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Whether a fan of the pairing of Alicia Florrick and Will Gardner or not, ‘A Few Words’ took us on a roller coaster ride of emotions that we found ourselves actually enjoying, masochists that we are. At least, I did, seeing as I watched the episode twice. In a long overdue Alicia-centered episode, we were allowed into the mind of the fiercely guarded woman as she embarked on a trip down memory lane while writing her speech for the American Bar Association.
The episode centers on the ABA meeting that has brought Alicia, Cary, Will, Diane and others to New York City. In addition to writing her speech, Alicia, along with Cary, are competing with Will, Diane and a slew of other firms to attain legal rainmaker Rayna Hecht. A final meeting with Ms. Hecht blessed us with a somewhat inebriated Alicia, who still managed to maintain her professionalism and carry on as if nothing were amiss.
With that being said, let’s talk about some of the major happenings of last night’s episode. I will try my best not to gush over every single moment shared, past and present, between Alicia and Will. However, I make no promises.
The Friendship of Alicia and Cary
One of the many great things coming out of what is definitely the series’ best season, is the growth of each character and relationship from season one shining through. In this case, I want to talk about the friendship of Alicia and Cary. They’ve grown from adversaries to allies to partners. So to have Cary by her side, encouraging her and giving her honest feedback on her speech was something that gave us a little insight into the great team they are growing into. They know each other very well and if there were any doubt about that, Cary’s immediate reaction to Will’s well wishes on Alicia’s keynote speech, telling her not to let him get in her head, shows that.
Elsbeth Tascioni and the Anti-Semitic Bear
Not only did we get the pleasure of having Carrie Preston back on our screens as the true genius of a lawyer, Elsbeth; we saw her interact with some questionable characters. Will sought out her assistance with the election fraud scandal and with that, the Office of Public Integrity Agent Nelson Dubeck. But, before we had the joy of seeing her play Agent Dubeck like a deck of cards, we saw her interact with a bear. A man dressed up as a bear, of course. Not just any bear, though, an anti-Semitic bear. As if the scene between Elsbeth and this bear wasn’t funny enough; her inability to let go of the fact that he called her a “dirty, stinking Jew” throughout the entire episode makes us love her even more.
Alicia and Will: Past and Present
While I struggled to get my thoughts together for this part, we had the strongest earthquake I’ve yet to experience since moving to Los Angeles. The power of Alicia and Will, you guys.
That sound you hear? That’s every single Alicia/Will fan hitting the ground, dead, from their hearts bursting with overwhelming love for this couple. Yes, I do include myself in this group. Remember, I watched it twice.
Where do I begin? I mentioned earlier that Alicia took us on a trip down memory lane with her. We saw her, after Peter’s scandal, embark on a job search that eventually, with a helping hand from fate, leads her to Will. They run into each other for the first time since Georgetown in, as only they would, an elevator. We, the viewing audience, have always wondered about that initial meeting and I think all would agree that it was…exceptional. My takeaway from all of those wonderful flashbacks is that Alicia and Will have IT. They ARE it. They’ve had this insane, magnetic chemistry since the very beginning.
Flash forward to the present day and we get what I would like to refer to as another exceptional moment. Alicia and Will end up (there goes fate showing her hand again) at the same restaurant, sitting at tables right next to each other. Finally, we get an honest, adult conversation between the former lovers (Not to mention the joy of Alicia calling the waitress a bitch because Will egged her on!). Of course, it would have been perfect had they actually revealed their feelings to each other. But, we’ll happily take this for now.
The Acting Prowess of Julianna Margulies
They may as well start engraving Margulies’ name on her Emmy, right now. That roller coaster ride of emotions I mentioned earlier? She was singlehandedly navigating it. Alicia cried; we cried. She smiled; we found ourselves grinning like idiots. She pours another glass of wine; we do the same (Oh. No? So that was just me dealing with my emotions by calling on my inner Alicia Florrick? Got it).
Seriously, though. Margulies seamlessly transitioned from present day Alicia to the woman she was five years ago; captivating us and making us feel what she feels; leading us to, for a brief moment, forget that she’s playing a role, acting her heart out. Margulies has, once again, proven that her talent knows no bounds and that she is a true force to be reckoned with. Like I said before, just hand the Emmy over.
Overall, this was a fantastic episode layered with perfection in the form of flawless writing and spellbinding acting. While I am eagerly awaiting the next episode and the shocking moment it holds in its clutches; I admit that I am equally terrified for what’s to come. Speaks volumes for what this brilliant team of writers can do. So, now it’s your turn. What did you think of this episode and all that happened within it? Hit that comment box and let us know your thoughts!
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