Another busy weekend with the Super Bowl and the NAACP Image Awards and we’ve got some behind the scenes action from both. Plus the usual array of set photos including Jane the Virgin, Inside Amy Schumer and The Good Wife.
A Friday Night Lights reunion at the Super Bowl on Sunday gave me plenty to cheer about. There’s also a much bigger version of this meet-up taking place at this year’s ATX Television Festival and if I didn’t have a wedding to pay for I would be there in a flash.
A shot of these three fabulous women came up on TV and I maybe full on yelled in delight (the only things to get a strong reaction like this on Sunday were Beyoncé and the big Good Wife news – this was a mix of sadness/about time).
Beyoncé slayed both during the halftime show with her new song “Formation” and when she unleashed the song/video on the world the day before. There are so many incredible photos (mostly from the dress rehearsal) on Beyoncé’s Instagram and I really love this close up shot of her backup dancers and their fishnets, leather skirts and Doc Marten ankle boots (you need a good solid heel to perform those kind of routines on grass). For more on the coordinated costumes head here.
Jane the Virgin is on fire right now and I love what they are doing with Petra this season. Hopefully this is an indication that we will get to see some Petra/Rogelio action in the not too distant future.
Kristen Wiig and Justin Theroux are killing it on the Zoolander 2 press tourand even if I am not really bothered about the movie I am very much enjoying their involvement.
Cush Jumbo has been one of the consistently brilliant things about this (final) Good Wife season and costume designer Daniel Lawson continues to deliver on the fantastic prints. Looking forward to seeing this in one of the final nine episodes.
This is all kinds of adorable. Plus bonus grizzly beard points for Mark Duplass AND I just remembered that Togetherness is back very soon (Katie Aselton will also be recurring!).
My ‘To Read’ pile is already at a ridiculous height, but I can’t resist a good book rec. Plus Mindy’s sweater (another thing I don’t really need more of) is calling out to me.
All signs have pointed to this being the last season of The Good Wife: Robert and Michelle King had already announced their departure, as had Julianna Margulies in a roundabout way and even the episode titles suggested this was the end by mirroring the season 1 one word format. The way The Good Wife unveiled this news was not so expected sharing the big news that there are only 9 episodes left (EVER) in a promo right before the Super Bowl halftime show.
This ending makes so much sense and I have been one of many voices saying the time to finish is now as The Good Wife has been meandering and feeling as lost as Alicia has for the last season and a half. BUT this news still hit me like a Will Gardner desk clearing moment and totally caught me by surprise; has any other show revealed when it is ending on a Super Bowl ad? This is such an Eli Gold move.
What happened next was a mixture of emotions from relief that there wouldn’t be a Good Wife without the Kings or Julianna Margulies quickly followed by sadness. Pretty much experiencing all the feelings at the Super Bowl party I was at (and this was all before Beyoncé slayed). So what does this mean for the final arc?
Well, Alicia hit her rock bottom last week as she spiraled and then emotionally vomited all over Lucca, followed by getting her elevator smooches on (about time). Case contrivance also leads Alicia back to Lockhart, Agos and Lee so she is back where the show started, but not back where she started professionally or personally. This season has been somewhat directionless and not just for Alicia so hopefully by having her return to the firm this will also create decent final storylines for Cary and Diane. It is also probably about time that Alicia and Peter call it quits officially and a divorce does seem imminent now that Peter’s campaign is over.
One thing the writers have been very successful in dealing with is the fallout of Will’s death from the immediate period which contributed to the best season of The Good Wife (the aforementioned desk clearance and Alicia’s first time leaving Lockhart Gardner was also a thing of beauty) to the recent ramifications of the road not traveled and lost love. However, there has been a distinct lack of focus at times and there has been too much time invested in recent campaign plot points.
Last year ended on a bitter note with green screen goodbyes and the rumors of rifts on set bleeding into the fabric of the show and even though those details are vague (The Good Wife keeps its shit locked tight) it definitely impacted and overshadowed Kalinda and Archie Panjabi’s departure.
