The legal and political drama The Good Wife premiered in 2009 with the story of Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), who returned to work as an attorney after a very public sex and corruption scandal landed her husband, a state’s attorney, in prison. It was inspired by real-life political scandals. The series ended in 2016 after seven seasons but was followed with spin-offs The Good Fight and, most recently, Elsbeth.
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The Good Wife was consistently praised for its writing and is still remembered as one of the best shows of its time. Although it delivered consistent quality, some of the episodes of the series stand above others, whether because of compelling cases or personal drama. But no matter the plot, each of the best episodes of The Good Wife is proof of what made the series so successful and acclaimed.
The Good Wife
Release Date September 22, 2009
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 7
10 “The Decision Tree”
Season 5, Episode 10
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In “The Decision Tree,” which was the series’ 100th episode, begins just before Alicia finalized her departure from Lockhart & Gardner, she was shocked to learn that a deceased eccentric client had left her millions of dollars, but Lockhart & Gardner contested the client’s will on behalf of his wife. Meanwhile, Eli (Alan Cumming) is concerned about Peter (Chris Noth) being seen with Alicia’s clients as the firm debates whether-or-not to invite him to their Christmas party.
“The Decision Tree” featured a memorable opening as Kalinda drove around chasing a man while Christmas carols played in the background. The episode kept up that chaotic feel, from the battle over Alicia’s client’s will to the firm’s Christmas party spiraling out of hand with hundreds of guests deciding to attend when word got out that Peter would be there. One of the best parts of the episode was its numerous memorable guest stars, such as Jordana Spirio.
9 “Bad”
Season 1, Episode 13
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In “Bad,” Alicia defended a wealthy man, Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker), who she felt was guilty of the murder of his wife, even though her body was never found, and he had been cleared. He was being sued for his late wife’s estate by her daughter. Meanwhile, Peter’s trial begins, and Diane (Christine Baranski) takes steps to defend herself when a murderer she had defended a decade prior and who had threatened her was possibly going to be released.
“Bad” explored the ways the characters’ personal and professional opinions could be at odds—Alicia defended someone who she believed was guilty, while Diane acted against her previous opinions regarding gun control for her own protection. Alicia’s case also took some interesting turns, making it a fascinating plot, and Sweeney was a great character, alternating between charming and likable yet unsettling, making his innocence unclear through to the very end.
8 “Bang”
Season 1, Episode 15
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In “Bang,” with Peter back home on house arrest while his appeal was considered, the whole family adjusted to life with him back, and his children informed him of photos left at the house they were hiding from Alicia. At the same time, Peter got to work rebuilding his reputation and hired Eli to help. Meanwhile, Alicia is pulled off a case and confronts both Diane and Will (Josh Charles) about the reason why.
Peter’s return home created a whole new dynamic for Alicia, and on top of that, she had to deal with changes at work. But it wasn’t just a big episode for Alicia. Eli’s first appearance was a memorable one, and he stood out as a great character from the start, so it’s no surprise he would go on to become one of the best characters in the series. The episode also included a great guest appearance from Gary Cole.
7 “Red Team/Blue Team”
Season 4, Episode 14
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In “Red Team/Blue Team,” Will and Diane go head-to-head with Alicia and Cary (Matt Czuchry) in a mock trial to review the firm’s case representing the maker of an energy drink blamed for leading to a teenager’s death. The mock trial ended up complicating office politics even further, following the firm’s decision to rescind partnership offers made to fourth year associates. Meanwhile, Eli was under investigation by the Justice Department.
The episode was a standout episode for Alicia in particular, and it was great to watch the two teams battle it out with each other in the mock trial. Tensions ran so high between the two and the emotional gauntlet was evident, from an explosive argument, to a kiss between Alicia and Will. Perhaps most notably, the episode laid the groundwork for Alicia and Cary’s eventual partnership in their own firm, which changed the direction of the series and Alicia’s relationship with Will.
6 “Another Ham Sandwich”
Season 3, Episode 14
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In “Another Ham Sandwich,” a grand jury was selected, and the Special Prosecutor presented her case against Will, who was accused of bribing judges to secure wins in his cases during basketball games at his home. Meanwhile, Eli and rival Stacie Hall (Amy Sedaris) butted heads as the gay and lesbian alliance looked for a strategist, and Alicia asked Peter to intervene in Will’s case as Peter confronted her about her relationship with Will.
