With every writers strike the reprisal is more crappy script less VIRTUAL *UNREALITY* TV Ann the good TV today would fi on 2 days on no more than 2 networks an we would st only be getting 18 weeks of 42 minute hours Not that long ag it was 52 mins and a total of 25 weeks minimum.
No, unfortunately Sorkin’s genius is overshadowed by his bigotry toward opposing viewpoints. He doesn’t understand the Right so his portrayal is all Strawman. Like if Michelangelo only painted with half the colors in the visible spectrum.
My all time favorite Jed Bartlett scene is when he poses all those questions to the Dr about what the bible says. And then stops and tells her to stand up cause hes not sitting down. That whole scene. A masterpiece.
Well we did have a candidate Sen. Bernard Sanders from Vermont and we all saw what happened DNC backstabbed him just because he was a progressive candidate.
@VTX00128 Batlet was never a progressive he was a Catholic Liberal. He could never get the Democratic Nomination with how he party is today. His beliefs on family values, abortion, and marriage which were in the show would be impossible to line up with the party. He was not homophobic or completely against any LGBT people but his beliefs do come from Judeo-Christian values.
@@AndreAFirenzeBut here's the thing - if we had Jed Bartlet, arguably the perfect president, mainly due to his imperfections, we wouldn't appreciate him like we do in the West Wing. We'd probably hate him, since we wouldn't see all of the interactions he has on a daily basis. We wouldn't know how good of a person he is or isn't, and therefore, we'd have a massive nation level disagreement on who this president is, what he stands for, and what he does.
I wish there was a single real-life presidential candidate who I could support as much as most good fictional presidential candidates. Bartlett being at the top of my list.
The scariest part is how many episodes dealt with problems happening now. This show was ahead of its time dealing with our current problems almost 20 years ago. I love the banter between the characters and the arguments, they acted like a family instead of coworkers.
No... The episodes were inspired by current events of the time. It's not ahead of its time. The US has not made any meaningful progress on these issues...
Whenever I'm feeling down or scared about how our country is going these days, I watch West Wing to try and feel better. I know it is TV, drama, but I can escape and feel good for a bit when I watch this.
Angels are creatures, created by God, and are not humans. And vice versa. Humans don't ascend to angel status by dying. And to say otherwise, is deceptive.
@@Bustermax01not to you, anyway. But I have seen one, along with 3 friends. It saved our lives. A hot white being, that guided us to safety, near the summit of Mt. Adams, when we were struck by a storm, 25 degree temp, and 125 MPH winds. We were flying, up to 18 feet, in the air! Sometimes landing lightly, others being dumped face first, into snow. We were seeking an Apellachian Mountain Club stone hut, in a whiteout, being blown to hell. This was in 1980, Columbus Day weekend, long before LED. It stood before the hut, then vanished as we got close. There was a couple inside, that knew nothing about us, or the being. You decide. The dead are dead. You may not believe in angels, but I don't believe in ghosts.
Two Cathedrals makes me cry every time. My daughter and I loved this series and SHE loved and studied Latin and Greek. What amazing writing!! Thank you Aaron Sorkin for such Inspiring and interesting series…probably never to be seen again❤️🎞️🎥
Bartlet’s into scene in the pilot is pretty much the best intro to a character I’ve seen in my 41 years. And then to bookend it w/the soliloquy from The Two Cathedrals, which is my second fav Bartlet scene
@@TrulyMadlyShallowlyReligious men are mostly con artists. Few if any truly believe what they preach, especially the ones who make the most noise about Other people’s conduct. Shepherds are not in it for love of the sheep. It’s ALL about the Shearing.
@@TrulyMadlyShallowly , if you really want to find someone who knows the Bible, don't look for a man who makes his living cherry-picking the parts that suit his purposes and put money in his pocket. Find a theologian, a scholar, an atheist even, someone who doesn't have a vested interest in skewing the conclusions drawn from it. Religious people should know the Bible they claim to worship. A few of them do. If you must seek them out among the church goers, then you need to ask about the verses that don't serve their interests. Ask about the scene where the stone was rolled away from Jesus' tomb. All four gospels describe it, but none match. It was found before sunrise, after sunrise, during the day, or while it was dark, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John respectively. It was found by the Virgin Mary & Mary Magdalene, and they were alone...or with someone else...or three other people...or five. The stone was rolled away before they got there...or it wasn't. Proverbs 26:4 says you can't answer fools. Proverbs 26:5 (the next verse) says you must. But a good way to spot someone pretending they know it is to ask about Matthew 30:5, where Jesus spoke about liars. Matthew has 28 chapters. The Bible has literally hundreds of contradictions. Either no one has seen the face of God, or someone has. Even the commandments are in dispute. The Old Testament says there are ten. The New Testament says there are two.
