Thu, December 16, 2004

I just finished watching this week's West Wing. (And, by the way, is there someone on the writing staff whose job is to come up with the excessively melodramatic episode titles? They no longer sound like they've been ripped from the dialogue; they sound like they've been shoehorned into the dialogue.) "Impact Winter" represents yet another jewel in the already dazzling John Wells Crown of Disappointment. There were some great elements to the episode, but those were overshadowed by the hyped-up goofery. The show was quite simply better under Sorkin – maybe each week's trailer moments didn't have that "edge of the seat" feeling for viewers who weren't policy wonks, but the episodes themselves made up for it by being believable and compelling and interesting.

However, as readily and frequently as I rail against Wells and the ER-ification of the show, I'm convinced that even he would draw a line before actually including a plotline with an asteroid hurtling toward the planet. Here's how I think it went down:

1. The BALCO depositions are heating up, Giambi is getting some press for his announcement; McCain is still harping on the steroid abuse issue, so it's becoming a political topic – or at least he's trying to make it one.

2. Some programming exec at NBC gets a "brilliant" ripped-from-the-headlines idea. (Or rather, his underpaid lackey, watching Headline News, brings it to his attention.) Exec looks up from snorting coke off a Father of the Pride figurine long enough to place a call to Wells's production office.

3. Wells is off golfing or fondling a waitress, so his assistant hurriedly jots down the message: "Do a steroid show."

4. Wells returns and interprets the rushed scrawl to read: "Do asteroid show."

5. Wells savagely whips Lauren Schmidt and the other writers until they shove a handful of asteroid-related scenes into an otherwise worthy episode.

See? It's all a big misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, the program continues to miserably squander the Joshua Malina character. Maybe this was part of the Sorkin fallout: they marginalized his guy to get back at him. For whatever reason, Will Bailey – who was going to be the new Sam Seaborn – got shoved into the corner (albeit a sexy corner with Gary Fucking Cole!) and these days there isn't even a contest any more: hands down, his least hammy television work is currently Celebrity Poker Showdown. That's something.

Bailey shouldn't be fighting against Josh, he should be working with him. Maybe that's where they're going, but if so they should hurry up. Get Winnie in there to get him back on track.

Also, Curtis – Charlie's replacement – shouldn't be a blundering ox. It's fine that he's a big guy, but they should've let that character be smart and interesting. Charlie was. You get the sense that Bartlet would demand nothing less. Every time Bartlet talks to Curtis, he gets that look on his face that says (Brian Regan dumb guy voice): "Boyyy, ya don't say! 'Impact Winter,' huh? That sounds pretty bad. Uh... are you gonna finish that p'tata salad?"

And Kristin Chenoweth (whom I think is perfectly well cast, but is sometimes given awkward dialogue), when she's bustling around in a state of nervous twitterpation, walks exactly like C-3P0. Just saying.

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