Nothing will hit quite so hard as that seemingly innocuous episode that took place just over midway through season 5 and the straight out of nowhere death of Will Gardner – this is what I mean about The Good Wife having its shit locked tight – even though everyone knew Josh Charles’ contract was only extended for this one season. The aftermath of that moment is the first time I ever cried while writing a review and those episodes are still really difficult to watch even now. I keep wanting to revisit season 5 because it really is GREAT TELEVISION (side eyeing this piece so hard right now) and I know that when I do those swells of emotion will come because that gut punch is how I felt when I saw the announcement last night. Objectively I know it is time, but I am still going to miss the hell out of Alicia Florrick and the many characters that inhabit her world.
Plus all of those costumes that made me long for a job where I get to wear power clothes on a daily basis. *Looks down at the array of knitwear I am sporting right now*
Let’s drink to this show in the best way possible and here’s to the final chapter in the Education of Alicia Florrick.
Another award show this week and that means more behind the scenes action from getting ready to after the after parties. Plus Grease: Live live, X-Files props, Empiresleep wars and some high levels of cute in our Insta round-up.
From the actual opening of the show (which was a feat of technical brilliance) and Vanessa Hudgens deserves all the kudos she is getting for her incredible performance. Great lipstick too.
Last night’s episode of New Girl was directed by none other than Nick Miller himself; Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield posted a shot that captures him in all his glory.
This week’s episode of The X-Files set my giddy levels to new highs and being a huge fan of Kumail Nanjiani podcast, The X Files Files it was so great to see him in this super fun episode. This is the file Nanjiani was given and Gillian Anderson’s reaction to this gift is hilarious.
The reason why I haven’t written about the last couple of episodes of The Good Wife is in part to do with the award shows which have aired against it and the subsequent red carpet posts which have followed. The other part is because this season has been such a bizarrely paced and plotted mess that it has felt like I have been repeating myself on a weekly basis as Alicia grapples with her firm and the election. Thankfully Peter’s bid for president has been put to bed as he crashed and burned in Iowa; this went on for far too long and I think the writers think we care much more about election storylines than we do (see also Alicia’s bid for SA last season).
The Good Wife is about the education of Alicia Florrick and season 7 has been about an unmoored Alicia. In season 1 Alicia was entering a world she had been absent from for a substantial amount of time with her husband’s discretions hanging over her. Cut to the present and she has her own election scandal to add to this list and she’s out on her own again floundering. This is no longer to do with lack of experience and her stubbornness is standing in the way of her going back to the firm that kickstarted her legal career.
There are two episodes “Judged” draws from in terms of Alicia’s journey and they happen to come from The Good Wife’s best season with “The Last Call” and “All Tapped Out.” Alicia wants to know exactly what Will’s deleted voicemail said and Eli provides the answer remembering certain parts exactly while getting the general gist of the rest – Will had loved her since Georgetown – and this clarity is what was missing from Will’s final voicemail that he left just before he was killed. Alicia will never know exactly why he was calling that morning and plenty of scenarios played in her mind, including one which sounded a whole lot like the message he sent years before.
There is of course the notion of the road not traveled or fig tree element with finding out something this vital years after the fact, particularly when the other person is no longer around. The ‘what ifs’ are endless and after moving on from this idea of her grand romance with Will everything is brought to the surface and it has sent Alicia spiraling. What Alicia does is push people away when there is a whiff of betrayal and her list of meaningful relationships has decreased throughout the seasons. Kalinda was first to go after the Peter reveal and this friendship never recovered (off screen and green screen shenanigans did not help either), things have always been pretty patchy with Diane no matter how much I long for them to be martini drinking buddies, Cary has been both confidant and rival, there was flirtation with Finn, but he was too close to what happened to Will (and Matthew Goode left for Lady Mary) and Eli is the most recent person to feel her wrath and cold shoulder.
