TVSquad

It is really cheap in the promo for next week to imply Vinick is going to be VP when spoilers everywhere say he's Secretary of State.

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Aw, Josh and Donna forever! ;)

I really liked this episode, i thought it was good, and i just keep thinking that a year of a Santos white house could have been great, but that is just a sign of how excellent this season has been, that i keep wanting more.

I think that Sam came back in a very natural way, it wasn't forced, trying to get all the gang back for a few episodes. Josh chugging Alka-Seltezer, Eye Drops, Maylox, and Red Bull just shows how stressed he is, well done. It is very good that he is taking a vacation. And, I think that it is really good that Donna was offered Chief of Staff for the First Lady was another good move. And again, Josh and Donna, very good.

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I'm going to miss the banter between characters. This episode shows that the quality can continue with a new presidency. Thw whole show could really start a new begining with a new president.

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Hey Jamie (#1),

Some of us aren't reading spoilers everywhere and just want to watch the show and be surprised by things. We come here b/c we want to see what other people thought of the episodes. Please remember this before you blurt out major plot points about future episodes with no warning whatsoever.

Thanks...

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Zach,

Anyone who watched the next episode promo knew Vinick was being offered a job in the Santos Admintration. it isn't like a let the cat out of the bag and ruined everything. Give me a break.

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Zach:

Furthermore the spoiler of Vinick being SecState has been discussed in the Comments sections of West Wing blogs on this site for several weeks now.

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Dorv and Jamie,

I looked at the comments for Requiem, and all I saw were some cryptic remarks about Sam not being vp. I'm honestly not all that deep into the comments usually. I just skim through to see what other people are thinking, stopping to read through something here or there. I'm not asking for you not to talk about something. Just put a little warning or something. Something like **SPOILER** before a spoiler. That way someone could choose to read it or not.

I appreciate that this site usually makes it quite clear when spoilers will be discussed, and I tend to avoid them. I'm not asking for much, and I suspect I'm not completely alone here.

later...

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You left out the whole part with Bartlett and Santos planning on how to stop the war. I got the impression that they had planned that but didn't want their staff to know. That was big and helps them move on hopefully for these last three episodes.

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In reference to Sam (Lowe) not mentioning Leo (or the funeral,) could it be that the script for this episode was only minimally changed after John Spencer's untimely death? In the episode, the death was only really made mention indirectly - referring to the open VP job.

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I'd like to just add to Zach's comments. Please be careful with some of these comments. I too was suprised at the SecState thing, and wish I hadn't read it.

No harm, no foul. But just a friendly suggestion.

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Yeah,
In terms of the SecState thing, I was totally demolished by that post. I can no longer sleep at night since I know how Arnold Vinick will be continuing his career.

I will now sell all of my earthly possesions and be running off to Alaska to live in the wild. I will also be leaving my girlfriend, family, and pet dog. I don't know about the fish, hopefully I can get the neighbors to feed them.

Honestly, what West Wing comments haven't discussed the fact that Vinick will be Sec of State?

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I just watched the last 2 weeks of episodes. The tribute to Leo was well done and made me the viewer remember all of the fine acting he did on the show. I am a loyal viewer of West Wing and have been since the beginning. I am so sad that the plug is being pulled next month on this show. Last nights episode was excellent and wants me wanting so much more from the show. This year has been one of the best years ever and it's not fair that the ride is almost over. Why is it that we get such stupid reality shows "American Inventer, etc and TV shows with such class, entertainment, etc are being run off the air. I guess it's a sad commentary on what people suppossedly want on TV. I know that for me West Wing is my favorite show and I look forward to it each week with such anticipation and it will sorley be missed by me!
Cheryl

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"The Kingdom that IS the West Wing "

As we begin to mourn the passing of one of the greatest
dramatic series in TV history , we need to savor these last few episodes and hope that another series of this caiber comes our way again.

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I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO!!!

I really do hate to say it guys, but I was one of the only people last week that said that Vinick was going to be offered the Vice Presidential spot and everyone said I was crazy and that it would not happen. I knew they were going to go out with a bang like that! Because the Senate is controlled by Repulicans, Santos would have had a daym hard time getting almost any of his candidates through but how can the Senate turn down Arnold Vinick? Also Santos wantes an experienced Washington, Foreign Policy expert and that would be Vinick.
Also I am getting the feeling that Santos is not excited about Josh running his staff, but maybe that is just me being crazy again. And I think you forgot to say that Lou did accept the job as Communications Director because when Josh introduced Sam and Santos he said that he had most of the senor staff in place and Lou was already getting started as Communications Director crafting the message.

