So, Dad thinks bringing everyone back is a ploy to keep the show on the air.

Not a chance.

By the way (spoiler, highlight to read)

PAL, but it looks like I was right about Vinnick.

Good for Donna, laying down the law to Josh, and also telling him she couldn't work for him. And bonus points to Sam for smacking down Josh.

Good episode. I loved how Josh and Sam picked right up where they left off - Sam saying he was expecting Josh's call.

Man, I just wanted to smack Josh regarding Donna. It's a good thing he finally figured it out. Sam putting the smackdown on Josh was great too. And I loved the line about Santos saying he would have driven Josh to the airport himself as well.

OK, I was wrong about Sam. I was thinking back to when Bartlet told him that he would be in the White House some day. But I have a hard time seeing Vinick as VP. I know Kerry explored having McCain as his VP, but I think in today's world the parties would not let this happen. What would happen in 8 years if Santos was re-elected? Would he have to support Vinick in his election bid?

I know this is a fantasy universe, but I am still not seeing that.

Man, I wish they were keeping this show on. There is still much more they could do with it.

I also loved the Sam/Josh interaction at the law offices, recalling either In the Shadow of two gunmen or Manchester -- I can't remember which.

I can't decide if the writers were being clever or condescending when they had Sam raise the identical point.

Yes, LOVE the scene where Josh breaks into the big important law office meeting to bust Sam out, AGAIN!

With Josh losing it in regular increments throughout the show, it would have been strange for Sam NOT to have told him what's what.

I KNEW Donna was gonna sit down next to Josh on the plane, but I thought it was going to be a surprise. How great that he actually thought to call her and invite her along.

And hey, I don't know if it's the hair or the new-found confidence, but I think Donnatella is MUCH sexier now than that wide-eyed ditzy blonde from Wisconsin we met at the beginning of the series.

Did anyone see that scene with Santos and Bartlet coming? Apparently, they set up Santos's phone calls without telling anyone else what they were up to.
I don't think Vinnick will be VP; it's another misleading teaser. He's getting a cabinet job.

I think the Sam thing was a nod to those of us who've been on all these years--- "Here you go, guys. Squee away!"

I want Sam to take the job.

Ed Watson: I KNEW Donna was gonna sit down next to Josh on the plane, but I thought it was going to be a surprise. How great that he actually thought to call her and invite her along.

Ditto.

Well, Donna being on the plane was a foregone conclusion, wasn't it?

Yeah, CC, Ed and I both agreed on that. The surprise was that Josh asked her. I figured that Sam would have organized that.

BTW, I still go 'Ewwww' when I see Josh and Donna together -- I'm definitely not a 'shipper!

I'm not a shipper, but I think it's about d*mned time they got together. The sexual tension was getting strained.

I'd love to know whether the decision to get them together was made before or after the decision to cancel the show.

I can just see the meeting: "OK guys, if they're going to do it, it has to be now."

Ed: I'd love to know whether the decision to get them together was made before or after the decision to cancel the show.

Ed, I think I can say it was made before. Back in season 5, right at the beginning, I heard a local radio station interviewing Brad Whitford (Josh, not Aerosmith's drummer!), and he distinctly said, "Well, there's going to be some changes, and some action [or something to this effect] between me and Donna, because I won't be her boss anymore." Now, just to give you some perspective as to when this statement was made, Leo had just had his heart attack but CJ hadn't been named as his replacement. I'd decided that TPTB were going to bump Josh up to her job, and because of this I was assuming from Whitford's statement that he (Josh) was indeed going to get promoted to chief of staff and that Donna wouldn't follow him (I assumed she'd become the ass't of whomever got Josh's old job). I assumed that, after Josh became CoS, the sparks would fly.

Then, as things unfolded, I kept waiting. I thought, "Oh, he's leaving for the Santos campaign, so they'll get together." When that didn't happen, I pretty much forgot about it...until Lou hired her. Then it was back on "Josh/Donna Watch".

Now, it's quite possible that they decided to get them together, nixed the idea, and then re-decided. Who knows? But they were at least thinking about it back in season 5. (Well, they were thinking about before that, as that odd scene between Amy G. and Donna in the S4 season finale demonstrated. At least that's what I got out of that.)