As amazing, insightful, and provocative as The Good Fight is, sometimes it gets things wrong.

This was one of those times, as The Good Fight Season 4 Episode 6 was one of the most cringeworthy and offensive installments of the series to date.

Parts of the episode were barely watchable, and the toxic rhetoric the episode spewed enraged me at every turn.

There are some things viewers are asked by The Powers That Be to overlook or instances where we're asked to suspend our disbelief.

This cannot -- and should not -- be one of those times, as what played out on our TV screens this episode is entirely unacceptable.

Based on the title of the episode, the Kings knew this was going to be an episode that offended everyone.

And while the subject matter the episode tackled was timely -- allowing transgender athletes to compete as the gender they identify as -- the execution was lacking on every level.

The Kings meant for this case to serve as a way to educate the general public on the differences between gender and sex and how that factors in when it comes to competitive sports.

However, the supposed takeaway was lost among the continual ignorant and abhorrent line of questioning from Liz and Adrian.

Judge Brickner: So you’re saying you’re using race because the politics work better for you?
Adrian: That is unfair.
Nia: But true.

• Permalink: So you’re saying you’re using race because the politics work better for you?

From misgendering an Olympic athlete to suggesting that swimmer only transitioned to qualify for the Olympics and then outing another swimmer as intersex when those tactics didn't work, this episode had nothing but transphobia and anti-LGBTQ sentiment.

What makes this more infuriating is that the lawyers at Reddick, Boseman, & Lockhart have been the champion for the underprivileged and the disenfranchised, but now they take on a case that puts them on the wrong side of things.

This storyline would have worked much better if Adrian and Liz had represented USA Swimming in this lawsuit or another transgender athlete in a similar suit.

It still would have had the same educational effect without alienating and offputting most of its audience.

Things also could have worked if Adrian and Liz had decided to drop the suit or their client after hearing from their associates and assistants about their mishandling of the case.

That avenue wouldn't have entirely fixed the overarching issue, but it at least would have given Adrian and Liz the chance to see the error of their ways and make things right.

Unfortunately, none of that happened, meaning the storyline was just problematic on many levels that any sort of advocating for transgender and LGBTQ rights was lost entirely.

The storyline had the opposite effect.

Associate: You’re attacking a repressed minority, and we think Reddick Boseman of all firms should know better.
Liz: I understand.
Associate: Then why are you doing it?
Adrian: Because it’s a strategy.
Associate: Hate isn’t a strategy.
Adrian: This is not hate.
Assistant: You can’t pit women’s rights against trans rights.
Associate: There is an epidemic of transgender violence.
Assistant: Especially women of color getting attacked and murdered.

• Permalink: Hate isn’t a strategy.

It was like the show was essentially saying that any non-cisgendered person is lesser than, that they don't deserve something as extraordinary as going to the Olympics because they don't adhere to the normative constructs of gender and sex.

Though that is most likely the last thing the writers intended, it doesn't make up for the fact that was the message they put out into the world.

Adrian, of course, was the worse offender as he didn't see anything wrong with his strategy.

There seemed to be no lines he wouldn't cross just to get his client onto the Olympic team.

Liz, at least, had the decency to be ashamed of her participation in the case, but that was only after the associates and assistants at Reddick, Boseman, & Lockhart took their grievances about how the case was being handled to the name partners.

And while that did temper her actions, it wasn't enough for her to walk away from the case altogether.

Yes, Adrian and Liz have a duty to represent their clients to the best of their ability, but this representation was just reprehensible at every turn.

There were other ways to represent their client Melanie that didn't involve equating Sadie's desire to go to the Olympics with the sole reason for her transitioning or that she should still be considered a man because of her testosterone levels and genitalia.

When that approached failed, they then got another female swimmer thrown off the Olympic team just because her testosterone levels happened to be higher than acceptable levels.

Ain’t science great? I’m sitting up here, listening to doctors give expert testimony about things I barely understand, and just because I’m wearing this black nightgown, I get to decide which girl’s heart gets broken. I mean does anybody else want this job because I sure as hell don’t.

Judge Brickner

• Permalink: I mean does anybody else want this job because I sure as hell don’t.

The endocrinologist even said the higher testosterone levels gave the female swimmer, who is intersex, no sort of advantage over her competitors.

However, the judge had to rule in Melanie's favor because of the regulations set by the International Olympic Committee.

It was just a low blow and a shameful tactic, all in the need to represent their client to the best of their ability.

And while I could continue this diatribe for longer, it's probably best to move on to the other aspects of the episode, which, while not necessarily more interesting, were at least more politically correct.

As annoying as Lucca's friendship with Bianca has been, things turned a decent corner this installment, as the writers finally gave the viewers some food for thought: wealth inequality.

As a lawyer on the partner track, Lucca isn't exactly hurting for money, but compared with Bianca, she might as well be living paycheck to paycheck.

And even though Lucca did come into some money on The Good Fight Season 4 Episode 5, she was still uncomfortable talking about her sudden windfall.

