West Wingers

kimmiinthemitten

Ugh, I just cried watching Posse Comitatus...gets me every time. I just love the way music weaves into the storyline. 

H's favorite is Two Cathedrals, my next fave is In Excelsis Deo. Fun fact:  the fourth person at the funeral is the then director of Arlington. He was so moved by the story line that he asked to be there. 

Whats your fave?  I like the fake government better than the one we got so I'm rewatching for hope!

downtondiva

I think I'd have to say my favorite is In Excelsis Deo. I still cry every time I see it. I also really love Take This Sabbath Day.

VarunaTT

In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Parts I and II.  I think that's some of the finest television ever produced in any category (writing, acting, filming, etc).  ever.  I can't even pick a favorite scene from it...when the secret agent (blanking on his name) has to yell Code Blue and the limo does the 180 w/out slowing down (which I've seen a documentary on the WH limo, the drivers are actually trained to do just that), the hospital scene when the nurse is trying to play it off and then realizes it's real, Mrs. Bartlett telling the anesthesiologist about her husband's MS, Toby finding Josh, CJ trying to handle the press conference, the secret agent who can't remember "seeing something", Donna running to the hospital...and then Part II when you find out how they all meet?  

Sometimes, i'll just watch those two episodes.

Heffalump

In Excelsis Deo
20 Hours in America (parts 1 & 2)
Celestial Navigation*
Indians in the Lobby
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen

* How is there not more love for Celestial Navigation???  "I had woot canaw."  "Yeah, we have a secret plan to fight inflation."

VarunaTT

That's one of my favorite scenes.

Also one of my favorites is when the staff in DC is trying to figure out what time/day it will be in Tokyo when the president lands and CJ yells, "Guys!  There's clocks on the wall right there!"

And of course:

VarunaTT

Oh when Bartlett gives Charlie the Paul Revere knife.  Just the look on Charlie's face.

And when the General dresses down the Congressmen, man I'm blanking on exactly what happens in that.  Now I"m going to have to rewatch the series...again, for the like the 5th time.

mrsconn23

I need to watch West Wing for a second time here soon.  I binged it for the first time last year.  I'm afraid it will just make me sad because of our current state of politics in the world.  (Dear God France, you have ONE JOB.) 

kimmiinthemitten

Ooh I also especially the post 9/11 episode where they had the high school kids during a lock down.  Who knew people could have a dignified yet intelligent debate about terrorism, it's root causes, where to go from here etc and how sad that that episode is still so relevant today.

Heffalump

kimmiinthemitten said:

Ooh I also especially the post 9/11 episode where they had the high school kids during a lock down.  Who knew people could have a dignified yet intelligent debate about terrorism, it's root causes, where to go from here etc and how sad that that episode is still so relevant today.

Whispers: I don't really like that episode.

charlotte989875

I love all the ones mentioned, but also really love "Somebody's going to emergency, somebody's going to jail" where Sam is disillusioned about the spy. Also, Noel, especially the scene between Josh and Leo, gets me every time.

 

charlotte989875

Heffalump said:

kimmiinthemitten said:

Ooh I also especially the post 9/11 episode where they had the high school kids during a lock down.  Who knew people could have a dignified yet intelligent debate about terrorism, it's root causes, where to go from here etc and how sad that that episode is still so relevant today.

Whispers: I don't really like that episode.

Me either. I always skip it. But the West Wing Weekly just did it & I feel slightly better about it. I just makes me feel like I'm being talked down to. 

VarunaTT

I think it was important that West Wing make the post 9/11 episode.  B/c lots of people received their first political educations, for better or worse, from that show.  So, it set a base for actual intellectual, educated, political debate, rather than one based on fear, though they acknowledged fear.  I think they did a good service to their viewers, which is not something most TV shows seem to care about.

*I* don't like the episode, but not everyone sat through a Israel-Palestine Conflict History class in graduate school either.

charlotte989875

VarunaTT said:

I think it was important that West Wing make the post 9/11 episode.  B/c lots of people received their first political educations, for better or worse, from that show.  So, it set a base for actual intellectual, educated, political debate, rather than one based on fear, though they acknowledged fear.  I think they did a good service to their viewers, which is not something most TV shows seem to care about.

