Christine Baranski has a presence like few actors or actresses can ever cultivate. Whether in a single cameo on one of her many appearances on TV Shows, or on the Broadway stage, everyone remembers seeing Christine Baranski inhabit a role.

In 2017, Christine Baranski demonstrated the characteristic chutzpah that her character, Diane Lockhart, conveys through juicy fiction in real life. The acclaimed, Emmy and Tony-honored actress was delighted to dive into the first full-fledged streaming series on CBS All Access, “The Good Fight.” It's always a gamble to take a strident TV character to the helm of a series, but from the start, Baranski thrived on the unhinged aspects of the character, along with the salty language.

Instantly, “The Good Fight” drew its own following and became another television dynasty on its own.

Like everyone else, Christine Baranski is “sheltering in place” from home these days. As she described on “CBS This Morning” on April 9 to Gayle King, however, her home life isn’t so bad, even though her heart breaks for the losses during the coronavirus pandemic. Fans will see Diane Lockhart in a whole new way on the fourth season of “The Good Fight,” starting tonight. By the way, she looks fabulous in black patent leather.

Christine Baranski has fun with an alternate reality in ‘The Good Fight’

Christine Baranski looked fresh as a daisy from her Connecticut home during the “social distancing” interview with Gayle King.

Folks are starting to worry about her character, however, on the Season 4 premiere episode. The questions of whether Diane is “micro-dosing again” arise, and she can’t exactly deny them. She emerges from a coma at the close of Season 3 to find that Donald Trump was never elected and Hillary Clinton is in charge.

“It's my favorite episode I’ve done in the 10 years I played the character,” Baranski praised.

She also reflected the same admiration in a Variety profile. Considering that “The Good Fight” was solely crafted around Christine Baranski and her considerable acting chops, that's a high compliment.

Writers Robert and Michelle King created the full evolution of Diane Lockhart from “The Good Wife,” and Baranski confirms that the writing pair feeds off of whatever desire she describes.

This season started off with a big dose of fun.

“I've done so much comedy in my career, but I don't get to use those chops with Diane, whose usually such a serious character, describes Baranski. "It's damn funny," she promises. The fun side gives way to serious questions of “What if?” under an alternate administration.

Questions of female empowerment arise for Christine Baranski

“Would the Women's March have happened? Would Harvey Weinstein be functioning in the world?” Christine Baranski questions, under a Hillary Clinton administration. Both positive and negative aspects sparked by the energy of anger have come to full fruition under the current administration. The nation has been in turmoil and tribalism has consumed politics, but voices which might have remained quiet are now being heard, even from the ballot box.

“People will certainly find good content on ‘The Good Fight’” declares the star. Season 4 features the return of Michael J Fox. The new season also pits Diane against John Larroquette as the head of her law firm. Christine Baranski describes the addition as “utterly perfect casting” in the Variety interview, and the exchanges between the characters in the preview peaks are razor-sharp.

Baranski takes pride in the fact that her drama “happens in the real world, in the Trump administration,” and she hopes that the strength of her character speaks to female viewers and any others hoping for change. “It's a very relevant show,” affirms the leading lady.

Love, loss, and looking good still fill life for Christine Baranski

Another fun romp in Season 4 involved Christine Baranski looking delicious in a catsuit. The actress admitted to Anthony Mason that she hasn’t seen the full episode, but that the experience was “fun,” adding, “All that Pilates I did-- I hope it pays off. This is just one more peek at a “bold move” for Diane Lockhart.

The move might be considered undercover since Lockhart is unraveling the rise of Memo 618 through her judicial battle in the new season. The memo allows rich and powerful men to be exempted from constraints of the law, seemingly ripped from impeachment proceedings.

Christine Baranski finds it “heartbreaking” that so many in her Broadway family “are sitting at home” unsure of their future and not able to offer their gifts.

She also mourns the loss of Terrence McNally. The playwright who wrote of the AIDS epidemic and its personal toll sadly had his creative light darkened by COVID-19.

“None of us know where this is going,” Christine Baranski concludes, “but we're going all together.”

For the grand lady of stage and screen, that “together” includes her daughter and three grandsons, who call her “Minnie” while she plays baseball and soccer with the bunch.

It will probably be a few years before they see their grandmother in a catsuit, but Christine Baranski will still be one-of-a-kind.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED