'The Good Wife' Is the Best Show on TV...Again

While everyone had their eyes on headless horsemen and superagents, the real story of the fall has been a veteran law drama. The Good Wife charged into its fifth season with its strongest run of episodes yet, building up to the Oct. 27 game changer “Hitting the Fan.” Where did the new fire come from? “We made a mistake with the Kalinda/husband situation [in season 4],” admits co-creator/exec producer Robert King. “There was an intensity this year to make up for that.” Here, King and his wife and fellow co-creator/exec producer, Michelle King, talk about the seismic episode and their plans for the season ahead.

What Went Down
Alicia Plays Dirty After four seasons of taking the high road, Alicia lied, cheated, and technically stole for her new firm. “I don’t think it’s exactly playing dirty,” Michelle says. “I think it’s playing hard.”

Alicia and Peter Sex It Up Even with Florrick/Agos camped out in the living room, Illinois’ first couple couldn’t be stopped in the bedroom. “Peter’s been excited by Alicia’s excitement about the law and staying on her own two feet,” Robert explains. Wife started as an exploration of the cipher who stands by her man, but now Alicia is “more like Hillary is to Bill.”

Bad Peter’s Back We’ve been watching Peter’s attempts at redemption for four seasons — and he finally got there, at least in Alicia’s eyes, by being very bad. “Peter’s problem is he’s willing to go full Tony Soprano when it’s about his family,” Robert says. The flip side? “He’s in this awkward position where there’s information out there about ballot-box stuffing that can come back. But he doesn’t recognize it yet because he’s excited about the governorship.”

What’s Coming Up
The Drama’s Just Started “There’s a lot of bombs still to explode this year,” Robert promises. “We have two firms that hate each other and want to take each other out. Competition is so great for drama. And that’s what this year is: competition.” Also, look for the delicious Will and Peter showdown to have a sequel — but in person.

Diane’s Next Move With the judgeship potentially off the table, will Diane and Lockhart/Gardner have to reconcile? Teases Michelle: “She made clear to her partners that she was willing to walk out the door. If she walks back in, we’re going to get to see how different things are.”

Fewer Cases, More Fourth-Years Chumhum’s back, but the turmoil between the firms will drive the story more than the cases will. “The show will be more serialized. The cases won’t be as important,” Robert says. That’ll give us time to learn about the new firm’s associates — including the confusingly named “Other Carey.” “In our office we have 12 Davids and 10 Matts,” Michelle laughs. “It was playing off the comic element of that,” Robert adds, “that people have the same names.”