The West Wing

[JHyde]

So I've been doing a WW re-watch over the break and it really does still play so well. Season 5 cops a bad rap but there is a lot of stuff in that season that I love. I am part way through season 6 and I still adore the MS episode in China storyline, magnificent writing and really good stuff for Sheen. It's genuinely moving too. The Bartlet character is such a work in progress throughout the show, he is often the most annoying character but also the most believable, in many ways. I also love how the season slips from that into the campaign storylines and suspect that season 7 will play every bit as well as I remember. It helps that they got hold of Smits and Alda those final two years. And Lily Tomlin is a goddess. Apparently she wrote to Sorkin and requested a role on the show because she loved it so much.

'Bartlet for America' in season 3 remains my favourite Christmas episode but I also love 'O Holy Night' in season 4, especially how it ends with images of everyone heading into their respective Christmases, mostly in very lonely circumstances.

I have never been the biggest fan of season 1 (except for the excellent 'He Shall, From Time To Time' and 'Celestial Navigation') but something that did interest me this time around was how well the Hoynes/Bartlet friction plays. One of the more subtle but intriguing sub plots of the first 3 seasons. I loved what they did with the Hoynes character, both Sorkin and the ones who came after, just really good stuff.

I know a lot of people hate Abby and Amy Gardner. Abby's great and was such a great balance to the Jed character and she's tough but at the same time they're a team. I don't understand people who don't like Abby. Amy plays a lot more harshly and there are times I want to slap her around too. But the fact remains that women like that are the reason that the rest of us have certain rights that we didn't have 50 years ago. Yes, sometimes she picks the wrong fights. But I am glad there are people like her out there, in fiction and in reality. And the character does play better on re-watching, I think.