Ridiculously behind the times The West Wing topic

cwej

cwej

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I understand there is probably another thread for this but I daren't go into it in case I find out spoilers... Just finished Season 1 and OH MY GOD. :o

I know I'm about 10 years behind the times, but OH MY GOD!!!
 
I'm very jealous

It just keeps getting better and better (well not quite, I didn't like series 5 that much)
 
Yes! I have been working my way through this for the first time over the past year or so. Am now finally on Season 7. I'll be so sad when I get to the last episode - the writing and acting are just immaculate throughout (if a little fast at times - I always have subtitles on :shy:).
 
Is English not your first language Iguana?

English IS my first language and it's difficult for me to follow sometimes. Very very witty but sometimes I'll get a joke 10 seconds after it happened and they'll be on something else entirely!
 
Who's better, President Josiah Bartlett or President Mackenzie Allen?
 
oh cwej

you ain't seen nothing yet :D

Season 2 is jaw to the floor incredible

Still the best TV show ever made.
 
West Wing SEASON RATE (I think I've done this before but OH WELL :D)

Season 1 - 10
Season 2 - 11
Season 3 - 9
Season 4 - 8
Season 5 - 8
Season 6 - 9
Season 7 - 10


SORRY BUT IT'S TRUE DON'T HATE
 
I've just bought the 'Complete Box Set' for £40 on Play and looking forward to FINALLY watching it as well. Once I've got that done it'll be onto The Sopranos and I'll have pretty much covered the "must watches" from US TV this past decade I think...then I could think of maybe turning off the TV every now and again (Well once Lost has finished, NATCH).
 
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come on cwej get a move on, the first 2 eps of season 2 are MAGICAL, we need a write-up

I'm living my west wing watching vicariously through you now...
 
oh Robotboy, Robotboy, Robotboy...

I'll MAIL you a fucking COPY

it's INDESCRIBABLE
 
I get bored if I watch too much of it in one go... I'm on season 3 now - and they've all just been subpoenaed at the beginning of the series... but because I watched about the last 10 episodes of season 2 in about 3 days, I'm having a little break I think, to keep it FRESH.

One thing that IRRITATED me greatly was the disappearance of Moira Kelly with no explanation whatsoever. I just find that really sloppy tv. They even gave her a perfect storyline to write her out on and then she just DISAPPEARED with no explanation. Now the same has happened to that journalist that fancied CJ - does he come back?

The writing and the performances are so sharp though.

Margaret became my favourite character in season 2. :D I looked forward to her every ridiculous appearance! :D
 
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cwej said:
One thing that IRRITATED me greatly was the disappearance of Moira Kelly with no explanation whatsoever. I just find that really sloppy tv. They even gave her a perfect storyline to write her out on and then she just DISAPPEARED with no explanation. Now the same has happened to that journalist that fancied CJ - does he come back?
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That happens a few times throughout the show I think, another one I can think of is Ainsley Haines. There was a a big deal made out of getting her a job in the administration and after a few episodes she's never heard of again. Until she popped up in CSI : Miami at least :D
 
Frozen said:
That happens a few times throughout the show I think, another one I can think of is Ainsley Haines. There was a a big deal made out of getting her a job in the administration and after a few episodes she's never heard of again. Until she popped up in CSI : Miami at least :D
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I believe Sam mentions that Ainsley has left, but there's no explanation given. As she left The West Wing in the same year CSI: Miami started, I reckon the actress just went with the better gig for her!
 
it's all down to the contracts of the actors. Moira Kelly left in very strange circumstances because her contract wasn't renewed (many felt it was because her character wasn't likeable enough, which I fully agree with) and I guess they just wanted to forget she ever existed. They do mention early on that the office was taking a different PR approach in light of the shooting, so I guess that they felt that was enough.

Ainsley Hayes is a different beast though. Moira Kelly played a regular main character (she was in the title credits) whereas Emily Procter played a recurring character... sometimes recurring characters get made into regular characters (eg Stockard Channing as the First Lady) but not always.

It'll happen more and more often as you go through the series as lots of new characters are introduced temporarily.

In future series they definitely write out the main characters properly - Rob Lowe being the obvious example.

