Seeing Alicia from Season 1 to Season 3, the first strong impression is her growing stronger. If she is a computer, the hardware and software are both upgraded in this stage. The truth is, in workplace, no pressure no grows. The nature of lawyers are wit (smart), client-centered workaholics. So if you are in this game, you have to play it right.
My favorite character is Diane, and then Eli and Alicia. Diane is fully devoted into work, and she thinks in big picture, a rational, business woman. She is a good leader and profession. She has a clear stand politically and in work. She has to play the mother role when guys are fighting for positions like boys fighting for toys. And when Will’s relationship with Alicia became a serious problem which will affect the firm, she put the word on the table and asked Will to stop it.
One of the strong feelings after watching the show is the boundaries are so clear for almost every character. Lines are drawn apart work and life; work partners and intimate relationships; work and family; business and personal. I admire that people differentiate / separate the clear sense of boundaries so naturally and clearly. It is a cultural/social norm that everyone accepts and respects it.
Another thought of mine is there are grey areas in America just like in China. I used to have fantasies that the justice and political system of US should avoid corruptions and bribes etc, and just have realized how naive I was after watching this and the house of cards. As a lawyer, you not only preparing the best you could based on the rules but also catering to judges’ preferences in court, and sometimes you even have to sneak in the flaw of the law in order to win the case. I started to understand why some lawyers quit their job.
Generally speaking, the good wife is worth watching; especially it provides a female perspective. The society put women in such challenging positions to balance work, family and intimate relationships. I am encouraged to see these independent female characters. They are independent inside out (emotionally, financially, personal etc.)