« 'West Wing' calls election on Sunday | Main | 'West Wing' is a class act to the end »
April 08, 2006
Saunders: 'West Wing' election delivers a winner
By Dusty Saunders
Rocky Mountain News
And the winner of the presidential election is . . . of course I won't tell you. That would be unfair to everyone connected with The West Wing and the series' fans.
Tune in to Election Day II Sunday night and find out if Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) or Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) is the new fictional occupant of the White House.
And as a dramatic bonus you'll learn how The West Wing handled the Dec. 16 death of series regular John Spencer, who portrayed Leo McGarry, the former White House chief of staff who had become Santos' running mate.
I wince when reviewing The West Wing's weekly audience figures. Now in its seventh and final NBC season, the award-winning series has gone from "must-see" to "maybe-see" TV. In its ridiculously early Sunday time period (7 p.m. in Denver) The West Wing regularly finishes third behind CBS' Cold Case and ABC's Extreme Makeover.
Has the series' former loyal audience deserted because of the awkward time period or left because of content? I prefer to think it's the former, since this final season has produced a fascinating mix of White House politics and a dramatic presidential campaign.
One fascinating aspect of the show's presidential race: how the scripts have dealt with relevant issues facing real politicians. For example, Sunday night's hour acknowledges the impact illegal immigration has had on our political landscape.
While simplistic answers to knotty problems are not offered, it's to the writers' credit that they can make a fictional political show so timely.
Sunday's hour, written by Executive Producer John Wells and Eli Attie and directed by Co-Executive Producer Chris Misiano, moves seamlessly between the two political camps as the polls begin closing.
This reel see-saw battle will remind viewers of the real 2000 Bush-Gore election, although the script wisely stays away from any hanging-chad scenarios. While the stress reactions in both political camps seem realistic, I'll leave it to the political pros to make that decision.
From strictly a storytelling perspective, these scenes tingle with dramatic intensity. Nearly a dozen talented actors lend their talents to dramatize this down-to-the wire political battle.
The death of Spencer's character, hinted at during last Sunday's final scenes, adds a personalized element to the campaign and produces strong performances from Martin Sheen (President Josiah Bartlet)and Allison Janney (chief of staff C.J. Cregg).
But it's Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, Santos' political guru, who shines the brightest. Lyman, reflecting on his close White House ties with McGarry, makes no attempt to control his grief. Whitford's Sunday performance, and several others in recent weeks, are of Emmy caliber.
Obviously, Spencer's unexpected death produced last-minute script changes. And such revisions were done with dramatic logic.
Some early fans of The West Wing claim the series lost much of its word power when creator Aaron Sorkin left after season four. Although scripts no longer have Sorkin's cerebral writing style, the strong characters have remained consistent and the storytelling is still superb.
Wells and his crew have done an expert job of melding life in the Bartlet White House and the drama of the campaign trail without confusing viewers. The resulting episodes resonate with flesh-and-blood characters rarely found in a weekly television drama.
The West Wing, airing through the May sweeps, will end with the inauguration of the new president. Numerous past cast members (including Rob Lowe) will be featured along the way.
NBC, which made a critical mistake moving the series from Wednesday to Sunday, at least is allowing The West Wing to have a conclusive ending.
If you're a fallen-away fan, see Sunday night's episode, which should whet your appetite to follow the series to its conclusion.
A final note about Sunday's story line: Only in the world of TV make-believe could the Republicans and Democrats come up with such likable, honorable presidential candidates.
Unfortunately, The West Wing deals with the reel world.
The matchup
Results of the The West Wing election will be revealed at 7 p.m. Sunday on 9News. Here's a look at the race, considered a dead heat by pollsters:
• Sen. Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda): longtime moderate California Republican senator from the San Diego area.
• Marital status: widowed with grandchildren.
• Running mate: Ray Sullivan (Brett Cullen), governor of West Virginia.
• Campaign issue: tax cuts.
• Strength: A high national profile dealing with defense issues and a moderate voting record in a Democratic state.
• Weakness: Lobbied to open a Southern California nuclear plant under adverse circumstances.
• U.S. Rep. Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits): former Democratic mayor of Houston, now in the U.S. House.
• Running mate: Leo McGarry (John Spencer), former White House chief of staff, who dies after a heart attack in Sunday night's election program.
• Marital status: Married to Helen (Teri Polo), two children.
• Campaign issue: Increase in educational opportunities, particularly for Hispanic youngsters.
• Strength: A more youthful approach to government.
• Weakness: Santos has little national recognition, particularly on issues such as national defense.
Posted by Jo at April 8, 2006 06:27 PM