I've Found The West Wing

[Ensign_Redshirt]

*sigh* Only five episodes left for me and I already miss the series. Election Day, Parts 1 & 2 were certainly two fine hours of television. And since the San Andreo thing I really felt pity for Vinick. Poor fellow.

After having seen Seasons 6 & 7, I can say the following: Immediately after the Sorkin departure, the series indeed declined in quality. For a while, the remaining writers seemed to be clueless what do with the series. "The West Wing" finally started to recover in late Season 5 and was then fully back in shape in mid-Season 6.

To let the remaining two seasons revolve around the fight over Bartlet's succession was risky, but eventually paid off. The final two seasons weren't really "The West Wing" anymore though. It was like watching a spin-off series called "The Campaign" (starring Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman), whith occasional guest appearances by C.J. Cregg and Jed Bartlet. It was a good spin-off though. It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character. But in the end of the day it was probably the right decision to let the remaining series deal with the Santos, Russell, and Vinick campaigns. It presumably has saved the series. Must have been a tough call.

 

[TheGodBen]

To let the remaining two seasons revolve around the fight over Bartlet's succession was risky, but eventually paid off. The final two seasons weren't really "The West Wing" anymore though. It was like watching a spin-off series called "The Campaign" (starring Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman), whith occasional guest appearances by C.J. Cregg and Jed Bartlet. It was a good spin-off though. It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character. But in the end of the day it was probably the right decision to let the remaining series deal with the Santos, Russell, and Vinick campaigns. It presumably has saved the series. Must have been a tough call.

I think it was a good decision to do this because the writers just weren't able to copy the character dynamic Sorkin had managed. Josh would sound like Josh and Leo would sound like Leo, but when Josh was talking with Toby or when Leo was talking with Bartlet it just didn't feel right. By moving the characters about and introducing new characters it was no longer obvious that Sorkin wasn't at the helm because he never wrote these characters in these positions.

An example would be the fight between Josh and Toby in season six. If they had tried that when Josh was still DCoS then it would have been terrible, but once Josh left to join Santos the Josh/Toby dynamic was different and it wasn't so surprising that they would come to blows.

The writers needed to stop trying to emulate Sorkin and start being themselves, and once they did that the show get back on its feet. At least that's my take on the issue.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

With imdb's help I tried to do a little episode count for some of the characters in Seasons 6 & 7:


Season 6
Jed Bartlet: 21 episodes
C.J. Cregg: 21 episodes
Will Bailey: 20 episodes
Josh Lyman: 20 episodes
Matthew Santos: 13 episodes
Bob Russell (recurring): 11 episodes

Season 7
Matthew Santos: 22 episodes
Josh Lyman: 19 episodes
C.J. Cregg: 17 episodes
Arnold Vinick: 14 episodes
Jed Bartlet: 13 episodes
Bruno Gianelli (recurring): 8 episodes

 

[Mike Farley]

It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character.

Which, of course, was the original concept for the series. The focus was supposed to be on the staff with only occasional appearances by the President. In the pilot episode, Bartlett appears only at the very end.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character.

Which, of course, was the original concept for the series. The focus was supposed to be on the staff with only occasional appearances by the President. In the pilot episode, Bartlett appears only at the very end.

Yeah, and the role got quickly expanded because it was such a great character and Martin Sheen was such a good actor. And now Bartlet was reduced again in Season 7 despite the fact that is such a great character and that Martin Sheen is such a good actor.

 

[Harvey]

And because they needed to save money in order to afford a seventh season. One of the ways they did this was to reduce Bartlet to only 13 episodes.

 

[bigdaddy]

It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character.

Which, of course, was the original concept for the series. The focus was supposed to be on the staff with only occasional appearances by the President. In the pilot episode, Bartlett appears only at the very end.

The main character/actor was supposed to be Sam, which is why he was paid more. Then all the other actors got a pay raise in the 3rd or 4th season to his level, but he didn't get the raise and that pissed him off. Along with other things he left the show.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Yeah, and somehow the characters seem to have the most active sex life in the final season...

Spoiler: some couplings

Will & Kate, Josh & Donna, C.J. & Danny, Mr. & Mrs. Santos (although the Santoses' sex life had already served as some kind of running gag in Season 6)

OMG, the writing staff was taken over by fanfiction authors.

 

[bigdaddy]

^ I forgot about what they did to Will and Kate!!! Don't remind me!

 

[Marc]

It just sucked that Bartlet was effectively reduced to a recurring character.

Which, of course, was the original concept for the series. The focus was supposed to be on the staff with only occasional appearances by the President. In the pilot episode, Bartlett appears only at the very end.

Yeah, and the role got quickly expanded because it was such a great character and Martin Sheen was such a good actor. And now Bartlet was reduced again in Season 7 despite the fact that is such a great character and that Martin Sheen is such a good actor.

But someways it's a reflection on real life was well.

For most of the 2008 who really got more coverage? President Bush or the Republican & Democrat candidates especially once the primaries were over and it was down to Obama/Biden v McCain/Palin.

Yes the sitting president was still there, still doing his job but in many ways he was yesterday's news.

Saw a prime example of some of the wry humour in this the show. Watched Angel Maintenence the other night (Air Force can't land because they don't know if the nose wheel is down and locked).

After big delay they are begining to descent on when the annoucement is made they've had to divert because of the wind conditions.

The look on Bartlett's face before he storms back into the presidential cabin and slams the door is says it all

 

[Sci]

^

wasn't she some big headliner star back in the day?

I don't know, but I do know that she was the adult voice for Nala in Disney's The Lion King, so her career probably doesn't suck quite as much as everyone's making it out to.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

"Tomorrow" was a good farewell episode. Had the right "All good things must come to an end..." feeling.



And now that I'm through, I find myself asking:

"What's next?"

 

[bigdaddy]

And now that I'm through, I find myself asking:
"What's next?"

Tomorrow.

 

[Sci]

"Tomorrow" was a good farewell episode. Had the right "All good things must come to an end..." feeling.



And now that I'm through, I find myself asking:

"What's next?"

I don't know -- what's why I put CNN on every day, to find exactly that! Whatever else one might say about The West Wing, I always found it a vivid reminder that real life is happening right now, and that the problems we face are as important and as exciting as anything on primetime.

 

[DeafPoet]

I think it was a good decision to do this because the writers just weren't able to copy the character dynamic Sorkin had managed. Josh would sound like Josh and Leo would sound like Leo, but when Josh was talking with Toby or when Leo was talking with Bartlet it just didn't feel right. By moving the characters about and introducing new characters it was no longer obvious that Sorkin wasn't at the helm because he never wrote these characters in these positions.

I'm watching the series through for the first time now having never seen it before. Just got finished Season 5's "Disaster Relief." I'm glad to hear it gets better because something is off here at the start of Season 5. Josh is getting the shit kicked out of him and he was just screaming at the Capitol in the middle of the night.

Sure, it's kind of interesting but I was watching it thinking "Who the hell is this guy and what has he done with Josh Lyman?!"

 

[Tomato]

^

I think the writers were still trying to get the hang of TWW once Sorkin left. The supremes is a great episode.