The West Wing: The Complete Seventh Season

Devoted almost entirely to the Presidential campaign between Democratic nominee Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican nominee Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda), the final season of this smartly written show generated a lot more energy than the sixth, which had critics and viewers alike wondering if The West Wing hadn't totally exhausted itself. A shifting of emphasis from the administration of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) to the hard-fought Santos-Vinick contest gave the frequently feted show a much-needed shot in the arm, with newly introduced characters (among these, Janeane Garofalo made the biggest impression as tough-talking media consultant Louise Thornton) contributing a great deal to the year's principal plotline. Some of the 2005-06 episodes rank among The West Wing's finest, including “Duck and Cover,” in which a nuclear power plant accident throws the White House into crisis mode and significantly impacts the campaign, and “The Debate,” broadcast live twice in one evening for East and West coasts (this superbly written installment gave the candidates a full hour to express their views and make their cases, just like the real thing). Then, of course, the sudden, unexpected real-life death of series regular John Spencer (whose character—former Bartlet chief of staff Leo McGarry—was Santos' running mate) forced the show's writers into a quandary, which they responded to with remarkable poignancy and ingenuity. Ironically, this tragedy made the season—and the series—end on an unexpected but profoundly satisfying note. DVD extras are limited to two featurettes about the live episode. Recommended. (E. Hulse)