May 14, 2006
West Wing Series Finale Tonight
NBC's political drama The West Wing comes to a close tonight at 8pm. While we haven't taken the time to plan elaborate viewing parties, a couple of us at DCist are feeling slightly nostalgic about the series. Since NBC wouldn't fork over the dollars for an hour long retrospective of the shows highlights, we decided to chime in with our own picks. Keep reading for our picks of the best episodes of the series and let us know your own top five in the comments section. If you need us, we'll be holed up with our season 1 and season 2 DVDs for just a little while longer.
The Crackpots and These Women (Season 1)
Josh is offered a secret NSA card that tells him where to go in the case of a nuclear attack. After learning that none of the other senior staffers get one, he can't take the guilt and hands the card back to Leo, saying that when the end does come, he'd like to be a comfort to his friends. Zoe and Charlie meet for the first time and it's the first "Big Block of Cheese" day. The episode is a great example of what Sorkin did best, take smaller debates over public policy and make them meaningful and real to everyone else, not just us Washington wonks.
In Excelsis Deo (Season 1)
Probably one of the best hours of television ever. Toby's old winter coat ends up with a homeless vet who dies tragically, Mrs. Landingham misses her two twin sons who died in Vietnam, CJ helps a Holocaust survivor, the President goes shopping, and Josh gives Donna a very sweet Christmas present. The ending, underscored to the carol "Little Drummer Boy" gets me every time.
Celestial NavigationGalileo(Season 1)
Sam and Toby drive around Connecticut looking for Judge Mendoza, while CJ and President Bartlet get kids excited about science. Bartlet wants every kid in America to reach for the stars and CJ reminds the rest of the country that more likely then not, you'll probably fail and crash and burn and face huge embarrassments, but it's still ok. That's a good lesson to learn.
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Parts 1&2, Season 1&2)
The season 1 closer and season 2 premiere may be Sorkin's best work on this show. The shows moves deftly between the past and the present while providing some much appreciated back story on the characters lives before the joined the White House and what the campaign was like. The scene between Jed and Josh after Josh's dad dies is perfectly acted by both Bradly Whitford and Martin Sheen.
Shibboleth (Season 2)
Sam and Toby almost write a sitcom about Pilgrims who solve crimes. It's hilarious.
Two Cathedrals (Season 2)
The death of presidential secretary Mrs. Landingham was one of the show's most brutal blows. "Feckless thug" became one of my college buddies' catch-phrase insults for the next couple months after this
episode, after Martin Sheen enters a church and goes off on a scathing rant against God himself for taking her life. And remembering the show's closing moment, when only Mrs. Landingham would have understood whether the President would run again, still give me chills.
In God We Trust (Season 6)
As a Sorkin disciple, I happen to believe that even the most average of episodes from seasons 1-4 can stand up to the best of what the rest had to offer, but in an effort at diversity, I offer my favorite from
the Santos/Vinick chronicles. In this episode, Vinick wrestles with one of my favorite issues, the separation of church and state, and deals with the important debate of how much we have a right to know about our leaders. If I needed any further convincing that an Alda White House would be more interesting to watch than a Smitts one, this episode convinced me. The best scene by far? Vinick and Bartlet hanging out in the White House kitchen, stealing ice cream.
Shibboleth (Season 2)
"West Wing" holiday episodes are some of my favorites - there's always a dose of the zany, combined with a splash of the weighty, and you probably end up choked up at one point or another. This episode earns laughter points when C.J. debates which of two turkeys deserves a presidential pardon, but a closing scene involving Charlie, the President and a carving knife is the one that tore at my heartstrings.
Game On (Season 4)
The battle between Gov. Ritchie and Bartlet for re-election always got me steamed, probably because the chance that the American public would vote for Ritchie because he seemed more "plainspoken" and relatable sounded all too familiar. Here, as Bartlet steps on stage, game face on, and eviscerates his rival with just one question when the two debate each other, we see that at least in Sorkin-land, the erudite
always win.
