''The Good Fight'' is an American legal drama produced for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

streaming service Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

CBS All Access Paramount+ is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Me ...

(later Paramount+). It was the platform's first original scripted series. The series, created by Robert King,

Michelle King Michelle King (née Stern; born 1958) is an American television writer and producer. She is married to Robert King, who is also her writing partner. The couple created the legal drama series ''The Good Wife'', which earned them a Writers Gui ...

, and

Phil Alden Robinson Phil Alden Robinson (born March 1, 1950) is an American film director and screenwriter whose films include ''Field of Dreams'', ''Sneakers (1992 film), Sneakers'', and ''The Sum of All Fears (film), The Sum of All Fears''. Early life and educatio ...

, is a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

and

standalone sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the sam ...

to ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...

'', which was created by the Kings. The first season premiered on February 19, 2017, with the first episode airing on

and the following nine episodes on CBS All Access. The series follows

Christine Baranski Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...

Diane Lockhart Diane Lockhart is a character of CBS television series ''The Good Wife'' and is portrayed by Christine Baranski, who has received acclaim for her performance, such as being nominated for six consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supp ...

, as she loses her employment after an enormous financial scam destroys the reputation of her goddaughter Maia (

Rose Leslie Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie (born 9 February 1987) is a Scottish actress who rose to fame as Gwen Dawson in the ITV drama series ''Downton Abbey'' and Ygritte in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones''. She starred as Maia Rindell for thre ...

) and Diane's savings, leading them to join Lucca Quinn (

Cush Jumbo Cush Jumbo (born 23 September 1985) is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her leading role as attorney Lucca Quinn in the CBS drama series ''The Good Wife'' (2015–16) and the CBS All Access spin-off series ''The Good Fight'' ...

) at one of Chicago's preeminent law firms. The series stars Baranski, Leslie, Jumbo,

Erica Tazel Erica Tazel (born 1977) is an American theatre and television actress best known for the role of US Deputy Marshall Rachel Brooks in the FX television series '' Justified'' (2010–2015). Life and career Tazel holds a B.A. from Spelman College a ...

Sarah Steele Sarah Jane Steele (born September 16, 1988) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marissa Gold on the CBS legal drama series ''The Good Wife'' (2011–2016) and its CBS All Access spinoff series ''The Good Fight'' (2017–20 ...

Justin Bartha Justin Lee Bartha (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor, known for his roles as Riley Poole in the ''National Treasure'' film series, Doug Billings in ''The Hangover'' trilogy, and David Sawyer in the NBC comedy series '' The New Normal''. ...

Delroy Lindo Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' Cho ...

Nyambi Nyambi Nyambi Nyambi (born April 26, 1979) is an American character actor of Nigerian heritage. His most prominent role has been Samuel in the CBS sitcom ''Mike & Molly''. He has played investigator Jay DiPersia in the Paramount+ legal drama ''The Good ...

Michael Boatman Michael Patrick Boatman (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his roles as New York City mayoral aide Carter Heywood in the ABC sitcom ''Spin City'', as U.S. Army Specialist Samuel Beckett in the ABC drama ser ...

, and

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...

, and features

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He return ...

and

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

in recurring roles. It is executive produced by Robert King, Michelle King,

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

David W. Zucker David W. Zucker is a television executive and executive producer, best known for producing ''The Good Wife''. He is currently the Chief Creative Officer for Scott Free Productions. He is also the executive producer of notable shows like Eric Gar ...

, Liz Glotzer,

Brooke Kennedy Brooke Kennedy is an American television producer and director. Her credits include '' Crime Story'', ''My So-Called Life'', ''Numb3rs'', ''Pushing Daisies'', ''Fringe'' and '' Stumptown''. She was also a producer and director on ''Third Watch'' ...

and Alison Scott. In July 2021, the series was renewed for a sixth and final season. It premiered on September 8, 2022.

