Last ep Wifey & I watched was "Enemies Foreign & Domestic".
3 has a good ending... if I had to rate the endings I would go... usually, at least in the sorkin years, the season finales always have great music choices.
Season 2
Season 4
Season 3
Season 1
Season 7
Season 6
Season 5
Just finished my rewatch last night. What a journey, even though I've seen all the seasons several times.
The end is just amazing. without giving anything away I will just say how great it was. They wound up the series perfectly. It resolved plot arcs and, character arcs neatly without being overly contrived. It was poignant without being overly sentimental. Emotional without being overbearing.
After the last few episodes there simply didn't need to be any more. Whilst it was my favourite show and I miss it, I'm glad they finished it when they did. The Bartlet administration had its eight years and watching a different president just wouldn't have been The West Wing anymore.
Well I'm through the Season 5 "blip" now and 3 eps into season 6. I really didn't find S5 that bad , sure it had a different feel and maybe the screenplay wasn't just as sharp without Sorkin but it's still amazing TV. I am totally addicted and even just 3 eps into S6 ( at the Middle East peace negotiations at Camp David ) there is just so much going on....incredible, I almost want to slow down the rate I'm watching this at as I am really going to miss it when it's done !
There's only a couple of shows I wish I could wipe from my memory and watch again. TWW is one of them.
I feel that way too. There are already some episodes that I want to watch for the first time again, so I can react to them for the first time without knowing what's coming next. For example, the whole '$10' betting stroyline in series 4 with Toby/Josh was so funny and clever, so well written and kept the audience fooled right up until the last minute, when it was revealed the whole thing was a prank. Once you know what's coming, it's never the same.
I feel that way too. There are already some episodes that I want to watch for the first time again, so I can react to them for the first time without knowing what's coming next. For example, the whole '$10' betting stroyline in series 4 with Toby/Josh was so funny and clever, so well written and kept the audience fooled right up until the last minute, when it was revealed the whole thing was a prank. Once you know what's coming, it's never the same.
I saw that episode with the bet at the weekend! Great scene
We are on the last season of FRIENDS now and will have to switch back to Season 1 ot TWW straight away (again).
I can't believe Amazon had it at £39.99 - I thought we got a good deal getting it at £50 from HMV!
Yeah... but Amazon are now selling it for £65 so it could be worse! I feel most sorry for people who bought the seasons individually when they first came out on DVD, when they cost £50 per season.
I've watched the entire series 3 times now and see something different each time. I remember seeing it when it originally aired back in... 2000-ish? on UK tv. I was always really disappointed when each episode finished, it was so absorbing.
There are plenty of shows I really like but tWW has my vote as the best series I've ever watched. Superb tv. And such good casting. No one jarred.
How insanely hot is Amy Gardner...can't belive the actress is in her mid forties, can barely keep my mouth shut when she is on lol.
The West Wing is absolutely awesome, got the 7 season box set for Christmas, up to about half way through season 4 and its lost its steam a little bit, but still better than 95% of other shows. Toby is probably my favourite character, doesn't take any crap from anyone but Sam and Josh are a close second between them, when they drop into frat boy mode
I've watched the entire series 3 times now and see something different each time. I remember seeing it when it originally aired back in... 2000-ish? on UK tv. I was always really disappointed when each episode finished, it was so absorbing.
There are plenty of shows I really like but tWW has my vote as the best series I've ever watched. Superb tv. And such good casting. No one jarred.
It's true. They put so much dialogue and detail into each episode that every time I watch it (and I've watched it a lot) I find something new or something I'd forgotten. The casting was spot on, they all had great chemistry from day one (apart from Mandy of course) and Martin Sheen was born to play Jed Bartlet.
But was she badly written or badly acted? I just thought the character as written didn't work. But I may have been wrong...:D
Could have been bad writing or directing, but none of the other characters suffered from that in 7 years, so I'm going to have to say it was bad acting. She always seemed to be shouting, and there was no chemistry at all. I know she wasn't supposed to be part of the group in the same way the rest of them were, but neither was Amy (and to a greater extent) and yet she worked perfectly - I wonder if Amy was brought in to be a Mandy replacement, sort of how Mandy should have been? Mandy just really jarred, I find myself fast forwarding a lot of her scenes.
