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The West Wing, Season 4, Episode 13 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-04-02 00:30:38
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2026-06
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Content

The Long Goodbye

Comments

Weird Magic

"The previous episode was kinda a downer"....Sorkin - hold my beer... This is a very polarizing episode - for me it is much better on rewatch with the entire context of the series behind you than it was first time thru, but largely this one and one you haven't seen yet are probably considered at the bottom of all of the episodes by most. Originally airing on January 15, 2003, 'The Long Goodbye' is Episode 13 of Season 4 of The West Wing. It is the 79th episode overall and has an IMDB rating of 7.6, placing it as the #21 ranked episode of this season and #77 out of all the episodes shown so far.

Pam Nail

- This is a beautifully written and beautifully acted hour of drama, but it's not an episode of The West Wing to me and if I'm binging -- like others have said -- it's usually a skip. It's like a different show that CJ is guest starring on. It also feels like they could have plopped it anywhere in the timeline (I'm almost certain it was shot *before* the last few episodes because CJ has her old hairdo). - The most heartbreaking thing about Donald Moffatt's role here is the moments where he's completely lucid and sharp and you can see how smart and funny he is and how frustrating it must be to feel it slipping away. - The stepmom angers me so much. "This isn't what I signed up for." Yes it is, lady! He is your husband! Even if you didn't say the literal words, "in sickness and in health" is implied.

Max F.

This is a rough (but excellent) watch even if you don't have any experience with a loved one losing their memory. For those of us with that unfortunate experience, this is just that much harder. Allison Janey, Martin Sheen, and Rob Lowe are all from Dayton and there are many instances where that is brought up, though this is the most overt. The president often has a University of Dayton coffee mug throughout the series. Sadly this episode was shot in Chicago, though the producers wanted to shoot in Dayton.

Weird Magic
>>134014971

I wrote that this was "polarizing" while watching it now - guess I foreshadowed your exit conversation pretty well! Oh - and Donald Moffat was the PERFECT cast as C.J.'s Dad - both were outstanding in this episode. This was Donald's second to last acting credit - he had a guest spot 2 years later on Law & Order, retiring from acting in 2005. Mr. Moffat passed away in 2018 at age 87.

Michelle Taylor

I've watched most of the episodes in this series like 3 to 5 times already. This was only my 2nd time watching The Long Goodbye. It's just so sad in a beautiful way. I wasn't planning on watching the reaction, but I'm glad I did. If you're a fan of Matthew, you gotta check out Memphis Bell.

Jeff

When I first saw this episode twenty years ago, I thought it was beautifully done but I personally wasn't moved by it. Now that I and the episode are two decades older, I'm reacting the same way as Joe. Aging, dementia, and Alzheimers touch all of our lives in some way eventually. This episode reveals so many more facets of CJ's character, and it's refreshing to see her outside of her work. I don't think the ending implied that anything was resolved, only that maybe CJ won't be alone in helping her father, and possibly her father does momentarily have a better understanding of what needs to happen. It's easy for us to judge others in these situations, wondering why they didn't behave differently, but we can never know how each of us will actually react until we face these crises ourselves. By the way, episodes 14 and 15 are a two-parter, so you might want to watch them both in one sitting. But it's not necessary.

Weird Magic
>>134020398

It is a 2-parter, but they didn't air the same night so you're good not changing the schedule

Jeff

Yeah, I made the suggestion mostly for selfish reasons; I'd like them to watch two episodes in one week. :)

Joy M
>>134016228

I just noticed that CJ states it’s February, but the inauguration hasn’t occurred yet.

Martin Nicholls

I like this episode, it's a bit of a trick that plays into something that's a legitimate concern people have - it's a horrible disease and we all have relatives at the end of the day. The whole resorting to cliché imho is one of those questions of is it bad writing or is it the character resorting to cliché: it's very easy to attack, but in real life people do things like that, characters shouldn't always have the right thing to say at the right time., it is unnatural. I've always thought that maybe the swap of writer and the title is a partial reference to the fact that Sorkin was leaving the show at the end of the season..

D Gyre

Always interesting to see other people's comments, especially when they are different than you expect. I always liked this episode, although its difficult to watch because of the subject matter, and I thought it was a popular one with the fanbase because its so incredibly well acted and hits home for many viewers. Interesting to see multiple people comment otherwise about it. Personally I think its a great west wing episode, and just gives you more backstory on CJ like we've had with other characters. (just not so distinct apart from the White House, like Toby's father comes to him rather than the other way around)

Laura Room

For this episode Aaron Sorkin brought in Jon Robin Baitz because he was writing the inauguration 2 parter and basically needed a one-off. He gave Baitz, a playwright, the choice of one of the lead characters and a smart man, Baitz chose Allison Janney's character. In the podcast The West Wing Weekly he revealed that he was then hired to write a script based on Hoynes and his college athlete son being openly gay. The episode was never made because they decided to go a different way with Hoynes, but damn. I'd love to see that episode.

