When The Good Wife ends its seven-season run this Sunday, it’ll leave behind a strong legacy as a great legal drama, as a network show that thrived in the era of prestige TV. But as is the case with its sprawling 22-episode-per-season format, The Good Wife also leaves behind more than a few loose ends. And whether the actors left because of scheduling conflicts, or the writers’ ambitions were too big for the constraints of network TV production, The Good Wife’s Chicago also is littered with characters who were once crucial to the show, but now have fallen to the wayside. Where are they now? We’re glad you asked. This is our best guess.
A few ground rules: This list is limited to characters who were on the series for at least four episodes (with a few exceptions), and whose presence on the show was in some way integral to the plot. This is, of course, a value judgment, but for the most part, we left out characters who merely serve as judges or opposition in the courtroom. Also out: Characters who returned in season seven — Zach Woods’s ersatz Snowden is now happily in Canada — and anyone who is confirmed dead. Whether or not Josh Charles comes back in the finale, Will Gardner will not spring from the grave.
Derrick Bond (Michael Ealy)
Who he was: The head of Bond & Associates, which merges with Lockhart/Gardner early in season two. Derrick, an old friend of Will’s, tries to stage a takeover.
Last seen: Season 2, Episode 16, “Great Firewall”
Where he is now: After being forced out by Will and Diane, Derrick returns to his old firm in Baltimore, where he has a very lucrative, not-quite-legal trade in maritime law.
Blake Calamar (Scott Porter)
Who he was: Bond’s own private investigator, who gets competitive with Kalinda, and becomes a frequent victim to her “Hold Up”-style baseball bat attacks.
Last seen: Season 2, Episode 18, “Killer Song”
Where he is now: Blake peaces out once he reveals that Kalinda changed her name, but one assumes that he’s gone into hiding in a small town in Texas. He coaches football, because a) he is Jason Street, and b) he’s still afraid of baseball bats.
Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver)
Who he was: Peter Florrick’s rival for the position of Cook County State’s Attorney, who released the sex tape of Peter and a prostitute, and kickstarted the Good Wife to begin with. Glenn runs against Florrick in season two, until Eli digs up dirt on his nanny and forces him out of the race.
Last seen: Season 3, Episode 7, “Executive Order 13224”
Where he is now: Glenn pops up as an ASA in season three, but that doesn’t last long. Instead, having learned the value of having dirt on other people, Glenn starts the Chicago version of TMZ, which reports on dirty politics and the local improv scene. It’s not very successful.
Laura Hellinger (Amanda Peet)
Who she was: A former military lawyer turned prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s office. She has a whole lotta chemistry with Will Gardner, so of course she had to go.
Last seen: Season 4, Episode 19, “The Wheels of Justice”
Where she is now: Laura is happy with her ex from the military. They live near D.C. now, somewhere in the suburbs. When she hears about Will’s death, she sends Alicia flowers. Alicia burns them.
Wendy Scott-Carr (Anika Noni Rose)
Who she was: One of The Good Wife’s best villains, Wendy Scott-Carr spends most of her time hatching plans to take down Peter from inside the State’s Attorney’s office. She even tries to attack Will to get to him. It’s wonderful!
Last seen: Season 4, Episode 11, “Boom De Yah Da”
Where she is now: Peter fires Wendy back in season three, but she returns with a vengeance in season four, until Kyle MacLachlan’s Department of Justice investigator takes over the case. (What gives?) Wendy Scott-Carr now lives in New York, where she is very successful. Every time she reads a headline about the Florricks she laughs a loud but rueful laugh.
Maddie Hayward (Maura Tierney)
Who she was: A rival to Peter in the gubernatorial race, and a sometime friend to Alicia, until Alicia realizes, “They’re always wondering, can men and women really be friends, but the real question is, can women?” Oh well, things worked out better for Margulies and Tierney on ER.
Last seen: Season 4, Episode 15, “Going for the Gold”
Where she is now: A successful businesswoman, Maddie goes on to make millions from her self-help book Women Who Support Other Women. She is a major donor to the Hillary campaign.
Mike Kresteva (Matthew Perry)
Who he was: Another combatant in the Republican race, Mike is Peter’s sneaky, sarcastic Republican rival – like Chandler in politician form.
Last seen: Season 4, Episode 18, “Death of a Client”
Where he is now: Given the fact that Mike’s willing to piss off just about anyone to win, he’s a big Ted Cruz supporter now. (Note: Perry only appeared in 3 episodes, but he’s credited in four, so we’re counting the character.)
Patti Nyholm (Martha Plimpton)
Who she was: A frequent rival in the courtroom, the amoral Patti uses her pregnancy — and, later, her two babies — to win sympathy from judges. (Patti’s technically less involved in the plot and more like a judge, but Martha Plimpton won a Guest Actress Emmy for the role, so we’re including her.)
Last seen: Season 4, Episode 22, “What’s in the Box?”
Where she is now: Patti has three more children. She pays for private school by defending only the worst, and wealthiest, companies possible.
Natalie Flores (America Ferrera)
Who she was: An undocumented immigrant who worked as Wendy Scott-Carr’s nanny for several years. She becomes a love interest for Eli Gold, and later comes back to help out on a case.