The West Wing's approach to coming and going characters is pretty sharp compared to other series though, let's be fair! LOST, anyone?
 
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as for Margaret...

LEO
Margaret!

MARGARET
Yeah.

LEO
You got that memo?

MARGARET
Any minute now.

LEO
Margaret?

MARGARET
Yeah.

LEO
What the hell are you doing?

MARGARET
Why, I'm typing, Leo.

LEO
Margaret?!

MARGARET
Apparently your response to Donna's perfectly legitimate concern about the White House not supporting OSHA's recommendation regarding Repetitive Stress injuries was to type slower. Donna has organized most of the assistants in the West Wing to do just that.

LEO
Margaret?

MARGARET
Yeah.

LEO
Look at my face, right now.

MARGARET
(starts typing) Okay.
Click to expand...

:D
 
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funky said:
The West Wing's approach to coming and going characters is pretty sharp compared to other series though, let's be fair! LOST, anyone?
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I really disagree with this so far. To just write a character (a MAIN character) out of a show that's based in ONE BUILDING essentially, without any explanation is just terrible, particularly when they had the perfect opportunity to write her out properly just 2 episodes earlier (when they were mad at her for the fact she'd written that paper about the flaws in Bartlett's government).

In Lost, the characters have ALWAYS had endings or a reason EVERY SINGLE TIME they have 'disappeared'.

I absolutely LOVE Ainsley Hayes. I'd been hoping for her to make it to main character status :(
 
Virtually every scene with Margaret and Leo in is a gem :D His complete lack of patience with her and her ability to turn any situation into something where she can act like a fruitloop!
 
and TO BE FAIR Moira Kelly is the ONLY one they do it with! Stop MOANING about something so TRIVIAL :Oi:

Ainsley is brilliant, but Amy Gardner is better. And she's stays in it for longer...
 
cwej said:
Virtually every scene with Margaret and Leo in is a gem :D His complete lack of patience with her and her ability to turn any situation into something where she can act like a fruitloop!
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I like it when she offers to forge the Presidents signature next time he falls ill and there's nobody in charge :D
 
Did you ever end up watching all of this cwej?

I've started watching again from the beginning. 3 episodes left in season 2 so there's not much left to bear of Mandy, my god she's so annoying. Though I'm not sure if it's the character or actually Moira Kelly that annoys me so much :confused: That aside, it's been a wonderful season but like a lot of TV shows (and since this is a rewatch I know it to be true) it feels like the best is yet to come.

And since it's bandied about so often on here, I'd like to nominate CJ Cregg / Allison Janney as a QOL :disco:
 
I second that motion

Alison Janney is simply not on my TV enough
 
There are far too many posts in this thread about bloody Moira Kelly.

Just pretend she never existed. By the time of the election cycle of the last two seasons she will be a distant memory.
 
right.

it took me about 9 episodes before I even realised she was gone

there was a reason she was written out...
 
that was another 2 Moira Kelly posts :(

lets switch quickly to the marvellous kristen chenoweth :disco:
 
It was the oddest disappearance of a character in any show ever that I can remember though. If they'd just written one measly line in explaining her disappearance it would have been better. I really do have an issue with that kind of thing and feel it's quite sloppy for an otherwise slick and well-written show.

ANOTHER MOIRA KELLY POST.
 
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cwej people have been asking you where you are up to in TWW for YEARS NOW and you are still AVOIDING THE QUESTION

just RUDE.
 
Oh I can't remember. Something like Season 4 - I lost interest a bit and thought I'd go back to it at some point; then I got mixed up in Lost and Fringelands and I've never looked back.
 
it does lose its way in S4 and S5 a BIT but it comes back big in S6 and S7. I would recommend you waiting for the US election to roll around and watch them then. TRUST ME you won't be disappointed. They capture the tone of US elections so brilliantly, and show you tonnes of behind the scenes stuff that you would never even think about as influencing the vote that is so fascinating.

Plus you have to see what happens to Donna and Josh.
 
I'm two episodes in to Season One and can I just say DIE MOIRA KELLY, DIE.

