Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) experiences the different shades of “good” in the grey world of politics, writes Debashine Thangevelo
FANS are still reeling from Will Gardner’s death in the previous season of The Good Wife. And he will definitely be missed this season.
But life has to go on for Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies). She is a mother, very present in her children’s lives. She has a company to run and a business partner to free from jail. Oh, and last but not least, Eli Gold wants her to run for State’s Attorney.
The time for grieving is over. Much has to be done – especially with Cary Argos awaiting trial on a drug trafficking charge.
Margulies shares: “I think Alicia really went into this doe-eyed and bushy-tailed, thinking, ‘I’m really good at my job, my eldest son is out of the house, my youngest daughter is about to leave home, I should probably change the direction of my career and do some good in the world’. And I do believe that her convictions about how she would change the State Attorney’s office are true to her heart. It’s not some sort of platform she is standing on that she doesn’t believe in.
“But it’s all about funding and buttering up people and I don’t mean to sound clichéd, but getting into bed with the devil in order to move forward. And this season, you really see her sliding into a darker place, in terms of her belief in the system, in herself, in what she is doing. Because behind every bad move is a good girl so it’s very conflicting for her.”
Alicia also realises that the road to politics can be a lonely, spirit-crushing one, especially without the support of Diane and Cary.
The award-winning actress confirms: “I think Alicia’s world starts to crumble a bit when she realises that campaigning is not all it’s cracked up to be and it really is true, all the stories you hear. It’s a dirty world and she starts to see another side of herself. She also feels betrayed that they (Diane and Cary) are not supporting her decision. When Diane wanted to be a judge, Alicia supported her.”
Interestingly, alliances also shift this season, much to Alicia’s dismay.
She notes, “It’s sort of every man for himself in a strange way and that’s sadly the world.”
Along with a trail of detractors on her campaign, another game-changer is a hacker making public the e-mails of Florrick/Agos.
“The reason she finds out about it is her daughter’s watching it on her computer. And Alicia is hearing her words that she said to Will being played by someone else and her daughter sitting there and watching it. And they are only meant for her and Will.
“So not only is it mortifying because it affects everyone in her life. But it’s this one sacred thing that she had. This one beautiful secret that she had to herself that is completely exposed, made fun of and its mortifying, probably worse than losing any seat in any kind of office. And it strangely brings her and Peter closer together,” Margulies shares.
The writers have been quite ingenious with this season. They have flipped the script on Alicia and Peter. And it throws up quite a few interesting conundrums, especially for several relationships and friendships.
The Good Wife’s hallmark for drama returns with a vengeance. And several worlds are turned on their heads with our favourite characters struggling to save face, set records straight and steer their careers away from being reduced to an ungovernable mess.
Oh, and there are a few new faces cropping up this season, with Dylan Baker reprising his role as Colin Sweeney.
THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE GOOD WIFE…
Season 1: Scarred by the public humiliation of Peter, her politician husband’s indiscretion, Alicia picks up the pieces of her shattered life by returning to law. Her path crosses with that of Will Gardner, who is still carrying a torch for Alicia, and she starts working at his prestigious law firm that is co-partnered with Diane Lockhart. And, slowly but surely, her confidence returns while at Lockhart & Gardner.
Season 2: Will and Alicia are unable to deny their mutual attraction. But Eli Gold, Peter’s cunning right-hand man, nipped that in the bud. With the affair put on hold, Alicia finds herself going toe-to-toe with Cary Argos, who is still bitter about her getting the job at Lockhart & Gardner. Meanwhile, the firm’s new partner, Derrick Bond, is proving to be a greater threat than an asset. More so, when he learns that in-house investigator, Kalinda, changed her name from Leela and that she slept with Peter when she worked for him… and shares the information with Alicia on the night that Peter wins the election for State’s Attorney.
Season 3: Alicia is now working her third year as a litigator and on track to become partner. And Will and she have started their affair. And the dip in the recession affects the company. Meanwhile, Alicia realises that she has been neglecting her children, Zach and Grace, and reconsiders her recent actions.
Season 4: Lockhart & Gardner survived the bankruptcy saga. And they offer partnerships to some associates, only to later retract the offer to all of them except Alicia. This spurs Cary to team up with the other fourth-year litigators to start their own legal practice. Alicia, amid all the double-dealing back at the company, befriends a woman who, as it turns out, isn’t planning on funding Peter’s campaign for governor but rather her own – against him. And so Alicia finds herself back by Peter’s side while still sorting through her overwhelming feelings for Will.
Season 5: By far, this was one of the most tumultuous and angst-ridden seasons. Alicia was at her most conflicted over several things. Will felt betrayed by her departure with Cary… along with some of their clients. Amid numerous legal battles between the two firms – Will is fatally shot. This throws everyone’s life into turmoil. Alicia is beside herself and inconsolable. Meanwhile, Diane finds herself in treacherous territory with Louis Canning and David Lee plotting to usurp her. So she tries to strike a deal with Alicia and Cary. And Eli asks Alicia to run for State’s Attorney.
• The Good Wife season 6, M-Net (DStv channel 101), June 24 at 8.30pm.