West Wing finale

It has been nearly a week since I’ve posted anything but it’s been a busy week! With classes ending and exams starting I’ve been busy with making sure the year ends well but I’ve spent more time trying to make sure that next fall will happen the way it is supposed to. Between helping make decisions about registration and lining up faculty to teach courses I’ve had little opportunity to do other things.

I am in the process of reading A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren and enjoying it a lot but I’m not ready to write about that yet.

I have written, though, about how my two favorite shows are coming to a close within a week of each other. As I mentioned, Alias is doing well, ending with lots of mystery and excitement. I'm watching season one on DVD now even as Season Five comes to a close. But the other show that I will miss is The West Wing. Mary did a very nice tribute to the show in her blog and I don’t want duplicate that so you should just go and read what she wrote.

I actually dropped West Wing for a brief period at the end of season five and missed about four or five episodes. I discovered watching those episodes on DVD that I enjoyed it a lot more than I did when they were broadcast – in fact, I can't remember why I stopped watching it for a few weeks there. But then again, I seem to enjoy almost every TV show more on DVD than I do on broadcast. I just picked up the Season Six DVD and I'm excited about watching it. I'm just into disc two.

I’m still looking (as I mentioned before) for the new shows to replace Alias and West Wing. I tried a couple of shows that have not panned out –

• Love Monkey got cancelled,
• Commander in Chief wasn’t what I’d hoped for and then got cancelled,
• Arrested Development got cancelled (even though I really only watched it on DVD),
  
• the Gilmore Girls just isn’t as much fun as it was early on. Lynnae still watches it so I catch many of the episodes but I’m starting to get irritated that people who talk so much never talk to each other!

So, I’ll have my VCR humming Sunday night as I watch the final episode of West Wing and Wednesday night as Alias has it's second to last night.

West Wing cancelled

This article reports that another of my can't-miss shows, West Wing, will come to an end at the end of this television season. For the past five years there have been only two shows that I've watched without fail – Alias and West Wing. [Full disclosure - although I've watched West Wing since the first episode seven years ago I briefly gave up on it near the end of season five. I came back in the middle of season six.] Now both of them are going to be having their series finales within weeks of each other this spring.

I've enjoyed both of them immensely and their absence on the broadcast schedule will probably drive me even more into my DVD collection than ever. Unless I find some new shows to take their place. But what?

I don't like to have very many shows that I am really committed to because it takes too much time. When I watch something I really like to watch it. So two shows is really all that I can handle at any given time. Lost has potential - I'm really enjoying the Season One DVD's right now and I have to decide if I can dive into the middle of season two – that goes against my start-at-the-beginning mind set. Love Monkey, which had it's first episode this week, is one that I like for all the rock music references but I'm not sure the plot will be able to sustain my interest. Tom Cavanagh is likeable as the lead but I got sick of him eventually in Ed so I'm not holding my breath. I'm willing to hang in for another week or so though - especially with Alias on hiatus.

Suggestions are appreciated. What are you can't-miss shows?

West Wing Season 2

I'm working my way through the second season of West Wing and I was really struck again last night while watching the episode entitled "Shibolleth" that someone in Sorkin's organization has a pretty clear idea of faith. The Chinese refugee spoke elegantly and eloquently to the President about his faith in a way that put it in a very good light. He was being asked by the President if he was really a Christian or just faking it to get into the U.S. Bartlett's response showed that he, too, really understood what faith was. In the previous episode he mentioned that he had gone to Notre Dame because he had thought about becoming a priest. Then it struck me - his first name is Josiah. The biblical king who heard the word of the Lord when it had been lost for years and repented on behalf of Israel. Coincidence?

The West Wing

I have loved West Wing since the first episode - sort of. I thought that it was one of the most well-written and well directed shows on television for the first four seasons. Then Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme left and the tone changed. The snappy dialogue was gone, the direction was "jumpy" and my dear show had changed to the point where I didn't care nearly as much anymore.

There even came a point last season where I stopped watching. It was sad.

Then, near the end of last season I happen to watch the season finale (in which Leo fell in the woods) and I was intrigued. Some of the old fire was still left in the show. They appointed CJ as chief of staff and there were some interesting things starting to happen. It felt like the show was being reinvented instead of just trying to hang on for one more season.

Most people I know assumed that the show would have to quit when Jed Bartlett's second term ended. After all, the prospect of The West Wing, the Library Years doesn't have a lot of excitement to it. But, much to my surprise they added a bunch of good new characters and kept the focus shifting between the election process and the White House and they won me back. I think this show can survive and even thrive with a new President.

Then, last night, for the season finale they put it all together into an episode that ranks as one of the best episodes of this season, if not the entire series. It had a great twist at the end and set up the next season really well. It was great!

Now, if only Alias would get back to first/second season form I'd be even happier.