Florrick & Agos have formed, but must be kept under wraps while Alicia works with Will in trying to delay the execution of their client.
Alicia agrees to leave Lockhart Gardner and form Florrick Agos & Associates with the other fourth-years at L&G. They can’t afford to bring Kalinda along, but I suspect she’ll help them out in some way. They agree to tell Will and Diane after their current case, a death-row appeal.
Their client, Eddie Allen Fornam, is to be executed this afternoon. Diane and Alicia are present for the execution. As Eddie states his last words into the microphone, denying the charges against him, an IV falls out of his arm, and the blinds are quickly closed to the small audience. Diane gets up to peer through the blinds and sees that the nurses are struggling to reinsert the IVs. She calls for the warden and claims that her client’s 8th amendment rights are being violated. They’ve already tried for two hours to find a decent vein, and they delay the execution until it can be done properly.
Jump with me to read more.
The team now has 48 hours to work on Eddie’s case. He was charged in the deaths of two 17-year-old girls in a carjacking gone wrong in 1999. His cellmate claimed that he confessed to the crimes, and his hair was found on one of the bodies. Diane wants to retest the hair to make sure that it is indeed Eddie’s, but Kalinda finds out that someone else had it retested in Chicago, just six years ago.
Back at the office, an overzealous and foolish fourth year congratulates Alicia on her decision to leave, but it’s not yet the right time or place to do that. David Lee catches sight of the cheering associates and orders Kalinda to get a hold of their phone records. He thinks they’re going to leave and take the firm’s top clients.
Eli has a meeting with Marilyn Garbunza (Melissa George). She’s there to make sure Peter and Alicia aren’t in any ethically compromising positions. She’s been there all of 30 seconds, and Eli doesn’t like her.
ASA Pine was the one who retested the hair six years ago, but he has no interest in working with Diane.
Will has an idea to join a current case against the State, claiming that the process of execution in Illinois is unconstitutional, but they’re not interested in joining the actual suit. They want Eddie to be included as evidence. And if he’s executed, they won’t be able to get his testimony. The judge agrees to give them another 48 hours to prove their case.
Ms. Garbunza meets with Diane and Eli to discuss her responsibilities as the governor’s wife. She cannot use her husband’s position to form her client list. Alicia uses this time to tell Peter and Eli that she is leaving L&G and venturing out on her own.
Will, Alicia, and opposing counsel meet with Eddie at the prison. He shows them the extensive wounds on his arms and tells them that one of the nurses left the room, crying, once blood started spurting from his neck. Will sees the opportunity to delay Eddie’s execution once more by requesting that the nurse testify. The judge orders that the nurse be brought to the court…by this afternoon.
In the meantime, Diane goes after Pine again. Pine reveals that the cellmate, who was thought to have died, received a new identity after helping on another case.
David Lee knows that Kalinda has the phone records for the associates and thinks that she is stalling because of Cary.
Eli wants to replace Ms. Garbunza because she’s pretty. Don’t sleep with this one, Peter.
Nurse Joan, shielded by a large gray box, admits that she left the room in tears after watching Eddie bleed out and believes that the poking and prodding for two hours was torturous. She claims that Eddie has rolling veins, prompting Will to ask for another delay in order for Eddie to receive a physical examination. How long can this go on?
The secret members of Florrick & Agos meet in the parking garage to discuss a delay of their own: they want to wait another three weeks to tell the partners so that they can receive their bonuses. Alicia doesn’t want to wait any longer. They take it to a vote, and she loses.
Eddie’s cellmate, now known as Robbie Walker, is sticking to his story. He claims that one of the victims pulled off Eddie’s ski mask, a detail not released to the media.
Back at Lockhart Gardner, the partners pull Alicia aside and ask her if she’s heard any chatter among the associates about leaving. She has to lie and say no, but she’s not all that convincing.
Eddie’s test results have come back, and this time, opposing counsel is not fighting Will over their differing results. The warden has agreed to humanize the execution process.
Without another angle to delay Eddie’s execution, Pine and Diane look into prison brokers, those who sell information to prisoners in exchange for lighter sentences. Robbie testified in three of Pine’s cases, and they sit down to look for one person linking the cases together. The three cases share the same court reporter, an L. Munn.
Peter gives Eli the go ahead to promote Ms. Garbunza after he catches himself ogling her.
Cary asks Alicia about her secret meeting, and all she tells him is to spread the word that the other associates should stop using the company’s phones.
Diane gets Robbie to admit that he bought the false information about Eddie’s case in front of the judge, but that’s not enough for him to delay the execution once more. It is to go on as planned.
Eli promotes Ms. Garbunza to the Transit Authority Board and tries to make that sound as appealing as possible.
It’s time for Eddie’s execution, and this time, the warden is using an imaging device to find a viable vein. Before he can do so, the DEA is knocking at the door. Apparently, in his quest to make the process easier, the warden had toxic chemicals mailed through the postal service, violating many laws.
Alicia and Diane give Eddie the good news: they won’t be trying a third time!
Will and Diane celebrate their win, while Alicia wonders just how to tell Will the bad news.
In other stories…
Grace finds out she’s been added to the Top Ten Hottest Politician’s Daughters List, and the show’s main source of humor tonight, teleconferencing Monica stumbled around the office irritating all.
Review:
Loved the background music in this episode; it set a suspenseful tone for the beginning of the season.
I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Melissa George’s character. She and Peter had this odd chemistry.
I love seeing Cary and Alicia together. Their friendship is a great part of the show, even if it will mean the end of Will and Alicia for good.
Till next week!
– Lindsay
