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[personal profile] sulkyblueblog
West Wing to end

Now I'm sad.

The West Wing makes a very good challenge for my favourite tv show of all time and the only reason the position is challenged is because of a blip in the quality after Aaron Sorkin left. The first 4 seasons of this show are absolutely superb - they're interesting, funny, dramatic, touching and sad. I can go back and watch almost any episode and be moved by it even after half a dozen other viewings. After Aaron Sorkin left the show floundered a bit, with some poor choices of plotline and a hole in the writing that just never quite filled. But the first half of season 7 I've seen put me back on the edge of my seat, I was physically jittery when I ran out of episodes, desperately wanting to know what was going to happen.

The loss of John Spencer hurt, and I'm almost dreading watching the episodes dealing with his passing. I've been re-watching season 3 and it's painful to think of the show without him. It's almost cruel that having found a way to keep him in the show following the change of administration he passed so suddenly. Season 8 of the show would already have to stand the loss of several of the characters we've followed, not least the president himself (the fact that for all this show's awards, Martin Sheen has won very few, nominated five times for the emmy and never winning it).

I can't quite understand cancelling the show now. While the ratings have fallen, that's hardly surprising given the move to a Sunday night time slot and the transitory nature of the year. While I'm not surprised The West Wing has been cancelled, I am confused by the lack of a partner announcement for a spin off series for the new administration. If the West Wing is failing, why cancel it just as they're about to have a huge shift in nature of the show?

Maybe it is better for the show to end at this point, but I'm going to miss these characters. I have a huge number of show quotes on my site but so many of the things that make The West Wing great were not the words, but the things that were not said, because they didn't need to be.


Josh and Leo, end of season 6: "You"

Toby's speeches

Josh and Donna: If you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for red lights.

Almost anything Charlie ever said. Or didn't say.

Epic steady-cam shots

Latin

Every time the president flips his jacket

Josh and Leo: a guy's walking down the street and he falls into a hole

Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms, Tori Amos I Don't Like Mondays, Jeff Buckley Hallelujah

Big Block of Cheese Day

Gail!

Date: 2006-01-23 03:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] coalescent.livejournal.com
Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms, Tori Amos I Don't Like Mondays, Jeff Buckley Hallelujah

Surely also Massive Attack, 'Angel'?

Date: 2006-01-23 04:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sulkyblue.livejournal.com
I didn't remember that one, but now having looked at imdb's soundtrack listing (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200276/soundtrack) I have to add New York Minute as well. And also the Barenaked Ladies One Week was great to hear on tv, although it wasn't as powerful as any of the previously mentioned songs.

Date: 2006-01-23 04:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] coalescent.livejournal.com
I didn't remember that one

!

The end of 'Commencement'. The entire last act, in fact.
CUT TO: INT. JOSH'S BULLPEN AREA - NIGHT
Donna and Amy are sitting at Donna's desk drinking beer.

AMY
I understand why Josh may have been offended by what I said even though it was misinterpreted. What I don't understand is that both times we've spoken about it, it seemed like you were, too.

DONNA
No, I understood what you're saying. Josh worked for Hoynes for a long time. There was a reason.

AMY
He left him.

DONNA
And if you think that was easy, you're crazy. Josh doesn't leave people.

AMY
I get that he was close to Hoynes. What I don't get...

DONNA
You have to get Josh.

[...]

CUT TO: INT. PRESS ROOM - NIGHT
Danny and C.J. are sitting in the front row press seats.

DANNY
I'm going to need the following five questions to start with. You want to write these down?

C.J.
I don't want to write anything down right now.

DANNY
Was Madras research retaliatory or preemptive? Were any allies in the Arab world, or Isreal for that matter, notified either before or after? How involved were Congressional leaders, and how involved will they be in the next few days?

C.J.
I don't know, but the answer to the last two questions will be the same.

DANNY
Especially in the absence of executive orders rendering them legal...

C.J.
There was an NSC decision directive.

DANNY
Does this create a precedent for future Madras reseach projects?

C.J.
That was four. What was the fifth?

DANNY
Does the President or his national security advisers fear attempts at retribution?

[...]

The doors to the Situation Room open and Ron Butterfield appears in the doorway. Ron is breathing hard. Leo walks over to him.

LEO
Ron?

RON
We have a situation. We're up at black, and procedurally, the Chief of Staff is told before...

LEO
What happened?

RON
Zoey Bartlet is missing, and there's a dead agent at the scene.

Leo absorbs the information. A black and white photo of Zoey's face flashes on the screen. We see Leo walking through the BASEMENT HALLWAY. A black and white photo of Zoey holding her hand in front of her face flashes on the screen. Leo is now in the WEST WING HALLWAY. He begins to run past THE ROOSEVELT ROOM. A black and white photo of Zoey's eye flashes on the screen. Leo runs through THE OVAL OFFICE and out to the PORTICO. As he runs to the Residence, the camera zooms in closer to his face.

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
All soundtracked by the same continuous piece of music. Brilliant.

Date: 2006-01-23 05:49 pm (UTC)
bob: (Default)
From: [personal profile] bob
i actaully watched an episode the the other day for a the first time in awhile. it reminded me why i liked it. i shoudl borrow your dvds.

Date: 2006-01-23 10:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sammoore.livejournal.com
Should I assume the West Wing is another TV show I haven't heard of?

And reading those quotes, it must be about the White House/Office of the President of the USA?

S

Date: 2006-01-25 06:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shuripentu.livejournal.com
It is, and it must be good because even I paid some attention to it when Eemeli was watching it in the room.

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