I enjoy a good television pilot, one that keeps you on your toes the whole way through; one that involves you quickly and immersively in the characters' lives, letting you identify with the protagonist in a natural and unforced way; and one that trusts its viewers to be smart enough to figure out what's going on without a lot of obvious exposition. The pilot for CBS' The Good Wife, which aired tonight, was one such episode: quick-paced, well-acted (love Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, and Chris Noth), smart and compelling. Of course, only time will tell if the show itself is any good over the long haul, but so far I really like the juxtaposition of political scandal, domestic life, and the judicial office environment in which Margulies' Alicia finds herself. I like that Alicia's portrayed as a capable, intelligent woman who's willing to stand up for herself but who still possesses a certain believable vulnerability and sensitivity around the issue of her husband's infidelity and arrest. She's still learning the ropes at the law firm, and while she may not always get everything right, it's obvious that she won't take any flak...at least not for long.
So far, I like. Anyone else watch the pilot?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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2 comments:
Aviva-
I also really liked the pilot. I am excited that Julianna Marguiles is back on TV. And I am also excited that Christine Baranski is on the show. I hope that CBS goes a little rogue on this and makes her a kind of character seen on cable and not on network TV. That wold make the show so much better.
Hi Melissa! Right now CBS is airing some of my favorite shows, so I'm really hoping I'll be able to add this one to the mix. It's a nice variation to have a judicial show that isn't necessarily all about practicing law, but also about the domestic and political dimensions of the characters' lives.
I think I instinctively understand what you mean regarding the difference between characters on cable and network television, but I'd be interested to hear more about how you feel those differences manifest themselves. For some reason, I tend to watch mostly network shows, so maybe I just don't have a good base for comparison. What would make Alicia a more cable-like character?
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