Basically Alicia has always needed more friends (her brother does not count) and for every potential there has been a reason – sometimes work, sometimes romantic – that these haven’t panned out. Also guest stars can only hang around for a finite amount of time. Enter Lucca Quinn and Cush Jumbo has been this season’s shining star. Okay, her character is underwritten and everything we do know about her is pretty surface level and yet Cush Jumbo is selling it and making Lucca vital. And not just for fabulous outfit reasons. *Cue screenshots from this episode* Lucca is the one who is putting up with all of Alicia’s shit; her terrible moods and refusal to consider the Lockhart, Agos offer from the previous episode. After pulling a lot of concerned faces and a drink with Jason (because why not) Lucca calls Alicia on her DGAF attitude asking “Seriously, are you gonna hate the whole world right now?” Instead of giving Lucca the same throwing plates treatment she gave Eli or simply telling her that she is fine, Alicia lays it all out and I mean all of it. Lucca doesn’t know the Will story so Alicia gives the super abridged version – “I was in love. He died” – and then everything else comes pouring out. The message she didn’t get, how she hates everything, her increased drinking habits and out of nowhere her not too positive feelings about her kids. Now come on Alicia, Zach I get but Grace has been nothing but amazing this season.
This is the same Alicia we got a glimpse of after Will died; the person who stayed in her sweats and did pull the covers over her head. But she got fired up and went back to work after initially wondering whether she had made the right choices with her life.
Those same questions plague her once again and this time she has someone to tell her that she is needed. Not Peter wanting her to snap out of it so she can attend a function, but a true partner and friend. This is the relationship I have been waiting to see Alicia have ever since the very bad Kalinda break up and it has been a bumpy road getting to this point. Both Julianna Margulies and Cush Jumbo crush this scene and me in the process and I just hope this is a sign that this season is headed in a stronger direction.
Alicia is now in a position financially and legally where Lockhart, Agos is the best option and if this means Diane gets to come play rather than being out on some random case then I am so here for it.
An accurate representation of my reaction to the B plot this week. #SaveDianePart of the problem this year is how fractured everything has been, which I guess has been the point in having Alicia out on her own but it doesn’t make for the best structure or strong storytelling overall. Team Everyone at Lockhart, Agos.
Forgiveness doesn’t come easily to Alicia (just ask Kalinda) and last week she told Marissa there was no way she could forgive Eli. Luckily for Eli he comes to say his piece after Alicia has had her breakdown and elevator smooch (finally!) and he tells her that he didn’t prevent Alicia getting together with Will; it happened anyway. Fate is not something they can control and deleting the voicemail didn’t have an impact on what eventually happened to Will. All very logical and Alan Cumming nails the emotion when he tells her that he never apologizes or confesses to anyone. And with that Alicia gives him the thing he came for, but probably didn’t expect.
This is very much a step in the right direction for Alicia and The Good Wife getting her out of her apartment and back to her former workplace and hopefully this last season for the Kings (and maybe Julianna Margulies) will end on a triumphant note. The first step has happened, the rest needs to follow.
Welcome to TV Ate My Wardrobe’s “Best of 2015” costuming series and rather than doing a straightforward countdown we’re going to do a variety of posts that look at which costumes and shows have made a huge impact this year. From items we want in our own wardrobe to pieces that got everyone talking; we want to celebrate the work of television’s best costume designers.
Now is the turn of a huge range of shows we have been watching this year from network, cable and streaming with comedy, drama and all those other hard to categorize scripted offerings. There has been so many fantastic individual moments that we have had to split this post into two otherwise the scrolling would be endless.
Here is Part 2 of the standout costuming moments in 2015.
Camo Queen
Diane Lockhart is the ultimate when it comes to power dressing in the office – make sure you have at least one piece of statement jewelry – and she manages to transfer this skill to the snowy hunting climate working the all camouflage and furry hat getup like no other.
The Morning After the Night Before Award
Looking dudes killing it with their cardigan, plaid and most importantly bathrobe attire in the season 2 premiere. Patrick also hugged a tree, which was possibly the most adorable TV moment of 2015.
Hair Most Watched
When you want people to believe a HUGE character has been killed off don’t say the actor who plays him has cut his hair because for the next few months every public appearance will be under the hair watch spotlight; whether this be at Wimbledon or an airport (which also happens to be where said show is filmed). Nice suit, Kit. Sunglasses won’t protect your identity.
Inaugural Cary Agos Hot in a Hoodie Trophy
Cary Agos wore his hoodie recently much to our delight and yet we are going to give his prize to the one and only Matt Murdock who took this look to new shirtless levels in Daredevil. Rosario Dawson’s Claire also does casual cool ever so well.
