How great was the first season of West Wing?

I don't know if I'd say best television writing ever, just because I think Sports Night succeeded as a sitcom -- well, half hour show -- more than this succeeds as an hour-long drama. There are a few too many pat feel-good/feel-big moments. But so far, it's running damn close.

They way the temperature drops when Toby says "she means Jewish" is one of the best few seconds of television I've ever seen.

Christmas episode sort of eats dicks, though.

Judging from the first 4 episodes this season, it's a pretty resounding dud. The strength of TWW always always was its writing, smart (humor and content) and understandable yet U&K not talking down to the audience. Tonight's episode violated each of these qualities, on top of which gave CJ out of character dialogue. (e.g. her lecture to POTUS on what this country was founded on -- freedom!)

Just because the bait's being dangled before me does't put me under any obligation to swallow it. Call me contrary, call me sulky, even call me an elitist smart-alec, but I ain't playin'.

Back on message: the first couple of seasons were superb and the decline since has been nowhere as marked IMO as some insist.

The 09/11 ep was, I agree, a shocker, written, shot and screened in a fortninght that seemed more like five minutes. It reminded me vaguely of (beware: Australian reference coming) The John Sullivan Story.

"24 Hours in America" pts 1 &2 are the show's peak. I want to live in a world where the rel President could deliver that "the streets of heaven are too filled with angels tonight" speech as well as Martin Sheen.

i have the first half of season two to watch next - as good? betterer? do they get rid of mandy soon? because she is seriously dead weight.

At its best - the ep when Tobey's business card was in the dead vet's coat pocket, or "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" it's great to see a vision of politics and government that isn't horribly depressing.
-- miloauckerman (suspectdevic...) (webmail), August 12th, 2004 2:26 PM. (miloauckerman) (link)

is lefty porn the worst kind of porn?

I was just watching some Season 2 episodes, and so much of it is really odd to see again, in terms of future developments -- like always using Iraqi no-fly violations as a situation-room instigator. Best one, though: when retiring General Barry is going on morning shows to criticize policy and C.J. Swift-Boats him!

haha yes -- sit-room incidents in the first two series are kind of "cat stuck up a tree" stuff in retrospect. s02 is the ainsley series. she is funnier than the southern right-wing woman in 'studio 60'. sorkin needed his crack, evidently.

the endings of some episodes of this show are annoying as hell

like theyll spend a whole episode battling for something and then the president will say some wise words and basically undermine everything they just battled for

I would like to see this show but there aren't any reruns anywhere

or hell say some wise words and it will turn out there is a secret loophole in the constitution or something

I want to live in a world where the rel President could deliver that "the streets of heaven are too filled with angels tonight" speech as well as Martin Sheen.

am rewatching the series atm as my other half hadn't ever really watched it when it was on. it definitely has endless replay value - there are rough edges, and its hard not to think that sorkin was probably murmuring to himself "let sorkin be sorkin" over and over again while writing some eps, but it makes for great drama (though i understand scott's reservations, even if i don't share them).

was watching the ep with the galileo 5 mission and the address to the schoolkids last night; when the sattelite goes offline, bartlet tells CJ not to cancel the broadcast because they have all these kids who'll be watching, and that there's some uplifting message they can share with these kids that might inspire them. when i first watched that episode a few years back it seemed like an innocuous, apolitical, altruistic impulse, but was thinking last night how it would be skewed were obama to express a similar thought today, wrt how the rw media twisted a call to public service as an aim to build an army, etc...

the west wing isn't very left-wing, and actually it's quite depressing if you pay attention. the music fools people, but actually it's a catalogue of disappointments.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 13:18 (5 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

this is so hugely otm. i wish there was an option to watch w/o the music, like with the M*A*S*H DVDs and the laugh track.

pretty much every episode has made my other half weep at some point. And i forgot how powerful the first two eps of series 2 are, especially the moment when it becomes clear that josh has been shot.

also, so glad that mandy disappeared with s2. least likeable character ever.

What's happening? Tweet says a PSA, but for what? Voting I guess?

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lstqDEuc1qbhcy2o1_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lstqDEuc1qbhcy2o2_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lstqDEuc1qbhcy2o3_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8lstqDEuc1qbhcy2o6_r1_1280.jpg

Also, Allison Janney is looking pretty fly. How you doin?

p distressing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v52FLMOPSig

I dunno, that was kind of cool. Also, woah at Mary being able to get that much of the cast back together just on account of her sister's campaign.

