Bruno’s TV Journal: What Is Next For The Good Wife? 

Warning: mild spoilers for The Good Wife

I needed to take a day to process what just happened Sunday on The Good Wife. I read the tweets, the think pieces and the comment sections of several articles. It was shocking, sad and impactful in terms of what this means for the future of The Good Wife. The one thought I had when “Dramatics, Your Honor” concluded was how this will ultimately affect Alicia Florrick and the surrounding cast. This is sure to be so impactful that it will change the course of a television series that is now in its fifth season. The question I now have is simple: What is next for The Good Wife?

The closing shot where Alicia answers the phone given to her by Eli Gold and then the episode cuts away before we can get the reaction we inevitably know will follow, was excruciatingly good. We got Kalinda, Diane and even Eli’s reaction to the news of Will’s death, but Alicia’s is held from the viewer until the next episode. Ultimately, this is the reaction we want to see (the show is called The Good Wife after all), and I commend the show for leaving us on a cliffhanger that will undoubtedly leave its viewers wanting more.

But what does Will’s death mean for the future of the series? It’s clear now Josh Charles wanted out of the show and I think we should be grateful he stayed on long enough this season for a proper send off, even if it turned out to be such a surprising and assumingly impactful send off with ripple effects for the characters on the show. This is going to change the dynamic of the series, with the male lead being killed off. Is the future of the series in jeopardy?

I don’t think this is the case, but it’s going to be a huge change for the series. Of course, there will be a mourning period for the characters, whether it’s Diane losing her partner or Alicia losing her one-time lover, friend and former boss. Alicia and Will did not leave things on the best of terms, so Alicia’s mourning will be a focal point as well as what I think will be a reconciliation with Diane in terms of their personal relationship. I don’t think she and Cary will return to the law firm that built their credentials up — because that would be such an easy thing for the show to do in order to get back to the status quo — but I do think the rivalry that has developed since they left to start their own firm will subside because of the mutual love they all ultimately had for Will.

And there will be the return of Michael J. Fox, as shown in the previews for future episodes. Is he going to be the new Will? I don’t know if this will ultimately work in the long term, but in the short term this could be an interesting addition to the cast as the season inches closer to its conclusion. Whatever happens for the remainder of the season I’m sure there will be plenty of emotion and drama for a show that has earned every twist it has thrown at its audience. I trust that The Good Wife will keep the momentum going even if that momentum will be altered a bit with a major character being killed off.

I have a feeling The Good Wife is going to churn out some amazing episodes to end season five. This season has been filled with so much change, with Alicia and Cary leaving Lockhart Gardner to start their own firm to Peter’s investigation into voter fraud to, of course, Will’s death. It’s going to be a challenge, but a challenge I am very confident will show that The Good Wife is not only one of the best shows airing on the broadcast networks, but one of the best shows in all of television.

The Good Wife airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS.