The West Wing, season 1

FOUR-STAR EPISODES: 11
AVERAGE EPISODE RATING: 3.5
-Pilot ***
How does any pilot come out of the chute this fully realized? How did Sorkin get the studio to build a set this elaborate, BEFORE they'd even seen said pilot?? If the show hooked you, viewing this one again might lead to giggling, cheering, and clapping, because you know where it's all headed. But but but...it's already there. Except of course for Mandy. But even the oblivion her character is headed for, is somehow comically enjoyable. In the Sorkin/Schlamme commentary, they name the cast twice, and neither time do they mention her. Ouch. I have no doubt that Moira was as capable as many of her castmates...and her lines certainly flowed from the same pen. Yet the elusive magic of chemistry had no love for her. Would the part have worked with another actress? You almost think it could have (Sabrina Lloyd? Dina Meyer? Shannen Doherty?). The writing, by the way, is not as seamless as you might remember. There are moments of all too obvious contrivance - the fact that a room full of religious leaders could misidentify the First Commandment, or Sam's blurting to a stranger that he slept with a prostitute...these things don't hold up to much scrutiny. And there is a liberal bias to the show...but not as much as you might think, and largely only to the extent that progressive views usually represent the expanding of a society's conscience. Did anybody else notice the framed Doonesbury strips in Josh's office? Beautiful.
-"Post Hoc, ergo Propter Hoc" ****
Well, THAT didn't take long. Four stars, after a growth period of, um, one episode. Morris Tolliver (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) is introduced as the President's likable military doctor, and you're ready to enjoy his presence on the show, but he's dead by the time this one wraps. A big hello to Vice President John Hoynes (Tim Matheson - ANIMAL HOUSE), too. Happily, he's not dying. He'll be baring his teeth in all the credibly flawed ways you could want, for many seasons. Sam and his prostitute (Lisa Edelstein - HOUSE M.D.) have crisp, flawless chemistry - her reaction to him when he barges in on her restaurant party is priceless. And Sam's prostitute revelation scenes with Josh, then Toby? I reiterate, priceless.
-A Proportional Response ****
Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is torn by the proposed military response to the libyan downing of an american plane. This plot is almost a direct lift from the Sorkin movie THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. Yet how is it that the movie, a very good one, feels like the lighter "TV" version in comparison? In the history of television, this show's mix of humor and drama has never been achieved so well. New characters? How about Charlie Young (Dule Hill, PSYCH) as the President's new body man, John Amos (GOOD TIMES, THE BEASTMASTER) as Admiral Fitzwallace, and Timothy Busfield (THIRTYSOMETHING, REVENGE OF THE NERDS, STUDIO 60) as reporter Danny Concannon. C.J. confronts Sam about the call girl. Call this one the Pilot, pt. 2.
-Five Votes Down ***
The staff wrangles votes from democratic congressmen, to get a weak gun bill passed. Leo's wife leaves him, and he goes to Hoynes' AA meeting for the first time. One of the funniest scenes in show history, when the President takes too many pain pills and walks in on a staff meeting. A sign of how thoroughly we buy the reality of these characters occurs when Sheen tells Charlie what a great name he has...like most of you just getting it now, it never before occurred to me that the actor speaking had a real-life son of the same name. And for any C.J. fetishists, the dress she wears in the first scene is...beyond description.
-The Crackpots and These Women ***
A big block of cheese!! Josh gets an NSC nuclear attack instruction-card, and is torn by the fact that most of his co-workers don't have one. In a scene with a therapist (effectively played by Guy Boyd, who would effectively be fired to make way for Adam Arkin), we learn about his sister who died when they were children. One of only two significant "oops" moments in show history, when Bartlet plays basketball (a scenario perhaps at odds with his later-revealed multiple sclerosis). Also, a glaringly false moment in the writing of Toby's character, when the writers have him saying "could care less" instead of "couldn't" - it's doubtful that someone of his brilliant snobbery would ever employ such shoddy grammar. And the debut of...Zoey Bartlet!!! Played by Elizabeth Moss (MAD MEN), has there ever been a biped more adorable?
