Bang (The Good Wife)
"Bang" | |
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The Good Wife episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 15 |
Directed by | Rod Holcomb |
Written by | Courtney Kemp Agboh |
Original air date | March 2, 2010 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Bang" is the fifteenth episode of the
The episode was written by co-producer and staff writer Courtney Kemp Agboh and directed by Rod Holcomb. "Bang" included guest appearances by actors Alan Cumming and Gary Cole. Cole plays a forensics expert with a country persona and a strong set of ethics, while Cumming plays a cutthroat political operative several commentators said closely resembled White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. The opening scene of "Bang", in which Peter returns home to his family, was planned to be the final scene of the series if the first season was unsuccessful and additional episodes were not ordered.
"Bang" received positive reviews, with several critics complimenting the ensemble performances, as well as Cole and actress Christine Baranski.
Plot
Ex-State's Attorney Peter Florrick (
Zach shows Peter incriminating photos he had been hiding from Alicia, which are doctored to show Peter being unfaithful. Zach intercepted the photos when they were anonymously delivered to the Florrick residence. Zach also shows Peter a photo he secretly took of a man bugging the Florrick apartment entranceway. Peter hires hardened and blunt political operative Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) to assist in the appeal. Gold recognizes the man as a federal investigator and informs Peter he is under investigation by the FBI. Peter reveals to Alicia that Zach hid the photos from her to spare her feelings.
Because of Peter's imprisonment Alicia, a lawyer herself, is working as a junior associate at a law firm.
Production
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/AlanCummingwithpornstache.jpg/170px-AlanCummingwithpornstache.jpg)
"Bang" was written by Courtney Kemp Agboh and directed by
If The Good Wife had not been successful and the first season was not renewed beyond its first 13 episodes, creators Robert and Michelle King planned to end their final episode with a scene in which Peter returns home and greets his emotionally conflicted wife; because the season was continued, it ultimately became the opening scene of "Bang". Robert King said he considered using it as a final scene because, "You would never have wanted to end it where it would be such a conclusion that everyone’s satisfied, because that’s not Alicia’s life. Alicia’s life is filled with questions."[8] Chris Noth said now that Peter is back home, much of the rest of the season will focus on whether Alicia can forgive his past infidelity, adding, "I don't know if they'll be able to recover or not. That's part of the ongoing drama."[9]
Cultural references
Kya Poole refers to Eli Gold as a "wartime
Kurt McVeigh's country mannerisms and dress prompt Diane to refer to him as the
Distribution
"Bang" first aired on
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Bang" was seen by 13.3 million viewers among adults between ages 18 and 49, according to
The episode received generally positive reviews. Jeremy Gerard of Bloomberg L.P. said the episode continues to maintain "with considerable grace" a strong balance between legal and domestic drama. Gerard also praised the performances of Cumming, Margulies and Panjabi.[11] Mandi Bierly particularly praised the sexual tension between Alicia and Will, calling their moment together "one of the sexiest scenes between two non-touching people wearing suits ever".[20] USA Today television critic Robert Bianco said the Broussard murder plot was "unusually weak", but praised the performances of Cumming, Cole and Baranski, who she said was turning Diane from a two-dimensional mean boss into an "appealingly complicated, generally admirable character".[21] Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel called it "another outstanding episode" and particularly praised the scenes between Baranski and Cole.[22] The Cincinnati Enquirer described it as a "pivotal episode" due to Peter's return home from jail, and listed it as a "must see" show.[4]
Los Angeles Times writer Meredith Blake praised the episode, particularly the chemistry between Diane and Kurt, which she called the "most amusing plotline" of the episode. Blake also complimented Alan Cummings' performance and the sexual tension between Will and Alicia.[5] Philadelphia Daily News television critic Ellen Gray said the homecoming between Peter and Alicia was satisfying, as was the chemistry between Alicia and Will. Gray praised the performances of Cumming and particularly Noth, who he said "manages to command attention whenever he's onscreen".[6]
References
- The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 14. February 9, 2010. CBS.
- ^ The Good Wife. Season 1. Episode 1. September 22, 2009. CBS.
- ^ a b c d e f g Toepfer, Susan (March 2, 2010). "The Good Wife Season 1, Episode 15 "Bang": TV Recap". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ a b "TV Best Bets". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Blake, Meredith (March 3, 2010). "The Good Wife: Coming home and Going Rogue". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Gray, Ellen (March 2, 2010). "Ellen Gray: "A Parenthood with promise, and a good Good Wife". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2010. [dead link]
- New York Daily News. Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ Bauder, David (March 1, 2010). "Husband's arrival marks shift in The Good Wife". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ "This week's cover: Spring TV Preview: We've got it bad for The Good Wife". Entertainment Weekly. March 4, 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- ^ Lyons, Margaret (March 2, 2010). "The Good Wife returns tonight". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 7, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Gerard, Jeremy (March 2, 2010). "Spitzer Stand-In Noth Goes Home as Good Wife Heats Up: Review". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ "Primetime – Tuesday, March 2". TV Times. Ottawa Citizen. February 28, 2010. p. 31 (C9).
- NET 5. April 2010. Archivedfrom the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Download The Good Wife – Bang". Apple Corps. March 2, 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c Gorman, Bill (March 3, 2010). "TV Ratings: American Idol Leads Easy Fox Win; Parenthood Debuts Modestly; Lost Falls". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Levine, Stuart (March 3, 2010). "Ratings: Parenthood opens modestly". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Bryant, Adam (March 3, 2010). "Ratings: Idol Keeps Rocking; Parenthood Debuts Fairly". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ "A list of the top 20 prime-time programs in the Nielsen ratings for March 1–7". Daily Press. Associated Press. March 9, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "FOX's American Idol #1 Tuesday, holds 96% of audience". Radio Business Report. March 3, 2010. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Bierly, Mandi (March 5, 2010). "The Good Wife spoiler: Josh Charles dresses casually, Martha Plimpton returns – which is more exciting?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (March 2, 2010). "Critic's Corner Tuesday: NCIS, Southland, The Good Wife". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
- ^ Boedeker, Hal (March 3, 2010). "American Idol puts Fox in front Tuesday; CBS, NCIS second". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2010.