Tonight episode of the West Wing - warning, spoiler

[question everything]

Did I understand it correctly that Bartlett and Santos were in collusion, playing "good cop bad cop" with the Chinese and the Russians?

[kaygore]

1. It sure looks that way

and what about the previews!!!! Look who is going to be asked to be VP! I was wrong and so many others were right.

[serryjw]

2. I was wrong also

I would never have believed it ...now will he accept?

[greenbriar]

4. I loved all the references

and smaque downs
tonight.


who is going to be asked to be VP?

[Robbien]

5. Give us a hint please

I missed the previews. Who is being asked?

[question everything]

6. Not a surprise, really

as many of us guessed - former opponent Arnold Vinick.

Not clear whether he will accept, though.

I think that last week was a red herring, when Santos was thinking of specific individuals.

[Robbien]

7. Thanks

Logical choice for Santos, but that kind of move would only work in a saner world not the one we are living in today.

[Garbo 2004]

10. The Vinnick clip may also be a red herring...there are cabinet posts to

fill as well.

[VolcanoJen]

17. Vinick as VP is an absolute red herring

The voiceover said something like "And history will be made with the announcement of Santos' choice for Vice President."

In the next frame, they showed Vinick... but I have a feeling Santos wants to make him Secretary of State, the way Bartlett did before Vinick chose to run. Or was that Secretary of Defense...?

History will be made, but I think it's because Santos is going to choose CJ as his VP. Or maybe the National Security Advisor, who is also a woman.

Just my hunch... and I absolutely loved the way the episode started with a Sam Seaborn/Josh Lyman flashback to the first season. :-)

[NWHarkness]

11. Don't be so sure

That may have been tricky editing giving a false impression.

I've read on other boards that he asks Vinnick to be Secretary of State, not VP.

One rumor is that the VP will be Bartlett's national security advisor, Nancy McNally (Anna Devere Smith)

[kaygore]

14. That would be great

I have always liked that character.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

12. Don't hold your breath...

I think Santos is going to ask Vinnick to fill a cabinet post.
NBC loves to do this kind of crap with the previews for The West Wing.
It's one of the reasons Sorkin left.

And seriously, asking the losing candidate to be your Veep? All it would take is
one nutbal fanatic with an agenda and a gun and a little bit of luck and suddenly the administration switches parties.
The writers on The West Wing aren't that dumb.

[frankenforpres]

3. this show has gone way down hill

i loved the first 4 seasons, have first 5 on dvd. my fiancee had it on tonight and i thought i was watching slapstick style three stooges with the josh, sam, and santos vacation thing



probably the best television show ever (for 4 seasons)

the korean vet episode still gets to me and ive seen it about 4 times

[Riverman]

8. Agree, When Sorkin wrote the Show Sang

The Korean vet show is one of my all time favorite TV episodes - When Aaron Sorkinw as writing the show it was the best, the dialogue crisp, smart, moving. Too bad he wasn't writing for the real West Wing!

[question everything]

9. It started when Clinton was still in office

so it was easy to relate to it.

But once the Republican won not only the White House, twice, but also increased their margin in Congress, having a Democratic administration was like opening sore wound.

I am not sure about the one with the Korean vet.

[Skarbrowe]

13. I cried while watching WW tonight. OK! So I'm a wuss. I'll miss this show!

I was only crying because I still think it's the best show ever about politics in America we will ever have. I've watched since the beginning and I missed Sorkin terribly. After the gut-wrenching Congressional loss for Democrats in 2002, I could barely watch the show anymore. Then I remember that they were going to bring in Republican writers to "balance things out a bit" and I was sickened.

Well, I hung in there. Sure there were seasons that had some slightly uninteresting episodes, but I loved all the characters and it, well, they all became part of my political family, my political consciousness.

I thought I would strongly dislike the Santos vs Vinick campaign because I couldn't imagine anyone leading my country except Jed Bartlett. But, they drew me in on that one with more good writing. Sure it wasn't the same as Sorkin's and as I said there were some hits and misses, but this last season, this very last season, I have grown to love the show more than ever.

So, I cried tonight realizing that there are only three more episodes. I didn't watch the previews because I didn't want to get spoiled, but I had already heard much of what was said and also the fact that Vinick was supposed to win the election, but Lawrence O'Donnell felt that would be too much of a double whammy on the fans to lose both the election and John Spencer (Leo McGarry) as the series came to an end.

NOW, the way they are writing Santos...I WANT MORE. Bwaaaaa! Sam's back. Bwaaaaa! CJ offered a job in Santos administration...Josh and Donna..oh to have someone love you the way Donna loves Josh..plus so much more. Ok, I'll shut up now.

:nopity:

:cry:

[kaygore]

15. You have captured my feelings exactly

I really don't want it to end. It has gotten very interesting again. I realize that the Republicans are ruining everything in the real world and that WW is fiction, but it is a great escape fantasy to believe that there are great leaders in this country who do the right thing and aren't the pawns of big business and monied interests--people who put the nation as a whole before their petty self-interest!

[Skarbrowe]

16. I know, kaygore, and to think we have almost 3 more years of Bush...

and no West Wing for at least 20 something weeks of the year to counter the daily horror. Yes, I'm thinking about the DVD's and I usually don't buy TV show DVD's.

[bdamomma]

18. I know

I only wish we had a Bartlett or Santos in office now, restore that honesty and integrity again. I will miss the show also.