The Good Wife: Will Kalinda and Alicia Ever Reconcile?

Archie Panjabi talks to us about how things will change for the two leading ladies of CBS's superclassy courtroom drama

CBS's superclassy courtroom drama The Good Wife return next season with a mission to bridge the huge chasm that now yawns between Julianna Margulies' "good wife" Alicia Florrick and her one-time gal Friday Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), after the shocking reveal that Kalinda once slept with Alicia's estranged husband Peter (Chris Noth).

Will the two ladies ever be able to work together again? We just caught up with Archie Panjabi herself at the Monte Carlo TV Festival, and she promised the press that "if it is possible, it will take time." So what has to happen before the two friends to truly reconcile? Here's what Archie just told us:

What can you tell us about Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and your character next season—will become friends again?
In season one they had such a great friendship and in season two it developed up until the end. As soon as Blake (Scott Porter) came onto the scene, and he revealed what she had gotten up to and it will be interesting to see whether this relationship can be salvaged or not. I mean you've got two women who are very fond of each other but this incident has happened. You would think they can't be friends, but with The Good Wife you never know.

What do you think?
I definitely think that Kalinda instinctively has always cared for Alicia a lot and will continue to look after her, that's in her DNA. So I think the ball will very much be in Alicia's court and whether she can forgive Kalinda for what she's done. In her eyes, it's morally wrong, but at the same time Alicia doesn't have very many friends. It will be interesting, I don't think it's impossible, but if it is possible it will take time.

What about Kalinda's backstory? Will we learn more and what can you tell us?
In season one, we learned she was incredibly mysterious and very good at her job. In season two we peeled off a couple of layers, I think, about her past actions, why she's been so guarded, why she didn't like Blake, her history with Peter (Chris Noth). And I think in season three new characters or new guest stars will help reveal a little bit more about her. She continues to surprise me and there is so much about her that I don't know which makes her such a complex character, but it's a real challenge for an actress. Normally you know everything about your character and if somebody had told me a year ago you're going to play a character that you don't know anything about and you'll still be playing that character a year later and still won't know a lot about her I wouldn't have touched it. But it keeps me really excited because I know it's a tough challenge.

I wonder if you have any thoughts about why Kalinda changed her name or what her big secret is?
I did have ideas but now the way the show is going it's almost like her backstory is going to be created by what we end up filming in the episodes, which again is a unique way of working. I have written a two-to-three page back story, and I think sometimes it works, and I keep adding to it, but I don't think they're necessary going to spell that out. I do think why she changed her name will come out in season three.