Clothing Most Lived In
It would be remiss if while I was on the subject of hoodie wearers if I didn’t mention Elliot from Mr Robot and it just so happens that I started watching this yesterday (three episodes in and all I want to do is watch the rest). Elliot’s hoodie is very much part of his being and he pulls his hood up at any given opportunity. If a person could live in their clothing then Elliot would definitely live in his black hoodie with his black backpack as his home away from home.
How to Work a Sleeveless Hoodie
This is NOT A GOOD LOOK outside of a boxing movie (and even then I would probs give it a pass) and yet there is something so mesmerizing about Lee Pace in this getup. The same can be said for pretty much all of his Halt and Catch Fire costuming (dude even makes an all white suit and tee work) and this is one show I am so glad I went back to. For actual style inspiration check out everything Donna.
Best Mode of Transport
Amy Schumer’s “Last Fuckable Day” sketch was sadly all too accurate, but most of the time it is better to laugh than cry and that is exactly what Inside Amy Schumer did with this moment and many others over the super strong season 3. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes a rowboat look cool as fuck. Is there nothing this woman can’t do?
Smackdown of the Year
There’s a lot that can be said about the relationship dynamics on Jane the Virgin; the Villanueva women are guaranteed to get me crying at least once an episode and I am firmly in the Team Michael camp. There is one relationship that has gone from antagonistic to friendly with a whole dose of it’s complicated in-between and the Jane/Petra situation is the one which intrigues me the most. In Chapter 20 the pair entered the fantasy wrestling ring and it was as much fun as the leather wresting attire that a pregnant Jane was wearing. Petra didn’t look too shabby in her liquid silver jumpsuit. Jane the Virgin is particularly good at mixing the soapy/fantasy elements with real world in both content and costuming; this smackdown episode showcases these elements.
The Reality Show I Wish Was Real
2015 saw the end of several TV Ate My Wardrobe favorites including Kroll Show, which bowed out before it hit any kind of slump. There are many sketches that could have filled this slot – PubLIZity being a close contender – and yet it was this one off Farley piece that has me randomly saying “Look like dis.” Chelsea Peretti and Jenny Slate were my ideal Kroll Show guest stars and this included both women much to my delight.
Unexpected Character Inspiration
More reasons to adore Tatiana Maslany as not only did she deliver yet another fantastic new clone to the Orphan Black table, but she also got her initial inspiration from one of favorite places (as related to the above choice). Maslany told The LA Times that “Krystal was different because she was meant to die in the first episode. I was really into Kroll Show at the time. And I was doing PubLIZity. I was wandering around the set as Krystal in that voice, and they were, like, “We can’t kill her.” Then we started to develop her into a full character and not just me doing Jenny Slate.”
Outfit Most Inspired by Lindsay Weir
Much like Lindsay Weir, Rachel on UnREAL pretty much had her army green jacket glued to her and while Rachel’s life is definitely more of a mess there is certain Lindsay quality to her.
How to get Dressed in a Super Sexy and Snarky Manner
The Good Wife gave us the TV equivalent of blue balls squandering both Finn and Jason; instead having Alicia hook up with Johnny and Peter. At least the latter delivered on this perfect giving none of the fucks moment.
Stripes Delight
A classic look is classic no matter the decade and Virginia’s striped tee and pants ensemble on Masters of Sex is just that. If Emma Stones stripes and polka dots is my platonic ideal of an outfit then this is a close runner-up.
Most Old Hollywood
No one looks more killer (in more ways than one on this occasion) than Lady Gaga as The Countess on American Horror Story: Hotel capturing all that is glam and seductive about Old Hollywood.
Finding the Ideal Location for an Outfit that Looks Like a Painting
Every episode of Elementary is a costuming dream and Joan’s fashion palette is full of patterned delights including this stunning Victoria Beckham shirt dress; it looks like a shot of springtime against the snowy backdrop. There are several shows which use the winter shooting schedule to their advantage and Elementary is on this list (The Americans and Hannibal are two others).
International Assassin of the Year
There could only be one and the meaning behind Kevin Garvey’s suit – which Justin Theroux fits rather nicely – plays out in an incredibly surreal way in one of televisions best episodes of 2015 as The Leftovers hit new bonkers and brilliant heights. How to Make a Silly Looking Prop Look Entirely Serious
I mean it still looks pretty silly, but I don’t want to say that too loud as Keri Russell is giving killer side eye and it’s pretty terrifying. This is also one of Elizabeth’s best wigs of the season (which is actually a slightly less wavy repeat from S2). Blonde is definitely working for her.
