Stuff I Slept Through on Cable #4 :Even More West Wing

I can't explain why I enjoy the final season of West Wing as much as I do. Maybe it's because it brings me the presidential campaign and candidates that I wish we had going into an actual election run. In truth, it's almost what I thought we were going to get this past election cycle, but it was not to be. So then am I forced to look fondly towards this season of the show as an example of the best (or nearly best) of what could be.

Yes, it's yet another diatribe on the show that was West Wing. But cut me some slack here. It just so happens that this week covers the handful of episodes that I missed out on the last time the show ran through on Bravo. I had them recorded on my DVR, but eventually deleted them, assuming that the show's run would come back across them before I got around to watching them anyway.

At any rate, while I'm almost positive that I saw every single West Wing episode in existence, this morning pairing includes an episode that I just vaguely recall and one that I fondly remember.

The first episode, falling into the former category, drew much ire from me. Not the episode itself, mind you, but the fact that some genius at NBC Universal decided to pre-empt their broadcast schedule from 8:00 to 8:10 on pretty much all of their channels to show the opening tee-off of the US Open. Although to a certain extent, my frustration was assuaged when Tiger Woods proceeded to kick off his attempt at another major by shanking the ball almost out of play. His confused look over the matter was delicious.

Moving on, though, we have the glitz and glamour of a White House wedding in the appropriately titled, "The Wedding" (I had to double check that... thanks again, NBC...). The main highlights include President Bartlett temporarily defusing a major conflict by getting the parties to suspend any activity long enough for him to walk his daughter down the aisle. Also in this episode is a big push by some in the Democratic leadership to replace Josh as Matt Santos' campaign manager. Their choice to replace Josh (and Josh's by the by) is the already strained Leo McGarry. Near the end of the episode, an exasperated Leo mutters the line, "You're all trying to kill me...:" a statement that perhaps wasn't supposed to carry the ominous foreshadowing that it eventually did.

We then move into the episode, "Running Mates." Martin Sheen appears before the episode to state what most viewers already know. This was the first episode to air following the death of actor John Spencer. Sheen notes that they can think of no better tribute than to air the last of his work, and this episode provides a great statement of that fact.

This episode focuses on Spencer's character Leo McGarry preparing for the vice presidential debate. Leo isn't really doing so hot... actually, that's an understatement. Leo is doing horribly. So much so that it sends most of the group into a full-on panic to try and get him up to speed. Things aren't helped when news of Leo's poor performance leaks to the media, and his Republican counterpart begins to smell blood in the water.

The whole thing, of course, ends up working out. Leo doesn't soar, but he does far better than anyone thought he would a few days from the debate. As one reporter puts it, the VP debate doesn't manage to cause the campaign any damage, which is about all you can expect from one. And of course, we find out that the leak comes from Leo, who was so panicked by how panicked everyone else was that he took steps on his own to lower expectations.

A second viewing of these episodes really gave me a greater respect for Spencer and his character McGarry. Leo, while generally strong in both action and commentary, also manages to have moments where he seems genuinely worn down or tired, which would be expected given his recent recovery from a heart attack. And while I seem to remember Leo doing well at the VP debate, a second review shows that he simply did better than expectations, which in this case meant that he scraped by as “better than average.” And of course, the notion that Leo is not just computer literate but more so than anyone gives him credit for being is amusing as well. It’s a shame that both the character and the actor couldn’t have stuck around longer.