-Mr. Willis of Ohio ****
The first episode to make me cry. A school teacher (Al Fann) has temporarily taken his deceased wife's spot in congress, and is key to a budget vote involving census sampling. Toby manipulates the situation, but in an honest way. Leo tells Jed his wife has left him. The President gets Josh to take Charlie out for a beer, which turns into an outing with Zoey, C.J., Mallory, and Sam. Zoey is harassed, and Charlie defends her. Later, Jed makes her cry when she resists extra secret service protection. Plus a great poker scene in which Bartlet challenges the room to name the fourteen types of punctuation. And there's a Butterfield in the building! The debut of Michael O'Neill as Secret Service agent Ron Butterfield, who would log sixteen splendid episodes over seven seasons.
-The State Dinner ***
At a state dinner for the President of Indonesia, a fund raiser (David Rasche, SLEDGE HAMMER!) shows up with Sam's call girl friend as his date. Sam offers her $10,000 to not go home with him. And the debut of...Abbie Bartlet! Stockard Channing (GREASE, THE STOCKARD CHANNING SHOW) slides right in, and it's perfect. Danny openly flirts with CJ. Priceless. And the first of many quips at New Jersey's expense. Someone on the writing staff (perhaps New Yorker Sorkin himself) will take great delight over the coming seasons, in Garden State roasting.
-Enemies ***
A top-ten Josh entry, as he stews over a retributional rider attached to a banking bill, and finally uses the President's nerd-like love of national parks to find a solution. Throw in some Danny, some Hoynes...and Leo's daughter Mallory (Allison Smith, KATE & ALLIE) asking Sam to the chinese opera. Leo and the President conspire to keep Sam otherwise occupied. What the heck ever happened to that plot line, by the way? Not that Mallory disappeared, but the chemistry between she and Sam was scrumptious, and then...nothing. There's a story there somewhere.
-The Short List ****
A retiring justice (a sharp turn by Mason Adams - LOU GRANT) gives Bartlet an opportunity to nominate a  solidly-credentialed replacement. But his slam dunk (Ken Howard, THE WHITE SHADOW) misfires, when conflicting ideologies on privacy rights emerge. The second choice, Roberto Mendoza (the brilliant Edward James Olmos - BLADE RUNNER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), turns out to be the right one. I cried. And i laughed, when Danny misunderstands a tip, and gives C.J. a goldfish. The republicans find out about Leo's time in drug rehab.
-In Excelsis Deo ****
A homeless vet wearing a coat donated by Toby, dies. Irked by the indifference of the D.C. authorities, he finds the man's brother and arranges an honor guard funeral, without the authority to do so. In Wyoming, a gay teen is bludgeoned to death by his peers - Bartlet receives the news in the middle of entertaining elementary school students. To fight the coming attack on Leo, Sam and Josh try to get incriminating information out of Sam's prostitute friend. We see the first moment that hints at possible feelings between Josh and Donna. The Pasadena Children's Choir...Arlington Cemetery...my tears flowed.
-Lord John Marbury ****
It's time to wax rhapsodic - Lord John is coming to town! The incomparable Roger Rees (ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS, CHEERS) debuts one of the highest-juiced characters in show history, as an emergency advisor on a military escalation between India and Pakistan. C.J. is frozen out of the loop regarding the latest military intelligence, over concerns she might leak it to the press. For any STARGATE fanatics out there, we've got two members of that cast, in one show: John Diehl, as a contentious Freedom of Information Act lawyer, and Eric Avari, as the pakistani ambassador. And the first romantic overtures between Charlie and Zoey! Charlie asks Jed for his blessing. One resultant scene, about racial non-issues, belongs on an all-time best Jed/Leo scenes list. About the show's liberal bias...the writers are quickly becoming more adept at even-handedness, as evidenced by occasionally giving a conservative argument to a series regular (or later on to Ainsley and Cliff Calley and Walken and Joe). And moments that feel biased, often aren't. For example, Mandy floats the idea of working for a liberal republican, and Sam snaps at her that it's not her job to end the fight, it's her job to win it. If his outburst came from a conservative republican character, many would boo and hiss...yet with Sam we're much more tolerant. It's up to us to recognize that in ourselves...the screenwriter's only job is to convey truth.
