Going out in style

Good news this morning for West Wing lovers like the Tin Man, straight from the mouth of Daily Variety babes:

[Rob] Lowe, who left "The West Wing" in 2003, will reprise his role as Sam Seaborn in the final two episodes of Aaron Sorkin's Emmy-winning series.Also reprising their roles with appearances in one or more of the drama's final five episodes are Mary-Louise Parker, Anna Deavere Smith, Emily Procter, Marlee Matlin, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson, Timothy Busfield and Annabeth Gish.

Did I say "good news"? 'Cause I meant ass-kicking, great-fucking-TV news. I admit I kind of stopped watching when Aaron Sorkin "left" - and boycotted it outright after Toby and Josh got into a goddamn fist fight, which threw six years of character developement ever so stupidly out the window. I guess John Wells ran out of helicopters to crash that day.

But as much as the WW turned into ER on the Potomac, I can't deny I love the damn show - and it ends in May. It's like a relative who was cool and then turned into an asshole and then called to tell me he had four months to live, so all that's left is to make amends and enjoy the time we have.

And with the heartbreaking loss of John Spencer, whose like may never be seen again, all of us prodigal fans should return to pay the man - and the character - the tribute they both richly deserve. Let bygones be bygones.

Added bonus: seeing all the folks listed above return to the show. I worship the ground upon which Sorkin hurls his cigarette butts, but I'll admit that he was never the greatest at explaining why certain characters simply... vanished. And of course it'll be great to see Rob Lowe back where he belongs and where he would've been all these years had he listened to good advice instead of his accountant.

True-blue Sorkinites know that the countdown's on for his new show, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - hitting your idiot box next fall - but until then, let's celebrate the goodness he gave us known as The West Wing. Let's thank everybody involved - writers, cast, crew, hell, even WB and NBC - for doing TV a friggin service and putting this show on the air.

Watch. It's the least we could do.

-TM