West Wing 7.6: "The Al Smith Dinner"

Written by Eli Attie
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter

In which an attack ad against Santos by an independent religious conservative group sends both campaigns into damage control, while the White House deals with fallout over Toby...


A funny thing happened this week. Despite the fact that the previous episode, in all its strong storytelling, reminded me of how much has changed and how bright and idealistic everyone used to be, I found myself really engrossed in the interplay between the Santos and Vinick campaigns. So it occurred to me: the series is taking the audience through the same process of any election where strong emotions rule the day.

I’m thinking back to the end of the Clinton administration. There were a ton of people who had been devoted to Clinton and his legacy, to the point of propping up his apparent victories and downplaying his defeats. Many of them saw Gore as a poor substitute and Bush as even less appealing. They wanted things to be the way they used to be. They didn’t want to move on, and they were angry and bitter over the fact that the administration and man they believed in had seen his second term gone to shambles.

OK, the metaphor isn’t perfect, but I think the point is clear. A lot of other people moved on to support Gore or Bush, and a lot of people turned their attention away from the Clinton administration towards the election drama. Granted, neither Gore nor Bush were remotely as charismatic and appealing as Santos and Vinick, but the same process is taking place.

Three plot threads run through this episode, and they reflect this ongoing process of change. I found the Santos and Vinick campaign threads and their interplay to be a lot more compelling than the sinking ship of the Bartlet administration. And I realized that this is the theme of the “introduction” phase of the season. It’s about getting the audience through that process, recognizing that Bartlet’s administration couldn’t possibly go out on top. It just doesn’t work that way.

I wouldn’t say that this episode is on par with the previous installment, if only because “Here Today” had the benefit of deeply-rooted history. The campaign plot threads are always chaotic, and people come in and out of the story from episode to episode. If something terrible were to go down with Louise, would it have the same impact as Toby’s dismissal? Of course not.

But it makes sense that the season hits an important point in the story, ending the first act of the season, with the live debate episode. The season thus far has been about a Santos campaign in stagnation. Something has to happen to shake things up, and the seeds are being planted in this episode. Where Vinick looked unbeatable coming into this episode, things are far less certain now. It should make for one hell of a fun episode.

As for the topic at hand in this episode, I liked the fact that the two candidates held personal positions that were in strong opposition to the platform stance of their respective parties. I found the intercession of interest groups and their money on the main campaigns to be intriguing, even if it was simplified for easy digestion. How these roadblocks are overcome, presumably on both sides, will be quite entertaining to see.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10