#alicia: it's elsbeth

[sekaithemystic]

s04e12 of the good wife is so funny cuz everyone was like "i can't help you i'm busy" then when elsbeth was mentioned they all went "i'm coming". she's really everyone's fav <3

[warningsine]

[lonely-night]

everyone is so mean to elsbeth, even alicia

[i-heart-scully]

Why was it jm's fault that kalicia didn't happen?

Not me getting an anon about this in the year 2024 💀 lmao

First, to clarify I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s JM’s fault kalicia never happened because I don’t know that the writers ever would have made their relationship romantic.

HOWEVER, what I was referring to in the tags on that Elsbeth post was the fact that Alicia and Kalinda never had an on screen interaction ever again after like mid season 4 (at least not one what required the actors to be in the same room). Despite JM and the writers trying to say this was purposeful to show Kalinda and Alicia were growing apart after Alicia finding out about Kalinda and her husband, this narratively makes no sense with where the show was going. Kalicia was in the process of reconciling and then all the sudden BAM nothing, no interactions between them on the show.

So there has been a lot of speculation that there was a “feud” between JM and Archie because of this. People have speculated on different reasons why, like JM not liking that people shipped kalicia or perhaps more likely that Archie won an Emmy for playing Kalinda in 2010 and JM did not win the Emmy that year. Whatever the reason, them not having scenes together was much more likely to be JM’s doing given she was also a producer on the show starting in season 3 and Archie was not.

AND THEN, they had a scene together in Kalinda’s last episode that they clearly shot separately and then edited together further solidifying the feud rumors. When JM was asked about this in an interview she denied there was a feud between them and said it was because Archie could not make it to NYC because she was filming The Fall at the time. And then Archie posted this iconic tweet:

[armeniuslaurant]

@warningsine I don't have Interview lore -or really any vampire setting lore- backed up in my head, so keeping it pretty generic in the worldbuilding: Alicia: Vampire. Hasn't "practiced" (let's say keeping a basic diet, not staying with the culture) pre-series. Discussing the philosophy of vampirism, the cost of immortality, etc, are absolute no-goes. Very clear parallel in her "corruption" arc as a lawyer and her corruption arc as a vampire. Veronica and Owen are also vampires, which is just fantastic. Has no wish for her children to ever turn, and this is one of the very few things her and Peter can agree on. Grace will eventually become a vampire, but Zach will not. Peter: Not a vampire. Basically all of the rumors, all of the scandals tied to him, are very stereotypical -offensively stereotypical- vampire behavior. By the end of the series it is all but shown that he has consumed human blood. Kalinda: She's gotta be a vampire, right? Just look at how she acts. Look at the hours she keeps. See how sometimes her lips are just a little redder than normal. Or perhaps that's a trick of the light? How is that nobody knows for sure? Why would a human "encourage" Alicia how she does? If she was a vampire, wouldn't she have done something with Cary by now? Kalinda is a werewolf. Will: Vampire. Was quite the menace in Baltimore, or at least always next to the menace. Diane's tacit stamp of approval is pretty much all that keeps him in good standing with the more personable vampire factions. Diane: Vampire. From a surprisingly long line of vampires (not the sire chain, her actual family, accomplished by selective vampirism. Do the mechanics of that make sense? It does in my head.) Kurt is a human, and a Van Helsing "traditionalist" (it's mostly right-wing bullshit with no basis in anything) Cary: Not a vampire at the start of the series. Very much wants to become one, and does during the equivalent of season 4. Wasn't the best decision he ever made. Eli: Not a vampire. Don't even suggest it, unless you want to hear a lot about the connection between antisemitism and vampirism. Marissa is a vampire, and don't even suggest she is human, unless you want to hear a lot about the connection between antisemitism and regular breathing humans, *dad*. David Lee: Vampire. Embodies the worst stereotypes vampires have about evil humans. Does not give a single fuck. Finn: He's not a vampire, and I don't have anything more to say about Finn. Lucca: Vampire. Jason: He's gotta be human, right? He's wearing a cross. He just came out of church. He just came out of that dive bar covered in ashes. Jason is a werewolf. Bonus round: Elsbeth: Vampire. A lot of the really weird powers that more eccentric humans say vampires can do was just Elsbeth trying something out Charles Lester: The blood of Van Helsing runs through his veins.

