Why I Love The Good Wife

03/07/2011 10:00 am by

I am shameless about my love for bad TV. I love the new 90210. Yes, the new one, on the CW. I’m the only person over 12 watching that show. And I still watch Gossip Girl. And one day I was home sick on the couch and I found myself hooked on the Joan and Melissa Rivers reality show. (It is now on my DVR every week.)

But I’ve found myself addicted to smart TV too—namely, The Good Wife. Every week The Good Wife reminds me that television doesn’t have to be all fake teenagers and housewives and bad reality shows. There are still such things as smart scripts and good acting that are engaging without made up “reality” plots and people searching for fame.

the good wife Why I Love The Good Wife

The show’s main character, Alicia Florrick, whom some of us would choose as a sister wife, is my current favorite character on television. She is smart and beautiful and flawed. She loves her cheating politician husband, but also loves her boss, with whom she had a relationship in law school. Julianna Margulies can steal a scene with just one look, and the show manages to have steamy sex scenes without actually showing any sex.

Chris Noth, who will always be Mr. Big to me, plays the cheating politician husband, and Josh Charles plays Alicia’s boss, Will, the character we all secretly wish Alicia would just KISS already. The supporting cast (which includes the fabulous Christine Baranski) is equally amazing, and the show manages to cast guest stars such as Michael J. Fox and Rita Wilson without it seeming cheesy and contrived the way guest star appearances often do on, say, Glee. Some of the show’s stories are “ripped from the headlines,” without being Law and Order RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES. It is simply a quiet, smart, well done show. The courtroom scenes are not overly realistic but that goes with the territory when it comes to legal dramas (most civil cases take years to resolve, not 45 minutes).

THE GOOD WIFE Poisoned Pill 31 Why I Love The Good Wife

My biggest problem with the The Good Wife is that it is on opposite Parenthood. And each week I debate which show to watch and which show to DVR. Parenthood can be a show we love to hate, but for me The Good Wife is a show I just love. Which is why I’m kind of surprised that it’s still on. Normally shows I love get canceled right away. Remember Life Unexpected? Man, I loved that show.

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About jodifur

Jodifur is a mom to one, wife to one, dog owner of one, and a friend to the masses. She is also a part-time attorney, but more importantly, an unapologetic T.V. junkie.

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  • divrchk

    This is my favorite show. I love the woman detective … my mind just blanked on her name though…

    • http://jodifur.com jodifur

      I think you are thinking of the investigator from the firm. Kalinda. And yes. She is awesome.

  • Sharon

    I also love trashy teen TV, but this is hands down my favourite show. Why do so few people know about it?! People really need to discover it. It’s incredible. I love pretty much everything you mentioned about it.

    divrchk – I think you’re thinking about Kalinda. She kicks all kinds of ass!

  • http://rockle.blogspot.com rockle

    “The Good Wife” is the best show on television that is not “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and does not contain Phil Koeghan. And that is the highest possible praise I can give any T.V. show.

    Have you seen “Harry’s Law?” It’s on NBC Mondays at 10:00. Kathy Bates and Nate Corddry star in it. I love that show, but I think it might just be because of Kathy Bates. Wonder what you think of that one, if you watch it.

    • http://jodifur.com jodifur

      I have not watched Harry’s Law. I’ll have to try it.

  • http://yesimadethat.blogspot.com Lori

    OH MY LORD I love this show. You are so right about the “steamy sex scenes without showing any sex”. When Kalinda went to see (blanking on other skeezy detective dude) and they checked each other for wires? OMG that was a scene.

    Each scene has so many levels to it. I love Will, but he’s sleezy and I kind of don’t love him. I love Kalinda but would kind of be a bit afraid of her in real life.

    On my TV Parenthood gets DVRd while The Good Wife gets watched. Thank goodness for DVR.

  • http://www.continuallycaptivated.blogspot.com Amy

    I too LOVE the Good Wife. LOVE! I watch it every week and use Hulu to catch up on Parenthood. I love the lawyer-y twist and turns. How they can be losing a case one minute and then “Ta-da”! They find something to help them win. I was JUST thinking about this over the weekend and how they must either have lawyers writing for them or some ace lawyer consultants, it’s just brilliant.

  • Suzy Q

    Add my voice to the chorus, as I, too, love this show. However, Will reminds me too much of lawyers I have known. Gigantic ego without the looks or smarts to support it.

  • Lynne

    I love it too! The supporting cast is great, especially her brother. I find that I laugh out loud while watching, sometimes get a little tense, and smile a lot. Very few shows have that affect on me.

  • Collyn Harnets

    Baranski is a woman of elegance, humor and style. She is an intelligent actress, she knows her job and she knows when to hit it. Though I never knew Christine Baranski personally before, it seems like I have known this woman all my life after reading this book at http://biography.co/christine-baranski.