For people who weren't born with a silver spoon under their mouth, money can be a touchy subject.

It's a way we measure ourselves and those around us by and how we equate how much we're worth.

Marissa: So wait did you buy this?
Lucca: Yeah, I wanted one.
Marissa: Everyone wants one, like a yacht or a pony. Oh, it’s the swivel latch. I love the swivel latch.
Lucca: How do you know so much about Birkins?
Marissa: I was raised around rich people.

• Permalink: I was raised around rich people.

It shouldn't be the be-all and end-all, but for many people struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their mouth, it is.

Given how self-absorbed Bianca can be at times, it was surprising that she was able to have such a poignant conversation with Lucca about this matter.

While Bianca didn't understand some of Lucca's hang-ups when it came to money, she was open to hearing her new friend's point of view.

She also went the extra mile and called out her rich friends for not paying Lucca the money they owed her.

This was somewhat unexpected, as Bianca has always presented herself as a billionaire more consumed with superficial attractions than deeply personal ones.

Yet, when Lucca needed Bianca as more than a client who whisks her off to exotic locations, Bianca stepped up.

This went a long way toward making her more likable, and while this storyline and friendship still have its issues, it was infinitely more tolerable this installment.

Also, it helped that David Lee was in true form this episode.

Thankfully, the misogynistic douche of lawyer seen at the start of The Good Fight Season 4 was replaced with his former overly sarcastic but secretly caring self, which is the best David Lee viewers could ask for.

He was still witty and brusque, but it was overlaid with sincerity. 

David Lee: Where’s the money now?
Lucca: Where is it?
David Lee: Yes, bank account? Cashier’s check? It’s not in your freezer.
Lucca: No, I don’t exactly have it yet.
David Lee: You don’t have it yet?
Lucca: No, not yet. The other people in this game…
David Lee: They’re deadbeats.
Lucca: No, they’re rich. What?
David Lee: Lucca, I work with the rich. They promise everything and give you nothing.
Lucca: That’s not who these women are.
David Lee: Why because they’re rich and powerful. The rich and powerful think their God’s gift because everyone treats them like God’s gift. They get their hotel rooms comped. They get gift rooms where they can take anything. Their meals are bought by everyone else. You already got you million and a half in their smiles and their charms. That’s your winnings.

• Permalink: That’s your winnings.

David Lee would never say it out loud, but his actions proved he does have a soft spot for Lucca that goes beyond some fee he gets from managing her money.

So while he would never admit it, he does care for Lucca or at least doesn't want to see her get taken advantage of by the rich, which for David Lee, is the same thing.

Lastly, viewers finally got some answers regarding the mystery behind Memo 618, and it turns out the conspiracy goes way beyond what we thought.

Memo 618 has been around at least since the early 1940s and is used by either the president or the Department of Justice whenever they need a law to be passed, but it hasn't been drafted yet.

In the interim, those in power use Memo 618, thus giving them the freedom to do whatever they want with no checks nor balances.

It's a lot to process, but now that Diane has this information, what is she going to do with it.

This conspiracy goes all the way to the top, and with Memo 618 so entwined within the federal government, it seems almost impossible to eradicate it or the cabal behind it.

Diane's best course of action would be going to the press, but that would most likely put her in another dangerous situation.

After all, if these people can frame a federal judge, they'd have no qualms about silencing a noisy lawyer.

Visitor: Ah, the two thorns in my side.
Diane: My husband says hello.
Visitor: Here’s the thing about melodramatic moves like this: They never work. When I copy something I see in the movies, I just get hurt.
Julius: Is that a threat?
Visitor: I’ll be seeing you two.

• Permalink: hen I copy something I see in the movies, I just get hurt.

With only one episode left this season, it's unclear if things will be resolved in the ersatz season finale.

If not, the good news is The Good Fight was renewed for a fifth season, so viewers will get answers at some point. It just may take longer than we like.

Some stray thoughts:

• Can someone explain why The Good Fight decided it would be a good idea to launch a presidential storyline, especially after the whole mess of Peter running for president on The Good Wife Season 7? That was such a disaster, and yet the writers think this will end any differently.

  Or is this storyline just a ploy to drive a wedge between Adrian and Charlotte. If so, there have to be other avenues, as the answer to romantic conflict cannot always be politics.

• Ever since adopting a 'screw you' mentality, Julius has been on fire. Adrian and Liz should take note of what it means to do the right thing in the face of adversity.

• The best part of the episode was the return of The Good Fight shorts. Oh, how we've missed those.

So what did you think The Good Fight Fanatics?

What are your thoughts on the show's handling of the "case of the week"? Are you as upset and disgusted as I am?

Did Bianca grow on you?

What will be Diane's next move?

Hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you happened to miss the latest episode -- and want to watch it after reading my scathing review to see just how insulting and offensive it truly is -- remember you can watch The Good Fight online at TV Fanatic.

Jessica Lerner was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in October 2021.