Reddit's formerly glorious home for the television the west wing. What it is now remains to be seen.
Just finished the show. I'm so glad I stumbled across it last fall, and I'm thinking about what stands out to me after finishing it. Some thoughts:
I'm genuinely amazed at how Sorkin created this ensemble of, for the most part, really consistent characters, all distinct from one another, in personality, strengths, and weaknesses. And the cast just killed it. Comedy, every-day-life stuff, tragedy: they all do it all. It really felt, a lot of the time, like watching a little play each episode. I would have loved, loved, loved to see an episode acted out live with this cast, with a minimal set and good lighting. That would have been electric. I've heard Sorkin called a modern Shakespeare, and I really felt like something like that was going on with this show: the scripts are so rich, and the cast members deliver their lines with wonderful deftness.
Martin Sheen, what a delight. I really missed President Bartlett's rambly, eloquent musings later on in the show: they were such a joy to watch. Allison Janney was just marvelous. Every press conference CJ held had me spellbound. Dule Hill, though younger than a lot of the cast, carried his weight and then some. Really, really skilled actor. John Spencer was irresistible as Leo McGarry; Bradley Whitford was born to play Josh Lyman; the stars really aligned when they brought him and Sorkin together to create this character. And Richard Schiff as Toby: just lovely.
The show's premise -- that the people who govern us could, and would, strive to do so well, with moderate success -- made it very uplifting to watch, particularly in the Sorkin years. It reminded me a bit of one of the few other shows I managed to watch all seven seasons of, Star Trek TNG. It felt, at times, just as fantastical, and, of course for that very reason, it was inspiring. The earlier seasons especially made me reflect on my own life and wonder how I could do better by others and make the world a better place. (After Sorkin left, I felt like a bit of the camaraderie and idealism that had characterized the show went: it became more political, with a lot of fighting even between some of the main characters.)
I did miss Sorkin decidedly in Season 5. Season 6 was great, if the fun wasn't on the same level that it was on the Sorkin years. And I enjoyed Season 7 for the most part. A couple storylines were disappointing, however:
There just wasn't enough of Toby or Charlie, or even really Bartlett and Abbey and Debbie, for me at the end of the show. I would've appreciated a little less campaigning in season 7 and a little more of those folks. It really felt that they all got pushed to the side to the side to make room for Josh's story without taking the time to really properly finish off theirs. And though the Josh and Donna story took up a lot of space this season, I didn't feel that it had as charming or romantic an ending as all the build-up had been.
These let-downs only stand out because they happened at the end of the show, though. There were others throughout the show, but I've just forgotten about them because they aren't fresh in my mind. Overall, the show was a treat. And now I suppose I'll have to start looking through shows my streaming services, asking myself, "What's next?" (I've heard The Bear is good.)
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![r/thewestwing - "Three more hours he would've been able to say that [his son won the Illinois primary]. He would've been proud." "He was already. Trust me Josh - I'm a father. He was already."](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/ykjfySFzFrUpxo8Ge7JaFkKcuBVzYSrCasYXBDjAGmk.jpg)
“I would have loved, loved, loved to see an episode acted out live with this cast, with a minimal set and good lighting.”
Guys should I tell them or…?
Yeah. Someone ought to.
That’s checkmate.
Look at the whole board.
I do know about this :). Not the same as seeing it in person, though.
Yeah, about that. 😅
Google “West Wing HBO Max When We All Vote.”
Have fun. ;)
I find myself still in awe having finished the show a few months ago. This show has helped me to become more into politics, patriotic, and insightful.
I find myself watching youtube clips of show highlights to pass time.
But for The Bear, it is a fantastic show. If you grew up with a dysfunctional family, it rings home. It is intense and it is fast paced. It starts iff a little slow but then it is 0-60 and fantastic.
Also Sorkin:
Studio 60 and the Sunset Strip
The Newsroom
What I feel like is also generally at the caliber as TWW:
The Diplomat
Veronica Mars
Ted Lasso
Manhunt (AppleTV+)
There are others, but I can’t think of them right now
Oh yes, Ted Lasso was one I wanted to watch! Looks good
I've never heard anyone else think this, but YES! I distinctly remember the first time I watched "The Stackhouse Filibuster" and all the characters had voice-overs for their emails; it felt like a Sorkin tribute to Trek in a way.
TNG and TWW both have my heart... Glad you felt the same way!
The letter writing/voice-over gimmick came directly from MASH. They regularly had 'Dear Dad' episodes where Hawkeye (played of course by Alan Alda) would write home to his father.
Ahhh yes, a Captain's Log or First Officer's Log 😁. I think I thought the same thing, too 😄.
Yeah, they feel quite similar to me! You have your ensemble cast led by the captain, or president. Both shows deal a lot with ethical and political questions. There's the also the episodes where the threat of war looms and everyone has to scramble to negotiate their way out of that. And there's that idealistic, hopeful tone to it all, plus that feeling of camaraderie amongst the characters. I like them both a lot. They feel very wholesome compared to grittier, cynical dramas, which seem to be more of the norm.