Let’s face it, sometimes fandom can be a bit embarrassing. Embracing an artist or their work can often lead to excessive, irrational exuberance and other cringe-worthy behavior. Sometimes we embarrass ourselves in our behavior as fans, but perhaps more often, at least in my experience, we are embarrassed by the behavior of our fellow fans, who take things a bit too far and, in our opinion, reflect poorly on our own fanaticism. Much in the same way a Taylor Swift fan might want to distance themselves from the craziness of her most-devoted “swifties,” I frequently find myself cringing when I hear other people talk about how much they love The West Wing, a TV show I watched devoutly over and over again, but would still insist I don’t like “like that” compared with others.
Nevertheless, I didn’t particularly expect to have such an involuntary cringe reaction to reading a book about the show written by people who were there. Surely, being on set would give anyone the proper perspective on what, after all, is still a TV show, no matter how well-written it might have been. Sadly, I was mistaken.
What’s Next is a comprehensive behind the scenes account of The West Wing. Oddly, it is written by two relatively minor castmembers, at least in terms of star power. Mary McCormack played National Security Advisor Kate Harper for the show’s final three seasons, while Melissa Fitzpatrick appeared in all seven seasons as “Carol”, the deputy press secretary most frequently seen in scenes with her on-screen boss, Allison Janney’s C.J. Cregg. With all due respect, this is a little like if your favorite baseball team won the World Series and the book about it was written by a relief-pitcher acquired at the trade deadline and the bullpen catcher. Still, they were there and I wasn’t, so okay.
The bigger problem with What’s Next is the book’s unrelenting, unquestioning awe at the show and what it supposedly inspired. This is most evident in the subtle, with its curious note about the show’s “enduring legacy of service.” This is presented in the text through short chapters highlighting the activism of many members of the show’s cast, which are wholly separate from the making of the show and really don’t have much to interest the reader looking for stories about their favorite tv show. While it’s nice that these actors work for and donate to so many worthy causes, I’m not sure their activism really constitutes a “legacy” for the show itself.
Even more likely to provoke eye-rolling is the book’s invocation of its supposed impact on real-world politicians and staffers, several of whom are quoted near the end of the book. McCormack, Fitzgerald, and many of their interview subjects are quick to praise the show’s even-handedness, its focus on bipartisanship, and the possibility of good people to work together and affect change. It’s enough to make you wonder when, exactly, this book which came out last year was written.
It’s not all cringworthy, though. The chapter on John Spencer’s untimely demise was a real tearjerker, featuring so many heartfelt tributes from the show’s cast and crew. Similarly, the warm anecdotes about Martin Sheen’s generosity were a nice counterbalance to some of the self-importance that crept in the other chapters.
I suspect even the keenest fans of the show will find themselves skipping through some parts of the book to get to the good stuff. I just wish there wasn’t so much to skip through.