Jace: That's just it — it's senseless and brutal and truly shocking in that respect. There is an element of randomness to it: What if that cop had had the clasp on his holster secured? What if Jeffrey hadn't been accused of a crime that he seemingly didn't commit? What if he wasn't terrified for his life within Cook County holding? Will's death is inorganic to the show and that's why it matters, really. It wasn't the climax to a season-long arc; it wasn't about the rivalry between the two firms, or even about his doomed romance with Alicia. It came out of nowhere. He was shot to death by his client. In a courtroom. With Diane a room away. And he died somewhere between that room and the hospital. The reveal isn't operatic, but gut-wretching as Kalinda and Diane peel back that sheet. It's horrifying in its very simplicity.

Louis: Absolutely agree with you there. What I loved about that moment is that they teased the dramatic scene of doctors struggling to save Will's life on the table, when in fact he was DOA. That added to the brutality, and Kalinda's and Diane's reactions completely floored me. That we didn't get to see Alicia's immediate reaction was great, too. I thought all of this was handled well — the best it could be, really, given the circumstances — but I still don't think the circumstances themselves were necessary. It's the best a cheap twist can be, because The Good Wife is a great show, but it never needed the cheap twist. At least we can agree on the execution.

Jace: I think that you're right about that juxtaposition between the chaos of that one room and the stillness of the one where Will's body is. But that's where the show thrives where others would have failed. Killing off a character could be inherently thought of, on any show, as potentially cheap. But I refuse to agree that this is a cheap twist. To me, in an era where character deaths are essentially played out, this one had meaning and consequences for the characters in a palpable, major way. There is no escaping the fact that Alicia and Diane and everyone will have to confront Will's death head-on. But his death also means ending the love triangle that Alicia was trapped within.

Louis: And how happy are we that the love triangle is over? Always one of the least interesting aspects of the show. I am more interested in Kalinda and Cary than I was in Alicia and Will, and I am not interested in Kalinda and Cary. And I'm excited to see where the show goes from here, in terms of Alicia and Diane's relationship. Obviously they now share this common loss, but can that erase everything else that happened between them? Honestly, though, I still think there were more stories to be told with Alicia and Will — and I get that the writers' hands were tied because of Charles' decision to leave — but I want more there. That was a major part of what made this season so exciting.