the people she was an equal to only one episode ago.  People are willing to turn on her in a dime and throw out nicknames like ‘Saint Alicia’ like it's going out of style, which, by the way, it is.  Alicia’s name to the associates is quickly becoming mud.  Of course, Alicia likes Cary and doesn't want to drag him down, so in order to cut hours, she trimmed her own schedule.  Endearing to the associates?  Yes.  To Diane?  No.  Alicia’s between a rock and a hard place and Diane is laying the smack down on Alicia not acting like a peasant. 

Being on the outside and looking in isn't a place I see Alicia thriving.  She does, however, seem to take Diane’s suggestions to heart, whether she likes it or not.  Isn't that the saying though?  “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”  Alicia’s there to play the game so the game doesn't play her.  I just hope she doesn't lose all of her friends and allies along the way.

I’ll take, “Jordan – I’m almost out of a job – Karahalios for $100 Alex”

Jordan: Eli’s replacement and supposed campaign dynamo.  What am I missing?  This man doesn't seem to know a thing about working with Peter or winning a debate, let alone an election.  While I understand different strategies work for different situations, it seems as though Jordan doesn't have his head in Peter Florrick game.  I’d love if they threw us a curve ball and revealed he’s a plant of Wendy Scott-Carr’s… but that’s unlikely.  Delicious.  But unlikely.

In saying that, I’ll be honest: I’m kind of rooting for Peter.  Even as a devout Team Gardner fan, I feel okay about admitting this because as a politician, I think Peter is a reasonable candidate, especially given the others on the ballot.  Also, if he’s elected as Governor, maybe he’ll finally stop preaching about his time in prison.   Oh, and he’ll move away.  Even with those last two points aside, I still feel as though he’s the right person for the job.  Thank goodness Peter still has Eli on speed dial and that Alicia has the smarts to encourage him to use it.

That Damn Campaign Bus

Things I won’t miss about election season: 1) The campaign bus.  2) The campaign bus.  3) The – wait for it – campaign bus.  I don’t mind when this vehicle is parked on a lot and Peter is out shaking hands and kissing babies in front of it while Eli is crunching numbers in the passenger’s seat.  I can get behind all of that.  It’s when the bus turns into the sex wagon that it drives me crazy.  Alicia can’t keep her cloths on when she’s in that blasted bus and now Peter’s all, “do you want to have dinner tonight… like a date?”  Ahhhhhh!   This thing has fancy TV’s, comfortable recliners and apparently magic powers, because no one can say ‘no’ while aboard the Florrick bus of love. 

The sharing of colds I can get behind… it’s the sharing of buses I can’t support.

What’s Next?

Cary puts the moves on Kalinda, Peter gets into a fist fight, Alicia’s Mom resurfaces and Mike Kresteva returns.  These next four weeks are going to be excruciatingly exciting.