I hate to say I told you guys so !!

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I've never read on of TVS' recaps of TWW until this one. I enjoyed the episode so much that I wanted to relive bits of it, thus the recap reading. And am disappointed by the spoilers as well.

Other than that, great episode. With all of the recent energy on the show I've gotten so caught up in seeing where it all goes and I, too, will miss it next season. Still, better to go out on a high note when people will actually miss it as opposed to people saying: TWW is still on?

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Yeah, you definitely left out this episode's biggest twist: Santos and Bartlett had been planning Santos's call to the Chinese all along, as a method of hoping to avoid an escalation of the situation with the Russians...

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I will miss West Wing so much, first because it has been so well done and I care about the characters and second because everything else on TV is junk.....Whoever thinks up the junk should be fired for sure.......West Wing should try to find a way to go on with the show with other people taking over but who????????????Don't leave West Wing......Stay for another year. We can handle the changes.

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Zach, Eric, (and in a sarcastic way, RevJonathan): I think everyone makes such a big deal about nothing here. When it is SOOO important to me about not being spoiled, I conciously make a decision not to read anything where any random internet person can spoil me (Veronica Mars, Lost, and usually 24). I'll read blog post here, as an example, but not the comments sections. There are tons of message boards out there with moderaters that are just as spoiler-averse as you are. If its that important to you, why not just stay in those areas?

Futhermore, considering the fact that you do not usually read the comments section, I don't necessarily believe that you should dictate to those of us that do how to shape our converstation. If Bob, or any of the other main contributers to the site, asked that Spoiler Headings be used in comment posts, then I would would readily comply (And would probably find another venue in which to discuss these shows, because of my personal beliefs about spoilers that I mentioned in my first paragraph).

I am also always curious what exactly constitutes a spoiler? I would point you to the "How does President Vinick sound? blog post to see more discussion. "Peeved" argued that because of the proliferation of DVRs and the 'time shifting' phenomenon that followed, that discussion of a major plot point in an episode that has already aired that some individuals may have not watched yet is a spoiler, which, in my mind, begs the question when is it the "user's" responsibility to make the extra effort to remain spoiler free.

At the end of the day, the worst part of this whole arguement is that, to steal a 'West Wing-ism,' its a process story, and we're discussing not the content of the show, but the actual discussion we're having.

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I'll say this, the West Wing seems to have re-discovered some of the fire it lost in the lat two years. Last night's episode was great, especially if you like behind-the-scenes politics. Just a few quibbles. Do they have to make CJ such a bitch? Moreover, if this was Leo, I think Bartlett would have told him about the whole "good cop/bad cop" thing -- hell, Leo would have come up with it himself. If I'd been Josh, I think would have told CJ to go to hell for speaking to me like that. But that's just me. The CJ character hasn't been that great since she took over Leo's job. Also, I hate the Josh/Donna "thing." Make a decision for Pete's sake! Josh is about to occupy the office next to the president and he can't even decide whether or not to date the hot blonde?

There were a lot of great things in this episode. Loved seeing Nancy McNally again. Anna Devere Smith is such a great actress. Also great to see Rob Lowe back on the job. It really seemed like old times.

Even with the previous bad seasons I find myself sad the end is coming so soon. I'll miss this show. When it's great, it's one of the finest shows on television.

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Loved it...just loved it! Sam and Josh were fabulous together...shades of thr first time they talked about serving the country.
So all I need now to have complete closure, (although I will never get over the loss of WW...not really), is for Toby to come back into the fold.
Of all the characters, I related most with Toby...his constant angst was something I felt as well and was amused by too. The episode where he, and Josh and Donna miss the motorcade and have to spend a couple of days in Indiana getting back to the office, demonstrated the many lovely, lively and lamented sides of Toby's personality. In one scene Toby's throwing pebbles into a barrel and making a bet with Josh about who does what if either of them misses, and in another scene, he befriends that guy Mac in the bar who's having a hard time finding the $$ for his daughter's college education. You just can't help but adore this guy. I just hope he's back before the finale...

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