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Watching "West Wing" for the first time (spoilers likely to follow)
Posted on 10/2/14 at 12:41 pm
Posted on 10/2/14 at 12:41 pm
I recently watched "The Newsroom," and it's near the top of my list - easily one of the most intelligently written and witty shows I've watched. In a thread about that show, someone mentioned that I seemed to be a Sorkin fan in general. Actually, I hadn't noticed. However, that comment prompted me to take a closer look at his works, and apparently I am a big Sorkin fan. I was aware that WW was highly regarded here, so I started watching recently. Great show so far. It didn't grab me right away like Newsroom did. There were several characters on Newsroom that were instantly likable - and I'm now in love with Emily Mortimer. The characters on West Wing had to grow on me a bit, but I didn't realize how much they had until the season 1 finale. I had some legitimately un-alpha-like emotional reactions as the scenes played out. Now I'm hooked. I'm at that point where I find myself wanting to watch "just one more" episode at 2 a.m. So "thank you" to the Movie/TV Board and to the dude with the Sorkin comment who nudged me toward this series. So is this a show that gets better, gets worse, or does it have a season or two that weren't on par like some suggest with "Lost"? Btw, I'm on Season 2, Episode 6 right now, so no spoilers past that, please.
ETA: Was it just a coincidence that Mel Torme got mentioned in the same episode that John Larroquette first appeared? (You'd have to be a 'Night Court" fan to get this one)
ETA: Was it just a coincidence that Mel Torme got mentioned in the same episode that John Larroquette first appeared? (You'd have to be a 'Night Court" fan to get this one)
This post was edited on 10/2/14 at 12:48 pm
Posted on 10/2/14 at 12:44 pm to 911Moto
Think that was me. Youre welcome. Show gets better with every repeated watching.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 12:52 pm to 911Moto
quote:
So is this a show that gets better, gets worse, or does it have a season or two that weren't on par
Seasons 1-4 is some of the best television to ever be written IMO. Sorkin leaves the series after that and there is a dropoff, but it is still really good and better than most other things on tv. It is my favorite TV show
Posted on 10/2/14 at 12:54 pm to 911Moto
I've never watched tWW, but have heard LOTS of good things about it. Figured that would be one I'd eventually watch way down the road.
In all seriousness, if you've never seen SportsNight, do yourself a favor and check it out. It was one of AS's first shows, and was a show on ABC. It is basically a sitcom (though not typical sitcom fare) based on SportsCenter and the behind-the-scenes goings-on of how that whole scene works. It's pretty well acted, and the dialogue is intelligent, sharp, and lightning fast. It's great. I'm one of the few I know that watched it back when it aired. Also, it's only two seasons, so it's easy as hell to breeze through.
In all seriousness, if you've never seen SportsNight, do yourself a favor and check it out. It was one of AS's first shows, and was a show on ABC. It is basically a sitcom (though not typical sitcom fare) based on SportsCenter and the behind-the-scenes goings-on of how that whole scene works. It's pretty well acted, and the dialogue is intelligent, sharp, and lightning fast. It's great. I'm one of the few I know that watched it back when it aired. Also, it's only two seasons, so it's easy as hell to breeze through.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 1:02 pm to 911Moto
West Wing puts the newsroom to shame.
SportNight was pretty good, but Studio 60 is Sorkins true underrated gem.
SportNight was pretty good, but Studio 60 is Sorkins true underrated gem.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 1:22 pm to 911Moto
If you couldn't tell from the thread the other day, it's an awesome show. It won't disappoint you
Posted on 10/2/14 at 1:30 pm to CocomoLSU
I remember watching SportsNight back when it originally aired, but I didn't catch all of them. I'll definitely give the full series a watch once I wrap up WW.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 1:54 pm to cigsmcgee
quote:
Studio 60 is Sorkins true underrated gem.
This show was a fricking masterpiece
Posted on 10/2/14 at 2:02 pm to Green Chili Tiger
Studio 60's run of slow decline, and it only lasts a season. That first episode is great, though. Just never lived up to it.
SportsNight is Sorkin's masterpiece. It's not that my teases are better than yours, it's just that your teases are vastly inferior to mine.
SportsNight is Sorkin's masterpiece. It's not that my teases are better than yours, it's just that your teases are vastly inferior to mine.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 2:40 pm to The Godfather
quote:
Seasons 1-4 is some of the best television to ever be written IMO.
