The Good Wife Recap: Shamrock Shake-Up

This Sunday’s episode of The Good Wife was ostensibly set at the white-tie Shamrock Dinner, where Peter hoped to cop a hug from Cardinal James (and embrace the 800,000 Catholic votes that come with it). And while two big “events” took place at the gala — a supreme overture and an “epic” blow to a nose — much of the action (including one sobering realization) took place at the Chicago PD, amid reveling, crooning figures.

Because no sooner had Alicia begun to get her drink on at the dinner — including giving Mike Kresteva a taste of her new “honesty” policy — than she got summoned by a detective (Smash‘s Will Chase), with news that a litigious longtime client of hers, Matthew Ashbaugh (Fringe‘s John Noble), had been shot dead in the head at point-blank range, on the street.

Did the victim have any enemies? “Many,” Alicia informs. While walking the fine of attorney/client privilege, Alicia flashes back to moments with Matthew, including their introduction (via Will), her begging for the client to fire her (“No, you’re not getting away that easy,” he countered), his explaining the rational for toting around a Jambox that plays Bach on a loop (to elude eavesdroppers)… and the time he forecast, “One day, you’ll be identifying my body in a morgue, and you’ll know that everything I said is true.”

Adding a grave wrinkle to the case: The detective reports that the shooter’s car has been found, and Alicia’s address had been programmed into his GPS. Alicia promptly calls home and has her mother Veronica take Zach and Grace to her hotel, though they never come close to making it there. Instead, Veronica and the kids make camp at a pub, where grandma inadvertently spills that Alicia was pregnant when she got married. Oops.

Amid the mess of her client’s brutal murder and managing her mom, Alicia also fields a request for advice from Laura, who’s angling to hook up with Will. “Does he know you and I are friends?” Alicia asks, before urging her gal pal to ask him out. Alicia then plays anti-Cupid by interrupting Kalinda’s cruising of a comely massage therapist with a call for help. (“Right now…?” Poor kid.) Meanwhile, Alicia’s memories of Matthew turn to one that threatened to throw cold water on one of her shteamy assignations with Will; she is noticeably flustered by the recall. Later, Will comes to the station to be at Alicia’s side, setting the stage for a needed heart-to-heart. “We’re keeping each other from moving on,” Alicia states. “I’m being selfish…. I’m back with Peter. And now this has to end.” “Can you just decide that?” Will counters. Alicia responds, “I can. I have to.”

After coaxing some intel (and a li’l hand-hold) from Cary, Kalinda in short order divines that the shooter’s car could not have been equipped with GPS (Um, he can’t buy an after-market TomTom…?), ergo Alicia was lied to, to keep her in the station. Kalinda also deduces that “dirty cop” Nozowitz was not the person behind Matthew’s killing; instead, it was a dog owner he had sued. “Have you ever met a dog lover?” K asks the incredulous detective.

Meanwhile at the Sharmrock Dinner….

Kresteva tries to turn Alicia’s business with the police into a “thing,” putting the bug in the cardinal’s ear that the Florrick son has a drug problem. (Peter’s opponent knows the lie cannot be struck down wholesale by Peter for fear of revealing his incident of intimidating the Madison County trooper who found shake in Zach’s car. Eli’s retort: “This will be a battle to the death.”) Later, Eli apprises Peter of the sordid sitch. “How do you battle a lie? With a bigger lie,” he tells Peter — who then follows Kresteva into the men’s room. There, the men have a brief exchange of taunts, until Peter pops Mike in the face, sending him to the floor. Peter’s drink crashes to the tile next, painting a comprising picture — aka a bigger lie. Somewhere in all of this, Peter and Eli found a quiet moment to invite Diane to submit herself for the Supreme Court seat vacated by the guy who died last week. “I am bowled over,” a visibly touched Diane responded. With just two-and-a-half hours to tender her decision — which would dictate her giving up her partnership — she confides in Will, suggesting he could just go with “Gardner & Associates.”

As the incredible, oft-moving hour drew to a close, Peter did not get The Hug — though neither did Kresteva (“We’re in uncharted territory!” Eli bleated to his candidate, wholly disinterested as he danced with his gorg’ wife.)… Alicia assured Grace that she wasn’t “a mistake,” saying through a breaking voice, “I loved you before you were born. And I love you even more now.” (“And Dad?” Grace asked. “I love him,” her mother confirmed)… and Alicia flashed back to a meeting with Matthew about the dog owner, where he observed of his litigious leanings, “Suing because I like being with you would make sense.” Oh, Walter — always the charmer.

What did you think of the episode “Death of a Client”?

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