As The Good Wife nears the end of its sixth season, the show really has gone from strength to strength.

What began as a vehicle for Julianna Margulies to relaunch herself into TV has now become a pop-culture phenomenon and won over even the most ardent of critics. Really, if you're not watching The Good Wife, you're missing out.

Here's a quick rundown of the best characters on the show.

10. COLIN SWEENEY

Yes, he's a super-freak and essentially a rip-off of Hannibal Lecter who got away with killing his wife. But dammit if he isn't one of the most entertaining guest stars on the show. He's way more an interesting client than, say, Lemond Bishop and the actor who plays him - Dylan Baker - clearly enjoys playing the role. It's the teeth that do it, we think.

9. KURT McVEIGH

You may better know the actor Gary Cole as Bill Lumbergh from Office Space, but his ability to slip into any role means he's one of the most underrated actors out there. Playing a right-wing, NRA-supporting ballistics expert, the witty banter between him and Diane Lockhart is one of the show's highlights. We should all be able to pull off a moustache like that.

8. JUDGE ROBERT CUESTA

He's angry, he's cantankerous and he's a Neil Diamond fan. Is Judge Cuesta us? Probably. What is essentially a guest-starring character, Cuesta's become one of our favourite judges in the show. Sure, he's not as gleefully liberal as Judge Abernathy or as actually angry Judge Politi - who's played Johnny Sack from The Sopranos, by the way. Still, Judge Cuesta's got all the quips and one-liners he needs to leave a definite impact.

7. DAVID LEIGH

He's conniving, ruthless and he cares about one thing - money. David Leigh is, much like our next entry, the one you just love to hate. The amount of times he's mounted a coup to topple Diane, Alicia and the firm so he can take over is staggering. And yet, for whatever reason, he just doesn't give up. You've gotta respect that.

6. LOUIS CANNING

Michael J. Fox will forever be Marty McFly to us, but it's been really interesting to see him play an out-and-out villain. Louis Canning, much like David Lee, was an absolute git who liked nothing more than screwing anyone and everyone over so he could win. When his illness - which he described in great detail at every opportunity - became more exacerbated, what did he do? He used it to his advantage to curry favour. Amazing.

5. DIANE LOCKHART

She's tough, elegant and a canny businesswoman. Who wouldn't want to work for her? Also, that laugh is just the most cat-like thing we've ever heard.

4. CAREY AGOS

Seriously, how is he THIRTY-SEVEN?!

3. WILL GARDNER

We're still not over it. Nope. Not over it. Not even a little bit. Not since the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones has a character's exit from television has come as a shock and gained traction online. 

2. ALICIA FLORRICK

The character arc, from frightened housewife struggling to make ends meet to full-on corporate warlord, has been really something to see. The nuance, depth and range that Julianna Margulies brings the role, not to mention the interplay she has with the rest of the cast, is something.

 

1. ELI GOLD

We'd like a chart of Eli Gold reactions that we could point to when we want to use non-verbal means of communications.