The Good Fight is big hitter in brutal battle for ratings
SPIN-OFFS can often be TV suicide but The Good Fight stands a good chance of becoming a hit in its own right.
The first episode of the legal drama airs this Thursday with six-time Emmy nominee Christine Baranski reprising her role as high-powered attorney Diane Lockhart.
Other familiar faces include Cush Jumbo and Carrie Preston as lawyers Lucca and Elsbeth, Gary Cole as Diane’s husband Kurt and Zach Grenier as David Lee.
The story picks up a year after the dramatic finale of The Good Wife, with Diane and her new protege trying to rebuild her reputation and bank balance after a scam.
Cue new faces with Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones’ wildling Egrid) entering the fray as Diane’s lawyer goddaughter Maia.
NEMESIS
Delroy Lindo (Get Shorty) plays Diane’s new nemesis Adrian while Justin Bartha (The Hangover) plays Lucca’s potential love interest Colin.
Forced out of their ridiculously named law firm Lockhart, Decker, Gussman, Lee, Lyman, Gilbert-lurie, Kagan, Tannebaum & Associates, the pair join forces with Lucca at another Chicago firm.
Diane is seen turning off the TV in disgust at President Trump’s inauguration in the opening sequence – setting the tone for 10 topical and timely 50-minute episodes.
As with its predecessor each episode deals with a different legal case, but the long-running mystery of what really happened to Diane’s money ensures there’s something to come back for.one familiar face we still don’t know whether we’ll be seeing in The Good Fight is the star of The Good Wife, Julianna Margulies. Creators have admitted there’s a possibility Alicia Florrick may return. The show – which was sidelined by CBS to its All Access streaming site for reasons we can’t fathom – has had rave reviews in the States. It’s smart, wacky and its flawed characters are totally believable.
It deals with today’s issues – loss of privacy, the war on terror, police brutality, Trump’s presidency, and race relations.
It’s been so well received that a second season is already in the pipeline for 2018.
CBS Interactive chief Marc Debevoise revealed: “We’re only a few episodes into the first season and the reaction from subscribers and critics alike has been phenomenal.
“This series and its characters are just beginning and we can’t wait to see where Robert and Michelle King, their creative team and the amazing cast take The Good Fight next.”
We can’t wait to see it, never mind where it goes next.
The Good Fight airs on More4 this Thursday at 9pm.