[Warning: Some spoilers ahead from Sunday's season closer.]
The Good Wife is heading into new territory as it wraps up season four.
CBS' legal drama closes out the year with a finale that ties up several loose ends, i.e. the results of the Illinois gubernatorial campaign, but sets in motion a new arc. As associates at Lockhart/Gardner -- revitalized financially but weakened internally -- look to break out on their own, The future at the law firm is as unpredictable as ever. "Civil war is where we're basically headed with the firm," co-creator Robert King said in early March.
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A slew of guest stars, new and old, including T.R. Knight, Denis O'Hare, Ana Gasteyer, Martha Plimpton, Dylan Baker and Estelle Parsons, also make appearances in the finale.
Here, THR offers five things to look for on Sunday:
1. A lot of maneuvering takes place
There's Cary (Matt Czuchry) with his desire to break off from Lockhart/Gardner to kickstart his new firm and then there's Alicia (Julianna Margulies), struggling with the politics of being an equity partner. With the possibility of Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) joining Cary's new firm, Cary makes a bold move in an attempt to solidify a key asset when money becomes a big factor -- and it's not who you'd think. Alicia, meanwhile, makes a life-altering decision that could affect her standing in season five.
2. A new Illinois governor is crowned
As Robert and Michelle King promised earlier this year, the winner of the Illinois governorship is revealed, but there's one other candidate besides Mike Kresteva (Matthew Perry) and Peter (Chris Noth) that may be a dark horse -- and of course, ousted campaign manager Jordan is at the center of it.
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3. Alicia is one confused woman
CBS' teaser promoting Sunday's season finale includes a steamy kiss between Will (Josh Charles) and Alicia. The good thing? It's not a dream. However, the timing of their makeout session (in a car, of all places) is .. unhelpful, fueled by their moment of weakness in "Invitation to an Inquest." As Robert King said earlier this year, how the finale leaves things between Alicia, Will and Peter isn't planting a seed for the writers to revisit the triangle. "It's not a direction we want to go because we went there," he said. "It's going to be mixed up with what's going on in the firm too. We want to explore the moral dimensions of it, not the Team Will or Team Peter dimension." While Peter attempts to live on the right side of the law, it's Alicia who's harboring Peter-like tendencies this go-around.
4. Will's ultimatum
When the truth surfaces about the vote tampering allegations brought forward by Alicia's teenage son Zach (Graham Phillips) on the eve of Election Day -- after the case takes a few unexpected twists and turns -- Will faces an ultimatum that's brought forward by the unlikeliest source.
5. Mayor Bloomberg meets Peter
Why is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the Windy City in the first place? All of that's explained -- and turns out, he wants something from Peter.
The Good Wife airs season four finale at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