Brian Harris

People who hate on this episode are a little unreasonable I think. In 22 episodes, you’re going to have some filler. I’d rather have filler that illuminates character like this rather than another manufactured crisis. For me, this episode is sort of the last oasis before a major downhill run all through most of Season 5. They recover, but it’s a very rough go imo. I may also just have a jones for Jon Robin Baitz. I think he’s an incredible playwright. I’ve been trying to get someone to let me direct his Other Desert Cities for years. There are sections of dialogue in here that are … I don’t know if they’re BETTER than Sorkin, they’re less musical, but I think they’re more revealing. And Donald Moffat does crush it. I remember he passed away like weeks after Philip Bosco, and I was sad about it. They don’t make ‘em like those guys anymore.

Alex Lee

This episode is brilliant. Alison Janney really stands out as being able to handle an entire episode about CJ, with only fleeting apearances of the other cast members.

Roland Cooke

I love this episode, heartbreaking stuff. I feel for everyone affected IRL, I'm grateful to have not experienced any of this close to home - at least not to date.

Devon Cooper

Very touching episode. Hits close to home for me, so always one I rewatch from time to time.

Balazs Foldes

It's such a heavy episode to watch... during my rewatch binges, I often skipped it, cause it's so heavy. But it is still pretty masterful. I imagine, the writer wanted to write something worthy of the show, while totally different, and feeling sorkinesque. The witty dialogues, repeated foreshadowing, everybody keeping to tell CJ about The Promise of a Generation. The emotional use of an everyday pocketwatch (a bit like a napkin with a slogan scribbled on it, or just a box of pens from the drawer...). Yeah, he tried to make it sorkiny. And not a bad job...

Youtalkingtome
>>134014971

RIP to an absolute legend. Totally understand why it would be polarizing but this worked for me so incredibly well. I thought it was beautiful.

Youtalkingtome
>>134016228

That's true. Great catch. Must have been a slip up. I like that it feels out of place. A very sad, moving breather for an incredible season.

Youtalkingtome
>>134020310

My history teacher in 8th grade had that VHS in his classroom. His dad was a pilot in the Second World War and had a connection to the Memphis Bell.

Youtalkingtome
>>134020398

Gotcha, with the full schedule we'll probably just stick to the regular programming. I think that was very well said. We don't know how we will react in that situation. It's so damn hard on the people around us. Looking at someone who you love and have so many fond memories of, and for them to look at you like a stranger, is the biggest heartbreak we can experience on this earth. No one should have to go through that.

Youtalkingtome
>>134025163

That would be very meta if that was the case. I was assuming that it was a friend of Sorkin's and maybe it was a trial run so to speak.

Youtalkingtome
>>134056679

It's awful. My mom worked in a nursing home from when I was very young. I eventually worked there when I was in highschool. I grew up around this and saw it all the time. It hits very close to home and I think it's very special.

Brian Harris
>>134040383

The Substance of Fire, A Fair Country, and Other Desert Cities are his best imo. And you can absolutely see a thematic tie to this episode. He’s a little obsessed with the dynamics between parents and children.

JVTrickypants

Fly fishing - add A River Runs Through It to your next movie poll.

JVTrickypants

As always, watching with you guys made it hit even harder. Damn, that Jon Robin Baitz can WRITE!! Of course it's not only just the great writing, but the incredible acting of everybody on the show, especially Allison and Donald Moffat in this episode. It didn't help I learned yesterday my uncle was put into Hospice. Great episode, different, but so great.

JVTrickypants
>>134224710

He's pretty much unconscious which I guess could be considered a blessing, thanks for asking.

Aude M
>>134093202

"Unique means “one of a kind.” Something can’t be very unique, nor can it be extremely historic." (President Bartlet - Galileo (2.9)) XD

Mithroch

So... coming up to this episode I had a question... and then I forgot all about it until today for some reason. Where are CJ's older brothers? We know they exist. We've met one of their children. You'd think they'd have been part of the conversation or at very least mentioned.

Youtalkingtome
>>135813467

You know, that is a fantastic point. This show is usually pretty good at continuity. I wonder how well versed in WW the guest writer was. Maybe it's just a situation where they don't realize how bad it is.