# West Wing Finale...did Sorkin pulla Hitchcock? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782 "2006-05-15T01:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/21 "2006-05-15T22:59:25Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Pretty sure it was Carol, Assistant to the Press Secretary, played by [Melissa Fitzpatrick](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0280330/). > > [Renee Estevez](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0261729/) (Sheen’s RL daughter) played Nancy, the President’s secretarial assistant. > > Don’t feel bad, I didn’t know who they were either. > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_Characters\_on\_The\_West\_Wing#White\_House\_staff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Characters_on_The_West_Wing#White_House_staff) > [Continuity Guide to The West Wing Characters](http://westwing.bewarne.com/characters/secondary.html) No, he was talking to Nancy. Carol was the first one he saw in the hallway (before he talked to Ed and Larry.) ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/22 "2006-05-15T23:51:55Z")
Hate to reply to myself, but the episode will be on again in 10 minutes on Bravo. ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/23 "2006-05-16T02:58:43Z")
> [@brianjedi](#): > > No, he was talking to Nancy. Carol was the first one he saw in the hallway (before he talked to Ed and Larry.) And they finally disclosed which was Ed and which was Larry (although I don’t remember, now who was who- I think the Asian guy is Ed and the Caucasian guy was Larry). I’m pretty sure that was the first time they were addressed separately, instead of as “EdandLarry.” ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/24 "2006-05-16T03:51:25Z")
> [@ScoobyTX](#): > > And they finally disclosed which was Ed and which was Larry (although I don’t remember, now who was who- I think the Asian guy is Ed and the Caucasian guy was Larry). I’m pretty sure that was the first time they were addressed separately, instead of as “EdandLarry.” Nope, they did it in “H.Con 172” when Sam is assigning chapters of a new book about the White House. > [@](#): > > Sam: Presumably the chapters you’ve been assigned are about you. If not, trade with somebody. What we’re doing is making note of anything, big or small, that’s wrong, anything I can use to attack credibility. > > Ed: OK, well right away, I see one. > > Larry: I’m Larry, he’s Ed. > > C.J.: I usually don’t know that. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/25 "2006-05-16T05:50:35Z")
I also wondered if the one he spoke to about “your mother” was his daughter and made it a point to remember her character’s name – Nancy. That was a sweet touch. At a gathering of the cast on _Ellen_ recently, someone mentioned that Martin Sheen’s nickname is “Pumpkin Head.” Sunday night I noticed that the word _pumpkin_ was used in both the pilot and the final episode. Cool. I dreamed that I somehow found access through TIVO to a whole new series of _West Wing_ episodes with Jimmy Smits. Oh, man. I’m going to miss that show! > [@](#): > > **Elendil’s Heir** : Still, I’m glad he got the last word: “Tomorrow.” Yeah! Don’t stop thinkin’ about “Tomorrow.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/26 "2006-05-16T06:13:53Z")
So, did the final shot seem odd to anyone else? The Barletts’ plane was over the middle of the ocean–enroute from DC to New Hampshire? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/27 "2006-05-16T12:37:06Z")
> [@initech](#): > > So, did the final shot seem odd to anyone else? The Barletts’ plane was over the middle of the ocean–enroute from DC to New Hampshire? That bothered me a bit as well, but I decided to let it go. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/28 "2006-05-16T12:44:22Z")
I haven’t been watching the show much, someone please tell me Why Toby had to be pardoned? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/29 "2006-05-16T13:08:33Z")
> [@initech](#): > > So, did the final shot seem odd to anyone else? The Barletts’ plane was over the middle of the ocean–enroute from DC to New Hampshire? Bothered me a bit, but the way I made sense of it was I figured they were swinging out over the ocean to either or both avoid traffic or weather, or to make an approach from the East. And I wasn’t sure exactly where in NH they were going to land. NH has a bit of Atlantic shoreline down near Portsmouth. Of course, that presumes the ocean was the Atlantic… Here in Chicago, O’Hare is maybe 20 miles NW of town, yet when prevailing winds have planes landing from the East they swing way out over Lake Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/30 "2006-05-16T13:18:14Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > I haven’t been watching the show much, someone please tell me Why Toby had to be pardoned? He released Top Secret classified information by revealing the existance of a military space shuttle that could mount a rescue mission to some endangered astronauts aboard a space station. When it became clear that he was the leak, he was fired and brought up on federal charges that he eventually pleaded guilty to. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/31 "2006-05-16T13:24:45Z")