Somebody's Going To Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail (Season 2)
A lot is going on in this episode: Toby's stuck dealing with WTO protesters, Donna's trying to get a pardon for a friend's grandmother, and Bartlet can't get the site he wants for a Presidential library. But it is "Big Block of Cheese" Day, the White House day where those normally restricted from an audience with top White House officials, that sticks out in my mind. C.J.'s headaches with the "Cartographers
For Justice" gang still has me laughing.
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In Celestial Navigation, CJ had a root canal and Josh tells the story in flashback. It's Galileo where CJ and Bartlett teach kids about science. I'm going to miss this show.
ah,good memory. thanks!
Season 6- When Bartlet picks up the Taiwanese flag, and tells Abby about the MS coming back whle James Taylor is singing Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come' in the background.
"I can't do the job Abbey, do you understand? I can't do it. I cannot do the job. Look at me! Look at me!"
One of the most powerful moments in televison.
"...but I do believe $5 is too high a price to pay for pornography."
One of the funniest moments in television.
"If you're wondering, 'Crime, boy I don't know' is when I decided to kick your ass"
Just great.
Watching the pilot episode sure brought back some good memories. Gotta love the president making his grand entrance by quoting the First Commandment. But, how the heck does a room full of ministers not know that one by heart?
Sorkin was sorely missed these last years. I am sorry that the last show started with a factual error. (OK, I think it was a factual error. The original inauguration ceremonies occurred in March, not January. Jefferson, Franklin, and others did not come up with the bright idea of holding the outdoor ceremony in January.
Sorkin was sorely missed these last years. I am sorry that the last show started with a factual error. (OK, I think it was a factual error. The original inauguration ceremonies occurred in March, not January. Jefferson, Franklin, and others did not come up with the bright idea of holding the outdoor ceremony in January.
I can't think of the episode name off the top of my head, but the season one show where Bartlett debates whether to stop the execution was amazingly powerful. The scene with the priest in the Oval Office is one of the series' best.
..the inauguration "factoid" WAS an error, and was yet another clear example of how much better the Sorkin days were...I have literally gotten answers right on political science exams just from watching WW.
I cringed at the inauguation bit too. (I was thinking how great it would've been - though I know he's working on a new show now - if they'd been able to get Sorkin to write the very last episode, just to remind the writer and viewers how it's done. I tried watching the first half-dozen episodes of Season Five, but it was just lousy and I gave the show up.) I personally felt the two most powerful episodes of the entire run that I can recall both happened in Season 2:
Two Cathedrals, obviously, but Noel also gave me chills.
And another thing!
I just came in again for the last few episodes of the series, but what was with everybody hooking up? Part of the fun of the show was the fact that there was tension, but it was never fulfilled! Argh. Same thing happened when Mulder and Scully started getting together more. It always seems to be the clearest sign that a show is running into the ground when the sexual tension stops being tension. And besides, my favorite romantic relationship was always Josh and Amy. Oh man, that Mary-Louise Parker...
Re: the execution episode "Take This Sabbath Day" definitely makes my top 10 list. Not only is Martin Sheen amazing in the last scene, but it's the introduction to the fabulous Joey Lucas.
Another top-notch episode's the 2nd season "Noel" - John Spencer's delivery of the "guy in a hole" speech gets me *every* time.
I can't believe no one's commented on the throw-away shot of Sorkin during the inauguration.
Nice of Wells & Schlamme to throw in a shout-out to the fans who have been there from day one...no one else would probably even recognize ol' Aaron.
Watching the pilot back to back with the finale REALLY underscored the difference in quality between the two regimes.
How long until the not-SNL show premieres? Too long.
Well Rick, if it makes you feel any better, they never resolved the whole Zoe/Charlie thing, so there's still some tension there.
The Josh/Donna hookup was consummated in the last month of the series, starting on election day. Somewhat refreshingly, it wasn't harped upon by the writers, and up until the 2nd to last episode, viewers still weren't sure if Josh would get off his ass and commit to her.
Oh, and the MLP character turned into a bitch these last few episodes. I used to really like her, now I'm just "eh." It would have been interesting, had the series continued, to see the tension between her (now Santos' legislative director) and Josh, especially with Donna just across the way in the OEOB.
