Et tu, West Wing?

They killed it! They killed it! Middle East peace in an hour! Argh!

I have always loved the West Wing, but I am afraid its time has finally come. The dorsal fin is circling and the water skis are ready (Click the link for the explanation of that if you are not familiar with Jump the Shark). This show used to rely on characters and exceptional writing from Aaron Sorkin. Now, regretfully, its time has come. Don't get me wrong. I will still watch it, but it has progressed a slow, downward path towards simple formulaic television. Not surprisingly, it is just like when ER decided they needed to start showing car crashes for ratings. It had to create drama that people without little tolerance for the nuance of politics and intrigue could understand. I think longingly back to a time when a meeting between its characters discussing the fundamentals of some arcane fact of Presidential history was great TV. John Wells (the common link between ER and West Wing) has really screwed this show up. He seems to have a modus operandi of being a part of a show with great writers and turning it into a vehicle for all that is bad about television. I just wish they would get Aaron Sorkin to write a couple of episodes so we can remember how it used to be. Until then, we will either suffer through this dribble, or simply watch the reruns my trusty steed, Tivo has recorded for me.

West Wing