HeadScratcher No. 40: Go 'West,' young man!

I know; I’m totally obsessed, but let me grieve.

So what do James Brolin, Glenn Close, Taye Diggs, Felicity Huffman, Christian Slater, and Evan Rachel Wood have in common? “[They] have all guest-starred at one time or another on The West Wing, a series that was great at one time or another,” snarked — guess who? — PopWatcher Patrick Bannister (this time it really was him).

Brolin played Governor Robert Ritchie (R-Florida), who ran against President Bartlet in his second term. Close (pictured, with Martin Sheen) played a Supreme Court nominee with a secret. Diggs was a Secret Service assigned to Zoe Bartlet’s detail just before she was kidnapped. Huffman was a manipulative G.O.P. operative who steamrolled Toby over the notorious pancake breakfast. Donna charmed Christian Slater’s Navy hunk into switching votes with her. And Evan Rachel Wood played C.J.’s niece in that creepy episode about the stalker and the prom-dress shopping.

“As if this doesn’t apply to every single person who ever lived,” said tough-guy Nick Alexander. It’s true; I’ll admit it, Nick. This one was lame and sappy and sentimental. But I did it for America, people! Just like Toby! (flags wave, music swells, cue credits — after the jump)

I pledge allegiance to the blog…

Nick Alexander
Mike Ankener
Patrick Bannister
John Book (don’t judge him by his cover!)
Joanne Boyle
Connie L. Chilton
Martha Clayton-Rodrigues
Matt Collette
David Crockett (Is that your real name? Or do you go by H.R.H. King of the Wild Frontier?)
Michael Darling (Michael, darling, fetch Daddy a Pimm’s Cup, won’t you?)
Michael Davidson
Will Dyson
Jill Ferrante
Dyan Glazer
Jennifer Hughes
Adam Kennedy
Kerin Lou
David Medsker (who assured me that he and his wife, Deb — see below — “came to this conclusion independently”)
Deb Medsker
Carlos Mejia
Rebecca Melrose
Scott Mertz
Ed Nemmers
Brenda Neuman-Sheldon
Tish Negron
John P. Rafferty
Harold Reynolds
Cliff Rives
Matt Saylor
Karen Szajdecki
Patrick A. Yearout