Unexpected Sylvia Plath Quote Usage
Master of None took one of my favorite passages from any book and used it in an unexpected way that was so unbelievably perfect. Yes I burst into tears at the reading and portrayal of the fig tree passage from The Bell Jar. Here is that incredible quote in full.
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
Star Wars is taking over this week and we’ve got more photos from the cast on their epic promotional journey. Plus plenty of TV action including a Jessica Jones treat hidden in the middle as it is guest star spoilery, an Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt singalong and the Orange is the New Black ladies coming out in force to support one of their own on Broadway.
Starting with something very cool this week and a super mesmerizing video of Lupita Nyong’o for The Guardian. Getting a whole lot of turtleneck joy from this outfit.
Lupita looked like a knockout at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens world premiere on Monday and here is a selection of the earrings she got to choose between to add even more sparkle to her ensemble.
Best renewal news as The Leftoverswill be back for a third and final season, which gives Justin Theroux a chance to flex his new Instagram muscles (dude is already a pro). I love that the hair and makeup team are all wearing Guilty Remnant like attire.
Things are a lot better between this pair in real life than for their onscreen counterparts. So much so that Justin Theroux has begun to morph into Liv Tyler’s head.
Speaking of co-stars hanging out – the Orange is the New Black ladies turned out in force for Danielle Brooks’ big Broadway opening night for The Color Purple and this video is giving me so many feelings.
America Ferrera looking terrific for the crazy early Golden Globes announcement (my live stream kept buffering so I didn’t get to see a whole lot of Ferrera presenting, I did get to see Dennis Quaid pronounce “Saoirse”) and this dress definitely falls into the ‘perfect for announcing award nominations’ category (if there is one).
So this is definitely a guest star spoiler which is why I have buried it in the middle of the post and I love how Jessica Jones got their Daredevil fill in this way. Firstly we need more Rosario Dawson on TV and secondly it worked very well for the narrative. And look how happy they both are.
This was meant to go up in last week’s post and it is just too good to let go; who wouldn’t want to watch The Wiz with the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt team?!
And because I am constantly wondering where Robyn is – now Jason has gone can she come back please? – here is Jess Weixler looking stunning on her wedding day (ditto Jessica Chastain) and this is giving me wedding dress ideas (which I really need to start thinking about).
Voicemails and elevators are two pretty mundane things, but on The Good Wife they are an important part of the emotional fabric. Elevators have been home to overflowing feelings on both ends of the spectrum from guttural sobs to kisses that have been a long time coming; after seven seasons we know how important this location can be. But it isn’t an elevator encounter which delivers the gut punch this week as it is the turn of voicemails in the Alicia Florrick devastation bingo. If she didn’t already have a drink on the go I would suggest she grab one after Eli’s soul unburdening.
The last time this show dealt with voicemails it was after Will’s death and the one he left Alicia just before he was shot and killed. The one which was so vague that it plagued Alicia with thoughts of what he was calling to talk to her about; was he still angry at her? Or was it going to be a declaration of love? It could have been something and nothing, but she was left with no answers and a choice in her interpretation. Alicia ends that “The Last Call” in a cold embrace with Peter picturing the best case scenario with Will declaring his love in what is essentially another version of the voicemail Eli deleted six years ago. The voicemail that Eli tells Alicia about at the end of “KSR.”
Eli’s been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster this year; losing his job, falling in love and trying to do right by Alicia. Okay out of those three things I have a hard time with the Courtney Paige relationship because there is very little heat between the actors and they come across as friends far more than lovers.
Now the Alicia thing is another story and while I think Eli deeply cares about Alicia I don’t believe he has been thinking about that deleted voicemail for the last six years. Maybe when Will died he thought about it especially as the phone call from Kalinda mirrors the original situation, but he is far too detached for it to be eating away at him. Although really that is Eli doubling down on the spin to try and gain favor from Alicia. And if she was looking at me in the same way she was looking at Eli I would be scrambling too.
Yep, that’s a death stare if I ever did see one.
