There are many ways one can approach a spinoff of The Good Wife. On one hand, the CBS legal drama (which hasn’t even been off the air for a year), had such an eccentric ensemble cast that audiences were left wanting more from many of its supporting characters. But, on the other hand, the drama was so thoroughly centered on the personal and professional life of Alicia Florrick that it was hard to imagine a universe without her.
And while The Good Wife’s polarizing, unexpected ending left audiences divided, it was hard to look back at the series with any ill will – even with some flaws, it remained one of basic cable’s most mature, morally complex, intricately written and even, at times, shocking dramas. Any attempt at returning to that world puts the original show’s legacy at risk, regardless of whether or not Alicia is present for the action.
But where The Good Wife took inspiration from real life political scandals, The Good Fight uses the general political climate as inspiration. It’s no surprise the premiere’s opening scene shows the Good universe’s resident bleeding heart liberal turned leading lady, Diane Lockhart, angrily reacting to Trump’s inauguration: this is a series about nasty women fighting hard to make a difference in a patriarchal work force where all hope seems lost. In this new series, Diane, shortly after announcing her plans for retirement, loses her fortune in a Ponzi scheme, forcing her to return to work at a new firm. The same firm, coincidentally, where Maia, the daughter of the Madoff-esque con artist (Rose Leslie of Game of Thrones) is attempting to emerge from the negative shadow of her father.
As a whole, The Good Fight does a solid job of expanding upon its predecessor’s universe. After the events of Wife’s finale, Diane is appropriately cynical and world-weary, while Maia makes for a likable, sympathetic foil and co-lead. The show also makes a more sincere effort to explore contemporary social issues, with racial tension and classism being woven into the main storyline – not just the case of the week. Unfortunately, the premiere episode does leave the supporting characters somewhat underwritten – this is particularly true for Cush Jumbo’s Lucca, which is certainly a bit upsetting since she remained so one-dimensional on The Good Wife last year. And, while “cases of the week” are a necessary evil for courtroom dramas, this week’s case feels horribly underwritten and pointless – simply using the pilot to kick-start the main plotline would have been much more effective.
The Good Fight, however, seems to be aware of its best asset: its leading lady. Christine Baranski was always one of The Good Wife’s best actors – possibly even the MVP of the series. But, as the show entered its final season, Diane was pushed to the sidelines, and Baranski was given less of a chance to show her talent. The same can’t be said about The Good Fight, and Baranski relishes every chance she has to show her skills.
Meanwhile, Rose Leslie makes quite an impression as Maia, doing her best to overcome an iffy accent to form a new heroine worth rooting for. Cush Jumbo also has one nice monologue, despite her lack of overall screen time. But Delroy Lindo may steal the pilot as Robert Boseman, a lawyer who extends a welcoming hand to Diane as he tries to take on the city’s problem of police brutality. Hopefully, as the weeks go on, he’ll continue to grow as a character.
What makes The Good Fight an interesting television experiment – other than the fact that it stands as a CBS All Access original series – is that, by the end of the premiere, it feels connected to The Good Wife in tone only. Audiences could easily tune in and follow along without being confused and, outside of a veiled reference to Alicia and a few (unnecessary) shots of Josh Charles’ dearly departed Will Gardner, characters from the original series are barely referenced. This is a show that stands on its own and can, hopefully, fill the void left by The Good Wife. It’d be nice to have another smart, socially conscious legal drama – let’s just hope it doesn’t tarnish its predecessor’s legacy.
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
THE GOOD FIGHT STREAMS SUNDAYS ON CBS ALL ACCESS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgmoLTweWxc
