What I’m Watching: The Good Wife

The Good Wife: Season 7, Episode 4 “Taxed” (B+)

I think it’s official: Judge Schakowsky is the most despicable character on television right now. It doesn’t suggest much in the way of the effectiveness or fairness of the legal system that the lawyers advise their clients to take pleas to avoid having to spend another night in jail and the judge punishing lawyers for making cases take more time than sixty seconds. While one shoplifting arrest was legitimate, the notion of reinvigorating the system and making bond court into something less arbitrary and unjust is a perfect cause for Alicia to undertake with her latest potential partner, Lucca. It’s not too surprising to learn that Jason has a troubled past, complete with disbarment after he punched a judge. His coolness under pressure is superb, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan definitely the best addition to the cast this season so far. I’m also pretty pleased with Margo Martindale’s Ruth, who initially seemed like she was just there to be driven crazy by Eli, but who managed to do a terrific job of appeasing both Grace and Jackie and getting them to back off on their views about physician assisted suicide. Diane being forced to argue against physician assisted suicide was tough, and I like that, though Oliver Platt was great as conservative mogul Reese, he’s now sent Peter Gallagher’s Ethan in to communicate his wishes. The rapid-fire exchange between Diane and Ethan about their beliefs was one of the episode’s strongest moments, both well-written and marvelously acted by Gallagher and Baranski.