The Best Episodes of The Good Wife Season 1

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.9/10(1448 votes)

   #1 - Pilot

   S1:E19/22/2009

   Alicia returns to work as a defense attorney after her husband's corruption scandal and incarceration. She is assigned her first case - a retrial of a woman accused of murdering her ex-husband. Her firm successfully deadlocked the first jury, and they hope that sticking to that strategy will work again, but Alicia realizes that this trial will be more of a fight than anyone expected.

   Director:Charles McDougall

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King

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   Director:Charles McDougall

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King
2. 

   7.7/10(1138 votes)

   #2 - Stripped

   S1:E29/29/2009

   After the State's Attorney refuses to pursue criminal charges, Alicia becomes second chair on a civil suit involving the rape of a prostitute at a bachelor party who may have been hired and abused by her own husband.

   Director:Charles McDougall

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King

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   Director:Charles McDougall

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King
3. 

   7.6/10(1039 votes)

   #3 - Home

   S1:E310/6/2009

   The son of Alicia's former friends is charged with felony murder, and Alicia decides to defend him, despite the fact that they ostracized her ever since the scandal.

   Director:Scott Ellis

   Writer:Dee Johnson

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   Director:Scott Ellis

   Writer:Dee Johnson
4. 

   7.6/10(986 votes)

   #4 - Fixed

   S1:E410/13/2009

   Alicia uncovers evidence that possibly proves that the jury is tampering with her firm's class action law suit that she has against a pharmaceutical company, while the legal team of her husband continues to mount the case for his appeal.

   Director:Daniel Minahan

   Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler

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   Director:Daniel Minahan

   Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler
5. 

   7.6/10(945 votes)

   #5 - Crash

   S1:E510/20/2009

   Alicia and Will have only 72 hours to find the smoking gun that proves the train company, and not the three engineers, is responsible for the crash, thus securing the widows their pensions the company is holding back. Meanwhile, Jackie and Alicia clash over taking the children to visit their father in prison.

   Director:Gloria Muzio

   Writer:Ted Humphrey

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   Director:Gloria Muzio

   Writer:Ted Humphrey
6. 

   8.0/10(952 votes)

   #6 - Conjugal

   S1:E611/3/2009

   As Alicia works with Will on the appeal of a death row inmate, she agrees to a conjugal visit with Peter in order to get information from him since her client was convicted under Peter's regime as state's attorney.

   Director:Rod Holcomb

   Writer:Angela Amato Velez

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   Director:Rod Holcomb

   Writer:Angela Amato Velez
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7. 

   7.7/10(923 votes)

   #7 - Unorthodox

   S1:E711/10/2009

   Alicia, representing a daughter of one of the partner in the firm, finds herself very attracted to her co-counsel, mostly because of his unorthodox approach of defending their client.

   Director:John Polson

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King

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   Director:John Polson

   Writers:Robert King, Michelle King
8. 

   7.8/10(881 votes)

   #8 - Unprepared

   S1:E811/17/2009

   While Alicia is preparing in a case defending a scientist accused of arson, she is suddenly asked to testify on Peter's behalf. Damages Peter Riegert guest stars as the judge in Peter's case and CBS' The Early Show star Russ Mitchell guests as himself and interviews Peter.

   Director:Jim McKay

   Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff

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   Director:Jim McKay

   Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff
9. 

   7.9/10(922 votes)

   #9 - Threesome

   S1:E911/24/2009

   Alicia is asked to represent a partner in the firm on a DUI charge. Her attention is split when she is suddenly forced to face the Other Woman.

   Director:James Whitmore Jr.

   Writer:Ted Humphrey

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   Director:James Whitmore Jr.

   Writer:Ted Humphrey
10. 

    8.0/10(880 votes)

    #10 - Lifeguard

    S1:E1012/15/2009

    When a judge overturns a simple plea deal that Alicia arranged, she looks into his motivation, and Diane is made an offer she can not refuse.

    Director:Paris Barclay

    Writer:Tom Smuts

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    Director:Paris Barclay

    Writer:Tom Smuts
11. 

    8.0/10(924 votes)

    #11 - Infamy

    S1:E111/5/2010

    Alicia learns more about Peter's fall from office when she represents Glenn Child's wife, Carla Browning, in her divorce appeal. Meanwhile, Will and Emily, an opposing counsel, get cozy during a death suit against Duke Roscoe, a caustic TV commentator.

    Director:Nelson McCormick

    Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler

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    Director:Nelson McCormick

    Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler
12. 

    7.6/10(863 votes)

    #12 - Painkiller

    S1:E121/12/2010

    Alicia and the kids have to deal with some really bad news; Peter learns some new information that makes him furious. Meanwhile, Alicia has to represent the doctor who prescribed medication to a high school quarterback, who appeared to die from a painkiller overdose.

