--- title: "The Good Wife" year: 2009 canonical_url: "https://www.archytele.com/show/the-good-wife-2009" media_type: "tv" tmdb_id: 1435 imdb_id: "tt1442462" status: "Ended" seasons_count: 7 episodes_count: 156 runtime_minutes: 43 community_rating: 7.6 vote_count: 680 content_rating: "TV-14" --- # The Good Wife (2009) — Television & Cinema Intelligence Dossier > **Archytele Living Vault Canonical Record**: https://www.archytele.com/show/the-good-wife-2009 ## Executive Summary & Cultural Positioning The Good Wife is an American legal political drama television series. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law after a public scandal. The series aired on CBS and was created by Michelle King and Robert King. The show features a cast including Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth, Josh Charles, and Matt Czuchry. Alicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney, and must now provide for her family after he is behind bars. The series explores her journey as she assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. The Good Wife aired from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. The show's title refers to the concept of being good, which typically deals with an association with life, charity, continuity, happiness, love, and justice. ## The Hook & The Verdict **The Hook**: "A political wife reboots her career after scandal." ### Why Watch - Strong character development - Timely political themes - Sharp writing and dialogue ### Caveats & Content Note - Slow start for some viewers - Heavy subject matter - Tone & Suitability: Suitable for mature audiences due to workplace and political themes. **Micro-Themes & Vibe Matrix**: intense, thoughtful, dramatic, sharp, realistic ## Streaming Availability Matrix | Region | Stream (Subscription) | Free / Ads | Rent / Buy | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **United States (US)** | Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel | None | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies | | **United Kingdom (GB)** | Paramount Plus, Sky Go, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads | 5 | Apple TV Store, Amazon Video | | **Canada (CA)** | Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads | None | Apple TV Store | | **Australia (AU)** | Paramount Plus, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Stan, Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Basic with Ads | 7plus | Apple TV Store | ## Season Architecture & Lore Primers ### Season 1 (23 Episodes) ### Season 2 (23 Episodes) The Good Wife Season 2 continues the overarching saga across twenty-three episodes. The series is an American television drama airing on CBS, created by Robert and Michelle King. It stars Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi, Zach Grenier, Matthew Goode, Cush Jumbo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Alan Cumming. The narrative follows a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. **Essential Lore Primer (Before Watching S2)**: - Alicia Florrick is a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney. - Alicia's husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. - Alicia boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. - The drama series airs on CBS and was created by Robert and Michelle King. ### Season 3 (22 Episodes) The Good Wife Season 3 continues the overarching saga across 22 episodes. The series is an American television drama created by Robert and Michelle King and airs on CBS. It stars Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi, Zach Grenier, Matthew Goode, Cush Jumbo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Alan Cumming. The drama focuses on a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. **Essential Lore Primer (Before Watching S3)**: - Alicia Florrick assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. - Alicia pursues her own career as a defense attorney. - Alicia's husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. - The series is an American TV drama airing on CBS and created by Robert and Michelle King. ### Season 4 (22 Episodes) The Good Wife Season 4 continues the overarching saga across 22 episodes. The series is an American TV drama airing on CBS about a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. Created by Robert and Michelle King, the show stars Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi, Zach Grenier, Matthew Goode, Cush Jumbo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Alan Cumming. Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after these events. The narrative follows her professional and personal journey as she navigates the challenges of her career in the legal field while dealing with the fallout of her husband's public imprisonment and political scandal. **Essential Lore Primer (Before Watching S4)**: - Alicia Florrick is a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney. - Her husband has been sent to jail on charges of political corruption. - Alicia boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. - The series is an American TV drama airing on CBS created by Robert and Michelle King. ### Season 5 (22 Episodes) The Good Wife is an American television drama series created by Robert and Michelle King that airs on CBS. The series stars Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi, Zach Grenier, Matthew Goode, Cush Jumbo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Alan Cumming. The story centers on a politician wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. The fifth season of the overarching saga continues across twenty-two episodes. Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. **Essential Lore Primer (Before Watching S5)**: - The series is an American TV drama that airs on CBS. - It was created by Robert and Michelle King. - The narrative follows a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. - Alicia Florrick assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce. ## Filler vs. Essential Episode Classifier - **Total Tracked Episodes**: 112 - **Crucial Mytharc Episodes**: 13 (12%) - **Character Core Episodes**: 99 (88%) - **Side Quest / Filler Episodes**: 0 (0%) ## Creative Credits - **Created by**: Michelle King, Robert King - **Networks / Studios**: CBS ## Key Cast Continuity - **Julianna Margulies** as *Alicia Florrick* - **Christine Baranski** as *Diane Lockhart* - **Matt Czuchry** as *Cary Agos* - **Alan Cumming** as *Eli Gold* - **Archie Panjabi** as *Kalinda Sharma* - **Josh Charles** as *Will Gardner* - **Chris Noth** as *Peter Florrick* - **Makenzie Vega** as *Grace Florrick* - **Graham Phillips** as *Zach Florrick* - **Zach Grenier** as *David Lee* ## Canonical Frequently Asked Questions ### Q: Is it based on a true story? No, it is a fictional series. ### Q: Does it have courtroom scenes? Yes, it features legal cases and courtroom drama. ### Q: Is it a comedy or drama? It is a legal and political drama. ### Q: Are there multiple seasons? Yes, it ran for multiple seasons. ### Q: Is it suitable for teens? It is intended for mature audiences. ## Grounded Source Citations - [Google](https://www.google.com/) - [The Good Wife - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Wife) - [GOOD Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good) - [The Good Wife (TV Series 2009-2016) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442462/) - [Good - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good) - [GOOD | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/good) --- *Generated by Archytele Open Intelligence Systems. Data verified against TMDB and JustWatch APIs.*