Knowing when to end a story is a tricky thing on television, and knowing when to end a successful series is something that has eluded the producers of some of the medium’s long-running series. While such shows as “Bones,” “Criminal Minds” and “Law & Order: SVU” have kept going well past their peak — into their 11th, 11th and 17th seasons, respectively — the executive producers of “The Good Wife” did the right thing Sunday when they announced during the Super Bowl that the show, now in its seventh season, would end May 8.
Showrunners Robert and Michelle King executed their vision for the show’s lead character, Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), to their satisfaction and are ready to move on (they have two other series in the works, including “BrainDead,” which will debut this summer). For their heroine they created a timely and complicated narrative arc that traced her evolution from the wife of a politician disgraced by scandal to worthy legal adversary to where she is today: an independent contractor who operates out of her own apartment. Along the way there were pitfalls and plot twists, alliances and misalliances that showed Alicia learning the skills to survive in a man’s world.
Margulies won two Emmys for her work, and the series will be remembered as one of the last network shows to receive a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. But after the shocking death of Will Gardner (Josh Charles) two seasons ago, the show began to lose its dramatic mojo. When this season’s storyline detailing the presidential campaign of Alicia’s husband, Peter (Chris Noth), literally petered out, it was clear that “The Good Wife’s” days were numbered.
Going out on a high note presents another challenge to “The Good Wife”: a satisfying series finale. Mary Tyler Moore managed one way back in the 1970s, and her sitcom still stands as one of the best-written and -acted series ever. “Seinfeld’s” finale met with mixed reviews. The last episode of “M*A*S*H” ranks as one of the most watched in history (106 million viewers).
While the Kings should not be expected to match those numbers, they can be counted on to give Alicia an exit that matches the dignity and wit that Margulies brought to the role. Maybe Alicia will finally divorce Peter and rekindle her own political ambitions. Maybe she will team up with Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and run a law firm together without the machinations of the usually underhanded men they worked with.
Whatever happens, “The Good Wife” was the right show at the right time.