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[TWoP Gadget]

ALICIA IS FORCED BACK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT BY PETER’S NEWEST POLITICAL RIVAL, ON “THE GOOD WIFE,” SUNDAY, APRIL 15
Editor’s note: The title for this episode has been changed.

Matthew Perry Returns as Mike Kresteva and Parker Posey Returns as Vanessa Gold

CHEAT TWEET: Alicia’s caught in the middle when a new political rival takes aim at Peter on a new #TheGoodWife 4/15 9pm ET/PT http://bit.ly/GGMyEX

“Pants On Fire” – As Alicia counsels a client whether to accept a strict plea deal, she’s distracted by Peter’s newest political rival, whose actions force her back into the public spotlight, on THE GOOD WIFE, Sunday, April 15 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television.  Matthew Perry returns as Mike Kresteva and Parker Posey returns as Vanessa Gold.

[Words]

Jackie is Eeeeevil!! DId you see that look she gave Allicia from her hospital bed? About Mike Krestiva, Peter needs to sic Kalinda on his ass.

[Nanrad]

What happened the last five minutes? My dish went out.

[stealinghome]

It's official: this show only really works when Peter is campaigning for something. There was a highly noticeable uptick in the energy of tonight's episode, and I really think it has to do with the governor's race storyline. The show only works when Alicia is actively caught. (That said, it's totally unbelievable to me that people wouldn't know Peter and Alicia are separated. Come. On. The writers are so into technology? This is the internet age, people!)

Parker Posey can stay; I like her with Eli and I like what they've done with her and his story. Vanessa's mock-jealousy of Peter made me lol, and Eli's clueless "can we be friends?" also made me snort. I also floved Eli and Alicia; again, that relationship is best (and fascinating) when Eli is balancing his sincere respect for her with the needs of Peter's campaign. Eli as a character works best in that capacity, too.

Will's story was a little much--is every female lawyer in Chicago aside from Diane and Alicia constantly in heat around him and constantly inappropriate?--but it's the KIND of story they should've been giving him all through the suspension. Something different, something that lets him be more reflective.

Jackie is such a piece of work, it's actually scary. I did feel badly for her when Peter came down on her--in some ways the fact that she's so twisted isn't entirely her fault--but then her "I forgive you" was so ridiculous that I immediately lost all sympathy (and I loved Alicia's lolwhut face). The fact that Jackie took money from the kids' trust is HUGE and it better keep coming up!

Alicia hiring Kalinda was also all sorts of funny; loved Kalinda's dry "I AM going to have to know the name of the person I need to investigate, yo." And Alicia's face when she said "my mother in law" was funny.

Kristeva is the kind of villain you love to hate.

I LOVED Alicia throwing down at the end, and Diane's calm "That's right!" They DO make a good team. The guest star who was their client was good--you really, really felt for her.

The next two episodes look good. Diane's "can you keep your pants zipped!!!" alone will be worth the price of admission.

ETA: I was trying to find the words to describe this episode--it wasn't a bombshell kind of episode, but it was so much better than solid--and the best praise I can come up with is that it felt vintage S1, solid but at such a higher gear of solid.

Edited by stealinghome, Apr 15, 2012 @ 9:04 PM.

[ScienceGirl12]

Great episode - minus the Peter/Alicia reconciliation (saw that coming from the beginning of the ep). Although I suppose the reconciliation has been on tap for sometime; Alicia has really regressed as a character. I might get pilloried for writing this, but I for one am rooting for Mike Kreesteva! I've never felt like Peter was some amazingly noble politician and I enjoyed that Mike didn't seem fazed by Peter's "I'll go after YOU with everything I've got" rebuttal in the elevator. You go, dude. Alicia is backing Peter for, in my opinion, all the wrong reasons.

ETA: I also don't find it believable that NOBODY knows Alicia/Peter were separated. I'm expecting/hoping however that Mike knows that...

Love Matthew Perry in this role and I also enjoyed whoever was playing that lawyer who was once in rehab. Hell, I even liked *Jackie* in this episode in terms of how she dealt with Alicia at the end! Is it bad that I kinda like people giving Alicia a hard time, no matter how crazy they are?

The actress playing LG's client did a great job conveying innocence and wariness at what might happen with a new trial/how she'd cope with getting released.

