I just finished binge watching all 7 seasons as I never caught it on the original syndication. After a couple of episodes I was well and truly hooked and it's been a long time since I've been this emotionally invested in TV characters.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are excellent. They follow a basic but brilliant formula; a legal procedural with quality background content. Each episode revolved around the law firms cases, but also had Alicia's issues with Peter and Will to add layers. Then came seasons 5.
The show really started to go pear shaped when Josh Charles decided to leave the show, but was made worse by the writers decision to kill off the character of Will, rather than simply have the character leave. Charles was signed on for 15 episodes of season 5, but a greater solution would have been to have him film 10 episodes in season 5, culminating in him leaving Chicago to head up one of Lockhart Gardner's new offices in LA or NY. This could have allowed 5 episodes to bring back Will when the show was wrapping up, to allow for Alicia's 'happily ever after' moment. The whole Will and Alicia story-line was enticing because it gave the viewer hope that Alicia would come through all of her heartache in a better position than she was in before. By killing off that Will, it killed off that hope. Attempts to replicate that chemistry with Finn Polmar and Jason Crouse just weren't the same (although I much preferred the Finn possibility than Jason).
After Will died the whole direction of the show changed. The legal procedural side of the show took a backseat to Alicia's political campaign, Cary's time in prison and the never ending merry-go-round of law firms and partners. The show lost the focus and stability which had previously been it's strength. There's a reason why some shows last longer than others. Think Law & Order: SVU or NCIS. They've got a winning formula and they don't mess with it. When shows go off track and try to change what they are, it alienates the viewer. Another example of this happening recently was with Criminal Minds; as soon as that show started focusing on one story arc (Mr Scratch and Reid's false imprisonment) it became boring and arduous to watch, resulting in its recent cancellation.
The series finale of The Good Wife also feels like a rip off. We've spent 7 seasons following Alicia's journey, only to see her right back where she started; standing by her disgraced husband and being alienated by her friends. I think the viewers deserved more than this.
I felt emotionally invested in Alicia's journey, and the ghostly re-appearance of Will broke me more than it should have. It was a giant reminder of where the show could have and should have ended.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are a solid 10/10, but the remaining 3 are more like a 6/10.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are excellent. They follow a basic but brilliant formula; a legal procedural with quality background content. Each episode revolved around the law firms cases, but also had Alicia's issues with Peter and Will to add layers. Then came seasons 5.
The show really started to go pear shaped when Josh Charles decided to leave the show, but was made worse by the writers decision to kill off the character of Will, rather than simply have the character leave. Charles was signed on for 15 episodes of season 5, but a greater solution would have been to have him film 10 episodes in season 5, culminating in him leaving Chicago to head up one of Lockhart Gardner's new offices in LA or NY. This could have allowed 5 episodes to bring back Will when the show was wrapping up, to allow for Alicia's 'happily ever after' moment. The whole Will and Alicia story-line was enticing because it gave the viewer hope that Alicia would come through all of her heartache in a better position than she was in before. By killing off that Will, it killed off that hope. Attempts to replicate that chemistry with Finn Polmar and Jason Crouse just weren't the same (although I much preferred the Finn possibility than Jason).
After Will died the whole direction of the show changed. The legal procedural side of the show took a backseat to Alicia's political campaign, Cary's time in prison and the never ending merry-go-round of law firms and partners. The show lost the focus and stability which had previously been it's strength. There's a reason why some shows last longer than others. Think Law & Order: SVU or NCIS. They've got a winning formula and they don't mess with it. When shows go off track and try to change what they are, it alienates the viewer. Another example of this happening recently was with Criminal Minds; as soon as that show started focusing on one story arc (Mr Scratch and Reid's false imprisonment) it became boring and arduous to watch, resulting in its recent cancellation.
The series finale of The Good Wife also feels like a rip off. We've spent 7 seasons following Alicia's journey, only to see her right back where she started; standing by her disgraced husband and being alienated by her friends. I think the viewers deserved more than this.
I felt emotionally invested in Alicia's journey, and the ghostly re-appearance of Will broke me more than it should have. It was a giant reminder of where the show could have and should have ended.
The first 4 seasons of The Good Wife are a solid 10/10, but the remaining 3 are more like a 6/10.