I'm Not Dead

The 4th year associates (Alicia, Cary and everyone else who's leaving) got offered partnership, then the offers were taken back and only Alicia was made partner. This angered Cary and the others, so they grew restless and started to think about quitting. Then, when Alicia became partner, she saw more intimately how the firm was operating, and a lot of things didn't sit right with her. So, Cary went to her and basically said, "Will and Diane aren't running the place well anymore - let's start a new firm where we'll do it right!". Alicia shrugged off the idea, knowing that Cary was just being idealistic, but he kept pursuing her about it. Then in the finale, she and Will had that kiss in the car right after she and Peter had agreed to renew their vows, so Alicia knew she had to get away from L/G because she and Will could never be just colleagues. Season 4 ended with her telling Cary, "I'm in".

Pretty much. In last night's episode, Alicia wanted to leave the firm within the week and then tell Will & Diane, but Cary has talked her into sticking around for a few weeks while they get office space, get their money together, and - most importantly - steal some of L/G's biggest clients and take them to the new firm. This is like the scummiest thing lawyers can do to their bosses.

Will in particular feels betrayed because back in the pilot, it was he who gave Alicia the job at L/G out of their personal history, while Diane was sceptical about Alicia's abilities. She had been out of work for so many years and would never be as successful in her career as she is now if Will hadn't gone out on a limb for her 4 years ago. She almost told Will at the end of last night's episode, but couldn't. She just said quietly when he was walking away:



However, there may even be more to Will's reaction in that promo, as Robert King said this in a recent interview:

Hmm...

StarryFlower

Great summary!
The Good Wife - Episode 5.03 - A Precious Commodity - Press Release | Spoilers

Maybe Will offers Alicia partner, she says no and that's why he's mad? Or she takes Diane's side on the whole judgeship conflict thing because it was her husband that offered it to Diane in the first place and that makes Will mad? Or it's just Robert King talking rubbish.

I'm really excited about the show for the first time in a while. Scared it might get cancelled though

I'm Not Dead

Cancellation is definitely a possibility, but with TGW now in syndication, CBS will be making plenty of money off the show this year, and will only cancel it if their development slate for next season is absolutely phenomenal. My guess is the show will end after the sixth season.

Aurora Cormier

Wow, wonderful summary Stephen, you even made me want to watch again! I feel disappointed that Alicia would do that to them, but at the same time it's nice to see she's definitely not the saint Alicia from the beginning, that's great character development


And the shippers dieeeeeed

I'm Not Dead

It's definitely a big swing for the character. Julianna hasn't even tried to defend her in the press - she keeps saying this is a betrayal, plain and simple, which is why this season has been deemed "civil war" for the characters. But ironically, it is because Alicia wants to be "the good wife" that she is leaving the firm in such a horrible manner.

StarryFlower

That is without a doubt, the greatest gif I have ever seen It reminds me of how scared I am that parks and rec will be cancelled too I'm actually glad that I'm so behind that I come to most shows once they have ended. Waiting to see if shows will be cancelled is nerve-wracking! At what stage/season did E.R start declining in the ratings and having cancellation first talked about?

There's not really any way to defend it. It's all about her (even though I still like Alicia) It's not even like it's for her kids anymore as they're old and were used to the separation (so was Peter before she randomly slept with him again) It's that she didn't want to be like her mother, wanted to be first lady with that power and didn't like how L/G were running things so she's upping and leaving with all the biggest clients even though L/G were recently in bankrupcy and gave her a job when she had nothing! L/G have every right to be outraged!!

Haha well they were! I think NBC has them next year so hopefully either Jimmy Fallon or Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will host

I'm Not Dead

Ratings really took a hit in 2004 when Friends went off the air and the whole NBC Thursday line-up collapsed in on itself. Joey bombed, Will & Grace plummeted 30 places in 1 season, and ER had The Apprentice as its lead-in. Yet, ER was still NBC's top Thursday show. It declined to 12/13 million the next season, then actually jumped back up to 15/16 million at the start of Season 13, but it fell again and settled in the 7-10 million range for the rest of its run.

It never really did. At the end of Season 11, Noah left and ER was renewed through the end of Season 14, so it was just assumed that it would end after those 3 years. But, during Season 14, the WGA strike happened and NBC gave ER an extra season to wrap up. Funnily enough, during Season 15, NBC momentarily considered giving the show a 16th season because it was still one of their top-rated dramas.

Yep! Julianna keeps teasing the metaphorical "explosion" that is to come later in the season - I can't wait to see what she means!

Pandorama

My interest in the show kind of plummeted after Maura's arc - not because she was the only reason I'd watched (she wasn't, I'd watched since season one), but - well, you all know my frustrations, particularly with respect to Peter. And I felt like Diane just wasn't the Diane I loved. So my guess is I won't go back to watching unless they have an irresistible guest star, like Allison Janney or somebody.

That said, I had a dream last night that Alicia and I went shoe shopping.

I'm Not Dead

I would love to see Allison on the show - if she can get away from that horrific CBS "comedy" with Anna Farris.

Pandorama

I don't know how outstanding actors end up doing movies/shows like that. Allison actually went to the short-lived Mr. Sunshine instead of Shameless (she played Sheila in the pilot, which was then reshot with Joan Cusack). Allison's on that dumb show and Bradley Whitford is on "Trophy Wife." So is Marcia Gay Harden, come to think of it. Maura did that incredibly dumb movie with Johnny Knoxville and Julianna...well, let's just say I was disappointed that the moderator at the Paley Center event didn't ask her how in the world she got involved in Snakes on a Plane.

I wonder if it's a thing, like, they dare each other to take the dumbest role possible and whoever's show/movie is the absolute worst wins a prize. Maybe it's a competition among former Emmy nominees. Or maybe they're all secret stoners.

hathaross

I miss her....

BTW, I didn´t say what I thought about TGW premiere!!! Was fantastic!! The case very interesting... Eli "new" job... Grace all grow up.. .. Can´t wait to watch this sunday episode.

I dont see the Live with Kelly & Michael interview, does anyone have seen it?

Aurora Cormier

You just reminded me one of the reasons I got tired of TGW - Eli. Great character, wayyyyyyy overused

I'm Not Dead

Promo for tonight:

hathaross

I know... things are getting tense!!!!!

Which episode will be when everything will "explode" ? 5 or 10?

I'm Not Dead

I think it's 5. That was the one for which Graham (Zach Florrick) tweeted, "This is our Red Wedding episode".