> [@initech](#): > > So, did the final shot seem odd to anyone else? The Barletts’ plane was over the middle of the ocean–enroute from DC to New Hampshire? If they were going to land at the former Pease AFB in Newington, NH, one of the approachs is from the Atlantic. The runway is about 1 or 2 miles inland IIRC. That’s how they usually land when they bring in Bush the First or Bush the Lesser for their summer trips to Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/32 "2006-05-16T14:23:52Z")
I haven’t followed TWW all that much since Sorkin left. But I must admit that even though the final years were decidedly lower quality than the first, they tried to stay true to his vision, and the last episode could almost have been written by him. The show went out with class, quite unlike ER, which has been dead and refusing to fall down for many years now. I’m going to miss Jed and Abbey Bartlet. The pairing of Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing was golden. Those two really sold it as both husband/wife and President/First Lady. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/33 "2006-05-16T14:38:36Z")
Did anyone not know that the wrapped gift from Mallory was the “Bartlett for America” framed napkin? I noticed that about the plane over the ocean too. Obviously it was done for the beauty shot, but there’s always the possibility that Jed had no interest in seeing his kids that night, as he expressed to Abby, so he told the pilot to divert to Tahiti. He could probably use a vacation. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/34 "2006-05-16T15:04:51Z")
I’m not certain, but I think I recall that the final shot had the plant flying into the setting sun - with no land in sight. Which would have involved a quite lengthy circle out over the ocean… ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/35 "2006-05-16T15:07:17Z")
uh - planE. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/36 "2006-05-16T15:38:31Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > Did anyone not know that the wrapped gift from Mallory was the “Bartlett for America” framed napkin? I knew it was the napkin the minute Mallory handed the package to CJ. One of those things die hard, long time viewers would appreciate, which I assume includes most West Wing viewers. I still got all chocked up when Bartlett opened it though. Just amazing what is successful on American television and what isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/37 "2006-05-16T15:42:27Z")
> [@brianjedi](#): > > I was disappointed that they couldn’t work Richard Schiff in somewhere, especially after Bartlet signed the pardon. Me, too. > [@brianjedi](#): > > From the looks of Sam’s appearance, they had Rob Lowe for a day and that was it. 2 scenes with very little to do. Ya’ll reckon he’s kind of expensive? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/38 "2006-05-16T16:26:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Ya’ll reckon he’s kind of expensive? 🙂 I figure that Wells wrote the finale without knowing if they’d get him back, so he wrote around him (notice that Bram stood in for Lou in the Oval.) I’m just glad Wells let Christopher Misiano direct rather than taking the helm himself, since Misiano did most of the good non-Schlamme episodes. ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/39 "2006-05-16T17:19:38Z")
I don’t know why I was brought out of the show for this thought, but it occurred to me they didn’t have Stockard Channing when Jed got back in the limo. The lines, “Where’s my wife” “She’s in the car”[right in front of you] seemed wierd to me. Probably wasn’t around on that day, and I don’t know how to solve the problem except by what they did. Bye Bye West Wing. You were a great show. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782/40 "2006-05-16T17:33:20Z")
> [@brianjedi](#): > > No, he was talking to Nancy. Carol was the first one he saw in the hallway (before he talked to Ed and Larry.) Slightly off topic, but in the first several seasons, Renee Estevez would appear in the opening credits, and not have more than one line- if that- in the show. My boyfriend and I would have Nancy-spotting contests. ZJ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-finale-did-sorkin-pulla-hitchcock/356782.md?page=3)