The Good Wife

This is court-ordered mediation.

It's not opt-out mediation

or I-don't-feel-like-it mediation.

We know that, but what can we do?

We can't negotiate with a stone.

Yes, but you can lower your ask.

Given the set of facts I'm looking at,

well, it's way too high.

And the law is far from clear as to...

Then let's go to court.

Look, the judge doesn't want to clutter up his docket.

That's why he empowered me

to keep you here as long as I want

to reach a compromise.

And I will.

So show me some movement.

Our client wanted to sue for $38 million in punitive.

We got her down to 14.

That is movement.

But where is theirs?

Think about a new ask.

I need you to raise your offer.

Oh, come on.

Given the set of facts I'm looking at,

well, it's way too low.

And the legal issues...

What about their ask?

$12 million for what was clearly an accident?

$14 million.

Oh, my God. It keeps going up.

No, it was always $14 million.

Exactly, because they won't move.

That's Will Gardner's M.O.

He gets his opposition negotiating with themselves

so he can just sit back and...

Okay, the good news is,

they've agreed to an increase in their offer.

Really?

Yes-- $100,000.

As a goodwill gesture.

But it's linked to an equivalent

reduction in your ask.

We're not meeting in the middle.

You are meeting in the middle.

Everyone's meeting in the middle, or I keep you here.

This was an unfortunate accident...

Wait a minute.

I know Celeste works under the mistaken impression

that if she says something enough times,

it'll make it true,

but this wasn't an accident; This was fraud.

Deposition 101, page 58.

"But wasn't this an accident, ma'am?" Answer...

No, an accident is unintentional.

What your client did to me was intentional.

You sound angry, ma'am.

Do I?

I guess I am. I...

Would you like to take a break, Maggie?

Can we get you anything for your pain?

Thank you, Mr. Gardner.

Why don't we let Maggie raise her hand

when she wants to take a break instead of continually

vocalizing her pain into the record?

Wow, Celeste. Cynical much?

- Only since your fifth interruption. - Thank you,

but I don't need a break.

She doesn't need a break, Will.

Can I continue now?

It's up to you.

This was all caused by an accident

four years ago, wasn't it?

I was in a car accident.

It caused DDD-- degenerative disc disorder.

It's misaligned vertebrae discs.

And Dr. Farland, the man you are suing, my client,

suggested an operation.

He did.

He said I needed an SCS-- a spinal cord stimulator.

A device like this?

Our client was given a chance to choose

which model to have surgically implanted

from a catalogue of 12 FDA-approved models.

But she didn't choose any-- that's the defense's point.

Yes, but I expected him to pick one of the FDA-approved devices.

I was never told there was another option.

And what happened after the operation, Maggie?

The pain was gone.

I was ready to worship

- Dr. Farland. But then the pain came back?

Yes, it was like a deal with the Devil.

It came back three times worse.

But that's not why you brought suit.

No. About a month

after my operation, I received an itemized bill for the SCS.

On it was listed the manufacturer and the inventor.

And who was the inventor?

My doctor, Dr. Farland.

And this device he invented--

it was not FDA-approved?

That's right.

He just implanted it in me like I was a guinea pig.

I want to sympathize--

I do-- but you can't keep asking for $14 million.

Maggie has three children.

She is in constant pain.

Her life has been shortened by a decade.

Her husband left her,

and she's being kicked out of her house,

all because she cannot hold down a job

or offer spousal companionship.

Now, if that happened to me

from a doctor who experimented on me without my knowledge,

I'm sorry, but I would be asking for twice as much.

Good job. Keep on him.

And, everyone, the mediator's threatening

to keep us here through the weekend,

and I think he means it, so make arrangements.

We might have a slight edge in mediation.

The mediator seems sympathetic.

Really? Will that matter?

Not really.

We're heading to trial either way,

but it shows our argument's working.

What's up there?

I just got a call.

Someone who needs crisis management.

One of our clients?

No, someone impressed with the Florrick rehabilitation.

: Oh, wow.

Now I'm starting to feel like a slacker.

Eli is starting to clock more billable hours than us.

Who is it, one of the airlines?

I heard a jet went off the runway at O'Hare.

No, but I might be able to sign them.

I can decide for both of us?

Yes. Just keep me in the loop.

Mm-hmm.

Cheese.

Cheese?

Yes. We represent the Wisconsin State Dairy Guild,

and we need your help.

- With cheese? - Yes.

A certain kind of cheese or all cheese?

There was an outbreak of listeriosis

in a Chicago grammar school

four hours ago.

News reports say the outbreak

was traced to bacterial- infected cheese slices.

Five children are hospitalized,

four teachers are ill,

and we're getting alarmed calls from government officials.

Patrick! Lydia!

Does the guild have a contract with an existing PR firm?

Keyser & Associates.

They're working on an "Eat Cheese" campaign.

Not anymore. You hire me, I am one voice. Tell me that's ok, we're going forward.

- I'll have to get permission. - That's fine for now,

but I need someone here who doesn't need

to get permission.

Agnes, hello. Get... get me...

Monthly retainer of $60,000 a month.

Hourly still applies. You'll find that's competitive.

- Fine. - Get me everything

on listeriosis,

anyone who will speak out against cheese.

And I'll need more investigator time. Get Kalinda.,

She's on the mediation.

Not anymore.

Mm-hmm. 60... 60 a month...

W-wait, hold on.

...may also be tainted.

It was just after recess.

The culprit-- the most innocent of foods.

Cheese.

- This cell phone video, - Oh, dear God.

Shot by a cafeteria worker,

captures several students becoming gravely ill...

We're worried this is gonna

keep people from purchasing cheese.

You think?

Cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches...

You'll have to hire Lockhart/Gardner

as temporary counsel.

Actually, we have outside counsel.

Okay, I can explain myself for now,

but when things move faster,

you're going to have to just trust me.

Currently, everything we say and do can be subpoenaed

for civil or criminal trial.

And believe me, with news like this,

you do not want that.

We need to be able to speak

under cover of attorney-client privilege,

which Diane provides, and we need it now!

Go ahead, get permission.

Hi, Walter. Still there?

We also need to hire Lockhart/Gardner

as temporary counsel.

...as we learn more.