Yesterday, I posted the eighteenth best show of 2015. That ring any bells? The answer is obvi yes because, to my knowledge, you are not Guy Pearce from Memento, and, even if you were Guy Pearce from Memento, you would have had the forethought to tattoo that information on your body somewhere, so we’re back to the same answer: yes, you do remember. Wasn’t that fun? #timelyreference
All this talk of number eighteen has made me eager for seventeen. What say you, fellow TV-aholics, shall we? We shall!
Nailed it.
#17: The Good Wife
There are those detractors out there who decry the fact that The Good Wife hasn’t been able to recapture the creative surge it experienced in its fifth season, and to those people I say…fair enough. But setting that aside, Michelle and Robert King continue to churn out spellbinding television that, even if it’s not on par with season five, remains quintessential viewing and one of the very best shows — dramatic or otherwise — on network television.
It’s been fascinating, particularly during the front half of the currently-airing seventh season, to watch Alicia Florrick rebuild herself and her reputation in the wake of last year’s scandalous State’s Attorney run. A once-revered figure, Alicia must rely on the help of plucky attorney Lucca Quinn and enigmatic investigator Jason Crouse as she toils to make yet another law firm start-up a success. Throw into the mix Peter’s bid for the White House, Alicia’s continued conflict with Agos/Lockhart/Lee, and begrudging partnerships with the likes of Louis Canning, and the Kings prove that serialized drama can work within a twenty-two episode framework when handled with this level of skill.
Sure, veteran dramas like The Good Wife settle into a narrative groove after this long on the air, but this show can still surprise, too. Eli’s truthbomb of a confession in the winter finale promises to blow up the show yet again, proving that the most predictable thing about this wonderful drama is its guarantee of unpredictability. That a show can manage this in its seventh year is, in my mind, revelatory.
Well, there you have it. Come back tomorrow when I get your weekend started off right with the next entry in my #top20in20 series!
