"The Good Wife" is on fire

Will (Josh Charles) is not happy -- at all -- that Alicia (Julianna Margulies)
is leaving the firm. (David M. Russell/CBS)

This Sunday's episode of "The Good Wife," "Hitting the Fan," was billed as the series' Red Wedding, a reference to a particularly decimating and heart-wrenching event in "Game of Thrones." Though it didn't pack the same emotional punch (for me at least), it certainly lived up to the body count.

And it continued a string of stellar episodes that have been as perfectly orchestrated as the show's score.

In many ways, the first five episodes have functioned as their own sort of mini-season, with the one from two weeks ago, "Outside the Bubble," acting as the finale and "Hitting the Fan" as the premiere of something new. I was more emotionally torn by "Outside the Bubble," with so many feelings of betrayal surrounding Will pushing out Diane (I hate it when mom and dad fight) and both of them learning of Alicia's plans to jump ship. And while this week's Will/Alicia confrontation stung a bit -- does any show do a better job of the hallway walk? -- Sunday's episode as a whole was more of a fun look at what's to come in the Great Death Match of Florrick-Agos vs. Lockhart-Gardner.

Sunday's episode showed the new firm's lawyers are still on a learning curve but not necessarily outmatched, having picked up a fair amount of trickery from Will and Diane. Plus, they've got the heft of the governorship on their side. It's going to be a pleasure watching them go toe-to-toe.

There are a lot of big questions going forward, but the biggest to me is what all these characters are going to think/feel once they finally take a moment to breathe. The events of the past few episodes happened at a break-neck pace, and Will especially has been acting in knee-jerk fashion. (Though we did start to see him take stock in his sit-down with Kalinda -- an ever-growing friendship I can't wait to see more of.) Will Alicia have a "Holy crap, what have I done" moment? How long will it take for Peter's interference to bite him in the ass?

If Diane loses her judgeship, which seems likely (damn you, Peter), will Will take her back? Would she join Florrick-Agos if he doesn't? And will Lockhart-Gardner crumble as Kalinda predicted?

The only storyline I'm not looking forward to is whatever happens with Peter and Ms. Ethics (Melissa George) -- I'm even interested in Grace this year -- but everything else has been so ridiculously fun that I have little room to complain.

Keep it up, "Good Wife." You're on fire.

Food Network looking for home cooks

The Food Network is holding an open casting call in San Francisco this Saturday, Oct. 12, for a new competition series, "America's Greatest Home Cook."

The open call is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jordan's Kitchen, 3210 22nd St. (inside the Mission Market).

Get cookin'! And if you or someone you know (from Monterey County) plans to go for it, email me at jevers@montereyherald.com.

Info: http://rrcastinghomecooks.weebly.com

Figuring out Fall TV - Fridays and Saturdays

It's fall TV season again, which means decisions! How ever will you keep up with your old favorites while packing in a bunch of new shows that may or may not have a chance of making it? I'm here to help, breaking down each day hour by hour, letting you know what you should watch, what you should avoid, and how exactly you're going to fit it all in.

In general, I'm focusing on the four main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) as well as HBO, Showtime and a few other pay cablers. New shows are in bold.

It's Friday and Saturday. If you're not out for a night on the town, you've got a couple of new things to choose from. Or, you can use this time to catch up on what you couldn't get to the rest of the week.

Friday
8 p.m.
Last Man Standing/The Neighbors (Sept. 20, ABC)
Undercover Boss (Sept. 27, CBS)
Masterchef Junior (Sept. 27, Fox)

Regarding "Masterchef Junior": Who doesn't want to see Gordon Ramsay yell at kids?

"The Neighbors" starts its sophomore season on a new night. It picked up steam with critics last year.

9 p.m.
Hawaii Five-O (Sept. 27, CBS)
Grimm (Oct. 25, NBC)

10 p.m.
Blue Bloods (Sept. 27, CBS)
Dracula (Oct. 25, NBC)

"Dracula" stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") as the vampire, here posing as an American entrepreneur with revenge on his mind.

Saturday
11:30 p.m.
Saturday Night Live (Sept. 28, NBC)

The sketch show adds five new cast members, including that guy who interviews kids in the AT&T commercials. Tina Fey is host and Arcade Fire is the musical guest for the season premiere.


Related:
Fall TV Sundays
Fall TV Mondays
Fall TV Tuesdays
Fall TV Wednesdays
Fall TV Thursdays