Reflections on “The West Wing’s” Conclusion

• What will fill the hole in my Sunday nights?
• Part of me wanted a stirring conclusion, filled with flashbacks and neat conclusions to the various characters' storylines.  In many ways, though, the emphasis on the orderly transfer of power and the conduct of business as usual was entirely appropriate.  It was more realistic to simply portray the characters moving on with their lives….
• Nice touches:
  • The subtle handling of Toby's pardon…a letter left for last, the smile in CJ's eyes upon reading the President's decision.  The writers' decision to leave it to the viewer to imagine the impact of the decision on Toby's life.
  • Mrs. Bartlet to the President: "You made it."…an acknowledgement of all that they had been through together, how close to the brink he had been, in many senses.
  • The quiet repetition of the show's theme music during scenes portraying the transition.
  • The gathering of staffers around President-elect Santos…the sense of continuity provided by Josh's and Sam's presence, the image of a new generation taking charge.
• Now I'd like to watch the season's opening episode again, the one showing the staffers meeting a few years in the future….

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