Has your future ex mother-in-law ever gone through your dirty lingerie? If you work all day, how would you even know? That's just one of the problems "The Good Wife" faces these days. Yes, she's still bombarded with convoluted legal issues. She still works long hours and has to rely on others to do some of the things she did when she was a housewife. Now that Alicia has been doing double duty as mom and dad for a few years, she could tell you a few things about how tough it is to be a single mom.
Single moms do both mom and dad duty
Peter and Alicia are still married, but their vows lost their zing a long time ago. When hubby went to prison, wifey had to do both her job and his. That didn't change much when he made parole. While Peter shined up his tarnished image, Alicia carried most of the child-rearing burden alone. As State's Attorney, Peter still doesn't have much time for daddy duty. No wonder Alicia kicked him to the curb.
Single moms spend long hours away from the kids
At Lockhart-Gardner there is an unending supply of criminals for Alicia to defend. There are political problems, international incidents and backstabbing co-workers to contend with. Not to mention career sabotaging exes. At the end of each day, she must leave all the mayhem behind and step into her loving-mother shoes. Like most working moms, Alicia is ultra busy, a little weary and sometimes late; still, she gets the job done, because that's what single moms do.
Single moms worry about stranger danger
Like all single moms, Alicia knows the danger of strangers. She takes precautions. She tells her children to be careful and to lock the door when they're home alone. She calls home frequently to make sure all is well; but she knows when a mom is at work most of the day, no precaution is ever enough. That knowledge disturbed Alicia in the episode "Death Row Tip." She needed information from death row inmate Ricky Packer. He had only hours until his execution. To get what she needed, Alicia had to get him a stay of execution, then make nice with him face to face. Ricky's crime? He abducted two teen girls from a mall. He raped them, beat them and slashed their throats. And he had no remorse. The girls were Grace's age, and when Alicia saw the pictures of them dead, it took the idea of stranger danger to a whole new level.
Single moms can't avoid snooty, snoopy in-laws
As a single mom, Alicia must feed the children, clean the house, make sure the homework gets done, and keep everything running smoothly. She has responsibility for everything at home and spends hours away earning a living. When snooty, snoopy mother-in-law Jackie started digging through Alicia's dirty lingerie and personal belongings, what could she do? Nothing. She was interviewing a killer on death row and didn't even know her privacy was being invaded. Fortunately, Jackie wasn't tech savvy enough to find the on switch to Alicia's computer.
Single moms have a complicated dating life
Alicia had been feeling the fire for a long time, but when a single mom dates, it's a big deal. Children always prefer their fathers over mom's new love. When mom dates, kids can get angry, and their behavior can lean toward the dark side. Mothers-in-law get snooty, bitter and sneaky. Exes get jealous, and if they're the States Attorney, they may use their power to sabotage romance when it's still hot and fresh. Dating is complicated for a single mom. That's why Alicia chose an easy access lover. That's why she waited until her libido was so on fire she couldn't help herself. That's why things got really hot really fast; and that's why she and Will continue to sneak around.
Life is tough when you're a single mom.
