I used to think I was enjoying the new down tone of “The West Wing.” One of the problems of the show has been the tendency for the staff to be smug and self-satisfied, and it was nice to see them wading into some morally-ambiguous waters, then wondering how they got there.
But after last night’s episode, I don’t know if I can take much more of this. The constant arguments and the dour, stern faces are getting to be too much. I felt like I was a little kid cowering in the corner while his parents fought in the living room. I have enough stress in my life, thank you very much.
I still love the characters and the general spirit of the show. But lighten up just a touch, people, OK?
I was waiting for the punch line that explained why every single character was so f-ing cranky last night. Except Donna, of course. Donna, the beacon of calm in a world of turmoil.
Shorter ‘words mean things’:
“West Wing”, stop being “ER.”
____________
I go now.
” TOO MOROSE GET OVER IT LIFE SUCKS GET USED TO IT”
why are they so cranky?
someone told them their show was too liberal.
I agree. My favorite episodes have always been the lighter, heartening ones. Like the first season’s Thanksgiving episode, where CJ has the turkeys in her office, the Chinese stow-aways, etc. I love that episode. Stands in stark contrast to the feel of the show currently. I like some of the heavy droma too, but it seems that in the past they were always able to inject something that lifted you up after being brought down with heavy stuff.
My other favorite episode is when Josh spends the whole evening with the psychiatrist when he put his hand through the window(christmas episode I think?)…for a show that was pretty heavy in nature, they even kept that on a lighter, heartening tone.
I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will probably always like the tone of the first 2 seasons the best, and that that may never be recaptured in current/future episode.s.