In Which Thoroughly Obsessed Thursday Can't Stop Talking About The Good Wife

If you know me personally or have just been reading me from a distance, you know that I love me some superlatives. I like to invent them, I like to steal them from other people, I like to pile them one on top of the other for maximum effect.

So when I say that I can’t really think of enough to use with regard to The Good Wife, you know that I must be pretty effing serious.

The acting is superb. The writing is superb. And honestly, if I’m going to derail into a Thoroughly Obsessed post about a television show, I cannot think of a better show to endorse on a romance blog.

It’s odd to say that I am excited that almost all of my favorite people are in the same TV show, because I had no idea they were my favorites before I started watching the show. I mean, Josh Charles has been on my list since Sports Night (Dan Rydell, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...), I have had a girl-crush on Juliana Marguiles since ER, and though I’ve had a moderate like/hate relationship with Sex and the City, Chris Noth is yummy. So is Christine Baranski. And Alan Cuming. And Archie Panjabi. And let’s not forget the recent (temporary... sigh) addition of Friday Night Lights’ Scott Porter. (I won’t get into Miles from Rubicon acting as Alicia Florrick’s baby brother... glorious)

In case you haven’t heard, Alicia Florrick (Marguiles) is the Good Wife of disgraced politician Peter (Noth). There’s political conspiracies aplenty in season two as Peter is now out of jail and running again for State’s Attorney of Cook County. After her husband’s imprisonment for corruption, Alicia had to go back to work, and she joined a law firm run by her old college flame Will (Charles) and a democratic barracuda (Baranski).

What’s so awesome about all of this? The delicate balance woven each week between home and work, and all of these gifted actors (read: amazing characters) who collide and realign based on whatever is happening at the moment.

My favorite person right now? Cary Agos, played by Matt Czuchry, as Alicia’s former rival at the firm who was let go due to budget cuts at the end of last season. What’s a boy to do? Well, go to work for that demonic Man in Black, Peter’s State’s Attorney rival Glenn Childs. What’s so delicious about Cary’s defection, though, is his ambiguity in the ensuing period. Does he have a reason to be bitter and vengeful? Sure. He got screwed. But the fact is that for all of his anger, Cary hasn’t lost his sense of right. And he still seems to respect everyone from his former firm. So far.

The love triangle that is central to The Good Wife is that between Alicia, Will, and Peter. As a viewer, I love Alicia, and I’m dying for her to be happy with a man who is right for her. As it stands now, it’s terribly unclear which of these handsome and questionable men is right. Peter’s a douchebag who’s made mistakes, no question. But he seems genuinely invested in righting the situation and having a good relationship with his wife. Not to mention that their home/law chemistry, especially now that Alicia’s back in the game, is mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Will is the ultimate playboy lawyer with no interest/experience in family... but he loves her. He’s been in love with her since Georgetown. And he’s willing to go for it if she is.

I don’t think I need to ramble any more. I just need to say: Watch This Show. Immediately. And all the time. You won’t regret it.