Alicia Florrick stands on a stage. The lights are blinding, her husband is winning, and her phone is vibrating in her pocket with a call that could change everything. If you remember that cliffhanger from the end of the first season, you know exactly how high the stakes were. But The Good Wife Season 2 Episode 1, titled "Taking Control," didn't just give us a simple answer. It reset the entire board.
Honestly, it's one of the best examples of how to handle a premiere. Most shows stumble when they have to resolve a massive "will-they-won't-they" moment. They either drag it out or provide a payoff that feels cheap. This episode? It chose chaos.
The Phone Call That Defined a Series
Let's talk about that voicemail. Will Gardner, played with that perfect mix of arrogance and sincerity by Josh Charles, finally put his cards on the table. He told Alicia he loved her. He told her he had a plan. But Eli Gold—the legendary fixer played by Alan Cumming—saw that flashing screen and made a choice that fans still talk about today. He deleted it.
That single act of digital sabotage is what drives the engine of "Taking Control." It’s brutal because it’s so small. No explosions, no gunfire. Just a finger tapping a screen. This is where the show really leans into its identity as a legal drama that is secretly a high-stakes political thriller.
Alicia is left in the dark. She thinks Will moved on. Will thinks Alicia ignored him. It’s frustrating, right? But it’s also brilliant writing because it forces Alicia back into her shell, making her professional growth the only outlet for her energy. You see her go from the "scorned wife" to a woman who is actively, well, taking control.
A New Player Enters: Blake vs. Kalinda
If the Will/Alicia drama wasn't enough, this episode introduced a dynamic that would dominate the next two years of the show. Enter Blake Calamar.
Scott Porter joined the cast as this smirking, leather-jacket-wearing investigator brought in by the new partners. He was the antithesis of Kalinda Sharma. While Kalinda worked in the shadows with a baseball bat and a flick of her notebook, Blake was loud. He was corporate. He was a threat.
The tension between Archie Panjabi and Scott Porter in this episode is palpable. It wasn’t just about who was the better investigator; it was about the soul of the firm after the merger with Stern, Lockhart & Gardner. The show shifted here. It became less about "case of the week" and more about internal warfare.
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Why the Merger Mattered
The merger with Derrick Bond (Michael Ealy) changed the physical space of the show. Suddenly, the offices were brighter, more open, and way more dangerous. You’ve got Diane Lockhart and Will Gardner trying to protect their turf while Bond is subtly undermining them.
It mirrors what happens in real-world corporate law. Culture clashes aren't just about different logos; they're about who gets the corner office and whose paralegals get fired. Alicia is caught in the middle of this. She’s no longer just a junior associate; she’s a commodity.
The Courtroom: Murder and Minimalism
Even with all the soap opera drama, "Taking Control" delivered a solid legal case. It involved a man accused of murdering his wife, but the twist was the "minimalist" defense.
Alicia has to defend a client who doesn't want to say anything. It’s a nightmare scenario for a lawyer. How do you win when your client refuses to participate in his own salvation? This subplot reinforced the episode's theme: silence. Just as Will’s voicemail was silenced, the client’s defense was built on what wasn't said.
Robert and Michelle King, the show's creators, have always been obsessed with how technology and law intersect. In 2010, when this first aired, the idea of a deleted voicemail being a "butterfly effect" moment was incredibly relevant. Looking back now, it feels even more poignant in our era of "read receipts" and "unsend" buttons.
The Power Dynamics of the Florrick Marriage
Peter Florrick is out of jail and running for State's Attorney again. Chris Noth plays Peter with such a magnetic, slimey charm that you almost want him to win, even though you know he’s a disaster.
In this episode, Alicia sets the terms. There’s a scene where she tells him she isn’t going to be the "stand by your man" trope anymore. She’s there for the optics, sure, but the emotional labor is over.
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- She demands a separate bedroom.
- She dictates the schedule.
- She stops asking for permission.
It’s a massive pivot from the Pilot. In the first episode of the series, she was literally following him. In "Taking Control," she is the one walking out the door while he’s still talking. It’s a masterclass in character arc development.
The Small Details That Stick
The fashion in this episode deserves a shoutout. Daniel Lawson, the costume designer, started leaning into the "power suit as armor" look for Alicia. The silhouettes got sharper. The colors got bolder. You can see her confidence growing through her wardrobe choices.
And then there's Eli Gold. Alan Cumming was promoted to a series regular starting with this episode, and thank god for that. His fast-talking, frantic energy provides the perfect counterpoint to Alicia’s stoicism. He’s the one who sees the world for what it is—a series of transactions—while Alicia is still trying to find the morality in it.
Why This Episode Ranks as a Top Premiere
When you look at the landscape of TV in the early 2010s, The Good Wife stood out because it was a "procedural" that felt like a "prestige" drama. It had the 22-episode structure of a network show but the soul of a cable hit.
"Taking Control" proved the show could survive its own hype. It didn't cave to the pressure of making Will and Alicia a couple right away. Instead, it doubled down on the idea that timing is everything. And usually, in Alicia Florrick's life, the timing is terrible.
Lessons from Taking Control
If you're rewatching or watching for the first time, pay attention to the silence. The most important things in this episode are the words that aren't spoken. The voicemail Alicia never heard. The secrets Kalinda keeps from Blake. The truth about Peter’s past.
It’s an episode about boundaries. Setting them, breaking them, and realizing that once you let someone cross a certain line, you can never really push them back over it.
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How to Apply the Alicia Florrick Mindset Today
Watching Alicia "take control" isn't just good TV; it’s a blueprint for professional resilience. If you're looking to channel that energy in your own life, start with these specific takeaways from the episode.
First, own your narrative. Alicia didn't wait for Peter to tell the press what their marriage was like; she decided how she would show up. In a modern workplace, this means being the one to frame your successes and failures before someone else does it for you.
Second, verify the "voicemail." So much of the drama in this episode comes from a lack of direct communication. If you feel like a colleague or partner is ghosting you or sending mixed signals, don't assume the worst. Ask. Don't let an "Eli Gold" in your life delete the information you need to make a good decision.
Finally, leverage your value. Alicia knew the firm needed her because of her connection to the State's Attorney's office. She didn't feel guilty about that; she used it to secure her position. Know your worth and don't be afraid to use your "unfair advantages" to get ahead.
The next step is to watch the rest of Season 2 with an eye on the Kalinda/Blake rivalry—it's the best "cold war" in television history. Pay close attention to the background characters in the courtroom; the Kings often reused judges who have their own hilarious, consistent quirks that build a "living" world. Navigate your next professional hurdle by asking what Alicia would do: stay calm, keep your coat on, and never let them see you flinch.