Leo's funeral. How many stars of enormously successful shows died during the run, requiring their death be written into the storyline? John Spencer joins Michael Conrad of HILL STREET BLUES, Phil Hartman of NEWSRADIO, and CHEERS' Nicholas Colasanto. His death is handled as movingly and seamlessly as any of them. The list of recurring characters who appear at the funeral is so huge, it's easier to mention the handful who don't appear. No Seaborn, no Marbury, no Butterfield, no Tribby or Babish...and no Mandy (don't scoff, it would have been a beautiful touch). But that's about it. The actor turnout is also a beautiful tribute to the show itself, as the final season winds down. Back at the White House, a more intimate gathering is held. The spillover between fiction and reality lends great poignance. C.J. and Danny again flounder romantically, as Josh and Donna do the same (we're just one or two steps removed from a bedroom farce, really). Any time Busfield and Janney share a scene, the four-star meter goes off the scale.
Review of Requiem