Could have been bad writing or directing, but none of the other characters suffered from that in 7 years, so I'm going to have to say it was bad acting. She always seemed to be shouting, and there was no chemistry at all. I know she wasn't supposed to be part of the group in the same way the rest of them were, but neither was Amy (and to a greater extent) and yet she worked perfectly - I wonder if Amy was brought in to be a Mandy replacement, sort of how Mandy should have been? Mandy just really jarred, I find myself fast forwarding a lot of her scenes.
Amy was hot :P
Mandy always seemed to be destined to be Josh's stroppy ex, never really worked for me
Mandy always seemed to be destined to be Josh's stroppy ex, never really worked for me
Mandy just didn't work, she might have been good as a bit part but she really didn't work as a main character. I know that it became a bit of a running joke about going to Mandyland/ville/town but it does annoy me a little that we never found out what happened to her.
Oddly enough I watched season 2 before season 1 and I was waiting for the explanation as to why she vanished.
I though it might have something to do with the memo but that resolved itself
Re-watching the first series again, I have to admit that I don't even remember Mandy from the first time around. I must have blocked her out of my mind for some strange reason!
Is it my memory playing tricks on me, or does Mandy disappear right in the middle of the shooting cliffhanger at the end of season one?
So basically she could've been gunned down and nobody cared enough to notice!
One of the things I preferred about the post-Sorkin seasons is that characters stopped vanishing without explanation, and some of them even came back to visit, like Ainsley and Sam. It always bugs me when characters just disappear, especially ones I've grown to like.
Gosh...I am still on season 6 and probably only watched season 1 a couple of months back but I had clean forgotten about Mandy...she certainly wasn't a memorable character.
I think the strength of the West Wing is the "likeability" of the characters... I really like Josh, Sam,Will,Leo, Toby, Charlie and am in love with Donna and CJ ! all amazing characters with real depth.
Comments
Last ep Wifey & I watched was "Enemies Foreign & Domestic".
3 has a good ending... if I had to rate the endings I would go... usually, at least in the sorkin years, the season finales always have great music choices.
Season 2
Season 4
Season 3
Season 1
Season 7
Season 6
Season 5
The end is just amazing. without giving anything away I will just say how great it was. They wound up the series perfectly. It resolved plot arcs and, character arcs neatly without being overly contrived. It was poignant without being overly sentimental. Emotional without being overbearing.
After the last few episodes there simply didn't need to be any more. Whilst it was my favourite show and I miss it, I'm glad they finished it when they did. The Bartlet administration had its eight years and watching a different president just wouldn't have been The West Wing anymore.
I feel that way too. There are already some episodes that I want to watch for the first time again, so I can react to them for the first time without knowing what's coming next. For example, the whole '$10' betting stroyline in series 4 with Toby/Josh was so funny and clever, so well written and kept the audience fooled right up until the last minute, when it was revealed the whole thing was a prank. Once you know what's coming, it's never the same.
I saw that episode with the bet at the weekend! Great scene
I can't believe Amazon had it at £39.99 - I thought we got a good deal getting it at £50 from HMV!
Yeah... but Amazon are now selling it for £65 so it could be worse! I feel most sorry for people who bought the seasons individually when they first came out on DVD, when they cost £50 per season.
There are plenty of shows I really like but tWW has my vote as the best series I've ever watched. Superb tv. And such good casting. No one jarred.
Except Mandy.
The West Wing is absolutely awesome, got the 7 season box set for Christmas, up to about half way through season 4 and its lost its steam a little bit, but still better than 95% of other shows. Toby is probably my favourite character, doesn't take any crap from anyone but Sam and Josh are a close second between them, when they drop into frat boy mode
Amy was hot :P
Mandy always seemed to be destined to be Josh's stroppy ex, never really worked for me
Mandy just didn't work, she might have been good as a bit part but she really didn't work as a main character. I know that it became a bit of a running joke about going to Mandyland/ville/town but it does annoy me a little that we never found out what happened to her.
Oddly enough I watched season 2 before season 1 and I was waiting for the explanation as to why she vanished.
Re-watching the first series again, I have to admit that I don't even remember Mandy from the first time around. I must have blocked her out of my mind for some strange reason!
So basically she could've been gunned down and nobody cared enough to notice!
One of the things I preferred about the post-Sorkin seasons is that characters stopped vanishing without explanation, and some of them even came back to visit, like Ainsley and Sam. It always bugs me when characters just disappear, especially ones I've grown to like.
I think the strength of the West Wing is the "likeability" of the characters... I really like Josh, Sam,Will,Leo, Toby, Charlie and am in love with Donna and CJ ! all amazing characters with real depth.