reunion, and in the middle of C. J.'s speech, she receives a call from Toby Ziegler, telling her that there was an attack on a U.S. embassy. She leaves, and while she initially wants to return next week, Talmidge tells her that she could not reasonably fly to Ohio and back to Washington regularly, leaving the two to hug each other goodbye and walk to the car. Reception Reviews of the episode were mixed. Writing for The A.V. Club, Steve Heisler comments that the episode moves at a much slower pace than other episodes, or "at the pace of normal television", due to the episode consisting of a singular plotline instead of competing stories interwoven with each other. Heisler draws some comparisons between Talmidge Cregg and President Josiah Bartlet, commenting that both have father-figure roles to characters on the show in their own ways and that both "ask those around them to forgive a whole lot in exchange for brilliance and charm". Heisler praises the show's ability to stay true to itself without key characters such as Bartlet and Leo McGarry. By contrast, Wired magazine, in recommending that readers binge The West Wing, nonetheless regarded "The Long Goodbye" as an episode to skip. The magazine commented that it felt similar to episodes written after Sorkin left, and experienced a similar drop in quality. Writing for The Wesleyan Argus, Hannah Reale examined Talmidge Cregg and his case of Alzheimer's. Reale criticized the episode's portrayal of the disease, calling the portrayal "insubstantial" and commenting that Cregg switches between early- and late-stage symptoms of Alzheimer's within moments to advance the plot. However, she also stated that there can be moments where inappropriate or symptomatic comments are let slip as Cregg does in the episode. Reale approved of the way Cregg's relationship with his most recent ex-wife was portrayed, commenting that the disease does have an effect on loved ones and causes strain. Reale ultimately argues that bad portrayal of Alzheimer's as merely a plot device can diminish public perception of the effects the disease can have on those afflicted, as well as their friends and family. References External links The West Wing (season 4) episodes 2003 television episodes