In July 2021, the series was renewed for a sixth and final season. It premiered on September 8, 2022.[2][3]
Premise
A year after the series finale of The Good Wife, an enormous financial scam destroys the reputation of young lawyer Maia Rindell and wipes out the savings of her mentor, Diane Lockhart. The two are forced out of Lockhart, Deckler, Gussman, Lee, Lyman, Gilbert-Lurie, Kagan, Tannebaum, & Associates and join Diane's former employee Lucca Quinn at Reddick, Boseman, & Kolstad, a prestigious African American–owned firm making waves by taking on Illinois police brutality cases. In season two, Diane becomes a named partner at the firm, which takes the name Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart.
The show initially deals primarily with the storylines of its three female leads – Diane, Lucca, and Maia – and contains considerable political and social commentary, exploring topical issues such as the alt-right, the MeToo movement, online harassment, and fake news. As well as starting again in a new firm with its own office politics to deal with, longtime Democrat Diane must navigate a world she hardly recognizes, becoming increasingly troubled by Trump-era politics and the actions of his administration.
Lucca Quinn, a former employee of Diane's, has found firm footing at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart and is a rising star on the partner track, balancing her dedication to her work and a romantic entanglement with US Attorney Colin Morello, a frequent opposing counsel. Meanwhile, Maia, Diane's goddaughter, is trying to get her legal career off to a good start, while coming under pressure from the FBI over alleged involvement with her father's Ponzi scheme. The firm is also joined by Marissa Gold, a recurring character on The Good Wife, an intelligent and self-assured young woman with Democratic Party connections who becomes their newest private investigator.
Like The Good Wife, the show makes use of an extensive cast of supporting characters, including a recurring stable of opposing counsel, clients, police officers, FBI agents, judges, and politicians. Many are played by well-known guest stars.
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart,[a] who loses her savings after an enormous financial scam and joins Reddick, Boseman & Kolstad, one of Chicago's pre-eminent law firms.[4] In season two, Diane becomes a name partner in the renamed Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart. The firm later becomes Reddick Lockhart.
Rose Leslie as Maia Rindell (seasons 1–3),[5] Diane's goddaughter, who joins Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart as an associate just after passing the bar exam[6]
Erica Tazel as Barbara Kolstad (season 1; guest season 2), a name partner at Reddick, Boseman & Kolstad who leaves the firm at the beginning of the second season[7]
Cush Jumbo as Lucca Quinn[a] (seasons 1–4; guest season 5),[8] an associate who works with Diane and Maia at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart. She was made the head of divorce law at RBL in season 3.[9]
Delroy Lindo as Adrian Boseman (seasons 1–4; guest season 5),[8] an attorney who offers Diane a job at his law firm following her financial troubles,[10] and a name partner at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart
Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold,[a] Diane Lockhart's assistant and later an investigator at RBL[11]
Justin Bartha as Colin Morrello (seasons 1–2), a successful lawyer in the US Attorney's office who later becomes the father of Lucca's son and a United States congressman for Illinois' 1st district[12]
Nyambi Nyambi as Jay DiPersia (seasons 2–6; recurring season 1), the effective lead investigator for Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart. His storylines include his immigration status, and later suffering from long covid and hallucinations.[13]
Michael Boatman as Julius Cain[a] (seasons 2–6; recurring season 1), a managing partner for Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart, and Diane's former partner at Lockhart/Gardner. He later becomes a federal judge. After being pardoned following a wrongful conviction for bribery, he returns to the firm as of counsel.