All in all, I enjoyed it. Not too much of Kalinda's superhero antics, Eli did come off as convincingly sad when he had to stop helping Vanessa, Peter actually stood up to his mom. A in my book - and I'm saying this in spite of wanting Alicia to divorce Peter's ass!

Edited by ScienceGirl12, Apr 15, 2012 @ 9:13 PM.

[merylinkid]

Wow, Jackie is a piece of work. I thought the showdown with Alicia would be epic. But Alica lost that one. "I am not taking your place, you left." But then PETER gives her the smackdown he should have given her years ago. So she fakes a stroke. I thought she looked a little too healthy for a stroke, even a Hollywood stroke.

Even creepier is Matthew Perry's character. He is just plain insane. It was not political maneuvering. He really did not believe he lied, that Alicia was the one with the problem. I kept waiting for him to check the tape afterwards because recording the confrontation would be the only way that scene made sense from a sane point of view. Nope. Just crazy political guy.

I liked Alicia asking Kalinda for help on a personal matter. Baby steps. But stupid on Jackie's part to let Alicia see she faked her stroke. Because stealing from a trust fund is a crime. WHich Alicia can't do anything about right now because it hurts Peter's campaign for Governor.

WHY would he make a good governor? He is still just as sleazy as he always was. Just not banging hookers 19 times. But there was Alicia right next to him at the announcement. Just one happy family. Standing by her man. Being the Good Wife. Not one step of evolution after everything she has been through.

[SanLynn]

I love Diane and Alicia working together. They are so much fun to watch.

I spent the scene with Kristeva and Alicia in his office alternately wondering if he was clinically insane or if he had a tape recorder going somewhere and then "Ginger" showed up. You just know that's going to come up again. He is worse than Glenn Childs and that's saying something. This should be a whale of a race.

Jackie Jackie Jackie. Anybody else think she might be giving an academy award winning performance right now? That "I forgive you" and the look she shared with Alicia at the end of that scene. Wow, she is good that woman. I dislike her intensely but she is good. And raiding the kid's trust fund to get a hold of the house down payment? Stone cold.

I did love Peter slapping her down in his office though. Too bad he apologized for it ten minutes later.

The next two weeks look fantastic. I just wish we had more episodes. It doesn't seem like it should be the end of the season yet.

Edited by SanLynn, Apr 15, 2012 @ 10:23 PM.

[Mama No Life]

It was a great episode, but the Will/Alicia shipper part of me is sad. Is that it? We just forget it happened and move on? I really wanted them to end up together. Oh well.

Jackie is a piece of work. It's a wonder she didn't produce Kristeva instead of Peter...

[mustbekarma]

Great episode - minus the Peter/Alicia reconciliation (saw that coming from the beginning of the ep). Although I suppose the reconciliation has been on tap for sometime; Alicia has really regressed as a character.

I didn't really start watching this regularly until the middle of last season, so I missed some character development on the way. However, the reconciliation between Peter and Alicia just took this show off my watch list. Seriously, I don't think she's standing by Peter because she really wants him back, she just wants to give the shaft to the other dude. I really don't like this development.

WHY would he make a good governor? He is still just as sleazy as he always was. Just not banging hookers 19 times. But there was Alicia right next to him at the announcement. Just one happy family. Standing by her man. Being the Good Wife. Not one step of evolution after everything she has been through.

I've always thought Peter was a dick, but I have to concede the other dude is a way bigger dick. Therefore, Peter winning by default wouldn't be such a bad thing. I would still root for a candidate other than Peter of what's his face.

I am so disappointed in this show right now.

Edited by mustbekarma, Apr 15, 2012 @ 9:25 PM.

[calidub]

Alicia has really regressed as a character.

Yes, THIS. She started out so promising this season-- all empowered and newly confident. And then Grace had to go and get herself fake-kidnapped and Alicia can suddenly no longer have a life and be her own person. Even the thought of a reconciliation with Peter, for real or for the cameras, makes my skin crawl. And I swear if this season ends with the happy family moving back into their old house together, I AM GOING TO THROW KNIVES AT MY TELEVISION. And then quit the show. I just can't anymore.

I was convinced Jackie was going to slap Alicia in the face when she kept pulling her closer. The Jackie/Alicia throwdown was entertaining, but the Peter/Jackie throwdown was legitimately terrifying. He's scary when he's angry.

