The latest major elevator moment has been staged on ‘The Good Wife’

The kiss, along with several other things that happen in Sunday’s episode, “Judged,” is part of the series’ attempt to tighten its storytelling up and to start bringing it’s many threads closer together. With its eye toward moving on, “Judged” shakes off some of the cobwebs.

When the episode opens, Alicia is still unable to focus on work because she’s so focused on that deleted voicemail. She decides to pay Eli a visit and demands to hear everything Will said in the voicemail. As Eli points out, this is an exercise in torture that will do very little to ease Alicia’s hurt.

Alicia’s lack of focus is even starting to annoy Lucca, and she calls Alicia out on it midway through the episode when a former client sues her for malpractice. This leads to some capital “A” Acting from Julianna Margulies, who, in a rare moment of vulnerability for Alicia, delivers a stirring monologue. Basically, Alicia can’t even with her life and has a lot of feelings — in particular disgust — about everything: her children, her apartment, the law, Will, laundry.

“I want it over. I just want it to end,” she cries. “I was loved, and it’s over. So, why am I doing this?”

The Good Wife has done such a good job at showing rather than telling that this monologue, while exceptionally acted, feels rather redundant. Everything stated in this cathartic speech has already been made apparent over the course of the season due to subtle acting, writing and directing. The unusualness of this kind of emotional outburst does accomplish two things: First, it reinforces just how much Alicia is falling apart. And, most importantly, it brings Alicia and Lucca closer.

Moved by her partner’s pain, Lucca offers Alicia a hug and opens up about her own frustrations with the world, particularly the fact that she’s 30 and has no friends. But, she wants to be Alicia’s friend and is willing to commit.

This show needed this scene because Alicia has been so isolated from every character this season. In fact, it feels like her first real connection with someone in quite some time.

Unfortunately, the episode then rushes through the consequences of this fallout and a few scenes later, Alicia and Jason are making out in the elevator. The kiss feels impulsive on Alicia’s part, and is very similar to her moment with her campaign adviser last season. Then, there’s more making out toward the end of the episode too.

In the spirit of moving on from her hurt, Alicia also forgives Eli, who shows up at her apartment and makes some pretty good points about why Alicia”s anger is sort of ridiculous. He accurately points out that, in spite of his meddling, Will and Alicia had their moment. “Had she heard the voicemail, their relationship would’ve lasted, at most, three more months, Eli estamates.

I’m not sure if this exchange is intentionally or accidentally self-aware, let’s allow it because it needed to be said.

Although Alicia appears to have cleared some emotional hurdles in Sunday’s episode, her professional woes are just starting.

Alicia files a lawsuit against corrupt judge Don Schakowsky for violating one of her former clients rights. Unfortunately, the judge dismisses the suit and her client drops her for useless bond court lawyer Bernie and sues her for malpractice. The show is finally doing something with the conflict it setup between Alicia and Schakowsky and Alicia and the other bond court lawyers in the season premiere.

Alicia and Lucca’s malpractice insurance can’t even begin to cover this suit. But, thankfully, Cary arrives to the rescue and offers to cover the expense (which could be $1.5 million) if she returns to Lockhart Agos & Lee as a junior partner. Alicia’s response? She laughs.

Fingers crossed laughter is Alicia-speak for accepting because this show needs Alicia to get back to interacting with people in a meaningful way and with people who challenge her.

Case Notes:

• Diane was handling a case involving some college newspaper that took her to arbitration and pitted her against Martha. The only thing I got from this case is that Louis Canning apparently doesn’t trust Martha to do anything but arbitration since the last time we saw her was in an arbitration case in season four after Alicia didn’t hire her.
• Alicia’s emotional arc might not have felt so rushed if The Good Wife had not included this boring Diane B-plot. should’ve ignored
• It’s good that Lucca and Jason’s friendship is being fleshed out, but it would be great if they were allowed to talk about something other than Alicia.
• “Alicia, you are here because I need you here. I don’t like people, but I like you…I want to be your friend. I mean, do you have a ring or something? I’ll commit, because that’ the one thing you can choose: Me, here, wanting to be your friend. Everything else is just handed to you. All you have to say is ‘I’m willing'” — Cush Jumbo killing it.
• “Now, I have to ask you this: do you have any guns in this apartment?” — Cush after hugging it out with Alicia.