We were at lunch talking about new movies out. K starting talking about seeing “that new Quinton Tarentino torture movie, Hostel”. In addition to explaining how little “guest producer Tarentino” was likely involved in the film, a VERY fun-e person said whimsically, “I saw it when it was called ‘Saw’.”
I actually never saw saw. Who would want to see saw ? Then again, when you put it THAT way, I might love to see saw, with the right person. It would be a whole lot more appropriate the seeing saw, and more wholesome than hostel.
Casting Alan Alda as a Republican in West Wing was to equivalent of Roseanne winning the lottery on Roseanne. West Wing jumped the Shark so far that it landed on dry land.
As for Commander in Chief, it is so poorly written and conceptualized I’m surprised it got the initial audience that it received.
My love affair with the West Wing has been long and, of late, painful. I’m with Wobbly that it hasn’t been the same since Sorkin left, though I have hung in there with it, on and off. I JUST finished watching tonight’s episode. It was thoroughly unimpressive; even Josh and Donna (the best part) seem like they can’t wait for it all to end.
Then I went online to check up on my news - aka read brendanloy.com - and found this post. It still brought tears to my eyes. :(
While I’m posting, Brendan and Becky, your wedding was fabulous. My parents and I felt so blessed to be a part of it. It was pretty cool to sit at a table with both Domers and friends from U.S.C.
I am clearly too … something to have sent you my photos. It’s highly likely that you already have most of them anyway. I do have one, possibly unique, of Becky’s bridesmaids crying during the father/daughter dance. I’ll try to get it to you.
Congratulations again and many prayers and wishes for a long and happy life.
Actually, I thought the election sort of revived the show and I loved the casting of Alan Alda. But it’s true . . . the quality was decreasing and it’s kind of a natural point to end the series. And, of course, while the decision was apparently made before the death of John Spencer, I can’t imagine going on without him (and his death makes that “flash-forward” episode from a few seasons ago even more asinine).
I don’t remember Leo being in the flash-forward episode–wouldn’t that have given away whether he was the Vice President (and Vinick won) or not? But I agree about the stupidity of the “flash-forward” episode. How about keeping us wondering what happened to the characters (i.e., we know Toby is not in jail because he was in the flash forward).
I also agree about the most recent season-and-a-half being an improvement. The 5th Season was painful to watch. I enjoy the threads with Alda and Smits because they are new characters and, when watching them, I don’t need to cringe at how much John Wells is screwing up the characters who have been there since the beginning.
I’m like the farthest right-wing sumbitch ever, and I have loved the show since the pilot. Parting is such sweet sorrow, in part because my favorite character, Leo McGarry, has gone the way of John Spencer, the reason I tuned in in the first place. Shows that respect the audience’s intelligence are few and far between. “24″ qualifies, as did “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere” and “Seinfeld.” And now “The West Wing.” Disagree with the politics you might (and, good Lord, I did) but “The West Wing” never hid its liberal bona fides. And it goes out just as it should, riding critical praise and the end of a second term. RIP.
It’s interesting because many of my friends who watch the West Wing are conservative and, in some cases, very conservative. I think you might agree with me, Texas, that at the beginning of the series’ run the Republicans were treated like the opposition and not the enemy–people like Ainsley who were just as patriotic as the Bartlet administration but disagreed on what was best for the country–and sometimes the conservative arguments were more persuasive! But now, the show is not as nuanced about the differences between the left and the right–seems that the new writers treat the right as the enemy. Even Vinick doesn’t seem as fleshed out as a character in relation to Santos
Aaron Sorkin is my favorite television writer, and not just because he shares my name. Were he still writing The West Wing, it’s cancellation would be a tragedy. As it is, it just frees up some of Sorkin’s favorite actors for his new project: Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip, airing (hopefully) this fall.
As Texas said, Nebraska, the Wing didn’t try to hide its political orientation–unlike, say, “24″ on Fox
Hmmmm. Interesting. So what you are saying is that 24 has a Republican politcal bent? And that Republicans are the ones that hunt down and kill terrorists. Sounds good to me.
24 is a conservative fantasy about how the war on terror is carried out, kind of like how the Wing is to many Democrats like myself a fantasy about having an intelligent, principled, and liberal leader in the White House. For 24, Jack Bauer is the epitome of the Texas cowboy, Dirty Harry ethic: A grave threat exists, I must take whatever means necessary to combat it and existing privacy and toture laws mean little–you’ll thank me when I’m done and you’re safe. In this vision, sometimes we have to use some of the same unlawful means that the enemy uses. This is a popular viewpoint to have and one that is shared by our president and indeed many law enforcement and counterterrorism officials
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January 22nd, 2006 at 6:08:32 pm
The show’s been dead to me since Aaron Sorkin left
January 22nd, 2006 at 6:30:55 pm
In other news, Elton John is GAY!
So not surprised.
January 22nd, 2006 at 6:31:26 pm
A good anecdote:
We were at lunch talking about new movies out. K starting talking about seeing “that new Quinton Tarentino torture movie, Hostel”. In addition to explaining how little “guest producer Tarentino” was likely involved in the film, a VERY fun-e person said whimsically, “I saw it when it was called ‘Saw’.”
I actually never saw saw. Who would want to see saw ? Then again, when you put it THAT way, I might love to see saw, with the right person. It would be a whole lot more appropriate the seeing saw, and more wholesome than hostel.