I missed Will. I actually looked at my clock to see what time it was when he finally made an appearance. I don't like having to wait 18 minutes for my Josh Charles fix, mmmkay? I didn't even hate his new girl. It was so nice to see him laugh and smile again! And I was actually excited to see them kissing next week. I'm just so annoyed with Alicia's character at this point, that I'm ready for Will to move on. He deserves better than this version of Alicia anyway. And I hope he eventually calls her out on her crap. He's been in love with her for years and she dicks him around and never even gives him a real chance. And yet she'll drop everything, sacrifice her happiness and independence and continue living a lie to support her estranged-husband who treated her like complete shit? Got it.

I couldn't stop laughing at the scene where Alicia confronts Kresteva and calls him out for lying. He tried to Kerkovich-Way her! (Any Happy Endings fans? Bueller?)

Edited by calidub, Apr 15, 2012 @ 9:31 PM.

[SueR]

When Peter put Jackie down I stood up and cheered. But can someone really fake a stroke? Wouldn't the doctors see that nothing was wrong? And does that mean she gets to buy the house? Ugh!! She's so evil. Just like Matthew Perry's character. Come to think of it, the writers do a really good job with crazy evil characters.
I liked the misdirection where they made you think the photography teacher did it. Once more Kalinda saves the day!

[PoeticJustice32]

This episode did not start out good for me. Alicia whining to Eli about how that Mike guy lied about her had me rolling my eyes. I'm so glad Eli was like "Really? you're upset about this?" I also couldn't care less about the trial of the week. It was to me the least interesting part of the show. But it definitely picked up towards the middle.

I did feel badly for her when Peter came down on her

Really? That was the best part of the episode for me. I about died laughing when he said at the end "thanks for stopping by" or something like that. It reminded me of when he smacked that school principal who didn't want to let the kids enroll down and when he told that hooker back in season 1 to take a hike. Peter is at his best when he's protecting Alicia and the kids from outsiders. Its the only time where I can ignore how badly he hurt them with his own actions and just enjoy him for what he is. I'm just PISSED he apologized when he got to the hospital. I hope he doesn't backtrack on what he said and allow Jackie to buy the house. Obviously cultivating a positive relationship with Alicia (and the kids) is very important to him, and he doesn't want anything or anyone (including his own mother) get in the way of that.

I know this show likes to have the good/bad guy dynamic. But does everyone that Peter runs against have to be so creepy. Matthew Perry's character is such an asshole, he actually made me miss Glenn Childs! Why can't Peter have a capable, decent opponent and not someone so obviously douchy?

He really did not believe he lied, that Alicia was the one with the problem. I kept waiting for him to check the tape afterwards because recording the confrontation would be the only way that scene made sense from a sane point of view. Nope. Just crazy political guy.

Oh during that scene I was thinking Mike thought Alicia was secretly recording them (I hoped she was) and that's why he stuck to his story so vehemently. Yeah, anything other than that and the guy should be fitted for a straight jacket.

Edited by PoeticJustice32, Apr 15, 2012 @ 9:37 PM.

[Shermie]

Love seeing Matthew Perry on TV again, but what was up with enunciation? I know he had speech impediment issues after his accident, but that was 10-ish years ago. In his first season of Friends he had that ill-fitting dentures lisp, but it went away. Now it's back. Weird.

[crashdown]

My overwhelming reaction is . . . ALICIA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING???

[BrisaTropical]

I was disappointed in this episode. I feel like the writers just hit the rewind button to season one. Here we go again with Alicia standing by her man. Cary also seems to be back on the scene. I almost have to wonder if they will have Cary compete with yet someone else Will has an interest in--they probably won't do that, but it would not surprise me at the rate they are going.

Am I supposed to root for Peter because he is less of a douchebag than Kristeva? And could they have found Kristeva a last name that does not make me think of an arthritis medication? And no one yet knows that Peter and Alicia are separated for God knows how long? Ah, so many questions, so little time [/end rant].

[Souris]

Alicia has really regressed as a character.

Ugh, I know. I can't STAND to see her right back to the standing by her (sleazy, oily) man from S1, ep 1. Has she learned NOTHING? It's really disappointing.

Apart from that, meh episode.

[Spy Idol]

I don't really understand the resolution to this episode's case. What were the lawyers trying to get each other to do at the end? I figured that the actually-guilty girl would take the Alford plea and walk away, and then the other two could go back to trial and blame it on the guilty girl, but I don't think that's what happened... did all three take the plea and walk?

