Notes of a Defeatist

Anyone see West Wing tonight?

Airing the pilot before the finale couldn’t have provided a better ‘before and after’ picture of where the series went without Aaron Sorkin behind the helm. The finale felt like 60 minutes of everyone waiting to leave. So many missed opportunities to show where the characters go, or tie up loose ends.

And,the return of the napkin seemed kinda calculated to me. I don’t know, I just hoped for something that would have resonated more. Instead it illustrated the differences in approaches on storytelling.

Sorkin focused on character and dialogue. John Wells, more of a crash, boom, helicopter-falling-from-the-sky lets action drive the show forward. The character moments were what made West Wing so engrossing and durable over the years, too bad tonight’s finale couldn’t have provided a better send off.
Good news, NBC ordered 13 episodes of Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on Sunset Strip and it sounds like it might end up in ER’s slot.

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