Goodbye to 'The Good Wife' : Look Back at the Show's 12 Best Guest Stars

The series finale of The Good Wife is upon us. What’s the best way to say goodbye to a show we’ve loved for seven dramatic, captivating and fantastic seasons? A celebration of our favorite guest stars, to start.

This was not an easy task. One of the show’s many gifts was the strength of its award-winning, critically acclaimed guest actors and we loved almost all of them (*cough* Kalinda’s estranged husband *cough*) but decided to go with our all-time favorites, of which there are 12. Did we mention this list was tough to narrow down? Well, it’s even tougher to rank all the superb performances and performers. See if you agree with our selections below:

12. Denis O’Hare as Judge Abernathy

Because no one makes a lasting impression in a role quite like O’Hare. His emotionally sensitive Judge Abernathy was always a welcome site behind the bench.

11. Ren e Elise Goldsberry as Geneva Pine

For those of us who can’t get tickets to see Goldsberry’s performance in Hamilton, it’s been a pleasure to watch her evolve and come into her own as a prosecutor for the State Attorney’s office.

10. Mamie Gummer as Nancy Crozier

Ooh, that Nancy Crozier was such an annoyingly talented legal force to be reckoned with – all thanks to a stellar layered performance by Mamie Gummer. Anytime Crozier was up against Alicia, we knew we were in for a treat.

9. Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney

Another character that is easy to hate, but because Dylan Baker played the skeevy, villainous Colin Sweeney with such devilish, creative aplomb. His performances were so entertaining it was sometimes easy to forget Sweeney was a cold-blooded killer.

8. Nathan Lane as Clarke Hayden

Of all the supporting player character evolutions on the show, and there are so many great ones, Nathan Lane’s performance as Clarke Hayden stands out for tugging at our heartstrings. His character’s transition from accountant foe to unlikely friend (particularly his relationship with Cary) to future star lawyer – we’re assuming he is now a legal star – was wonderful to watch.

7. Dallas Roberts as Owen Cavanaugh

Because Owen always brought out a softer side in his sister Alicia and we learned so much about her whenever he paid a surprise visit.

6. Stockard Channing as Veronica Loy

Was/is there anyone more perfect to play Alicia’s unpredictable, unique, force of nature mother than Stockard Channing? No, there is not. Like Alicia’s brother Owen, Veronica Loy helped us to better understand why Alicia is the way she is, particularly her strength and alcohol enthusiasm.

5. Gary Cole as Kurt McVeigh

Who would’ve thought we’d see a softer side of Diane Lockhart? And that a conservative, second amendment enthusiast would hold the key? Enter ballistics expert Kurt McVeigh, who melted Diane’s (and the audience’s) heart nearly every time he appeared in an episode. Thank you, Gary Cole.

4. Martha Plimpton as Patty Nyholm

Martha Plimpton’s Patty Nyholm was always a great challenger for Alicia, Diane, Will, etc. And even though she frequently used her pregnancy and later her baby to manipulate and garner sympathy for her side of an argument, she made for great TV – not to mention the fact that Plimpton won an Emmy for the role.

3. Sarah Steele as Marissa Gold

The reason Sarah Steele and her character Marissa Gold are up so high on our list is because Steele’s Marissa totally snuck up on us with the lasting emotional impact the character had on not one, but two of The Good Wife‘s major players: Alicia and Eli Gold, Marissa’s dear old dad. She was the most pleasant of surprises. Spin-off show, please?

2. and 1. TIE: Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Michael J Fox as Louis Canning

It’s just too difficult to choose a favorite between Carrie Preston and Michael J. Fox’s incredible, unforgettable performances on this show. Call it a cop out, fine, but don’t make us choose! The show was able to venture into kooky, eccentric territory because of these two actors and their lovable, completely unpredictable characters. We will miss you two tremendously.

The Good Wife finale airs Sunday, May 8 (9 p.m. ET) on CBS.