Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

West Wing Series 7

330 replies

lilibet · 27/03/2006 12:52

So who's watching and and what do you think?

I'm a bit disappointed, there isn't enough White House stuff and too much on the campaign trail. I think that although at the end of the last season I liked both Santos and Vinnick, there is too much of them so far in this.

Vinnick has started being painted as a bit of a baddie after last weeks episode, but I don't feel that bothered about the election as I know that I won't be seeing the winner in the White House.

Santos new advisor Lou is just a watered down Amy, and I don't feel that involved with any of the campaign staff.

What about the leak? Where are Leo, Jed, Charlie, CJ and the rest?

OP posts:
tribpot · 21/06/2006 10:59

Okay, my mission if I ever have 42 minutes in a row to myself (ha ha) is to rewatch the Ricky ep to see what the deal was there, AND rewatch the Pres firing Toby ep to see what the deal was there, too.

Mission accepted!

Original poster
lilibet · 21/06/2006 12:10

What is the name of the Ricky episode?

we could look on Television without Pity?

OP posts:
tribpot · 21/06/2006 12:21

Drought Conditions - this is the write-up on the WW Continuity Guide website.

Original poster
lilibet · 21/06/2006 12:58

drought conditions

I have jsut wasted some of the NHS's money sitting at my desk scanning thru that and I don't think it gets us any furhter forward

Not checked out Tribpot's version - I need to keep my job

OP posts:
tribpot · 21/06/2006 13:01

I had a brief look at TWP (kinda wish I hadn't as the main page tells you what happens in the final episode) but couldn't be bothered reading the 450 zillion pages of the recap, surely longer than the episode itself!

Right, we are trying to establish whether there is some nuance suggesting Toby's bro and Ricky Whatshername were having a dalliance? I'd forgotten, this is the stupid ep where Toby and Josh have a fight in Josh's office, ludicrous scraping of the bottom of the barrel.

lilibet - I work for the NHS too, although my excuse is I am on leave today. Rest easy tax payers!

Original poster
lilibet · 21/06/2006 13:06

There is something to suggest that they had a dalliance - she wishes hse had been at the funeral and would have kept her head down, but doesn't know how he died, so that seems a bit confusing

OP posts:
Ellbell · 23/06/2006 23:08

So, who saw tonight's then? Got back up the A1 in time, LOL! Want someone with a better political brain than me (and preferably who understands US elections) to tell me whether the stuff with the voting figures is a red herring (just to keep us nice and tense) or whether there really is something strange going on (both Bruno and Josh think there is, but is that because they understand what's going on or has the campaign just done both their heads in?). I understand why rain in Massachussetts (sp?) is important, but what about the other 'anomalies'?

Ellbell · 23/06/2006 23:10

I'm liking the idea of a mass rewatch - one episode a week and then a discussion on here!

Original poster
lilibet · 24/06/2006 10:25

I can only watch it next week, we were out last night and are having people round tomororw for the footie, so will tape tomorrow nights and watch in the week

not that I have a political brain!

OP posts:
Ellbell · 24/06/2006 18:02

You'll enjoy it, lilibet...

tribpot · 26/06/2006 10:39

Didn't enjoy this episode much, will refrain from further comment until lilibet is up to speed. Re: the polling numbers, I suspect that we are leading up to a legal battle over the results. I'd quite like that in a way, cos I wanted TWW to end without us knowing which candidate won.

Original poster
lilibet · 26/06/2006 12:43

I'm up to speed now!

I wept buckets, even tho' I knew it was going to happen, I still cried

I'm not sure about the voting, I think that we do know who wins after episode 3 and this does seem to me that it is dragging it out a bit

According to yesterday's paper next weeks is 'heart rending'

OP posts:
thirtysomething · 26/06/2006 20:10

thought this week's was a real savour-every-minute episode, so sad about Leo, so satisfying about Josh and Donna, so vomit-inducing about Kate and Will, but couldn't follow the voting stuff, far too complicated for Sunday evening..does anyone have a degree in US politics?

