Did anyone see tonight's West Wing?

The show obviously isn't what it once was, but tonight's made me proud of Bartlett...

Amidst rumors that Castro was dying, Bartlett and Leo began secret talks with the Cubans to lift the archaic embargo.

It was a pretty good episode...

Last week rocked too...but don't spoil it for our friends on the west coast!

...when the writers continued to unashamably use Bartletts MS as a main story line.

It's like Congress possible investigations of Abu Ghraib, missing billions, Jeff Gannon, Valerie Plame, gasoline prices, Ohio election fraud, propograndized gov't news, and they choose to investigate steroids!

OP

So I'm glad that it's got picked up for another season. Three more eps this season... Sounds like we're going to get a heavy dose of Alan Alda in the next couple of weeks. Funny how they mentioned Walken (John Goodman) was running for the Republican nomination, but he hasn't been on the show since the middle of last season. Even more odd that he would get his ass so thoroughly kicked by Alda's character, seeing how he was the President for like a week.

This is Bartlett's show, and the fact that they're extending it to a new administration is troubling. It's worse than the decision to do AfterM*A*S*H...

Hardly any of the original cast will be there, of course, and anything in the coming seasons will be a mere shadow of the first few seasons... I wish they would end the show with Bartlett's final days in office... It would be a very nice ending to a great show, but they're going to drag it out until it's nothing but a meaningless soap opera...

If Santos wins, we will get an entire 23 episode season. If Vinick Wins, we may only get a few episodes after he takes over. Alda said he wasn't ready to lead another show long term.

be Prez? They made his decline so quick. Really not medically believable.

It's just not the same without Aaron Sorking writing; and without Bartlett...it's over for me.

this one was good but I wonder if I will keep watching if they have the republican win the election....I think not.

A pro-choice moderate Republican who speaks his mind and votes his conscience. The show paints quite a few recurring Republicans in a positive light. Ritchie was a characiture of Dubya, Claypool was just an all-out dickhead, same with Gibson and the other guys who tried to out Leo's addiction, but there were assholes like him on both sides. Ainsley Hayes, Calley (who's now back on the show in Josh's old job), and a lot of other moderate Republicans were portrayed in a pretty positive light. Hell, even the raging conservative Supreme Court justice was portrayed in a positive light.

The West Wing is a masterpiece of American television. Even at its worst moments, it's still better than most of the crap out there. And, at its best, it has everything: great characters, wonderful storytelling, humor, drama, thought-provoking political thought, an escape from reality, and a reminder of the harsh reality. At once, idealistic and coldly realistic. I admire the work these writers have done carrying on after Sorkin left. I certainly hope that he comes back for Bartlett's farewell next year.

The West Wing has been my refuge from the cold harsh reality of the Bush administration for years now. And I will continue to watch it until it finally ends, which hopefully won't be for a while.

two great actors going at it! :D

I didn't care for tonight's episode (it felt like one of those brutal season five episodes), and the continuity has been shot to hell with them skipping a year of Bartlet's presidency, but I'm such a huge fan that I'd be upset if it knocked off now.

I hope they can bring Sorkin back to write the final Bartlet episode though.

...the show's first season was Bartlett's second year in office, so the skip happened before we got going.

BTW.. on last night's show.... OK, but with a Sorkin script, I always at least once every episode. Haven't shed a tear all season. How much better would that episode have been if Sorkin wrote it?