The Good Wife: Season 1
  • Network: CBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 22, 2009
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
The Good Wife Image
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 112 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Alicia (Julianna Margulies) returns to her previous career as a lawyer after a scandal brings down her politician husband (Chris Noth).
  • Genre(s): Drama

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Paige Wiser
    88
    Alicia's cases are intriguing, and the background drama would be melodramatic if it weren't such a common story these days.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    80
    With the rest of the cast hitting the same high notes as Margulies and the script, The Good Wife promises to be that Holy Grail of television: a good criminal procedural that barely disguises the insightful, multilayered human drama that lies beneath.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    80
    Margulies puts a powerful combination of cold fury, bewilderment and tenacity into Alicia Florrick, the wife of a disgraced Chicago politician in a new series that readily admits it ripped itself from the headlines.
  4. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Matthew Gilbert
    60
    Margulies and Noth--both of whom have a similarly dark appeal--are well-matched onscreen. Alas, if you feel a “but’’ or two coming, you would be correct. The problem I have with The Good Wife is something that mars too much TV: telegraphing.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. kevinb.
    10
    Intoxicating series.
  2. WillN
    10
    Considering the wealth of retried formulas and overwrought reality TV, this show is a breath of fresh air. Actors are given a good script and a chance to act. Bravo to Julianna on an outstanding week to week performance, kudos to the rest of the cast as well.… Expand
  3. Jennifer
    8
    I watch this show every week. It is pretty good and interesting enough. It is however, every other legal show that has ever been on TV. The only difference is the main characters personal life and how she is coping with it and balancing the return to her career as a lawyer.… Expand
  4. Lisa
    6
    The legal plots are all "Been there, seen that" and therefore are rather boring. It's a shame that interesting characters are not given much interesting material. Scenes here and there are outstanding, but if this series is just going to be "case of the week" on a regular basis, what a terrible shame.… Expand

See all 26 User Reviews

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