In the fall, one of the storylines on ‘The Good Wife’ involved Alicia’s daughter teenaged daughter Grace, whose Christian friend was trying to convert her. Grace showed a newfound fascination with prayer and faith, and this clearly made her mother, Alicia, uncomfortable.
This spring the writers have developed and expanded this thread and last week’s episode, “Silver Bullet,” had Grace pushing herself–and her mother–further into the realm of faith. The topic first arises when Grace is told she is not allowed to wear a t-shirt to school that says “I am the mustard seed”–Alicia has to bring her a new shirt to change into, which is how she finds out her daughter is wearing the shirt. Then we see Grace watching a teen preacher online talking about how Jesus was a rebel, how he wants anarchy, and in particular, wants you to challenge your parents about what they believe. This inspires Grace to challenge her mother’s beliefs and actions (including Alicia’s choice to drink a glass of wine one evening after work) rather constantly throughout the episode, until Alicia pushes back.
Grace asks her point blank why she’s so uncomfortable with Jesus. Alicia doesn’t deflect the question or defend herself–she simply says, “I don’t know.”
I like the way this thread is evolving–it’s honest and complicated in the best ways. Though, I wouldn’t expect anything less from ‘The Good Wife’–the show’s writing is fantastic as a rule. You can watch “Silver Bullet” online here.