[name234]

She's an unrepentant, smug, self-righteous weasel -this was one of MBP's best turns as Jackie. MBP rocked her bits in this episode.

I agree with those upthread who have noted, Peter is really scary when he is angry. Its hilarious how Jackie can't stop projecting, "She's. Manipulating. You...." Yes, Jackie we know you are, but what is Alicia? I love the fact that Jackie raided her own grandchildren's trust funds, and her son the S.A. is going to have to decide whether or not to prosecute his own mother in the middle of a campaign for Governor. Oh, I give Matthew Perry big points for his really convincing scary Sociopath turn this evening, lying through his teeth and mining his child's leukemia....

I am glad they followed up an intense Kalinda/Alicia reconciliation with the two of them sort of functioning in a season 2 style of normal, the Kings didn't tell us they were better, they showed us.

It was depressing to see Alicia at Peter's side at the press conference. They have made it clear that this is a conscious choice of Alicia's to separate her regard for Peter as a Public Servant and leader from his personal conduct, doesn't make it any less gross to think about watching this over season 4. They call it drama for a reason though, and Chris Noth sold it in this episode.

[askew]

It's official: this show only really works when Peter is campaigning for something. There was a highly noticeable uptick in the energy of tonight's episode, and I really think it has to do with the governor's race storyline. The show only works when Alicia is actively caught. (That said, it's totally unbelievable to me that people wouldn't know Peter and Alicia are separated. Come. On. The writers are so into technology? This is the internet age, people!)

Actually, it's the exact opposite. The political stories are so unbelievable that I can't take the show seriously when it pushes them. The state party wouldn't be pushing for a corrupt, scandal-plagued 3rd tier politician with marital problems (and the party would know about the problems) for Governor. The Democratic bench is massive in Illinois. There would easily be 25 more qualified nominees that the party would be backing before Peter. And Peter might not run because the national party is jerking him around, really? The national party wouldn't give a shit about Peter. He wouldn't even be able to get credentialed for the national convention. The writers simply have no idea what they are talking about here at all.

Also, we are supposed to believe that Peter is less corrupt than Perry's character seriously? And that Alicia believes in his political skills. I really don't understand why the writers are pushing this storyline as it is basically destroying Alicia's character. They have her moving backwards.

[ScienceGirl12]

Actually, it's the exact opposite. The political stories are so unbelievable that I can't take the show seriously when it pushes them. The state party wouldn't be pushing for a corrupt, scandal-plagued 3rd tier politician with marital problems (and the party would know about the problems) for Governor. The Democratic bench is massive in Illinois. There would easily be 25 more qualified nominees that the party would be backing before Peter. And Peter might not run because the national party is jerking him around, really? The national party wouldn't give a shit about Peter. He wouldn't even be able to get credentialed for the national convention. The writers simply have no idea what they are talking about here at all.

Word to all of this. It's utterly ludicrous that Peter would be a plausible convention speaker let alone a plausible governor candidate. He just barely landed himself back in the State's Attorney's office after a massive scandal (and, aside from the moral blech-ness of sleeping with hookers, we actually *don't* know that Peter was innocent of abusing the power of his office - we just know that Childs overplayed his hand and the case was thrown out) - why on earth would anybody think he should be running for governor now? Hell, Peter demonstrated more uncertainty about this decision than anybody else in his life. It's ridiculous.

[Cress]

I really hope something spectacular happens in the next few episodes, because I was hoping she'd stop being Peter's wife by now. And I don't know how they're going to work out the house whether or not Jackie buys it. Because if Alicia buys it now and moves in with the kids, won't there be questions on the campaign about why Peter doesn't live with them? It's got to blow up in their faces.

I was glad to see Will not interfering in the firm's cases at last, but his meeting that female lawyer made me roll my eyes. Why couldn't they just be friends, and not flirting? It's stupid.

I figured that the actually-guilty girl would take the Alford plea and walk away, and then the other two could go back to trial and blame it on the guilty girl, but I don't think that's what happened... did all three take the plea and walk?

Megan, the guilty girl, couldn't take the Alford plea alone. Peter specifically told Cary that all three girls had to take the Alford, or none of them would get it. When Alicia asked Cary about separating the cases, Cary said he couldn't risk separating them. (I assumed he didn't want to get into trouble with Peter.) I think what happened is that Alicia and Diane forced the other lawyer to cooperate with them. I'm not sure now if that meant, going with them on an Alford plea or not.

