In the season premiere of “The Good Wife” it didn’t take long for Eli (Alan Cumming) to make quick work of Marilyn (Melissa George). On the surface it seemed his intentions were for the benefit of Peter (Chris Noth). But was their some self preservation involved? According to series co-creator and exectuive producer Robert King*, it’s possible.
In an interview with TVLine.com, King says that Eli saw Marilyn meant bad things for Peter’s office and Alicia (Julianna Margulies).
“And [Marilyn] is a pretty girl that could possibly turn the head of Peter, and he worries it will endanger [Alicia],” King said according to TVLine founder Michael Ausiello. “The other angle is he hopes to [lead] Peter to higher political office, and he knows that his shelf life will be very short if there is a return of his bimbo problem.”
In addition, Eli saw that Marilyn could become a personal problem. “And the third thing is he’s worried about having his own position and influence curtailed,” said King. “One thing he does not have is sex appeal.”
According to the co-creator, Eli feared that a beautiful woman could “flirt” her way into getting something done that Eli might oppose.
When it comes to preserving his marriage, Peter made the right move. It seems he and Alicia are committed to making their marriage work by getting away from potential temptation. (Peter promoting Marilyn and Alicia leaving Will’s firm.) I would applaud them being able to make their marriage work. They’ve both made pretty big steps in their personal lives—steps that we hope doesn’t affect them in their professional lives.
“The Good Wife” airs Sundays, 9/8c on CBS.
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*This article has been updated to note a change
