At the risk of being considered a dumb woman by CJ, can someone please break down this exchange for me? In this case, Bartlet is the "anybody with a 5-point majority", right? What does South Africa have to do with anything??

With the news of TWW leaving Max, I'm wanting to finally buy a copy that can't be removed. But I'm unsure if I should buy on Apple TV so I have full access permanently or spend twice the amount to get Bluray...

But if the Bluray set doesn't have a key to download, then I'd be S.O.L. 90% of the time.

Just what the title says. Over the last few years, I’ve watched all the way through the first 2 seasons ~4 times, season 3 ~2 times, and through season 4 episode 8 only once. I’m now on a new rewatch at the start of season 4, and wondering if I should keep going?

I love seasons 1-2: the serious elements are done extremely well (s1 finale/s2 premiere + noël, two cathedrals, in excelsis deo, shibboleth) but there is still room for more optimistic/whimsical moments (stackhouse filibuster, celestial navigation, sir john marbury, in this white house, shibboleth again). I could watch these first two seasons endlessly with no problems.

Season 3 is where I personally start to falter. The contrast between great moments of drama and humor is still present (manchester, posse comitatus, hartsfields landing, etc.) but it seems lessened. This season introduces bruno and his team, and i dont really enjoy their presence. i understand why they are around, i just dont like them. This is the point in watching the west wing where i get depressed.

Then we get to season 4. This season really starts to drag from the beginning. The turning away from humor in favor of seriousness that started in season 3 is on full display here. I was able to tolerate the first 7 episodes last time, but when >!sam seaborn left!< i just gave up.

Right now I am on season 4 episode 4. What do yall think? should i keep going?

If I had a nickle for every time I found out The West Wing was leaving a streaming service during the holidays...

https://www.reddit.com/r/HBOMAX/s/Od40Lp0w42

CJ the new chief of staff? Were they... were they building this up in any way? Why did the president or leo act like CJ being the new chief of staff was "the only right answer" were they training her to be the new chief of staff? That was such an odd development. I mean I like CJ well enough I just don't understand how we got from point A to point B. The person in charge of speaking to the press is the most suited to handling the responsibilities for chief of staff?

I thought Josh being Deputy Chief of Staff meant he was next in line, but then when they had Josh and Toby bickering I assumed they were gonna bring in someone new, like how they had John Goodman guest star as the speaker of the house, but this seemed random even though I don't think I missed a single episode from seasons 1 to 6 to explain that.

was putting a show on and saw leaving soon and The West Wing under it…I can’t see anything else so I’m just wondering if it’s a glitch on mine

I’m wondering if anyone else feels the way I do about this episode. Just watched it as I’m slowly making my way through a rewatch. I think it’s fantastic, right up there with my all-time favourite episodes. Never fails to give me a lump in my throat. The writing and directing are spot on (not that I’m an expert in that field, but these things you can tell). Even the sub-plot about the stolen painting is brilliant. Doesn’t get much better than this.

One of my favourite quotes during one of the lighter moments of this episode… “your necklace is a monument to bourgeois taste” 😂

Here’s my submission.

GW. Blue. Blue. Blue.

Rewatching for the millionth time and I still cringe at the scene with Josh and Speaker Haffley, especially when Haffley says India can have our programming jobs but they can’t take away what’s great about the American spirit. That line is incredibly lame. Really bad writing. In fact the entire episode is bad. What’s in the trade deal is not really discussed. We’re just supposed to believe it somehow caused tens of thousands of white collar computer programming jobs to move to India. I work for a company that has a large number of employees in India. The reason is their technology skill set, not that they’re cheap labor. Having an episode about free trade is fine but come up with a better storyline than this.

Addendum: It had not occurred to me that anyone would think I meant that Toby himself is Italian. I just meant his Italian language :)

He breaks it out, as far as I have seen on this...9343rd rewatch...twice. Once with the "Quando dio..." quote in Two Bartlets and again in the second part of Inauguration.

Such a strange thing no one ever really calls attention to that I can think of.

