okay, so the first part was kinda dull, but the last 10 minutes or so were solid. Starting at the point where Jed/Leo meet for dinner, it was close to Season 2 West Wing for a brief period there.

This episode was mindnumbingly boring from start to finish, and utterly predictable.

Ditto.

Item for discussion - which is more boring, watching Josh and Jimmy Smiths in NH or watching Will, Charlie, and Howard Stern's Movie Wife at the WH?

I enjoyed the Josh and Matt sequence on the campaign trail. I really think they should stop showing the white house staff because, well, they have gone completely BORING! I shed a tear when Leo said " I had it easier, with SAM, JOSH, TOBY, CJ,etc". God, i miss Sam. Wouldn't it be great if Josh called him to be the Communications Directo for Santos? I mean, Rob Lowe isn't too busy now since his show was cancelled, right?

I thought it was funny how they made the entire staff retarded for the first 50 minutes. Does Leo even have clearance to be in the situation room?

What is Annabeth's actual job?

I hope this doesn't turn into alternating weeks where one week is in the White House, the next is on the campaign trail.

Well, Leo obviously had top clearance while he was COS. I don't know whether that sort of thing is revoked due to a medical reason.

but he no longer has a need to know

I liked it. And I agree that last part was very Sorkin-esque. Good to see the return of Original Will too.

Finally saw the episode and yea the first half of the episode was rather boring but toward the end it got interesting. I really enjoyed the conversation between Leo and Will. The writers have been painting Will as the bad guy for the last few episodes so the ackowledgment that he didn't pick the VP was nice.

Another thing that I love about this season is the fact that Charlie has something to do. I swear he did more in this episode than in the entire fifth season!

The ending seemed contrived to me. Everyone chirping in with what they should do reminded me of a little rascals episode.
West Wing:
"We only have 364 days..."
"I'll work on health care!"
"I'll help with the poor tax!"
"I'll hop right on stem cells!"
"Yeaaaaa!"

Little Rascals:
"We only have a week left..."
"My dad has a barn we can use"
"I'll get the instruments!"
"My mom can make the costumes!"
"I know how to juggle!"
"Yeaaaaa!"


D

Nitpick mode on...

You know, I've got a bone to pick with "Howard Sterns Movie wife"....well, more a bone to pick with the script writers I guess. Technically she is supposed to be some sort of military adviser, who supposedly knows something about the military...

But when talking about Bolivia she said something about five "battleships" being off the coast. Either she is really a stupid military adviser, or the writers have no clue about the military. We no longer have any battleships in commission, haven't since the early 90's. A battleship is a specific type of ship. She might have said warship, or destroyer or frigate. But battleship just shows ignorance on someones part.

Nit pick mode off....

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS: Martin Sheen confirmed at the TCA winter press tour this morning that he is near a deal to return to The West Wing for the first half of next season — through the end of President Bartlet's second term. Potential Bartlet successors Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda are also slated to return for the seventh season, although exec producer John Wells has yet to decide which will become the next president. Meanwhile, Home Improvement's Patricia Richardson is joining the cast as Alda's campaign manager.

i just got around to watching this and for the most part it was very blah. the state of the union limited by his ability to stand up?!? wtf? why didn't they just put him sitting down or make some adjustements or something like that? it's not like we're in the 40's with FDR. no josh or donna this week.

one thing i have been noticing that has bothered me all season is toby. once he was the great speechwriter who put the words into the president's mouth as well as advised him, but now he seems to be relegated to the role of press secretary which, to me, seems beneath him. he doesn't have the personality for it and it just seems HUGELY out of place. that and they seem to be going out of their way to make him seem as big of an ass as possible. or maybe it's just me.

Sweet!!

Decided I better watch this before tonight's. I'm thinking they're having the Santos campaign mirror the Bartlett campaign a little too much. First they make Josh into Leo and Santos into his Bartlett. Now with Will questioning what the President and Leo saw in the VP, it looks like their going to make Will into the new Josh and have him quit leading the favorite's campaign to join the darkhorse.

You mean, Cowboy Bob Lumberg isn't in the running?

he's my choice simply because I prefer the actor that plays him over alda or smits

TV Guide just put up this comment regarding West Wing:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/askausiello/050126.asp

unfortunately, after watching part of tonight's show, i am not sure if i even care anymore.

True. I was sick of the real election last fall and in absolutely no mood to watch a whole season of a fake one in tv. The whole episode jsut rubbed my nose in the complete hypocrisy of the American election system.

Just saw tonight's West Wing... and the other name on the jar. Is the answer John Goodman?