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“The Good Wife” recap (6.9): Closeted Dinosaurs

Every politician needs a good ad campaign, even Alicia Florrick. So that’s why Johnny Elfman has brought in Josh Mariner, one of the best in the business, to come up with ads that will put Alicia in the exact light they want her to be portrayed. She’s a woman of the people—cue the constituent hugging her. She’s been touched by unspeakable violence—cue the sad Irish dirge playing while Finn opens his heart about the courtroom shooting, and watching Will die in his arms. When Alicia actually sees the footage, she resists. She doesn’t want to talk about the shooting, but Johnny thinks it’s a necessary side of Alicia to show the voters. Even Alicia’s body woman, Marissa, thinks it’s too much. Josh counters that Frank Prady will be pulling out all the stops, and won’t be afraid to emotionally manipulate the voters, so why should she. Also, they need to set up an interview with Alicia and Peter to help squash those pesky rumors that their marriage is a disaster.

Cary and Diane sit in FBI Agent Harper’s office, where they have been summoned to talk about Lemond Bishop. As usual, Cary refuses to give up any of the goods on Bishop, so Agent Harper pulls out the big guns. Well, not literally. He calls Lana Delaney into the office, which couldn’t be more awkward. Lana plays a wiretap of Bishop ordering one of his men to execute Cary that week. Cary tells Agent Baker to arrest Bishop, but the FBI dude tells him it’s not that simple. Lana warns Cary to take this threat seriously. “Next time you do this, don’t have the woman who is sleeping with my girlfriend break it to me,” Cary tells Agent Baker as he walks out the door. Oh Cary, only you would be so focused on your relationship woes, that a murder plot is secondary on your list.

Cary doesn’t think the tape is legit because Bishop was supposedly out of town the day of the recording. Diane breaks the news to Kalinda and orders her full attention on Bishop’s comings and goings. For Cary’s protection, Kalinda suggests they hire a body guard, and Diane agrees.

When Alicia arrives at the office, Frank Prady is waiting for her. He has something he wants to discuss privately, away from the meddling eyes and ears of their campaign managers. In Alicia’s office, Prady presents her with a box. (It’s full of secrets!) Castro’s campaign gave it to him when Castro stepped out of the race, and within its cardboard walls are enough goods to bring Alicia’s campaign to a screeching halt. He offers her the box, and asks if they can run a clean campaign, without the standard negative ads. Alicia doesn’t know what to make of Prady, especially since he’s already ahead in the polls. Prady says he simply wants to win fair and square, and leaves his personal cell number for Alicia to call, anytime.

When Cary is finally alone, he can’t help but imagine scenarios where he’s assassinated in broad daylight. The hallway to his apartment suddenly feels quite sinister. He thinks perhaps there is someone in his place, and Kalinda calls to confirm that it’s her. In spite of the judges order, she’s walked through and made sure the coast is clear. She also introduces Cary to his bodyguard, Carter Grayson. Cary recognizes Grayson from his fame as a college football player, and is a little star struck. Cary gets all smiley with Kalinda because she’s showing that she cares, just like he wanted her to. Just because a gal doesn’t want to be exclusive, doesn’t mean she wants to see you dead, Cary.

Alicia agonizes over opening the box Prady gave her, but after a couple glasses of wine, she gives in and tears into it. Inside are some pictures of Finn and Will, but those are old news. What really rattles Alicia are the pictures of Peter and their old friend Ramona canoodling, and a lot more. She calls Peter, but when he picks up, she loses her nerve and simply asks him to make time for an interview segment for her ad.

The next day, Johnny and Josh show Alicia a ridiculous attack ad against Prady, where he is a lumbering gay dinosaur, terrorizing Chicago. Alicia hates it, which makes Josh even more frustrated. When she gets Johnny alone, she tells him about Prady’s visit to her office. He’s worried that Prady is just trying to get in her head, but Alicia thinks he is sincere. She shows Johnny the box and denies opening it. She also nixes the dinosaur spot.

Cary and Carter arrive at Florrick Agos Lockhart, just in time to run right into Bishop and his new attorney. After an awkward exchange, Cary worries that Bishop will assume he has a bodyguard because he’s turning on him, so he calls Kalinda. Kalinda is of course, with Lana (who is busy tucking in her shirt and freshening up). Lana tells Kalinda about Cary’s little outburst in front of her boss, and Kalinda pushes Lana about the wiretap. She wants a copy to prove it’s not a fake, which Lana doesn’t really see as a rousing vote of confidence, so she leaves without another word.

Alicia and Prady meet in the park to discuss their strategy of not going negative. Prady gives her the goods on how his campaign wants to take her down, including exposing her relationship with Will. Alicia seems to be on board with a clean campaign, and even if their PACs release something unpleasant, the action will be swift on either side to condemn it. She slips him her personal cell number, too.

