YouTubeThe Good Wife is a master class in TV drama. Don't just take our word for it, watch the scene below and you'll get it. You'll cry, but you'll get it. Warning, spoilers for the Sunday, Oct. 26 episode, "Old Spice."
At the end of the episode, Diane (Christine Baranski) and Alicia (Julianna Margulies) reclaimed the old Lockhart/Gardner and Canning offices from the clutches of David Lee (Zach Grenier) and Louis Canning (Michael J. Fox). They arrived to find the offices trashed, the keyboards are missing the F, L and A keys—their firm is Florrick/Agos and Lockhart—it's a great juxtaposition to how the two left the firm in separate blazes of glory and heartbreak.
The ending to "Old Spice" was an emotional scene for a variety of reasons. The primary reason? Will Gardner. Yes, The Good Wife has not forgotten how heartbreaking the death of a loved one is to the people still living. Will's death will have a lasting affect on the series and it should. Despite some law elements, The Good Wife is the most "real" scripted series on TV.
After reclaiming their old home—and for Baranski's Diane Lockhart, her old throne—Diane and Alicia realized somebody is going to have to take over Will's office. Diane suggested she take it over as a fresh start, but Alicia remains steadfast in embracing the space, and in doing so the feeling it will give her every time she walks through that door and sits at that desk
Margulies and Baranski did more with their faces—particularly their eyes—than most shows do with 20 pages of dialogue. It feels like a privilege to watch these two women on screen together.
In death, the character of Will Gardner is as—if not more—powerful a force than he was alive. Yes, we all miss Josh Charles, but without the catalyst of Will's death, Alicia and Diane would be stuck. Their rebirth through his death has brought the two characters closer together and helped shape them into even richer characters.
Brought back together and made even stronger by heartbreak and grief, Alicia and Diane are like two phoenixes rising from the ashes, quite literally as they reclaim their trashed former home.
This is their life now, this is their reality. With a head nod, they solidified the status quo, acknowledged the grief they are both dealing with and firm up why The Good Wife is a revelation.
The Good Wife airs Sundays, 9 p.m. on CBS.