The Good Fight - The Schtup List (Preview)
Thats a question that also lingers in Dianes story. At the beginning of the episode, we see her decide to retire from the firm she created, buy a villa and start a new life. At her lavish retirement party, she even jokes, Its good to be wanted. Colleagues compliment her legacy by offering her positions at their firms, should she ever decide to return to work.
But after losing her money in the ponzi scheme, it becomes clear to her just how fickle her connections and friendships are in the face of tragedy. Shes broke, going through a difficult separation, and the firm that bears her name wont welcome her back. Baranski expertly explores the cracks in Dianes carefully curated facade without making her into a spectacle; the stakes at this point in her life may be even higher than those Maia faces. When Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo) offers her a place to land, its a chance for Diane to rescue the legacy shes spent decades building.
Its also a chance for her to rescue her protgs career, and despite the fallout from the Ponzi scheme, Diane sympathizes with Maias position and convinces Boseman to take her on, too. Maias start is hardly auspicious. But after being accosted at work by an angry man who says he lost his money because of her father, she finds an unlikely ally in Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo). Lucca was on the opposing team during the police brutality case and seems only mildly intrigued by Maias presence at best. But he was instrumental behind the scenes in getting Diane into the firm, and hence, in getting Maia in the door as well.
Lucca also gives a crying Maia some important advice that will ring true for many women. When they see you cry it makes them happy, she says, adding, Keep your head down and keep working.
Of The Good Fights three leads, Maia is set up to have the grandest arc. But its Lucca who proves the most fascinating. Shes steely and cunning with a presence that magnetizes, even if she is not the focal point of a scene. Cush Jumbo doesnt get the best material of the premiere but she leaves the biggest impression. Diane and Maia are both mired in the painful process of shifting their sense of self, given how much their identities are tied to the work they do. But its the identity politics Lucca must navigate as a black woman that will likely provide The Good Fight its richest material.
Other Gossip:
Like its predecessor, The Good Fight isnt a visual spectacle like prestige shows such as Legion or Atlanta. But director Brooke Kennedy is intelligent in how she frames her characters, creating a rich visual language that conveys the power of simplicity.
It is laughable how obviously The Good Fight was shot in New York, despite being set in Chicago.
Im intrigued with how the romantic and sexual dynamics of the show will play out, particularly between Maia and her girlfriend, Amy (Helne Yorke).
Im apprehensive about how the racial politics of The Good Fight will play out. Diane and Maia are effectively in the minority at Adrians firm, which is headed by exclusively black partners.
The racial dynamics of the police brutality case Dianes last assignment at the firm she created at times felt like the series was heading in troubling territory. There is a sharp visual divide between Bosemans all-black team, including Lucca on one side and the white lawyers on the other (including Diane, who is representing Cook Countys interests). But the fact that Lucca puts in a good word for Diane to one of the founding members of Bosemans firm, who is apprehensive about bringing on a white partner, suggests that the show will handle these complex issues better than its predecessor did.
The opening, with Diane watching in stunned silence as Donald Trump is sworn in as president, makes the shows politics and relevance undeniable.
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