ABC airs shows online.   National employee productivity drops to all-time low.

Don’t read this if you don’t want to know who won the fake election for fake president. Also ignore the picture posted below. It’s not that guy. I mean… it’s not the other guy, either. But there was a winner. It may or may not have been the person pictured below. Just watch the damn show.

…

First of all, I don’t think it’s right that a television show should make me cry so much. And then expect me to be all happy because Santos is president.

I’m the president. Check my flag.

But it was good TV. An episode of pure giddiness and “IN YOUR FACE, LOSERS! WE WON!” would be kind of unbearable, as would losing both Leo and the election (the writers agree; see this New York Times article). Instead we get the bittersweet victory, a victory in mourning. And Alan Alda, sad, in his hotel room, alone. Alan Alda was the perfect person to play that part. He exudes reasonable-ness and likeability. When he’s sad, I’m sad. When he faces yet another attack on his principles, I feel for him even when he makes the wrong decision.

As much as I appreciated my good cry, I don’t think a whole episode dedicated to sobbing is going to be all that interesting. That’s what seems to be planned for next week. It seems like they’re getting ready for an orgy of mourning. I prefer to see the small, personal moments that stop you up short with the brutal fact of death.

Now that there’s a winner, I imagine the rest of the series is going to be a considerable let-down. Except for Rob Lowe.

Also, is anyone else totally confused by the fact that it’s November in the world of the West Wing? I know not all shows go week-by-week along with the real world (see: 24), but this willful disregard for the actual month is very disorienting.