The image of politicians like Bill Clinton, Elliot Spitzer, Mark Sanford, John Edwards, live before the camera and the public, begging forgiveness for their acts, has been one of the defining ones over the last decade and a half. All of these men had one thing in common: A woman who stood by, the only constant support in scandalous times, reflecting an image of forgiveness and a united family. But, you must have surely wondered about what really goes through the mind of such women, whose husbands faced public disgrace for their immoral acts.

Created by Robert and Michelle King, The Good Wife is a highly acclaimed legal drama series that delves into the life of a public official’s wife, forced to take up a career as defense attorney, after her husband is sent to prison, following a high profile scandal. Taking inspiration from numerous similar headlines that have been hitting the newspapers off late, The Good Wife, is a series that has a contemporary feel to it. It stars Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, a strong woman in the lead role, who makes a comeback to her legal career, in order to provide for her two children.

Chris Noth appears as Peter Florrick, the former public attorney who is forced to resign after the disclosure of a sex scandal. The series also has Josh Charles in the role of Will Gardner, an old friend of Alicia’s from law school, who gives her an opening in his law firm, in the time of distress. There is also a strong undercurrent of attraction between the two, something which Alicia does her best to deny. Another major protagonist is Kalindi Sharma (played by Archie Panjabi), a cynical in-house investigator who tries to make Alicia comfortable in the aftermath of the scandal.

Margulies does a stupendous job of portraying a strong woman, as a survivor and fighter. The show differentiates itself from other legal shows by giving precedence to the political scandal, and portraying the struggle of Alicia in an admirable manner, as she moves on in life after her husband’s very public betrayal.