Will Gardner’s death may be the best thing that ever happened to “The Good Wife.”
No one’s happy that Josh Charles has left the show, of course. Judging by the outpouring of sympathy and grief on Twitter, Facebook and between office cubicles, he was a beloved actor whose performance was a key ingredient in the success of this CBS drama, which has been renewed for a sixth season.
And judging by the actor’s appearance on David Letterman’s “Late Show” Monday night, Charles seemed to take his departure in stride. He had decided to move on, as TV stars sometimes do.
But the character’s death was not a shock for shock’s sake, like the murders that happen every three weeks on “Scandal” and have little impact anymore. This one was deeply felt by the characters and it opens up a world of possibilities for the show, which is currently enjoying its best season. Fans who thought that Will and Alicia (Julianna Margulies) were somehow going to get back together after she helped staged a coup at Lockhart/Gardner were living in la-la land. They were enemies, they were rivals. But the strong and complex emotions Alicia felt for Will have no outlet now, and she must face what’s become of her marriage to Gov. Peter Florrick (Chris Noth).
That, by the way, is a great story — and a great way to wind up the season.
If the coming attractions that aired after Sunday’s bombshell episode are any indication, it’s going to get ugly. She calls Peter a bastard. He calls her a selfish bitch. “But guess what?” he says with his trademark sneer. “We’re all we have.”
He’s not wrong. The Florrick marriage was one of convenience on both sides. He got the spouse he needed for his gubernatorial campaign, proving to voters that she forgave him for his marital indiscretions and prison time served. His name gave her leverage when she was competing with Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) for that one opening at Lockhart/Gardner, and when she needed to get her kids into private school or some good press when she started her own law firm.
How Alicia regards her success — and what it has cost her — should make for interesting viewing between now and the May 15 season finale.
Will’s departure obviously raises many questions for the future of Lockhart/Gardner and his partner Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). Diane thought she was on her way to being an appointee to the Illinois Supreme Court at the beginning of the season, until Florrick was inaugurated and he rescinded that offer once Lockhart/Gardner threatened to sue his wife when she started her own firm. Should Peter experience another reversal of political fortunes, which is a distinct possibility, Diane could pursue that judgeship again.
And how will she carry on without Will? Who will she hire to take his place? Will the law firm bear her name alone? Answers to these questions could easily fill several episodes in Season 6.
Most interestingly, what will Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) do now that her boss is gone? In the days before he was killed, she had been telling him she needed to do something else with her career. Will laughed. He didn’t believe Kalinda. She’s always been the sharpest character on “The Good Wife.” Does she want to work for Diane? Or will she go to work for Alicia?
Sometimes long-running shows have to completely shake things up to keep storylines fresh. “The Good Wife” proved it was willing to do this last fall when Alicia and Cary formed their own firm. Killing off a major character shows a willingness to keep raising the dramatic stakes in service to the overall story.
If only other network shows had the guts to do likewise.