The Good Wife: Season 1

2009 · 23 episodes · ★ 7.2

What Season 1 of The Good Wife

Alicia Florrick has spent more than a decade focused on her home and children when her husband, Peter, a former Cook County state's attorney, ends up in prison for corruption and a sex scandal that dominates the headlines. With no income and forced to leave her luxurious neighborhood, Alicia decides to return to work as a litigation attorney. Will Gardner, an old friend from law school, gets her a probationary position at the law firm Lockhart & Gardner. There, she competes with Cary Agos for the only permanent spot and must prove her worth to colleagues who know all about Peter's situation. Meanwhile, she raises her two teenagers and tries to start over, case by case.

23episodes

Sep 22, 2009premiered

May 25, 2010latest episode

16.5 hrtotal runtime

Season 1 Episodes

1x01 Pilot
Sep 22, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.1
Alicia returns to work as a defense attorney after her husband's corruption scandal and incarceration. She is assigned her first case - a retrial of a woman accused of murdering her ex-husband. Her firm successfully deadlocked the first jury, and they hope that sticking to that strategy will work again, but Alicia realizes that this trial will be more of a fight than anyone expected.
Directing: Charles McDougall · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Titus Welliver
1x02 Stripped
Sep 29, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 6.3
After the State's Attorney refuses to pursue criminal charges, Alicia becomes second chair on a civil suit involving the rape of a prostitute at a bachelor party who may have been hired and abused by her own husband.
Directing: Charles McDougall · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Titus Welliver
1x03 Home
Oct 6, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 6.6
The son of Alicia's former friends is charged with felony murder, and Alicia decides to defend him, despite the fact that they ostracized her ever since the scandal.
Directing: Scott Ellis · Writing: Dee Johnson · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Elizabeth Marvel
1x04 Fixed
Oct 13, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.1
Alicia uncovers evidence that possibly proves that the jury is tampering with her firm's class action law suit that she has against a pharmaceutical company, while the legal team of her husband continues to mount the case for his appeal.
Directing: Daniel Minahan · Writing: Todd Ellis Kessler · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Mary Beth Peil
1x05 Crash
Oct 20, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
Alicia and Will have only 72 hours to find the smoking gun that proves the train company, and not the three engineers, is responsible for the crash, thus securing the widows their pensions the company is holding back. Meanwhile, Jackie and Alicia clash over taking the children to visit their father in prison.
Directing: Gloria Muzio · Writing: Ted Humphrey · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, David Fonteno, Chris Noth
1x06 Conjugal
Nov 3, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
As Alicia works with Will on the appeal of a death row inmate, she agrees to a conjugal visit with Peter in order to get information from him since her client was convicted under Peter's regime as state's attorney.
Directing: Rod Holcomb · Writing: Angela Amato Velez · Starring: Chris Noth, Chris Butler, David Paymer, Linda Powell
1x07 Unorthodox
Nov 10, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.1
Alicia, representing a daughter of one of the partner in the firm, finds herself very attracted to her co-counsel, mostly because of his unorthodox approach of defending their client.
Directing: John Polson · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King · Starring: Graham Phillips, Mary Beth Peil, Emily Bergl, Chris Bowers
1x08 Unprepared
Nov 17, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.2
While Alicia is preparing in a case defending a scientist accused of arson, she is suddenly asked to testify on Peter's behalf. Damages Peter Riegert guest stars as the judge in Peter's case and CBS' The Early Show star Russ Mitchell guests as himself and interviews Peter.
Directing: Jim McKay · Writing: Corinne Brinkerhoff · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Jill Flint, Chris Noth
1x09 Threesome
Nov 24, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.8
Alicia is asked to represent a partner in the firm on a DUI charge. Her attention is split when she is suddenly forced to face the Other Woman.
Directing: James Whitmore Jr. · Writing: Ted Humphrey · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Chris Butler
1x10 Lifeguard
Dec 15, 2009 · 43 min · ★ 7.4
When a judge overturns a simple plea deal that Alicia arranged, she looks into his motivation, and Diane is made an offer she can not refuse.
Directing: Paris Barclay · Writing: Tom Smuts · Starring: Makenzie Vega, David Fonteno, Mary Beth Peil, Kate Burton
1x11 Infamy
Jan 5, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.2
Alicia learns more about Peter's fall from office when she represents Glenn Child's wife, Carla Browning, in her divorce appeal. Meanwhile, Will and Emily, an opposing counsel, get cozy during a death suit against Duke Roscoe, a caustic TV commentator.
