Don’t ask CBS exec about the Alicia-Kalinda goodbye scene in ‘The Good Wife’

It’s the topic that can make CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler groan, “Oh, my God!” — the goodbye scene between Alicia and Kalinda on “The Good Wife.”

You know which one.

Tassler took the stage Monday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour and found herself confronted with the controversial moment featured in the show’s Season 6 finale. The scene features Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) having one last drink before Kalinda makes her exit.

It was the last time the fans would see the TV friends together (Panjabi left the drama in May).

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But rather than draw heartfelt responses, the scene was panned for what appeared to be the use of computer-generated imagery — or “movie magic,” as Tassler called it — to splice the two together in the scene. And, as it would get pointed out, it was the first time the characters were together on screen in three seasons.

“Bottom line is the ending of the show was a very satisfying ending for the relationship between those two characters,” Tassler told reporters. “And I stand behind how [creators] Robert and Michelle King produce their show.”

The goodbye scene — and the efforts taken to complete it — has not been addressed by the show’s creators nor the cast. But others have tried to get to the bottom of it, suggesting that behind-the-scenes discord between Margulies and Panjabi led to the reduction in scenes together.

Whatever the case, it was clear Tassler wasn’t interested in addressing it any further. When approached later by a small group of reporters and asked to explain whether such concessions would be made again, Tassler let out that annoyed “Oh, my God!”

“The way a producer shoots their show — that’s really all I care about. Did the relationship work? Did the story work? Did the audience feel like they saw the end of the relationship? And they did.”

Pressed that the handling might have effected the way its audience views the show, Tassler disagreed.

“I haven’t really heard that. People are much more invested in Alicia’s journey, and that’s where the show is going, forward to the future.”

I tweet about TV (and other things) here: @villarrealy

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