# The Good Wife (2009)

> A scandal-shattered wife returns to the courtroom as a litigator while her husband's political downfall plays out at home.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1351

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 156
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: Michelle King, Robert King
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Matt Czuchry, Alan Cumming, Archie Panjabi, Makenzie Vega, Zach Grenier
- TMDB rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442462/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, cynical, tense, intimate

## What critics say

Acclaimed for its sharp legal storytelling, witty writing and a commanding lead performance, though its later seasons drew complaints about lagging plots and shifting professional relationships.

## Synopsis

The Good Wife (2009-2016) is an American network legal drama created by Michelle King and Robert King for CBS. Julianna Margulies plays Alicia Florrick, a former stay-at-home mother who re-enters the workforce as a litigator at a Chicago law firm after her husband, a politician, is jailed in a public sex and corruption scandal. Christine Baranski plays Diane Lockhart, a senior partner whose loyalty to Alicia is tested by ambition, while Josh Charles plays Will Gardner, a fellow lawyer whose relationship with Alicia becomes a lasting tangle. Alan Cumming plays Eli Gold, a sharp political fixer, and Archie Panjabi plays Kalinda Sharma, an investigator with her own secrets. The engine of the show is Alicia's struggle to build a career and protect her children while the firm's clients, courtrooms and backroom deals keep pulling her into compromise. Each episode usually brings a fresh case, from petty disputes to high-stakes trials, while the seven-season run follows a continuing story of rivalries, shifting alliances and political maneuvering. The tone is witty and cynical, tense in the courtroom and intimate in the home. Fans of Law & Order, Boston Legal and House of Cards will find resonance in its blend of procedural cases and power politics.

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