TV

Murder on ‘The Good Wife’

Warning: This article contains spoilers.

In a sensational and shocking plot twist, attorney Will Gardner was murdered in cold blood by his own client on Sunday night’s episode of CBS’s “The Good Wife.”

Gardner, played by actor Josh Charles, was shot by his own client, Jeffrey Grant, played by Hunter Parrish(“Weeds”), when Grant’s legal fortunes were heading south. While Gardner and the prosecuting attorney were having a sidebar with the judge (Vincent A. Curatola, “The Sopranos”). Grant reached for the court officer’s revolver and opened fire.

Gardner’s partner at the firm, Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), heard the shots in a nearby courtroom in the Cook County courthouse. Kalinda Sharma, the firm’s special investigator played Emmy winner Archie Panjabi, was outside the courtroom. She was the first person to discover Will’s body on the floor.

Charles has been with “The Good Wife” since its premiere five years ago. His character has been involved in dubious legal situations a few times, resulting in a suspension and this season, a voting fraud scandal that connects to the office of the governor, Peter Florrick (Chris Noth). Gardner also had an affair with the show’s protagonist, Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), who was his law school classmate and later his employee at Lockhart/Gardner.

It’s been a riproaring season on “The Good Wife,” which has just been renewed for a sixth season. Season 5 kicked off with Alicia and Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry) staging a coup at Lockhart/Gardner and forming their own firm, Florrick/Agos. Once mentor and student and then lovers, Will and Alicia became enemies and rivals as each firm tried to steal clients.

The Gardner murder comes just two weeks after another shocking murder on ABC’s “Scandal.” White House press secretary James Novak (Dan Bucatinsky) was shot in the back and killed by a member of the sinister B316, played by Scott Foley.

“The Good Wife” also showed coming attractions that hint at the aftermath of Gardner’s death. It seems that Diane Lockhart will be hiring slimy attorney Louis Canning (Michael J. Fox) to replace Gardner and that Alicia and Peter Florrick will face another roadblock in their shaky marriage.

Josh Charles will be a guest on David Letterman Monday night, to discuss his exit, and Margulies and “Good Wife” creators Robert and Michelle King will be talking about their show with Charlie  Rose in a session at The Ed Sullivan Theater.