Farewell, 'West Wing'

It is with more than a bit of sadness that I declare my feelings for my favorite television series, "The West Wing," which comes to an end tonight. As I type this I am watching the pre-finale presentation of the premiere episode of "The West Wing" from 1999.

The series has been to me, and to many others, a model of television and a weekly appointment for a dose of what America could be. In 1999 when the series premiered, we were in the second half of the second term of a Democratic president considered by many to have made too many concessions to reality -- the reality of a Republican-controlled Congress -- at the same time he faced a scandal of immense and unprecedented proportions. But at least the stock market was booming.

Enter "The West Wing" -- a show that not only provided a snappy hour of television drama but also made you a bit smarter for having watched and also made you think that we could be doing so much better if only we could get past politics. Aaron Sorkin crafted an hour each week that showed viewers many facets of an issue, and the dialog did not speak down to people nor get weighed down with intricate policies. Simply put, it was masterful.

And for the next several seasons, the show continued on an even keel, churning along and attracting accolades and laurels for its smart and witty writing, inspired acting and attention to detail. In the back of our minds, of course, we all knew it had to end. It was no "M*A*S*H," where the Korean War on screen went on far longer than it did in real life. No, we knew that in a maximum of six or seven seasons, this show as we knew it would end. Term limits, you know.

And so, as the campaign for the new presidential term heated up, we weaned ourselves from Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlet and decided we could live with Jimmy Smits' Matt Santos or Alan Alda's Arnold Vinick. And the sixth season started to limp a bit, but by mid-seventh season, it was almost as if the show had turned into an even better franchise. Yet, the folks at NBC Universal have pulled the plug on a series when it seems it could have continued easily into the next term.

It could have continued to inspire, to educate, to entertain the masses and also make some money and win some awards along the way. But, we all knew this day would come, and it's best to let something go in peace and remember with longing a better time. It was a show that never failed to strive to be better, to portray America as a place whose best days still lay ahead, to demonstrate when to stand firm with one's convictions or when to offer compromise. In seven years, I have no shortage of favorite scenes, lines and plots. Thank goodness for my set of DVDs.

I'll watch with interest the last hour of "The West Wing," which begins in just a few minutes, and I will post any additional comments if I have them. And as I watch, I'll think about how many times I have wished America really were this way, about the people who did not make it to the end, and about how I have the responsibility to take an entertaining inspiration and make into a reality.

POST-VIEWING UPDATE: That was probably the longest hour of the show I have ever watched. That's what happens when the only plot device is to wrap up all the plots. I'll overlook a couple small glitches and factual errors. But it was tender and nice and sweet and, yes, inspirational. I knew either Bartlet or Santos would ask "What's next?" As soon as Mallory, Leo's daughter, came with a package for Bartlet I knew exactly what it was. That little napkin has been through more episodes than some characters. The finale was appropriately final and reverent to the show's history.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.