Season 4, Episode 1 | Original Air Date: Sunday, September 30,
2012
______________________________________________________________
154 days. That’s how long we’ve waited for this season
four premiere. That’s 3,696 hours of
wondering who could be on the other side of Kalinda’s door and 221,716 minutes
of pondering whether or not Alicia went back in the house for pizza (a situation
that has been keeping me up, according to my quick calculations, for much too
long!).
Okay, so I’m
the first to admit I’ve clearly spent a few too many hours thinking/dreaming
about my favourite fictional characters (and continuing to yearn for a glimmer of
Team Gardner love, *sigh,*… and yes, I’m still championing that bandwagon) –
but I’m also the first to admit it has been time well spent. With “I Fought the Law” in the record books,
I can unequivocally state: The 154 day
wait was worth it… even if I spent more spare time rewatching past episodes
than I did, say, reading War and Peace.
At the end of the day, the lessons I’ve learned from watching Kalinda
high-kick her nemeses is probably more valuable anyways… right?
This week I’m
going taking a look at the highs and lows of this much anticipated season premiere. Weigh in with your thoughts using the comments section below!
“I
Fought the Law” – The Highlights
Three knocks,
two guns, one sledgehammer: Need I say
more? My adoration of Kalinda continues
to grow with each throat-jabbing elevator fight. Pa chow! She showed the henchman at the door, Bill, who was boss (no surprise, it wasn't him), and I loved every minute of it.
What’s $60
million?: Finally. We have a number to
put on Lockhart Gardner’s latest financial crisis: $60 million. Seeing Diane in bankruptcy court was enough
to make me want to write a strongly worded letter to the head of Lockhart
Gardner’s accounting department to ask how they could have let things get so
out of control. Remember when they enforced
the ‘self hydration policy’ in season two, whereby eliminating bottled water? I thought that was going to fix everything
(and by everything I mean global warming AND their financial trouble). Failing that plan working, one would think
having Chicago’s biggest drug lord as a top client (spoiler alert: Lemond
Bishop will be back later this season!) they’d be swimming in cash. Oh. Right. They only manage his reputable
business interests. Dry cleaners don’t
make that much money in ligation matters (and I speak from experience here,
having once successfully sued my dry cleaner).
Alicia and
Cary, Friends On: Can I just take a moment to say how thrilled I am to see
Florrick and Agos back on the same side of the fence? Talk about a dream team: These two have a
tremendous working chemistry and are going to be a force to be reckoned with in
the courtroom. The one thing that’s most
interesting about their relationship in ‘I Fought the Law’ was the level of
vulnerability Alicia was comfortable showing around Cary. She’s stoic and poised with almost everyone
else, but when telling Cary about Zach’s run-in with Officer Robb, all that
went out the window.
Lockhart
Gardner’s Latest Splurge: And I’m not talking about their art work, their
office furniture, or their water cooler stations. I’m talking about their new elevator. Wait. What?
The offices of Lockhart Gardner have always had the same elevators – we’ve
all seen dozens of scenes play out in these very intimate, metal-clad
spaces. This year, however, a new
elevator has been introduced. It’s
wood-paneled and, apparently, perfect for a brawl. For that reason alone, I'm willing to give it a shot. The elevators in my office aren't nearly as interesting.
Alicia – Canine Examiner: Alicia starring at the drug-sniffing dog, starring at her. A simply delicious scene opening. Side note: how did Alicia know Kalinda was tight with a canine expert? #ThingsThatDontComeUpOverTequila
Welcome, Peggy
Byrne and Clarke Hayden: The reporter and the trustee. What could go wrong? Well, probably everything. First off, Peggy likes to pry (alarm bells
are seriously ringing over the fact she wants to talk to Will and not Diane)
and Clarke seems to hate everyone, but especially David Lee (so really, his
taste isn’t all bad). And, as much as I trust Will when he says things like, 'Don't worry, I've got this' when it comes to Peggy's questioning, we all know something's going to go wrong. Just
wait. Lockhart Gardner is about to be
the zebra at the watering hole. I'll bet my $60 million it.
