THE GOOD WIFE: Blake The Knife

Kalinda, played by Archie Panjabi, and her boots.

Season 2, episode 6 (Poisoned Pill)

In the season and a half we’ve known Kalinda Sharma, we’ve learned relatively little about her personal life. We don’t know where she is from. We don’t know how she came to be an investigator. And we’re not even sure her real name is Kalinda.

But here’s what we do know: If you were in a knife fight with her, she’d win. She’d look you in the eye, and say calm, mysterious words, all the while knowing exactly how to control you. She’d play with you a little, probably flirt, then finally, when she was bored, she put the knife in. And not be sorry about it.

In tonight’s episode, we got a better look at the one person who could actually beat her — Blake. They’ve had a rivalry from the start of the season. At first it was harmless enough. In fact, Blake actually seemed good-natured while Kalinda’s response to him was always a bit too hostile. It was noticeable, but nothing that made you question it too much. As the episodes wore on, her hostility became more apparent, snooping into his past history with Will and smashing out Blake’s car windows.

Blake’s reaction was to call her “Leila” and smile as she groped him in a parking garage. But then we saw him trash a prospective client’s apartment to get information and it made us wonder.

Blake, played by Scott Porter, is hot (but please don't tell Kalinda I said that.)

This week, we finally see why Kalinda was so suspicious. The episode opened with Kalinda in a conference room trying to decipher a note she found in Blake’s car. He comes in and she tells him exactly what she is doing. Blake then starts to talk about how Lockhart-Gardner rated so poorly in hiring gay employees. Kalinda gets the hint and as soon as he leaves, she calls her old flame.

This is a Kalinda we haven’t seen before — on the defensive. She tries to make a preemptive strike by telling her ex-girlfriend, Donna, not to talk to Blake when he comes to call. But Kalinda doesn’t count on Donna being still crushed about their breakup.

Donna telling Kalinda that she is only out for herself leaves Kalinda slightly flustered. A passionate kiss from Donna leaves Kalinda shaken. When Blake shows up at a party at the end of the episode with Donna in tow, Kalinda looks rattled. And when Donna backhandedly admits that she betrayed Kalinda’s confidences to Blake, Kalinda is downright vulnerable.

And this is how Kalinda would lose a knife fight.

Because while she would fight dirty, using whatever tricks, cunning and smiles needed to win, she’d do it while looking straight at you.

But Blake would blitz attack you for no reason and then stab you over and over and over. He wouldn’t be out to win. He would be out to destroy.

And right now, he’s on the hunt for Kalinda.

Other thoughts:

• Loved seeing Michael J. Fox, who of course did a great job. I certainly didn’t expect his last revelation. Alex Keaton would have been so proud.
• I burst out laughing when the buttoned-down expert witness went from saying, “the inhibiting effect in the defective gene is minimal” in one breath to, “it caused an increase in anal sex” the next. And when Will kept smiling at the horrible violent mice video.
• Was it just me or did Will seem a bit more cutthroat this episode? I liked it.
• I am going to lodge my very first (and hopefully last) complaint about “The Good Wife”: The editing in this episode was choppy. There. I said it.
• Eli Gold is such a fabulous character. I loved it when he met Alicia in the hallway at her office and neither said anything for quite some time as they walked. Wonderful. And then when he called Childs’ campaign manager to fake yell at him. So good.

—Xtine