A few weeks ago I once again began binge-watching “The West Wing,” which is without question one of the best few television shows in history. But it could have been better.
The last few seasons after Aaron Sorkin left, the writing staff didn’t have the same energy of the previous seasons, and the campaign to replace President Josiah Bartlet is largely predictable and at the same time completely unrealistic.
The protagonists succeed too easily. It needs a taste of “Game of Thrones.” In “Game of Thrones,” when the protagonist is in danger, he’s really in danger. He could conceivably be killed off or suffer defeat. For all it’s awesomeness, “The West Wing” doesn’t have any of the suspense of a show like “Game of Thrones.”
I was bored this weekend, so I decided to rewrite the plot from the middle of the sixth season onward, and gave it four more seasons, because a show like that deserves more seasons.
President Bartlet’s paralysis during the China trip when he yells out that he can’t do the job leads to his resignation, at which point Josh Lyman and Congressman Matt Santos are now running a primary campaign against the incumbent President Bob Russell. Santos isn’t able to win against Russell given his strong position as incumbent, but does siphon enough votes from Russell to allow former Vice President John Hoynes to win the nomination, and Hoynes offers Russell the vice presidential nomination as part of a unity ticket.
Shortly before the convention a Hoynes sex scandal erupts and the delegates force an open convention. Bartlet is forced to endorse either Hoynes, who despite the scandal remains the holder of the most delegates; Governor Eric Baker, who avoided the entire primary and is attempting to subvert the process and be nominated from the floor; or Santos, who while principled remains decidedly in third place. Russell realizes he has no chance and sticks by Hoynes in hopes of remaining his vice presidential pick. Bartlet picks Santos, but also speaks out against candidates’ personal lives being fair game in campaigns, to show his respect for Hoynes and his loyalty while vice president; but his support alone isn’t enough to propel Santos to the lead. Hoynes, rejuvenated by Bartlet’s supportive words, offers Santos as VP which isn’t unconstitutional because Hoynes now lives in Virginia, not Texas, and together they’re able to win. Russell is promised Interior Secretary in the event that Hoynes/Santos win.
On the Republican side, Senator Arnold Vinick’s principled decision to speak out against ethanol costs him the Iowa primary and he can’t recover. Former Acting President and Speaker of the House Glen Allen Walken’s campaign draws on his success as interim president several years earlier as well as his supremely conservative record as Speaker, and he easily wins the nomination. He remains too conservative for the general election and picks Vinick as his VP both as an appreciation for his principle, and to help balance the ticket. The relative ease of the GOP nomination remains in stark contrast to the chaotic floor fight at the Democratic nomination, and Walken/Vinick are strong frontrunners over Hoynes/Santos going into the general.
Strategist Bruno Gianelli joins the Hoynes/Santos campaign because he likes the challenge of winning as an underdog. Santos and Vinick still debate in the VP debate, and we get a few terrific episodes of Hoynes v. Walken debates. The San Andreas nuclear meltdown still happens, but the story is less about Vinick, because he’s only the vice presidential candidate, and more about President Russell, who’s Katrina-esque mismanagement of the crisis becomes the real story.
Walken and Vinick still manage to win, but not by very much, and Santos is seen as a leading candidate for president in the next election. Hoynes is, finally, finished in politics.
Lyman, Will Bailey, Gianelli and Toby Ziegler all work together as political consultants at the close of the seventh season, and then in the season finale a Texas Senator dies in a hunting accident the same day President Walken is inaugurated. Josh and the others convince Santos to run in the special election to better position himself as Presidential material.
Keene is a senior majoring in political science, economics and public policy.
