The Good Wife,’ Season 4, Episode 1 Recap

• CBS
• “You were pulled over for playing terrible, terrible music.”

CBS’s critical hit “The Good Wife” returned this week without any pause to ease us back into the new season, nor (unless I am mistaken) did it give us a “last time on,” which would have been exceptionally helpful. “I Fought The Law” picked up right where last season dropped off: Kalinda waiting in the dark to tousle with her estranged (and extremely dangerous) husband. Elsewhere, plots were picked back up breathlessly and with a complexity that would have benefitted from some background — a show for new viewers to dive into this is not. Even long-time viewers were likely left wondering exactly what Diane was pleading with the stoney-faced judge about, and why David Lee was threatening to leave. I love you, “Good Wife,” I really do, but I do not keep the intricacies of Lockhart-Gardner’s finances in my head for all the months since you last were on the air.

There were lots of twists and turns and a Case of the Week that actually hit close to the Florrick home (even though it was handled strangely) that, despite any early plot confusion, should have made almost everyone pleased that this hidden gem of a series is back. For more on last night’s episode, hit the jump.