[laufire]

the good wife for the fandom ask!

I checked and the last ask meme I (self-)reblogged was this one:

feel like doing the one where you send me a fandom and I’ll tell you my top 3/5 favourite characters (depending on the size of the cast) and my singular most hated one.

If you meant something else feel free to send out another ask :P

But honestly? I have no idea what my Top 5 for this show would be lol. I really like Kalinda, but her storylines could let me down and it meant I never really got overly invested. Peter is... Peter, but my GOD are his plots entertaining xD. Eli Gold is a treasure. Alicia as a person is... well, Alicia, but I love following her plot and she's very, VERY hot. Diane is plainly amazing in everything except her choice of husband, but it didn't get as bad in TGW yet. Lucca Quinn is great. Elsbeth Tascioni? Pure, distilled perfection. I have a soft spot for Grace. And Marisa Gold (although for both her and Lucca, The Good Fight is part of why I like them). The show also had the most delightful array of guest stars I've ever encountered (all the annoying rival layers and weirdo judges and irksome clients añsdlkfjaf. Very realistic!).

So idk. Pick anyone from that list. In any order. It fluctuated.

As for least favourite... idk either. In a different show it would've 100% being Will, but circumstances conspired and I'm actually fond of the guy LOL. Hmm... that blonde layer that liked to play the ingenue got on my nerves... Nancy? Nancy Crozier. My reaction to her was exactly the same as Alicia's xD

[isagrimorie]

One thing I did like about Alicia was how ambivalent she was about religion.

Seasons 1 and 2 are such great seasons, one more season and officially The Good Wife ended for me and Elsbeth spent her time moving from Chicago to New York after consulting with Diane in her new law firm.

[esterzach]

This is just me obsessing over an old show. Again. What else is new?

Omg, this is perfection. Parenting Made Easy, 3.10, The Good Wife Such a juicy bite! I love that show, especially the first 3 seasons. I don't know if this is about age thing... but coming back and seeing it now, from a different perspective - just pure pleasure. The writing of the relationships and the drama! With all the ups and downs in the mood! Damn, they were good! This is exactly the type of writing that resonates with me. I watched a couple of episodes of other things lately. Well... Nope. They all seemed as if they were made for children. Some are really iconic series, but they just seem... meh... There is a good line here and there, but overall they feel shallow. And I get it, somewhere from the 90s, but The Nanny was from the 90's and still works fantastic, way better than other famous sitcoms from the same period.

It's not the era. It's the quality. There isn't a moment to breathe here. When something is funny, it's hilarious! When something is dramatic, it hurts! I can't help but think what would have happened, what was the initial plan about Alicia and Kalinda if certain someone hadn't decided to act like an idiot. I will never forgive her for this. Professional behavior, my ass... Anyway!

I love these writers! No idea who they are, but they deserve their weight in gold!(Leonard Dick is the only familiar name, and that's just because he wrote for House. )

It's rare for a show to make me care about pretty much every character. Usually it's about 3 people. The rest seem like a blur in the background. Here they feel solid! Even the guest actors. Often especially the guest actors. I know many of them are talented actors, but I didn't the first time I watched them. They were just characters for me. Some I understood and loved, others still hate with passion. Kanning and Elsbeth Tassioni! Whoever came up with her is brilliant!

But anyway! My thoughts were about this episode. Alicia is worried about her daughter, it started in the previous episode. Some of the people she defends are psychopaths, and it takes a toll on her. Oddly enough, she was witness to some seriously disturbing shit and never even flinched. But in her defense, on one occasion she was drunk, and it was hilarious. Now her kid decides to disappear and go to... some shady dude who baptized her. Yup. Her daughter still is among my least favourite characters. Even her son is more understanding and bearable than her. I feel like they either messed up with this kid's character, or she was done this way on purpose. Maybe to create a rift between her and her mother later on. Still...

