If you somehow missed out onThe Good Wifeduring the height of its success and have wondered if it’s worth going back and watching it now, then look no further — this is your sign. Premiering in 2009,The Good Wife was initiallypresented as yet another law show to add to the weekly network television rotation. However,it quickly proved to be so much more than that. The show follows Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), who must return to her law career after her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), is involved in a political corruption and sex scandal while serving as Cook County State’s Attorney. What follows is, yes, a legal drama, filled with plenty of juicy courtroom moments, butalsojaw-dropping political scandals, and a steamy romance.
In fact, it’s the latter that I’d pinpoint as the most convincing reason to bingeThe Good Wife. Chances are, if you’re dancing around the idea of starting the series, you probably know all about Will (Josh Charles) and Alicia’s romance. It was hinted at in the very first episode, and it was clear that the show was gearing up for something big with them. One of the first huge moments even happens in the first season —Season 1, Episode 17, to be exact— when they share their first kiss.It’sthis kiss and the fallout that accompanies itthat will hook you and have you pressing “Next Episode.”
Will and Alicia Have History in ‘The Good Wife’
WhenThe Good Wifebegins, we are immediately thrown into Alicia’s world. Her marriage is falling apart after her husband is found guilty, which lands him 10 months in prison. NowAlicia has to dig out her law degreeand return to work after being a stay-at-home mom for the last decade. Shegets a job as Junior Associate at Lockhart & Gardnerthanks to Will Gardner, an old friend from Law School. Not only does she have to deal with the very public unraveling of her life and marriage, but she also has to find her footing in her career return and prove herself worthy as she competes for the position of associate. But what initially began as a necessary move to keep her family afloat becomes a life-altering experience for her, as it becomes unavoidable that she and Will have unfinished business from their days at Georgetown. No episode makes this clearer than Season 1, Episode 17, aptly titled “Heart.”
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Season 1 is chock-full of stolen glances and the always lingering wonder ofwill they or won’t they? So by the time Episode 17 rolls around, it feels like just another moment of the show baiting us. Alicia and Will are in his office after losing a case, and Alicia is comforting Will. We’ve seentension-filled moments like thisbefore, but this one finally gives in to said tension, and Will kisses her in a moment of passion. All the pressure and stress from the case immediately melts away as they finally succumb to the building feelings they’ve been harboring all season. Of course, it’s not that simple, and mid-steamy make-out in Will’s office, it dawns on Alicia that she’s cheating on Peter, and she runs away in a panic. She briefly changes her mind and goes back to Will, only to find that he’s left. She goes home to Peter and tells Will that she’s unable to continue whatever they have going on, to which Will says, “It’s fine. We have bad timing. We’ve always had bad timing," (which is a loaded statement in and of itself that hints back to their time of knowing each other back in college). Of course, that’s not the end of their story.The Good Wifehad a lot in store for Will and Alicia, andtheir first kiss marks the start of a series-long liaisonthat is irresistible from the get-go.
Will and Alicia’s First Kiss Changes ‘The Good Wife’ For the Better
Everything that followsWill and Alicia’s first kissis a rollercoaster, from Will leaving love confessions on Alicia’s voicemail, to Peter’s campaign manager finding said voicemails and deleting them before Alicia can hear them, to Will and Alicia finally having good timing and beginning a steamy affair.Their first kiss is the launchpad of an even bigger story preparing to unfold, and it’s messy, heartbreaking, bittersweet, and above all, beautiful.
Suddenly, the show isn’t just a legal drama, or about the fallout of a political scandal. There’s an emotional new layer that elevatesThe Good Wifein every aspect.There’s a big power imbalance between Will and Alicia that proves to be a slippery slope to navigate. Not to mention, Alicia is still married to Peter, and, well,the show is calledThe Good Wife,and that’s what she is supposed to be. She’s always in the public eye thanks to her husband’s career and the fallout of it, and because she’s married to him, she’s under constant scrutiny due to his actions. Itmakes her potential romance with Will dangerous and forbidden, but also undeniable and inevitable in a way that you just can’t help but root for. You want to see them work things out and get their endgame because Will is safe. He’s good, he’s kind to her, and he loves her in a way that Peter never has. He’s the exact right person for her, yet every time they get close to being together, something tears them apart.
Whether it be Peter, their co-workers, their general bad timing, or tragedy, Alicia and Will were seemingly doomed by the narrative. But that’s what makes them such an intriguing couple. It never seems like the right time, but they continuously try. They’re always chasing that “what if?” and that element becomes the heart of the show. So yes, it may sound silly that Will and Alicia’s first kiss isthe moment that will make you want to binge the series, but it’s true. It changed everything going forward, and the show wouldn’t be the same without it. If you’re still unsure, just watch until that point and decide from there. If the longing stares and thick tension don’t draw you in,I don’t know what will.
The Good Wifeis available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
The Good Wife