What does this whole thing mean other than opening up the Will wound? Alicia already knew he had left a voicemail way back when (although Will never told her about the contents of the second voicemail), but Eli’s retroactive about turn is more about her relationship with Eli than the path not traveled. Is she meant to dwell on the idea that she could have left Peter long ago? Or is she instead meant to consider how fucked up it is that her personal life has been so open to outside influence? Eli says he wants her to be happy, but we just saw him rooting through her office looking for whatever Jason had left her. Which turned out to be a book relating to her case and nothing sexy as Eli probably thought it would be. A box of mini tacos perhaps.
Eli’s voicemail confession comes after he has had his own heartbreak and I will freely admit that the mere mention of Will’s ‘what could have been’ is enough to have me reaching for the tissues. But as with much of this season I’m not sure what the overall point is and Eli’s conflict is certainly interesting and yet it doesn’t necessarily feel earned. I get that he’s finally seeing there is a world beyond politics, but his ‘love affair’ has lacked any kind of spark especially in comparison to the killer scenes between Alan Cumming and Julianna Margulies.
Another arc which has suddenly come to a head is the oldies vs. youngsters at Lockhart, Agos and Lee. Cary has been straddling the generations and not really winning either camp over and now all the mini-Carys have mutinied. Once again this is an interesting resolution to a storyline which has been meandering all season. Although points must first be awarded to the return of Cary’s hoodie and Matt Czuchry’s excellent confused face.
Look he even brought donuts! And the opening of this episode with the 8 iPhones lined up and an empty office is totally Twilight Zone-esque. Now I want to see The Good Wife pull a Felicity.
Ticking clocks and schemes are two things I love to see on this show and so maybe it has all been a bit directionless for Cary this year, but goddamn did I enjoy seeing him get one over on those smug douchebags. Even more so when Diane looked as proud as she did. Plus there was high fiving.
In fun things that Lucca Quinn wore this week we have a series of different prints.
We also found out over drinks that Lucca avoids disappointment by not expecting anything from anyone and while we still don’t know that much about her on a deeper level, between this scene and how good she is in court my Lucca Quinn crush is still strong.
Control and Alicia’s sense of taking charge is something I have discussed a lot this season and this Eli confession is going to deeply impact their relationship. Alicia has always been aware of a certain aspect of meddling from Eli in her personal life, but this opens up a huge old wound and I’m not sure how Eli is going to regain her trust after this bombshell. It’s not just about the what could have been with Will; instead it is about the overall commitment to Peter’s political career that Alicia has made. Hopefully this will add focus when we return in the new year as while these episodes are enjoyable there needs to be something more. Especially if this turns out to be the final season.
Lots of behind the scenes love included in this week’s TV Insta selection. Plus big hair, knitwear, grocery tips and some leftover Thanksgiving fun. Enjoy!
The Leftoverscontinues to be one of the best things on TV this year and the Meg-centric penultimate episode gave this character depth that was maybe missing last season. Here is Liv Tyler taking in the wonderful sites of Jarden, Texas (or probably Austin) in a super cute outfit.
Happy You’re the Worst Day! And while we’re on the subject of penultimate episodes here is another and I just remembered what Jimmy did at the end of the last one. Oh, Jimmy.
Confession – I am still at the same point with Jessica Jones as I was when I wrote this column last week (episode 5) and it is not because I don’t want to watch more, but more like time has got away from me. Regardless, I am still all in on this pairing and photos like this only make me want to marathon the rest of those episodes.
A lot has been written about the amazing collection of wigs on The Americans, but the hair department also needs a shout out for this major volume and waves magic on Poor Martha herself. I love that Alison Wright has also adopted this name for her character.
While we’re on the subject of The Americans and hair; here is Holly Taylor showing off her own impressive wavy locks (it runs in this spy family) and like Gretchen Wieners she keeps her secrets in her hair. From the look on her face in this shot it doesn’t look like things are getting any easier for Paige Jennings in season 4.
Getting a different perspective on Jane the Virgin and it can’t be long before Petra is ready to give birth to her twins if this is any indicator. The way this season has dealt with the passage of time has been beneficial so far and avoids the repetition of some story points (there are some that can’t be avoided it would seem when it comes to the central love triangle).