From an intellectual point of view my favourite scene too but "the tight ass club" telling off is breathtaking too, how he pulls knowledge from the bible, pairs it up with real-life events and then hurls them at her one after the other, it's class and probably my third favourite scene ("angels in heaven" being my second).
That’s the one you liked and quoted? His staff had to teach him that he was acting with emotion for loosing his doctor, they told him the USA could put the best air field out of commission with a major strike, totaling in fatalities 4k plus in the bombing, but doing that would cripple international groups abilities to send in aide to that nations most desperate and hungry people, would start a famine that would tens of thousands of more, causing regional instability
@@lionsjourney29 Yes, in the episode, the Joint Chiefs came up with a totally unreasonable response intended to show that Bartlett was overreacting. Essentially, the JCS were being difficult, and effectively (in both senses of the word) insubordinate. Other options would have also been available, which might have proven more of a deterrent for the future. However, the JCS failed to consider options that would penalize those who gave the orders, rather than effectively innocent bystanders like the night watchmen at the intelligence agency or the citizens of Damascus. Bartlett was correct, and the JCS (and arguably Sorkin) was wrong.
This is and will always be my favorite show. This is the President we deserve but we will never get. Martin Sheen was originally only supposed to make small appearances now and then. The show was originally supposed to be centered around Rob Lowe's character Sam Seaborn. The response that they got after the first episode with Martin Sheen was overwhelming so they wrote him in as the main character. Aaron Sorkin hit this out of the park and wanted everything to be as authentic as it could and they did just that . I could go on for hours about this show because i know each episode by heart.
#2 is still my favorite scene from the show. But they got #1 completely right. Credit has to be given to Aaron Sorkin's writing - but his words would be lifeless with having someone as brilliant as Martin Sheen delivering them.
Let Bartlett be Bartlett is such a good scene. Its two men, arguing and if either one were put up against a lesser actor the scene would be entirely stolen. Instead its a masterpiece back and forth. I miss the West Wing
Aaron Sorkin's scripts were fantastic. Showing more humanity than the little snippets we get from the news stories. The actors were really very good at portraying the characters, I cannot imagine that any one else could have done a better job. Thank you for the many hours of enjoyment. We need Josiah Bartlett in office now!😢
I've listened to the recordings on FDR's fireside chats. I believe the writers for the West Wing reviewed all the great orators thru out American history while penning the character of President Josiah Bartlett. There's no one with greater acting chops to bring that character to life than Martin Sheen. I would like to say thank you to all involved in bringing this extraordinary drama to the American people. It came at a time when we most needed it.
I would like to hear what he would say to us now - today - about how far the left has leaned. He was a democrat that I would have voted for, I wish he were here now. Because neither ticket is viable for me, as I am a Republican.
@@julieenslow5915 Bartlett was always, party politics aside, the President the American people needed, the President a great nation deserved. Instead you get a man with no morals or one who can barely articulate the thoughts which the staff generate for him (since I doubt he has a coherent thought of his own). I am a Brit and look in despair at our great ally across the pond as I look in despair at those who presume to lead my own country in this most dangerous and difficult of worlds. We are all fallible, as was Bartlett, but it seems that politicians today have no agenda but their own agrandisement, no compass but expediency. Perhaps I am just old and cynical, but it seems to me that The West Wing was a fable of how our leaders might deal with the world. It was a brilliantly written and acted story - what a shame it was only fiction.
@@chriscarter5720 Your last sentence is the most telling and why so many people can not let it go. The reason is less a thought process and more of an emotion: WHY can we not get such a president in real life? If we just keep digging...surely there is one out there?
@@julieenslow5915 We have had comparable presidents. However, the opposition party has limited their ability to accomplish as much as they might have done, as has the willingness of the president to forgo believing that the opposition party also has the country's best interests in mind. If the president correctly believes that the opposition is also motivated by "what is best for the country", then disagreements may mean that the president is wrong. If, on the other hand, the opposition is only interested in political gain, even at the cost of the country, then a president willing to give the opposition the benefit of the doubt will not be able to accomplish much. In the West Wing, the opposition was often portrayed as being motivated by their ideals and not merely by political gain; unfortunately, in the real world, this is not always true.
