The Good Wife
The Good Wife
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The Good Wife

"Don't let the name fool you."

7.6
Yr 2009
Rt 43m
Status Ended
Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 88 /100

The Good Wife is widely regarded as a sophisticated legal and political drama, frequently praised for its sharp writing and intelligent storytelling. Critics consistently highlight Julianna Margulies' performance as Alicia Florrick, noting that the series effectively grounds its high-stakes drama within the complexities of personal fallout and professional ambition.

While some reviewers debated whether it reached the absolute pinnacle of television history, the consensus remains that it offered prestige-level quality on network television. The show was frequently lauded for its ability to balance legal procedural elements with character depth, making it a compelling option for fans of the genre.

“It’s not simply that, scene to scene, the series is entertaining and intelligent.”

“This show drops bombs left and right, but it does so with skill.”

“The Good Wife is sort of a mishmash of political and courtroom drama; it's also smart and well-written, so it pulls this off.”

“It's top notch TV by directors at the height of their game.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Paramount Plus Premium
US • CA • UK
Paramount Plus
CA • UK
5
UK
Show 6 more
Paramount Plus Basic with Ads
CA • UK
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
US • UK • CA
Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel
US • UK • CA
Paramount Plus Essential
US
Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
US
Sky Go
UK
Why fans love it

The Good Wife navigates the messy intersection of professional ambition and private wreckage. Julianna Margulies anchors the series as a lawyer who returns to the firm while her personal life is dismantled by public infidelity. It manages to present legal battles that feel as high-stakes as the cutthroat political environment surrounding them.

The show maintains a cynical edge that prevents it from becoming a standard courtroom procedural. Between the power dynamics at the law firm and the maneuvering required for a governor’s career, the writing remains sharp and surprisingly witty given the distressing circumstances. Justice is rarely presented as an absolute, leaving the characters to operate in a gray area where their integrity is constantly tested by their own choices.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 8
Longest run 156 eps
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
as Alicia Florrick
156 episodes
Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski
as Diane Lockhart
156 episodes
Josh Charles
Josh Charles
as Will Gardner
107 episodes
Matt Czuchry
Matt Czuchry
as Cary Agos
156 episodes
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
as Eli Gold
140 episodes
Archie Panjabi
Archie Panjabi
as Kalinda Sharma
134 episodes
Makenzie Vega
Makenzie Vega
as Grace Florrick
100 episodes
Zach Grenier
Zach Grenier
as David Lee
54 episodes
Show 67 more
Graham Phillips as Zach Florrick 76 episodes Cush Jumbo as Lucca Quinn 22 episodes Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Jason Crouse 22 episodes Matthew Goode as Finn Polmar 30 episodes Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning 26 episodes Nicole Roderick as Nora 16 episodes Anne Marsen as Jennifer 6 episodes Jerry Adler as Howard Lyman 30 episodes Nathan Stark as Process Server 6 episodes Dallas Roberts as Owen Cavanaugh 14 episodes Jill Flint as Lana Delaney 12 episodes Steven Pasquale as Johnny Elfman 13 episodes Rita Wilson as Viola Walsh 6 episodes David Fonteno as Judge Robert Parks 10 episodes Melissa George as Marilyn Garbanza 8 episodes Nikki M. James as Monica Timmons 6 episodes Chris Noth as Peter Florrick 101 episodes Titus Welliver as Glenn Childs 15 episodes Chris Butler as Matan Brody 21 episodes Mary Beth Peil as Jackie Florrick 49 episodes David Paymer as Judge Richard Cuesta 9 episodes Denis O'Hare as Judge Charles Abernathy 9 episodes Joe Morton as Daniel Golden 11 episodes Gary Cole as Kurt McVeigh 14 episodes Gbenga Akinnagbe as Pastor Isaiah Easton 7 episodes Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm 6 episodes Sonequa Martin-Green as Courtney Wells 8 episodes Michael Boatman as Julius Cain 18 episodes Dreama Walker as Becca 8 episodes Pedro Pascal as Nathan Landry 6 episodes Mamie Gummer as Nancy Crozier 8 episodes Felix Solis as Detective Kevin Rodriguez 7 episodes Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney 8 episodes David Krumholtz as Josh Mariner 7 episodes Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold 22 episodes Monica Raymund as Dana Lodge 9 episodes Anika Noni Rose as Wendy Scott-Carr 14 episodes Renée Elise Goldsberry as Geneva Pine 23 episodes Mike Colter as Lemond Bishop 21 episodes Nathan Lane as Clarke Hayden 15 episodes Anna Camp as Caitlin D'arcy 9 episodes John Benjamin Hickey as Neil Gross 8 episodes Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni 14 episodes Jess Weixler as Robyn Burdine 19 episodes Amanda Peet as Laura Hellinger 7 episodes Marc Warren as Nick Saverese 8 episodes Maura Tierney as Maddie Hayward 7 episodes Miriam Shor as Mandy Post 6 episodes J.D. Williams as Dexter Roja 6 episodes Eric Ruffin as Dylan Bishop 8 episodes Skipp Sudduth as Jim Moody 10 episodes Edward Herrmann as Lionel Deerfield 6 episodes Kurt Fuller as Judge Peter Dunaway 7 episodes Stockard Channing as Veronica Loy 11 episodes T. R. Knight as Jordan Karahalios 7 episodes Mike Pniewski as Frank Landau 13 episodes Rachel Hilson as Nisa Dalmar 7 episodes Michael Cerveris as James Castro 10 episodes Tobias Segal as Tyler Hopkins 6 episodes Ben Rappaport as Carey Zepps 14 episodes David Hyde Pierce as Frank Prady 8 episodes Michael Ealy as Derrick Bond 12 episodes Scott Porter as Blake Calamar 14 episodes Margo Martindale as Ruth Eastman 13 episodes Elizabeth Reaser as Tammy Linnata 7 episodes Tim Guinee as Andrew Wiley 10 episodes Christopher McDonald as Judge Don Schakowsky 7 episodes
Production Board

Crew

First Assistant Camera
Patrick Quinn
Key Makeup Artist
Rebecca Lee
Art Direction
Kevin Rupnik Joanna Dunn Frank White III
Production Design
Matthew Budgeon
Costume Design
Daniel Lawson Louise Frogley
Director of Photography
M. David Mullen
Makeup Department Head
Andrea Miller
Second Assistant Camera
Liz Singer Ian Carmody
Construction Coordinator
Martin Bernstein
Location Scout
Emmanuel Vozos
Camera Loader
Christophe Johnson
Property Master
Leni Calas
Steadicam Operator
Bob Findlay Alan J. Mehlbrech
Set Dresser
Malicky Reilly
Hair Department Head
Rose Chatterton
Assistant Costume Designer
Wendy Stefanelli Jen Rogien
Camera Production Assistant
Raina Oberlin
Hairstylist
Ralph Stanzione
Leadman
Tom McDermott
Props
Jerry DeRogatis
Grip
Peter Kantor
Construction Grip
Andrew Lupo
Assistant Property Master
Don O'Reilly
Creator
Robert King
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Good Wife overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

mother infidelity governor politics lawyer justice cynical defense attorney tense witty distressing
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
September 22, 2009
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
43 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
695