Jeffrey Dean Morgan
JDM here plays Jason Crouse, a private investigator who interviews for a job with Alicia. The two have great banter, aided by the fact that pretty much the second he walks in you can tell everyone's loins are on fire. Even Grace, when he leaves, says to Alicia, "I want him," and I don't think we're supposed to know exactly in which sense she means. Alicia of course immediately hires someone else, because she is afraid of putting her tongue anywhere except on the rim of a wine glass. But, STAY TUNED.
Diane Lockhart
I didn't care for this subplot. Cary gets wind that the associates don't believe Howard Lyman does his share of the work. Diane's response is basically, "Tough potatoes," and she has a point: Such is the hierarchy of a law firm. You work hard enough, you earn the right to be the top dog doing less work for more cash. But Cary also thinks Howard is inappropriate with the female associates, in a leering grandpa way, ad Diane and David Lee act a little bit like he's just a lovable curmudgeonly nuisance. What I don't like is Diane Lockhart, Empowered Lady, pretending Howard isn't kind of gross. I don't know. In an episode that also showcased her trying to organize a Super PAC, like the potent lady she is, it was weird to have her turn around and act like everyone should just DEAL WITH IT if Howard is leery.
Let's also discuss her shirt. It's loud. It's smothering her jewelry prospects. But it has elements about it that work -- chiefly, the part where it's on the body of Diane Lockhart. But...
Diane Lockhart
... is it ALL a blouse, or is she wearing a scarf with it? I THINK that's part of the collar, right? I don't know. I DO love a paisley, but this might be Somewhat Intense.
Diane Lockhart
And then this outfit happened and ALL IS FORGIVEN.
Lucca Quinn
I wish we'd gotten to see all of this. ALAS. It's got a good beginning to it, though. I love that she's a bright and lively sartorial foil for Alicia.
Alicia and Lucca
Lucca has Alicia sub for her on a bond case that turns into a potential cash job, to which Lucca points out she'd be entitled to 50 percent. Alicia seems to admire her moxie, so they chair it together. The issue is whether a mother, Amy Irving, should be allowed to display her art project consisting of naked photos she took of her children, when they were minors and didn't necessarily fully agree to it. They wove back and forth through issues of jurisdiction, consent, child labor, and pornography -- Alicia even puts a convicted kiddie porn ogler on the stand to vouch that the photos are erotic, which led to a weirdly amusing scene in which everyone tried to question him while not vomiting.
In the end the son doesn't push for the money and Amy Irving concedes his point. It was an exhausting back-and-forth that felt like it had about three too many lead changes, so to speak.
Oh, and Alicia's suit is cool, and Lucca continues to be well-clad.
Lucca Quinn
Okay, I am not as sure about this one, but I'll give her that she looked good in it, even though the color palette looks like an industrial carpet sampler.
Mamie Gummer
Mamie's character comes back to represent the museum putting on Amy Irving's art show, and the show has her act like she doesn't remember who Alicia is, or that they've ever faced each other in court before. It's supposed to be a funny power play, but it's overkill. She just looks like an idiot. Not in this dress, though. The dress works. It's all business but with flickers of killer-instinct thrown in.
Kurt Fuller
This was strange. Kurt Fuller's recurring judge has apparently converted to Islam, and the show rather hideously plays it for yuks -- like, it's pointed out that he's cranky because it's the middle of Ramadan and he's fasting and thus really hungry. The gurgling sounds of his rumbling stomach are then used to as comic sound effects, so basically, they take a religion's holy month of fasting and play it for gut jokes. It feels dumber and more glib and gross than I want this show to be. I'm surprised it didn't piss off more people. (Ramadan, by the way, was in June in 2015, so I don't know what the hell time of year they think this is if Alicia just lost the SA's election.)
Margo Martindale
Margo is trying to assert herself on Peter's staff. She thinks it's working, until Eli uses his position as Alicia's chief of staff -- a position Alicia essentially blackmails Peter into letting Eli keep, by pointing out that Peter can't be Hillary's VP without her -- to one-up Margo in Peter's eyes. Margo is going to hate that. Margo is going to get her own back. Margo is no gentle grandma.
Eli
Yeah, Eli, you keep that suspicious air about you. MARGO'S COMING.
Grace
So, if this show's contention is that we are in June 2015 because it's Ramadan, that might account for Grace suddenly having time to wear work blouses and be Alicia's assistant and ask for a small salary. And fantasize about Jeffrey Dean Morgan. GET IN LINE, Grace. And then get back to school.
Nora
So, I guess Nora here comes with Peter's office, so she's now with Margo -- who tells her to keep an eye on Eli. Nora delightfully informs Eli later that she works for him now because Margo is no fun, and so she tells him that Margo wants her to be a spy. There's something so AMUSED about how she does it all, too, like she's just getting a huge kick out of these people wanting to ruin each other and she enjoys revenge play. She might be my favorite.
Alicia Florrick
This is another one of Alicia's Inner Conflict outfits. She's all gray inside and out. Eli gets her to make nice with Landau, the DNC honcho who forced her to resign as State's Attorney. Eli tells her it's so she can come back and RUIN HIS LIFE later, but Landau also puts her on an Election Committee and then tells her that in exchange for this reputation-saving endorsement she has to vote his way on the first issue. No matter what it is. And no, he won't tell her. Alicia agrees, because even though she would not sleep with Finn Polmar FOR SOME REASON THAT DEFIES HUMAN SEXUAL LOGIC, she has become someone who is happy to make out with the devil.
Amanda
And THIS is the investigator Alicia hires instead of Jeffrey Dean Morgan. At first. Alicia asks if she's heard of Kalinda, because "you remind me of her." Amanda wonders if that's a good thing. Cut to halfway through the episode, where Amanda has messed up two or three things pursuant to the case, and seems only interested in when she's going to get paid. I wish the lady investigator had not been the one who turned out to be incompetent. However, the Kings ended up having to release a statement AGAIN clarifying that this was not intended as a dig at Archie Panjabi, and LORD am I tired of that whole thing. In this situation, I actually believe them: It's pretty clear from the show that Alicia hired her because the heat with Jeffrey Dean Morgan scared her, and she's reaching for a safer bond like the one that worked so well between her and Kalinda. It doesn't play like anyone is trying to hurl belated daggers at anyone's back. I think the Kings handled that whole thing with Kalinda APPALLINGLY, right down to every sound bite they have ever given about it, but this genuinely does to seem to be part of it. LET'S MOVE ON.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Yeah, that's right, Jeffrey. We're moving on STRAIGHT INTO YOUR PANTS.
Oh, so yeah, Alicia hires him to help out with the rest of her case, and then makes him a meager $85 an hour offer. They're flirtatiously up front with each other about how he's using her to jack up a competing firm's offer -- and that is, of course, Lockhart Agos & Lee. He tells Diane the offer is $200. She offers $250 and exclusivity but tells him he has to accept on the spot, and the next time we see him, he's accepting $95 an hour from Alicia with a slow smile and eyes that say WE ARE INEVITABLE UNLESS I GUESS THIS SHOW IS STILL RUN BY CRAZY PEOPLE (trust me, it's appealing, rather than smug). I suspect he just likes Alicia and her scrappy little home firm better than Diane, and that it fits his renegade mold a little better, but... I mean, come on. RIP EACH OTHER'S SUITS OFF YOU TWO.