Edited by Cress, Apr 15, 2012 @ 10:42 PM.

[spanishrake]

I actually don't feel Alicia has regressed. She's come full circle, but this time around, she isn't the innocent naive, poor, humiliated good wife. She's all in, with that hard jaded gleam in her eye as she stood next to Peter when he announced his candidacy. She's not only swimming with the sharks, she's becoming one. That whole "blackmail" thing at the end for her client with Diane's approval. Yes, Alicia's moved on from a solid moral compass, to playing dirty like everyone else. After all, nice girls finish last. Her little tete-a-tete with Jackie and Mike K just solidified it all for her.

Kalinda saves the day again, and not like this is a new thought, but for some reason it struck me more than usual this episode when she locked in on all the photo details - this woman was definitely trained to be something by someone before she became "Kalinda". Maybe she worked intelligence. Maybe she was MI6 and went AWOL. I just hope the Kings have some good back story to explain why she's so highly trained to look for all these minute details and what made her so skilled at what she does.

[stealinghome]

I figured that the actually-guilty girl would take the Alford plea and walk away, and then the other two could go back to trial and blame it on the guilty girl, but I don't think that's what happened... did all three take the plea and walk?

I think that all three took the plea and walked, yes. That was why Diane and Alicia blackmailed the last lawyer, the one who was holding out for a re-trial and then a lawsuit--because if the case went to court again, the girls could be tried separately, so their client could testify against one of the others. So they strong-armed the one who was holding out on agreeing to the Alford plea.

Unfortunately, this ends up with the two presumably-innocent girls going down as convicted felons for the rest of their lives, but I think the show did a good job tonight of showing why someone innocent would agree to a guilty plea, just to be done with the ordeal (and, to be fair, I think at that point Alicia and Diane probably weren't entirely sure their client didn't do it--if one is actually guilty then it becomes a she said/she said, and that's risky for their client).

Its hilarious how Jackie can't stop projecting, "She's. Manipulating. You...." Yes, Jackie we know you are, but what is Alicia? I love the fact that Jackie raided her own grandchildren's trust funds, and her son the S.A. is going to have to decide whether or not to prosecute his own mother in the middle of a campaign for Governor.

Yeah, I definitely had a moment of "um, Jackie, are you HEARING yourself?" I'm surprised that Peter didn't play the governor card with Jackie, actually--telling her that him moving into the house sans Alicia would blow the lid off the whole separation charade, and that he would lose the governorship if that happened. Also, this:

Because if Alicia buys it now and moves in with the kids, won't there be questions on the campaign about why Peter doesn't live with them? It's got to blow up in their faces.

Alicia very clearly hasn't thought through any implications of anyone buying the house--I actually liked that moment where Peter called her on how it was okay for her to be there without him but not okay for him to be there without her and she had to stop for a moment and realize that he actually had a valid point. It was nice to see someone make Alicia take her blinders off, even if in a roundabout way.

Actually, it's the exact opposite. The political stories are so unbelievable that I can't take the show seriously when it pushes them.... The writers simply have no idea what they are talking about here at all.

But how is this any different from the suspension of disbelief it takes to watch a courtroom drama where a case is wrapped up in 40 minutes? I understand what you're saying, but for me it's part and parcel of taking the show on its own terms. Again, they need to keep Alicia caught between two forces to make the show really viable. And it's not like Bill Clinton, for example, didn't rebound nicely from his own scandal.

Alicia has really regressed as a character.

Ugh, I know. I can't STAND to see her right back to the standing by her (sleazy, oily) man from S1, ep 1. Has she learned NOTHING? It's really disappointing.

I don't think this is entirely fair. Alicia has learned a hell of a lot over the last three seasons. She's making an informed choice this time around, and she's agreeing to play the part for her own purposes (for her political standing, her career, etc). I mean...it's not like she's going back to little naive housewife, and it's not like she's actually reconciling with Peter on a personal level. Frankly, I think this is the best way to keep the show interesting, because a divorced Alicia is just boring, there's no drama or conflict. (That said, I still think they moved too fast in having Peter and Alicia break up in S2 in the first place--their "reconciliation" should have stretched over two seasons and they should just be breaking up now. There's a reason the writers needed the reset button here, and it's because they shot their wad too fast in S2.) One of the things the writers have always said is that they wanted to examine why a scorned wife would stay with the husband...and the answer here is pretty clearly power. And I think it's interesting that we're so outraged by this answer, when it's really so pragmatic.