And a note on the Sorkin absence... I, too, missed him. I think the most striking example of his void was in completly omitting Santos' inaugural speech. This series' greatest power was in its words - heck, they even made a whole episode around a presidential debate - but they couldn't get their act together to write an inaugural speech? Come on.
Last thing, favorite moments:
Leo calling the Times about the crossword puzzle
Josh's obsession with the Lemon-Lyman website
When the conservative talk show host doesn't stand upon Bartlett's entrance to the room, and he lets her have it afterwards
And I know there are a million CJ moments in there, too, but there's just too many to single out one.
The Crossword puzzle and the Lemon-Lyman are definitely up there - good call, Devon.
The not-SNL show looks interesting. I wonder how much of a push that one will get over the other not-SNL show NBC has on it's schedule (written by Tina Fey and produced by Lorne Michaels, and staring Alec Baldwin, Rachel Dratch and Tracy Morgan).
That inaurguration error kills me the more I think about it. FDR was the first president to be sworn in on January 20, at the start of his second term.
"Galileo" is definitely one of my most favorite episodes, because Sam said it right...
"Eleven months ago, a 1200-pound spacecraft blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Eighteen hours ago, it landed on the planet Mars. You, me, and sixty thousand of your fellow students across the country, along with astroscientists and engineers from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Southern California, NASA Houston, and right here at the White House, are going to be the first to see what it sees, and to chart the extraordinary voyage of an unmanned ship called Galileo V."
and...
"'Cause it's next. 'Cause we came out of the cave and we looked over the hill and we saw fire. And we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the West and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next."
how can anyone not mention the episode from season three, "Posse Comitatus," where Simon Donovan, CJs secret service guy was killed. CJ walking the streets of new york city crying while Hallajulah was playing blows me away.
someone did mention the line about "crime, boy i don't know, is when i decided to kick your ass," which was killer.
"I just came in again for the last few episodes of the series, but what was with everybody hooking up?"
That's John Wells' idea of what "dramatic plot" is: solely defined by who's making it with who. Cf. ER.
I found that when Sorkin left, the main point of the show was lost, that being that public service was a noble calling and a fulfilling way to earn a living. If I recall correctly, didn't the assassination attempt that left Josh Lyman close to death touched off a series of memories that reinforced why the characters got involved with the Bartlet campaign in the first place?
As time went on, post-Sorkin, the sense of underlying joy--even amid difficult circumstances--diminished and the characters became mired in oppressive gloom and were constantly on the verge of a major pathos attack. It went from a show that inspired people to serve the public to a show that made you feel like the effort was ultimately pointless. They needed Ainsley Hayes to come back and teach them all to have some self-respect again!
And, to pinpoint the exact "jump the shark" moment, it was when Josh Lyman clambered out of his cab to yell at the Capitol Building, "You want a piece of me?!" "Sheesh," I thought, "Behave yourself."
Jason's right about the Jump the Shark moment. It was either that or the asteroid episode.
My favourite has to be "Noel." Josh is my fav character, and the back story about his PTSB, coupled with Yo Yo Ma playing Bach's Suite in G Major for cello ... brilliant.
Best Lyman quote: "Victory is mine! Victory is mine. Great day in the morning, People, Victory is mine.... I drink from the keg of glory, Donna. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land."
Did everyone here really forget the "20 Hours in America" two-parter? Josh, Toby, and Donna stranded in Indiana was great!
Other favorites include "Noel" (loved the score), "Celestial Navigation", and "Two Cathedrals" (great score, again).
I forget the name of the episode the President and Sam play chess, but that is also a favorite.
What we can thank West Wing for is the ideals it wanted to convey to the public about how our leaders should act and the respect they gave their roles. The wonderful dialog and policy arguments also elevated television to a degree rarely seen.
.j. you are totally right. I actually thought of it, too, but was afraid of people calling me a sappy wuss. But I admit, I cried right along with CJ as they played Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" - and I still think of that episode everytime I hear that song.
