365 days (west wing)

originally written july 2014

watching this episode, and seeing John Spencer play Leo McGarry, who’s just returned to the white house after recuperating from his heart attack, gave me a bittersweet feeling. the staff arranged a gathering at his new office (C.J.‘s old office) but they all had to leave one by one. the meetings later on in the day were awkward. it had a weird feeling to it.

it’s funny. the show has evolved to a point where the old cast have been disappearing one by one. i know it happens on every show. but there’s one of those episodes when you suddenly pause and realise that it’s happened. sam was gone a long time ago. nancy mcnally doesn’t appear as much. fitzwallace is dead. the show is moving toward a newer platform where it introduces the new presidential candidates, which i assume will take the frontstage in season 7. maybe the entire main cast will be cut to josh, donna and will.

back to the episode. the feeling i get is that the west wing isn’t what it used to be anymore. leo’s no longer running things. he and bartlet are just old people, having dinner together and talking about stuff. both of them have health issues. it’s a gradual transition from what was the old west wing.

i’m now at the penultimate episode. actually i haven’t begun watching it yet. these are probably the two best and last episodes. hoping for the best.