How ‘The Good Fight’ Season 6 Premiere Set up Eli Gold’s Return

Alan Cumming as Eli Gold and Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold in The Good Fight
Spoiler Alert
Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount+

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Good Fight Season 6 premiere “The Beginning of the End.”]

The Good Fight kicks off its final season with an episode that introduces two new additions in Ri’Chard Lane (Andre Braugher) as Liz Reddick’s (Audra McDonald) new partner and Dr. Lyle Bettencourt (John Slattery) whose methods Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) turns to in order to get “off the wheel.” It also sets up the return of a Good Wife fave Eli Gold (Alan Cumming).

His daughter Marissa (Sarah Steele), now an attorney, is excited to get right to it, and that means pushing to argue a motion in court. Though she swears Diane won’t regret saying yes, things don’t go as she’d hoped. Marissa tries to get advice from Carmen (Charmaine Bingwa), but the other lawyer is too distracted with her own case. And when it’s time for Marissa to argue before the judge, she freezes. Their motion is denied, and they’ll be reconvening for the trial on Thursday.

Marissa then becomes worried that Liz and Carmen want to talk to her to replace her, and again, Carmen is too worried about her own case to help her. “I’m not your security blanket,” Carmen says. “You have to handle your issues by yourself. I can’t be there for you. I’m not good at it… I’m not built to be your sounding board.” She had to focus on her own problems. “OK. Makes sense. Have a good night, and f**k you,” Marissa said, walking out.

Julius (Michael Boatman) then tells Marissa they want her to spend more time at the firm with paperwork and the client doesn’t want her back on her case. Maybe after six months, they can give having her in court another chance, as second chair. After that conversation, Marissa called Eli: “Dad, I need your help.”

Anything that brings Cumming back on our screens as Eli Gold is a win, and we’re expecting some fun with him and Diane as well as some great stuff between him and Marissa after that premiere.

The Good Fight, Thursdays, Paramount+