today : farewell Margaret

I'm sure there is a word to describe feelings of loss that occure BEFORE the loss itself, especially if you know it's happening soon. That's how I feel about the imminent demise of The West Wing. I can't get enough of my friends, knowing that they will soon desert me. I have begun to savour every moment of even the useless scenes and drab episodes. What will I do without them. Who'll run the free world now, when they are gone?

It can't be. History must move on. Surely there are more economic crises to be solved, foreign wars to become embroiled in, close congressional races to fight, meetings to be had, cast members to disappear and re-appear. Now we've had the Josh/Donna consummation(s) we want to see what they do about it. Any chance of a spin off series? It could be like Macmillan and Wife only set within the beltway. They could solve five-term congressman corruption. Toby could be in this, like, Prison drama where CJ dresses as a convict and gets herself put into prison in order to try and help him escape. Charlie could get a job as a guard and be in their plan. Danny could write the book. And now Will and Grace ended they could replace it with Will and Kate.

And Margaret. Poor Margaret. Her name will be forever hollered in syndication. This week we saw her taught, pursed face for one of the last times as she tried to take in the fact that Leo had gone that great extremely dimly lit but sumptuously appointed office in the sky.