January 22nd, 2006 at 7:40:18 pm
Yeah, They have another show called Commander in Chief to push the liberal agenda.
January 22nd, 2006 at 7:48:05 pm
Casting Alan Alda as a Republican in West Wing was to equivalent of Roseanne winning the lottery on Roseanne. West Wing jumped the Shark so far that it landed on dry land.
As for Commander in Chief, it is so poorly written and conceptualized I’m surprised it got the initial audience that it received.
January 22nd, 2006 at 9:21:04 pm
NBC should have never moved it from Wednesday nights to replace it with Martha Stewarts Apprentice, thats what hurt the shows ratings
I do agree the quality has gone down since Sorkin left but I would argue the move hurt the ratings much more than the actual show
January 22nd, 2006 at 9:25:24 pm
Ouch.
My love affair with the West Wing has been long and, of late, painful. I’m with Wobbly that it hasn’t been the same since Sorkin left, though I have hung in there with it, on and off. I JUST finished watching tonight’s episode. It was thoroughly unimpressive; even Josh and Donna (the best part) seem like they can’t wait for it all to end.
Then I went online to check up on my news - aka read brendanloy.com - and found this post. It still brought tears to my eyes. :(
While I’m posting, Brendan and Becky, your wedding was fabulous. My parents and I felt so blessed to be a part of it. It was pretty cool to sit at a table with both Domers and friends from U.S.C.
I am clearly too … something to have sent you my photos. It’s highly likely that you already have most of them anyway. I do have one, possibly unique, of Becky’s bridesmaids crying during the father/daughter dance. I’ll try to get it to you.
Congratulations again and many prayers and wishes for a long and happy life.
January 23rd, 2006 at 12:10:45 am
Actually, I thought the election sort of revived the show and I loved the casting of Alan Alda. But it’s true . . . the quality was decreasing and it’s kind of a natural point to end the series. And, of course, while the decision was apparently made before the death of John Spencer, I can’t imagine going on without him (and his death makes that “flash-forward” episode from a few seasons ago even more asinine).
January 23rd, 2006 at 12:44:19 am
Kate,
I don’t remember Leo being in the flash-forward episode–wouldn’t that have given away whether he was the Vice President (and Vinick won) or not? But I agree about the stupidity of the “flash-forward” episode. How about keeping us wondering what happened to the characters (i.e., we know Toby is not in jail because he was in the flash forward).
I also agree about the most recent season-and-a-half being an improvement. The 5th Season was painful to watch. I enjoy the threads with Alda and Smits because they are new characters and, when watching them, I don’t need to cringe at how much John Wells is screwing up the characters who have been there since the beginning.
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:27:34 am
I’m like the farthest right-wing sumbitch ever, and I have loved the show since the pilot. Parting is such sweet sorrow, in part because my favorite character, Leo McGarry, has gone the way of John Spencer, the reason I tuned in in the first place. Shows that respect the audience’s intelligence are few and far between. “24″ qualifies, as did “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere” and “Seinfeld.” And now “The West Wing.” Disagree with the politics you might (and, good Lord, I did) but “The West Wing” never hid its liberal bona fides. And it goes out just as it should, riding critical praise and the end of a second term. RIP.
January 23rd, 2006 at 2:49:52 am
It’s interesting because many of my friends who watch the West Wing are conservative and, in some cases, very conservative. I think you might agree with me, Texas, that at the beginning of the series’ run the Republicans were treated like the opposition and not the enemy–people like Ainsley who were just as patriotic as the Bartlet administration but disagreed on what was best for the country–and sometimes the conservative arguments were more persuasive! But now, the show is not as nuanced about the differences between the left and the right–seems that the new writers treat the right as the enemy. Even Vinick doesn’t seem as fleshed out as a character in relation to Santos
January 23rd, 2006 at 3:26:23 am
Aaron Sorkin is my favorite television writer, and not just because he shares my name. Were he still writing The West Wing, it’s cancellation would be a tragedy. As it is, it just frees up some of Sorkin’s favorite actors for his new project: Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip, airing (hopefully) this fall.
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:51:40 am
Bye Bye Left Wing mouth piece!
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:43:56 am
As Texas said, Nebraska, the Wing didn’t try to hide its political orientation–unlike, say, “24″ on Fox
January 23rd, 2006 at 6:31:30 pm
West Wing has gotten more polarized as the country has.
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:14:39 pm
Agreed, and it has gotten more polarized as its writers have become less idealistic and more ideological
January 23rd, 2006 at 10:47:26 pm
As Texas said, Nebraska, the Wing didn’t try to hide its political orientation–unlike, say, “24″ on Fox
Hmmmm. Interesting. So what you are saying is that 24 has a Republican politcal bent? And that Republicans are the ones that hunt down and kill terrorists. Sounds good to me.
January 23rd, 2006 at 11:58:50 pm
24 is a conservative fantasy about how the war on terror is carried out, kind of like how the Wing is to many Democrats like myself a fantasy about having an intelligent, principled, and liberal leader in the White House. For 24, Jack Bauer is the epitome of the Texas cowboy, Dirty Harry ethic: A grave threat exists, I must take whatever means necessary to combat it and existing privacy and toture laws mean little–you’ll thank me when I’m done and you’re safe. In this vision, sometimes we have to use some of the same unlawful means that the enemy uses. This is a popular viewpoint to have and one that is shared by our president and indeed many law enforcement and counterterrorism officials