The Good Wife Round Table: "Ham Sandwich"

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What an ideal time for the second edition of The Good Wife Round Table.

Following this week's explosive, shocking episode of the CBS drama, lead critic Matt Richenthal is joined below by fellow TV Fanatics Jeff Kirkpatrick and Carissa Pavlica, as they delve into Kalinda's secret, the relationship between Alicia and Cary and a lot more...

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What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Matt: Forget this episode. The conversation between Alicia and Cary may have been my favorite scene in series history. It summed up everything I love about the show: rich characters, mature discussions, complicated relationships and not a word of dialogue wasted.

Carissa: I'm with Matt: Cary and Alicia talking on the phone at the end. For all of their posturing, they have grown to care about each other, and they both care about Kalinda. I'm glad they finally let go of their drama and put it out there.

Jeff: That's tough because there were several scenes that were just fantastic. I guess I'd have to say Eli preparing to bare his bum to the democratic leader. Unbuckling his belt while appearing to listen intently to what the man was saying was just hilarious.

Does Alicia drink too much?
Matt: I haven't seen her flash her boobs once at work, so I say no.

Carissa: No. In fact, the beers with Kalinda and the wine at the end of the day make the show seem more real for me. If Alicia didn't drink, she'd have to be close to an angel, and I just don't buy it. She's far too multifaceted not to have some vice, and having a few drinks is not a bad vice to have. I do, however, dislike their children more and more each week and wonder if they weren't switched at birth.

Jeff: I don't know that she does. So she has a glass of wine at the end of the day, big deal. It's actually good for the cholesterol! But given her mentally and emotionally draining job, I'm almost surprised she isn't a full-on alcoholic.

Will Lockhart/Gardner represent Bishop again?
Matt: I actually doubt it. Did you notice the look on Donald Lee's face after he learned Bishop killed his wife? He shut that opposing lawyer up for the guy's own good. When even someone as smarmy as Lee is scared, it might be time to pull the professional plug on this relationship.

Carissa: I hope not. At some point they have to realize that money does not trump morals. To represent someone so reprehensible will not be good for the firm, no matter how much money he has. As for the relationship between Bishop and his wife, they were both scum. She knew who she was getting in bed with and made the mistake of thinking his love for her would keep her safe no matter what she did. Bishop's money won't keep the firm any safer than his love kept his wife.

Jeff: Of course. At the end of the day, it's all about the Benjamins. It also provides Alicia with yet another moral dilemma with which to grapple. Side note: I found Alicia's appeal to Bishop's wife to be right on point. How could that woman use her son like that? Despicable. Not that it warrants her murder, obviously, but kinda doesn't make you feel all that sorry for her.

Give us your reaction to Kalinda and Peter's secret.
Matt: A woman has slept with her best friend's husband? On any other series, I'd write this off as soap opera-ish, more appropriate for Desperate Housewives than The Good Wife. But this show has spent nearly two seasons proving how intelligently and maturely it handles storylines and relationships. I trust this will play out in a similar, fascinating manner and I make a prediction: it will result in Alicia ending up in Will's bed.

Carissa: I've just been waiting for this. The very first time Kalinda and Peter shared screen time, I knew they slept together. I've always assumed it, especially when we learned she worked for Peter for a time. I also thought that was why Kalinda felt so close to Alicia. A respect grown from guilt that turned into friendship.

Jeff: To quote Leslie Knope: Crap on a spatula!! Now that was a bombshell I did not anticipate in any shape or form. Peter is such a douchebag. He's known Alicia and Kalinda have worked together for over a year and never bothered to come clean with her about it? Obviously he really hasn't changed.

This is what I love about The Good Wife. No holds barred; no topic untouchable. On the one hand, it's incredible drama, especially when they've done so much to establish the tight, albeit informationally-challenged, bond between Alicia and Kalinda. On the other, though, it's going to be a little sad to see that all come crashing down. I like Alicia and Kalinda as soul sisters. I can't help but wonder more how Cary will react when he finds out.

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The Good Wife Season 2 Episode 17 Quotes

A Chicago grand jury will indict a ham sandwich.

Alicia

Kalinda: Ever get the feeling something bad is going to happen.
Alicia: All the time.