And yes, Brian!!!! Oh, I can't believe I forgot that one. I lived in Indiana (SW, a part that actually does Daylight Savings, but is on Central) last year and this was the first episode that Bravo aired after I arrived. Uncanny. I can assure you, I had many "20 Hours..." moments in the time spent there. In fact, when one of my students told me that he thought our fair city (Evansville) and Indianapolis were the only places in the US that observed DST and that his town and the rest of the country were "normal" in not switching over, I not only informed him that he was wrong, but I recommmended a little WW viewing as remedy, too.
Wow, this is one hard withdrawal.
I may have just been too wrapped up in the show, but I completely missed the scenes that they were filming in Cleveland park earlier this year... when did they air?
"What we can thank West Wing for is the ideals it wanted to convey to the public about how our leaders should act and the respect they gave their roles."
Absolutely. I remember watching "H-CON 172" and listening to Bartlet admit he was wrong...and thought, "wow, this would never ever happen in real life."
I think most folks have touched on my favorites from past seasons ("Take This Sabbath Day" and "Two Cathedrals"). I also was partial to "Barlet for America"--in particular, Leo's conversation with his lawyer during the recess from his testimony before the House Govt. Oversight Committee. Brilliant acting.
As others have noted, the dialogue and the one liners were CLASSIC--particularly some of the gems CJ would toss out from behind the podium at press briefings ("In Excelsis Deo" and "The California 47th"). Hilarious.
My favorite moment - (though there were so many good ones) -
http://secure.mediaresearch.org/rm2/wing1019/segment1.ram
I loved that the characters said it was very cold outside but it looked like 60 degree weather. THere was no visable breath or any evidence of discomfront from Santos and the rest of the actors. Why even state that it is cold if it doesn't look believable? Not a huge part of the script.
I love "20 Hours in America" - the scene where Josh and Toby have a breakdown because they just realized there are time zone issues is hilarious.
While the post-Sorkin years don't quite measure up, I really love "The Supremes" - Glen Close was excellent.
The scene where Josh and Donna walk by the impromptu vigil to Zoe Bartlet outside the White House near the beginning of Season 5 is really touching as well.
"Are you telling me, that not only did you invent a secret plan to fight inflation, but you don't even support it?" - brings a big grin to my face.
my favorite poignant scene will always be leo's talk to josh telling the story of the man in the hole and the friend who jumps into with him. i taped that episode and transcribed it and have referred to it several times.
the josh lyman fan club was probably my favorite funniest moment.
i actually stopped watching shortly after sorkin stopped writing. the zip and zest and clever dialogue was just not there anymore. but the early seasons will always let this show remain as one of my all-time favorite shows.
I didn't include the one with the secret service guy b/c while I loved the Hallelujah moment, there were other parts of the episode that bothered me.
So what did you guys think of the finale? I thought it was horrible - such a clear example of lazy writing. Why bother to tell us what the President's words to Santos were? We'll just show a cheesy emotion shot and let that count instead. SO ANNOYING.
I also didn't include this b/c it seemed too obscure, but does anyone else remember the moment where Charlie (?) and Toby are playing pool and Charlie gives Toby crap for not working on his speech, Toby recites a few brilliant passages and is like "Paper's for wimps." Classic Sorkin.
Here is a clip of Stephen Colbert's thoughts on the final "West Wing."
http://powerpengiun.blogspot.com/2006/05/stephen-colberts-final-words-for-west.html
Several people have mentioned Noel, score, yada yada... but it's the interplay between music, speech and memory that is so powerful. I don't know how many times I've seen the end of that episode, I still find myself on the edge of tears.
Sorkin's writing had that quality though. So many times you are drawn into the story and it just won't let go.
Isaac and Ishmael was probably one of the best single-issue episodes.
As for the finale... touching, but I think they writers wanted to make it aboundantly clear that this was it. The Santos administration will NOT be films (which is a shame, it was shaping up to be interesting). Words not said, speaches not hear... yeah, they didn't want to give us viewers any hooks.
Danny at LAX with a vat of sunscreen indeed.