Question: One of my favorite new shows is Commander in Chief, but one reason I wanted to watch it was because of Jason Wiles. I always loved Jason on Third Watch as Bosco, and was anxious to see if he could play another character besides the hardened cop with a soft heart. So what's up? Since they fired his character, is he gone for good? Say it isn't so!
Answer: Sorry, it's so. Like the characters played by Leslie Hope and Julie Ann Emery, Wiles' character made a mistake fatal to his career during the president's turbulent transition. Which made it even more interesting in last week's episode when Mac's special assistant Vince, who had kept secret his HIV status, turned in his resignation. You might actually have thought she would stick to her guns and let him go, since she had set the precedent with all of these other characters who had made critical blunders ...
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Question: I was just wondering if Leslie Hope or Julie Ann Emery will be back on Commander in Chief and what the reasoning behind their departures was. I think both of these actresses are underrated, and I know series creator Rod Lurie was a fan of theirs. Now I fear that Steven Bochco has already influenced the show in a negative light by casting off talented actors like Hope and Emery and bringing in actors like Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Answer: Nothing wrong with our NYPD Blue pal Gosselaar, but the show is going through a fascinating (and unprecedented for a brand-new hit) transformation right now. From a purely story point of view, Hope's and Emery's departure made sense. Hope's character defied the president and was sacked, and Emery's agent made a mistake in handling the president's daughter and was reassigned. If Rod Lurie were still running the show, there's no reason to think he wouldn't have found a way to bring them back in a different capacity. He's famously loyal to actors.
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