“Another Ham Sandwich” was a high-stakes episode for Will, and some of its best moments came from his colleagues defending him during his trial, especially the tough, no-nonsense Diane, as well as from Alicia, caught between Will and Peter. The episode was also notable for featuring a memorable guest appearance from Sedaris as Eli’s rival, resulting in some great scenes between the two and even more entertaining twists as things escalated.
5 “Hybristophilia”
Season 1, Episode 22
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In the season one finale ,“Hybristophilia,” Will interrupts Alicia’s night out celebrating her promotion to ask her to get his client Colin Sweeney to approve the language used in a company merger. But when she arrived at Sweeney’s home, she found a dead woman known for stalking criminals who Sweeney claimed had been stalking him, as well. Meanwhile, prosecutors try to salvage their case against Peter, while Eli tries to get Peter’s charges dropped.
The case of the stalker was a fascinating one. “Hybristophilia,” the audience learned, took its name from a term for women who are drawn to dangerous men, and it was all too fitting for the episode. As it built towards the season finale, it tied up many of the season’s loose ends, but most notably, it dealt with the ways morality isn’t always clear-cut, a common theme throughout the series.
4 “Nine Hours”
Season 2, Episode 9
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In “Nine Hours,” Alicia got a vague tip from a courthouse clerk regarding the appeal of an inmate on death row, leading the team to rush to work on his case and determine what they had missed before he was scheduled to be executed at midnight for an arson which killed his ex-wife and her boyfriend. They concluded they hadn’t missed anything but that they needed to focus on proving the man’s innocence.
“Nine Hours” was a surprisingly thrilling, high-stakes episode, considering it was focused around the team filing an addendum. Those stakes made for palpable tension and a compelling story. With each character working the case from a different angle, they each got a moment to shine, resulting in compelling moments from the cast and some of the most memorable moments of not just the episode but the series as a whole.
3 “Dramatics, Your Honor”
Season 5, Episode 15
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In “Dramatics, Your Honor,” Alicia was asked to participate in a deposition and chose Cary as her lawyer. Meanwhile, Will clashes with a new prosecutor in his defense of alleged murderer and rapist Jeffrey Grant (Hunter Parrish). Grant went on a shooting spree in the courtroom, with Will among those shot, and after he had run out of bullets, Grant turned the gun on himself. Will doesn’t survive, leaving Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) and Diane to inform the others.
Much of “Dramatics, Your Honor” was a typical case. While Alicia’s deposition scenes were entertaining to watch, they weren’t the most thrilling, and the same could be said of Grant’s case. But things took a shocking, violent turn which changed not just the trajectory of the episode, but the entire series as gunshots could be heard throughout the courthouse, plunging it into chaos. The episode ends with the devastating twist of Will’s death, which showcased that the series wasn’t afraid to kill-off a main character that became so beloved by fans.
2 “The Last Call”
Season 5, Episode 16
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“The Last Call” explored the aftermath of Will’s death, after he was shot by a client in the courtroom. As the news of Will’s death spread, everyone was left devastated, but each character handled it differently, while investigators tried to piece together what happened and determine the shooter’s motive. Alicia tried to make sense of the incident and focused on a brief voicemail he had left her just before the shooting took place.
Will’s death was a shocking one, both within the show and to its audience, and “The Last Call” featured some impressive moments from the entire cast. The episode was very much about grief, and it was a realistic depiction of the disorienting chaos following a person’s death, as well as how grief manifests and the ripple effect a person’s death can have on all the people they knew and loved.
1 “Hitting the Fan”
Season 5, Episode 5
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In this thrilling season five episode, Alicia and Cary are forced out of Lockhart & Gardner. As a parting shot to their former firm, the two wouldn’t leave quietly as they planned to take the firm’s top clients with them. To add injury to insult, all the fourth-year associates were fired as well, which was a shame as they had been promised they would be partners, and were instead sacked by the firm. Alicia and the firm then battled for the clients, using whatever methods possible, including badmouthing and dishonesty, especially on Will’s part. Peter rose to Alicia’s defense and used his political pull to help her.
“Hitting the Fan” was a fast-paced episode, with Will and Alicia trying to stay one step ahead of each other as he tried to get her fired as quickly as possible. The scene between Will and Alicia when he confronted her was one of the episode’s most powerful, from Will’s outburst to Alicia standing up to him. Will was generally a likable character, but this episode showed his uglier side, especially his temper. All of these ingredients made for a truly memorable episode, and, arguably, the best in this enthralling legal drama.
All seven seasons of The Good Wife can be streamed on Paramount in the U.S.
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