Summer TV: the Good Wife Gets "Fleas"

LA Times entertainment writer Blake Meridith described "Fleas," the 16^th episode of "The Good Wife" first season as "a little heavy on the courtroom drama." You see, there is a female judge who avoids ruling on courtroom objections and motions so that she can't be reversed on appeal and thereby pitches a perfect game. Smart, savvy, and sardonic Stern, Lockhart, and Gardner partner Will (Josh Charles) irritates the judge when he forces the issue, and the judge gets boxed in. It's really not so recondite as Meridith described it, and it's a lot of fun to watch the sharp and funny exchanges.

Besides, it was perfect for the summer re-run season where new shows are either underwhelming or scarce. The cool thing about "The Good Wife" is that it's a real downer, in perfect tune with the times. Today's stillborn economy is ever-present in this TV legal drama; a business consultant brought in to determine where the firm can cut costs recommends dropping the complimentary baseball tickets and a switch to artificial flowers. The desperate economic plight explains why Stern, Lockhart, and Gardner are stooping to defend a drug lord and his small business empire.

Aside from the hip sotto-voce mumbled dialogue, another of the reasons "The Good Wife" can be a bit challenging is that it's got numerous sub-plots and story lines going at the same time. Alicia's husband is still under house arrest and becomes suspicious of his wife when he finds condoms in a drawer of her bedside table. Our better angels would immediately think of teenagers, but life is complicated and rife with misleading clues. Peter takes a phone call from Will on Alicia's cell which she's forgotten at home, underscoring the jealousy. Will does like Alicia. Alicia does like Will. But Alicia (played by Julianne Margolies) is nothing if not a bastion of moral rectitude. Will it last into a second and perhaps a third season?

The underlying sexual current is real enough in political life where proximity is often destiny. Former and would-be presidents Bill and Al and John may protest but it is true all the same. "The Good Wife" depicts that kind of world. People without faith live in doubt, and there is no faith among lawyers.

Allan Cumming plays Eli Gold in this episode, and it is commonplace to say that his character is modeled on Rahm Emmanuel. In fact, grating Eli Gold prototypes appear in "Philly" and "Entourage" and in a variety of other shows, including those of William Shakespeare.

In "Fleas," Cummings is determines that various salacious political tweets are coming from inside the Florrick household. Teenagers have (surprise!) once again caused earthquakes in the American household. This time it's Zach's "gf" Becca who has perfected TMZ style tweeting about the Florrick bedroom furniture arrangement. The scene where Gold confronts Becca outside her high school will resonate with people who must obtain information from teenagers stricken with SWAS (sudden word association syndrome).

Compared to the various subplots, the overall theme is not so much good as it a useful rack to hang a hat on. A certain strong push, however, is provided by actor Sharif Atkins, who plays Assistant U.S. Attorney Harrison Rivers, a clean-cut, bright federal officer. It's the powerfully idealistic Rivers who utters the line that gives the episode its title:

"You lie down with fleas, counselor!" shouts Rivers at the denouement.

Will shrugs it off. After all, this is Chicago. Worse things have happened in Chicago.