The Good Wife (season 3)

The third season of The Good Wife began airing on September 25, 2011. The show moved from Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. to Sundays at 9:00 p.m.

Cast

Main

• Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick
• Matt Czuchry as Cary Agos
• Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma
• Makenzie Vega as Grace Florrick
• Graham Phillips as Zach Florrick
• Alan Cumming as Eli Gold
• Josh Charles as Will Gardner
• Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart

Recurring

• Chris Noth as Peter Florrick
• Monica Raymund as Dana Lodge
• Mary Beth Peil as Jackie Florrick
• Anna Camp as Caitlin D'arcy
• Zach Grenier as David Lee
• Anika Noni Rose as Wendy Scott-Carr
• Michael Boatman as Julius Cain
• Renée Elise Goldsberry as Geneva Pine
• Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni
• Jerry Adler as Howard Lyman
• Lisa Edelstein as Celeste Serrano
• Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning
• Parker Posey as Vanessa Gold
• Amy Sedaris as Stacie Hall
• Tim Guinee as Andrew Wiley
• Dallas Roberts as Owen Cavanaugh
• Mike Pniewski as Frank Landau
• Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney
• Jill Flint as Lana Delaney
• Matthew Perry as Mike Kresteva
• Kurt Fuller as Judge Peter Dunaway

Guest

• Mike Colter as Lemond Bishop
• Denis O'Hare as Judge Charles Abernathy
• Chris Butler as Matan Brody
• Titus Welliver as Glenn Childs
• Gary Cole as Kurt McVeigh
• Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm
• Mamie Gummer as Nancy Crozier
• Rita Wilson as Viola Walsh
• Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold
• John Benjamin Hickey as Neil Gross
• Joe Morton as Daniel Golden
• David Paymer as Judge Richard Cuesta

Awards and nominations

Critical Response

The third season of The Good Wife received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% fresh rating, with average rating of 8/10, based on five reviews.^[1]

Primetime Emmy Awards

• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Julianna Margulies for "Parenting Made Easy")
• Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Christine Baranski for "Alienation of Affection")
• Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Archie Panjabi for "The Dream Team")
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Dylan Baker for "Marthas and Caitlins")
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Michael J. Fox for "Parenting Made Easy")
• Won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Martha Plimpton for "The Dream Team")
• Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Mark Saks)

Synopsis

Season 3 takes place the following morning after season 2 with Alicia now as a third year litigator on track to become partner while having an affair with her boss Will Gardner. She is given an office on the 29th floor, the only third year litigator with an office on the floor. Peter Florrick's crisis manager Eli Gold joins the firm to prepare for Peter's campaign for Governorship of Illinois, while Alicia acts as a bridge between Lockhart & Gardner and his campaign. Peter, now as States Attorney, battles with Lockhart & Gardner from case to case while the firm begins to get a short-term liquidity problem. Diane and Will try to acquire a bankruptcy department from a competing law firm that's closing down due to the double dip recession, and they notice that a bankruptcy department is the only area that will survive a double dip recession. When Diane tries lobbying to become the States Attorney's Civil Defender, she begins to suspect an affair between Will and Alicia. If Alicia begins working against the firm's interest and is compromised by her affair, Diane would have to fire Alicia. At the same time, the State's Attorney's office begins investigating the firm's taxes. They bring in Wendy-Scott Carr to investigate these allegations that Will stole money from his old firm in Baltimore. Wendy eventually gathers enough evidence and puts Will on trial. Will gets the help of Elsbeth Tascioni to fight the charges. However, after Alicia misplaces a liability form and a partner at Lockhart & Gardner gives the opposition a liability form from another case, the opposition sends the illegal document to the States Attorney's office. Dana Lodge gives Kalinda Sharma an ultimatum; information on Will or fire Alicia. Kalinda gives Dana information on Will, but the information is invalid and Alicia keeps her job. Kalinda and Alicia slowly rebuild their friendship after Alicia finds out that Kalinda slept with Peter at the end of season 2 and when Kalinda finds Grace Florrick after going missing, Alicia thanks her and begins to forgive Kalinda. At this time, Alicia and Will end their affair as Alicia realises she wants to focus on raising her children instead of her love life. Alicia is tasked with mentoring a new litigator Caitlin D'arcy; however, as Caitlin begins to show confidence and prove herself, Diane decides to hire her as a Junior Associate. This causes conflict as Alicia becomes jealous of Cailtin, but in the end, Alicia makes her peace with Caitlin when Caitlin leaves the company citing pregnancy. Alicia learns that her apartment is being turned into a condo and asks for a salary increase at Lockhart & Gardner. After not receiving a high raise, she is poached by Louis Canning. Alicia gives Diane the option of either matching Canning's offer or accepting Alicia's resignation. Alicia looking for homes, discovers that her old home is up for sale however the price is too high but is shocked when she gets a call from the realtor that a 'Florrick' has purchased the home, Alicia assumes it's Peter but learns that it's Jackie Florrick instead and asks Jackie to sign the house over to the kids. Alicia is put on a blue ribbon panel where she meets Mike Kresteva, a man who lies to the public about Alicia and also announces he's running for Governor of Illinois. Will Gardner is acquitted of the charges however the bar association looks into the charges and decides that Will is guilty and gives him the option of a 6-month suspension from the law or to fight the charges however if he loses, he will be disbarred forever. Will takes the 6-month suspension and is no longer a partner at Lockhart & Gardner, but in the name and business matters relating to the firm. Peter Florrick finally decides to run for governor after Eli Gold is torn between representing his ex-wife or Peter in the race for governor but chooses Peter instead. With Will Gardner out of the firm, Alicia is given Kalinda's tax case and Alicia finds an uncashed cheque for $21,000. Alicia calls the number on the cheque but hangs up after the caller was being difficult. The caller later phones Alicia back on her mobile and subsequently her personal home phone. Alicia asks Kalinda to be honest with her - where did the cheque come from? Kalinda reveals to Alicia that she has a husband and secretly plans to leave Chicago, however when she learns that Alicia is in danger of her husband, Kalinda decides to stay and pulls a chair up to her front door with a pistol in hand while someone knocks at her door.

Episodes

Ratings

References