A not so brief note on The Good Wife.

Obviously, this post will contain spoilers from last week. Something that has changed the trajectory of the series occurred last week and I am going to reference it specifically. So, spoiler alert.

Again, Spoiler Alert.

Did you notice? Spoiler Alert.

I’ve done my due diligence. Commence post!

I love The Good Wife. I think it is a very sophisticated drama about personal ambition, corruption, and relationships. For all I say about The Good Wife being a really great legal procedural or a compelling soap about affairs and potential affairs, at its core, the show is situated in the truth and honesty of its ethically or emotionally compromised characters. Developments like Alicia first admitting her feelings to Will or walking out on Peter or starting her own firm take seasons to unfold. The audience watches the nuances, insecurities, fears, and joys as these expertly constructed narratives develop over long periods of time and after much reflection. For a show with such personal drama, its greatest strength is its restraint.

Last week, something shocking and tragic happened, unlike anything else ever done in the series. Will Gardner, the attorney who hired Alicia after years away from the law and became her lover in later seasons, was shot to death in an act of unexpected and horrific violence. My immediate reaction was shock and disbelief followed by a lingering and deep sadness. I kept thinking , they couldn’t kill Will Gardener; he and Alicia were the show’s end game. I sat on the edge of my couch as other characters began to piece together what unfolded during the shooting, expecting this to be some kind of fake out (which I considered beneath the show and was deeply frustrated by as I thought it was happening). It wasn’t. Because of an abused and emotionally unstable client, Will was actually dead.

In one episode, the creative team behind the series changed everything. They subverted the comfort and ease of a procedural, they killed one half of television’s most complex couples, and they orchestrated one of the most shocking twists in the history of television. Think I’m exaggerating? Read posts by Salon, the AV Club, TV Line, Entertainment Weekly, or the New York Times. As a fan of the series, I was upset but, mostly, I was impressed by the bravery of the narrative decision and the skill needed to carry out a twist of this magnitude without any leaks to the media. I assumed that my reaction of pain and awe would be shared by others who love the show, but a quick visit to Twitter and the comments section on articles about the series showed that I was wrong. Killing half of television’s favorite couple has enraged the majority of posters.

One of the reasons I love television so much is the episodic structure. While films are usually done in under three hours, television plays out in episodes and seasons over months, and, hopefully, years. Each week (or each hour of your marathon watch, depending on your viewing habits), the audience watches a story grow, evolve, or change. There is almost an unspoken shipper code these days that if you love a couple, it will work out. Television (especially network television) is dependent on viewers. Conventional wisdom would say you don’t want to do something that will actively antagonize your core fans. Last week, The Good Wife did that in spades and I think it is one of the most provocative and brilliant twists in modern television history.

It would be easy, and beautiful and wonderful and so happy and great (fan outburst), for Alicia and Will to end up together. Amidst the drama of Alicia setting out to start her own firm and the heated rivalry between the former lovers which ensued, it always felt like Alicia and Will would be reunited. Sometimes, I joking proclaim, “MAYBE WE CAN HAVE ITALL.” I never doubted that Alicia and Will would have it all, that they would get the happy ending that years of bad timing and life had made seemingly impossible. But no, the creative team has introduced a much more painful, realistic, and artistically complex line of inquiry with the death of Will Gardener: What happens when we realize we can’t have it all and it is too late to do anything about it?

With this most recent, tragic development, The Good Wife is actively asking life’s most significant questions: how do we treat others, how do we treat ourselves, are we living authentically, is our work meaningful or purposeful?  Though we should consider these questions, it is easier to ignore them and become caught up in the actions of our everydayness. Personally, this most recent episode was a very powerful and destabilizing experience for me. It is rare to have art so directly and unexpectedly confront you with questions of this nature. I am so grateful to have experienced this episode live, to have seen it without any prior knowledge of what was going to happen. I don’t usually write recaps or reviews of things, but I felt this so deeply, in a very raw and authentic way that I wanted to work through these ideas about one of my favorite shows and the very real emotions I was made to live with and confront over the last week.

The Good Wife has situated itself in an exciting space of creative and emotional reinvention. Utilizing its characteristic restraint, the show will now explore grief and trauma in addition to the case of the week. I have every confidence in The Good Wife that this will be handled honestly but painfully. The episode from last week concluded right as Alicia was about to be told that Will had been killed. Knowing the structuring habits of the writers having seen more than 100 episodes of this series, tonight’s episode will begin with Alicia learning of this tragic death and it will be devastating. I’m dreading tonight’s episode (and the rest of the season) in the best possible way.

The moral of the story: why aren't you watching The Good Wife?

Return of the Podcast (and blog for that matter)

After a lengthy hiatus from podcasting, blogging, and general internet expression, I'm back with a vengeance! Emma and I have posted a new podcast on all things Doctor Who! We move our proceedings outside this installment and bring in friend and collaborator Nicole! Talk a listen! Just click here and you'll be listening to podcast treat!

We eat pineapple. We discuss the shocking, brilliant conclusion of Doctor Who Series 7! We share our hopes and dreams for the big 50th Anniversary special!

If you missed the link above, here it is again! Just click it. Click it. Come on! Just listen.

One Way Interneting with Emma and Sean - Episode 1

After a month of blog/radio silence, I'm returning in a new and very different way.  My friend Emma and I have taken on a new project that I am very excited to share with you! We have recorded and posted our very first podcast! It's called One Way Interneting with Emma and Sean!

In our inaugural episode, we introduce ourselves and discuss our love of British television. Visit http://seanandemma.podomatic.com/ to hear our musings on the glory of the Brits and their tv; our conversation covers everything thing from East Enders and A Fine Romance to Doctor Who, The Hour, and Downton Abbey. 

This is our first experiment with podcasting, so we'd love to know what you think. We are excited to try something new and have some fun in process, but we would love feedback. Please leave a comment here or on the podcast to let us know what you liked and what you would love to hear more of next time.  We are hoping to do a couple of these a month so we'd love input to help us grow and improve!