Or, as spanishrake said so much more eloquently,

I actually don't feel Alicia has regressed. She's come full circle, but this time around, she isn't the innocent naive, poor, humiliated good wife. She's all in, with that hard jaded gleam in her eye as she stood next to Peter when he announced his candidacy. She's not only swimming with the sharks, she's becoming one.

Edited by stealinghome, Apr 15, 2012 @ 11:12 PM.

[Artsda]

This show works best with Peter involved in political campaigns and Alicia's confliction with it as "The Good Wife." I loved this episode.

[PoeticJustice32]

I actually don't feel Alicia has regressed. She's come full circle, but this time around, she isn't the innocent naive, poor, humiliated good wife. She's all in, with that hard jaded gleam in her eye as she stood next to Peter when he announced his candidacy. She's not only swimming with the sharks, she's becoming one. That whole "blackmail" thing at the end for her client with Diane's approval. Yes, Alicia's moved on from a solid moral compass, to playing dirty like everyone else. After all, nice girls finish last. Her little tete-a-tete with Jackie and Mike K just solidified it all for her.

Agreed. I don't feel like this is the same as the first time we saw Alicia in this situation. She's got her eyes wide open, and as we've seen over the last year or so, Alicia enjoys the perks of being the SA's wife. Her connection to Peter plays a significant role in her professional life. She's also asked Peter to work his magic on certain personal situations (getting the kids in private school for example). I'm hoping Alicia standing up with Peter and basically giving her blessing is partly (mostly) for selfish reasons. Undoubtedly, more doors are opened to her when Peter is successful/powerful than they otherwise might be.

Plus, I think she does genuinely believe that Peter is the best person for the job. The writers went to great pains in season 1 to highlight how much good Peter had done. Almost every client Alicia met with that season couldn't stop gushing about how Peter had helped their community/neighborhood, so I can see why she'd just bite the bullet and suck it up one more time to help him.

Edited by PoeticJustice32, Apr 15, 2012 @ 11:19 PM.

[askew]

But how is this any different from the suspension of disbelief it takes to watch a courtroom drama where a case is wrapped up in 40 minutes? I understand what you're saying, but for me it's part and parcel of taking the show on its own terms. Again, they need to keep Alicia caught between two forces. And it's not like Bill Clinton, for example, didn't rebound nicely from his own scandal.

Well, none of these cases are resolved in 40 minutes. They don't show us the entire case and they make it obvious that the case has been in progress for multiple days in each episode. Also, the general public knows a lot more about politics than they do about the law, so it is easier to fool the audience with dumb legal plotlines.

There is no comparison between Bill Clinton and Peter. One, Bill Clinton was a well-known national figure before his scandals broke (during the presidential primary and while he was president). Two, Bill Clinton was a Governor not a low-level state's attorney. Three, Bill Clinton didn't engage in illegal activity of hiring prostitutes, while being in charge of prosecuting criminals. Four, Bill Clinton is considered by Republicans and Democrats to be one of his generation's best politicians. Peter has been shown to be sloppy, corrupt and inept. The closest comparison to Peter in the real world would be Elliot Spitzer, John Edwards or Marc Sanford. Not one of them would be able to speak at their national convention. John Edwards couldn't even get credentials to allow him into the 2008 convention. And all three of them held higher office than Peter has. If they were going to have Peter be an important player in the Democratic Party, they should have made him Governor instead of one of the State's Attorneys. And they should have picked a state with a weak Democratic bench, like Utah or Idaho. He still wouldn't get within 50 miles of the national convention, but the rest of the story would be at least plausible.

[possibilities]

I was convinced Jackie was going to slap Alicia in the face when she kept pulling her closer.

I thought she'd spit.

Do I understand correctly that Peter decided to throw Alicia under the bus, because he now knows that she will be the target of his opponent during the campaign? What leverage does he have to protect her from sociopath opponent, really? So he's running, and she will have to figure out a way to protect herself now, because neither Peter nor Eli is going to care at all if she gets caught in the cross-fire.

I do want her to stand on her own and stop with her "I'm an accessory" identity once and for all. But I suspect it will be extremely ugly while she learns to do this.

