The Good Wife shook things up when the legal proceedings moved out of the courtroom and into the Coroner's Office in "Invitation to an Inquest."

This was an odd hour of the legal drama. The Coroner's Inquest was an intriguing idea, but the almost endless theories about what happened to Judge Ludwig were too much.

Negligence, drinking, drugs, mobile phone use, black ice, bad lighting, suicide, scorned lover, scorned wife... and it all came down to a random drunk driver running him off the road. Did I forget any of the theories? There were so many of them.

Initially, I thought the restrictiveness of the three-question rule would provide entertainment, but even that left me wanting more. And, unless I miscounted, the prosecutor asked Mrs. Ludwig more than three questions. Why was she not restricted to the rule? Even if it was allowed, the attorneys should have questioned it. In the end, I was relieved it wasn't the wife. That would have been a horrible resolution.

Given all the theories, it ended up being a random drunk driver that killed the judge. The insurance company lawyer, well-played by In Plain Sight's Frederick Weller, was a jerk. He would have done or said anything to get out of paying out the life insurance claim. The look on his face when he realized he lost was precious. Bummer, dude, but you lost! Mrs. Ludwig deserved the money for her husband's death.

One highlight was seeing Kalinda and Robyn working together on the investigation. When Kalinda previously worked on her own, she had a rough edge to her. When she's with Robyn, that tough exterior fades a little. They don't play good investigator/bad investigator really, but there is an odd dichotomy between the two that works exceedingly well in the field. And, they look at situations from differing points of view, that bring new possibilities to light.

Don't you want to know what Kalinda said to the trucker? Whatever it was, it worked. Plus, she got him to apologize to Robyn. For now, Kalinda is still the top dog between the two of them, but I can easily see Robyn proving her worth and becoming equals with her. So far, the addition of Robyn to the firm (and to the show) has been positive.

While the Coroner's Inquest was happening, Cary was working for a new client that he Cary's father, Jeffrey, brought in. A pharmaceutical company hired the firm to draft a medical marijuana initiative   to counter another one being proposed. Given the relationship between the father and son, it was impressive to see Cary hold his ground and push for realistic terms. When Cary wasn't a pushover, his father pulled the business.

It never was clear whether or not it was legitimate or if Jeffrey was plotting his next move. Prior to Cary interrupting them, it sounded like Jeffrey was going to negotiate a partnership for Cary in exchange for the business. Cary wasn't going to let his father win though, no matter what. He went above his father and sought out the CEO of the pharmaceutical company and won back the business himself. 

Cary is strong-willed and a talented lawyer. After spending most of The Good Wife season 4 in the background, it's nice to see him being featured again. 

Overall, "Invitation to an Inquest" was a good, but not outstanding episode. It seemed to drag at times, but I give credit to the writers for trying something a little different. At the end, I was initially disappointed we didn't get to see the Chicago Shamrock dinner, but the preview shows that the party happens on next week's episode, "Death of a Client."

Odds and Ends

• The Wednesday night basketball games came up once again. I like the continuity aspect of the mention, but at the same time I'm sick of hearing about it.
• Nice move by Kalinda to kick the car and set off the alarm to get the adulterous wife alone.
• Peter won the primary. Guess the election storyline will continue on forever. Will Maddie be back? 
• I wasn't a fan of the reasons that Zach had to break up with his girlfriend. Religion and terrorism are touchy subjects, which of course was the point, but I wish the writers would have gone a different direction.
• Eli is a slimy, slimy dude. And, Jordan should have seen it coming. He is a political operative. I'm not sad to see Jordan gone, but lost some respect for Eli. He never should have used Zach in that way.
• Alicia's smackdown on Jordan was awesome. She has really found her strength over the last few years and holds her ground when it comes to her children. Kudos!
• Despite the problems in Florrick family, Alicia is a loving and wonderful mother. Her conversation with Zach about his girlfriend was touching.
• Alicia clearly isn't over Will yet. They agreed to be friends, but then why didn't she take the elevator with him. And, the even bigger clue to her lingering feelings was the look of disappointment that he was gone when she got to the elevator bank. The Chicago Shamrock dinner should be interesting. Alicia, Peter and Will all in one place.
• Alicia will be turning heads in that dress. Hot!

Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.