Julianna Margulies stars in "The Good Wife"

Think about how much your life has changed in the past three years. Jobs, families, homes and circumstances all change so quickly, and sometimes it's hard to keep up.

Three years ago, the Florricks were happy. Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) had stepped away from her dream career as a lawyer to take care of her children. Her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), was a successful state's attorney who provided very well for Alicia and their children, Zach and Grace.

But the white picket fence would soon come crashing down.

The series started just as news of Peter's sex scandal hit the media. His actions led to an investigation, which exposed the corruption in which he'd been involved, and he was sent to prison.

Since Alicia had given up her position many years ago, it was difficult for her to find a job. She finally takes a bottom-rung position with Stern, Lockhart & Gardner, where she is quickly resented by junior attorney Cary Agos, who sees her as competition. Alicia faces the decision of whether to stay with Peter and face the gossip and buzz that now surrounds her marriage, or to leave and raise her kids alone.

Though she does not divorce Peter, they decide to separate, and she finds herself attracted to former classmate and partner at the firm, Will Gardner (Josh Charles). The two have a relationship in Season 3, but she's unable to allow herself to trust anyone and breaks it off.

The season finale of "The Good Wife" airs Sunday, April 29, on CBS.

The series premiered back in 2009, and it is said to be inspired by several of the true political sex scandals that had come out in the recent past. Creators Michelle and Robert King -- who, ironically enough, are husband and wife -- cite Eliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton and John Edwards as sources for the concept and several plot lines.

"There had been this waterfall of these kinds of scandals, from Bill and Hillary [Clinton], to Dick Morris, to Eliot Spitzer, to name just a few. I think they’re all over our culture," Michelle said in an interview with BitterLawyer.com. "And there was always this image of the husband up there, apologizing, and the wife standing next to him. I think the show began when we asked, 'What are they thinking?' And Robert and I started talking about it from there."

Though the series is not specifically based on any politician in particular, there are many similarities and hints that viewers may pick up if they follow the news.

For example, Spitzer is said to have worn socks during his escapades with a prostitute, and in "The Good Wife," Peter is said to have a foot fetish. It's not a direct link, but many critics have drawn connections like that.

Christine Baranksi stars in "The Good Wife"

One thing that does separate "The Good Wife" from reality is its ability to tie humor into tense moments.

"I think there’s a lot more humor in court than gets portrayed on most shows," said Robert King. "If you think about the courtroom from a different perspective, you see that a lot of what happens can be quite humorous. I mean, you’ve got this fickle god who can come out and pull the rug out from under two people engaged in a struggle, albeit with words, that’s as brutal as any blood sport. That’s funny -- from a certain perspective."

Alicia is played by Margulies, who got her big break into television on NBC's iconic series, "ER." She starred as nurse Carol Hathaway for six seasons, having an on-again-off-again relationship with George Clooney's character, Dr. Doug Ross. Margulies also had a four-episode stint in HBO's hit series "The Sopranos" and the female lead in "Snakes on a Plane" (2006).

Noth rose to popularity as the man you love to hate. In "Law & Order," he starred as the aggressive Det. Mike Logan for five seasons. He then reprised the role in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" 10 years later. For fans of romantic comedy series, he's likely more known for his role as Mr. Big, Carrie's on-and-off boyfriend (and eventual husband), from the "Sex and the City" franchise.

Diane Lockhart, a strong and opinionated senior partner at Stern, Lockhart & Gardner, is played by Christine Baranski. Her past work has included soap operas ("All My Children" and "Another World"), comedy ("Cybill" and "The Big Bang Theory") and musicals (2002's "Chicago" and 2008's "Mamma Mia!").

The series also stars Josh Charles ("Sports Night"), Archie Panjabi ("Grease Monkeys"), Matt Czuchry ("Gilmore Girls"), Alan Cumming (1995's "GoldenEye") and Mary Beth Peil ("Dawson's Creek").

In addition to "The Good Wife's" stellar main cast, the series also has many recurring guest stars. Recently, Matthew Perry ("Friends") has appeared in several episodes, and Rita Wilson, Parker Posey and Michael J. Fox have had multiple-episode arcs. Other guest stars have included America Ferrara ("Ugly Betty"), Lisa Edelstein ("House"), Kelli Giddish ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") and Michael Boatman ("Spin City"). The season finale is slated to welcome actress Martha Plimpton ("Raising Hope") to the story.