What I’m Watching: The Good Wife (Season Finale)

The Good Wife: Season 4, Episode 22 “What’s In the Box?” (A-)

While I’ll admit that I wasn’t completely convinced of the authenticity of a candidate’s wife trying a case with the candidate’s son as a witness directly related to his ongoing election, I think it does track that Zack would be the one to notice and speak up about such a thing, and it made for a truly exciting and invigorating episode. Bringing in two of the show’s best guest stars, Emmy winner Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm and Denis O’Hare as Judge Abernathy, helped to make the whole affair even more entertaining. There were a handful of crucial developments in this hour, and I liked the renewed focus on Peter as his campaign took center stage, even without Matthew Perry’s Krusteva present. Jackie telling Peter to never interfere in her life was a shock, and it seemed like Alicia running off to meet Will when she was about to celebrate with Peter would be a bit cruel. It turned out to be a terrific fake-out, with Cary showing up at her door and Alicia dropping the huge news that she wants to leave the firm. It’s possible that it’s because it would make being with Will easier, but I think it’s much more than that. Though he alienated Kalinda, Cary has succeeded in putting together an impressive operation, and netting Colin Sweeney through no hard work of his own is a bonus. I’m so intrigued to see what next season will be like and to see this show transformed as friends are pitted against one another. There’s nothing like redefining a show completely several years into its run, and I’m eager to see what this show can do.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Julianna Margulies as Alicia