Red Mosquito

The Argonaut wrote:Bartlett needs to stop being convinced by Leo all the time. Assassinating the Qumari defense minister was a bad idea.
I'm a few episodes into season 4, and my prediction that this show would become less episodic over time has definitely come true. The typical season one one-issue episode is basically over. It was interesting to see the change happen.

Personally, I like that better, even though I thought season one was very good. I'm almost done with the series, I have three episodes left. In my opinion, the quality of the last 2 seasons is significantly below the first 5. Still pretty good though, one of the episodes I watched the other night was excellent. I'm really sad to be finishing this up, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series.

Personally, I thought the low point of the show was the first half of season 5.

After Sorkin left the show, it felt like the writers were struggling to find their own voice and instead tried to hard to mimic Sorkin's style. By the latter half of the season they seemed to find their groove and there's some stellar episodes, such as The Supremes and Talking Points.

The best decision they ever made was to split the show into what was essentially two shows for seasons 6 and 7 where we get to see Santos and Vinick et al on the campaign trail and then showing the goings on in the West Wing itself.

It's a testament to the quality of the campaign episodes that I found myself watching Bartlet and CJ and Toby back in the White House but wishing we were watching Josh and co out on the trail.

Along with The Sopranos, this is still my favourite show.

BootsToAsses wrote:Personally, I thought the low point of the show was the first half of season 5.

After Sorkin left the show, it felt like the writers were struggling to find their own voice and instead tried to hard to mimic Sorkin's style. By the latter half of the season they seemed to find their groove and there's some stellar episodes, such as The Supremes and Talking Points.

The best decision they ever made was to split the show into what was essentially two shows for seasons 6 and 7 where we get to see Santos and Vinick et al on the campaign trail and then showing the goings on in the West Wing itself.

It's a testament to the quality of the campaign episodes that I found myself watching Bartlet and CJ and Toby back in the White House but wishing we were watching Josh and co out on the trail.

Along with The Sopranos, this is still my favourite show.

I'm the exact opposite, during those campaign episodes I was yearning for Bartlet and co.

btw, Arnold Vinick would be the first republican I would even consider voting for if he were real.

numbers wrote:btw, Arnold Vinick would be the first republican I would even consider voting for if he were real.

I seem to remember an interview with either cast or writers and they said the plan was for Vinick to ultimately win the election at the end of the show but they nixed that idea once John Spencer died. They felt that Leo's death and Santos' defeat would be too much for the audience and leave the show on a bad note.

I think it would've been quite bold to go with a Vinick win.

About a third of the way through season five. Is it just me, or is Leo all of a sudden a little bit evil. He and CJ are butting heads a lot, and he seems to be a negative influence on Bartlett. The last episode I saw is the one in which the party starts to turn against Josh, and he almost sort of gets demoted by Leo. I'm not sure where this is going to go from here, but that seems to me a far cry from the time when Leo told Josh the story about the man in the hole. A man falls in a big hole and can't get out. He sees a doctor and asks for help and the doc throws down some pills. He sees a priests and asks for help and the priest says some prayers. He sees his friend and asks for help and hIs friend jumps down into the hole. The man is upset, "now we're both down in this hole," but the friend tells him "yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out." Leo tells Josh that "as long as I have a job, you have a job." That is a pretty far cry from what I just saw him do to Josh in this ep.

The Argonaut wrote:About a third of the way through season five. Is it just me, or is Leo all of a sudden a little bit evil. He and CJ are butting heads a lot, and he seems to be a negative influence on Bartlett. The last episode I saw is the one in which the party starts to turn against Josh, and he almost sort of gets demoted by Leo. I'm not sure where this is going to go from here, but that seems to me a far cry from the time when Leo told Josh the story about the man in the hole. A man falls in a big hole and can't get out. He sees a doctor and asks for help and the doc throws down some pills. He sees a priests and asks for help and the priest says some prayers. He sees his friend and asks for help and hIs friend jumps down into the hole. The man is upset, "now we're both down in this hole," but the friend tells him "yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out." Leo tells Josh that "as long as I have a job, you have a job." That is a pretty far cry from what I just saw him do to Josh in this ep.

When the new writers took control of the show from season 5 onwards, the character they ruined the most was Leo. It was immediately noticeable from the season 5 opener that Leo was different. One of Aaron Sorkin's main strengths was that he knew his characters inside out and he seemed to write as if he was each person somehow. This sense was definitely missing from season 5 onwards.

Don't get me wrong, there were still some great Leo moments but I agree that he comes off as slightly more cruel in the later years.

I was pretty pissed at Leo for the way he was treating Josh after that incident, but

Spoiler: show

Josh tucked it up his ass like 3 episodes later.

Season five is definitely not very good. I can see myself quittig on this show if I didn't know that a major format change was coming in the next two seasons. The worst episode yet (I think it was number 100) was the one in which the former president dies. Just did not work. I also don't like how they're treating the GOP Speaker who was actig president when Bartlett invoked the 25th like he is a full fledged president. VP Bush and VP Cheney acted as President for short periods of time at different points, and we sure as shot don't look back on Cheney as a former President. Just bc the guy did way more than he should have when he was actig as Pres doesn't mean the same thing. I'm still pissed that Bartlett did that, though. Run away when the pressure is on the hardest? But especially to give the reins to a man you know would do something you in your right mind wouldn't do, it's just not acceptable to me. I would absolutely lose respect for my President if that happened like that in real life.

So the live debate episode in season 7 was pretty terrible and boring. Who thought that would be a good idea?

The Argonaut wrote:So the live debate episode in season 7 was pretty terrible and boring. Who thought that would be a good idea?

I give them credit for trying it, but it wasnt very good.

I thought it was really well done, and well done to the guys for not forgetting any lines!

I thought for the most part they raised some interesting issues and did a fairly decent job of presenting both sides of the arguments.

The Argonaut wrote:So the live debate episode in season 7 was pretty terrible and boring. Who thought that would be a good idea?

it was only a good idea because it was live television - as an episode it was terrible

Only two episodes left. I'm really going to miss this show and all these characters...

I'm about to start this again. looking forward to it

I'm back in. Up to season three


Man this was a great great series

Same gift as the wire, you find somethin new each time

If you have an hour. Podcast of a panel interview done last week with the West Wing cast AND Aaron Sorkin and Lawrence O Donnell all about west wing. its wonderful.
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/the ... =370737343

Watching this for the first time. Pretty sure Charlie is going to fuck the President's daughter.

cutuphalfdead wrote:Watching this for the first time. Pretty sure Charlie is going to fuck the President's daughter.

Enjoy the ride

I watch this from start to finish at least twice a year. It's so damn rewatchable.

Wow. That is dedication. I did see it once when it was new. Good show.