Good Wife, Good Pilot

In a nice change of pace from the other pilots I've seen thus far (which ranged from just watchable to unbearable), CBS's newest drama The Good Wife actually presented a solid pilot for a show with quite a lot of potential (as opposed to its time slot competition, ABC's The Forgotten). Who'd have ever thought CBS would be the first to buck the trend of bad pilots?? If anyone had an office pool in this regard, I think you just lost.

The Good Wife stars Julianna Margulies as the wife of a disgraced politician (I want to say state's attorney) who recently uprooted their lives amid allegations of criminal misconduct and more than a few indiscretions with hookers and whatnot. With her husband in jail, Margulies' character Alicia has to re-enter the work force after 13 years off the job. It's a daunting prospect that I think a lot of people can relate to on some level, especially in this economic climate. Fortunately for her, and for viewers, she still has the chops to be an excellent lawyer, even if she feels a little out of her depth at first.

Admittedly, the "lawyer drama" ranks among the most overdone genres in television, but The Good Wife manages to bring together an excellent cast, solid writing, and a unique spin to make for a fresh, engaging outing in what could have been a banal set up. I've seen a million lawyer dramas in my day (although I don't think one has graced my regular rotation since The Practice) and it was nice to see a character that was new even if the game remained largely the same.

Margulies brings a quiet determination to a character whose life has just been completely turned upside down. She, like many others, always wondered why the wife of the philandering, potentially corrupt politician stands by his side instead of goring him with a steak knife, and she honestly doesn't have the answers. She doesn't come across as weak or complicit, but rather, quite simply, unprepared. It's easy for onlookers to rake someone over the coals for their actions, but at the end of the day, its impossible to know what it would be like until you're there. Alicia is a character in a situation that I've never quite seen before and the circumstances surrounding her return to law practice make for a more interesting approach to a classic conceit.

Along with Margulies is an excellent cast that boasts the talents of Chris Noth, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, and Josh Charles. I just so happened to watch Dead Poets Society the other day, so when Josh Charles (who played Knox Overstreet) appeared onscreen as Alicia's fellow lawyer and old friend, I was delighted to see him back in action. The entire supporting cast is strong and each brings something different and interesting to what could have been your standard law drama role. Baranski plays a partner in the firm, but rather than being the raging bitch/vindictive task master, instead she tough, but fair. She's realistic and is willing to give Alicia a shot, even if she has reservations. Not a complete upturn on the usual cliche, but it was a nice change of pace from what I expected. Czuchry and Charles are both charming and thoroughly likable in their roles and while the show grants that the atmosphere at a law firm is competitive, not everyone is a cutthroat nightmare, which was nice to see. I don't think Noth is going to be a series regular, but he certainly holds his own as the cheating spouse and alleged criminal. His interactions with Margulies where quietly intense, which I think is probably a much more accurate portrayal of a couple in this situation than the standard TV shouting match would have you believe.

Rounding out the regular cast is an English actress that I don't think I've ever seen before named Archie Panjabi. She could have played the office minx or catty competition for Alicia like anyone would expect, but she was actually quite charming and had just enough of an edge to be interesting and effective. She didn't throw Alicia in the deep end or start fighting her on the ladder climb like I would have guessed, but was rather professional and engaging. Again, no one is reinventing the wheel here, but each actor brought a lot more depth to his/her role than I would have expected out of a pilot or out of your standard legal drama.

As with most shows that focus on law, I suspect that each episode or short series of episodes will focus on a client-of-the-week of sorts. I think if the writers manage to blend the characters' personal lives with their professional lives in a balanced, well-paced way, this show could have a hell of a lot of potential. I'm a little concerned that one might get bogged down by the other (depending on which turns out to be the more engaging of the two), but hopefully the writers will make it work. In a perfect world, I'll be as interested in the behind the scenes struggles as I will with the case, but we'll just have to wait and see. From the pilot alone, so far so good.

Alicia's first case is a long shot that she ultimately knocks out of the park. While it was pretty predictable that she'd overcome adversity and prove her potential to her colleagues in her first case, it was done in a way that didn't feel contrived or convenient. Rather than throwing her to the lions in a bid to see her fail, her colleagues genuinely seem to want her to succeed (at least on the surface), which she does through hard work and ingenuity, rather than some magical deus ex machina that floats in from nowhere. It may have seemed convenient that there was evidence that had been "pitted" (buried by cops because they felt it was irrelevant), but I've seen far too many true crime shows to believe for even a second that that kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. The cops found gun-shot residue on the client's hands and they basically ignored all other evidence. My mother is just enough of a true crime aficionado that I've seen this kind of thing happen a million times and bought it completely.

In like form, the proceedings in the court room seemed much more authentic than the blustering, overblown shouting matches that usually fill the legal drama's basket to the brim. Alicia presented the evidence in a compelling way and the police decided to reopen the case. There was no big angry confession on the stand and the jury didn't even turn in a verdict, but it was still exciting and I think, much more realistic than I usually see. I wouldn't say that a focus on the more staid and monotonous aspects of legal work is the angle the writers should pursue, but it really felt like the show had a better grasp of how things actually work than on other shows. It may just been that I haven't had a legal show in my regular schedule for a long time, but I was really sucked in to the ins and outs of the process and didn't find it protracted or tedious at all.

In summation, The Good Wife is easily the best pilot I've seen thus far this season. Perhaps the mediocrity of the others has colored my judgment a bit, but I think this show has a lot of potential and the pilot alone managed to pique my interest considerably. It has all the bare bones you could ever want in a show, so now the writers just need to bring it all together week to week. Also, it's on opposite ABC's embarrassment The Forgotten, so if for no other reason, I hope The Good Wife trounces that piece of crap just on principle.

Even if the legal drama isn't really genre of choice, The Good Wife brings enough warmth and depth that I think you'd enjoy it. I'm not willing to give it a top tier slot just yet, but it's a solid show with a great cast and premise. The show has its flaws, but I'm hopeful the writers will take all the good things they have working for them and knock it out of the park week to week. Lord knows I certainly don't need anymore medical dramas on my plate, so a bunch of lawyers sounds just delightful at this point.

Pilot Grade: B+