CBS All Access' The Good Fight - Episode 3.07 "The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy"
Diane and Liz deal with a close ally when assigned to a class action case involving malfunctioning voting machines in the 2016 presidential election. Blum's domineering tactics continue to push buttons at the firm while he purposefully stalls his work on Second Helix. Lucca is intrigued by a handsome associate of Blum's.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of CBS All Access' The Good Fight.
"The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy" was written by Aurin Squire and directed by Brooke Kennedy
This season continues to grow more and more meta with each passing episode, Here, English actor Gary Carr plays himself as he is researching how to play a lawyer while getting into a discussion with Lucca about how the law actually works versus what's seen traditionally on television even though this is still a dramatic television show. It's absolutely insane and crazy. The show plays into the idea that viewers of Downton Abbey and The Deuce would recognize Carr. And yet, he's not so popular that people would see through the ruse that Blum is currently producing. Sure, the audience should inherently be skeptical of the impressive résumé that Blum lists off about the new associate getting his coffee. Lucca is willing to supervise over the Second Helix case because she doesn't have another case that needs her full attention. The partners trust her not to be bullied around by Blum either. But she also hasn't put the time in alongside him to understand that Blum is lying constantly. She learns that lesson here. But the show also delights in the idea that she is so curious and attracted to this actor who has suddenly entered her life. She wants to help him and he is willing to do the same. It doesn't matter that she leaves her car at work when she has to rush home. That just ensures that the two of them have sex. It's an earned moment. It should just be amusing to see just how long the show plans on keeping this very meta storyline going. It does spend the week's musical interlude literally just describing a Downton Abbey plot instead of highlighting something about the legal or political system. Elsewhere, this hour is forcing Diane and Liz to their breaking points when it comes to the law and democracy. They have both been active participants of the book club. And now, Rachelle and Polly are defeated by the idea that all of their hard work may not be enough to defeat President Trump. They see his base as too solid to break apart. His approval rating will always hover around 40%. That may be enough support to get him re-elected. To the book club, defeating him at the ballot box is the most pressing issue. It's what they must do no matter what. They are now presented with a case that proves that voting machines were hacked in the 2016 election in order to change votes. They believe the only way to vindicate the situation is to hack the 2020 election to offset the advances that the Republican party has made. It's so cynical and illegal. Diane is the only one who raises a moral objection. She doesn't like being used in order to advance the agenda of the book club. She wants a say in the actions that are taken. She can speak eloquently about the importance of trusting the voting system. It's the foundational ideal that makes this country great. For Liz though, she has long known that every vote doesn't count. She has experienced too much discrimination and been riddled with thoughts that the world doesn't take people who look like her seriously in this process. This is her attempt to regain power and control over the narrative. She can make the argument that the new hack should only correct what was taken in the first place. But that also puts everyone in a reactionary position where the ends justify the horrible means. That's the action they are willing to take even though it could quickly go awry for them. They aren't even rallying around a specific candidate on the Democratic side yet. But the legal system has failed them too many times. Diane gets that awakening here when she learns the judge hearing her case is being bribed by the other side and willing to dismiss all of these concerns as a liberal conspiracy. That's horrifying but it also shows the importance of the Republican agenda in government to get as many judges on the bench as possible to ensure they continue to shape the narrative even if they no longer hold the presidency.
"The One Where Diane and Liz Topple Democracy" was written by Aurin Squire and directed by Brooke KennedyThis season continues to grow more and more meta with each passing episode, Here, English actor Gary Carr plays himself as he is researching how to play a lawyer while getting into a discussion with Lucca about how the law actually works versus what's seen traditionally on television even though this is still a dramatic television show. It's absolutely insane and crazy. The show plays into the idea that viewers of Downton Abbey and The Deuce would recognize Carr. And yet, he's not so popular that people would see through the ruse that Blum is currently producing. Sure, the audience should inherently be skeptical of the impressive résumé that Blum lists off about the new associate getting his coffee. Lucca is willing to supervise over the Second Helix case because she doesn't have another case that needs her full attention. The partners trust her not to be bullied around by Blum either. But she also hasn't put the time in alongside him to understand that Blum is lying constantly. She learns that lesson here. But the show also delights in the idea that she is so curious and attracted to this actor who has suddenly entered her life. She wants to help him and he is willing to do the same. It doesn't matter that she leaves her car at work when she has to rush home. That just ensures that the two of them have sex. It's an earned moment. It should just be amusing to see just how long the show plans on keeping this very meta storyline going. It does spend the week's musical interlude literally just describing a Downton Abbey plot instead of highlighting something about the legal or political system. Elsewhere, this hour is forcing Diane and Liz to their breaking points when it comes to the law and democracy. They have both been active participants of the book club. And now, Rachelle and Polly are defeated by the idea that all of their hard work may not be enough to defeat President Trump. They see his base as too solid to break apart. His approval rating will always hover around 40%. That may be enough support to get him re-elected. To the book club, defeating him at the ballot box is the most pressing issue. It's what they must do no matter what. They are now presented with a case that proves that voting machines were hacked in the 2016 election in order to change votes. They believe the only way to vindicate the situation is to hack the 2020 election to offset the advances that the Republican party has made. It's so cynical and illegal. Diane is the only one who raises a moral objection. She doesn't like being used in order to advance the agenda of the book club. She wants a say in the actions that are taken. She can speak eloquently about the importance of trusting the voting system. It's the foundational ideal that makes this country great. For Liz though, she has long known that every vote doesn't count. She has experienced too much discrimination and been riddled with thoughts that the world doesn't take people who look like her seriously in this process. This is her attempt to regain power and control over the narrative. She can make the argument that the new hack should only correct what was taken in the first place. But that also puts everyone in a reactionary position where the ends justify the horrible means. That's the action they are willing to take even though it could quickly go awry for them. They aren't even rallying around a specific candidate on the Democratic side yet. But the legal system has failed them too many times. Diane gets that awakening here when she learns the judge hearing her case is being bribed by the other side and willing to dismiss all of these concerns as a liberal conspiracy. That's horrifying but it also shows the importance of the Republican agenda in government to get as many judges on the bench as possible to ensure they continue to shape the narrative even if they no longer hold the presidency.
