Written by Mark Goffman
Directed by Andrew Bernstein
“This is our last game. Let’s leave it all out on the field.”
365 Days is the weakest episode of the season, mostly due to a feeling that it’s the morning after, considering the euphoric run of episodes that came before. That said, there is a great deal to love about this episode.
I love the metaphors of renovation and renewal — the zen-like emptiness of Leo’s new office; the redecoration of CJ’s office. I love the feeling of everyone being lost & conflicted, and going through the motions…and how they all found their way to Leo. They vent, the question, they struggle to get through the mundane, and then they leave, uncertain of the answers to their questions.
And I love the white board. Unlike its doom-laden significance on Battlestar Galactica, here it represents a goal: a focus for energy and renewal — a finish line instead of a countdown.
Best of all, I love the finale with Bartlet and Leo. The President shakes off the last vestiges of his guilt and self-torment over his MS, and Leo is there to (once again) lead him down the path of his own conscience.
It’s a bit uninspired in its direction, it’s slightly clunky in its scripting, and the sit room situation regarding Bolivian hostages feels like the required action-scene padding found in other series. That said, 365 Days still feels like it’s part of the first season renaissance-feeling of this wonderful 6th season. It simply lacks the polish of its predecessors.
7
