Entertainment

Eli Revealed An Old Betrayal On 'The Good Wife'

After months of working together, Eli and Alicia's friendship might be over on The Good Wife . At least, that's what it looked like in the final moments of the show's winter finale, "KSR." Shockingly, this potential Eli/Alicia breakup wasn't caused by any of Eli's secret plans regarding the DNC or Peter, or even his attempts to keep Alicia from sleeping with her investigator, Jason Crouse. It was actually caused by something Eli did years ago — five years, to be exact. In "KSR," Eli finally decided it was time to come clean and tell Alicia about the voicemail from Will that he deleted at the end of Season 1 — the one in which Will told Alicia he loved her, but she never received. After this confession, Alicia threw Eli out of her apartment, leaving many to wonder, if the two are done for good.

Eli has, for the most part, been nothing but loyal to Alicia in recent years. And, as Alicia has grown, so has her ability to see through Eli's BS. It's what made their partnership this year so exciting — she knew what he wanted from her, and vice versa. But, back in Seasons 1 and 2, Eli was still firmly on Team Peter, and Alicia was a new working mother, struggling with her feelings for her boss, Will Gardner. So, when Eli finally owned up to what he did in "KSR," it's no wonder Alicia threw him out. That voicemail could have changed the course of her life. At the very least, it could have given her more time with the man she loved before he died (R.I.P. Will). What kind of friend does that make Eli?

In his defense, Eli came clean after realizing that he needed to encourage Alicia to chase after her happiness. Even if that meant leaving Peter for Jason Crouse and destroying Peter's Presidential bid, Eli still wanted Alicia to be happy, telling her, "Will said he loved you and would give up everything to be with you, and I erased it. I never let you hear it. And I've been sick about it ever since. And I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness again. That's why I'm sorry."

It was his desire to be a good friend to Alicia that made him confess. For once, Eli wasn't working some kind of game, he was being honest. Maybe there's hope for Eli after all? We'll have to wait until The Good Wife returns with new episodes on Jan. 10 to find out.

Images: David M. Russell//CBS; exceptionalmoment/Tumblr