How many West Wing fans are left out there? For the loyal few left, this post is for you. The West Wing returned with an all new episode this past Sunday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. Due to dismal ratings last season, the show has been shuffled to the back of the pack in their lineup. NBC execs are hoping it will stand up against ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fox’s The Simpsons, but after viewing last night’s season opener, we have our doubts.

In an interesting bit of story telling, we open a few years in the future at the opening of the Bartlet Presidential Library. Will Baily is now Congressman Bailey and C.J Cregg and Danny Concanon have a baby! Aww. After the credits, it’s back to the present time, which is a few days after the Democratic convention. In the interest of keeping this concise, a large bulk of the episode is tedious back and forth dialogue about policy issues. The campaign runs full steam ahead, with Josh scrambling for a deputy. Poor Donna swallows her pride and goes to Josh to ask him for a job, but he shoots her down, tells her he misses her every day and then makes her cry. Way to be a jerk, Josh.

Also, the hunky Congressman and Leo aren’t really getting along. They both have differing opinions on how the campaign should be run, and Leo does not like not being in charge. In the White House, C.J spends the day with Oliver Babish, the White House Council, who thinks C.J. is the leak from last season. Whatever. The tension that Aaron Sorkin brought to these kinds of story lines is long gone. Also, whoever did the lighting for this episode should be fired, because everyone looks god awful old. Seriously, you can count the wrinkles in Allison Janey’s face.

By the episode’s end, the Congressman and Leo sit down and hash out a plan for the first 18 months of his Presidency. Babish refuses to tell President Bartlet who the leak is, since he has no proof, and Josh is still without a Deputy to call his own. One reason to tune in next week? Kenny and Joey Lucas are back.

Image from NBC.com