A successful episode, to be sure--but a exasperating watch at times. Consider:
How many ankle-kicks at George W. Bush will "The West Wing" attempt on the way out the door? The transition vandalism was "apocryphal," a direct jab at the stories surrounding what Clinton staffers did on their way own way out, and by implication a jab at the stories coming out from W's people--in short, calling them liars. Classy.
And then we have the NSA wiretaps, a direct swing at the current NSA and (by implication) a boost to the real-life Senator Feingold's censure motion (and if the Dems take either House in November the way they took the House of Reps on TV, watch out). Then, once Santos discovered that his calls were being monitored, I thought, at least here we go. I expected at least a DFCON 3 in the Oval Office, maybe not on the level of Toby-learns-about-MS, but certainly on the level of Hoynes-comes-over-on-Sunday-after-the-gun-death. But then? Barlet: "Yeah, I'm sorry about that." So that's it? So do the show's writers and producers feel that real-life NSA wiretaps are legal, or at the very least forgivable by a simple "I'm sorry?" I'm rather partial to the former premise, but I suspect I'm alone here.
And so much of the show I saw coming down the chute. Donna as First Lady COS--well, what else was there? She can't work for Josh, and she can't go away. And for--what?--the fifth time in the last six episodes, we got walked up to the Josh Lyman meltdown and the possibility that Santos might drop him for Lou or someone else. I myself bought into the Josh-gut punch notion right up until last week, when it became clear how badly Santos needed him. Right. Got it. Josh's self-loathing, his sense of inferiority, his huge Jungian hang-ups with his own father and Leo, and the weird masochistic relationship he has with C.J (offering her a job? Is he kidding?)--all these will surface again and again, out in to our imaginations, when the show itself is long-gone. But he's smart, he has superb political instincts, and he dragged Santos into history, so--as much as Santos--he's deserved his shot.
Right. Got it. Time to move on.
So what was there to recommend this puppy? I'm sorry, I'm a sucker, but it was worth it just to see Sam again, and (within the show's narrative) just in time. If his meltdowns are Josh at his worst, his snatching of Sam from California was Josh at his intuitive best. (Ever notice that Josh's flashes of brilliance so often involve a journey that most would describe as a fool's errand? Manchester, Houston, now LA.) Josh knew Sam, once back, wouldn't leave, and perhaps he knew that throwing Sam into the midst of things was the one thing necessary to save himself.
So: Aurrgh. This episode committed many sins, but not the two most important. It did not bore, and it did not fail to live.