Comments | pocochina: essential West Wing episodes

pocochina

essential West Wing episodes

May 17, 2014 01:10

Because it's a massively long show but I think nearly everyone who likes television will enjoy some of it! This list is meant to be accessible to someone who hasn't seen any of the show - whatever you need to know to enjoy the episode should probably be in the "previously on" segments. I went with my "top 10% of the show) rule, so there's about 14 ( Read more... )

west wing

Comments 8

rosaxx50 May 17 2014, 07:06:36 UTC

Oh my goodness, this is so incredibly useful. Thank you for compiling.

pocochina May 17 2014, 19:05:13 UTC

I hope you get a chance to give it a try!

ceciliaj May 17 2014, 11:17:31 UTC

Yes, thank you!

pocochina May 17 2014, 19:21:21 UTC

I feel like The West Wing as a whole could be pretty daunting if you're not already obsessive about interested in politics and political drama, like SOME PEOPLE. But I think this is a solid nutshell for the show.

eilowyn May 17 2014, 13:08:10 UTC

Ooh, this is very relevant to my interests!

pocochina May 17 2014, 19:21:31 UTC

WATCH IT WATCH IT!

sunclouds33 May 17 2014, 15:06:21 UTC

Great list! Man, it's really hard narrowing the best TWW to 14 eps. A lot of eps on your list would also be in my Top 14. I think everything but the Pilot and Third Day Story and maybe We Killed Yamamhoto although it really does go with Posse Comitatus. BTW, The Sopranos pilot is my favorite of all time. The Mad Men pilot is a close second. Next, I'd rank the Rome pilot third. IMO, the West Wing pilot was a little too silly and Mandy and the "Sam slept with a prostitute" storylines are among my least favorite of the Sorkin years and they prominently featured. I also found it discordant that Sam would hit on Leo's wife in the seemingly recent past and that Sam wouldn't know Leo's daughter is not a third-grader or heck, wouldn't *know* Leo's daughter. I also think CJ/Allison Janney seemed a little off in the first two eps ( ... )

pocochina May 17 2014, 19:41:31 UTC

ooooh, yes, the Mad Men pilot is another great one, and definitely benefit from Wiener's Sopranos-honed skills. The West Wing pilot is also a lot less necessary to understanding the show than those other two, but I do think it's the best introduction to the show someone new to it would get.

Sam is a problem, in hindsight.

Bartlet for America and Inauguration I&II almost made the cut for me as well. I also considered Night Five, even though it's not as great a look into Bartlet's head as Noel is for Josh.

I appreciate your post-Sorkin list! I tried to watch that whole second act of the show when it first went up on Netflix and I just couldn't. But I do remember there were episodes I liked, so I'll give those a try sometime.

You think he's going to fuck with Big Pussy? My Pussy?

ahahahaaha, it is still funny, it will always be funny. I'm doing a top-to-bottom rewatch of The Sopranos this summer, I hope.