The first season of The Good Wife began airing on September 22, 2009 and finished on May 25, 2010. It consisted of 23 episodes.
Contents
Premise
The series focuses on Alicia Florrick (Margulies), whose husband Peter (Noth), the former Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney, has been jailed following a notorious political corruption and sex scandal. After having spent the previous thirteen years as a stay-at-home mother, Alicia returns to the workforce as a litigator to provide for her two children.
Cast
Main
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick
Matt Czuchry as Cary Agos
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma
Graham Phillips as Zach Florrick
Makenzie Vega as Grace Florrick
Josh Charles as Will Gardner
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart
Recurring
Chris Noth as Peter Florrick
Mary Beth Peil as Jackie Florrick
Titus Welliver as Glenn Childs
Joe Morton as Daniel Golden
Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm
Jill Flint as Lana Delaney
Emily Bergl as Bree
David Paymer as Judge Richard Cuesta
Alan Cumming as Eli Gold
Michael Boatman as Julius Cain
Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney
Sonequa Martin-Green as Courtney Wells
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Geneva Pine
Dreama Walker as Becca
Gary Cole as Kurt McVeigh
Kevin Conway as Jonas Stern
Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni
Zach Grenier as David Lee
Guest
Mamie Gummer as Nancy Crozier
Ana Gasteyer as Patrice Lessner
Mike Colter as Lemond Bishop
Felix Solis as Kevin Rodriguez
Nitya Vidyasagar as Frida Verma
Reception
The first season of The Good Wife received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 83% rating based on 27 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Along with Julianna Margulies and a fine cast, the gripping drama The Good Wife, boasts hook-heavy plotlines torn from the headlines." On Metacritic, the first season of the show currently sits at a 75 out of 100, based on 26 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews.
Awards and nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
Nominated for Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Julianna Margulies) (for the episode "Threesome")
Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Christine Baranski) (for the episode "Bang")
Won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Archie Panjabi) (for the episode "Hi")
Nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Dylan Baker) (for the episode "Bad")
Nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Alan Cumming) (for the episode "Fleas")
Nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Michelle King & Robert King for "Pilot")
Nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Mark Saks)