Did anybody see West Wing last night?

[Lurking Dem]

Was it me or did they slam Zell Miller? Don't they tape these well in advance? If so, I found it amazingly prescient.

[Zan_of_Texas]

1. notice they are starting to play the VP role bigger too

I just noticed that the conflicts with the VP have been building this season.

For an excellent article by Jim Lobe on how Cheney has basically taken over foreign policy, see
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17051

[Bertha Venation]

2. I must be obtuse

but certainly not willfully. Where/when would this have been? I obviously missed it.

[MaineDem]

3. The similarities with Miller were VERY obvious

Interesting coincidence?

Is it just me or is Leo headed for a breakdown or something? I'm hoping this is planned and not just poor writing. Everyone seems to be very much on edge.

[Gloria]

4. I noticed the storyline about the EPA report being fudged.....

hate to see it being played out in a "Democratic adminstration" but there it was, ripped from the headlines (about two paragraphs about clean coal being omitted from a final EPA report). The reporter had read the draft and noticed it wasn't in the released version. The reporters in WW always seem to be....so REAL as opposed to our fake real reporters!! I mean, they're tough and dogged......not like the crew we have in real life.

The Senator who switched parties, played by Tom Skerrit, had voted Repub on practically everything, and when Josh played hardball over the Senator's pet military hardware which didn't work, the Senator switched parties. He told Josh even if it didn't work, the point was to have it for show.

The overall tone last night was one of disarray and infighting....which, I presume, is echoing what we are reading about the current Admin.

PS--I really like Gary Cole and am glad he's got the VP gig....
VP has been consididered to be an empty suit, but apparently he's pretty cagey and is looking to beef up his position and has plans for the future (as in, running for Prez when Bartlett's 2nd term is over)

[Aristus]

5. Last night's episode had an element in it that I didn't like.

The constant sniping and backbiting among the various characters. By the end of the episode, everyone was mad at everyone else. It the kind of thing we saw on ER right before my wife and I stopped watching that show. Everything was false, drummed-up melodrama, all the time. I really don't want to see that happen to West Wing. There's plenty of drama to go around when dealing with realistic political issues without turning it into a Dynasty cat-fight.

Aside from that, the writing was decent. still not up to Sorkin's standard, but decent. I'll keep watching for now.

[GalleryGod]

6. Amy-the-Megalomaniac! Has the Shark Been Jumped?

Splash! I do believe it has!:puke:

[MaineDem]

7. I haven't liked her since she came to work for the First Lady

And I don't like her with Josh. Don't know why.

[Bertha Venation]

8. I think the Shark jumped when Sorkin left.

Sad but I fear it's true.

[lpbk2713]

9. The sniping and backbiting

might have been an attempt by the writers to relate to the contemporary work environment. Works for me. A few useless nephews and in-laws of upper management is all that's really missing.

[Bake]

10. They HAVE that, actually

The intern, Pierce, who works for Josh and is the child of a very wealthy and influential family.

Bake