Audra McDonald as Liz Reddick[a] (seasons 2–6), a former United States Attorney and the ex-wife of name partner Adrian Boseman, who comes to the firm as name partner following her father's death[14]
Michael Sheen as Roland Blum (season 3), a new attorney working with Maia on a murder trial. The character purports to be a protégé of Roy Cohn[15] and is inspired by Cohn and his acolyte, Roger Stone. Sheen describes him as "devilish," saying "he wants to eat and disrupt and fuck, and poke people."[16]
Zach Grenier as David Lee[a] (seasons 4–5; guest seasons 1 & 6), the sardonic former head of family law at Diane's previous firm, Lockhart Gardner. He is now a partner at STR Laurie, an international firm that has bought Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart.[17]
Charmaine Bingwa as Carmen Moyo (seasons 5–6), a new associate at Reddick Lockhart[18]
Mandy Patinkin as Hal Wackner (season 5), a layman with no legal training who opens a court in the back of a copy shop[19]
John Slattery as Dr. Lyle Bettencourt (season 6), a physician who provides medical therapy to help Diane to relax
Andre Braugher as Ri'Chard Lane (season 6), a new name partner installed at the firm by STR Laurie
Recurring
Zachary Booth as Jerry Warshofsky (seasons 1–2), a funder, along with Tom Duncan, for Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart, who uses computer algorithms to determine which cases the firm should pursue
Corey Cott as Tom C. Duncan (seasons 1–2), a funder, along with Jerry Warshofsky, for Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart, who uses computer algorithms to determine which cases the firm should pursue
Paul Guilfoyle as Henry Rindell (seasons 1–2), Maia's father, who is a wildly successful financial advisor, phenomenally wealthy and universally loved. He, Lenore, and Maia are the unofficial First Family of Chicago.[21] He is arrested for running a giant Ponzi scheme with Diane as one of his victims.
Chalia La Tour as Yesha Mancini (season 1), an attorney who represented Maia in her legal issues stemming from her father's arrest.
Jane Lynch as Madeline Starkey (seasons 1–2 & 5), a relentless FBI agent with a quirky personal style who believes Maia to be complicit in her father's scheming
Andrea Martin as Francesca Lovatelli (seasons 1–3), Colin Morello's mother and a controlling influence in his bid to join Congress
Tom McGowan as Jax Rindell (season 1), Maia's uncle
Matthew Perry as Mike Kresteva[a] (season 1), a lawyer who, after losing the 2012 Illinois gubernatorial election to Peter Florrick, now works for the US Department of Justice, in charge of an investigation encompassing Diane Lockhart and senior staff at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart[22]
Bernadette Peters as Lenore Rindell (seasons 1–2), Maia's mother who comes from a tough working-class background and is a natively brilliant financial whiz. She, Henry, and Maia are the unofficial First Family of Chicago.[21]
Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni[a] (seasons 1–2 & 6), a quirky yet smart lawyer[23]
Fisher Stevens as Gabriel Kovac (seasons 1–2, 4), an incompetent small-time lawyer
Tyrone Mitchell Henderson as Barry Poe (seasons 2–5), an equity partner of RB&L and Reddick Lockhart, who specializes in criminal law
Tim Matheson as Tully (season 2), a left-wing protester who has a sexual relationship with Diane
Rob McClure as Trig Mullaney (seasons 2 & 5), an unintelligent recently Trump-appointed judge with very little understanding of the law
Mike Pniewski as Frank Landau[a] (seasons 2–4 & 6), a Democratic boss in the Chicago area
Keesha Sharp as Naomi Nivola (seasons 2–3), a news anchor investigating #MeToo allegations who has a history with Adrian. She dates Jay in the third season.
Tamberla Perry as Charlotte Hazlewood (seasons 3–5), a judge who serves as adjudicator of the Lawrences' divorce trial and who enters into a relationship with Adrian
Kate Shindle as Rachelle Max (season 3), a member of Diane's resistance group
Hugh Dancy as Caleb Garlin (seasons 4–5), a junior lawyer at STR Laurie with a photographic memory, sent down to RB&L as the multinational firm's "eyes and ears"
Chasten Harmon as Bianca Skye (seasons 4–5), a wealthy client of Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart who befriends Lucca
Wayne Brady as Del Cooper (seasons 5–6), a television producer who runs Judge Wackner's show[25]
Wanda Sykes as Allegra Durado (season 5), a lawyer recruited to RB&L by Liz and Diane[26]
Tony Plana as Oscar Rivi (seasons 5–6), a drug lord and client of RB&L
Alok Tewari and Anthony Cochrane (seasons 5–6), as Osman and Winston, two STR Laurie executives who handle the firm
Ben Shenkman as Ben-Baruch (season 6), a criminal associated with Charles Lester whom Carmen Moyo represents.