Ellbell · 26/06/2006 21:36

Well, I think that the numbers are meant to be deliberately confusing. Maybe not a legal battle over the results, but just so that we can't guess who's going to win. The rain is relevant because the Democrat vote traditionally goes up after 5 p.m., when people leave work. If it's raining there's a chance that they will just go straight home and won't bother turning out to vote.

tribpot · 26/06/2006 21:37

Obv sad about Leo (although I didn't know this was coming, so seeing it happen was a bit of a sad-but-inevitable moment). Josh and Donna I found horribly sleazy after so many years (the camera even panned in on her bum, for god's sake) and potentially going nowhere. Will and Kate - yadda yadda, see no point in this storyline.

I think the voting stuff (having rewatched today) is about the fact that often the election is 'called' ahead of the actual results, given how long it takes to count that many votes. But the exit polls were not accurate in terms of the sampling data, so could potentially lead to results being called wrongly, and this is difficult to counteract in a very close race, except by demanding massive recounts - a strategy that apparently didn't work very well for Al Gore. So the TV projections have considerably more importance than they ought to, hence if they get them wrong, it can lead to all sorts of caper.

Ellbell · 26/06/2006 21:40

That makes sense tribpot... so it is really just to keep us guessing, but in a plausible way... Thanks.

Josh and Donna - I sort of knew that one was going to get resolved, but the sexual tension was much more interesting that its release.

Original poster
lilibet · 27/06/2006 09:18

Josh and Donna seemd quite boring actually, after the kiss there hasn't been any passion shown. At times they looked like an old couple in bed, I don't want to see them thrashing around but a bit of seriously good kissing would have been appropriate!

OP posts:
tribpot · 27/06/2006 10:50

But it's not just sexual tension, is it? Donna loves Josh. Josh ... doesn't really know how he feels about Donna. I don't get much of a sense the current writers even know that.

Grumble grumble, as we will see when we start our planned rewatch, early West Wing eps did not rely on completely random relationships between the cast to keep going. If TWW continued, it would end up like ER, where basically everyone has slept with everyone else.

Ellbell · 27/06/2006 13:01

Not CJ and Will, though, surely tribpot? + [mind-boggling emoticon]

LOL at 'a bit of seriously good kissing would have been appropriate'. Even allowing for election-day knackeredness, they did seem a bit un-ecstatic for The First Time, didn't they?

beckybrastraps · 27/06/2006 13:35

I only discovered West Wing last series. I love it, but have been told it used to be even better - what's the opinion on here? Is it worth getting the dvds of earlier series?

My problem with the storyline now is that I just don't like sanctimonious Santos. I only want him to win for Josh's sake (now Leo is no more ). I'm more curious than rooting for one candidate IYKWIM.

Original poster
lilibet · 27/06/2006 14:29

I don't think Josh and Donna are a random relationship, I think that they were meant to be, I just think that they seemd to have missed a step, they have gone from being best mates who obvioulsy fancied each other to a comfortable, loving couple. Where was the passionate bit?

OP posts:
tribpot · 27/06/2006 14:43

becky, 100% YES the earlier series are worth acquiring on DVD, not least so that then you can join us as we begin our planned rewatch!

Not sure about Will and CJ, perhaps we should have a round of 'least likely pairings', actually Annabeth and Leo comes close!

Original poster
lilibet · 27/06/2006 19:25

Oh yes Becky, please get it and watch it. It should be a crime not to see West Wing fromt he begining

OP posts:
tribpot · 27/06/2006 20:48

Was thinking though Lilibet, would be a crime to expect a WW newbie to proceed at 1 ep per week when she had the whole thing on DVD. A friend of mine visited me for the weekend once and watched the whole of Series 1!

trying2bgood · 27/06/2006 20:51

becky definitely, earlier series are great too! I still miss rob low's character - although am used to Will now and love the fact he has a thing with the blonde defence lady, they are so cute!