‘The Good Wife’ ends its seven-season run

from The Brainerd Dispatch TV Week May 8th 2016

by Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

Video releases

By Kyla Brewer TV Media

Viewers love a good TV drama, but every once in a while a show comes along that rises above the typical prime-time fare — a show that catches the attention of audiences and critics for its writing, acting and more.

One such show is about to come to a close as fans bid farewell to “The Good Wife” when its series finale airs Sunday, May 8, on CBS. Julianna Margulies (“ER”) stars as Alicia Florrick, a former stay-at-home mother who returned to work as a lawyer in the wake of a political and sex scandal that rocked her husband Peter’s (Chris Noth, “Law & Order”) political career. Fans have followed her ups and downs since the show premiered in 2009 to critical acclaim.

Shot on location in New York, the show also stars Christine Baranski (“Cybill”) as Diane Lockhart, a formidable lawyer and Alicia’s former boss and colleague. The main cast includes Cush Jumbo (“Torchwood”) as Alicia’s friend and fellow lawyer Lucca Quinn, Matt Czuchry (“Gilmore Girls”) as Harvard-educated lawyer Cary Agos and Zach Grenier (“Deadwood”) as senior attorney David Lee.

News of the show’s impending conclusion came as a shock to many fans. CBS announced that this season would be the show’s last in a dramatic promo during this year’s Super Bowl in February. In just 20 seconds, they dropped the bomb that there were only nine episodes left of the beloved series.

With so many twists and turns over the past seven seasons, it’s difficult to imagine how things might end for Florrick. Before there was any inkling the show was ending, Margulies talked about what she’d like for the future of her character at the 2015 PaleyFest television festival in Hollywood.

“A happy ending would be for her to find true love, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Margulies said. “I really would love to see her in a relationship der everyone seems to be having a also couldn’t resist taking to social media to mark the end of the series. Moments after filming his last scene, he posted a pic of himself with “The Good Wife” creators Robert (“Vertical Limit,” 2000) and Michelle King (“In Justice”) on Instagram, proclaiming: “It’s been a great ride and I’m so proud and grateful to have been a part of the show.”

In a recent interview with pagesix.com, the actor revealed he almost didn’t make it to the finale, having planned to bow out of the series at the end of season 6. However, when he was promised that Gold — the yin to Alicia’s yang — would have more interesting things to do, he decided to stay on, presumably unaware season 7 would be the show’s last.

The Kings had announced in January that season 7 would be their final bow with the series, but industry pundits and fans alike assumed “The Good Wife” would persist with a new showrunner. Unfortunately, the show will not go on without the husband-andwife writing duo, who won a 2015 Writers Guild of America Award for their exemplary episode entitled “The Last Call.”

While the Kings are the creators, Margulies is undoubtedly the heartbeat of “The Good Wife.” She has been widely praised for her role, earning two Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award and more. Together, the show and its cast have earned “The Good Wife” a whopping 39 Emmy nominations, winning five. That’s in addition to nominations for Golden Globes, Satellite Awards, TCA Awards and more. It has also earned the distinction of being one of AFI’s top television shows. The series’ ratings are equally impressive. Each of the show’s first six seasons averaged well over 10 million viewers, and season 7 is still performing well, drawing about seven to eight million viewers per episode so far.

While millions hope for closure for Florrick, many wonder what that closure might entail. There has been some speculation that she and Peter will reconcile, but, not surprisingly, CBS is keeping things under wraps for now. The only way to know for sure is to watch the series finale of “The Good Wife,” airing Sunday, May 8, on CBS.

ACROSS

1 “Shadow Dancing” singer Andy

5 Paleontologist’s discovery

8 Night to watch “Blue Bloods” on CBS, for short

11 “Heat of the Moment” rock group

12 L’__ del Cairo (Opera by Mozart)

13 Amanda of HBO’s “Togetherness”

14 “The Last __”, six-part crime series starring Samantha Morton and

John Hurt, airing on SundanceTV (More at 36 Across!)

16 Smallest in the puppy litter

17 Singer of 1972 hit “I Am Woman”: 2 wds.

32 Ms. Reese of “Touched by an Angel”

33 Owl’s utterance

Conan

For the first time ever, there are now more overweight people in the world than underweight people. The study was conducted by simply looking around.

Late Night With Seth Meyers

Bernie Sanders visited Coney Island yesterday. And somehow, after he rode the roller coaster, his hair was neater.

daughter who married Charlie Chaplin

48 The bar on “Cheers”, __. 1895

49 Stephen of movies

50 Feat

1 Opening

2 This __ _ recording

3 Trash __ (Where to put the garbage)

4 Reno show on both HGTV and the DIY Network that’s hosted by Matt Muenster: 2 wds.

5 “Cabaret” (1972) star Mr. Grey, and namesakes

6 Territorial unit

7 “The Man Who __ There” (2001) starring Billy Bob Thornton

Bernie Sanders today received his first senatorial endorsement from Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley. Or as he’ll be known under President Hillary Clinton, “Ambassador to North Korea, Jeff Merkley.”

15 “__ of the Class”

18 Semi

19 __ down (Try to catch a cab, for example)

20 Mr. Julia of “The Rookie” (1990)

21 Suffix with ‘Million’ (Rich person)