So she disappears and Alicia freaks out, not being able to find her for several hours. Understandably, in her head, she's seeing the worst. Only her son is calm and tells her exactly what ended up happening. The interesting part is what happens around her without her knowledge. The way people revolve around her, activate to help, their reactions, and how effective or useless they are. I can't stand Peter! But have to admit - when it's about their kids, he cares and behaves as a normal father. The moment Alicia calls him, he understands and quickly forgets how angry he is at her and how lousy their relationship is at this moment. This isn't about them - this is about their child, and understandably, he uses all his power and resources to start looking for their daughter.

Kanning, who is usually a snake, a brilliant cutthroat, and ready to use every opportunity, takes a second to realize how upset and scared she is and immediately steps in to offer help. Despite his behaviour in court, he admires her and cares about her in his own way. Granted, by the end, he is his usual self and does something shocking... or very predictable. I don't know if I admire him, hate him, or am jealous that I can't be that opportunistic and smart. Probably all of the above. But here, the most amazing reaction goes, yet again, to Kalinda. At this point, the relationship between her and Alicia is disastrous. After the blow-up between the two about 11 episodes ago, Alicia can't even be in her presence. At the beginning of the episode, she even angrily asks: "What are you doing here?", when Kalinda comes to help the intern. A small reminder that Kalinda is sleeping with the dogs at the moment.

But one of the best aspects of this relationship is that Kalinda is almost like a shadow to Alicia. A guard of sorts who follows her closely and is ready to jump. And it's even better that this is not just explicitly shown on this occasion, but it's always there throughout the series from the very beginning. From their first case. From the first courtroom appearance of Alicia. Kalinda is there to give support. An encouraging word. An intimidating presence to the others who are or can be a potential threat. She is a rock. In this case, she senses something is going on, understands the situation from a couple of words, and immediately goes into action! She speaks with Zack, goes to Grace's girlfriend before the police, asks the right questions, and finds Grace before everyone.

The way she dismisses Will on the way out is absolutely the icing on the cake. Will meets her and asks her if she has time, she brushes him off, without even a look with a short "no" and leaves. Mind you, she is at work, and that's not just her colleague, that's her boss! The person who hired her, who is one of the closest people to her, said directly to her "I've got your back!". Her priorities can not be more clear.

Her loyalty is amazing! Later on, she shows it time and time again. It's even sweeter when this is shown in contrast to how she uses people and doesn't give a fuck about them. She respects Diane, but she is just a boss. She likes and respects Will, but she won't hesitate to manipulate him to give her a raise. Later on, she shows the same loyalty to Cary, risking jail to save him. But for Alicia, she would do anything. Literally anything. Forget breaking the law, forget jail - she is willing to kill. Poor Will. This was a bad time for him. Misunderstood, dismissed, and left outside the action he even misinterpreted what he saw when he came to her apartment. It's not that he didn't want to help, but Alicia thought he was calling about work or about them, and at that moment, he was the one who was unfortunate to be the receiving end of her anger. The guilt that she put herself first for once and could have cost her everything, even though there was no connection with what happened, made her decide later on to end it.

It almost felt like Will doesn't have a place in that part of her life. He wouldn't be able to understand - that's her family, and it seems like Will is not the type of guy built for a family. He is a playboy, married to his job, immature, enjoying his money and freedom, and a love affair with a colleague is just the type of thing he would do for fun, with no depth, just because it's fun and dangerous. If depicted this way for the viewers, it would have made me not like him very much. The whole thing with Alicia would've been meaningless and annoying. He could easily be just a dumb macho or a prick, that would make me say 'Pff, f off... "

