I've often wondered about that aspect of "The First", if you consider the lack of really first rate episodes after "The First" aired. With the notable exeption of "Interview". And wasn't that around the time the nework began giving Ken Johnson a lot of grief about how expensive the show was? I can't help but wonder if "The First" might have been written with closure in mind, but once they were assured of a 5th season, went ahead and aired it near the end of the fourth.