I remember watching the pilot, I was mesmerized, I could not believe that just in the first 10 minutes , 5 major problems for the government were covered. The beauty was the personal touch Arron Sorkin wrote in the pilot. I was every episode for 4 years straight. There is nothing like this in TV today. I keep remembering these shows, I need a binge of the first 6 seasons. 1/10/24
This show didn't catch lightning in a bottle. It created the storm that made the lightning so we could sit back in awe of it's power. This is by a mile the best written show in history. Maybe not the greatest show but no show had ever made me feel like this show did.
@@tomace4898 Morality bears little resemblance to laws. He did the correct thing, he was pardoned because the law is rigid and occasionally needs oversight.
Nicola, thank you , The Church scene right before Bartlett announcement of running for second term, with Brother in Arms playing was my favorite of the entire run . Nicola, you are a class act my friend
@@gregfaber3417 embarrassed to say I can't remember my rules here. can former President Obama run for the same office again? in North Carolina Governor James Hunt held the governorship twice (with one term off in between.) Could Obama run again?
@@0prayus He was president for 2 terms, unless Trump gets in and changes the rules...which he intends to, no. Only 2 terms as preisdent are permitted in the US.
I enjoyed the scene when after Mark Harmon was Killed, He was talking to James Brolin, and Brolin makes a snide ass comment about Crime, and Bartlet says That's When I decided to Kick Your Ass!
Although, I truly love what he says tomorrow, what I really wanted him to say was what’s next. Because for the first time in his life, he didn’t know what was next, and as he holds the napkin from Leo, he misses him too, because Leo gave him so many what’s next.
yes. but the scene that comes to mind isnt showed here. fitzwallace explaining the overreaction operation. too bad that netanyahu think that 50,000 casualties are chump change.
@@tokyworldThe real slapper is when Leo tells Bartlet that he can destroy the world, his US is the only superpower left. But he'll have to go through him first. Starts at 13:00, but the comeback from Leo is missing.
The character of Jed Bartlett was only supposed to be in 1 in 4 episodes and the other thing is the way Jed Bartlett put his coat/jacket on is the only way Martin Sheen can put on a coat/jacket.
There was a period of time in american television where some awards organization had to choose between the sopranos, the west wing and deadwood...and I don't envy them one bit. What wonderful time
I watched West wing way back when…. And have watched the Real America spiral into divisiveness, hate, following the "Orange Savior" who was supposedly sent by God? I wish we could have a man like Jed Bartlett in this real world.
#2 the scene with the Dr and the bible questions should definitely be #1. it's iconic and often referred to "one of the best scenes in TV history", so that kinda tells us where it really stands relatively speaking
I watched West Wing but have totally forgotten how great the writing was along with the cast. Here is a leader who has the inner strength to stay true to himself and still have the ability to make decisions for the people of America. My respect to this awesome show and what type of leader is needed for a country that is a true leader or is supposed to be
You can argue it was the brilliant writing, you can argue it was the fantastic cast. Personally I think it was a combination of the two. This remains one of the greatest shows to be made and shows that despite current trends, when America tries, they can compete with great drama from anywhere in the world.
Has there ever been a writer-actor team better than Sorkin-Sheen to bring the best balance of emotion, gravitas, knowledge, drama, understanding, human frailty, and informative teaching wrapped in one package? No, there hasn't. My heart and my pride swell for the potential of this country and humanity when I watch this show. However, in 2024, our current reality is a sad contrast to this potential in terms of the terrible ignorance that nearly half of our country is willfully committed too. The degree of mental compartmentalization and willful ignorance predominantly on the right results in a bottomless capacity for hypocrisy and authoritarian tendancies that puts the US in a position that may undermine its fundamental premise. Cut the crap and watch the West Wing!
Just started re-watching this series for the third or fourth time. Such amazing storylines, actors, and messaging. Hard to believe we're going through now what they addressed almost 25 years ago!
These 10 scenes are phenominal. Martin Sheen shines in every one. Unfortunatly my absolute favorite scene is not any of these that were mentioned. It was in season 1, episode 6 "Mr Willis of Ohio" where President Bartlet seems to be reprimanding the Third Daughter, Zoey Bartlet for an innocent misunderstanding. In the scene though, under the surface, you realize he is expressing his fear/love of his daughter whom he clearly cherishes. One lesson I really love from this Scene is that living our life, with its freedoms, is a privalage and a responsibility, not an entitlement to live however we so choose damning all consequences. Season 2, episode 14, "War at Home" although not my favorite episode has one of the most human reactions that you would hope The President would feel at the sudden knowledge of the loss of soilders lives carrying out his orders.
I find it interesting that you include Jed's rage at a proportional response, but not Leo's counterargument that is ultimately the stated philosophy of the episode/show
