# I just binged The West Wing (all 7 seasons). **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586 "2015-10-13T23:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/21 "2015-10-16T21:21:08Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Yeah, that was bad writing by people obviously unfamiliar with firearms. 2 guys blasting away with pistols from what, 100 yards?, only hitting 3 people in the crowd, and those 3 people were all in the Presidential party? I think Aaron Sorkin wanted to make a point about handguns, so he armed his assassins with handguns…despite the complete implausibility of it. Perhaps my favorite TV drama of all time, until Sorkin left; I stopped watching soon after that. (Perhaps my favorite single scene, is “Sam’s getting beat up by a girl/I’ll get the popcorn”.) ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/22 "2015-10-16T21:29:38Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I think Aaron Sorkin wanted to make a point about handguns, so he armed his assassins with handguns…despite the complete implausibility of it. To be fair, they did discuss in the episode how these were the wrong guns for such an attack. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/23 "2015-10-16T21:42:38Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I was hoping the series would have continued with a Republican President. I was hoping Arnie Vinnick would have won the election. The story is that the original plan was to have Arnie win the election, but after the death of John Spencer/Leo McGarry, they thought it would be too depressing. I loved the West Wing. I had already been a big fan of Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing, so they were always my favorites. I also loved the CJ/Danny story. I hated Tony, and during the original run, I frequently FF’d through his scenes. When I later binge watched, I went straight through, and saw a lot of his scenes for the first time. I still didn’t like him, but he wasn’t as bad as I had felt at the time. One of the best things about the show was the [recaps](http://www.brilliantbutcancelled.com/show/the-west-wing/) at Television without Pity, which are still available online. It’s almost worth binge watching the show again to reread the recaps. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/24 "2015-10-16T22:04:18Z")
I liked Martin Sheen, but I LOVED John Spencer (who played Leo McGary). He \*so \*was the cool grampaw nobody ever had. And I realize I also loved Maester Luwin on GoT for the same reason. I realize now I might have grandaddy issues :o ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/25 "2015-10-16T22:43:25Z")
The West Wing was my favorite show as long as it kept being the best thing on television. As soon as it dipped from that, all the little faults got exposed. The melodrama took over. I never watched the last season. I may have stopped during season six. A lot of its greatness lay in there never being another earlier show like it. Now all the big shows are. I wonder if it would hold up to rewatching. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/26 "2015-10-16T22:49:10Z")
This might be an appropriate place to mention this. The first role where Martin Sheen really entered my consciousness was when he played RFK in “The Missiles of October” in 1974. He played him again in “Bobby”. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/27 "2015-10-16T23:20:29Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > I hated Tony, and during the original run, I frequently FF’d through his scenes. Who was Tony? ---
**Author:** ![ads95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@ads95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ads95)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/28 "2015-10-17T00:16:17Z")
Probably meant Toby. I thought the first four seasons were some of best television ever. It got quite a bit worse after that, although it improved a bit in its final season. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/29 "2015-10-17T00:43:32Z")
> [@ads95](#): > > Probably meant Toby. Yes, Toby. I knew that looked wrong, but couldn’t figure out why. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/30 "2015-10-17T02:32:08Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Anyone remember Mandy from S1; Josh’s mouthy ex? Man, was that role ever misconceived… They never actually dropped her character from the show. She just disappeared. I wish they had brought Moira Kelly back for the final episode in the scene where Bartlett is thanking all the staff and pretended her character had been working there all along but just doing it off camera after the first season. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/31 "2015-10-17T03:13:55Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I loved the “walk & talk” thing they did, but they had another name for it? I loved that wonderful writing in those small scenes. If you like this, check out _[Sports Night](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165961/?ref_=nv_sr_1)_, another great Sorkin show that preceded WW. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/32 "2015-10-17T08:25:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Who was Tony? > [@ads95](#): > > Probably meant Toby. > > I thought the first four seasons were some of best television ever. Maybe Tony Soprano … I checked out a couple of Emmy awards on Youtube and the cast of WW were always up against the cast of The Sopranos, and this was also the time of The Wire and, I think, Six Feet Under. What a time! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/33 "2015-10-17T09:21:07Z")
I adored the first 4 seasons. I thought they were fantastic. Somewhere in the 5th season I just sort of fizzle out… and I was never sure why. A few years after I watched them, I decided to watch them again, and this time stick it out. Again I fizzled out in the 5th season. I’ve considered going back and watching the 6th and 7th seasons… but I can’t get past the feeling I’ve seen the best of what TWW has to offer. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/34 "2015-10-17T09:56:15Z")
Might want to report your thread to get the title fixed. Fixing it yourself only fixes it in the thread itself, not in the thread lists. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/35 "2015-10-17T13:58:25Z")
I changed your title how you wanted. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/36 "2015-10-17T15:17:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Might want to report your thread to get the title fixed. Fixing it yourself only fixes it in the thread itself, not in the thread lists. > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I changed your title how you wanted. Hey, that’s great. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/37 "2015-10-17T17:25:35Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > This is slightly pathetic for a middle aged guy to say but if one thing kept me going it was the Josh and Donna thing. As a fellow middle aged guy who also binge-watched The West Wing not that long ago, it was the Josh and Donna thing that got me through some of the less engaging bits of the later seasons too. So you’re not alone there 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/38 "2015-10-19T14:04:24Z")
I’ve stalled early fifth season… I always did wonder what Sorkin would have done with the end of the fourth season if he stayed. Whether there was something different planned… I think I read some interviews or one of those buzzfeed lists which said that the seasons after Sorkin left came along with a lot of actor disaffection on the direction that the plots took. Sorkin’s West Wing was “all of us against the world”, post Sorkin it was “all of us against each other”. I can even see this very early on in fifth season, at each other’s throats, virtually different characters… ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/39 "2015-10-19T15:04:57Z")
My favorite scene from the show is from the second season finale, called _Two Cathedrals_ After Mrs. Landingham dies and after her funeral, President Bartlett is in the National Cathedral, all alone. He curses god in Latin, and then lights a cigarette, and grinds it out on the floor with his foot. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586/40 "2015-10-19T15:24:47Z")
Thinking about it from a writing pov it was all over by the second inauguration - in terms of dramatic structure that was the quest against all odds (Bartlett’s MS) the Famous Five/Magnificent Seven/whatever they were all engaged on. I guess what happened was Sorkin told the team he was leaving and they brought forward the reelection and gave the new writers a distinct arc as well as a cliffhanger (Zoey). All you could really do after that was introduce some fresh people, rinse and repeat - Hispanic replacing MS as the quest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-binged-the-west-wing-all-7-seasons/734586.md?page=3)