'The Good Wife' Recap: "Alienation Of Affection"

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'The Good Wife' Recap: "Alienation Of Affection"

Celebrity News Editor
On Jan 09, 2012

The Good Wife Recap: Episode 12 "Alienation of Affection" (01/08/2012)

The Good Wife begins its midseason premiere by dealing with a personal case. Instead of trying to help out an outside client they are instead trying to save themselves. Lockhart & Gardner is being sued for $44 million and Will is on his way in lawyering up for his own charges. There's accusations and misleadings but ultimately a setup in storyline that works out perfectly for upcoming episodes.

The firm is in need to come together for a past case they thought they once solved. A couple is now suing them for possibly leading them to a split for their own financial gain. They call it of course, alienation of affection. David Lee (Zach Grenier) may have been involved in overseeing the divorce initially but that doesn't mean everyone else isn't involved. To Diane everyone is family and if the lawsuit comes through everyone will have to pay 1.2 million each. Eli is furious about the setup and there's an obvious strain between he and Diane. His threats are meaningless though because he would never leave the firm.

Meanwhile the case becomes blurry and Lee seems to be covering up his mistakes. Allegations are pushed forward making it look like he once hired a stripper for the husband to get drunk with. He did get a DUI before the original court case but he was never told to sleep with her. While Diane questions David on his motives Kalinda notices that original documents can't be found to ultimately save the firm and get them out of this mess. She sees that Alicia is the one that was responsible for them and at that time she was only six months new to the company. After giving Kalinda a brief memory recount on where she was that day she remembers signing it but not filing it. David comes in later with it in his hand saying he found it but Alicia goes to Diane thinking he just forged another paper. But to Diane, it doesn't matter. Even though there are holes poked in the Lockhart & Gardner case doesn't mean Alicia has to poke holes in her own problem. Memory is the best factor in testimonies. So Alicia accepts the paper as proof and the firm is back to normal again. The husband suing them gets caught in the end anyway. He continued to sleep with the stripper and they have pictures to prove it.

Let's not fail to mention, during this time Cary came in to discuss the case because of his prior job with Diane and Will. He stands up for Alicia though stating she's an exceptional worker and he doesn't believe there had been any wrongdoing. The top Los Angeles lawyer that the couple brought in, Burl Prestion (guest star F. Murray Abraham), believes that Cary just wants his old job back but he could care less. As he leaves he has a touching moment with Alicia about how things change and he enjoys working with Peter now. This is a relationship on the verge of peacemaking that will just get shaken down soon once Alicia finds out that the attorney's office is investigating Will. Because after all, Will fails to mention to Alicia once again in "Alienation of Affection" what kind of trouble he's really in.

Diane tells Will that she will back him up no matter what but he should consider lawyering up. He already planned on doing so and asks Alicia if he could be set up with the always quirky fan favorite Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston) who worked with her during the "Executive Order 13224" episode. The two seem to be like complete opposites but she takes the case and as usual, creepily introduces herself to her next target. Wendy Scott-Carr isn't backing down though and later tells Cary that they will be indicting Will.

With minutes to go the Australian process server that has been swooning over Diane throughout the episode comes in for a last job. Not sure what was better. That he admitted in taking the next delivery because he was able to see her again or that Diane is clearly getting a love interest this season. That is, until viewers see what his next job really is. He immediately turns to Will on the side and states, "Will Gardner, you're being served." A look of worry, a look to the camera and black screen. His judicial bribery scandal is finally coming to the surface and Alicia is bound to find out by next week.

SumOlogy: Lockhart & Gardner luckily get themselves out of a lawsuit but that doesn't help Will in getting served indictment papers.

Grade: 8/10

Leftovers

"David, not to imply, but did you enlist?" - Diane

"Wow, you're a bundle of laughs." - Will when he realizes he can lose his license

"It's not about love. It's about commerce." - Kalinda to Eli

"If you go against David Lee you better win or it won't be pretty." - Kalinda to Eli

"Your right hand doesn't know what your left hand is doing." - Eli to Diane

"A family doesn't fire you. A family doesn't cost you 1.2 million." - Eli

"What's so funny?" "Things change." "I like working with your husband." "He likes working with you too." - Alicia and Cary

The Diane and Will looks are so good and bring the troubling tension.

Looks like Diane is getting a new love interest who just so happens to be an Australian process server.