Archive

“The Good Wife” recap (6.16): Red Meat

This week’s Good Wife episode opens with Alicia and Johnny looking super awkward in the backseat of a car. When Alicia asks, “We’re fine, right?” she’s totally asking if they’re still politics buddies after last week’s make-out session, but he immediately launches into a not so reassuring reassurance that she’s heading for a definite win, as long as her supporters actually show up to vote (now if the US government just jumped on the reality show bandwagon and let us vote through text, then we’d really have a representative democracy). Then it’s time for Alicia to hop in another car with Peter, where the awkwardness has absolutely no sexual tension. Peter wants to pick a fight over Alicia slamming him for political reasons, but Alicia just wants to get through the smiling photo-ops.

Meanwhile, Diane has been carted off to some kind of Republican winter playground, at least pretending to be game by donning a camouflage outfit (the real kind that actually looks like sticks and grass, not the splotch print you might have worn in pink or blue in the early 2000s). She’s still not super pumped to go shoot what, in 2015, must be Bambi’s distant descendants, but on the plus side, her husband seems to really like a woman with a riffle.

While Diane makes slightly threatening anti-billionaire jokes at the breakfast bar at the millionaire cabin (which, honestly, doesn’t look that impressive. If you’re going to be filthy rich, you should at least have a few crepe chefs) she spots “The Mark Zuckerberg of Austin, Texas,” Gil Berridge. A quick phone call to Cary and David Lee, and Diane sets a plan in motion to convince Berridge to come over to their firm.

Back at Alicia’s place Marissa offers doughnuts, Johnny suggests a nap, and I officially want to be a state’s attorney candidate. And then Finn shows up bearing gifts! After only a few awkward moments with Johnny in the hall when the three literally form a love triangle, Johnny makes a hasty exit, and Alicia opens her present, Halo, which is not the most traditional election day gift, but still sweet (did Finn have to research what system she had? Were awkward texts exchanged with Zack: “Hey dude totally don’t want to date your mom, just need a Halo buddy, anyhow”).

And while Marissa goes to set things up, Alicia gets a good luck call from Bishop, who’s obviously not use to people not immediately recognizing his voice. Alicia makes it a very quick chat, leaving Bishop looking surprised. Why is it still surprising to him that she doesn’t want to chill with a drug dealer? Bishop lets Kalinda (is she always there now? Maybe besides giving Dylan a ride to school she also has to quiz him on his vocab or something) that if Alicia wins, he’s going to need her to be the go-between between him and Alicia. On the one hand, yay more Alicia and Kalinda time! On the other hand, yikes.

At the right-wing lodge Diane was all ready for a day of rifling, but just before they leave for the slaughter, she’s informed the wives will be going to a spa day. She is not pleased.

In an interview Peter says Alicia is definitely going to be the next state’s attorney, which might seem nice and supportive on the surface but actually hurts her chances, as Johnny explains to her, because her supporters won’t bother coming out to vote. Alicia claims she doesn’t know why he did that, though the audience does-because he’s a big vindictive jerk.

When she confronts him about it he denies that it was intentional (clueless does not work on him) leading Alicia to the realization he doesn’t really want her to win (duh).

Diane looks ready to inject mimosa’s directly into her veins at the spa day, but luckily Cary calls with a new plan-talk up Berridge’s wife, and she might be able to get him to come to their firm.

In this week’s episode of Driving Dylan, Kalinda has to keep eyes on the ominous cars tailing her and listen to Dylan drone on about Disney world (how old is this kid? he seems oddly hung up on the home of Micky Mouse but his voice seems to be changing and he’s sporting the start of some facial hair). Bishop solves the problem by pulling the guys in the tail car out in the middle of the road.

Alicia’s team is talking robocalls to drive up her seriously lacking turn-out, and while they bicker Marissa gets her sucked into Halo (are they sponsoring this episode?).

Because Diane’s husband is super sweet when he’s not off bathing the snow in animal blood, he gives her an escape call, rescuing her from more pedicures by asking her to bring him a second riffle.

At Dylan’s school Kalinda is mistaken for “Mrs. Bishop” (he wishes) by a concerned member of the parents board who noticed the whole morning commute debacle. Kalinda successfully brushes it off, though the parent doesn’t look exactly comforted.