But... he is not. And that's also made skillfully from the writers. In the eyes of most people around, even Diane, who knows him really well, Will is having fun, albeit dangerous fun with a coworker. It's again Kalinda who sees how deep his feelings for Alicia run. Will is subtle. Well, most of the time. He keeps his distance and respects her wishes. He asks her what she wants and what she thinks. He meets Zack and actively tries to be nice, he is awkward, wondering how he should behave with her son, but he tries. Later he asks her if she wants him to meet her children. She refuses, saying that there is no need. But just asking for this... seems like something huge! At this point, they are just having a secret affair, not telling ANYONE, because she is married to Peter. If that was just sex, he wouldn't think at all about something like this. But he had already made up his mind in that voicemail long ago. It's just she doesn't know that. It's telling how their first meeting with Owen went. Alicia's brother is one of my favourite characters in the show. Owen, and later Marrisa seem to be the voice of the viewers. I have loved Owen from the very moment he first spoke! Sharp, funny, perceptive, and kind, a bit messed up in his relationships, but he genuinely loves his sister and her children. Owen hates Peter, and it feels like it's mutual, and that resentment didn't start with the scandal. But with Will, they click from the very moment they meet. And Owen constantly pushes Alicia to Will, convinced that this is what will make her happy. It's also interesting that every time he asks her if she is in love with Will and if this will hurt her, she says "no". It feels like the whole idea is that she sees the situation from the cynical point of view of an outsider or the society. Maybe the society is right, probably her affair is the same old cliche of a boss messing around with an employee. No matter how Will behaves or what he says, what would it take for her to even consider that it is something more? Did life so far teach her anything else? The constant lesson to her was: "You can't trust people, they will hurt you." Betrayal is the ongoing theme throughout the series. It's not about her being a victim. People are like that - they don't care, they are selfish and will betray you. Her mom doesn't seem to care, she just lives her life, her husband from 20 years, the person who you are supposed to trust the most in the whole wide world, who you shared everything with you, spit on your trust and exposed you to the world to become a mockery, left you to fight alone, and to look for excuses for mistakes that aren't yours at all. Every one of her friends abandoned her, new ones either don't stick or put themselves and their interests before you. Or worse - they hurt you for no reason whatsoever. Trusting someone with your heart starts to look laughable with time. If she opens herself to it she exposes the last thing that is left of her inner self, the most intimate part of her, and is betrayed again, will she survive? I guess she chooses to think that this is fun for two grown adults, and that's it. Even Diane thinks so. The moment she found out about it she was sure that this fling would mean a disaster for her job. Because it's the only thing she has to protect, the only thing important to her, the meaning of her life. She can not comprehend that this relationship can be something that can be more important than their jobs and that they can view it differently. She goes into a protective mood over her job. This looks like one of the most American traits of the show - that cynical view of people's feelings and the normal, human side of the relationship. Work is more important than anything, and it can be the sole meaning of one's life, nothing else.

That is another can of worms people would probably hate me for digging into around here. But it's yet another aspect of the writing in this show that I love. Don't get me wrong - I like Diane, but for the first seasons of the show, she comes across as the cold, calculated bitch, who is ready to walk on corpses just like everyone else around her. She has no sympathy for almost anyone, man or woman, and is led by her desire for success and money until she is faced with uncomfortable love and a devastating loss that slowly makes her rethink everything. Someone in the previous seasons mocks her that she likes to pretend that her company is a family, and the accuracy of the statement is perfect. Family doesn't cost you millions if you make a mistake, you don't get into it (Usually) by giving obscene amounts of money, and the family doesn't (again usually) betray you over a deal, a family is supposed to be above that, and based on... love? Trust? Security? Support? Respect? Family means protection.

Not for Diane. And lately, not for Alicia. Diane never had one, and Alicia was stripped of the notion she could rely on hers. Her mother is nowhere to be seen, her brother gone for years, her husband... well, left her broke, jobless, humiliated, and she had to give up her home, with only a vicious, hateful mother-in-law who couldn't wait for every opportunity to make her feel like shit.

When Diane finds out about Alicia and Will, she doesn't think that there could be something more there. She thinks Alicia may have developed feelings, but she'll get over them. But for Will, it doesn't even cross her mind that he could be genuine. And she has known him for years. Ironic, considering in this episode, he speaks about a commitment to Kalinda. It's not new, but saying it out loud is a huge step forward. That's the man who claimed he doesn't do feelings in a recent conversation with her.

People lie. Alicia lies to convince herself, Will lies so he doesn't look weak, and Kalinda lies to save her own life and the people she cares about. Peter just lies. Because... a habit? At the end of the episode, it looks like one relationship is over, another is reviewed through a different lens, and a third one is presented with the possibility of being repaired.