I am delighted to hear she leaves the show at the end of Season One, because I don't think I'd even bother watching the rest of the season if I knew she was staying. She absolutely ruins what is, so far, an ok show. I'm sure it gets better as it goes along and you get more involved.

Seriously though, what were they thinking with her? It's a serious political drama with a decent amount of humour and then along comes RIZZO FROM GREASE to ruin the tone. Just shocking. And rude. Was she not embarrassed playing Rizzo in front of Stockard Channing herself?
 
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I watched all of the West Wing a couple of years ago and I can honestly say I do not remember her character one bit.

Stockard Channing on the other hand is just :disco: Especially when she completely ruins her face with botox or whatever in series 7.
 
funky said:
that was another 2 Moira Kelly posts :(

lets switch quickly to the marvellous kristen chenoweth :disco:
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It's so heartwrenching seeing her cry in the last season when that big spoilery thing that makes her cry happens.
 
let's keep this thread going for no discernable reason

CHARACTER RATE

President Jed Bartlet
Leo McGarry
Toby Ziegler
CJ Cregg
Josh Lyman
Donna Moss
Sam Seaborn
Charlie Young
Abigail Bartlet
Zoe Bartlet
Ellie Bartlet
Liz Bartlet
Will Bailey
Mandy Hampton
Annabeth Schott
Cliff Calley
Amy Gardner
Delores Landingham
Debbie Fiderer
Margaret Hooper
Ryan Pierce
Lionel Tribbey
Oliver Babish
Ainsley Hayes
Admiral Fitzwallace
Nancy McNally
Kate Harper
Ron Butterfield
Simon Donavan
Gina Toscano
Matt Santos
Helen Santos
Bruno Gianelli
Joey Lucas
Lou Thornton
Arnold Vinick
Sheila Brooks
Danny Concannan
Greg Brock
Mallory O'Brien
Andrea Wyatt
Laurie the hooker
Gail the goldfish
 
10 President Jed Bartlet
09 Leo McGarry
10 Toby Ziegler
11 CJ Cregg
09 Josh Lyman
09 Donna Moss
07 Sam Seaborn
07 Charlie Young
10 Abigail Bartlet
06 Zoe Bartlet
06 Ellie Bartlet
06 Liz Bartlet
04 Will Bailey
-1 Mandy Hampton
09 Annabeth Schott
08 Cliff Calley :horny:
08 Amy Gardner
09 Delores Landingham
08 Debbie Fiderer
09 Margaret Hooper
04 Ryan Pierce
07 Lionel Tribbey
09 Oliver Babish
09 Ainsley Hayes
08 Admiral Fitzwallace
10 Nancy McNally
06 Kate Harper
06 Ron Butterfield
05 Simon Donavan
08 Gina Toscano
08 Matt Santos
08 Helen Santos
08 Bruno Gianelli
08 Joey Lucas
10 Lou Thornton
09 Arnold Vinick
08 Sheila Brooks
10 Danny Concannan
06 Greg Brock
05 Mallory O'Brien
08 Andrea Wyatt
06 Laurie the hooker
07 Gail the goldfish
 
so I'm rewatching this again. BY GOD is the writing phenomenal. I may pass the time over the next few weeks by adding random quotes of genius onto these page, for no-one's amusement but myself.

I'll start with this gem:

Toby: Mandy, I feel like I lost a hundred and eighty pounds. I'm smiling, I'm laughing, I'm enjoying the people I work with... I gotta snap out of this. What's on your mind?
Mandy: I want you to help me get the Chinese to give us a new panda bear to replace Lum-Lum.
Toby: Well, that did the trick.

See? Mandy can be useful. I'm regretting my -1 now.
 
Time for an update : I'm midway through S4 at the moment. Seasons 2 & 3 were top notch with not a single filler episode (the 9/11 episode notwithstanding) but so far S4 seems limp in comparison. I'm not looking forward to 'The Long Goodbye' episode, from my recollection it was the weakest episode of the series, which is odd as CJ is my favourite character on the show. Best episode so far is 'Dead Irish Writers' from S3, the scene with Donna, CJ, Abby and Amy getting drunk being a particular highlight.
 
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