    Director:Steve Shill

    Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff

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    Director:Steve Shill

    Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff
13. 

    7.8/10(856 votes)

    #13 - Bad

    S1:E132/2/2010

    Tensions are high as Peter's appeal begins while Alicia has to defend a wealthy client who doesn't seem that innocent, even after he's found not guilty of murdering his wife. Meanwhile, Diane takes precautions when a prisoner she put in jail is to be released from prison.

    Director:Alex Zakrzewski

    Writer:Ted Humphrey

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    Director:Alex Zakrzewski

    Writer:Ted Humphrey
14. 

    8.1/10(894 votes)

    #14 - Hi

    S1:E142/9/2010

    Alicia defends a man accused of killing his child's babysitter. Meanwhile, Peter's appeal seems to be going well, and Alicia prepares for the idea of him returning to her life.

    Director:John Gallagher

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick

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    Director:John Gallagher

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick
15. 

    7.8/10(861 votes)

    #15 - Bang

    S1:E153/2/2010

    While Peter gets acclimated to life at home and works on a comeback strategy with his political team, including Eli Gold, Alicia and Diane wrestle with spousal privilege laws in a murder case that hinges on their ability to get a wife to testify against her husband.

    Director:Rod Holcomb

    Writer:Courtney Kemp Agboh

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    Director:Rod Holcomb

    Writer:Courtney Kemp Agboh
16. 

    8.0/10(861 votes)

    #16 - Fleas

    S1:E163/9/2010

    As Peter strategizes on how to handle his retrial and the next steps in his public rehabilitation, Alicia and Will defend an attorney arrested for murder.

    Director:Rosemary Rodriguez

    Writer:Amanda Segel

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    Director:Rosemary Rodriguez

    Writer:Amanda Segel
17. 

    7.9/10(882 votes)

    #17 - Heart

    S1:E173/16/2010

    In an emergency courtroom set up in a hospital, Alicia and Will battle Patti Nyholm and an insurance company that refuses to pay for life-saving in-utero surgery. Meanwhile, Alicia gives Peter a proper welcome home.

    Director:Félix Alcalá

    Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff

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    Director:Félix Alcalá

    Writer:Corinne Brinkerhoff
18. 

    8.4/10(995 votes)

    #18 - Doubt

    S1:E184/6/2010

    Alicia and Will defend a college student accused of killing her sorority sister while under the influence of a sleep aid. At the same time, they also deal with their growing sexual tension and Diane and Kurt McVeigh continue their flirtation.

    Director:Félix Alcalá

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick

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    Director:Félix Alcalá

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Barry M. Schkolnick
19. 

    7.7/10(791 votes)

    #19 - Boom

    S1:E194/27/2010

    When Alicia goes head-to-head in the courtroom with former boss Jonas Stern, she debates whether or not use personal information to her advantage. Meanwhile, Peter uses religion to work on his appeal.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter

    Writer:Ted Humphrey

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    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter

    Writer:Ted Humphrey
20. 

    7.6/10(800 votes)

    #20 - Mock

    S1:E205/4/2010

    The police are quickly at the door when Peter's electronic monitor sounds after he chases Alicia out of the apartment. As a result, Grace and Zach scramble to figure out a way to keep him from being arrested.

    Director:Rod Holcomb

    Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler

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    Director:Rod Holcomb

    Writer:Todd Ellis Kessler
21. 

    8.0/10(819 votes)

    #21 - Unplugged

    S1:E215/11/2010

    While the firm takes on a case involving a divorce settlement for the wife of a musician who is in a coma, Alicia reluctantly considers a bold move to make sure that Lockhart and Gardner choose her over Cary.

    Director:Christopher Misiano

    Writer:Karen Hall

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    Director:Christopher Misiano

    Writer:Karen Hall
22. 

    8.1/10(814 votes)

    #22 - Hybristophilia

    S1:E225/18/2010

    Eli Gold works on getting Peter's charges dropped, and Alicia defends Colin Sweeney, a client and accused wife killer, who claims self defense after she finds him handcuffed to a dead woman.

    Director:Frederick E. O. Toye

    Writer:Frank Pierson

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    Director:Frederick E. O. Toye

    Writer:Frank Pierson
23. 

    8.2/10(844 votes)

    #23 - Running

    S1:E235/25/2010

    At Eli Gold's urging, Alicia must decide if she'll stand by her man during Peter's new political campaign, or if she'll pursue a relationship with Will instead.

    Director:James Whitmore Jr.

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Corinne Brinkerhoff

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    Director:James Whitmore Jr.

    Writers:Robert King, Michelle King, Corinne Brinkerhoff