Good Wife

This is the best new show of the season. The "story within a story" method is used to great effect, as we follow Alicia's marital woes, the inter-office politics, the husband's efforts to get out of prison, and the family ups and downs at home. Interwoven with these ongoing plot lines, there's a new legal case to tackle each week. I find this show a rich combination of humour, pathos, romance, mystery...

Kudos to the young actors who play Alicia's children (Makenzie Vega and Graham Phillips). They are likable teenagers, neither bratty nor too-good-to-be-true. In fact, I think this show is very well cast overall.

This is not a family/drama series.

This is an intelligent and well written series about politics and the law.

The system, if I may.

The character developments are great, indeed, but the focus of the series is not on the main character as a wife or parent - but as a lawyer, and the cases her firm handles. Her struggles with her husband becomes another way of portraying examples from politics, rather than being the center of the series. With that being said, the drama scenes here and there are extremely well written.

This is a show that grows on you, like great series does, building up slowly - Until you find yourself hooked. It gives me the same feeling as another great TV-series, The Wire. It is also visually stunning.

Take your time with it, watch the whole first season. It won't disappoint you.

Why is The Good Wife such an extraordinary show? (I write this while eagerly waiting for the fist episode of Season 7) 1) The character. Alicia is independent, but not a feminist; she sometimes fails, but she never gives up; she is deep, but witty and funny; she has principles, but is sexy; she is true to herself, but dares to experiment and change; she is wise, but you can never take her for granted. In a word, Alicia is brain, morals, fun and passion.

2) The secondaries. They are all pertinent, unpredictable and greatly acted characters. They give perfect balance without distracting from the main line.

3) The themes. The show presents very contemporary and controversial legal issues, related to seldom visited subjects such as Bitcoin money, odd consented sexual behaviors, electronic fraud, bots interactions, non-conventional marriage, new intellectual property rights, and the like.

4) The action. The show is always fast-paced but not frantic; lots of interesting and very gripping things happen across the episodes, which always seem plausible and well-grounded, and are a pleasure to see.

5) The direction and concept. It is a 23-episode per season show. Now, when many series are restricted to less than 12 episodes per year, The Good Wife keeps the fantastic habit of producing lengthy seasons, with time enough to develop both short-time and long-time parallel stories and create loyalty among fans.

I really like this show. It never bores me, it always delivers, it keeps surprising me but not to the point of losing the essence. I remember watching the first episode 6 years ago without great expectations, just to give it a try, and I came to love it and wait for each new season with renewed enthusiasm. Kudos for Ms. Margulies who works the magic in such a natural way! And long life to this superb show!

Initially before you watch this show you may believe that The Good Wife is just another legal/political drama but it is so much more. It actually is very witty, intelligent and well researched. The subject matter is also very relevant to today's society. You get an insightful view into the corrupted world of politics and the daily moral struggles lawyers must face.

As the seasons progress and the storyline develops the show is getting stronger. It allows you to be more involved with the characters and share their personal journey. Everybody can relate to the problems and issues they face in one way or another. This is definitely a must watch series.

This wonderful new series, takes what I felt was a dubious premise, and instantly turns it into entertainment gold.

I'd never liked "ER", though Margulies has formidable talent. Given the right character, script & director, I felt certain she could deliver. In The Good Wife she does. Her distinctive ability lies in nuance, & here she is finally given the perfect vehicle.

The scripts as well as the entire cast, take directions you'd never expect. That's is the real appeal of the show. Archie Panjabi is a spiffy surprise as the "investigative assistant", if you will. She approaches her character as if she's the entire supporting cast of "Shark", (James Woods 2-season crime drama) rolled into one easy-on-the-eyes, package. She's tough, loyal, funny, & adds to the show's depth.

Kudo's also, to veteran Christine Baranski for playing her "been-everywhere...done everything" role in a fresh way she seldom has in recent years.

I watched the first episode with my wife.. (ok, FOR my wife) not expecting much at all. Boy, was I surprised. Subsequent episodes have been exponentially better, richer, & have demonstrated that THIS show simply refuses to go down already beaten paths. I really love that! I have yet to be able to predict anything at the beginning of an episode, as I can with just about any other major network drama. This show is a TV page turner...

TGW is at once touching, topical, intriguing, even funny. Example: The courtroom judges are not your "standard-TV-crime-show-judges". They always prove to be yet another surprising element this show takes advantage of. In my opinion, this is the show's greatest strength. There ARE obvious choices at every turn in the story lines, the characters, even directorial choices, but NONE are ever followed. Prepare to be entertained and surprised.

Rare in this era of formulaic crime dramas... formulaic everything on TV, "The Good Wife" deceives slightly, even in it's title, which almost caused me not to watch what I figured was going to be "chick-flick-TV". Males take note. This is simply a great show & will not disappoint.

Everything in it is fresh, imminently watchable, & the result of great creative effort to not be just another law-oriented drama. IMHO, this really IS "Must See TV".