Not being mathematically savvy, I have no idea how to compute what happened in “Ham Sandwich” in relation to the supposed mathematical theorem of the same name. Perhaps some astute viewer who does not suffer the same challenges as I will jump in and lay it out for me. In the meantime, I’ll share some less than genius level thoughts with you about the show as I saw it.
The big reveal at the end was not a surprise to me at all. There were several instances when I knew Kalinda and Peter shared a past. One was when she visited him in prison. Their mannerisms, their semi avoidance of eye contact, their appearance of total professionalism in spite of having worked together all lead me to believe they had shared a bed. I guess this was big news for some viewers, but I wouldn’t let it worry you.
If Alicia was able to forgive her husband his indiscretions, she will be able to do the same with Kalinda hers, should she ever find out. We don’t know that she ever will find out, although I think the love and respect that Kalinda feels in friendship toward Alicia will lead her to spill. Soon. She will not want to jeopardize their relationship by Alicia finding out from a third party something that happened even before they met. Alicia and Kalinda have become the heart of the show; to lose them would be unforgivable.
I wish Lockhart Gardner had not taken Bishop on as a client. What were they thinking? Lack of money is the root of all evil, but taking money from evil clients doesn’t help you down the right path. Watching the scene when Bishop told Alicia he had just “fallen out of love” was downright chilling. Wearing a good suit, with a smile on his face, he looked a man accusing him of murdering his wife right in the eyes, without a care in the world. The resurrection of Lockhart Gardner will not be done by representing clients such as Bishop.
Perhaps this all rings back to the above mentioned ham sandwich equation, but I don’t understand how the grand jury was using Kalinda as a scapegoat to go after Lockhart Gardner and Alicia in particular. I’ve obviously lost a few IQ points this week, because so many things were flying just under my radar. Explain please!
I hate politics. I general anything done with politics is unsavory. Rarely is there a good motive used by someone to try to “win” a seat in office. Because Peter’s opponent is black the new tactic is to placate the white vote. What a load of crap. I’m so sick of the race card being used…well, anywhere. I’m over it. I want Hollywood to be over it, too. They claim to be, but then we’re subjected to stories like this and I want to rip my hair out.
The Florrick kids have been pains since the get go, but not more so than when Grace started on her Jesus trip. No offense toward Christians, because I think whatever she is doing has absolutely NOTHING to do with faith. She was grasping at straws and one of them just so happened to be religion. To meander into the “do you think Jesus was black?” bit felt like slapstick. The look on Eli’s face. I mean, he’s a Jew!
Eli has been such a bright spot for the second half of this season. Ever since they celebrated the Jewish holiday at the Florricks, he has been wonderful to watch. His exasperation at Grace’s comment was impossible to hide and actually made me laugh out loud. I like the new, fresher Eli, with the wickedly funny sense of humor. I hope we get to keep him around for a long time.
So what’s lies ahead? I suppose the secret and it’s aftermath. The election results. Suiting the children up in straight jackets (I jest, I jest!) and waiting to find out on what side of the law Lockhart and Gardner wants to lay their cards. The mystery of Kalinda’s life “before” she was Kalinda is bound to be a slow reveal. She was probably a lonely housewife who wanted excitement. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
So lay your wisdom on me folks! Fill in the gaps, inform the uninformed (that would be me). Have your way in the comments or in the forum!!
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"I'm so sick of the race card being used…well, anywhere. I'm over it."
Good for you. You might want to let the millions of others for whom this is still a GIANT issue and won't stop being one for a very long time to come.
This show is one of the few shows out there that can deal with race issues in an intelligent and mature fashion. Never preaching or condemning, the show presents such topics and lets viewers decide how they want to interpret it. I thoroughly enjoy the level of intelligence displayed by this show.
If you're unable to see it, your IQ level is definitely far lower than even you realize.
Normally, I would agree with you on how they deal with race issues. But this clearly has nothing to do with race as much as a political race. And they are NOT doing a good job dealing with it.
