Afterglow

[dalekboy]

Sharon and I just watched episodes 5 & 6 from the fourth season of West Wing. Episode 6 was about Bartlet having a debate with Governor Ritchie. Now, an episode of TV about a debate should suck.

This left me with a near sexual afterglow.

And I'm not exaggerating. I was sitting there for several minutes afterwards blown away by the episode.

It was clever, witty and smart. So very, very smart. It's official, I have never seen a television show as consistently well written as West Wing. It doesn't engage your emotions in the obvious and manipulative ways of most TV, it does it by giving you something to actually care about and admire, to get you thinking and passionate about what it's doing.

With so much utter garbage out there, it's nice to know that TV can actually be this amazing.

If I ever wrote something a fraction as good as West Wing, I'd be very happy.

It's nice to have goals.

Comments

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Who'da thunk it? Once again you and I have the same goals!

Have you seen "Two Cathedrals", the final episode of Season 2? I think it's just about my favourite hour of American television ever.

[mondyboy.livejournal.com]

Oh God.... Two Cathedrals makes me squeal like a little girl. That amazing moment when Jed has a go at God. I mean even as a believer I was on Jed's side, cheering him on.

Gotta say that despite Sorkin leaving, Season Five is great. It's different, perhaps grittier, and the team - who always so sure of themselves, even when things were falling apart - now seems a little fragile. And I'm loving it.

I'm about to re-watch Season Three. Yum.

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

I love the cigarette. That's the moment that says it all.

I've been lucky, a mate has lent me the seasons as he's bought them. I'm not sure how I'll cope when the time comes when I've caught up and it's a week to week thing. I think it'll drive Sharon and I nuts.

[angriest.livejournal.com]

How many writers would have the balls to include 30 seconds of dialogue in latin without subtitles, that's what I want to know.

Season 5 is pretty good. More like ER than West Wing in tone, though. Better than Season 4, which I thought was very haphazard, not as good as Seasons 1-3. And what the hell are they doing with Will Bailey (other than not having a clue what to do with him)?

G.

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten the Latin.

Look, it's simply a show that I know I'm going to watch again and again. How it got made is beyond me, it doesn't dumb down, it presents both sides of most arguments, the dialogue is so fast that you often have to rewind to catch it...

Well, with regards to season four, up to episode 6 I've been pretty happy :)

[angriest.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Sports Night? It's the series Sorkin made before The West Wing, that kinda fails as the light-hearted sitcom it was pitched as (plus it has the worst canned laughter of all time), but inadvertently knocks the ball out of the park as an ethics-based social commentary drama.

I love The West Wing. I've got Seasons 2-4 on DVD and watch them incessantly.

[mondyboy.livejournal.com]

Why not Season One?

I've got Season One to Three. But I waited to buy the Region 1 versions. They have yummy extras on them. Mmmmmmmm deleted scenes...

[angriest.livejournal.com]

I was poor when Season 1 came out. I was wealthier when Seasons 2-4 came out. That's all.

[mondyboy.livejournal.com]

Fantastic answer! I'll shut up now.