I thought the writing was marginally better in this show, and I liked the idea of POTUS saying, “To hell with you” for awhile, and getting back in touch with the common folk.
CJ (or the writers) made a mistake calling the tornado in OK a “national emergency.” Sept 11 was a national emergency. Maysville should have been called a disaster area.
Poor Josh. Didn’t Leo tell him, “As long as I got a job you got a job?” I understand Josh pushed Tom Skerrit over the edge, but it’s not like he wasn’t going to jump anyway. Josh just gave him the excuse.
What is with the rabid hatred of rich folk? Even Sam admitted that the rich pay more than their fair share, but he said they could, so they should.
The show has really deteriorated since Sorkin left. The characters are all behaving in bizarre ways, completely unlike how they were in the past (Josh was never such an arrogant idiot – there were much better solutions to the Senator’s insistance than publically embarassing him). And, of course, the dialog is nowhere as good as it used to be.
There are only two interesting things going on: the vice president (who everyone thinks is a lightweight, but who is clearly proving otherwise) and Josh’s intern. The rest is an overheated muddle.
The show has really deteriorated since Sorkin left. The characters are all behaving in bizarre ways, completely unlike how they were in the past (Josh was never such an arrogant idiot – there were much better solutions to the Senator’s insistance than publically embarassing him). And, of course, the dialog is nowhere as good as it used to be.
There are only two interesting things going on: the vice president (who everyone thinks is a lightweight, but who is clearly proving otherwise) and Josh’s intern. The rest is an overheated muddle.
I don’t think it’s that far off. I think the characters as we see them now are more realistic. With Sorkin they were too idealistic, almost to the point of nausea. Nobody is that noble, especially those that reach that level. I think it’s getting obvious that Sorkin used that show to make a political point instead of just entertainment. That’s where the mini speeches came in. That was Sorkin speaking for himself. So many times they were saying something to each other that didn’t need to be said, people in that position would already know that. Yet they felt like making a stump speech anyway.
I didn’t think it was as bad as last week, although I would choke the life from both the camera crew and the foley artists if I ever got the chance. Dialogue was better, a little more natural, although Will and Charlie both seem to have lost whatever energy they ever had. Margaret was written better. I don’t think that the flow between Leo and Josh was natural. These are good friends. Bartlet once referred to Josh as “his son”. They’d find a much better way to protect him and get him back on his feet. Also didn’t like the AF1 arguement between CJ and POTUS. “I need you to lead”. How about “We” or “The country” needs you to lead. What are they, lovers? It is really starting to feel a way too Soap Opera-ish and contrived, like a lackluster ER episode. Especially all of the pathos/overwrought anguish shots. And what was up with Josh yelling at the Rotunda? Just not his style, he’s more internal. And he’s a bit of a bastard, he’d have normally found a way to screw Skerrit/Kerrick. Josh and Toby are the two most Machiavellian characters. They’re not punching bags.
I liked C. J.'s little speech to POTUS after he said, “They need me here.” Her “No they don’t. They don’t need your motrcade tying up traffic and blocking the ambulances. They don’t need us occupying 50 motel rooms that could house people without anywhere to stay.” etc.
I think the series is getting better as the new guys find their feet. But I’m also watching the older episodes on A&E, which is probably a bad idea, because the new version sure suffers by comparison. But like I said, I think it’s getting better.
I liked the President going AWOL, and I liked CJ dressing him down and telling him he needs to get back in the saddle. I thought Josh’s downfall was well set up after last week’s episode, but I also found Leo’s actions troubling because I remembered the whole “as long as I have a job, you have a job” speech he gave to Josh. It struck me as inconsistent that Leo would stand so firmly by Josh when there were serious questions regarding Josh’s emotional and mental ability to do the job (after he was shot), but would basically throw him over when he makes a political misstep. And where the hell was Josh’s girlfriend?
I liked the President hanging up on Leo; I think Leo’s gotten a little too bossy. And I liked CJ telling Will Bailey “he hates you the way he hates the high school girl who wouldn’t go to the prom with you because she already had a date. You made a decision; now own it.”
The show’s not as witty as it used to be, but I’m seeing some developing story lines I think have promise (the role of the VP, Josh’s eventual redemption). It’s getting better, IMO.
One of the things that the show used to do remarkably well was portray the life of good people thrust into impossible jobs. They live their jobs every minute of every day and that’s simply impossible for any human to keep up. (In real life, that’s why presidents spend more and more time away from the White House and why high-level staffers seldom stay for full terms.)
The West Wing isn’t and can’t be 24, where the lead character is tortured to death and beats up bad guys 15 minutes later. Things have to go wrong, people have to blow up, the stress has to be relieved every once in a while.
Given all that Bartlet’s been through, having the president play hooky from work and get out where he can feel like a president being president was a good move. Having him intend to blow off a long-arranged meeting with the German chancellor and needing C.J. to make two silly over-dramatic speeches was not the best way to handle it, but it could have been worse.
Bringing in a new black female character to supplant Josh is also not a bad idea. This season there are too many white males for a modern White House, especially a Democratic one. (Charlie’s been almost invisible, too.) They’ve never integrated Will’s character properly, so let’s hope they do a better job with her.
As for Leo, he also looks like he’s heading for a crack-up from stress. How much do you want to bet that he’ll be tempted by the bottle now that the V.P. is no longer there to hold the AA meetings?
One thing about Sorkin’s style vs. the new one hasn’t been much talked about. With the fast pace and huge amount of dialog Sorkin crammed in, the show could breath life into its enormous number of characters. With the slower pace, the minor characters are being totally shortchanged because there’s no room to fit in little telling bits for them.
This show was two steps forward, one step back, but at least - and at long last - it’s a step in the right direction, even if it will never be what it once was.
I thought this week was better paced as well as better written. I did like CJ when she was ‘setting straight’ both POTUS and Will. I was a little confused by them pulling Josh off of everything. Surely there are still plenty of things for him to do, pulling out an old folder of idealist stuff to work on was kind of far fetched. I too think it is getting better.
Finally watched last night (which is telling in and of itself)
Apparently lighting guy (after hearing it’s too dark) went nuts. Everyone looked green at the scenes at the disaster. It was wrong. (Unless a post tornado sky really does put a green cast in the air… but it didn’t look like that - just like an overexposure mistake.)
Josh’s mistake (while big) wasn’t really that horrible. In the real world, when Jeffords left the party - it was mostly big because the GOP went from 50:50 (with a Republican VP) to 49:50:1. That’s a complete shift in power. They lost the Senate. In the WW world, Tom Skerritt was in the minority party and from what we’ve learned, it’s not close. Their republicans are solidly in the majority. This shift is not that horrid. The way Leo’s treating Josh doesn’t make sense.
CJ used to be politically brilliant and a communications genius. Now? I don’t know what she is other than really uninteresting and nigh incompetent.