After watching all seven seasons of “The West Wing” over the past 3 months, it was hard to just quit cold turkey. So I decided to read “What’s Next” by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, both former cast members of the hit TV show from two decades ago.
“What’s Next” reveals how the series was conceived and created, introduces us to the multitude of talented people it took to produce the show each week, the lifelong friendships that resulted from it, and the concept of service that it inspired.
For at its core, Aaron Sorkin’s “West Wing” is about service. Public service. His look at the senior staff of President Jed Bartlet is about people doing as much good for the citizens of the United States, and perhaps even the world, as possible. Fitzgerald and McCormack also bring to the fore the pubic service each cast member has been involved in their personal lives.
The book draws its title from the much-used phrase of that same President Bartlet. We actually get the origin of what he means by that phrase in a flashback scene later in the series when Bartlet is still a governor running for President. From the script:
GOVERNOR BARTLET
I understood the point. We’re going to South Carolina to set up Illinois. When I ask, “What’s next?” it means I’m ready to move on to other things, so…what’s next?
The depth of that phrase is brought home in the second season after Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman is critically wounded by gunfire during what appeared to be an assassination attempt on the President. (Viewers know the real reason for the attack)
A groggy Josh, waking up in recovery from double-digit hours in surgery, tries to say something to Bartlet. The President has to lean his ear down close to Josh’s mouth to hear the strained whisper…“What’s next?”
Cue the soaring music.
The book is full of behind the scenes stories, which I love as much as the episodes. It also has a list of Top 10 episodes, which I would mostly agree with. And lots of remembrances from various cast and crew members.
What I was hoping to find, which was nowhere in sight, was a definitive answer as to WHO Toby was protecting when he refused to say where or from whom he heard about the military space shuttle. Was it really his deceased brother? The series never made it clear and it has remained a question for years among fans. I haven’t read or seen anything yet that says for sure. Maybe actor Richard Schiff will tell us one day.
While reading the book you come away with one conclusion. These people, the cast and crew, really seemed to like each other. Even Rob Lowe, who left the series over a salary/screen time dispute, appears in the book to still hold great affection for the cast and crew.
If you’re a fan of “The West Wing” this book is a must-read. Highly recommended.