Phylicia Rashad as Renetta Clark (season 6), the leader of a covert organization[27]
Daniel Breaker as Randy Elkin (season 6), an associate of Renetta
Shahar Isaac as Zev Beker (season 6), a Krav Maga instructor[27]
Guests
Introduced in season 1
Jerry Adler as Howard Lyman[a] (seasons 1–2),[28] a geriatric partner at Diane Lockhart's former firm, and now judge, who shows chauvinistic and stereotyping tendencies[29]
Jason Biggs as Dylan Stack[a] (season 1), a wealthy tech entrepreneur involved in the creation of Bitcoin, wanted by US officials
Louis Gossett Jr. as Carl Reddick (season 1), a name partner at Reddick, Boseman who has semi-retired. He dies before season two. In season three, it is revealed that he raped his secretary, the firm transcriptionist and many others.
Jayne Houdyshell as Renee Rampling (seasons 1–2), a friend of Diane's at a rival firm who cuts ties with Diane after the Rindell scandal
Christine Lahti as Andrea Stevens[a] (seasons 1–2), a high-powered lawyer from Los Angeles who often appears opposite Reddick, Boseman in cases involving film and television
Greta Lee as Amber Wood-Lutz (seasons 1–2), a young lawyer at a rival firm whose beaming smile obscures her sneaky tactics in court
Denis O'Hare as Charles Abernathy[a] (seasons 1–2 & 5), a judge whose strong liberal and socialist leanings lead him to overcompensate in favor of conservative litigants
Aaron Tveit as Spencer Zschau[a] (seasons 1, 3 & 5), an assistant United States attorney
Introduced in season 2
F. Murray Abraham as Burl Preston[a] (season 2), a condescending LA lawyer who mainly represents film studios and the rich and famous
Obba Babatundé as Danny Quinn (season 2), Lucca's father
Christian Borle as Carter Schmidt[a] (season 2), a challenging rival attorney
Mike Colter as Lemond Bishop[a] (seasons 2–3), Chicago's top drug lord and a kingpin of crime, who retains Diane as his lawyer after he is released from prison
Kurt Fuller as Peter Dunaway[a] (seasons 2–3), a stern but fair judge who had little time for Diane's partners at her old firm
Mamie Gummer as Nancy Crozier[a] (seasons 2 & 5), a tough rival trial attorney who charms judges with her sweet-as-pie trial routine
Megan Hilty as Holly Westfall[a] (season 2), a ballistics expert and Kurt's former protégée with whom he had an affair while married to Diane
Nikki M. James as Monica Timmons[a] (seasons 2 & 4), a young African American lawyer who sued Diane's old firm for racial bias in hiring
Judith Light as Deidre Quinn (season 2), Lucca's mother
Richard Masur as Geoffrey Solomon[a] (season 2), a relaxed arbiter
Bebe Neuwirth as Claudia Friend[a] (seasons 2 & 5), a no-nonsense judge with a pragmatic approach
Rob Reiner as Josh Brickner (seasons 2 & 4), a judge
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Rachelle Dabrezil (season 2), former Miss Haiti and friend of Dominika Sokolov.
