Premieres: September 25
Airs: Sundays, 9pm
Network: CBS
Who Is In It? Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Chris Noth, Josh Charles, Michael Ealy, Tammy Blanchard, Scott Porter
Where We Left Off: Sure, there was a bunch of legal stuff that went down, but let’s not kid ourselves. The big news is that Will and Alicia finally did the deed.
What to Expect: So, they’ll probably just ride off into the sunset with no complications whatsoever, right? Or not. This season will feature a parade of guest stars, some returning (Dylan Baker, Kelli Giddish) and some new (Parkey Posey, Lisa Edelstein, Eddie Izzard, Harvey Fierstein).
After a while, TV critics get the idea that we’ve seen everything before, at least in some capacity, and especially where doctor and lawyer shows are concerned. Then the litmus test of a new show’s worth becomes how well they actually do those things. In the case of The Good Wife, starring Sex and the City’s Noth as an Eliot Spitzer-esque politico sent to the slammer for an unsavory sex scandal involving taxpayer cash, and former ER nurse Margulies as his wounded-but-resilient missus, who’s left to hold down the fort and win the bread, the answer is: pretty well. Though there are some decidedly tired plot devices — the meddling mother-in-law, the ballsy assistant and wisecracking judge, the poetic little speeches that would never form in the mind or mouth of a weary, scandal-plagued, working mom — the stylish cinematography and sheer force of Margulies’ acting talents make The Good Wife an awfully good show.
Where We Left Off: A tipsy Will called to woo Alicia (Julianna Margulies) just as she was about to resume her role as good wife of freshly announced state’s attorney candidate Peter (Chris Noth).
What to Expect: A host of new characters, including Michael Ealy (FlashForward) as head of the D.C. firm that will merge with the financially troubled Lockhart and Gardner; Tammy Blanchard as a hipster assistant state’s attorney; and Friday Night Lights alum Scott Porter as Kalinda’s (Archie Panjabi) counterpart from the D.C. group. Michael J. Fox will guest star in an episode as Simon Canning, a shrewd and cynical litigator whom Alicia faces in a massive class action.
In the season premiere, "Taking Control," Alicia is torn between her passion for Will and her marriage to Peter, and is forced to make her choice.