Stealing from the grandchildrens' trust is really low. I'm sure the kids would have said they wanted her to do it, though, because they did want that house. That's another reason Peter and Alicia can't do anything about it. Can you imagine Grace and Zach reacting to "mom and dad are suing grandma for buying the house for us"?!

I was hoping Will would turn down ex-suspended lawyer and stay at the meeting. I don't want him with Alicia, but I don't want him going back to bimbo-fucking either. It's just boring at this point.

The judge didn't seem to have a quirk this week. I kind of miss the joke about how all Chicago judges are wacky. When I lived in Chicago, there was a huge judge scandal, so it makes me chuckle.

[stealinghome]

They don't show us the entire case and they make it obvious that the case has been in progress for multiple days in each episode.

Not always. I mean, yes, usually they're better than L&O about showing that a court case can't be resolved in a day...but sometimes it's resolved in two! The basic point remains that the show takes huge liberties with the law. Why should politics be any different?

There is no comparison between Bill Clinton and Peter.

Yes, obviously Peter's not supposed to be his generation's Clinton, I'll give you that, but I'd argue that Sanford is actually another example of someone who rebounded decently from his own scandal (imo), and probably could have rebounded more if he so chose. Again, I'm not saying that Peter's storyline would be realistic IRL--obviously not--but in the heightened world of TV, given examples like Sanford, I don't think it's totally outside the range of possibility. A stretch, sure, but not totally unbelievable as far as TV land goes. But mmv, obviously.

I was hoping Will would turn down ex-suspended lawyer and stay at the meeting. I don't want him with Alicia, but I don't want him going back to bimbo-fucking either. It's just boring at this point.

I worry that the writers don't have anything for Will to do now that he's boinked Alicia and not really done anything besides the law throughout his suspension.

So he's running, and she will have to figure out a way to protect herself now, because neither Peter nor Eli is going to care at all if she gets caught in the cross-fire.

I disagree; I think Peter and Eli care very much whether Alicia gets caught in the cross-hairs (if for no other reason than hurting Alicia is hurting Peter's campaign, though I think they're protective of her outside of the campaign). But I'm also pretty sure Alicia knows the score--this episode made it abundantly clear to her that Kristeva will go after he all she can. Why would she expect that to change?

Edited by stealinghome, Apr 15, 2012 @ 11:55 PM.

[watcher1006]

I got the impression that Alicia's gung-ho attitude about Peter's candidacy for governor stemmed in large part from her desire for revenge against Kristeva, who manipulated her then flat-out lied to her face as well as on TV. Maybe she is reconciling with Peter, maybe she does think he's the best person for the job, but it was Kristeva who put the fury behind her advocacy of her husband's candidacy.

Cary does seem much more shaken and shaky about his position in the State's Attorney's office, as his cubicle conversation with Alicia showed. Yes, I think the two WILL continue to talk.

I like Julianne Nicholson and hope we'll see some more of her character, wherever her relationship with Will goes from this point. I don't think she's supposed to be a bimbo by any means.

Edited by watcher1006, Apr 15, 2012 @ 11:59 PM.

[OptimisticCynic]

I think Alicia perpetuating this fake marriage to help Peter get elected will hurt her children far more than any dalliance with Will. Because this is not only her lying, but requiring them to lie and putting them under even more intense scrutiny. And this type of lying will affect one's children regardless of how old they are - whereas the earlier drama with Grace seemed completely unbelievable for a girl of her age.

I have really grown not to like Alicia. I used to love her, but her refusal to separate herself from Peter is what put her in the situation to begin with. I don't understand her codependency with him at all. I understand she made a heated decision to go after him but in the end it won't change her circumstances. She'll probably enjoy watching him lose, but in the end her name won't necessarily be cleared by this mess. Eli was right, the story will be forgotten. Unless she wants to leave to go to another firm, for the immediate future Diane knows that she didn't do it. When Will returns as partner, he certainly wouldn't believe that she would do it.

I think all of this will blow up in her face, big time. The truth will come out about their separation, Peter will be labeled as racist and corrupt, possibly the affair with Kalinda will also come out and she'll have to relive it again. And when she's at her lowest and wants to turn to Will, he'll be with someone else. Honestly, she doesn't deserve him. He always treated her and their relationship well, with respect, and he obviously adored her.