Premise

A year after the series finale of ''

'', an enormous financial scam destroys the reputation of young lawyer Maia Rindell and wipes out the savings of her mentor,

. 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 Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...

, exploring topical issues such as the

alt-right The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...

, the

MeToo movement #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in ...

online harassment Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital s ...

, and

fake news Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...

. As well as starting again in a new firm with its own

office politics Workplace politics is the process and behavior that in human interactions involves power and authority. It is also a tool to assess the operational capacity and to balance diverse views of interested parties. It is also known as office politics and ...

to deal with, longtime

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

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 '' Partner Track'' is an American legal drama streaming television series developed by Georgia Lee, based on Helen Wan's 2013 novel ''The Partner Track''. It premiered on Netflix on August 26, 2022. In November 2022, the series was canceled af ...

, balancing her dedication to her work and a romantic entanglement with

US Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

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 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

over alleged involvement with her father's

Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...

. 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 Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

connections who becomes their newest

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

. 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.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

, who loses her savings after an enormous financial scam and joins Reddick, Boseman & Kolstad, one of Chicago's pre-eminent law firms. In season two, Diane becomes a name partner in the renamed Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart. The firm later becomes Reddick Lockhart. *

as Maia Rindell (seasons 1–3), Diane's goddaughter, who joins Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart as an associate just after passing the

bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...

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 *

as Lucca Quinn (seasons 1–4; guest season 5), 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. *

as Adrian Boseman (seasons 1–4; guest season 5), an attorney who offers Diane a job at his law firm following her financial troubles, and a name partner at Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart *

as Marissa Gold, Diane Lockhart's assistant and later an investigator at RBL *

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 *

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 Long COVID or long-haul COVID (also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome, post-COVID-19 condition, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), or chronic COVID syndrome (CCS)) is a condition characterized by long-term health problems persisting or appe ...

and hallucinations. *

as Julius Cain (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 A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

following a wrongful conviction for bribery, he returns to the firm as of counsel. *

as Liz Reddick (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 *

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage role ...

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 Roy Marcus Cohn (; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor who came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarth ...

and is inspired by Cohn and his acolyte,

Roger Stone Roger Jason Stone (born Roger Joseph Stone Jr.; August 27, 1952) is an American conservative political consultant and lobbyist. Since the 1970s, Stone has worked on the campaigns of Republican politicians, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Rea ...

. Sheen describes him as "devilish," saying "he wants to eat and disrupt and fuck, and poke people." *

Zach Grenier Zach Grenier is an American character actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for his roles in films such as '' Fight Club'', ''Tommy Boy'', and '' Twister'' and for his roles in television such as David Lee in '' The Good Wife'' a ...

as David Lee (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. *

John Larroquette John Bernard Larroquette (; born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series '' Baa Baa Black Sheep'' (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom ''Night Court'' (1984–1992; for which he recei ...

as Gavin Firth (season 4), a top partner at STR Laurie *

Charmaine Bingwa Charmaine Bingwa (born 13 November 1985) is an Australian actress known for her role as Carmen Moyo in ''The Good Fight''. She stars in Antoine Fuqua's recently released Emancipation as Dodienne, wife of Peter (Will Smith), in which Variety has ...

as Carmen Moyo (seasons 5–6), a new associate at Reddick Lockhart *

Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...

as Hal Wackner (season 5), a layman with no legal training who opens a court in the back of a copy shop *

John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director widely known for his role as Roger Sterling Jr. in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award fo ...

as Dr. Lyle Bettencourt (season 6), a physician who provides medical therapy to help Diane to relax *

Andre Braugher Andre Keith Braugher (; born July 1, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the police drama series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (1993–1999), used car salesman Owen Thoreau Jr. in the com ...

as Ri'Chard Lane (season 6), a new name partner installed at the firm by STR Laurie

Recurring

Zachary Booth Zachary Booth (born 1983) is an American actor. He appeared in several productions with the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, before starring in The N's ''What Goes On'' and on FX's ''Damages''. Booth is a 2004 BFA graduate of ...

