CBSThe Good Wife said goodbye to Will Gardner just about a year after the character was killed off. How did they do it? By bringing back Josh Charles.
Well, by sort of bringing him back.
I can confirm that was Charles' voice speaking to Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) in her head, but just his voice. Charles was never any of those figures in silhouette. So how exactly did The Good Wife's Alicia say goodbye to the beloved character? Let's get into it.
The episode focused Alicia entirely (read: amazing) as she prepped for a big interview that could make or break her campaign. But she was losing her voice and as a result sounded very much like Marge Simpson. While trying to rest her voice and come up with the answers to her big problems—Louis Canning's (Michael J. Fox) wrongful eviction suit, Lemond Bishop (Mike Colter) funding her PAC, Grace (Makenzie Vega) questioning god and Zach's (Graham Phillips) girlfriend's abortion—Alicia's mind wandered. It was probably the most insight we've gotten into Alicia since Owen (Dallas Roberts) appeared and we saw Alicia and Will retell events in "The Decision Tree" and it was glorious. The main takeaways:
Obviously the Kalinda and Peter (Chris Noth) fantasizes/thoughts were done with a purpose. It's been countless episodes since the two characters shared a scene together and the Kings are clearly stating that Alicia can still not move past the betrayal she felt when she learned about Peter and Kalinda's tryst. She still associates them together, she is still wounded by the act that predated her friendship with Kalinda. Still hasn't stopped me from hoping the two will share one final scene before Archie Panjabi leaves the series. The friendship between the two characters was one of the best parts of the show's early years.
Alicia really wanted to just stick it to Louis Canning. Seeing her take him down in her mind was just great. But when he took a turn for the worse, Alicia went to the hospital. This could be it for Louis Canning.
Zach and the abortion really rattled Alicia as much as Grace and her Christianity. Will she repair her relationship with Zach?
And "Will?" Yes, I was screaming at my TV when that credit card ad played on the website. Weren't you? Alicia finally got closure for herself. After fantasizing about Johnny (Steven Pasquale), Finn (Matthew Goode) and Will. The fact she was even thinking about Johnny and Finn in a sexual manner seemed to surprise her, almost make her feel guilty. But she talked things out with Will's ghost in her head and said goodbye to him. She's ready to move on.
"Your voice sounds better."
"I'm finding it."
Gasp count: Countless, especially when Alicia heard Will's voice and Peter and Kalinda's scenes.
Some other things:
Basically all of Alicia and "Will's" interactions were gasp-worthy and pulled at the heart strings.
"Will?"
"I'm not here."
"It sounds like you."
"I don't know what I'm doing. Everything is falling apart."
"You're strong, you'll hold it together."
"Goodbye, Will."
Alicia's face when Louis Canning's wife said he was always caring about other people was perfect.
The Good Wife airs Sundays, 9 p.m. on CBS.