Last seen: Season 5, Episode 8, “The Next Month”
Where she is now: Natalie gets a job in D.C. thanks to her skills as a translator, working for Hillary Clinton – it’s (almost) canon!
Becca (Dreama Walker)
Who she was: Zach Florrick’s devious ex-girlfriend who once spread rumors about the Florricks on social media. She comes back in season two for a convoluted abortion plot, and again in season five to steal Peter’s gavel — who knows why exactly, it’s a strange little caper.
Last seen: Season 5, Episode 2, “The Bit Bucket”
Where she is now: Living in New York, continuing to wreak havoc — basically, the same thing that happens in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, but with Dreama Walker as the B.
Damian Boyle (Jason O’Mara)
Who he was: A shady lawyer with a connection to the mob, who tries to pull off a power grab in Florrick Agos, and then is ousted when Kalinda discovers evidence against him.
Last seen: Season 5, Episode 17, “A Material World”
Where he is now: Series creators Robert and Michelle King have actually spoken on Boyle’s future, telling the New York Times: “What was supposed to happen was that when Will died, he was someone who really stepped up.” Instead, Matthew Goode’s Finn Polmar slid into the Will Gardner–replacement spot. Damian Boyle, deprived of his chance to become a better man, bops along in his career as a shady lawyer.
Clarke Hayden (Nathan Lane)
Who he was: A trustee appointed to watch over Lockhart/Gardner as they struggle to pay their debts.
Last seen: Season 5, Episode 22, “A Weird Year”
Where he is now: Still an accountant turned lawyer, still mad at people for mismanaging their finances.
Robyn Burdine (Jess Weixler)
Who she was: A private investigator. She starts off as a mess, but quickly proves that she’s (almost) as good as Kalinda.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 2, “Trust Issues”
Where she is now: Still employed at the firm, according to the Kings and Weixler herself.
Dean Levine-Wilkins (Taye Diggs)
Who he was: A charming lawyer who transfers in from New York and then summarily disappears. (Diggs was only on for three episodes, but we’re bending the rules. He was introduced as a key character, and we’re still mad.)
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 5, “Shiny Objects”
Where he is now: Still working at the firm, according to the Kings. Let’s hope it didn’t last, and he and Robyn left to New York to start a practice of their own.
Josh Perotti (Kyle MacLachlan)
Who he was: An AUSA who goes after Eli Gold, and develops a weird fascination with Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni in the process.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 6, “Old Spice”
Where he is now: Still working for the Department of Justice. Still harassing the heck out of women. There is no justice.
Lana Delaney (Jill Flint)
Who she was: An FBI agent who investigates, and then gets into a relationship with, Kalinda.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 9, “Sticky Content”
Where she is now: After leaking information about a wiretap on Lemond Bishop, Lana finds her position at the FBI in jeopardy. We don’t see her on the show again, but let’s assume Lana escapes to Canada, where she starts an alt-rock band and writes songs about loving girls who really love Cary Agos.
Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker)
Who he was: A Robert Durst analogue who’s been accused of killing his wife. He’s also really rich and obsessed with getting Alicia Florrick to represent him.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 13, “Dark Money”
Where he is now: Doing an HBO documentary about his alleged crimes, during which he accidentally admits to those crimes.
Mandy Post (Miriam Shor)
Who she was: A reporter who claims she has evidence that Peter Florrick had another affair. She replaced Kristin Chenoweth in nearly the same role after Chenoweth stepped out due to a head injury after doing only one episode.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 16, “Red Meat”
Where she is now: Both Mandy and Chenoweth’s Peggy Byrne now run a news start-up covering political gossip. They get most of their scoops from Glenn Childs, and they usually aren’t right.
Julius Cain (Michael Boatman)
Who he was: The head of litigation at Lockhart/Gardner (and later Florrick, Agos, & Lee). He moves to the New York office, and then the New York office gets shut down.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 17, “Undisclosed Recipients”
Where he is now: Still at the firm, presumably. Still sending people very angry emails. Possibly off working with Taye Diggs in the land of The Good Wife’s forgotten people of color.
Lemond Bishop (Mike Colter)
Who he was: A drug lord who gets Lockhart/Gardner to represent his “legitimate” interests. He comes in and out of the show, but makes a big stink in season six as he tries to take control of Kalinda.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 20, “The Deconstruction”
Where he is now: After being arrested at the end of season six, he’s probably just running his drug ring from jail.
Finn Polmar (Matthew Goode)
Who he was: A fellow lawyer caught up in the Will Gardner shooting who eventually becomes a love interest for Alicia.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 22, “Wanna Partner?”
Where he is now: He turns down Alicia’s offer to partner, as he’s trying to make things right with his ex-wife. He’s off in Italy, drinking nearly as much wine as Alicia does back home.
Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi)
Who she was: The firm’s lead investigator, friend to Alicia, general badass.
Last seen: Season 6, Episode 22, “Wanna Partner?”
Where she is now: At the end of season six, Kalinda went into hiding from Lemond Bishop, staying only for a few drinks with Alicia, which were shot on a green screen. This has led to a bunch of speculation about whether there is any enmity between Panjabi and her co-star — Margulies has denied this, repeatedly. But more importantly, where is Kalinda? Working for a new firm? Working in Belfast with Gillian Anderson? My money’s on a crime ring of her own, but as with anything surrounding Kalinda, it’s impossible to be certain.
