Monsters of Television

“It’s not polite but it’s fair.”

First my apologies for no review last week. Between covering the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad and various obstacles (including a dropped sandwich (it was a very long day)) and socializing, I didn’t get around to “The Death Zone” until Saturday afternoon, and by then I didn’t see much point in writing about the episode. I did enjoy that episode, found the case of the week interesting, and while it could’ve used more Eddie Izzard (what couldn’t?), I was overall pretty happy with it.

Second: Dallas Roberts!

Third: Lisa Edelstein!

Fourth: Isiah Whitlock, Jr.!

Swoon.

“Get A Room” feels a bit place like place-setting for the next run of episodes in regards to Celeste, and more long-term conflicts in regard to Eli’s place at Lockhart/Gardner and how Alicia intends to balance her home life, work responsibilities, and keep up her relationship with Will. Which, really, isn’t a lot. Normally the show’s got about three other things happening at once, and this season seems calmer so far.

But so far as place-setting goes “Get A Room” is perfectly fine and light enough of an episode, much like last week’s. Eli’s B-plot, dealing with a (super-timely and clearly prescient) listeria outbreak, was probably the highlight. Sure, it’s not terribly complicated, but we get to watch Eli be smart, bark orders, get into yelling matches with Diane (I love when good actors talk over each other), and be thrown by the press. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, and it is actually immensely entertaining, and helps re-introduce the press to the world of The Good Wife (an element I feel the show plays a little fast and loose with).

I wish next was the A-plot, but, you know, Owen was back and decided to be awesome as per usual. Again, this is light stuff, but Owen is actually going to be a fairly important character going forward this season, at least for Alicia. Without Kalinda, who does Alicia interact with, talk to? I don’t expect Dallas Roberts to show up every episode (but I do want it), but his presence in an episode does provide a way to make sure the kids stick around in a realistic way (and to have Jackie randomly show up).

So then there’s the A-plot. I feel like everything is a little underserved  here, particularly Celeste. Her history is given as a reason to be in awe of her as a lawyer, but the episode doesn’t do much to convince me of that especially when she gets blindsided by the patent (really, she didn’t think to look at the patent when she decided to go with the “slight modification” route?), which leaves Lisa Edelstein lots to with very little. Hopefully the rest of her episodes (she has, what, 2 or 3 more?) give her something a little meatier.

And there’s little things the episode does, particularly Cary and Kalinda’s cooling relationship. I will say that I think Matt Czuchry and Archie Panjabi did a lot with very little screen time. I think they both looked convincing exhausted in their scene, him with her always coming to him, and calling her out on her shit, and her with having to run here there and everywhere. I think I’d go so far to call this very quiet scene my favorite of the night for its sheer underplaying by the actors but with just the right amount of writing.

So while by no means a ground-breaking episode, I did enjoy it. But I hope the show starts tossing a ball or two more into the air soon.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• While I didn’t mention Isiah Whitlock, Jr. above, I feel like he also was really easy to watch as an innocent guy caught between these two sides unwilling to come to a compromise. In a show that breathes cynicism like the rest of us breathe oxygen, it was refreshing to see a nice guy in Chicago.
• Speaking of The Wire alums, I nominate Delaney Williams to be the next one to appear on the show.
• Poor poor Owen. He just wants to get laid before the kids get home.
• Also: Owen dropping that silence of pizza during the (hilariously over-the-top and completely unrealistic) video of kids throwing up in school cafeterias: PRICELESS.
• “One of the most prudish wanton women I know.” Pretty much.