What TV shows do you watch?

I remember her running for State's Attorney, trying hard to remember the details of the Ferguson type incident.

What do you think of her husband the governor?

The character development is one thing I really like in this series. Both Peter and Alicia are complex characters and I've fluctuated between liking and hating both of them. Right now, I don't like either character and it's making it hard to keep my interest because in order for me to remain a viewer I have to care about what happens to the major players. They both seem incredibly self-absorbed and selfish and duplicitous - hopefully one or both grow out of it.

I agree. I stopped liking both of them and ceased watching the show.

The same thing happened in The Sopranos. When I got to season 5 I began to find Tony despicable and my interest waned

At what point (season) did you stop watching it?

I pretty much liked both Alicia and her husband throughout the show. Outside of Peter's ingrained proclivity to jump the bones of all the women attracted to his political power, he was a decent guy. What hit me was both the immoral knife in the back atmosphere of the legal profession, as well as Illinios politics. It's not surprising that 4 out of the last 7 Illinois former governors went to the hoosegow. Both Alicia and Peter are pretty decent people but their ambition to make it in a dirty business leads them to do things that are not kosher by most standards.

One of the continuing questions of the show is if it is really possible to maintain moral standards without letting yourself get run over in this world.

And I think that's a very thought - provoking question, and I agree it's a recurring theme in the show. I just don't like the way both of them (especially Alicia, in the last few episodes I've watched) seem to excuse their own libidinous behaviors on a whim, have phony self-flagellating guilt pangs, rinse and repeat. I feel kind of manipulated as a viewer, and I don't like Alicia's flings (and guilt pangs) being so predictable.

It brings to mind something I've always believed - it shouldn't be that damn hard to remain faithful to a spouse. If you want to screw around, just break up or divorce first. If people treated marriage contracts like ironclad business deals, then someone breaking the terms would automatically reap a devastating penalty ( by screwing around).

She played the part of housewife, forfeiting her own career for his and being faithful, until he got caught in a scandal where a hooker both charged him and also took money from political opponents who were out to bring him down. She stood by him during the time he was in prison. She decided to stick with him as she thought he was a reformed man and also since the hooker was being paid to come onto him, she viewed him as something of a victim of a plot more than a philanderer. As her own career took off, she grew close to her old boyfriend Will from law school but held off consummating. Then when Peter returned to his old tricks, she started the affair with Will.

Basically, the husband started the messing around and the power games, so at some point she felt she had the right to have her own life. The kids were still in school so divorce, (which she was going to do after Peter got out of jail), was put aside. You're right, it is complicated, but both were put in the political spotlight, they had to worry not only about themselves but about how things affected their political career.

They aren't perfect, but I don't see them selling out any great priciples they believe in unless the law compels it. What I was put off by was the legal and political professions and how yesterday's friend and buddy becomes today's enemy who has to be taken down, regardless of how viciously it has to be done.

Yes, I understood that the progression of events (Peter did it first!) seemed to justify Alicia's indiscretions. I happen to be of the opinion that women in popular fiction generally get more of a pass than men when they cheat. Seems I've more movies that take a sympathetic standpoint with women cheaters than the opposite (See "Unfaithful" and "The Bridges of Madison County" to get my gist). But that's just me.

I hope both of them keep some semblance of a recognizable moral center so I can keep watching.

Oddly, the cheating never hit me that much. Traditionally, the guy in political office did his best to carry on his affairs discreetly, and the wife overlooked the various signs as long as he didn't make it too obvious. Guess that's why they called it The Good Wife-this wife didn't follow the model. I'm actually more shocked at how quickly friends and allies turn on each other in the legal and political profession, where yesterday's trusted ally becomes today's enemy. I find that world totally bizarre. I doubt I could survive in such a dog-eat-dog environment.

I know exactly what you're saying, and I don't think I could survive in that 'backstab or be backstabbed' world either.

I have a slightly different view of Alicia and her behaviour. I think it's obvious their marriage is over, they haven't divorced but only to protect Peter from bad press. She attends every event he asks her to attend, but they live in different homes and the notion of marriage is over. If they had a legal separation, it wouldn't seem immoral to the viewers (I guess) but they decided against any legal steps to protect Peters reputation. I think they both agree the marriage is over and they should live separate lives, but I think they also both respect each other enough to avoid outward signs of discord.

I don't live in a rarified place as they do, so married but not married seems strange to me. But it's television, and a tad of a soap opera, but I watched every single episode. And I love the clothes the women wear, it's grown up clothes, not get-ups.

I think the situation as you describe it only really happened last year, somehow Will came up in the conversation and she was feeling his loss. She turned on Peter and laid out exactly what you said.

Before that it was they're together for show, then they're together for real, then something happens and they're apart but only pretending to be together, etc etc.

About the only thing which seems sure about that marriage is that both can be relied on to come to the aid of the other when the chips really get down.

I watched Penny Dreadful to its end, but thought it ended awfully (why on earth did Malcolm Murray, Frankenstein, Dr Seward and Catriona Hartdegen all survive the lair of Dracula?). 50/50 I'd recommend it. Another problem with the show is that too many of the characters talk like they've majored in philosophy.

A better show is Dracula 2013, another tv series, that was cancelled after just one season.

I actually don't watch tv shows that much. I prefer movies.

Westworld is good. It's a Sci-Fi masterpiece.

I'm going to try watching Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency when it premieres on BBC tomorrow later today (Saturday evening). According to the critics though, this series is only going to appeal to existing Douglas Adams fans, and everyone else will find it incomprehensible. Good for me since I'm an existing Douglas Adams fan. But if you aren't, I gather that you might not enjoy the show.


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westworld_(TV_series)

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Gently%27s_Holistic_Detective_Agency_(2016_TV_series)

I tried watching Westworld, I find it a little boring......but I've never been interested in this type of fantasy. I would call it a big ho hum.

I watched the quasi-trilogy of shows on Netflix - Jessica Jones/Daredevil/Luke Cage. I was a big comic book guy growing up, but Its's not foregone that I'll watch any comic-based TV show. I just happened to hear some of the buzz that these were different and particularly good. It's definitely not fare for the weak of heart - the violence and sex is about the most intense I've ever seen on TV. I guess they had a little latitude because the platform is not traditional - a Netflix exclusive.
The character development is great especially in JJ and DD. Not so much in Luke Cage. But Luke Cage was can't miss for me because its central character is a bullet proof, super strong black man and the series didn't shy away from current issues in the news.
I recommend all three for a guaranteed different kind of viewing experience.

I have been enjoying "The Good Place" on NBC. It is surprisingly funny and really intelligent. The show, which is a smart comedy, deals with Philosophy and Ethics. There are a couple really good Kant jokes.

Any of the people who like philosophy should check out the pilot at least.

I enjoyed all three of those shows.

But, how can that be?! That would mean....
You and I have something in common!! The apocalypse is upon us!

I know, it's a shocker to me too.