It is said that all good things must come to an end. In some ways that’s absolutely true now and not. It’s almost a toss up. Either way, there’s so much to get from this final episode that it could take some time for any clear answer to come.
The Paramount Global Distribution Group series finale of “The Good Fight”, is everything you’d expect it to be and then some. Familiar loves and surprises abound! To go out on top and in absolute control is even harder these days, but here, it’s safe to say this series got to do that and succeeded at both.
It seems only yesterday (it wasn’t) that this series started and was only just beginning to make some noise. Come to think of it, that’s the thing that makes this ending a bit harder. It felt like things were only amping up. For as much as this is an ending, I’m half inclined to believe that these characters and this world will be back next year. If wishing made it so. Still, as much as I’m going to be in denial for a bit, I’m glad this series did get the chance to end as it wanted. Everyone is better off.
The only question left, for so many, I’m sure: Is this the absolute end of the “The Good Wife”/ “The Good Fight” world? Will there ever be any other stories told that involve characters we’ve grown to love over the last 14 years (13 on air seasons)? Is it too soon to start crossing those fingers?
Fight On
Chaos.
In this episode, that’s the watchword.
From the moment this final episode begins it’s there. The ominous “12 Hours Left” indicator puts things into gear and doesn’t let up. Fortunately, as we watch these characters once more bound from one crazy and strange thing to another, we’re able to enjoy it all. Everything we’re getting, is exactly what we’ve been getting for six years.
I’ve alway been surprised, and pleasantly so, with how this series was able to weave in real world issues with both a serious tone and a comedic, lighthearted touch. There was always a dramatic line and we knew what it was, but at the same time, or in one quick flip, a moment of levity was had. Even looking back at “The Good Wife”, this was a similar (if not out right same) line being walked and it never failed to keep things whimsical and original enough, but also grounded, to an extent. With this series there was something refreshing about keeping it grounded most of the time, but then go up a few notches to a more absurd level. You never lost sight of what was being conveyed, but didn’t have to have it given to you in such a predictable and safe manner. Even the case involving guest star John Cameron Mitchell’s Felix Staples was one final example of all of this, particularly when we got our final shot of his character after such an incredibly dramatic and suspenseful sequence. It was impossible not to chuckle.
But it wasn’t just the topical issues. It was the character’s lives. We got the typical dramatic beats, professionally and personally, but there was always room for quirky. The balance struck between more serious and “normal” characters like Christine Baranski’s Diane and Audra McDonald’s Liz compared to that of Andre Braugher’s Ri’Chard, and just about any guest star (Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni!) is itself incredible. Throw in the running gags of the moment or just other comedic bits and I’m amazed at the work the writers did. Crafting so much for these actors and seeing them bring it all to life is next level! Why? Because it’s a hard balance, and I feel like I’ve seen enough people try to have this and fail spectacularly. It’s in those moments where I wish for just a straightforward drama series. Thankfully that wasn’t the case here and never was going to be.
Throughout this episode and the series as a whole, I was challenged. I felt like the characters kind of were too, because of their final case with Mitchell’s Felix. You wanted to follow your gut and the way the world at large was thinking and encouraging people to behave (which is a different kind of conversation, so moving on), but this colorful character just made it infinitely harder. A rough game of tug of war was playing out amidst all of these other narrative beats. So a different kind of chaos. But it never truly felt preachy. Maybe some smaller moments in any given episode started to wade towards that tone, but somehow it seemed like they stopped just shy of that line. If not for this approach, I don’t think I would’ve been challenged as much nor as engaged as much and thus, entertained in the way I was. It’s not the standard to have the slightly unconventional storytelling entertain you. Yes, I know how that sounds. But if not for how we and the characters were being challenged on all fronts, we wouldn’t have had nearly half of the entertaining moments we got.
Which brings me to the end (of everything). I couldn’t help myself there. One final question, which is very fitting not just because of the episode’s final shot, but because of how the finale itself played out: Did Robert and Michelle King always plan on ending with Trump or did they do tweaks like with how the series itself began?
Regardless of how it came to be, it’s perfect. Again, with all that had happened before this final moment, so much for these characters was kind of up in the air. Where would they end up? How would the events shape them now and forever? While the final decisions these characters make could be debatable for some, for me, I’m thrilled with them. Yes, it gives me hope that maybe we’ll see a third series set in this world, but it allows me to truly feel like I could see them carrying on for the next several years. That’s always the hard part with some series finales and being open ended. You want to envision and make up your own stories for what everyone is doing, but you can’t. Not fully. Perhaps this is the upside of not just having such well thought out and compelling characters, but partially keeping this series rooted in reality and forcing you to think more than you usually would. I love how the series also comes full circle. That peace may have been sought and it seemed like things were becoming “normal”, but it is shown that it never stops.
The good fight must go on.
And Audra, Coz Who Doesn’t Love Her?:
Final Season Trailer:
First Season Trailer (How It Started):
Originally Aired: Feb. 19, 2017 – Nov. 10, 2022 on Paramount+
Creators: Robert King, Michelle King and Phil Alden Robinson
Starring: Christine Baranski, John Slattery, Sarah Steele, Nyambi Nyambi, Michael Boatman, Charmaine Bingwa with Audra McDonald and Andre Braugher
...Everything in Between 