I loved that. Made me want to break out the box set yet again!

the endings of some episodes of this show are annoying as hell

― max, Wednesday, May 7, 2008 11:19 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i swear the argument between the president and leo in ep. 19 of the first season is like the first time it seems like something is at stake between the characters. (maaaaybe an argument between the president and his wife a few before that.) but it only takes leo about 20 seconds to write down 'let bartlet be bartlet' and then they're off to jazzing up the troops. it's like sorkin can barely stand to let anyone have a conversation about anything because the only way he knows how to end one is to have one party walk away embarrassed, both parties to walk away with work to do ('ok'), or both to walk away full of civic spirit (usually, to do more work, unless they're leaving work at midnight).

god sorkin how can you be so gross and embarrassing?

First two-thirds of the game: Well I guess SF is just playin a little better right now, nothing too exciting, though

Last third: HAM HAM HAM HAM HAM

Oops wrong thread

"Last third: HAM HAM HAM HAM HAM" is an accurate description of The West Wing though

hamland security

Agreed

started watching this for the first time. i like it, but i was very annoyed by the whole response to a terror attack/pedantic conversations about the topic of "proportionality." it was like bartlett had never considered the proper role of the US military before taking office as president.

umm well our so called 'commander in chief' jed b didn't serve his country for 1x damn day iirc so it wouldn't be out of character

i just finished rewatching the whole series

s5 def the low point

nerdy sidebar: josh malina has a West Wing Weekly podcast cohosting with song exploder's hrishi hirway. it's a+ and they have had dule hill, richard schiff & janelle moloney as guests already

Oh, I might have to listen to that.

it's great. the schiff episode is <3

Show would be nothing without Donna

i picked this show up for the first time about a month ago. mostly due to the Champagne Sharks podcast that kept mentioning it. it really does seem like the ultimate liberal fever dream. everyone owning everyone else with facts and figures and logic. principled centrism always winning out. a genius president who quotes Latin and personally feels pain at every single military loss.

im currently in season 6. the first couple of seasons were the best but everything after 9/11 has been a slog (post season 3 but you can tell when those shows were written cos Leo becomes a frothing at the mouth liberal version of Dick Cheney). for a while Toby was my favorite character (the homeless vet ep) but he's kind of just a prick warhawk.

really having a hard time seeing Donna in the hospital right now. first couple of seasons have a lot of poorly written female roles. the republican tv host they hire is basically a punch line for a few eps and then disappears entirely. for some reason there are a few episodes where she and CJ both lose their pants and Donna's loses her underwear.

Rob Lowe got out at the right time.

Season 5 was probably the worst; but yeah from s5 onwards they never fully resolve all the stupid shit they do to Toby's character which still makes me CRAZY angry. I think 6 and 7 have some good aspects, I really love Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda. The Donna stuff is clumsy for a while but I think it improves slightly

Highly recommend checking out the West Wing Weekly podcast with Hrishikesh Hirway and Josh Malina - weekly recap with frequent appearances by season-regular cast members, writers, directors etc. And lots of interesting related government-affiliated guests too.
They're midway through s4 at the moment, it's fun to hear Josh Malina talking about his performances week to week and memories of shooting etc

yeah im planning on seeing it through. i really liked the Will Bailey character at first but he's just kinda there now (as an antagonistic foil to Toby!). at least Stockard Channing as the first lady is getting more and more fun and dgaf.

woah Josh was on Sports Night too? i need to rewatch that

Sports Night is the best

I think 6 and 7 have some good aspects, I really love Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda.

seconded

i finished it. kind of funny how those last two seasons came out, the old cast were like guest stars on their own show! not that im complaining, Jimmy Smits, Alan Alda, Janeane Garofalo, and Patricia Richardson were all a lot of fun to watch. Annabeth Schott was maybe my new favorite cast member. Lily Tomlin was great fun too but i wish we saw more of her.

it was nice to see where CJ and Donna ended up though im not 100% sold on Josh and feel like there are a lot of unworked issues between the two of them but then again maybe it's just as well to wrap it up w a happy ending, clearly they were on the way out.

as for Barlett, i couldn't get his hesitation to pardon Toby. like dude you had somebody illegal murdered, you been lying to the public and holding onto a job your a not physically fit for, who the fuck are you to be drawing the line on your friends at this point in your life? of course he has to come around at the end and it's this great moment of what a great guy this man is to not let his friend sit in prison because he wanted to save some American lives.

def gonna rewatch Sports Night

i’m so fucked off abt what they did to Toby!
the whole treason storyline felt like such a dumb reach, and it just casts Toby in this murky faux-villainous role from then on & it’s so corny & bad.

my personal theory is that the storyline developed as a result of behind the scenes acrimony after Sorkin left since Schiff is not one to keep his feelings mum; ie they wrote him into a corner as a fuck you
that’s my fanfic lol

A friend of mine wrote about going to a West Wing convention:
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/11/08/political-fictions-unraveling-america-at-a-west-wing-fan-convention/