Wallace Shawn as Charles Lester[a] (seasons 2 & 5–6), initially Lemond Bishop's terrifying personal lawyer and fixer who is known for making witnesses disappear, later working for Oscar Rivi and Ben-Baruch
Matt Walsh as Oliver Walenstadt (season 2), a judge
Introduced in season 3
Tituss Burgess as Wade V. (season 3), a stylist for the stars
Chris Butler as Matan Brody[a] (season 3), a Chicago ASA
Gary Carr as himself (season 3), an actor who observes Lucca at work as research for a role
In February 2016, Michelle and Robert King, when asked about a spin-off, stated that there was a possibility for a spin-off series.[32] In May 2016, CBS was in final negotiations to set up a spin-off featuring Christine Baranski reprising her role as Diane Lockhart, but which would air on CBS All Access instead of the network.[4] The spin-off was officially ordered to series on May 18, with Cush Jumbo returning as well.[9] In September 2016, it was confirmed that the 10 episode spin-off would premiere in February 2017, with the story picking up a year after the final episode of the original series and seeing Diane pushed out of her firm after a financial scam involving her protégé wipes out her savings, resulting in her move to Lucca Quinn's firm.[33] The series was initially planned to air in May 2017, but was moved to February 2017 after production delays forced CBS to postpone the premiere of the new series, Star Trek: Discovery.[34] After months of speculation, CBS revealed the title for the spin-off series, which was revealed to be The Good Fight, on October 31, 2016.[35] It was announced that The Good Fight would premiere on February 19, 2017.[1] CBS released the first trailer for the spinoff on December 18, 2016, featuring footage from the premiere and later episodes.[36]
On March 15, 2017, CBS All Access renewed the show for a second season with an increased episode count of 13,[37][38] which premiered on March 4, 2018.[39] On May 2, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season.[40] In January 2019, it was announced that season 3 is set to premiere on the streaming platform on March 14, 2019.[41]
On April 23, 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on April 9, 2020.[42] Only 7 of the scheduled 10 episodes were fully completed before production came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[43] On May 14, 2020, CBS All Access renewed the series for a fifth season.[44] In May 2021, it was announced that the fifth season was scheduled to premiere on June 24, 2021, on Paramount+.[45] On July 20, 2021, Paramount+ renewed the series for a sixth and final season which premiered on September 8, 2022.[2][3]
Beginning with the season 2 finale, and more prominently in season 3, episodes have increasingly featured animated music video segments written by Jonathan Coulton and produced by Head Gear Animation, that discuss subjects relevant to an episode. Coulton had been involved in the Kings' previous series BrainDead, which featured musical recaps performed by the singer. The segments have drawn comparisons to the series Schoolhouse Rock!, albeit discussing topics such as the impeachment process, non-disclosure agreements, and Russian trolls. Coulton remarked he shared the Kings' "sensibility of really liking to mess with the form itself and poke through the fourth wall a little bit", and has received a relative amount of creative freedom in regards to the content of these interludes.[46][47] However, CBS requested the removal of a segment from a season 3 episode that discussed censorship in China. The network agreed to allow the inclusion of a placard informing viewers of the removed content.[48][46]
In May 2016, CBS was in final negotiations with Christine Baranski to reprise her role as Diane Lockhart and Cush Jumbo to reprise her role as well.[4] After the series was picked up, it was announced that Jumbo would reprise her role as Lucca Quinn.[9]Deadline announced on September 17, 2016, that Sarah Steele had been added to the cast, returning as Marissa Gold and appearing as Diane Lockhart's secretary-turned-investigator.[11] On October 12, 2016, it was announced that former Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie had been cast to play a lead in the show, the role of Diane's goddaughter Maia who joins Diane's firm just after passing the bar.[6]
The day after, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Delroy Lindo had been cast as "Robert" Boseman, an attorney who starts poaching Diane's associates and clients.[10] The first name of Lindo's character was changed to "Adrian". Deadline reported on October 27, 2016, that the show had added Paul Guilfoyle and Bernadette Peters for recurring roles as Maia's parents. Guilfoyle would play Maia's father Henry, a wildly successful financial advisor who is phenomenally wealthy and universally loved. Peters' character Lenore was described as a woman who came from a tough working-class background and is a natively brilliant financial whiz.[21] It was announced on October 31, 2016, that Justified alum Erica Tazel had joined the cast as a series regular.[49]
On November 7, 2016, it was announced that Gary Cole would be reprising his role as Diane's husband Kurt McVeigh.[20] It was confirmed on November 11, 2016, that Zach Grenier, Jerry Adler, and Carrie Preston would be returning as guest stars, reprising their roles of David Lee, Howard Lyman, and Elsbeth Tascioni respectively.[28][23] On November 18, 2016, it was announced that Justin Bartha had been added as a series regular as Colin, a rising star in the US Attorney's office and love interest to Lucca.[12] On August 1, 2017, it was announced that Audra McDonald had been added to the main cast for season 2 as Liz Reddick, reprising her role from The Good Wife season 4, and that Michael Boatman and Nyambi Nyambi had been promoted to main cast.[50] On November 7, 2018, it was reported that Michael Sheen had joined the main cast for season 3.[51] On February 20, 2020, Lindo announced he would be leaving the series as a regular following season 4.[52] Jumbo was also due to depart at the end of season 4.[53] However, due to the COVID-shortened season, the show was not able to develop the storyline that led to Lucca Quinn's or Adrian Boseman's departure.[citation needed] On January 27, 2021, Charmaine Bingwa was cast as a new series regular for the fifth season.[54] On March 5, 2021, Mandy Patinkin joined the cast as new series regular for the fifth season.[55] On April 5, 2021, it was reported that Jumbo and Lindo were set to return as guest stars to wrap up their storylines in the fifth season.[56] In March 2022, it was announced that Andre Braugher had joined the cast as a new series regular while Alan Cumming would reprise his role as Eli Gold from The Good Wife as a guest star for the sixth season.[57][58]
International broadcast
On February 8, 2017, the series was picked up in Canada by Corus Entertainment to air on their cable channel, W Network; the American broadcast premiere of the series would be simulcast by Corus' broadcast system Global.[59]
On March 2, 2017, Channel 4 confirmed it had acquired the UK broadcast rights for the series for its More4 channel following the success of progenitor series The Good Wife on that same channel.[60] The series debuted on More4 on March 30, 2017.
