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BartlettNet - The West Wing Appreciation Society - May Contain Spoilers!

442 replies

CaveMum · 19/05/2011 13:28

A thread for the discussion of West Wing - the best tv show ever made!

If you haven't seen all 7 Seasons be aware that this thread may contain spoilers!

OP posts:
Bumperlicioso · 20/05/2011 08:26

Did you know the original series was meant to be set around the character of Sam?

Northernlurker · 20/05/2011 08:27

Yes the President was meant to be seen very little (Blew that one didn't they!)

Bumperlicioso · 20/05/2011 08:29

Oh we're all trying to impress each other now with out WW trivia'

Paschaelina · 20/05/2011 08:35

It's Busch League- relating to what used to be known as the NASCAR Busch Series, the second tier league below the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

[saddo married to a racing nut emoticon]

Anyway Andie had the sense to stay out of another relationship with Toby, but I think she wished it was different.

godzuki · 20/05/2011 08:51

I'm definitely going to re-watch them all from Series 1 (except I think I have the early ones on video tape rather than dvd and not sure we still have a video player in the house). I secretly named my DS after a WW character. DH doesn't know that. He thinks it was just a name I liked Grin

jumpyjack · 20/05/2011 09:08

Sorry, I meant did they hook up 'in the end' rather than the end of the series iykwim. There was all those arguments and missed dates, and then it looked like they got it together after inauguration (series 3 or 4?) but maybe I just imagined it.

dinkystinky · 20/05/2011 09:17

Godzuki - think I said it on the other thread, but DS1 is very deliberately named after a WW character (I did want Snuffy to be worked in too ala Snuffy Walden the brilliant music producer but DH put his foot down at that). I then realised DS2 has the name of a WW character too - not intentionally this time though!

I loved all the characters but really hated what they did with Toby's character towards the end (the whole leaking thing, being banged up, etc) - it just felt entirely out of character for someone so full of righteous indignation with a high moral code.

tribpot · 20/05/2011 09:22

The Toby/Andy story was always a bit strange in that they were divorced but still trying for a baby (or at least Andy was using Toby's sperm) so when she did get pregnant he wanted to get back together again but she didn't. I don't think after the babies were born they ever made a go of it as a couple again?

Then he seemed to become an absent dad and finally a traitor. No way to treat such a fine character.

lilibet · 20/05/2011 09:46

Oh hello!! Wonderful idea for a thread

My cat is called Toby, I agree with whoever said that it wasn't a nice way to treat a wonderful character

NormanTebbit · 20/05/2011 10:02

I think Josh is probably recovering from a triple heart bypass, is on astrict macrobiotic diet and is living in California, making a good living on the lecture circuit, special adviser to sam's campaign for presidency. This causes friction with Donna who has just had their third (unplanned child) and is juggling with career as head of communications for some NGO.

CJ has adopted more children a la Madonna/Brangelina. Is now special advisor to the UN.

Toby is a tenured professor at some top university. He is having an affair with a post grad student. He drinks a bit too much.

Charlie is deputy chief of staff.

culturemulcher · 20/05/2011 11:24

Grandhighpoohba I thought the CJ / Toby relationship was one of the great things about the (utterly unsurpassed) series.

Toby got CJ the job and they'd obviously been friends for years. It's the first time I've seen a male/female friendship on the screen portrayed as a great, supportive, fun, honest (even down to the arguments) friendship, without any of the will-they-won't-they stuff.

I really couldn't imagine CJ and Toby ever getting it together, but they obviously loved each other as great friends.

Can anyone help me out with Kate's character, though? I just never got to grips with her. I mean, she came in as some kind of Nancy McNally replacement. She'd got top-secret-kill-you-with-a-flick-of-my-finger training and had seen active service just about everywhere, spoke god knows how many far eastern languages but yet looked as though she was starting her first graduate job behind the counter at a bank. How old was she supposed to have been? Early 40s? How could she have had all that experience by then?

Still don't get it. Quite liked her getting together with Will, though.

OhmeoOhmyo · 20/05/2011 11:40

Kate Harper is one of my (v few) character gripes, though I think she gets better. And I like the CJ/Kate exchanges. "I have a date" "You do NOT!"

Nancy McNally didn't have a visible deputy, we only ever saw her in the Situation Room, then Kate H appears and no one can move in the Oval Office without falling over her saving the world on a daily basis.

Poor actor though, that fringe at the beginning. Public humiliation or what?

octopusinabox · 20/05/2011 12:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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CaveMum · 20/05/2011 12:51

What are peoples thoughts on Lord John Marbury? At first I was a little Hmm but I grew to like him. I think it helped that they didn't just write him as a typical eccentric Brit, he was also an very intelligent man. I also loved that he called Leo Gerald!

OP posts:
Skelacia · 20/05/2011 12:52

We're up to Season 6 and we're slowing down because we've nearly run out. :( We own a box set between me, my mum and my sister and we rotate it, once we're done we'll wait for mum and the sister to rewatch again before we get it back. Which is probably a good thing really or we'd never stop watching it. Wink

The episode we watched last night had me completely startled the height difference between CJ and Annabeth. Annabeth kept practically jumping out at CJ and when they pedeconferenced I did Grin

BornToFolk · 20/05/2011 13:02

"Charlie is deputy chief of staff." Noooo, in my mind, Charlie was going to be the first black President (in WW universe anyway Grin) Though I suppose he could be deputy chief of staff first...

I kind of hope that Donna didn't end up with Josh even though it was all very romantic. I think he'd hold her back, he could be quite the misogynist at times...

yeah, CaveMum, I agree about Lord John. He irritated me at first and then it became clear how clever he was and I liked him more.

We considered Josiah as a name for DS. Nickname Jed, of course! I still think it's a great name.

Original poster
CaveMum · 20/05/2011 13:09

I think Charlie finished his law degree, became a DA somewhere and is now the youngest Supreme Court Justice Grin

OP posts:
NormanTebbit · 20/05/2011 13:31

I remember a scene where Potus says to Sam: "one day you will be president of the US."

But I like the idea of it being Charlie.

DownyEmerald · 20/05/2011 13:36

Thank you CaveMum - now I know who Leon from the Apprentice has been reminding me of - Lord John Marbury!

And NormanTebbit and the rest of you. It hadn't crossed my mind there would be clips of WW on YouTube - I was supposed to be working at home on Wednesday...

culturemulcher · 20/05/2011 13:55

"then Kate H appears and no one can move in the Oval Office without falling over her saving the world on a daily basis."

Exactly Ohmeo. But you're right - I liked her exchanges with CJ too. Another way in which WW got women right - a bit of gossip doesn't mean the job's not getting done.

culturemulcher · 20/05/2011 14:07

Have to confess I never really noticed the fringe Blush ... probably because I couldn't get past how much she looked like the snake from the muppets

Pinkjenny · 20/05/2011 14:09

Agree about Kate. I never took to her at all.

NormanTebbit · 20/05/2011 14:21

Here's one for you downy
Josh has a hangover

NormanTebbit · 20/05/2011 14:24

Aw shucks it's not working. It's Josh meets Joey Lucas on YouTube. V.funny.