I finished watching The West Wing this morning, and of course I am devastated. The characters are brilliant, the dialog is snappy (typical Alan Sorkin style) and the story line just the right amount of captivating without being overly dramatic. And, if anything, it gives an introduction to American politics (although Obama said he loved the show but it was not an accurate representation.) I am not sure why it took me 25 years (!) to put this on my watchlist, but in this case it really is better than never.
I am genuinely sad. When a series finishes, that’s it. There is no hope of running into one of these characters at an event, or catching them in another show (because a character is of course so much more than just the actor). And after having spent hundreds of hours in their presence, realising that I will never get another hour is depressing. I am like this with every show I watch. I was a sobbing mess when Friends ended (and a mess when Matthew Perry died). I was left empty when Ted Lasso was done. It’s worse when I binge watch because the timeline is more condensed and I don’t have the privilege of downtime in between seasons. (Side note: Matthew Perry had a recurring role in one of the seasons of The West Wing).
My sadness is heightened by the fact that one of the characters dies mid-last season, not because it was part of the storyline but because he literally died, like, in real life. And because he was an integral part of the storyline, and there were episodes already in production at the time of his death, those episodes were screened some time post-death. I can’t imagine how devastating that must have been for the fans…they were reeling from the real life death, while watching the actor unknowingly perform his last lines. It’s poignant, and gripping, and it really brought to the forefront my fear of my premature death.
Anyway, most of this Season 7 binging happened this weekend, and now it’s Sunday night, and I have nothing to watch. That’s not a bad thing. It’s time to relax away from the screen. And yes, I know there are specials from the cast (reunions, comedy sketches, even a play of an actual episode) and I will watch those at some point. I will also, in true Eve-style, pore over almost every blogpost and article written about the series, and research what each of the actors is doing now (and how they look today!). But for now, I revel in the knowledge that I have finished watching one of the best shows ever made, and will give myself permission to be both sad and grateful about it.
