West Wing finale..."President" Sheen invokes 25th. Hastert look-alike John Goodman takes over.

[ken5050]

In case you all missed it, the West Wing ended its season last night, and obviously Aaron Sorkin has been smoking 'shrooms again. Sorkin has also left the show, as writer and creative force, but he's leaving his peculiarly distorted vision of political reality for the next group of writers to untangle. If you're interested, let me summarize events for you...

[ken5050]

Earlier in the season, Pres. Bartlett repealed the executive order against assassinations, and he bumped off a key government official in an Arab state who is secretly in bed with terrorists and busy trying to kill Americans. An investigative journalist type, who's also the on-again, off-again lover of the WH press secretary...finds out the info, and threatens to publish it...at the same time, there are rumors of cells of terrrorists ( Al Queda types like the Lackawana group) increasing their activity in the US.

Bartlett'sw youngest daughter has just graduated from Georgetown summa cum laude...( Hi Chelsea!) and is off to spend the summer with her FRENCH boyfriend, a really obnoxious type. At the graduation blow-out party, he slips GHB ( a date-rape drug) into her martooney....she goes to potty, and is kidnapped in the bathroom, and her Secret Service agent, Molly, is killed by the terrorists.

Stay with me now.......Washington is locked down....teh President and the Mrs. President start to come unglued. The DoD gets intelligence reports that certqain Arab countries were behind the cell that abducted the President's daughter, and they want to start sending in the carriers and launching planes, and bombing everything covered with sand..

Bartlett is worried that as a father, he can't make the right decisions. Just then a ransome demand is receiced, askign for the release of Arab terrorists. It's obvious what Sorkin was going to do next year, before he was forced out...set up confrontations over what "evil" things the Republican President would do once he's in office. It'll be interesting to see if the new writers and producers hew to the extreme ideological viewpoints the show has been noted for. I doubt it.

BTW, I mustn't forget the side plot...For whatever reason, the three leading staffers in the West wing are either Jewish, or jewish in appearance...( Talk about the Zionist mafia conspiracy folks, eh?) The hard-left, bearded, radical WH communications director, is recently divorced from a Congresswoman, but she's about to have twins by him...I think, but I'm not quite sure, that once she found out she was preggers, she tossed him out. Anyways, in the same episode, obviously to contrast against the kidnapping of the President's daughter, the twins are born, a by and a girl. The boy is named Huck, for his mom's grandfather, and the girl is named Molly, after the just slain USSS agent. It doesn't get more banal than this, folks.

[smith288]

Im sorry you wasted an hour of your life for that show. You into S&M?

[epluribus_2]

So the real question is - When did WEST WING officially "Jump the Shark"?

[white rose]

You do realize, of course, that you're probably the one person left in America who still watches that show.

[Miss Marple]

Actually, is John Goodman taking over? I realize this might seem naive, but I only know about the show from what people write about it.

I do not like the "kidnap the daughter" plot line. It might give malcontents ideas.

[jonalvy44]

I believe 24 already did that...Sheen is so over the hill. I wouldn't let my dog watch him.

[ken5050]

I tape it..I can watch it in 39 minutes....and it is interesting in how a large segment of America views politics and the world.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

This sounds like a rip-off of "24". President is railroaded by evil, manipulated vice-president invoking the 25th amendment.

Is this wistful thinking by our left-leaning horrorwood crew?
Or are there secret marching orders hidden in these scripts?

[ken5050]

Yup..he was sworn in as President, under the 25th amendment provision...that's how it ended. I mean, can't you just see Bubba ceding power to Newt?...

But the csting of Goodman is really good..he's playing Hastert..has that kind of dark look about him...

[ken5050]

I've never seen 24...

[smith288]

Is the Goodman character a Pubbie?

[Labyrinthos]

You into S&M?

At least S & M can be enjoyable with the right person. More than I can say about the West Wing.

[Miss Marple]

You think Hastert has a "dark look?"

Personally, I think Denny Hastert looks just like a friendly bear.

[TomGuy]

It was kind of funny.

Bartlett signs the order to pass the torch.

Goodman comes in. Staff are going on about "who's in charge?" Goodman interrupts. "Someone IS in charge." Staff shut up.

Bartlett is doing his typical mumbling and philosophizing. Goodman character says, "Mr. President, you are dismissed." Bartlett, realizing he's no longer in power, hangs his head and walks out.

It was a great scene to watch, for sure.

[Carolina]

Blech! I'm glad to say that I have never watched a single episode of that show. Sympathies for your wasted hour.

[Boston Capitalist]

You are really missing a big thrill. You can rent the first season at Blockbuster. Watch the first few episodes and your life will stop until you have finished the whole season.

[ken5050]

Yup..in west-wing world...the House is run by the evil Pubbies...

[ken5050]

Miss M..Hastert does't smile muich..he scowls a lot..it's not a media friendly visage. Not knocking denny...just stating facts..

[DoctorMichael]

I have NEVER watched this show.

I have NEVER even lingered on it while channel surfing.

And by the synopsis you have given here, I NEVER intend to see this show either.

[carton253]

I watch it... I think it is a good show. Can't stand the politics... but, it is a good show.