Why doesn't Secret Service agent Simon Donavon wear a bullet proof vest?

https://ew.com/jon-hamm-feared-rob-lowe-would-land-his-mad-men-role-8666103#:~:text='%22,%22The%20West%20Wing%22%20role.&text=Hamm%20revealed%20the%20script%20was,the%20advertising%20executive%20part%2C%20too.&text=Jon%20Hamm%20as%20Don%20Draper%20in%22Mad%20Men%22.

I would love everyone’s input on this quote. I’m a writer myself and have my own opinions, but I’m very curious what others think.

1. Zoe's hair in season 1 is terrible.

2. She starts Georgetown in January when she's 19. Is that normal in the US? I thought school years started in September?

3. Episode 18 (When they're watching tje Mendoza confirmation)has a fire in the mural room - but in later episodes the chimney has been sealed since the 1800s. I never noticed that continuity failure before.

4. Josh gets a lot of attention from girls in the show. But Sam is more traditionally handsome of the two, I just found that odd.

5. Controversial, but I don't mind Mandy. I'm not sure what her job is, other than some sort of PR person but it really bugs me that she just disappears from the show.

6. Why the hell is Josh's office so dark!?

Josh really pissed me off here. He had no right to invite Toby's father to the white house.

I lost my dad when I was 20. He and I were very close and it was to devastating me. But here's the thing; as an adult I understand not everyone has a good relationship with their father, and I would never trick or manipulate anyone into seeing someone they had reason to cut out of their lives. Even if I don't agree with them for why they are not close to or on speaking terms with their dad.

I have a very bad relationship with my mother. I have a friend who lost her mom, whom she was close to, 10 years ago. If I ever say anything in front of her negative about my own mother, she'll say things like, "At least you have a mother," or "You are going to regret not fixing your relationship when she's gone." I let it go, but it pisses me off. She doesn't know the extent of trauma the woman put me through when I was growing up, but she knows enough.

Josh projecting his own feelings about the people he lost to guilt Toby into having a relationship with his father was messed up.

If Bartlet had lost the election and only served one term,what do you think would have happened to the characters? CJ never made Chief of Staff, Josh never encouraged Santos to run, Leo had 3 years less stress? How do you think things would have worked out?

Cliff Calley shows up for the first time in three seasons and is suddenly a huge prick, Margaret's pregnant, Toby's brother has cancer and died by suicide after not being mentioned since Season 1, the whole Sen. Rafferty conversation with Toby at the bar as played as a sexualized swerve for no reason, and of course the actual physical fight, what the hell was going on here - I feel like Mr Krabs in that meme

edit: y'all take this television show very seriously

He just can't you guys...

(S7 E1) President Bartlett’s response to Oliver Babish’s proposal to stop the White House’s investigation into the leak

Well said.

What's happened with him. We almost never see him on the last season and he didn't make any appareance for the last episode. Toby was one of my favorite characters of the show, i was so sad and mad.

I hate sm his last arc which he transmits confidential informations (it is totally OOC fo me).

So what happened, did Richard have any problems with the producers?

Did he want to leave the show and was he forced to stay?

he doesn't seem to be upset nowadays so i don't think it is one of these.

There is a lot of posts about cringe on the show. I think the whole team Toby thing during debate camp is just god awful. How do you guys feel about it ?

Was just rewatching S4E6 "Game On" for probably the 7th run through. What happened to Sam always felt off to me. With all the hint dropping of Sam running for President someday, do you think an original timeline existed where Sam wins and becomes a congressman with Will is his Cheif of Staff with Elsie as Com. Director?

.........

Edit: Add into alt. universe - From the very next episode "Election Night", Charlie's mentee, Anthony does become Orlando's sports agent.

On today's BBC Friday Quiz.

https://preview.redd.it/etyjnrz2us3e1.png?width=552&format=png&auto=webp&s=c35f3fa98336ccc139a059ea7d7490132f9dfe24

for me, I'll go with 'The Leadership Breakfast' (S2 E11). The reason that I don't like it is all the negativity there. Politicians doing sketchy things and then our heroes feeling like crap at the end. Not exactly one I rush to.

What about you?