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 *

Gary Cole Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American television, film and voice actor. Cole began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he has had starring roles in the T ...

as Kurt McVeigh, Diane Lockhart's husband *

Corey Cott Corey Michael Cott (born March 30, 1990) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for playing Jack Kelly in the Broadway musical '' Newsies,'' replacing Jeremy Jordan, and for originating the role of Donny Novitski in the Broadway musi ...

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 *

William M. Finkelstein William M. Finkelstein is an American screenwriter, television producer, actor and television director. He has worked as a writer and producer on ''Law & Order'', ''Brooklyn South'', '' Murder One'', '' L.A. Law'', '' Cop Rock'', ''NYPD Blue'', a ...

as Simon Kassovitz (seasons 1–3), a conservative Jewish judge *

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. He is arrested for running a giant

with Diane as one of his victims. * Adam Heller as Wilbur Dincon (seasons 1–2 & 4), the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for the Northern District of Illinois * 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 Thomas McGowan (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He first became known for his stage career both on and off Broadway. In 1991, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in ...

as Jax Rindell (season 1), Maia's uncle * John Cameron Mitchell as Felix Staples (seasons 1, 3–4 & 6), an

gadfly Gadfly most commonly refers to: * Horse-fly or Botfly * Gadfly (philosophy and social science), a person who upsets the status quo Gadfly may also refer to: Entertainment * ''The Gadfly'', an 1897 novel by Ethel Lilian Voynich ** ''The Gadfly'' ...

* Matthew Perry as Mike Kresteva (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 *

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. * Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni (seasons 1–2 & 6), a quirky yet smart lawyer * 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 *

Heléne Yorke Heléne Yorke is a Canadian-American actress, writer, singer, and dancer. Yorke is known for her work on television. She currently plays Brooke Dubek on the HBO Max series '' The Other Two''. She has also played the roles of Jane Martin on the ...

as Amy Breslin (seasons 1–2), an assistant state attorney and Maia's girlfriend * Alan Alda as Solomon Waltzer (seasons 2–3), a renowned lawyer at a national firm who uses dishonest tactics to achieve his aims * Wendell B. Franklin as Captain Ian Lawrence (seasons 2–3), Liz's husband, a CPD officer. They begin divorce proceedings in the third season. *

Taylor Louderman Taylor Elizabeth Louderman (born December 21, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for originating the role of Regina George in the Broadway musical ''Mean Girls'', for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for ...

as Tara Strokes (seasons 2–3), a porn star who claims to have had a relationship with Donald Trump * Margo Martindale as Ruth Eastman (seasons 2 & 5), consultant for the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...

* 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 Michael Pniewski (born April 20, 1961) is an American actor and public speaker. Life and career Pniewski was born in Los Angeles, California. His education began at UCLA, where he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater and al ...

as Frank Landau (seasons 2–4 & 6), a Democratic boss in the Chicago area *

Keesha Sharp Keesha Ulricka Sharp ( née Fletch; born June 9, 1973) is an American actress and film / television director. She began her career appearing on television dramas, before her regular role as Monica Charles Brooks in the UPN/The CW comedy series, ...

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. *

Lauren Patten Lauren Marie Patten (born September 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, and writer best known for originating the role of Jo in the Broadway musical ''Jagged Little Pill (musical), Jagged Little Pill'', as well as playing Officer Rachel Wi ...

as Polly Dean (season 3), a member of Diane's anti-Trump resistance group * 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 Hugh Michael Horace Dancy (born 19 June 1975) is an English actor who rose to prominence for his role as the titular character in the television film adaptation of ''David Copperfield'' (2000) as well as for roles in feature films as Kurt Schmid ...

