Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Alicia and Cary expect partnership at Lockhart Gardner, but the firm delays their advancement, leaving them to question whether their work will ever earn them a place at the top. Peter campaigns for governor while Alicia helps manage family and political pressures, and Will and Alicia continue to work together after their affair has ended. Kalinda’s husband Nick remains a danger early in the season, while bankruptcy trustee Clarke Hayden oversees the firm’s finances and challenges Diane and Will’s leadership. The season also tests Alicia as she considers how much of her independence she can preserve while still helping Peter win.
Alicia’s cases range from labor disputes to a civil suit brought by a rape survivor, and the work exposes conflicts between lawyers’ ambitions and the people they represent. When Cary and the other fourth-year associates begin planning a rival practice, Alicia is invited to join. She hesitates as Peter’s election approaches and she and Will confront what their relationship could have been, but she chooses to leave Lockhart Gardner and build the new firm with Cary. Peter wins the governor’s race; the season closes with his victory and Alicia’s professional break occurring at the same time, while her choice of firm signals a decision to create distance from Will.