A Good Wife group shot from this week’s episode and I am still very much all about Lucca Quinn’s styling. Now to find more out about her character and whether there will be more than dancing with Cary.
Knitwear and the ladies from Girls. I would love to see more from them as a group this season instead of their own separate adventures; however I’m not so sure it would make that much sense for them to be hanging out by now.
Grocery shopping tips from Jenny Slate and not only does this all sound delicious, but the notebook and handwriting make it extra appealing (you should see my scrawled mess of a lists – my stationary is always top notch though).
Rounding things off with a like mother, like daughter onscreen edition and the images chosen by January Jones and Kiernan Shipka to celebrate Thanksgiving.
For someone who has known Alicia for as long as Eli has on The Good Wife, he is an expert in how to push her buttons and not in a good way. There has always been a bit of a push/pull between these two characters with Eli trying to work the best angle for the campaign while being more than aware that Alicia isn’t just going to drop everything and say yes. Some of this has been discovered the hard way and he knows better than anyone not to try and use the Florrick kids in any capacity without checking with their mother beforehand. It gets a little murky when Alicia’s love life comes into play and he has definitely overstepped his bounds long before “Discovery” with both Will and Finn. When Ruth comes to him regarding her Jason fears he does what Eli does and pisses Alicia off; ending the episode with a wordless reply and a door getting shut in his face.
Eli has intimate knowledge of Alicia and Peter’s complicated relationship; the affairs that both of them have had, their living situation and even their most recent hook-up. It is actually a very bizarre set-up when you consider all of this and when he tells Courtney that you have to be obsessed with your candidate he is skimming on the thorough and kinda creepy details. Okay the word “obsessed” has those connotations and he is maybe one step away from having a photo collage wall, except that wall is in his mind and files that they gather on the candidate and all their associates.
It is why it comes as a surprise to both Ruth and Eli that he missed the Jason thing (he has seen Jason, right?!). Ruth notices straight away and the way the camera lingers as Jason shows Alicia something on his phone and she puts on his glasses might as well have been Ruth seeing them going at it in the hallway; she is viewing it through salacious smut goggles. AKA what a lot of the audience (myself included) wants to see happen. Please don’t let this be a repeat of the Finn Polmar non-affair.
To give Eli some credit, I guess he is very reluctant when asking these awkward questions and maybe (okay definitely) a little intimidated by Jason, who also happens to have no time for Eli’s not so subtle attempt in telling him to back off. Although it does work because Jason goes from grufty warmness to grufty at a distance and Alicia is pissed. She’s still making homemade margs (and getting better) and alcohol is required to deal with this level of interference from Eli especially when he is giving his rules speech. It also doesn’t help that when he mentions hotel bars all I can think of is the season 2 finale and Will. And now I’m feeling a whole lot of things.
There are ulterior motives at play and full disclosure is not something Eli is offering as he is using the Courtney funded Alicia focus group as a way to see if she is a viable candidate for a Senate position, when Courtney just wanted to see if the Saint Alicia brand had been resurrected for this presidency campaign. Eli has moved beyond his sabotage plan, but the self interest level is still at play. One tactic he employs which is so dumb for everyone involved is sending Nora on an interference mission. When he sells it to her it sounds like it could be something which has a lot more value than cockblocking and after one awkward interruption Nora is no longer up for serving as Eli’s stooge.
Nora happens to interrupt a deep and meaningful about Jason’s previously uncomfortable life – flashback montage please – and now he likes to keep things simple. He is quickly learning that by spending time in Alicia’s orbit things are far from this state. Although he should have known that from the investigation he did on her and like Eli I don’t really buy his excuse of checking out his new boss. Alicia looks concerned by this discovery (drink because I just said the episode title) and it is unclear what she is going to do with this information. Probably start by drinking another margarita.
There are a couple of interesting Alicia costuming touches to note such as the leather and lace combo that comes after Eli’s chat; she certainly isn’t going to tone her wardrobe choices down and in fact this up the sex factor.
The other thing is when she is filming her ‘wife of the candidate’ pieces she is wearing her very wifey pearls, which she then ditches for when she heads to court.
One person who doesn’t worry about pearls and politician’s wife associations is Diane who goes all out on her triple pearl necklace for court.
