The Good Wife: “Bond”

Hell hath no fury like an Eli scorned.

I must confess that as much as I love The Good Wife, I became frustrated with it last season. The series was a like a dog chasing his tail. New plot points would arise, only to have the show almost immediately reset them and return to the starting point. A good part of the sixth season was spent electing Alicia as State’s Attorney, only to have the victory taken away from her. Alicia and Cary established their own firm, even got Diane to join them, only to have them all back where they started in the original Lockhart/Gardner office space. Even the way the sixth season ended with Louis Canning asking Alicia if she wanted to partner with him was way too reminiscent of when Cary knocked on her door at the end of the fourth season.

So how wonderful that right off the bat—even before the title sequence—the series creates an irrevocable chasm between Eli and Peter. Peter, in his quest to run for President (but really just end up as the Vice Presidential pick), unceremoniously dumps Eli as his chief of staff and campaign manager in favor of Ruth Eastman (the ever-fabulous Margo Martindale). “Are you so narcissistic that you can’t see you’re stabbing me in the back?” Eli asks Peter before telling him, “You just lost you’re greatest asset and made your worst enemy.”

After a few days of wallowing, Eli knows what he wants to do. He’s going to be Alicia’s Chief of Staff, much to the chagrin of Ruth Eastman, who clearly has no idea what she’s stepped into. “Are you suggesting you wouldn’t be involved in your husband’s campaign?” she asks Alicia incredulously. And what’s Eli up to? He told Peter he was going to find someone to run against him. Could Alicia be that person? The Eli, Ruth, and Alicia dynamic is already a potent combination. I can’t wait to see where the show goes with this.

The seventh season premiere also introduced Kalinda’s replacement, Quinn (Cush Jumbo). Of course the show isn’t calling Quinn Kalinda’s replacement, but let’s be honest, that’s what she is. Quinn is an attorney Alicia meets in bond court so she’s not exactly replacing Kalinda’s position (Jeffrey Dean Morgan comes on board next week as the new investigator), but she’s going to be the new friend in Alicia’s life. And the actresses are already appearing on screen together so we should be able to avoid the split screen nonsense evident in the sixth season finale.

Meanwhile, Cary is clearly bored at Agos, Lockhart and Lee (is that what the firm is called now? I’m so confused.). He supports an associate’s efforts to introduce a new software, only to have the associate think Cary is actually hitting on him. Will Cary find his way back to working with Alicia? I hope so.

The case of the week was played mostly for laughs as Alicia and David Lee battled over an inheritance assigned via sticky notes. It was a fun way to show how there are experts in almost everything—from the efficacy of a sticky notes adhesive to the fall trajectory of said sticky notes. Jane Curtain as the judge presiding over the case was also a lot of fun. “Okay, now you’re just making these jobs up,” she says at one point. Alicia soon discovers it is Louis Canning who is sending work her way in his continued effort to convince Alicia to work for (or is it with?) him.

All in all, a great start to the seventh season. Alicia has a new friend. Peter has a new enemy. And the show has Margo Martindale. Good times! I’m happy enough to start singing a rousing rendition of “Thicky Trick.”

Other thoughts on “Bond:”

Did Eli confirm that Peter did in fact sleep with Marilyn (Melissa George) in Season Four?

I really don’t understand how Peter and Alicia think Peter can run for president without everyone finding out that they have not lived together for years.

Wouldn’t most people recognize the Governor’s daughter? Would Grace really be able to pass herself off as Alicia’s secretary?

I adore Eli’s assistant. I hope we see more of her.

According to the show, Hillary Clinton has the Democratic nomination all locked up.

I miss Robyn. With Kalinda gone, won’t Diane and Cary need her?

Cush Jumbo is like the best name ever.

Amy Amatangelo is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and a regular contributor to Paste. She wasn’t allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow her on Twitter or her blog.

The Good Wife: “Bond”

(Episode 7.01)