On "The Good Fight" It's Diane Lockhart for the People

In Season One the very first image of the very first episode was Diane Lockhart Christine Baranski pictured at top and below leftamp160watching the inauguration of our current president amp160She sits motionless and confused a representation of the shock that many Americans found themselves in at that momentIn Season Two the first image is exactly the same Diane sitting in front of a television reeling over recent events that have shaken this country to its core and wondering what they mean for all of us going forward amp160The world has lost its goddamn mind and Dianeamp8217s reaction to everything throughout the season is supposed to reflectamp160the emotional rollercoaster that we the people currently find ourselves on amp160The titles of the episodes in Season Two are numbered daysamp160Day 436 Day 457 watching them tick by speaksamp160to the feeling of captivity felt by the more amp8220wokeamp8221 half of this country since January 20 2017Speaking of being amp8220wokeamp8221 Diane seems to be the only one thatamp8217s paying attention to any of this amp160Sure fictional people in the show are talking about Trump and what heamp8217s doing but their interest seems to depend greatly on how and if his administration specifically affects their livesThis brings me back to the idea of focusamp160 Consider the many other fascinating characters on TGF39s expansiveamp160canvasamp160 Maia Rindell Rose Leslie pictured above right is focused on her whitecollar criminal father and the repercussions of his actions in her life not to mention building her career Adrian Boseman Delroy Lindo has made his top priorities the financial success and survival of his firm amp160Marissa Gold scenestealer Sarah Steele is determined to becomeamp160an investigator and wants to be increasingly valued as an employee amp160Lucca Quinn Cush Jumbo and Colin Morello Justin Bartha are dealing with their fractious relationship and are preoccupied with their future as parents of the child Lucca is carryingamp160 Liz ReddickLawrence Audra McDonald pictured above centeramp160wants to uphold her fatheramp8217s good name and Jay Dipersia Nyambi Nyambi is a company man through and throughDiane like everyone else has a slew of concerns to be preoccupied with both personally and professionally but unlike everyone elseamp160seems to be hyperaware of the insanity thatamp8217s gripped the country amp160The second season is littered with shots of Diane watching the news and even when she isnamp8217t doing so she canamp8217t seem to avoid seeing the effects of our orangetoned presidentamp8217s poisonous postulations in everything from home shopping networks to childrenamp8217s programming amp160The man is unavoidable amp160The ridiculousness of it all only increases once Diane starts microdosing psilocybin amp8211 the active ingredient in the psychedelic amp8220shroomsamp8221 as a coping mechanismYou see a lot of times when sheamp8217s watching TV or laughing uncontrollably at say two people having sex in Trump masks sheamp8217s already pretty high amp160This along with throwaway lines here or there hints at the idea that a good chunk of the Trumprelated buffoonery sheamp8217s been seeing is a fabrication of her own mind amp160The punchline amp160The stuff thatamp8217s been happening in real life is literally stranger than the fiction cooked up by Dianeamp8217s brain on drugs and amazingly all of it is equally believable amp160SadThe biggest shock in Season Two is spoiler alert the shooting of Adrian Boseman right in the lobby of the Reddick Boseman ampamp Lockhart law firmamp160 Adrian lives but of course this terrible event has a huge impact on everyoneamp160 This is especially true of Diane who finally finds herself ready to kick the microdosing habitSpeaking of kicking Dianeamp8217s decision to stop dosing and start fighting back leads to her taking up Aikido a modern Japanese martial art whose name often translates to amp8220the way of harmonious spiritamp8221 amp160Through practicing this martial art and the philosophies that guide its teachings Diane demonstrates through physical action that her modus operandi in life has in fact changedamp160 hashtag symbolismamp160 No longer will she sit in nervous apprehension as this new and terrifying brand of insanity invades her world amp160Itamp8217s time to fightamp160 One could also cite the moments immediately following Adrianamp8217s shooting in which Diane amidst the chaos returned to her office and placed a pistol in her bag amp8211 as an even earlier indication of her motivational tides shiftingamp160 However that particular move seemed more fearbased than the unquestionably confident decisions she makes as a result of her aikido lessonsThe point amp160Her focus finally changes amp8211 and intensifies in the process amp160Adrian almost dying forces her to realize that even though she canamp8217t control everything sheamp8217s still far from helpless amp160This is summed up perfectly by something she says in the same episode amp8220I realize itamp8217s alright that the world is crazy as long as I make my little corner of the world saneamp8221amp160 This enlightenment comes just in time centering her for the biggest blow to come amp8211 long story short the DNC throwsamp160her under the bus in its unrelenting and sometimes toxic efforts to ensure that Trump lose the next presidential electionamp160 Robert and Michelle King the creators of The Good Fight and before it The Good Wife donamp8217t hold back from hammering Republicans in their storytelling but they often bash Democrats as well which has kept the stories that have run throughout both shows collectively fair balanced and most importantly engrossing and entertainingDiane gets another seismic shock tooamp160 Thanks to the Trump economy she has regained the millions of dollars she lost last year in the Rindell scandalamp160 What is she supposed to think about thatHer remark about maintaining sanity in her amp8220little corner of the worldamp8221 sums up Dianeamp8217s emotional journey this season but it does up the same for the people she represents on this side of the screen amp160Diane is us amp160She is a levelheaded intelligent human being with enough common sense to know that whatamp8217s happening here doesnamp8217t make any sense and while yes it is terrifying and she definitely canamp8217t control everything thatamp8217s happening she can affect change right where sheamp8217s at amp160Even during her big romantic moment when her husband Kurt McVeigh Gary Cole proposes that they stop pretending they can be married part time and amp8220live together until they dieamp8221 Diane still canamp8217t make a decision without getting an answer to the most important question she can think of amp8220Did you vote for Trumpamp8221Like many of us Diane is now focused on fighting the good fight and sheamp8217ll be damned if she gives up that easilyamp160 And speaking of not giving up it39samp160Emmy nomination season and here39s hoping CBS ramps up its campaigning on behalf of this deserving show and its magnificent leading lady After all those years as the fire in the belly of The Good Wife and now as the lead in its sizzzling spinoff it39s about damn time Christine Baranski was honored with an Emmy Award for her portrayal of the mostamp160dynamic female character on televisionClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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On "The Good Fight" It's Diane Lockhart for the People

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Ainsley Andrade

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On "The Good Fight" It's Diane Lockhart for the People

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