West Wing...

[tstone]

Just watched season one of this this weekend. This show ROCKS. Sorry I missed it in it's initial run...

[Kara Milovy]

One of the best shows ever on TV. I missed it in its initial run too (except for season 7). Catching up is definitely worthwhile.

[Deacon]

I was - I am - a huge fan, but I think that after its first two seasons it went downhill somewhat. It was still excellent TV, but it seemed to lose its spark.

Although I thought the penultimate season came close. I know many thought that that season stuck the knife in the show, but I found it to be pretty dynamic by comparison with the previous seasons.

[TrixieB]

This was one of those show that I NEVER, EVER missed. It had its ups and downs, but more highs than lows (in my opinion, anyway). I starteed watching just to see what Rob Lowe was doing back on television, but I got hooked and never looked back. The last show was a sad day for me.

[tstone]

I LOVE writing that dares to be smart. And STILL manages to find an audience.

I'll report as I wander through the seasons...

[neglet]

This is another one I need to catch up on at the library.

[tstone]

Gonna go purchase Season two today, watch it over the weekend. Aaron Sorkin. To me, he's like Joss Whedon, Judd Apatow and increasingly, JJ Abrams. I see his name in a key creative role on a project, I'm automatically interested.

[Boromir006]

Ditto your comment about Sorkin there. Did you know he script-doctored The Rock? Apparently the Sean Connery-Ed Harris scene, the back and forth about "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of patriots - Thomas Jefferson," "Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious, according to Oscar Wilde" is all Sorkin's.

Season 2 is the best for me. The finale "Two Cathedrals" is in my opinion and without exaggeration, the finest hour of television I've ever seen. The writing, directing and Martin Sheen's acting, combined with the beautiful, haunting Dire Straits song "Brothers in Arms"... I'll say no more. Relish its delights for yourself.

A lot of people think the show self-destructed after Sorkin left in Season 4. I don't think so. I think what happened is the real world caught up with the show. Sorkin himself said that after 9-11 the show had to struggle to stay relevant, which is why mid-season 3 you start getting more and more stories about terrorism and global conflict and the difficulty in retaining one's idealism in such a climate. Season 5 and forward, the Sorkin-less years (referred to by some sarcastic wags as The Wells Wing) are a much different experience. It's still great to watch the actors and the sharp turns of phrase but things do get a little inconsistent from ep to ep as a whole host of new writers take their crack at the Sorkinese. In Season 6 when the campaign for the new president begins the show becomes very different, with only about half the episodes taking place inside the West Wing, the rest out on the campaign trail. Season 7 focuses almost completely on the presidential election. Not better, not necessarily worse, just different, and understandably not to all tastes.

Still, at the last, possibly my favorite show of all time.

[tstone]

Watching season two now. Do they do a "Big Block of Cheese" episode every season? I hope so. I like 'em...

[Boromir006]

Alas, season 2 features the very last Big Block of Cheese day. :(

[tstone]

Darn...

:(

[Kara Milovy]

Alas, season 2 features the very last Big Block of Cheese day. :(

Um, no. It comes back. Never as funny as the first time, though. And btw, it's true.

[tstone]

Cool! I just picked up seasons three and four, looking forward to diving in! Glad the Big Block of Cheese Day returns...

:)

Too good a concept not to use again.

[Boromir006]

Um, no. It comes back.Are you sure? I don't think so. Every so often they do have some wacko lobbyist from a really weird organization pop in, but they never do the official Cheese day (or speech) again.

Do you know which episode you're thinking of?

[Bark]

I actually thought this show got better after Aaron Sorkin left. I couldn't handle his screenplays. Same was true with Sportsnight. Too much jibber jabber back and forth and too quickly, no one talks like that.

No offense, but this is true. When I watched the shows he wrote, both series, I said to myself, "This writer has to be on cocaine." A little while later it comes out that he went to rehab for cocaine addiction. "Holy Cow! Right on the money," I thought to myself.

But when people weren't talking to each other at 1,000 MPH, I loved the show.

[tstone]

I just started season three, and saw the ep out of continuity reacting to the events of 9-11. Amazing ep that all Americans need to see. Seriously.

Very sober mediation on the event and it's meaning.

[Boromir006]

Aaron Sorkin writes in the West Wing Script Book, Volume 2 that when he proposed the idea for the "Isaac and Ishmael" episode, John Wells told him that "You're gonna get killed and you should absolutely do it," and that Wells ended up being right on both counts.

It really does mark a turning point for the show however. Like I said a few posts up, not better, not worse, just different.

[tstone]

Ok, watched seasons three and four. No big block of cheese day in either...

:(

But that's ok, they still kicked ass. The show took it up a notch, with less time spent on domestic policy (but still great when they do it) and took on foreign policy, specifically, terror.

NICE.

Will be buying season five tomorrow.

[Boromir006]

No big block of cheese day in either...I was pretty sure I was right. Not that it's anything to gloat over.

Curious to hear what you think of the non-Sorkin years.

[Kara Milovy]

Ok, watched seasons three and four. No big block of cheese day in either...

:(

But that's ok, they still kicked ass. The show took it up a notch, with less time spent on domestic policy (but still great when they do it) and took on foreign policy, specifically, terror.

NICE.

Will be buying season five tomorrow.

I think it's in 5 or 6. Ties in with a specific episode, friend of CJ's and digging into her father's past.

[Boromir006]

I think it's in 5 or 6. Ties in with a specific episode, friend of CJ's and digging into her father's past.I am wracking my brain and I cannot think of the episode. I really don't think the big block ever shows itself again after Season 2.

[TrixieB]

I think that you are right, that was the last Big Block of Cheese episode. The one with the grandfather being investigated for a pardon was in season 2 "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" and it was a friend of Donna's.

[tstone]

That was a good ep, Trixie, and shows again Sorkin's genius in using music...

[Kara Milovy]

I think that you are right, that was the last Big Block of Cheese episode. The one with the grandfather being investigated for a pardon was in season 2 "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" and it was a friend of Donna's.
So, my brain's like, completely fried, is that what you're saying?

[TrixieB]

So, my brain's like, completely fried, is that what you're saying?

I would say yes, but I had to look it up. I remembered that it was a friend of Donna's but that's about it.