3. The Social Issues
Yes, really. We know that shows like
Glee try to do this admirably, but
Good Wife adds a touch of murky morality to the mix - whether it's the wars in the Middle East affecting our law firm (in the particularly gasp-worthy 'Live From Damascus') or the ongoing civil rights issues that permeate nearly every episode. Integral issues such as race, sexuality and class are visible and played on all the time - a classic example is when Jackie Florrick, Peter's mother, comes face to face with both a rebellious attempt from Zach and his quasi-girlfriend Becca (played by Dreama Walker of
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) in the form of an apparent conversion to Islam and Alicia's openly gay brother Owen (Roberts) who takes glee delight in messing with Mrs Florrick's old-fashioned principles. In one episode, Eli attempts to help Peter gain support from the gay community in his re-election campaign, with... interesting results and the most awkward Yom Kippur dinner ever televised. There's no shying away from the issues here and they're played, not for emotional impact, but for viewer food-for-thought. Just as there aren't any black and white characters, there are no moral rights or wrongs - and that makes for all the more interesting television...