The Televangelist: ‘The Good Wife’ Season 3, Ep 17

Racism! Feminism! Contraceptive Fraud!

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Racism! Feminism! Contraceptive Fraud! “Long Way Home” was a thoughtful episode of “The Good Wife” that set up some big things to come. And, quietly, it kept up the level of quality established last week, though it took a totally different direction (see what I did?) to get there.

I have said in the past that the best episodes of the show, especially lately, are when Alicia is in the background. Here I have to make an exception, because we were set up last night with a few good bait and switches with her character. Most interestingly, Alicia and Kalinda were both very wary of Caitlin, who appeared to be hiding something while throwing her mentor under the bus. Since Caitlin’s arrival, Alicia has been cold and a little jealous of the young, beautiful star who quickly gained not only Will’s attention but also Diane’s. Worse, she’s earned it, because she’s smart and dynamic in the courtroom. What Alicia and Kalinda don’t understand about Caitlin is that the girl is very simply genuinely nice. In the end, she leaves the firm for good because she wants to be a mother - not a career woman, not juggling dual lives. Diane says that she’ll come to regret it, but Alicia corrects her. I believe Alicia, I don’t think Caitlin will reappear after fifteen years wanting to get her career back, but then again, that’s her choice.

It was a very interesting statement, and one that Alicia and Diane touched on briefly. Caitlin says that, for her generation (which is also mine), she doesn’t feel the need, as a woman, to prove anything. Diane later laments this fact as “I’m not sure this is why the glass ceiling was broken,” but Alicia counters “perhaps that’s exactly why it was.” Not so that all women should be career mothers, but that is merely one choice. The important thing, in the end, is that we have a choice. There in that room sat a spectrum - Diane, whose life is her work and her firm, Alicia who has (recently) wanted to have both, and Caitlin who only wants to focus on family. Are any of these wrong? Of course not. The success of the Women’s Movement is in the freedom it achieved for women to decide their fates.