The title "Parenting Made Easy" seems to hit another level of double meaning. No sane person in the world would say that parenting is easy, especially in a city with a crime rate through the roof, for people who struggle with personal problems, and in professions where people would do anything to get what they want, riddled with criminals who are ready to kill. But on some level, it's comforting to know that even then, in certain situations, everyone would forget everything else and focus on what's important. It takes a village, even for the wealthy. Even if it is a bit crazy.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Aftermath: Battle of Plataea (Out of Herodotus)

by A.E. Stallings

The Generals

After the blood-brimmed field, we were amazed to stride into those empty silken tents – bright tapestries, wrought silver ornaments, the furnishings of solid gold. Eyes glazed at all the untold booty: gods be praised! Our king bid foreign cooks spare no expense to make the meal our foes would eat, prepare their pastries, spices, wine. Such slowly-braised flesh melting off the bone! Such colours, scents! Our king laughed as he laid out on the cloth, beside the feast, our ration of black broth: “Behold! They came to rob us of our fare!” We also laughed, though fed up with that food, the soldier’s mess, the black broth of blood.

The Concubines

We heard the Greeks had won. At once I went and decked myself with every bracelet, ring, gold necklace that I owned, and rouged my cheeks, and hastily had my maids arrange my hair. The other concubines slumped in despair; but I’d been snatched from Kos; my people, Greeks! Dressed in white robes of silk, we fled the tent, and drove through corpses, far as the eye could see, until I saw Pausanias, the king. I stepped with golden sandals through the gore, the lady that I was, and not the whore, and knelt, a supplicant, Please set me free. The roar of blood like silence in my ear, until: Lady, arise, be of good cheer.”

Lampon the Aeginite

“Your glory after this victory is sealed,” I told Pausanias to please him, “Now crown it with revenge for Leonidas beheaded at Thermopylae. Remember the restitution that Xerxes denied us, and how he said Mardonius would pay it? Well, here is the cadaver – you just say it – and we’ll impale Mardonius’s head.” He stood in silence as his face went sombre. “Stranger,” he addressed me, “On this field the crime was well avenged.” As for that corpse, who knows what happened to it? There are versions – the truth is not so straight it never warps. Someone interred it – so I’ve heard it said – and reaped a handsome bounty from the Persians.

Source: http://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/from-aftermath-battle-of-plataea-out-of-herodotus/ .

  Alicia Elsbeth Stallings (born July 2, 1968) is an American New Formalist and Philhellene poet and translator. She currently resides in Athens, Greece. Her latest collection, Olives was published in 2012, and her poem 'The Last Carousel, Aftermath: Battle of Plataea (Out of Herodotus)' appeared in the summer 2013 issue of The Poetry Review.

[storyofwhoiam]

@plotjotsandespressoshots liked for muse roulette plotting: 

Kaz Proctor - Keera Anne Marie: If Keera ever ends up in jail, would be a very easy meeting

Alicia Florrick - Alexandra Herman: Alexandra gets into some kind of legal trouble and needs a lawyer

CJ Cregg - Alexandra Herman: Alexandra’s work brings her to the White House for some reason?

Penny Adiyodi - Trinity Wallace: They meet facing off against some kind of magical big-bad

Justino Rosa - Trinity Wallace: Meeting in Justino’s The Magicians verse

Franky Doyle - Piper Gloria Beau: In which Franky doesn’t go to prison but ends up making a career out of cooking 

Elsbeth Tascioni - Keera Anne Marie: Keera also seems to be someone who would be in need of legal representation 

Daisy Franklin - Alexandra Herman: Photographer buddies!

[gifsontherun]

The Good Wife ⚖️️ 4.12 "Je Ne Sais What?"

[highonfilms]

The Good Wife (2009 - 2016)

[warningsine]

[lonely-night]

alicia and will yell at each other faces and then kiss? ok that's kinda hot

[denizzga]