And I am definitely feeling this look both in the office and out on the street (I couldn’t pick which one I wanted to use so a double shot it is).
Lucca and Alicia are also both sporting fantastic outerwear and a whole lot of side eye.
The case this week has Alicia representing an old client with a new boss as Piper’s brother from Orange is the New Black is the new COO at Chumhum with Lockhart, Agos representing the opposition. This is a Canning case and they know it will look better with Lucca as part of the team because the case is about race, which she is obviously not so thrilled by. Somehow they find a way to have both sides win, but it leaves an unpleasant taste in the end because of a) what Alicia and Lucca had to do at the behest of the dude paying their bills (bury evidence) and b) Diane and Cary also kinda lost because the restaurant in question was failing before the app was launched.
We also get to hear Cary spout a whole lot of white male privilege and I’m not entirely sure if this was out of character or completely in line with what he actually thinks. Cary has been used so little this season it is hard to tell who he is in a post-Kalinda Good Wife as he was so defined by that relationship. Now he is going dancing with Lucca and I would be way more into this if there had been any sense of a build-up; they have gone from pretty much zero non-case based interactions to this in no steps at all.
This season is still trying to figure out exactly what it wants to be and as we near the halfway point it is a little concerning. With one episode left before the break (airing December 13) I hope it figures things out soon.
There is a lot of TV to be watched right now (#PeakTV) and like many I am in the process of compiling end of year lists (and as I have done in previous years I will be doing my ‘best of’ in a variety of ways) while trying to remember everything that I have watched this year. So this is a preview of what is to come in the following month and hopefully it will jog my very full TV related memory of anything I might miss.
So in no particular order here is what I am thankful for when it comes to TV in 2015:
The Hollywood Reporter TV Actress roundtable participants look like this and not this.
Comedy shows that explore a broad range of topics which not only make me laugh until I cry, but also invoke full on Claire Danes level of cry face. I am mostly looking at you You’re the Worst.
While I’m on the subject of comedies that make me misty eyed; Parks and Recreation ended this season on a high with an episode that pivoted on the Six Feet Under model and caused just as many tears.
Cable shows are embracing male nudity beyond just butts (special shout-outs to The Leftovers and The Affair) and all this after the The Comeback had a whole episode dedicated to skewering cable on this issue.
And that every episode is a lesson in tension and an exploration on marriage and identity. It was my number one show in March and it still is in November (spoiler alert).
That Agent Carter got a second season and I now own the same lipstick as Peggy Carter.
The master class in acting delivered by Carrie Coon and Regina King on The Leftovers and for every insanely wonderful thing this show is doing. Also for Justin Theroux’s ability to look bewildered and devastated at any given opportunity.
The Villanueva women.
Getting to see Tatiana Maslany take on even more characters and make me forget she is playing everyone in a scene. And this wave.
Kroll Show going out on a high and creating this incredible universe where so many characters overlapped and intersected. And because I can’t say “Oh, hello” without wondering if there is too much tuna and I sometimes inadvertently say ‘Ameezing’ like I’m on PubLIZity.
The 12 Angry Men episode of Inside Amy Schumer.
Rob and Sharon on Catastrophe (even if the amount of things Sharon says that are like me is reaching a worrying level).
Shows that take will they/won’t they situations and turn them into yep they will. Oh hey there Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
All of Lady Gaga’s costuming on American Horror Story: Hotel.
Fargo indulging my love of all things 1970s clothing.
Daenerys’ dragon necklace.
The brief but amazing turn by Birgitte Hjort Sørensen on Game of Thrones.
Oscar Isaac’s mustache/dad jeans and all the Bruce Springsteen used throughout Show Me a Hero. And, how the thought of this show hits me like a gut punch.
Every beautiful/fucked up thing they got away with on Hannibal this season.
The range in costume design and shows covered on here includes everything from period to contemporary to fantasy; I am thankful there is a vast amount to discuss and get inspired by.
Season 2 of Transparent is almost here!
The list is long and there are probably some very obvious things I have missed. I will get mad at myself later, but for now Happy Thanksgiving!
If you’re looking for Thanksgiving episodes to watch maybe take a rewind and watch these offerings from Felicityand Dawson’s Creek.
TV Ate My Wardrobe 