I agree Alan Cummings portrayal of Eli is marvelous. The Grace conversion is annoying. It is supposed to be. Maybe it was designed to mirror dad's "conversion," but on a more juvenile level. Grace is pretty naive and sheltered and impressionable and righteous (poor Eli).
I might be mistaken but didn't Alicia ask Kalina if she slept with Peter some time in the first season? I too hope their friendship could withstand a reveal if it comes out.
As for the legal/political ethical problems I think the authors are showing that no matter what the good intentions real life is complicated and messy. And yes, this isn't Perry Mason where the clients were all innocent (except for maybe that one).
I agree – The Kalinda and Peter connection is no secret. In the episode that alluded to this infedelity, Alicia chose ignorance so that her relationship with Kalinda could sidestep it.
I am an attorney and love this show for creating a foil for legal and professional family issues. The nuances are impressive and the multiple reasons and tracks the story can follow are endless.
Whether Kalinda slept with Peter is not the basis for changing an identity. Kalinda literally does not exist prior to working at Florick's office. That suggests a witness protection event. Obviously she is hot enough for most men to want to bed her. So multiple reasons are again present for secrecy, obtuseness, and sidestepping issues. Will the sex overshadow Kalinda's possible danger if her secret is revealed? Will it end the Floricks just because it is revealed? Will a "Peter and the Wolf" scenario arise where Peter was actually innocent, but guilty by his association with hookers?
Children frequently take on issues without education. This points up the problem of failing to educate your children about religious issues. Eli's use of evil to oppose evil (opponents) is catching up with him slowly as such matters frequently do. I plan to stay tuned to see what the writers come up with next.
The uses for an excellent Private investigators are developed to the beyond the realm of belief stage. I have never found that many smoking guns over night. Only Perry Mason has ever been so lucky.
They are using Kalinda to get at Alicia's firm by trying to get her to testify that the firm ordered the hit on the psychologist and therefore involved in criminal behavior.
Another great episode and review by Carissa.
Agreed, the big reveal of Kalinda and Peter being involved was no big reveal to anyone who has watched this show since the beginning. Very well put on the race card being such a played out story line. How about the opposite of race not being an issue, and playing more on Peter's extracurricular affairs, wouldn't that be more intersting and original, and please someone whack the kids. Watching them on the Good Wife is enough to drive anyone to drink and not want kids
LOL – I have to agree. Watching those kids is taxing on the brain.
There were so many other issues they could have focused on with the campaign between a woman and man who is known for extramarital affairs…yet they go race. Just a huge disappointment for me, and The Good Wife is rarely disappointing.
While the fact that Kalinda and Peter slept together wasn't much of a shocker, i still don't understand why someone would go to the length of sleeping with someone to get their identity changed because they were "bored of their life". Thats a really stupid story line if there isn't more behind it.
Of course there's more to the story. It won't be about boredom. Kalinda had her identity changed, moved from Toronto to Chicago, probably to escape an arranged marriage connected to a powerful family in her own cultural community. Escaping enslavement and matrimony to a man you're not in love with (but has the ability to hunt you down) is enough to sleep with someone else to change your name.
Don't forget, Blake mentioned that Peter helped her wipe away all traces of Leila. There's someone out there looking for her.
@catrina, your cultural ignorance is astounding and also a hilarious in its alarming portrayal of arranged marriages. They are not very much different than finding someone on eharmony or match.com, the difference is that the families, parents and the potential brides and grooms do he "arranging" and weeding out of the mismatched pairings.
my parents has an arranged marriage and honestly I have not seem a more loving relationship. At the end of the day "love" is chemistry oxytocin or whatever other hormones, and don't differentiate between arranged and other kinds of marriages.
You were wondering about the ham sandwich reference. No, it has nothing to do with the Ham Sandwich theorem. It refers to a line Alicia had when giving advice to Kalinda about her grand jury testimony. After telling her to plead the fifth to every question, she says "a Chicago grand jury will indict a ham sandwich". Hope this helps.