Press reviews - 3x15 "Live from Damascus" - Vulture

The Good Wife Recap: False Positive

Whatever the ultimate outcome, Will’s suspension is a thrilling and daring reboot, better, I’d say, than the Peter-Kalinda revelation and subsequent Peter-Alicia separation of last season. Though the circumstances are somewhat similar—a big change foisted upon one of our main characters—Will is owing up to his mistakes, rather than trying to cover them up, as Peter did. This time, the big shakeup feels like a good thing, a chance to move forward. It’s propelled our heroes toward character growth rather than miring them in the job of picking up the pieces of their shatter existences.

Tellingly, Will is thinking aloud with Alicia when he decides to give in and take the suspension. The Will of Season One and Season Two would have fought it. But Season Three Will seems so at peace having made up his mind—he did the deed and needs to accept the consequences—and finally rid himself of the monkey he’s carried for 15 years. Is this the Alicia effect? Her stricter sense of right and wrong seems to have rubbed off on him, just as his sense of moral grayness has rubbed off on her. And now she’s his role model for strength and resilience. If Alicia could step away from the law for a decade and come back amid a humiliating public scandal, he can do the same. It’s thrilling to see how beautiful Alicia is in his eyes, how she managed to change a man just by being herself, and how small Peter looks compared to Will in this moment. Peter may love her and want to protect her, and he did fire Wendy Scott-Carr for having hurt her, but he doesn’t act like she makes him want to be a better man. He may be behaving well, but his heart’s not in it. Will taking the suspension is as loud a declaration of his devotion and worthiness for Alicia as the Voicemail of Love. But since this is The Good Wife, she of course doesn’t get this and it comes at a times when she’s ruled out all possibilities of being with him.

Source