farmdoc's blog post number 409

We’ve finished. All 155 episodes over seven seasons on 42 DVDs. Last Wednesday night Sweetheart Vivienne and I watched the final episode of The West Wing. We’d planned to watch the three episodes on the last DVD at the rate of one each night. But after the penultimate episode on Wednesday night, we couldn’t help ourselves. So, it’s over. The fat lady’s metaphorically sung. Josiah Bartlet’s gone back to the New Hampshire farm with Abby. Matt and Helen Santos and their children are in the White House. Josh is President Santos’s chief of Staff and Donna’s the First Lady’s. Sam’s back. Toby’s been pardoned. And CJ, Debbie, Charlie and Margaret are unemployed. To me, unlike others I’ve watched, this series didn’t run out of steam. Or jump the shark, like I feared it may. Some say it lost its punch after its originator and creative spark Aaron Sorkin departed after season four. I disagree. I’ll miss its people. And I’m weirdly disconcerted I’ll never know the answers to lingering questions about them: Did President Santos achieve his ambitious legislative programme. Quo vadis Josh and Donna’s relationship. And Will and Kate’s? How did Arnold Vinick go as SecState? These questions are a sure sign of The West Wing’s quality. We’ll keep the DVDs. You never know when we’ll have a spare 130 hours to watch it again.