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 *

Wanda Sykes Wanda Yvette Sykes (born March 7, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. She was first recognized for her work as a writer on ''The Chris Rock Show'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. In 2004, ''Entertainm ...

as Allegra Durado (season 5), a lawyer recruited to RB&L by Liz and Diane *

Tony Plana José Antonio Plana (born April 19, 1952) is a Cuban actor and director. He is known for playing Betty Suarez's father, Ignacio Suarez, on the ABC television show ''Ugly Betty'' and for voicing Manuel "Manny" Calavera in the video game ''Grim ...

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 * Daniel Breaker as Randy Elkin (season 6), an associate of Renetta * Shahar Isaac as Zev Beker (season 6), a Krav Maga instructor

Guests

Introduced in season 1

* Jerry Adler as Howard Lyman (seasons 1–2), a geriatric partner at Diane Lockhart's former firm, and now judge, who shows chauvinistic and stereotyping tendencies * Jane Alexander as Suzanne Morris (seasons 1–2), a judge *

Becky Ann Baker Becky Ann Baker (née Gelke; born February 17, 1953) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles of Jean Weir on NBC comedy-drama series ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000) and Loreen Horvath on HBO comedy-drama series ''Girls'' (2012� ...

as Alma Hoff (seasons 1–2 & 6), a principled lawyer at a rival firm * Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney (seasons 1–2), a client of the firm and a likely serial killer who has gotten away with many of his crimes * Mark Linn-Baker as Don Linden (season 1), a judge * Jason Biggs as Dylan Stack (season 1), a wealthy tech entrepreneur involved in the creation of

Bitcoin Bitcoin ( abbreviation: BTC; sign: ₿) is a decentralized digital currency that can be transferred on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distr ...

, 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. * John Benjamin Hickey as Neil Gross (seasons 1 & 6), owner of Internet firm Chumhum *

Jayne Houdyshell Jayne Houdyshell (born September 25, 1953) is an American, Tony-winning actress known for her performances on stage and screen. Houdyshell made her Broadway debut in the 2005 production of ''It's a Wonderful Life''. The following year she earn ...

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 (seasons 1–2), a high-powered lawyer from Los Angeles who often appears opposite Reddick, Boseman in cases involving film and television *

Greta Lee Greta Jiehan Lee (born March 7, 1983) is an American actress. Early life Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Korean immigrants. While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing art ...

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 (seasons 1–2 & 5), a judge whose strong liberal and socialist leanings lead him to overcompensate in favor of conservative litigants * Kevin Pollak as Kyle Gallo (season 1), a judge * Aaron Tveit as Spencer Zschau (seasons 1, 3 & 5), an assistant United States attorney

Introduced in season 2

F. Murray Abraham F. Murray Abraham (born Murray Abraham; October 24, 1939) is an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he came to prominence for his acclaimed leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film ''Amadeus (film), Amadeus'' (1984) ...

as Burl Preston (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 (season 2), a challenging rival attorney * Mike Colter as Lemond Bishop (seasons 2–3), Chicago's top

drug lord A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a high-ranking crime boss who controls a sizable network of people involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally not directly ...

and a kingpin of crime, who retains Diane as his lawyer after he is released from prison *

Kurt Fuller Kurt Fuller (born September 16, 1953) is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He is best known for his roles in the films ''No Holds Barred'' and ''Ghostbusters II'' (both 1989), ''Way ...

as Peter Dunaway (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 (seasons 2 & 5), a tough rival trial attorney who charms judges with her sweet-as-pie trial routine * Megan Hilty as Holly Westfall (season 2), a ballistics expert and Kurt's former protégée with whom he had an affair while married to Diane *

Nikki M. James Nikki Michelle James (born June 3, 1981) is an American actress and singer. James has performed in the popular stage musicals ''The Book of Mormon'' and ''Les Misérables'', her role in the former having earned her a Tony Award. Life and caree ...

as Monica Timmons (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 (season 2), a relaxed arbiter *

Bebe Neuwirth Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ( ; born December 31, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. On television, she played Dr. Lilith Sternin, Frasier Crane's wife, on both the TV sitcom ''Cheers'' (in a starring role) and its spin-off ''F ...

