Update: Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi's Final 'Good Wife' Was, Indeed, Faked

By Dustin Rowles | TV | May 15, 2015 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | May 15, 2015 |

Update: According to TVLine (via Uproxx), the season finale scene between Julianna Marguiles and Archie Panjabi was filmed separately:

Margulies and Panjabi did not shoot that scene together, I have come to learn. Body doubles were employed for the single shots, and the two-shot was spliced together in post-production.

This is pretty much confirmation that the two women loathe each other, and if they were forced to spend time in the same room together, felony charges would eventually be filed.

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For a season finale of a series that typically excels at them, the final episode of Good Wife’s sixth season was disappointingly mundane. It may have been necessary to set up next season — Mr. Big may or may not be running for President in order to make himself a viable running mate; Alicia nixed her ghost-written memoirs; Finn decided against partnering with Alicia; and Louis Canning asked Alicia to partner with him in order to destroy Diana and Cary’s firm over a relatively petty slight — but it didn’t deliver much in the way of high-stakes drama. It wasn’t just a disappointing finale, it was a disappointing episode of the Good Wife.

Most of the talk today, however, surrounds the scene between Alicia and Kalinda. As we discussed last week, there is a supposed feud between the two actresses that play their characters — Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi — that last week’s obviously staged flashback scene did nothing to dispel. The two had not appeared in the same scene since late 2012/early 2013, fueling speculation that the actresses didn’t care for each other (some public comments helped to fuel that speculation, as well as the fact that Panjabi had been pushed to the background until deciding to leave the show).

It was super obvious in last week’s episode that Kalinda and Alicia were not actually in the same room while their shared scene was being filmed, but this week, it was a little less obvious. This time, the two actresses could actually be seen in the same shot, although many are suggesting that the scene was accomplished using green screen.

It certainly didn’t look as natural as their early-season get togethers at the bar.

There’s a lean-in, but they aren’t touching, which may mean nothing at all. But while earlier seasons gave wider shots of the two actresses, the two were boxed in close-ups for most of their dialogue last night, so who knows? We can compare the above shots with the more natural looking one here, however:

I will also note that THR asked Julianna Margulies, Matt Czuchry , and Christine Baranski about their favorite scenes with Archie Panjabi, and while Czuchry and Baranski offered more detailed and affectionate remembrances, Margulies only offered this:

“It would be the bar stuff, when they would have after work drinks. It always felt like it was a Cheers moment. That’s why everyone loved that show.”

Don’t dote on her so much, Margulies! You’ll give Panjabi a complex!

Panjabi, in her exit interview with EW, wasn’t exactly radiating warmth, either. Asked why her and Margulies hadn’t shared more scenes together the last few years, Panjabi deflected: “I think that’s a question you need to ask the producers.”

And was Panjabi happy with the way she was written out? “Honestly speaking, I would’ve liked something that would have featured Kalinda a little more, but they have restrictions and I respect that.”

“Restrictions”? What restrictions might those be? And did they involve a restraining order?

Alas, we may never know what exactly happened between Marguiles and Panjabi, and while I wish I could say that I’ll miss Kalinda on the Good Wife, her role has been so reduced the last two seasons that I’ll probably hardly notice that she’s left.

via TVGuide