Team Alicia suggests a robocall saying the privatization of parking meter initiative needs them to come out and vote (I guess that’s what Alicia voters are really concerned about). They want to recruit Peter, but now Alicia’s pretty convinced he’s practically on team Prady. They start throwing out names including the president (the true American president, Martin Sheen).

Diane finally joins the menfolk to do a little hunting, but all the tricks she picked up from Berridge’s wife on how to win him over only seem to piss him off. As he goes off in an angry huff to watch the poor deer alone, the other guys clue her in-she wasn’t chatting with his wife, she was chatting with his call girl (a lesson to be learned, always do a ring-check).

While her husband tries to smooth things over with Berridge, Diane sits down to share a coffee and a heated political debate with deer hunter R.D. (pro-life vs pro-choice, on his request).

In the world of Halo, Alicia’s avatar is saved by “CoolBeans,” a avatar name you might expect to belong to a preteen girl in the suburbs but actually belongs to Finn. Team Alicia is actually calling Martin Sheen for the robocall, leading to a delightful aside for West Wing fans (FYI: The secretary who died on the show, Mrs. Landingham, is also sadly dead IRL).

The appearance of the fluffy, doe-eyed (purposeful pun) prey interrupts Diane and R.D.’s spirited abortion debate, and after some momentary hesitation Diane is written off PETA’s Christmas card list forever by shooting her first deer.

Kalinda is back in the carpool lane, but when the concerned parent returns to smugly inform her Dylan is at the headmaster’s office, she gets to overhear Bishop being told Dylan is being bounced because of his dad’s not so friendly associates.

In the second West Wing call back of the night, Melissa Fitzgerald guest stars as team Alicia’s star robocaller, gamely continuing even after they identify her as Mrs. Landingham (come on guys, you couldn’t have even given her Lily Tomlin‘s character? At least she’s still kicking). Robocalls or no, based on recent exit polls, Johnny tells Alicia to start working on her concession speak.

Back to Halo. Alicia seems oddly zen about probably losing as she chats to Finn over her headset. He suggests she plan a dinner to cheer herself up tomorrow, but when she suggests he come, he says he has plans with a new girlfriend. But he bought her Halo! Those are some seriously mixed signals.

Back at the cabin Diane is presented with a plate of her kill (this is obviously a full service hunting lodge). It looks like she might be seconds away from becoming a vegetarian, but she explains to her husband her hesitance isn’t out of guilt for killing, but guilt over enjoying it. A call from Cary reveals Diane’s debate and hunting buddy, R.D. is actually the fourth richest man in America.

In the latest Bishop-Kalinda heart to heart (at least she gets a good drink out of it), he lets her know the shady guys following her to school weren’t after Dylan-they were after her, specifically from the state’s attorney’s office (and the fear in her eyes says she knows exactly what they’re after).

And it looks like even in all his evil glory, Peter can be helpful sometimes-he scheduled a speech that clogged traffic in just the right way to discourage potential Prady voters.

Over her still untouched venison Diane has a final chat with R.D., who likes Diane in spite of their differing politics and informs her he likes “working with people [he] doesn’t necessarily agree with.” I feel like someone surprisingly having that sentiment is a constant trope in TV but isn’t held a ton in real life. It looks like she might have landed a massive client after all.

It’s time to call the race-and it’s Alicia for the win! Excited hugs all around at her apartment. To celebrate, rather than the customary bottle of champagne, Alicia gets into a car in the dark of night with her opponent. She offers Prady a job at the state attorney’s office, but he turns her down, saying their ideas about how to run things are too different. I’m definitely going to miss David Hyde Pierce.

Bishop celebrates Alicia’s win with no more than another sip of his drink, but informs Kalinda he’ll be retiring from the drug business, and he’ll need Alicia’s help to know he’ll stay out of jail once his illicit ties are gone, along with his power.

At the victory party Johnny looks on proudly, telling Marissa he’s going to stick around Chicago, but he changes his mind when Peter shows up with a hug, immediately deciding to permanently peace out. Did he forget she was married? Anyhow, Finn better drop his new girlfriend, because he’s on deck.

Next week: Fighting at the firm!

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button