(S07E18) Now this was the type of
episode longtime West Wing viewers were hoping for. If you had asked me what should happen in the Leo's
funeral episode and who should be in the episode, this is what I would have done. The montage at the beginning of the
episode showed everyone getting ready for the funeral - President Barlet, Josh, Toby, C.J., Donna, etc - and then
showed all of the people at the church. Sure, it was jarring not to have Sam there (Rob Lowe isn't back yet), but you
really can't complain when you have Mallory, Nancy McNally, Carol, Margaret, Hoynes, Russell, Joey Lucas, Danny and
everyone else. Nice touch having Toby stay in the church til everyone leaves and Charlie offering to walk out with
him.I was a little afraid they'd rush though the Leo memories and shove in the whole Santos plot, but that didn't happen. You had to show what was going on with the Santos plot (life does go on after all), and it was a nice balance of the old and the new.Josh isn't sure about Santos decision to hire Barry Goodwin to lead the transition team. Santos is also trying to figure out what to do about his first bill on lobbying reforms and the speaker seat. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Let's talk about the old cast!
Charlie (in his new office, which won't last long) is surprised that Josh hasn't asked Donna to be on the new team yet. Donna needs a place to stay (she gave her apartment to someone else while on the campaign trail), and C.J. is going to let her stay with her. VP Russell goes into the White House gathering and makes a rather tasteless (I thought) comment to Will about Leo only being 58, only a few years older than he is, and that he's scheduled a colonosopy. Jed goes into the party and tries to keep a smiling, positive face, even though he's devastated. I really liked this scene with the interactions between old cast members. Nice job getting everyone in, and I'm glad they had a scene between Jed and Margaret.
And can I tell you how much I enjoyed seeing a scene between Josh and Amy (who wants a female VP)? And also C.J. and Ainsley Hayes (who comes looking for a job as White House counsel!)? Outstanding.
Josh and Santos are arguing about some of Santos' choices (hiring Goodwin, backing Fields). Josh says "if you're looking for a yes man, I'm not it."
Later, Jed, Abby, Josh, C.J., Charlie, Will, Donna, Margaret, Carol, and Annabeth get together and reminisce about Leo. When the gathering breaks up, Jed tells Josh that Leo loved him like a son, and that they are the old team. It's time for the new.
I really liked this episode. I'll have to check and see who wrote it because it had that old West Wing spark to the scenes. The dialogue, the rhythm, the feel. If this is any indication as to how the last handful of eps will be, I'm rather excited.
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1. Wow.
Wow.
I loved Danny, sitting down next to Josh, men that are finally with the women they love, and neither spending the night in bed with them.
I figured that Josh would be the hardest hit, but I felt most sad for Jed Bartlet. He doesn't get to grieve because he leads the way. The devastated man walked through a door and became exactly what others needed him to be, instead of what he needed to be. (And acknowledging the fact that Margaret would probably need it the most was nice).
The funeral was beautiful. It was, as Bob said, exactly as it should have been. The quick shots of everyone at the funeral were perfect. Of all of the shots, there were two that I didn't get who they were. First was the woman in this sequence: Nancy McNally, (Priest), WOMAN, and the First Family (as the Priest was saying Hallelujah. Then there was a shot of Ellie and Will, and then there were two kids... Are those the Santos kids?
I don't like the friction between Santos and Josh. Neither can do their jobs effectivly when they are at odds with each other.
Amy just has to make it that much harder on Josh and Donna doesn't she?
The one thing about being spoiled for the remainder of the season is that disperate plot threads I would normally complain about I can't really anymore.
I'm glad that they didn't just dump Emily Proctor in just to be there. The Office of White House Counsel shouldn't be a parisan post, anyways (Not that it will be the highest profile Republican memeber of the Santos administration)
I knew it was going to be Baker, but I really was hopeing for Berryhill or McNally (Can they bring Fitzwallace back from the dead?).
FINALLY the Sam is VP talk will stop (At least unless people just want to ignore the previews for next week).
CJ smiled. I haven't seen her smile since she took Chief of Staff (I don't think I've liked her much since then either).
The other thing that they got right that stood out for me was Toby. Yeah he'd be there (Sam would have been too, but he lives in California, and you can't always fly across country at the drop of a dime. Until Josh calls next week), and yeah, he couldn't be seen. The one thing I really want to know (I mean, I have my opinion, I just want to know for sure) is who gave Toby the information.
Damn, that was good.
Posted at 10:39PM on Apr 16th 2006 by Dorv