Felix Staples rattles the firm when he returns with a case against ChumHum, bringing along a familiar face as his representation, Solomon Waltzer. Diane receives a mysterious note at home, leading Kurt to question what she's been up to. Actor Gary Carr shadows Lucca for his upcoming role as a lawyer.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of CBS All Access' The Good Fight.
"The One Where Kurt Saves Diane" was written by Laura Marks and directed by Felix Alcala
Diane, Liz and the book club are prevented from committing a felony and hacking the 2020 election. That happens because the NSA agent listening in on their conversations likes Diane and doesn't want anything bad to happen to her. It's fascinating to see this creative team continue to explore the people who work for this organization. It's treated as a familiar office space. One where co-workers tease each other and have fallen into routines. They are skeptical of the new hires. And yet, this office can't be treated as such. They are spying on people in the hopes of preventing any kind of criminal act from occurring. Diane and her associates were flagged because of a bunch of buzzwords being mentioned in one conversation. That's all it took to order this surveillance on her. But Stephen is the one who ultimately puts an end to this investigation. It's not through the legal channels though. He doesn't tell his supervisors that they should just drop the surveillance. He understands that Diane's group is plotting to carry out this attack on the election system. He may not know everything about the hack but he does care about what happens to Diane even though he only knows of her through her phone conversations. That's the extent of this relationship. He is suppose to function as an objective observer to protect the foundation and security of the country. Instead, he is making his influence known. He just leaves a bunch of clues behind that help Kurt identify who he is. That's very amusing. Sure, the initial note warning Diane that she can't carry out the hack is the only one of actual substance. Kurt only catches Stephen because he comes back with another warning. Nothing is made of that though. Nothing comes from one of the group members supposedly getting a text from the woman who brought them all together in the first place. Diane told a lie in order to keep the book group together. She is only honest with Liz about it here. That's enough for Liz to question if this is a group she wants to continue participating in. She sees it as a huge deception on the part of the woman she trusts in both business and her personal life. She understands that Diane has the same mindset and aspires to tackle the world's problems in the same way. But now, there are so many concerns popping up that stem from this attempt to hack the upcoming election. Diane gets this warning which forces her to be more honest. Kurt doesn't know exactly what's going on until he gets into a car with Stephen. Only then does he realize the scope of the problem Diane has gotten herself into. And yet, he has the connections to make it disappear just as quickly. It's very impressive actually. This season established that Kurt and Diane are committed to living together for the first time. They aren't constantly apart from each other like they were for the first years of their marriage. It just means Kurt is actually working for the Trump administration. But that may not necessarily be a bad thing here. This hour articulates how some people can navigate the system without losing their morals in the process. That is very admirable. Plus, he doesn't need any of the credit. He just does this out of love and cherishes that moment together once she learns that the voting machines have been taken out of service.
Elsewhere, the show is a little busy as it continues to set up a big confrontation at the firm that could decide whether or not it continues to grow. The season started with the partners learning about the sexual assault and harassment claims against Carl Reddick. They responded by silencing the women even though they are now aware that they can no longer do that. The story will be released. They hope to do so in a way that doesn't disrupt their business for good. And yet, they are worried about losing their biggest client in ChumHum. Diane landed the tech giant back in the first season. It has always been a key source of drama in this world. It allows the show to have an intriguing conversation about censorship and respecting the various laws around the world. The ChumHum executives see it as necessary to adjust their algorithm in order to be competitive in the Chinese market. They are sympathetic to those whose voices were silenced because they spoke out against the inhumane actions of the local government. But they see this as an entry point to progress. They have to go in respecting the culture and hope to build something over time that better reflects democracy and the freedom that is enjoyed in America. Of course, all of this is being litigated in a Chicago courtroom with Felix Staples as the defendant. He doesn't deserve the settlement that he eventually gets. But it also proves just how serious the tech companies need to take these concerns. It is a public relations nightmare. At first, it's all about preventing the story from getting out there. Then, it's caving to the pressure of those who are armed with this information no matter who they are. But it ends up with Adrian and Liz being honest about the Carl Reddick story in order to stay ahead of it with their biggest client. It's understandable why this tech company wouldn't want to be associated with a #MeToo story. But it's hardly the only thing that should be factored into their decision as well. However, it does provide a nice way of making the characters worried about the future. This business may not be as stable as they hoped it would be. Some of them may be plotting to hack an election. But their actions could quickly lead to the destruction of the firm as well even though they are trying to do everything right in order to succeed. It's all a part of the off-kilter way the show is telling its stories this season. Lucca shouldn't be off her game in court. And yet, she surprisingly is because she's confronted with the realities of it being a performance and how tricky it can be to play to that specific audience. She is a great lawyer. She impresses the client. That only comes after she struggles to pull herself together because it seems like a charismatic guy has done a solid job at invading her personal space. She is at least able to get away from him in the end though. Nothing more seems likely to develop between her and Gary Carr.
Elsewhere, the show is a little busy as it continues to set up a big confrontation at the firm that could decide whether or not it continues to grow. The season started with the partners learning about the sexual assault and harassment claims against Carl Reddick. They responded by silencing the women even though they are now aware that they can no longer do that. The story will be released. They hope to do so in a way that doesn't disrupt their business for good. And yet, they are worried about losing their biggest client in ChumHum. Diane landed the tech giant back in the first season. It has always been a key source of drama in this world. It allows the show to have an intriguing conversation about censorship and respecting the various laws around the world. The ChumHum executives see it as necessary to adjust their algorithm in order to be competitive in the Chinese market. They are sympathetic to those whose voices were silenced because they spoke out against the inhumane actions of the local government. But they see this as an entry point to progress. They have to go in respecting the culture and hope to build something over time that better reflects democracy and the freedom that is enjoyed in America. Of course, all of this is being litigated in a Chicago courtroom with Felix Staples as the defendant. He doesn't deserve the settlement that he eventually gets. But it also proves just how serious the tech companies need to take these concerns. It is a public relations nightmare. At first, it's all about preventing the story from getting out there. Then, it's caving to the pressure of those who are armed with this information no matter who they are. But it ends up with Adrian and Liz being honest about the Carl Reddick story in order to stay ahead of it with their biggest client. It's understandable why this tech company wouldn't want to be associated with a #MeToo story. But it's hardly the only thing that should be factored into their decision as well. However, it does provide a nice way of making the characters worried about the future. This business may not be as stable as they hoped it would be. Some of them may be plotting to hack an election. But their actions could quickly lead to the destruction of the firm as well even though they are trying to do everything right in order to succeed. It's all a part of the off-kilter way the show is telling its stories this season. Lucca shouldn't be off her game in court. And yet, she surprisingly is because she's confronted with the realities of it being a performance and how tricky it can be to play to that specific audience. She is a great lawyer. She impresses the client. That only comes after she struggles to pull herself together because it seems like a charismatic guy has done a solid job at invading her personal space. She is at least able to get away from him in the end though. Nothing more seems likely to develop between her and Gary Carr.
