Letters to the Editor
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I miss it all ready
I've missed it for the past 3 years. The show hasn't been the same since mid-season 4. Sure, I've still watched it, but it was like watching a different show with the same characters. The show USED to be about the CHARACTERS, then it became about the POLITICS. The premise of the show was about politics without the politics. At least the show's been getting back to that this season, but it's still a bit dry. The humor really came back in a very recent episode, and that was because BRADLEY WHITFORD wrote it.
But I will tell you, I'll sure as hell miss being able to say, "Oh...I forgot to watch The West Wing again" and then shrug. I miss the days when I cared that I missed it.
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I cried
No joke, I cried when I heard that they were cancelling "The West Wing" after this season. It is true that the show fell off a bit after Sorkin left, but to this day it remains the best show on television. What is especially sad about "The West Wing" leaving TV is that it is one of those shows that actually means something, that we might be able to learn something from. Watching an hour of "The West Wing" is oftentimes inspiring and enlightening, while sitting through an hour of "American Idol," "The OC," "Skating with the Stars," or "Laguna Beach" temporarily lowers my IQ by about 50 points. Unfortunately, those shows appeal more to America than actual content-based ones like "The West Wing."
Luckily I still have the first five seasons on DVD to watch over and over again...thank you to "The West Wing" for your many years of brilliant acting, brilliant writing, brilliant story-telling, and truly brilliant entertainment. You will be missed.
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Weak Wing
Probably what the show did for me was coin the term "smartassery" in my mind; it's how the humour runs. The protagonist is always given the ideal comeback for anything said to her/him.
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It's CJ, not AJ!
The fifth season was when the show lost me. But I was reborn following the season with the sixth and the chance to follow a campaign. It's been smart, funny, and interesting. What has been most challenging as both a viewer and a liberal is Alan Alda's character: smart, reasonable, moderate Republican. It's a strangely appropriate parallel to the most recent election and the state of the union.
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Don't Go Lowe
The show really took a body blow when Rob Lowe left I think. Who can forget such witty exchanges like, Tell your friend POTUS he has a funny name....It's not his name, it's his title...President of the United States. I'll call ya! Imagine being able to say that and walk out the door. That's clever writing.
When Sam left, it was like what would happen if Joey left Friends. I did miss other characters like Mandy dissappearing after season 1. However, Sam Seaborn was not only a part of the inner circle, but his character inspired me. I was amazed at how incredibly for lack of a better word, presidential, he was. So much poise, confidence, and professionalism, he just added a lot of credibility to the show by how he carried himself and his delivery.
Of course the real COD was the loss of Aaron Sorkin's vision and writing. After he left, it became just like everything else. Like I said in another post, Sorkin gave the show life. Good bye West Wing, I'll miss you. DVD is a beautiful thing.
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It jumped the shark when Dan Conners became president.
But I couldn't stop because the cast was so good. Martin Sheen is a hero because of his off-screen activism and the cast did become like friends. Commander in Chief ain't bad, but its not as good.
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The once great
Let me start by saying that I own the first three seasons on dvd. I watch episodes regularly and at random and though I know what's about to be said I revel in hearing it.
By the fourth season, however, I was bored. Aaron Sorkin was still there but he didn't seem to be at the top of his game; the characters no longer sounded like themselves, made decisions and statements that seemed out of character. When Zoe was kidnapped I rolled my eyes, though I recalled the President's speach of fear to her in the first season, referencing just such an occurence. I stayed long enough to see her safely returned and said no more.
The handful of episodes I've caught pieces of since seemed largely ridiculous. Why would they make CJ the new Chief of Staff? It hasn't interested me in a long time and I really think that when they fired the writer they should just have ended the show. It was great once. Why couldn't it have stayed that way?
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What I'll miss most about The West Wing
Besides the really wonderful dialogue, interesting story lines and terrific acting, what I'll miss most about The West Wing was the utopia of it -- that it presented government and politicians as they should be: smart, fair-minded, compassionate, big thinkers, instead of the poll-watching, media-wary, short-sighted, small-picture, scaredy-cat reality. Losing that is the real tragedy.