Kalinda’s
Cupboards: I know K told Nick she put
everything in storage, but part of me thinks she doesn’t ever keep that much in
her pantry. I mean, Kalinda’s not really
the ‘come over for a morning coffee and I’ll cook you brunch’ type. Note: Is it just me, or was anyone else
excited to see the only thing in her fridge was a glass bottle of milk? Flash to season one, when Kalinda would carry
glasses of milk around the office instead of, say, water, coffee or scotch,
like her colleagues. K’s preference for
milk has always been a mystery (at least to me), so to see it surface again after two years was a
little heartwarming.
Zach
Florrick vs. Officer Robb: Putting Zach
on the highlights list was a difficult decision - I mean, I’ve spent the better part of two
seasons thinking he was hindering more than helping most things (in contrast to
Grace who hindered more than helped ALL things.
Oy vey. I’m still not over season three’s, ParentingMade Easy. Not even after 154 days of
extra forgiveness). That said, I’m glad
to see Zach is back in investigator mode, looking to help out Eli and his Dad’s
campaign, along with working all the resources he has at his fingertips (hello
Chum Hum… nice to see you again) to turn his ‘obstruction of justice’ offence
back on Madison County and the smarmy Officer Robb.
Eli, Peter
and a Campaign Bus: Peter is back on the road and more determined than
ever. Okay, let’s face it: Peter was
downright scary when talking to the State’s Attorney of Madison County, Phil
Tapia. Peter’s not joking when he says
he’ll do anything to protect his family.
We know a new scandal is in the works when it comes to this shady dealer…
who’s to say it’s not a body under the floorboards?
Three, two,
one: Will’s back – pass the scotch!
Champagne
to Celebrate: One word. Squeeeeee! Alicia
bringing Will a bottle of champagne to celebrate the end of his suspension was just the
kind of magic I’d been hoping for! Sure,
he didn’t know about it, but that’s the least important part of this
gesture. Alicia is still Will’s number
one fan even if things are, as they say, complicated. Put that champagne in your desk drawer Alicia –
I foresee some late nights in your future.
With any luck, Will might just be sharing some of your files.
“I Fought the Law” – The Lowlights
Zach’s ‘chicken
rap:’ You know what I’m talking about:
Those crazed beats he was blasting in the car before pulled over. Chances are it was Grace’s pick (Internet
Jesus approved?), but I’ll let them split the blame on this one. The fact Alicia could sleep through the
clucky music was a testament to either: 1) her level of exhaustion or 2) the
quality of her dreams.
David Lee –
You’re in then you’re out: David Lee reminds me Titanic’s Bruce Esmay – you know,
the man who comfortably secured his spot on a lifeboat while hundreds of women
and children were left to sink on that fateful night? If there’s one thing Mr. Lee is, it’s an
opportunist. Honestly, he could have
been pilfering the millions Lockhart Gardner now owes, just from some bottom-line
back room deals.
The Honesty
Policy: Nick, Kalinda’s ex is back in town, Alicia and Cary are meeting with
him over his alleged “Tow Truck Company” and K is pretending like he’s just
another client. Please, please, please
Kalinda – tell Alicia at least a little about the situation before this turns
into a breach of your friendship contract.
Before long, I’m sure Andrew Wiley will be lurking in the wings looking
to break the story.
Up Next:
What comes after 'I Fought the Law?' "And The Law Won," of course. Next week, we're in for some drama as Kalinda breaks the news to Alicia that Nick the tow-truck client is actually her husband. Will Kalinda be able to hide all of her many war wounds before Alicia spots one and begins to realize how serious Kalinda's past really is? It might only be a matter of time before Kalinda is sleeping on Alicia's couch with the guards Peter has hired posted outside to keep all of them safe. That's purely speculative, of course, but then again, I have a whole seven more days to dream...
Related to this post:
- The Latest Briefs: Catch up on the latest news from The Good Wife
- Food Inspired by The Good Wife: Kalinda's favourite beverage (next to tequila, of course!): Milk... and milk shakes!
- Find out why 2012 is the year of Christine Baranski
- Season Four Episode 2 Promo: "And The Law Won"
