In honor of the finale of the brilliant fifth season of The Good Wife, here is a list of what I consider to be their 10 Best Episodes.
Hitting the Fan (Season 5, Episode 5): When I started writing this list I knew from the beginning that this episode would be number one. It brought together every element of The Good Wife that they have been growing and adjusting to create an episode that is the peak of the show's creative resurgence. The writing was so natural in its dialogue, but brought to the actors they added an intensity that matched the sharp direction. It is also the episode that highlighted the show as a leader in storytelling. The classical background score, the careful camera work, even the callbacks to past events were so well calculated that every piece contributed to the episode's ending success. Of course mixed in was the show's patented dark humor and personal baggage. It was not only the best episode of The Good Wife, it was also one of the best episodes of drama in a long time.
Bang (Season 1, Episode 15): I think this was the first episode of The Good Wife that I truly realized that this was a great show. There was no big event, although Peter's return from prison was probably the biggest thing to happen on the show at that point, but the writers were able to exude such importance with small moments. For example the opening scene of Peter's return had one line of dialogue between Peter and Alicia. A simple: “hi.” But the emotional weight of their hug to her look at the parole officer spoke thousands. It ran through the entire episode. It's that skill of taking each character's journey and growth and translating it into their everyday lives that has given the show so much of its success, and this episode started it all off.
The Last Call (Season 5, Episode 16): It may have not reached the heights that Friday Night Lights' “The Son” and Buffy the Vampire Slayer's “The Body”, but the writers of The Good Wife created an episode that suited the needs of the series so well. The use of that final phone call as a device to have Alicia rethink her relationship was genius. Plus, they so gracefully balanced each of the main characters' reactions without being too melodramatic. Everything felt natural and consistent with the show. It was truly a wonderful hour of television.- Nine Hours (Season 2, Episode 9): In my opinion, this is arguably the best case of the week episode. So often on the show do we see the lawyers of Lockhart/Gardner seems so composed and with things under control, but with a 9 hour time crunch on a death row appeal, everyone is stressed and at the top of their game. It was one of the most memorable cases the show has covered, but also saw the incredible debate between Peter and Glenn Childs.
- Another Ham Sandwich (Season 3, Episode 14): This episode finds Will in his grand jury hearing regarding his bribery of judges that results in his suspension. For Josh Charles, this was his “Whitecaps.” With such suspense in his trial, we forget the hilarious storyline between Eli and Stacie Hall as they try to secure the spot as the strategist for a Gay/Straight Alliance, which shows how funny the show can actually be. In the end, it is a humanizing episode for the character of Will, who is humbled following his suspension. It reminds us that these characters aren't just floating on a cloud all the time. Once in a while they are cut down, and in this episode Will is cut down hard.
