West Wing 7.9: "The Wedding"

Written by Josh Singer
Directed by Max Mayer

In which Bartlet must juggle an international crisis and his daughter’s wedding, while unexpected turns in the polls lead to questions about Josh and his ability to run the Santos campaign…


I don’t pretend to be an expert on this series; others have lived and breathed every second of every episode (at least, the Sorkin years) to a far greater degree. I just love watching these characters and this stylized, idealized version of how the American presidency should be. And I’ve also been a political junkie in my day, and so there’s this little thrill I get when I see an Electoral College map. Seriously!

So when it comes to this episode, I can’t help but appreciate the fact that this White House wedding provides a nice distraction from the slow but steady decay of the Bartlet administration. I enjoy that on a certain level, because there is a hint of realism in it all, but I do love symbolism. In this case, Bartlet handing off his daughter in marriage in the White House. Chance for comedy and some nice little character work? Sure, but the metaphor is hardly lost.

But for me the heart of this episode was Josh. I remember reading in more than a few places that this was originally supposed to be the “Josh and Sam Show”, back in the development days, and I think that Josh has remained at the center of the action in a very real and consistent way over the years. (Others may argue that, but hey, it’s just my opinion.) So it makes sense that this election is as much about Josh and his failures as it is about Santos and his improbable rise to the presidency (I’m still sure that’s what will happen).

Looking back over the course of the season, the season premiere all but told us that this moment would come. Josh and his judgment was under fire for much of the sixth season, and Santos’ win at the convention only put his strategy under more scrutiny. He’s made some missteps in the past, but as the race tightens and each decision counts more and more, Josh can’t help but miss some of the details.

Part of that is his inability to let go of control. He wants to be the one who makes it happen, who puts his man in the Big Chair, the student who has become the master. But Josh often forgets that even Leo had a staff, people he trusted to give him honest and divergent opinions. It’s what made Leo such a damn good Chief of Staff, even if the man took too much on his own shoulders at times. More to the point, as much as Bartlet trusted Leo and his judgment, he also had a rapport with his senior staff before they officially took power.

Who does Santos have, beyond Josh? Nearly everyone else is still essentially a temporary fixture. Josh has never let go of the reins long enough to build a powerful and diverse team. And yet, it’s too much to take him out of the game and leave him out of the room. It’s not so much that he needs to go; he just needs someone to keep him from isolating his decision-making process. Leo can help him with that, and if that is indeed the direction the writers take, it will be a reasonable and logical progression of the season thus far.

More than that, it could serve to give Leo a more substantial plot thread. He has been largely absent this season, probably because of contractual purposes with the network, and that is not the preferable situation. Far better for him to step in, help Josh reorganize and focus. Leo has shown a remarkable loyalty to Josh in terms of support, and so he’s the one person who Josh can trust to point him in the right direction. In fact, this is how I see Santos winning.

It also means that Leo, in a more prominent role, will be more exposed. Enter more complication, since his past will be even more fair game. But since the struggle must escalate between now and, say, episodes 14-16 (the likely timing for the election itself), this is the most obvious and interesting direction to take. Meanwhile, it certainly looks as if Bartlet will be dealing with one, final international crisis. All of which, in my opinion, is more than worth the time.

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

Final Rating: 8/10