What episodes of West Wing Season one are must watch and best contribute to the overall mythology of the show?
West Wing: S1: Mythology Episodes?
- Thread starter BoxWhatBox
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Most of the episodes, honestly. The series rarely did an episode that was so easily disconnected from the long-term narrative that you could ignore it (the episode that comes to mind in that category is "Access," from season five). Moreover, the first season is so good (minus Mandy, who was quickly marginalized when the producers realized she didn't work) I don't think there is an episode I wouldn't want to watch.
Why not just enjoy the series rather than try to cherry-pick the "wham!" episodes?
Why not just enjoy the series rather than try to cherry-pick the "wham!" episodes?
Harvey, I agree with you. I'm trying to parse down the list a little bit in prep our family's next viewing of the entire series.
I also agree with Harvey (except on Mandy...I know I'm in the vast minority on this, but I adored her). You absolutely must watch every episode.
Yeah pretty much every episode of seasons 1-3 should be watched.
Sure there are a few more important episodes, like the one the president collapses, or the one he yells at his daughter for not taking security seriously, but all of them really should be watched.
In season 4 on you can skip a lot more episodes.
Sure there are a few more important episodes, like the one the president collapses, or the one he yells at his daughter for not taking security seriously, but all of them really should be watched.
In season 4 on you can skip a lot more episodes.
Sorkin's last attempt to "save television" stands only as a monument to his own ego, so hopefully he'll do better this time.
Watch em all you will enjoy (I just finished the show recently for the 3rd time)
Season 4 does lose its way after the election but thats only the middle part. Season 5 does make the characters a little unlikeable though the shut down story is good and the final run improves the quality. I love the season 6, 7 election stuff though the white house stuff is a little meh at times during the focus of the election.
Sorkin produced a lot of great stuff in Seasons 3-4, but I think the show had started to run into some difficulties at that point in terms of storytelling. 9/11 seriously reoriented the show's focus to include a lot more foreign policy stuff that Sorkin often wasn't especially informed about, and some of the major storylines in that period didn't really work. The MS crisis plotline petered out really quickly, though it produced Bartlet for America so it wasn't a total waste; and the reelection storyline ended up mostly being Bartlet beating up on a straw man.
If you are referring to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip... smile when you say that. That show still outclasses 30 Rock by a long shot. It pulls down 30 Rock's pants and laughs at it.
30 Rock in its prime was far superior, since it actually evinced some understanding of its subject matter.
I wouldn't throw out any episode while Sorkin was aboard. I voted for everything.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex-govZXTSQ[/yt]
But what about when the two meet?
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