The Good Wife: “Targets”

So here’s a thought: if you’re the wife of the Governor perhaps you shouldn’t sleep with another man in front of your office window with the door wide open. I mean, I know that Alicia and Peter have an understanding, and that Jason is smoldering, but for a woman who has had her reputation on the line more than once you would think she would be oh-so-slightly more careful.

But Alicia and Jason finally acted on months of chemistry and did the deed. But the next day Jason doesn’t pick up when Alicia calls. Later he tells her that he’s worried because she’s the Governor’s wife. (Um, that was also true when you slept with her Jason.) “You want things simple. I want things simple too,” Alicia seductively tells him. But we all know Alicia’s life is anything but simple.

The big news was the return of the much-beloved Elsbeth Tascioni who Eli hires to find out why exactly the FBI is investigating Peter. Elsbeth is doing her quirky thing until she suddenly has to pull herself from the case, because she realizes she has a conflict of interest. Enter Elsbeth’s equally quirky ex-husband Michael (guest star Will Patton). He figures out that one of Peter’s major donors is Elsbeth’s client. So the FBI isn’t going after election rigging, but something else entirely.

Alicia is part of a top-secret judicial committee deciding if the American government is justified in killing a member of ISIS known to be the recruiter of many terrorists. The big reveal is the ISIS member is an American and Alicia argues that, as an American, he deserves due process. But she’s dismissed from the committee before the final decision is made. The U.S. government thinks she’s the leak. She’s not, of course, but the storyline brings back the NSA wiretap for one last hurrah. The NSA was most likely the cause of the leak because, not only have they been listening in on Alicia’s phone calls, but they’ve also turned her phone into a hot mike and can pick up any conversation she’s having near her phone. In the final moments of the episode, it appears the wiretapping will come to an end and we bid a fond farewell to NSA geeks Tyler and Stephen. I’m thinking this whole thing was just a way to not leave the NSA storyline open-ended because shoehorning them into this episode was awkward.

Meanwhile back at a Lockhart, Agos and Lee, the natives are acting crazier than usual. David Lee is worried that Diane is trying to turn the place into an all-female firm. David hires Jason to investigate (really, you think he could have found another investigator?) and Cary tries to not-so-subtly get info out of Lucca over lunch. Jason uses his pillow talk time with Alicia to see if she and Diane are plotting to have an all-female firm. The whole story line is rather disappointing. Nobody is acting like the smart, savvy characters they actually are.

As we head to the series finale, I really want every episode to be outstanding. Unfortunately this one wasn’t. The military case was interesting but abruptly cut short when Alicia was dismissed (although we did learn that the U.S. Government did kill the American ISIS member). And the stuff at the firm just seems like more spinning of wheels. But I remain convinced that Elsbeth deserves her own series. She was as glorious as ever.

Stray Observations:

The greatest hit parade of guest actors continues—Patrick Breen, who hasn’t been on the series since the third season, reprised his role of Captain Terrence Hicks.

I keep wondering if the writers are going to take this drinking problem of Alicia’s to the next level. Because right now, it is as if Jason can cure depression and alcoholism.

No new episode next week, but the series returns on March 6 with Stockard Channing and Dallas Roberts back as Alicia’s mother and brother.

Was Alicia booted from the committee because they thought she was the leak, or because she was offering a dissenting opinion?

I feel like Marissa should sell her purses on Etsy.

Do think it’s possible that Eli is behind this FBI investigation? Just a thought.

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: “Targets”

(Episode 7.15)