Alicia arrives for her interview with Peter, and of course Ramona is there. Alicia pretends not to know about the affair, and Ramona hands her a CD Alicia had asked for the last time they spoke. It’s of Ramona’s old riot grrrl band, Fifth Wheel. Peter arrives and he and Alicia have an unusually intimate exchange on camera. Ramona tries not to wince from behind the scenes. It becomes clear however, that Alicia is learning how to play the game.

After the interview, Alicia goes to the office, but it’s mostly empty. She stops by Finn’s office which she assumes is also empty, but he surprises her by popping around the corner with a coffee in his hand. Now that he’s got his own practice, he’s putting in a crazy amount of hours. They sit down together, and Alicia finally allows herself to be pulled in Finn’s direction. Their chemistry is undeniable, but before anything can happen she runs off, leaving him utterly confused.

It’s not paradise with Lana and Kalinda, now that Kalinda is so focused on Cary’s situation. Lana hands Kalinda a USB with the wire tap on it, and reiterates that it is indeed real. She then gives Kalinda her own little ultimatum. Lana wants Kalinda to take her, and their relationship, more seriously. There are few other ladies Lana wouldn’t mind getting to know better, if she and Kalinda aren’t going to be serious.

Alicia gives a speech for the fire department, with Peter by her side. When they get into the limo, she confronts him about Ramona. He denies that they are sleeping together…now. They did back in the burbs. Just because you try to shape a lie to look like the truth, doesn’t mean it works, Peter. Alicia tells him that she’s not jealous, but this perceived infidelity will be the end of both of their careers. So, if Peter wants to be re-elected, and see Alicia elected, he’s going to have to keep it in his pants.

Alicia, riding on waves of adrenaline (and perhaps feeling a little freer) puts on a stunner of a red dress, and marches in to do her segment of the campaign video about the shooting. She is heartfelt, and sincere, and completely amazing. No need for an attack ad, this one will do the trick.

Finn confronts Alicia about her sudden exit the night before, and she nearly opens up and tells him how she’s feeling, but she retreats. He tells her that what she thinks is complicated, might actually be quite simple.

Johnny calls Alicia to let her know that Prady’s ten minute campaign spot is up, and it’s well done. However, that’s not the bad news. In the video, Prady’s mother is wearing the same dress that Alicia does in her interview portion. Politics all comes down to a dress. They have tried to digitally alter the dress, but it’s not working. Now she has to redo the interview, but it lacks the depth and sincerity of the first one, and everyone knows it.

Ramona cries her eyes out as Peter attempts to break things off with her. There is a lot more invested in this relationship than what first appeared. Peter seems to really care for Ramona and vice versa. She cries, worrying that she and Peter are bad people. This must be a turn on for Peter because he goes in for a kiss. Shortest break up, ever.

Also having a spectacularly bright idea, is Cary, who decides that he must go to Bishop and convince him that he’s not flipping on him. Carter strongly advises against it, but Cary’s mind is made up.

It doesn’t take Prady’s PAC long to whip out a particularly disgusting ad of Alicia looking like a South Park character and hoping into bed with Bishop and Colin Sweeney. Johnny, Josh and Marissa want her to go on the offensive, but she’s still hesitant since it came from Prady’s PAC and not his campaign. She leaves and Josh pushes Johnny to step in and go above Alicia’s head. Alicia calls Prady to express her displeasure, and orders him to handle his PAC. Johnny calls a reporter and leaks the dino ad, all the while spinning Alicia’s campaign as above it all.

By the time Kalinda gets definitive word from her recording expert that the wire tap is real, Cary is standing in Bishop’s kitchen. She calls him to deliver the unfortunate news, and now Cary is a sitting duck. He tries to leave but Bishop tells him to stay. Cary asks Bishop about the tape, and he admits that he did kind of order Cary’s death and all. But he was just messing around! Sometimes Bishop orders people dead, but it’s just in the heat of the moment. No big. Cary assures Bishop that he has no intention of flipping on him, and Bishop flashes him a big smile. Afterwards, Cary gets the hell out of there.

Kalinda crawls into bed with Lana, and tells her that she does indeed take her seriously. It’s not an easy thing for Kalinda to admit, but she does.

The gay dinosaur ad has gone live, and Alicia isn’t happy about it. Johnny claims to have nothing to do with it, but Alicia knows better. She tells him not to go above her like that again. She calls Prady, and the two admit that it’s going to be nearly impossible to stay clean during this campaign. When Prady asks what they should do, Alicia tells him that they need to continue resisting the negative.

Lana is called into her boss’s office and confronted with a serious accusation. The Bishop wire tap was leaked and they have some questions for her.

Did Kalinda sacrifice Lana for Cary? Who leaked the tap? Also, when is Diane going to get a storyline this season?

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