as Claudia Friend (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 Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...

as Charles Lester (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 (season 3), a Chicago ASA * Gary Carr as himself (season 3), an actor who observes Lucca at work as research for a role * Jane Curtin as Pamela Farley (season 3), a judge *

Katie Finneran Katie Finneran (born January 22, 1971) is an American actress best known for her Tony Award-winning performances in the Broadway play ''Noises Off'' in 2002, and the musical '' Promises, Promises'' in 2010.

as Valerie Peyser (season 3), the leader of a

resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

group in Chicago * Gina Gershon as " Melania Trump" (season 3) * Cheryl Hines as Brenda DiCarlo (season 3), an investigator hired by ChumHum to investigate sexual misconduct at the firm * Vernon Jordan as himself (season 3) * Richard Kind as Alan Davies (seasons 3 & 6), a judge * Kathy Najimy as Gayle Eno (season 3), a judge

Introduced in season 4

* Linda Emond as Leora Kuhn (season 4), the rule-abiding judge of a military court * Andrea Navedo as Marta Tecades (season 4), Diane's client for a case that is disrupted by Memo 618 * Raúl Esparza as Brian Kneef (season 4), the contemptuous head of litigation at STR Laurie * Erik King as Jonah (season 4) * Lorraine Toussaint as Nia Rogers (season 4), a lawyer representing the Olympic Committee * Donna Lynne Champlin as Mrs. Feldman (season 4), a former cheerleader who had attended an event with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein

Introduced in season 5

* Stephen Lang as David Cord (season 5), a wealthy conservative who funds Judge Wackner's show *

Danny Pino Daniel Gonzalo Pino (born April 15, 1974) is an American actor who starred as Detective Scotty Valens on the CBS series ''Cold Case'' from 2003 to 2010, and as NYPD Detective Nick Amaro in the long-running NBC legal drama '' Law & Order: Specia ...

as Ricardo Diaz (season 5), a lawyer

Introduced in season 6

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a British actor. His London stage appearances include ''Hamlet'', the Maniac in ''Accidental Death of an Anarchist'' (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in '' Bent'', The National Theatre o ...

as Eli Gold, Marissa's father and a Democratic operative *

Erich Bergen Erich Bergen (born December 31, 1985) is an American actor, singer and presenter, best known for his roles as Bob Gaudio in the biographical musical drama film ''Jersey Boys'' and as Blake Moran in the CBS television series '' Madam Secretary''. ...

as Steven Sheen, a prosecutor * Paul Scheer as Matt Brittel, a lawyer * Jennifer Ehle as Ashley Burnett, a pro-life judge *

Eric Stoltz Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film ''Mask'', which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Support ...

as Judge Meachem * Greg Germann as Edward Sandel, an attorney * Thomas Middleditch as Kyle Vespertine-Kalepark, an investigator * Joanna Gleason as Carmella Romano, a judge * Steven Pasquale as Johnny Elfman, chair of the

Production

Development

In February 2016, Michelle and Robert King, when asked about a spin-off, stated that there was a possibility for a spin-off series. In May 2016,

was in final negotiations to set up a spin-off featuring

reprising her role as Diane Lockhart, but which would air on CBS All Access instead of the network. The spin-off was officially ordered to series on May 18, with

returning as well. 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. 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''. 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. It was announced that ''The Good Fight'' would premiere on February 19, 2017. CBS released the first trailer for the spinoff on December 18, 2016, featuring footage from the premiere and later episodes. On March 15, 2017, CBS All Access renewed the show for a second season with an increased episode count of 13, which premiered on March 4, 2018. On May 2, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season. In January 2019, it was announced that season 3 is set to premiere on the streaming platform on March 14, 2019. On April 23, 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on April 9, 2020. Only 7 of the scheduled 10 episodes were fully completed before production came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 14, 2020, CBS All Access renewed the series for a fifth season. In May 2021, it was announced that the fifth season was scheduled to premiere on June 24, 2021, on Paramount+. On July 20, 2021, Paramount+ renewed the series for a sixth and final season which premiered on September 8, 2022. 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 ''BrainDead'' is an American political satire science fiction comedy-drama television series created by Robert and Michelle King. The series stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Laurel Healy, a documentary film-maker who takes a job working for he ...

