Sunday, March 25, 2012

'The Good Wife' Review - 3.19 Blue Ribbon Panel

        In the newest episode of CBS' The Good Wife, Alicia is assigned to be on a blue ribbon panel investigating a police shooting and as the case develops she begins to question the motivations behind the chairman's actions. Meanwhile, Kalinda receives unwanted attention from the IRS.

        If Matthew Perry's current NBC pilot doesn't get a green-light in May, he would be a fantastic addition to the plentiful recurring cast of this show. He's already appearing in more of the final episodes this season which has me completely intrigued. Based off of only this episode, it felt like his character would appear on a one-time occasional basis. It will be great to see how his fantastic morally-questionable character will shake things up going forward.
        The episode primarily focused around Alicia as she dealt with being on the blue ribbon panel while also trying to buy back her house. The flashbacks to her previous life in the old house were the weakest overall part of this episode (and the dialog were she realizes that Jackie was the Florrick who bought the house was clunky) but the manner in which they were edited in made them much more dynamic and interesting. In contrast, the real highlight came as Alicia went against the status quo to try and find out the truth in the panel's investigation of a police shooting. Of course, her hard work led to her having to recuse herself when it was discovered that the State's Attorney's office is directly connected to the verdict of this specific case. This show continues to portray the Florrick's relationship wonderfully because even though Alicia hates Peter and they live separately, she cares enough for him to not hurt his future political aspirations. That small detail is what distinguishes this program as so stellar.
        Alicia also brought her A-game when dealing with the IRS and the FBI concerning Kalinda. It was revealed that Kalinda's tax invasion was a cover-up for a larger FBI investigation on her. It was also made apparent that the feds have nothing on her and are simply just digging for something big and Kalinda's former lady friend Agent Lana Delaney is behind it all. It is unclear if the attack was strictly professional or business but that murkiness is what makes this program so great. Plus who didn't love the scene where Kalinda confronted Lana by once again using her sexuality to pressure out information.

Side Notes:
  • Have we seen the guy that replaced Will as name partner? If not, there better be some great drama from that addition in the final few episodes in order to give this story some gravitas.
  • Gotta love past episode references! (firearm practice for Diane, Kalinda being offered a job at the FBI, the firm representing Lemond Bishop)
  • Is Peter's run for governor being plagued by his racial bias too predictable of a story for this show?