When you beg/borrow/steal seasons one and two, DO NOT allow yourself to watch it all in one sitting; in fact, pretend (and you will be able to do this if you are over 35) that the only way available to you to watch a television show is to wait from week to week (and sometimes longer taking into account holiday and sports interruptions) to see each new episode. It is extremely important that you display self-control—that you allow yourself to be seduced very slowly—that you live your normal boring life in between episodes—that you tend to your pet, your kids, your spouse, your hobbies, your job, your in-laws—that you prolong the a n t i c i p a t i o n so that you have the satisfaction of existing in a constant state of arousal for the entire duration of the two seasons. [This is a good state in which to exist; we are used to satisfaction; we do not appreciate this hopeful expectant state any more.]
If you must have instant satisfaction and, of course you century straddler, you must:
a) rent/download/borrow the season of 24 that you have somehow missed and watch it in one 8.8 hr (22x24÷60—If you have to ask you are not Canadian.) longest-day-of-your-life frenzy.
b) watch Spartacus
c)
The Good Wife is adult entertainment.
The Good Wife is adult entertainment despite the fact that I can count of one hand the number of times that there has been an overtly sexy image of Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick on the show:
This is a sexy image of Julianna as Alicia. This is not.
Of course there is the whole wondrous strange sub-plot involving the extremely sexy and intriguing Kalinda and said sub-plot is absolutely integral to the show, but I suspect it is included in a clever and calculated fashion to ensure men too watch this show. Do men watch this show? I don't know. They should.
[Aside: In other sub-plot developments, the introduction of Alan Cumming as Eli Gold has been a stroke of genius and his character has developed in surprising and unexpected ways (who knew that in addition to falling for Will (Josh Charles) one could also fall for Eli).]
But why really am I so drawn to this show and why now am I done with it?
What makes The Good Wife so tantalizing, so erotic, so compellingly watchable is its pacing and its subtlety. Entire weeks go by in which Will and Alicia barely lock eyes let alone exchange words. Casual touches happen sparingly and, at times, the viewer despairs that the plot line will allow Will and his charming girlfriend Tammy (played coyly by Elizabeth Reaser) to last—in fact despairs that because the Will/Alicia "build" is so subtlety handled that maybe it is not the main focus, that maybe it will be abandoned. After each show one is perversely hurt and hopeful.
That Alicia and Will are "good" people—are solid, true, loyal, angst-filled, normal, sometimes boring, tedious, characters further complicates the viewer's expectations. Margulies' performance in this regard is dazzling—her tightly pursed lips often the only clue belying her otherwise calm demeanor. Charles as Will is even more understated—managing to convey his inner turmoil almost entirely through body language and the rare (and rewarding) mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Disclosure: I have a huge crush on Will that I cannot help. This is perhaps the most romantic TV show ever made and I am nothing if not a hopeless romantic.
The final episode—the Season Two finale—is a work of genius and women everywhere (thank you Jane) bless god, and the PVR, and Mr. Otis for the invention of the elevator.
But I am done. I am done because the story has reached its proper culmination short of climax. It is the state I want to stay in and it can only go bad, or sad, from here.
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So . . . I am saying goodbye to The Good Wife and leaving you with a couple of awfully cheesy (cheesy mainly due to the audio overlays) but oh so romantic You Tube tributes to what was Will and Alicia. A cold shower beckons.
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