Parents' Guide to The Good Fight

TV CBS Drama 2017
The Good Fight Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Smart female-led spin-off features strong language, themes.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

A spin-off of the popular series The Good Wife, THE GOOD FIGHT stars Christine Baranski reprising her role as sharp defense attorney Diane Lockhart as she moves on to a new stage in her career. Soon after announcing her retirement, Diane finds herself penniless and forced out of the firm after an investment scheme allegedly run by close family friend Henry Rindell (Paul Guilfoyle) wipes out her entire life's savings. The scandal also affects Rindell's daughter Maia (Rose Leslie), Diane's goddaughter and one of the firm's new junior associates. Their reputations destroyed, they are hired at Reddick, Boseman & Solstad, a top Chicago, predominantly African-American firm headed by partners Robert Boseman (Delroy Lindo) and Barbara Solstad (Erica Tazel). It also happens to be where Diane's former colleague Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) also practices. As the three women fight for their clients in court, they find themselves facing off with Colin Morello (Justin Bartha), one of the state's attorney's office's strongest prosecutors. Luckily they have savvy assistant Marissa Gold (Sarah Steele), Alicia Florrick's former right-hand person, helping them out.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

This dramatic, entertaining procedural offers a compelling story that centers on one of its parent series' strongest characters. It seamlessly reestablishes Diane Lockhart's strong, complex character as she rebuilds her life and redefines her role both in and outside of a law firm. But the show also boasts even more robust characters, especially other strong women such as Maia Rindell and Lucca Quinn.

The incorporation of race as a subtext adds an interesting tension to the show, as do some of the cast's edgier, more intimate personal relationships. Meanwhile, the interactions with the cast at Lockhart's former firm, including Howard Lyman (Jerry Adler) and David Lee (Zach Grenier), and appearances by folks such as Bernadette Peters, Matthew Perry, and Carrie Preston successfully add to the action. Law procedural fans won't be disappointed, but if you're simply looking for a good show to watch, The Good Fight makes a great case for tuning in.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what can lead to a series spin-off like The Good Fight. What makes a specific character or storyline strong enough to base an entire new series on?

  • Do TV shows like The Good Wife and The Good Fight offer a realistic view of what practicing law is really like? Do they contribute to stereotypes made about lawyers? Or do they challenge them?

  • Why can shows contain stronger content (such as cursing and sexual content) when they're streamed online? Does this ensure that more people will watch?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

The Good Fight Poster Image

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate