Meatpants

No discussion??

I thought it was the typically well-written episode of WW. Seems obvious now that Sam .

Favorite part was Donna coming back from the seminar.

Also, why do I have the feeling that no White House staff in history has ever been this intelligent?

Kal-El

Yep. That whole, "I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not done yet" thing was sort of a giveaway.

das Monkey

I thought this was a step or two above their typical great episodes. When they were sitting around trying to figure out how to change the rules of the debate, and he says, "We wanted 5. He wanted 0. We still have one thing he wants," I was pumped for a fight right then. And then Bartlet agrees to go along with it if they can convince Toby. Oh, hell yeah. "When you can't lower expectations, you just have to exceed them."

The theme of this episode was doing your best work when painted into a corner, and I think this plays for Sorkin too. He's writing this show into a specific place, and it's going to take a kickass episode to deliver the payoff he's setting up. But I'm sure he'll pull it off.

das

Bandoman

This is Sorkin's "here's how Gore should have campaigned against Bush" storyline. And he's right.

Neush

This is the best hour on television, period. Every episode I watch I end up having to pick my jaw up off the floor. Sorkin really is THAT good. The dialog is crisp and 100% believable and the characters play so well off one another you forget that you're watching a television show.

I've really enjoyed NYPD Blue the past year and I'm still a huge fan of E.R. and The Soprano's, but none of them come anywhere close to what The West Wing offers week after week. The scope of topics covered and the range with which the cast acts them out is staggering. If someone had told me five years ago that I'd be tuning in every week to see a bunch of politicos run around the White House I'd have thought them crazy, but this is some of the most engaging television to come along in awhile.

I can't wait till the debate, and I can't wait for Charlie to take that cute intern for a ride.

Red Dog

Yeah - I almost forgot about her. That intern was hot. She reminded me of a younger Kristin Davis (Charlotte on Sex & the City).

canuck

quote:
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Originally posted by Neush

This is the best hour on television, period.
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I would have to whole heartedly agree with you on this...

lisadoris

Probably because there hasn't been! All I can say now is bring on the debate episode, it should kick major a$$.

Professor Frink

Finally, a Presidential debate that is really a debate! Good Lord, I hate those ones we always get. Bartlett is right -- a 2-minute answer with a 1-minute rebuttal is NOT a debate. Sure, the moderator needs to keep control and avoid too many interruptions, but a debate should involve a DISCUSSION of the topic, not a prepared answer.

Bust

Isn't that what this is?

Kal-El

Bust, he was asking because the thread didn't get started until the morning after the episode aired when usually, a few hours before it airs, there's already some thread on it.

Meatpants

Right, I came in here Thursday morning and there was nothing.

This great, great show is getting beat in the ratings by The Bachelor.

bdshort

Yeah, I just read on the web today that the shows ratings have dropped 33% from last year?! How's that again?

This was another very good episode. This would be my favorite show on TV, if it wasnt for Six Feet Under (which I guess I can't count right now since new episodes aren't airing ) Next weeks episode should be terrific.

Brian

das Monkey

• Quoth bdshort •<HR SIZE=1>Yeah, I just read on the web today that the shows ratings have dropped 33% from last year?! How's that again?<HR SIZE=1>

Frankly, I'm amazed the ratings were as high as they were for so long. The American audience usually shuns shows this damn good. I guess the NBC audience is realizing they've accidentally been watching a great show all this time.

das