THE GOOD WIFE: America Ferrera Makes Eli Gold Squirm

America Ferrera began a multi-episode arc on The Good Wife last night, playing a college student who piques Eli Gold’s (Alan Cumming) attention. Going into the episode, I didn’t know much more than that about her character, and wasn’t sure how a relationship between those two actors would play. As Ferrera’s character, Natalie, tells Eli’s daughter at one point, she’s “oh so young” compared to Eli. Would it be creepy? Predatory? Just meh? How about none of the above.

From their first scene together, it was clear that Natalie was going to throw Eli for a loop. She’s not just an illegal alien who worked for Peter Florrick’s opponent. No, she’s also a vibrant, intelligent, witty and gorgeous young woman with just a hint of naivete and vulnerability. I was enchanted, as was Eli. Oh, he tried to ignore it. He tried to go about his devious political machinations unaffected by her, but as the episode ended with Natalie being hounded by reporters as the scandal broke, Eli was obviously upset. His loyalty to Peter overrode his sense of rightness regarding Natalie and her situation, and his attraction to her, but for how long? The aborted dinner date revealed an unexpected side of Eli (as did the appearance of his daughter; did we know he was a father?), a man floundering in attraction for an unsuitable woman both in age and political status. It also revealed a sharpness in Natalie; she knew who he was after his first visit with her, so what was her agenda in continuing to see him?

As compelling as Alicia and Kalinda and Diane’s storylines are, Natalie’s storyline adds a layer that I didn’t realize was missing. Whereas those three women have established lives and careers with secrets and tragedies for us to explore, Natalie is embarking on hers. She’s struggled as an illegal alien, yes, but the revelation of her status is her first big tragedy and we’re watching it unfold not only from her point of view but from Eli’s. Knowing that Ferrera will be around for additional episodes, and with such wonderful chemistry between her and Cumming, I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment in their story, almost as much as I want to know who the mysterious man is that has been calling Kalinda.

The Good Wife airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.