The power plays continue between Alicia and Will on The Good Wife with costuming playing a role once again in perception. Instead of using clothing as a sign that memory differs from person to person when it comes to details such as color, Alicia’s outfit choice in “Goliath and David” is accurately imprinted on Will’s mind. We’re also going to be taking a look at Diane Lockhart’s never ending collection of incredible jackets and statement jewelry because they pretty much stop us in our tracks and we turn into a bumbling mess like Will.
After Will uses something work related against Alicia in court to fluster her, Alicia takes this mind game to the next level and uses their personal relationship to fluster. In the last episode we saw both Will and Alicia having sex flashbacks to their time together and Alicia’s wardrobe change provokes a similar response as Will gets lost in an elevator hookup fog. This is the suit Alicia wore in the season 2 finale when they went from tequilas in a hotel bar to the Presidential suite and she’s not so subtly reminds him of this event. This shot of Will looking down at Alicia is pretty much from his POV and throughout the episode the pair are framed together in a tight space as they continue to circle each other in such a close proximity.
Will tells Diane he is fine repeatedly and if I know anything it’s the more times you say you’re fine, the less fine you are. Will is taking on cases that aren’t even his just so he can go up against Alicia and it’s clear this is an attempt to heal his bruised ego and broken heart. The problem is Alicia is coming across like she is giving none of the fucks and while I think she does care, at this point the petty games have taken over and she’s just trying to get Will out of her orbit. This suit looks like the one in the imagined cross examination Will had with Alicia in the last episode and this further highlights its significance.
Diane spends most of the episode trying to maintain order at LG (ugh that rebranding) and reining Will in. Will and Diane conflict is nothing new and they’ve had many disagreements in the past; he’s impulsive and she’s level-headed. The Damian factor doesn’t help and he’s too cartoonish to take seriously as a character (plus the Kalinda love story is another dud in a history of Kalinda romantic subplots) and Diane’s side is by far the better choice at this point. This isn’t just because we’re in love with this outfit, but the combination of red and the statement necklace help give Diane a commanding presence in a room that is full of ego and emotions.
It’s another bold work choice and there aren’t many people who could pull off snow leopard print at work; Diane Lockhart is one of them and it’s worth noting again how fantastic the wardrobe choices are for this character as they avoid the usual ‘woman of a certain age’ at the office wear. She’s an incredibly stylish character, but these clothes also don’t overshadow who she is or the power she yields. Whiskey drinking scenes usually come at a time of celebration between Will and Diane, this one is more like a peace offering as Diane notes they have had a “psychological break.” Diane is rightly worried there is a frantic quality to Will’s expansion plan, however he can still use her decision to leave as leverage and she relents that he can have whatever he wants. Diane sounds resigned to Will as no doubt she will have to pick up the pieces and the glimpse we saw of Will’s psyche in the 100th episode is a sign of things to come.