HBO began airing all 10 episodes of the first season on June 1, 2017, in various European territories, while India's Zee Entertainment Enterprises obtained exclusive pay-TV rights to The Good Fight for its English-language general entertainment channel Zee Café, which also carried The Good Wife in India.[61]
In Australia, the series' episodes were shown on free-to-air TV on SBS Viceland two days after their American broadcast.[62]
In Southeast Asia, the series episodes were shown on pay-TV on Fox Life two days after their American broadcast, then moved to ROCK Entertainment.
The Good Fight has received widespread critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reports that the first season has a rating of 98% based on reviews from 57 approved critics and an average rating of 8.18/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "An auspicious beginning for CBS All Access, The Good Fight solidly follows its predecessor while allowing for new storytelling styles, a wider narrative scope, and a chance for its lead to explore new territory with a relatable human struggle."[63] On Metacritic, the first season received a score of 80 based on reviews from 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[64]
The Los Angeles Times suggested that Good Fight creators Robert and Michelle King "still had the Good Wife magic" and though Good Wife "had already [run] its course" after seasons 6 and 7 had received mediocre reviews, "they just needed a clean slate" to allow them to continue to mine more stories from that fictional universe.[75] In addition, unlike Good Wife which was centered around "romantic tension" and got bogged down in Alicia Florrick's (Julianna Margulies) love life, Good Fight was considered "refreshing for steering the story the other way" as relationships are "not the plot points that drive the story".[76]Good Fight is regarded as a rare successful example of a TV series spin-off, as other contemporary TV series are either reboots or remakes.[77]
Writing for Vox.com, Emily VanDerWerff praised the show's deft use of political themes, commenting that while The Good Wife was a commentary on "liberal hypocrisy" and the nature of moral compromise, The Good Fight stands out as a much more earnest "defense of liberal values", giving the show a compelling "reason to exist".[78]
The second season has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 9.43/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Angry but still fun, The Good Fight confidently elaborates on current political events with its deftly fictionalized plots."[65] On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 70 based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[66]
The third season has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Good Fight's third season pulls no punches, doubling down on the social commentary while maintaining the show's sensational delights to create one of the best dramas on TV."[67] On Metacritic, the third season received a score of 83 based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[68]
The fourth season holds an approval rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The site's critical consensus states, "The Good Fight remains in top form with an over-the-top and completely captivating fourth season that plays to the show's strengths."[69] On Metacritic, the fourth season received a score of 84 based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[70]
The fifth season has an approval rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.05/10. The site's critical consensus states, "The Good Fight's fifth season continues to confront challenging current events with its singularly absurd style."[71] On Metacritic, the fifth season received a score of 85 based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[72]
The sixth season holds an approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10 The site's critical consensus reads, "Entering its final round having lost some key players but having gained the inestimable Andre Braugher, The Good Fight still carries plenty of satirical punch."[73] On Metacritic, the sixth season received a score of 75 based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[74]
In December 2023, Variety ranked The Good Fight #96 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.[79]