He came up to me: a. in his souped-up Camaro b. to talk to my skinny best friend c. and bumped my glass of wine so I wore the ferrous stain on my sleeve d. from the ground, in a lead chariot drawn by a team of stallions black as crude oil and breathing sulfur: at his heart, he sported a tiny golden arrow. ּ He offered me: a. a ride b. dinner and a movie, with a wink at the cliché c. an excuse not to go back alone to the apartment with its sink of dirty knives d. a narcissus with a hundred dazzling petals that breathed a sweetness as cloying as decay. ּ I went with him because: a. even his friends told me to beware b. I had nothing to lose except my virginity c. he placed his hand in the small of my back and I felt the tread of honeybees d. he was my uncle, the one who lived in the half-finished basement, and he took me by the hair ּ The place he took me to: a. was dark as my shut eyes b. and where I ate biter seed and became ripe c. and from which my mother would never take me wholly back, though she wept and walked the earth and made the bearded ears of barley wither on their stalks and the blasted flowers drop from their sepals d. is called by some men hell and others love e. all of the above

A.E. Stallings. First Love: A Quiz 

[laufire]

@punishandenslavesuckers replied to your post:

Look I love the good wife please give your hot takes nonstop

I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH. I always forget just how much until I’m watching an episode again. It’s just so, so good.

If you want me to talk about something in particular feel free to redirect me because there are so many things to talk about in this show!! I love the characters, for sure, but what gets me it’s the... “worldbuilding” sounds a bit off in this case, but it’s true. The ambiance they created in the show, the humor. The secondary characters are key to this and I love practically every single one. I love the judges’ indiosincrasies, I love the rival lawyers’ low tactics, the repeat clients and their troubles (Sweeney and Bishop are my absolute faves OFC), the parade of quirky weird people coming left and right in every episode... All the small things that make it feel real without falling into the trap of soporific “realism”, you know?

My favourite characters dance around from season to season, but at the end it comes to Kalinda and Eli; I love Kalinda to pieces, but her plots were a bit inconsistent and I’m not that satisfied with her storyline, among other reasons for all the bts nonsense. OTOH Eli’s story is always on the good side for me, and an endless source of amusement.

On that vein, I have to admit Peter is one of my favourites too LMFAO. Not as a person, I don’t really care one way or the other; but his storylines are my favourites more often than not. Getting out of jail, all of his political campaigns (but especially the first one, where he went for the youth vote and bragged about going to prison xDD), his time as governor... It was always fascinating to watch.

My other faves would be Diane (I ADORE her in TGF too; I need to catch up with that one), Elsbeth (A GODDESS), Cary (the pettiness, ILH). And I love, LOVE anything to do with the Florrick family drama (especially Alicia vs. Jackie. The joy it brings me omg. Or Zach ability to insert himself in his father’s political strategies. And seriously, was Grace queercoded af or what). Also, they are more TGF characters than TGW’s, but Marissa Gold and Lucca are really fucking gr10 too.

But really, I just like the whole cast. Even ones I didn’t expect to care that much for based on type. I tend to hate lead characters like Alicia, but I love her; I tend to have a lot of contempt for characters like Will, but I love his platonic relationships with women (Kalinda, Diane, Elsbeth...) and I sort of find him endearing sometimes, despite how much of a loser he can be? The actor looks a lot like one of my oldest friends so that might be part of it xDD.

My favourite season is definitely the fifth, but I love all of them. I’m just especially fond of that one, especially its second half. Alicia and Cary splitting from the firm and going hard against Diane and Will, the emotional rollercoaster of you-know-what for Alicia, Kalinda and Diane... It’s perfect to me.

I think my most controversial take is that I think Peter and Alicia are made for each other xDD. I wouldn’t say match made in hell because I reserve that for like, mass murderers lol, but in this show’s scale... yeah. I don’t ship it because I don’t really ship in this show, I don’t get ~feels (with MAYBE Diane/Kalinda as an exception. I just think they’re neat!), but it’s what I see. I’ve seen it since very early on. The episode where the sex worker he cheated on her with was giving interviews and humiliating them on tv? So Peter straight up threatened to sick a mob boss on her?? And when she went to Alicia for help Alicia gave Peter a kiss as a reward?? I was speechless. Fucking speechless.

They kind of remind me to Stelena, of all things xDD. An older, human version of them that was allowed to grow into their bitterness, but two damn political animals who get each other and can’t really shake each other (this made the scene where Kalinda reads Delena fanfiction to Diane -where Elena is cheating on her husband Stefan!!- all the more hilarious to me ofc).

Oh, and I don’t know if this counts as a hot take, but I adore David Lee. He’s such a raging asshole and takes such joy in it, bless him 💖