Absolutely, and I agree that there is a dropoff but it's still fantastic.
Back to OP, WW grabbed me at the first episode. I thought the way they introduced Jed was fantastic and really set up his character for the rest of the show.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 3:24 pm to heatom2
quote:
Back to OP, WW grabbed me at the first episode. I thought the way they introduced Jed was fantastic and really set up his character for the rest of the show.
Fun fact: the show was originally supposed to be about Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe's character) and Jed was supposed to be a lesser character. But after that pilot, Jed's character tested really well and they made him the focal or "co-focal" point of the show from there on out. He stole that scene and is one of my favorite characters ever.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 3:31 pm to 911Moto
quote:
"The Newsroom," and it's near the top of my list - easily one of the most intelligently written and witty shows I've watched.
Sorkin is a great TV guy and West Wing is a GOAT show but even he is not infallible. Newsroom is nothing but liberal garbage that goes off the wall in one political direction. It disparages republicans and libertarians spouting off stereotypes like its nothing. There's a reason why it didn't last very long.
The McAvoy character is somebody who doesn't realize that he's grown more leftist, yet instead he sees it as the GOP/libertarians growing more right. It's not true. He's akin to Angus king and Lincoln Chafee.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 4:15 pm to Sentrius
I have no problem ignoring political viewpoints and seeing a tv show for what it is - entertainment (that being said, I did agree with much that was said). It is preachy, but for me the show is about the interaction between the characters, not the political views of those characters. I can't recall a tv show that had more intelligently witty banter between characters.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 4:21 pm to gatorhata9
quote:
Fun fact: the show was originally supposed to be about Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe's character) and Jed was supposed to be a lesser character
*Spoilers*
Yeah and I believe this is part of the reason he left the show.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 5:14 pm to heatom2
Show is great and gets much better after Mandy vanishes.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 5:24 pm to Sentrius
quote:
Newsroom is nothing but liberal garbage that goes off the wall in one political direction. It disparages republicans and libertarians spouting off stereotypes like its nothing.
In typical Sorkin fashion, it opens with an absolutely epic meltdown that is extremely well written.
*****Spoilers****
quote:
"It’s not the greatest country in the world professor, that’s my answer.
Sharon, the NEA is a loser, yeah, it accounts for a penny out of our paycheck but he gets to hit you with it any time he wants. It doesn’t cost money, it costs votes, it costs air time, it costs column inches. You know why people don’t like liberals? Because they lose. If liberals are so fricking smart, how come they lose so god damn always?
*Turns to conservative pundit*
And with a straight face you’re going to tell students that America is so star spangled awesome that we’re the only ones in the world that have freedom? Canada has freedom. Japan has freedom. The UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, BELGIUM has freedom.
So, 207 sovereign states in the world, like 180 of them have freedom.
And you, sorority girl, just in case you accidentally wander into a voting booth one day there’s somethings you should know. One of them is there’s absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world. We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, Number 4 in labor force and Number 4 in exports, we lead the world in only three categories: Number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies.
Now none of this is the fault of a 20 year old college student, but you none the less are without a doubt a member of the worst period generation period ever period, so when you ask what makes us the greatest country in the world, I don’t know what the frick you’re talking about. Yosemite?
It sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chests. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and cultivated the world’s greatest artists and the world’s greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men, we aspired to intelligence, we didn’t belittle it, it didn’t make us feel inferior.
We didn’t identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn’t scare so easy. We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed, by great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.
Enough?”
Posted on 10/2/14 at 7:03 pm to 911Moto
West Wing is the best TV show I have ever seen. I have watched it through a couple of times.
Come back after you see the Season 2 finale (episode 22). It is called "Two Cathedrals" and might be the best hour of television ever made. Absolutely riveting.
Come back after you see the Season 2 finale (episode 22). It is called "Two Cathedrals" and might be the best hour of television ever made. Absolutely riveting.
Posted on 10/2/14 at 7:21 pm to Baloo
quote:
Isaac: Things that I say in my office stay in my office.
Dana: Natalie's my second-in-command, she's the only one I told.
Natalie: Jeremy's my boyfriend, he's the only one I told.
Jeremy: I told many, many people.
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