'', which featured musical recaps performed by the singer. The segments have drawn comparisons to the series ''

Schoolhouse Rock! ''Schoolhouse Rock!'' is an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films (and later, videos) that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming block on the U.S. television network ABC. The theme ...

'', albeit discussing topics such as the

impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...

process,

non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...

s, 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. 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.

Casting

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. After the series was picked up, it was announced that Jumbo would reprise her role as Lucca Quinn. '' Deadline'' announced on September 17, 2016, that

had been added to the cast, returning as Marissa Gold and appearing as Diane Lockhart's secretary-turned-investigator. On October 12, 2016, it was announced that former ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

'' star

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. The day after, '' The Hollywood Reporter'' announced that

had been cast as "Robert" Boseman, an attorney who starts poaching Diane's associates and clients. The first name of Lindo's character was changed to "Adrian". ''Deadline'' reported on October 27, 2016, that the show had added

and

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. It was announced on October 31, 2016, that '' Justified'' alum

had joined the cast as a series regular. On November 7, 2016, it was announced that

would be reprising his role as Diane's husband Kurt McVeigh. It was confirmed on November 11, 2016, that

, Jerry Adler, and Carrie Preston would be returning as guest stars, reprising their roles of David Lee, Howard Lyman, and Elsbeth Tascioni respectively. On November 18, 2016, it was announced that

had been added as a series regular as Colin, a rising star in the US Attorney's office and love interest to Lucca. On August 1, 2017, it was announced that

had been added to the main cast for season 2 as Liz Reddick, reprising her role from ''

'' season 4, and that

and

had been promoted to main cast. On November 7, 2018, it was reported that

had joined the main cast for season 3. On February 20, 2020, Lindo announced he would be leaving the series as a regular following season 4. Jumbo was also due to depart at the end of season 4. 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. On January 27, 2021,

was cast as a new series regular for the fifth season. On March 5, 2021,

joined the cast as new series regular for the fifth season. 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. In March 2022, it was announced that

had joined the cast as a new series regular while

would reprise his role as Eli Gold from ''

'' as a guest star for the sixth season.

International broadcast

On February 8, 2017, the series was picked up in Canada by Corus Entertainment to air on their cable channel,

W Network W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience. W Network was established in ...

; the American broadcast premiere of the series would be simulcast by Corus' broadcast system Global. 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. The series debuted on More4 on March 30, 2017.

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

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 Zee Café is an Indian pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. The channel mainly syndicates popular American and British television shows to appeal to the English-speaking population of India. History Zee English was ...

, which also carried ''

'' in India. In Australia, the series' episodes were shown on free-to-air TV on SBS Viceland two days after their American broadcast. 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.

Reception

Critical response

''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." On Metacritic, the first season received a score of 80 based on reviews from 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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 units 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. 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". ''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. Writing for

Vox.com ''Vox'' () is an American news and opinion website owned by Vox Media. The website was founded in April 2014 by Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Melissa Bell, and is noted for its concept of explanatory journalism. Vox's media presence also i ...

, 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". 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." On Metacritic, the second season received a score of 70 based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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'' 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." On Metacritic, the third season received a score of 83 based on reviews from 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". 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." On Metacritic, the fourth season received a score of 84 based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". 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'' fifth season continues to confront challenging current events with its singularly absurd style." On Metacritic, the fifth season received a score of 85 based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". 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." On Metacritic, the sixth season received a score of 75 based on reviews from 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Accolades

Notes

References

External links