Customer Reviews

The West Wing - The Complete First Two Seasons (2-Pack)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't start watching The West Wing till early in the second season, but it quickly became my favorite show (replacing Aaron Sorkin's other masterpiece, "Sports Night", which had just been dropped by ABC). It was killing me that I'd missed so many episodes, so I was ecstatic when I heard that Warner was finally releasing the first season on DVD! Having the episodes on DVD is great, even for episodes you've seen. If you've seen The West Wing, you know how rapid-fire the dialogue is; with DVD, it's easy to back up a few seconds to catch a line you missed.

Sorkin is an amazing writer. He is able to weave a compelling and entertaining storyline involving real issues facing our country and world. The characters debate those issues in a way that illuminates both sides of the argument. You'll likely find yourself thinking "I'd never looked at it that way" at least a couple times every episode. It may be fiction, but it is fiction that inspires hope that our political system CAN work.

The show is definitely a thought-provoking drama, but that certainly doesn't mean it's dry or boring. There is a huge dose of witty banter and a fair share of light-hearted sub-plots in every episode. Great writing, great acting, great sets and music, all come together to form what has become my favorite TV show ever. Get these DVDs to get caught up on early episodes you missed, or to revisit the incredible beginnings of this masterpiece.

SEASON ONE:
Pilot
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
A Proportional Response
Five Votes Down
The Crackpots and These Women
Mr. Willis of Ohio
The State Dinner
Enemies
The Short List
In Excelsis Deo
Lord John Marbury
He Shall, from Time to Time
Take Out the Trash Day
Take This Sabbath Day
Celestial Navigation
20 Hours in L.A.
The White House Pro-Am
Six Meetings Before Lunch
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
Mandatory Minimums
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
What Kind of Day Has It Been?

SEASON TWO:
In The Shadow of Two Gunmen (Part 1)
In The Shadow of Two Gunmen (Part 2)
The Midterms
In This White House
And It's Surely To Their Credit
The Lame Duck Congress
The Portland Trip
Shibboleth
Galileo
Noel
The Leadership Breakfast
The Drop In
Bartlet's Third State of the Union
The War at Home
Ellie
Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail
The Stackhouse Filibuster
17 People
Bad Moon Rising
The Fall's Gonna Kill You
18th and Potomac
Two Cathedrals

(You can look up an episode guide if you want a quick summary of the plots; I didn't want to spoil any surprises here. My favorite guide is at epguides.com.)

The DVD version of this series is dangerous because the story arch is so compelling you'll find yourself sitting and watching episode after episode unable to stop just to see what happens next. If you've already seen the shows you'll watch them in great anticipation of those dynamic character moments contained in each episode (Yo-Yo Ma at the White House, sparing between the Bartletts, the moment when Donna learns of the President's medical condition). It's incredibly enjoyable to spend time with these characters and Mr. Sorkin's writing tickles us and touches our hearts such that we're reluctant to leave this amazing world and these equally amazing people who populate it.

The unfortunate part of the DVD package is the extras. The commentaries are just plain awful. They are stilted, awkward and boring, offering very little insight into the making of the show, backstage with the actors or any technical information - or what we're all hoping for -- some real gossip. In the published scripts of the show, Mr. Sorkin has written introductions which provide fascinating anecdotes about what was going on around the construction of the script and/or what was the inspiration for the story. That doesn't happen on the DVD. The outtakes or gag reel is short and not very satisfying. And where are the taped interviews with the actors and show's creators? I wonder if the departure from West Wing by Mr. Sorkin and Mr. Schlamme (which seemed to happen not be their choice) has created a situation in which pulling together some meaningful documentary regarding this significant television drama undoable.

Buy the DVDs to watch the episodes over and over (and you will, I'm sure). Buy the published scripts for the real "behind the scenes" stuff that adds a bit of color and depth to an already deeply colorful and moving television show.

This is a delightful show that makes you think you could actually vote Democrat if the right candidate came along. The days of JFK are gone, but this show makes you genuinely care about the Bartlet Administration, even if you don't care for the real life politics of Martin Sheen. Aaron Sorkin deserves the praise that is lavished on him for his writing. This is an intelligently written show with lots of wit, humor, drama, and political brinkmanship. The show seems credible, and really makes you feel like you have a backstage pass to the day to day operations of the execute branch of the federal government. The cast is outstanding, with no real weak link (and let's face it, even one poorly casted actor can ruin an otherwise good movie or TV show). I really appreciate the carefully designed sets, the lighting, the transitions, and the overall tempo of the show. I had never seen a single episode of the show when I first started watching it on DVD, which turned out to be great because I got the opportunity to watch them all in order with no commercials. It's just high quality entertainment. With all the trash on TV these days, The West Wing is a real gem. I wish there were more shows that appealed to our sense of decency and civic virtue. The success of this show proves that there's a market for it.

We purchased this for my son who loves the West Wing. We watched him while he was here and became fans ourselves.

Great series, timely material with the current events of the political scene -
Good actors, well-performed scripts - I have the entire series and even still
watch them. Wish we had political leaders today as effective as those portrayed
in this West Wing.

This series is one of the shows that reminds me what I like about TV. The writing is excellent and the actors make the characters real. The characters actually seem like real people as opposed to the two dimensional types on most shows. I learned to love Sorkin's style on Sports Night and appreciate it even more with the material that the West Wing provides him.

Every episode is written with such eloquence, wit, and is of such a high standard, one can barely believe its been written for television. The acting is profoundly moving - the cast unforgettable. Meanwhile the set design, cinematography and lighting could easily be mistaken to be that of a feature film.

Season 1 and 2 earned 17 Emmies between them, and won countless other prestigious TV industry awards.

Easily some of the best and most enjoyable television ever created. And this coming from someone with no interest in Australian, let alone American politics.

THe intricacies of plot, depth of the characters, and unrivaled dialogue make this one of the high water marks in network television history. FOr fans of drama (although there is a great comic undertone to some episodes) this show is a must have.