‘The Good Wife’ recap: A homecoming family reunion party

Lots of familiar faces return for the latest “The Good Wife,” as Alicia holds a party for Jackie and Howard. Well, at least Howard won’t be Alicia’s father-in-law for long, since she and Peter are getting divorced. And lots more people know about that now.

The episode picks up right where we left off last week, with Jason asking Alicia what she wants, and Alicia replying, “you.” As the two talk, there’s a knock at the door, naturally. As much as they try to ignore it, they can’t. It’s Grace, saddled with enormous funeral flower arrangements, sent by mistake. They’re intended for the impending wedding celebration, but apparently you say “grandmother” and florists and bakers assume the worst.

Jason awkwardly leaves, but first hands Alicia a small, beribboned gold box. It’s nothing, he says, and she finds inside a deed to 500 acres of land that she now owns—on Mars. They’re both confused, but time is ticking, Grace needs help with the flowers, and guests will be arriving any minute, so they promise to talk later.

It’s a family reunion, with lots of returning faces. Besides Grace, Zach comes home all grown up: drinking wine, and introducing his new girlfriend Hannah (Taylor Rose). She’s immediately annoying, freely giving her opinion of Alicia’s life and flaunting her academic learning. Alicia’s mom Veronica arrives with Owen (underused this episode) as her designated driver; Diane and Kurt arrive, and we see them in public as a couple, blissfully happy; and of course Peter, with Eli and Marissa in tow. There’s even a TV with “Darkness at Noon” (which I always call “Threat Level Midnight”) playing in a back room. I don’t think we’ve ever seen Alicia’s (enormous) apartment so full of people—not even when they were launching Florrick-Agos and it was constantly overrun with lawyers. I’m only surprised Cary wasn’t there.

Cary, looking very casual, visits another familiar face: Louis Canning. He wants legal representation to protect him for his subpoena against Peter, since quitting Lockhart and Lee. Canning’s happy to help, and even reaches out to Alicia in hopes of banding together. Alicia turns him down, hanging up on him.

Jason, meanwhile, investigates Peter’s behavior during the murder mistrial he’s charged with. Despite Peter’s wishes that Eli find a different investigator, Eli asked Jason to prove Peter’s guilt, so they know exactly what they’re up against. Jason talks to another returning face, Matan, as well as a police officer who simply says Peter is “the best state’s attorney and a helluva governor,” but that’s clearly a well-rehearsed line. He speaks volumes while not allowed to say anything.

Jason also speaks to a technician at the crime lab, which Cary last week called sloppy and incompetent, who says Peter told her not to use the blood spatter analysis. She also says bullets went missing from evidence. This all sounds very fishy.

But of course, Peter has responses for everything. When Eli confronts Peter about it, Peter explains that the case was likely to be his O.J. Simpson trial (gotta get that current events thread in there), so he wanted to treat it with the utmost scrutiny, leading him to visit the crime scene. There he noticed the lab tech had made a mess of it, walking through the blood. This tech also has a history of shoddy work. This information is enough to assuage Eli.

Back at the party, Howard and his bride sign the ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract, as Eli and Marissa, Jackie’s “two Jewish friends,” serve as witnesses. The couple never discussed the fact that Jackie is Catholic and Howard is Jewish, but no matter, they both seem to be very happy. Jackie isn’t even shocked or disappointed when Veronica drops the bomb about Alicia and Peter’s divorce. That shock is left to Grace.

The divorce isn’t the only shocking news that night: Zach announces that not only is Hannah his new girlfriend, she’s his fiancé. They’re getting married and moving to France, where Zach will live off Hannah’s new job while writing his memoir. It’s an interesting idea—if Zach were not only 19 and dropping out of college—but Alicia can’t help but laugh. She also talks to Hannah, who seems to be pulling Zach into an open marriage. They love each other, but they mostly want to marry for the taxes. Is tax law in France is the same as in America?

Alicia gathers her young for a private conversation—difficult to do in an apartment full of people—and apologizes for not telling them about the divorce. Grace also assumes it’s because of Jason, and Zach yells at her and storms out. But they calm down, at least some, by the end of the party.

Jason, quite insecure, comes back insisting on talking to Alicia, since they left things so awkwardly before, and he tries to explain about the joke gift. He was planning to give it to her earlier, before they had such a serious conversation. He also explains, not terribly articulately, that he wants her too—except he doesn’t like to be tied down, and may want to leave in the future. Typical. But Alicia takes it in stride. Understandably, considering where she is in her life.

Once everyone leaves, Peter and Alicia share a drink while watching the end (the series finale?) of “Darkness at Noon,” toasting to their divorce. All the family knows about it now, but will they be able to keep it out of the press before Peter goes to trial?

So Good Wife-ers, with only two episodes left, what do you think will happen? Will Jason settle in Chicago for a while? Will Peter and Alicia divorce amicably? Can Alicia and Diane get their new women-partnered law firm off the ground without backlash from David? Will Peter be convicted?