Directing: Nelson McCormick · Writing: Todd Ellis Kessler · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Zach Grenier, Chris Noth, Titus Welliver
1x12 Painkiller
Jan 12, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.4
Alicia and the kids have to deal with some really bad news; Peter learns some new information that makes him furious. Meanwhile, Alicia has to represent the doctor who prescribed medication to a high school quarterback, who appeared to die from a painkiller overdose.
Directing: Steve Shill · Writing: Corinne Brinkerhoff · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Titus Welliver
1x13 Bad
Feb 2, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.2
Tensions are high as Peter's appeal begins while Alicia has to defend a wealthy client who doesn't seem that innocent, even after he's found not guilty of murdering his wife. Meanwhile, Diane takes precautions when a prisoner she put in jail is to be released from prison.
Directing: Alex Zakrzewski · Writing: Ted Humphrey · Starring: Chris Noth, Titus Welliver, Chris Butler, Joe Morton
1x14 Hi
Feb 9, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
Alicia defends a man accused of killing his child's babysitter. Meanwhile, Peter's appeal seems to be going well, and Alicia prepares for the idea of him returning to her life.
Directing: John Gallagher · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Titus Welliver
1x15 Bang
Mar 2, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
While Peter gets acclimated to life at home and works on a comeback strategy with his political team, including Eli Gold, Alicia and Diane wrestle with spousal privilege laws in a murder case that hinges on their ability to get a wife to testify against her husband.
Directing: Rod Holcomb · Writing: Courtney Kemp Agboh · Starring: Alan Cumming, Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Jill Flint
1x16 Fleas
Mar 9, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.2
As Peter strategizes on how to handle his retrial and the next steps in his public rehabilitation, Alicia and Will defend an attorney arrested for murder.
Directing: Rosemary Rodriguez · Writing: Amanda Segel · Starring: Alan Cumming, Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Ana Gasteyer
1x17 Heart
Mar 16, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.2
In an emergency courtroom set up in a hospital, Alicia and Will battle Patti Nyholm and an insurance company that refuses to pay for life-saving in-utero surgery. Meanwhile, Alicia gives Peter a proper welcome home.
Directing: Félix Alcalá · Writing: Corinne Brinkerhoff · Starring: Alan Cumming, Frankie Faison, David Fonteno, Chris Noth
1x18 Doubt
Apr 6, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 6.5
Alicia and Will defend a college student accused of killing her sorority sister while under the influence of a sleep aid. At the same time, they also deal with their growing sexual tension and Diane and Kurt McVeigh continue their flirtation.
Directing: Félix Alcalá · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Chris Butler, David Paymer, Gary Cole
1x19 Boom
Apr 27, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
When Alicia goes head-to-head in the courtroom with former boss Jonas Stern, she debates whether or not use personal information to her advantage. Meanwhile, Peter uses religion to work on his appeal.
Directing: Lesli Linka Glatter · Writing: Ted Humphrey · Starring: Alan Cumming, Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth
1x20 Mock
May 4, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
The police are quickly at the door when Peter's electronic monitor sounds after he chases Alicia out of the apartment. As a result, Grace and Zach scramble to figure out a way to keep him from being arrested.
Directing: Rod Holcomb · Writing: Todd Ellis Kessler · Starring: Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Chris Noth, Karen Olivo
1x21 Unplugged
May 11, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.3
While the firm takes on a case involving a divorce settlement for the wife of a musician who is in a coma, Alicia reluctantly considers a bold move to make sure that Lockhart and Gardner choose her over Cary.
Directing: Christopher Misiano · Writing: Karen Hall · Starring: Alan Cumming, Zach Grenier, Graham Phillips, James Carpinello
1x22 Hybristophilia
May 18, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.6
Eli Gold works on getting Peter's charges dropped, and Alicia defends Colin Sweeney, a client and accused wife killer, who claims self defense after she finds him handcuffed to a dead woman.
Directing: Frederick E. O. Toye · Writing: Frank Pierson · Starring: Alan Cumming, Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Jill Flint
1x23 Running Season Finale
May 25, 2010 · 43 min · ★ 7.4
At Eli Gold's urging, Alicia must decide if she'll stand by her man during Peter's new political campaign, or if she'll pursue a relationship with Will instead.
Directing: James Whitmore Jr. · Writing: Robert King, Michelle King, Corinne Brinkerhoff · Starring: Alan Cumming, Makenzie Vega, Graham Phillips, Jill Flint