Election day is 72-hours away on The Good Wife and it couldn’t come sooner as this storyline is stuck in a cycle of its own; Prady and Alicia don’t want to smear each other, their campaign managers are trying to find ways they can and other external factors throw wrenches into the works. Peter hovers on the edge even when he doesn’t appear in an episode and I’m getting antsy from how stale it all feels. Thankfully we have Marissa to tell it like it is – “God, handsome men are so weak” – and she inadvertently manages to make her father choke on his yogurt in the process by calling out John’s missteps.
This isn’t enough to kickstart the campaign story which has been slowly floundering since we returned from the break (and even before that with the debate episode) and so I want to turn my attention to the case of the week featuring a pairing that has been absent for too long – not Finn and Diane as the photo below suggests, however he too has been sidelined recently and I am all up for them teaming up in the future.
Diane Lockhart and Kurt McVeigh don’t agree on much in the political sphere as evident from the photos in their offices (Hillary Clinton/Sarah Palin) to their opinions on gun control. And yet they still manage to make it work because they don’t let the political slip into the personal. That is until this week and it has been quite some time since Kurt featured; Alicia and Cary had left Lockhart Garder the previous day. So much has happened since then, but this case also bears some resemblance to the one in “The Next Day” in that it was also the last time Mamie Gummer appeared as Nancy “I don’t know much about guns” Crozier and a defective gun was at the center of proceedings. This time it is the complicated and very new world of 3D printers – so far all my knowledge on 3D printing and guns comes from an Elementary episode and now this Good Wife – and aspects pertaining to both first and second Amendment rights. The disagreement stems from the why of the case; Diane insists she is just looking out for her client but her gun control leanings are also informing how she wants to proceed.
What starts with flirty foreplay in court as Diane gets noticeably turned on by her husband’s performance on the stand spills over into a Taylor Swift song quoting (okay maybe she isn’t referencing “22” but I can’t help but make that inference) quickie in the car. The chemistry between Gary Cole and Christine Baranski is electric and because of what I would imagine is a scheduling issue it is a shame we have had to wait this long to get a Kurt/Diane story. Another side effect of the election storyline is how sidelined some of the other characters have become; especially now the Cary trial story is over (for now). Kalinda gets an especially short shrift this week appearing in one scene to find the evidence that will win the case in her magical unicorn way.
All is going swimmingly between the pair until Kurt finds out about other factors that might have contributed to the gun imploding and Kurt’s whole mantra has always been to say it like he sees it; he can’t and won’t bend the truth no matter who is involved. It should also be noted that Finn has some issues with how the case is being handled when it comes to the political aspect, which adds to the tension as he wants all the focus to be on their client rather than gun control. Other factors making things difficult include Cary’s sneering towards Finn thanks to his involvement in getting him put in jail, which I guess is more than fair. Alicia hovers on the edge acting as referee at one point and it made me realize how much I miss seeing her in court. Also is it just me or does it look like Nancy is channeling her inner Alicia in this red and black dress?
Back to Diane and on this first day in court she adds another ornate piece of jewelry to her already incredible collection. Stag antlers or stags in general tend to represent a masculine psyche with shows such as Hannibal and The Leftovers regularly using this motif. Here it comes across as a sign of unity between husband and wife as the antlers represent the hunting Kurt is so fond; there is strength in this decorative pin. The following day when all has gone sour between the pair with Diane going so far as serving her husband to ensure he appears as their expert witness, the broach has been replaced by pearls and the statement jewelry has lost its statement.
Waving the white flag with whiskey and apologizing to her husband for letting her politics drive a wedge between them is made all the sweeter by Diane’s stocking feet being on display. Whereas we are generally used to seeing Diane impeccably dressed, this little shoe kicked off detail doesn’t make her style any less flawless it just shows the levels of comfort in this environment and with her husband. As mentioned in the scene Kurt is a man of very few words and the matter is resolved as quickly as it began. Compromise is important in all relationships and particularly one where very few opinions are shared. A vacation is suggested, which moves from a theoretical week in Italy in a few months to three days away hunting right now. And having seen the promo photos from the next episode I cannot wait.
One brief final thought circling back to the main storyline as Alicia and Peter’s relationship couldn’t be further from Diane and Kurt’s if it tried with Alicia going publicly against her husband and in private hooking up with John – it would have been much better if the promo hadn’t shown the final scene. They are meant to be ‘the brand’ and instead Alicia has severed ties with this setup just before the polls open; how will Peter respond?
TV Ate My Wardrobe 
