Just when Alicia thought she was out, Eli pulled her back into the emotional tsunami surrounding Will’s sudden death. Now, prepare for the fallout.
Below, Good Wife co-creator Robert King answers our burning questions about the revived five-year-old plot thread from Sunday’s fall finale that found Eli admitting to Alicia that he intercepted — and promptly deleted — a voicemail in which Will declared his love for her. The EP also teases the impact the reveal will have on Alicia’s relationships with Diane, Jason and (yes) Will.
TVLINE | Why did you wait so long to revive voicemail-gate?
A few reasons. We like that problems don’t really go away on the show — just as they don’t go away in life. It makes it feel like the characters have lives beyond the confines of seasonal arcs and denouements. We also wanted the viewers to forget about an event from seasons past; it makes it much more surprising when it comes back. Last reason: we want the first and seventh season to feel like they’re coming full circle.
TVLINE | Was this always the way you intended for Alicia to learn the truth?
We knew it would always come very late, and it would require a vulnerable Eli and an Alicia who felt she had moved on from Will’s death. But it was only at the beginning of this season that we actually placed the specific episode.
TVLINE | How does this impact the way Alicia views her relationship with Will. What regrets, if any, does she have?
It reopens a wound. The death of a loved one never really goes away. We all have a “sliding doors” fantasy of life. If we could just go back and choose the left path instead of the right, everything would be different: Will would be alive, Alicia would be living a happy and passionate life with him, and everything would be great. The regrets are probably magical and fantastical, but that doesn’t make them any less painful.
TVLINE | Will the resurrection of Will’s ghost lead to any newly shot flashback sequences with Josh Charles?
No. Unfortunately.
TVLINE | Fans are concerned that this storyline will mark the beginning of the end for Eli. Should they be?
No, not at all. Alan Cumming is in all the episodes this season. Life will be very difficult, but Eli is a survivor.
TVLINE | How will this revelation impact Alicia and Jason?
It will throw a monkey wrench into their attraction. Alicia knows it’s not fair, but she has been hurt by love and passion. It tends to make one gun shy. Jason, for his part, likes things to be uncomplicated; and Alicia’s life is anything but that.
TVLINE | The other elephant in the room is that Peter rigged the election to help Alicia — is Eli also going to confess that secret to her in an effort to fully clear the air?
To quote the Great McGinty, Eli had his “one crazy minute of honesty.” He was vulnerable, and guilt-ridden, and self-pitying, and he divulged something he didn’t have to. And now he’ll pay for it. Honesty, unfortunately, isn’t really the best policy on our show. It will be very hard for Eli to be honest again.
TVLINE | Since Will’s sudden death, Alicia’s closest connection to him has been Diane — but their relationship has been icy at best in Season 7. Will this revelation in any way send Alicia back into Diane’s orbit?
Yes. And Lucca’s. Things go around a lot on our show, but Alicia always seems to be in search of home — a place where they have to take you in.