*I* don't like the episode, but not everyone sat through a Israel-Palestine Conflict History class in graduate school either.

Fair enough. And I actually really like the Israeli-Palestinian negotiation episodes later on bc they reflect real proposals/stances at the time. I actually showed it in my Middle Eastern politics course a few times. 

kimmiinthemitten

VarunaTT said:

I think it was important that West Wing make the post 9/11 episode.  B/c lots of people received their first political educations, for better or worse, from that show.  So, it set a base for actual intellectual, educated, political debate, rather than one based on fear, though they acknowledged fear.  I think they did a good service to their viewers, which is not something most TV shows seem to care about.

*I* don't like the episode, but not everyone sat through a Israel-Palestine Conflict History class in graduate school either.

This is exactly why I like it so much.  I was walking into my college American Government class that was taught by a Muslim professor from India when the first plane hit.  My experience and attitude towards everything 9/11 was very much shaped by that, and was very different from the experience and attitudes of people who may not have known any Muslims and I thought this episode did a great job of reaching out to those people.

kimmiinthemitten

charlotte989875 said:

VarunaTT said:

I think it was important that West Wing make the post 9/11 episode.  B/c lots of people received their first political educations, for better or worse, from that show.  So, it set a base for actual intellectual, educated, political debate, rather than one based on fear, though they acknowledged fear.  I think they did a good service to their viewers, which is not something most TV shows seem to care about.

*I* don't like the episode, but not everyone sat through a Israel-Palestine Conflict History class in graduate school either.

Fair enough. And I actually really like the Israeli-Palestinian negotiation episodes later on bc they reflect real proposals/stances at the time. I actually showed it in my Middle Eastern politics course a few times. 

H uses a bunch of episodes, including the Stackhouse Filibuster and Twenty Five.

InLoveInQueens

This post came at just the right time, Monday night I got my West Wing tattoo that I've been planning for a few months

I love too many episodes to list, really. All the ones mentioned and a bunch not, I just love the series as a whole. I've watched it start to finish ~6 times and that number is only going to keep going up and up as I get older. My last rewatch was my husband's first time watching the show and he's not a big fan, though he goes against the grain and said the later seasons were better than the first few, the heathen.

charlotte989875

InLoveInQueens said:

This post came at just the right time, Monday night I got my West Wing tattoo that I've been planning for a few months

I love too many episodes to list, really. All the ones mentioned and a bunch not, I just love the series as a whole. I've watched it start to finish ~6 times and that number is only going to keep going up and up as I get older. My last rewatch was my husband's first time watching the show and he's not a big fan, though he goes against the grain and said the later seasons were better than the first few, the heathen.

Pics??

InLoveInQueens

Fingers crossed this picture doesn't break all the tables!

Heffalump

Is that your Secret Service code name?

[Deleted User]

My first episode was Mr. Willis of Ohio which made me fall in love with the show so I always say it's my favorite.  Though so many others are amazing.  I got my screen name (not on TK, but on all my other websites) from Black Vera Wang.  I love seasons 2-5+.  Sorkin left for a while I think and some of those later episodes are sketchy.  But Charlie holding the phone, "Mrs Landingham was driving her car when she was hit by a drunk driver."  Is she okay?  Weep!

kimmiinthemitten

VarunaTT said:

Oh when Bartlett gives Charlie the Paul Revere knife.  Just the look on Charlie's face.

And when the General dresses down the Congressmen, man I'm blanking on exactly what happens in that.  Now I"m going to have to rewatch the series...again, for the like the 5th time.

General Fitz comparing gays in the military to black segregation?  

VarunaTT

kimmiinthemitten said:

VarunaTT said:

Oh when Bartlett gives Charlie the Paul Revere knife.  Just the look on Charlie's face.

And when the General dresses down the Congressmen, man I'm blanking on exactly what happens in that.  Now I"m going to have to rewatch the series...again, for the like the 5th time.

General Fitz comparing gays in the military to black segregation?  

I think that's it.  I remembered that scene, but General Fitz was one of my favorite characters on the show (even though he's a trope) so I was afraid I was mixing it up with other scenes of his.