-He Shall, From Time to Time ****
On the eve of the State of the Union address, Bartlet collapses in the Oval. Abbey rushes home. Leo figures out that there's something they're not telling him...and the multiple sclerosis plot line, one of the most compelling in show history, is off to the races. Some strange magic is in the air, as Mallory kisses Sam in appreciation for his President's letter of support for Leo, then C.J. kisses the hell out of Danny. The final scene is one of the best in show history, as Jed tells his secretary of agriculture (Harry Groener, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) what to do in case he has to assume the Presidency.
-Take Out the Trash Day ****
C.J. and Mandy meet the parents of a homosexual teen killed in a hate crime, and discover the father's reticence isn't about homophobia, but shame over the administration's weak position on gay rights. Republican Senator Bruno (James Handy, in the first of two fine appearances) agrees to avoid public hearings over Leo's drug addictions, in exchange for burying a sex ed report. Toby defends Julia Childs. The final scene, between Leo and the junior staffer (Liza Weil, GILMORE GIRLS) who outed him, is exquisite. He tries to understand her reasons, she tries to understand his alcoholism, and he un-fires her.
-Take This Sabbath Day ****
A drug dealer is scheduled for execution, and only a command from the White House can stay his death. Defense lawyers try to get to Toby through his rabbi (David Proval), and to the President through Sam. Jed calls the Pope, and arranges for a visit from his old priest (the wonderful Karl Malden, in the last role of his life). Searing scenes are offset by the comedic arrival of uber-beloved Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin - CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, THE L WORD). One of the things that sets the first season apart from the rest of the run is how they focused many episodes on one particular issue - in this case, capital punishment. In that sense, the show in general (and the first season in particular) was always much more than just drama. It was a primer for all the controversial issues we face as a society.
-Celestial Navigation ***
Josh does an interview show, while Toby and Sam go to Connecticut to get Supreme Court nominee Mendoza out of jail, following a false drunk-driving arrest. Josh's emergency substitution for C.J. in a press conference, because she had a root canal, is an epic disaster. Playing the Wesley police sergeant is Vaughn Armstrong (ENTERPRISE). The jail cell scene between Toby and Mendoza is towering...touching upon the raw wound of racism that still festers in this country. Olmos' rage and humiliation are palpable.
-Twenty Hours in L.A. ***
Air Force One heads to CA, for a banquet hosted by studio chief Ted Marcus (WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, BEST IN SHOW). Ted jerks Josh around, and threatens to cancel the party unless Bartlet comes out against an anti-gay bill. Leo asks Hoynes to break a 50-50 senate tie, voting for ethanol subsidies, which he campaigned against. Pollster Al Kiefer (John de Lancie, STAR TREK: TNG-DS9-VOY) offers unsettling numbers on flag-burning...and an unsettling moment for Josh, who discovers him in Joey Lucas' hotel room. Plus the debut of Jorja Fox (MEMENTO, CSI) as secret service agent Gina Toscano, assigned to Zoey's detail. C.J.'s ignorance of the movie business is ridiculous, given her later backstory as a Hollywood publicist. The chemistry between Donna and Josh has become exquisite, and the scene between Balaban and Sheen is towering. Not enough? Okay, you made me say it...Hasselhoff.
-The White House Pro-Am ****
Generally, every four-star episode is led there by one scene that transcends mere excellence. In this case, it's a Danny two-for-one, as he gives dating advice to Charlie before being pathetically grilled about the first lady by Jed in the Oval Office. Elsewhere, her staff is jousting with the President's, endangering an important vote. Abbey and Jed have their first oval office fight, exquisitely written and acted. Charlie is frustrated because death threats cause he and Zoey to cancel plans. The final scene, where he comes to her dorm bearing gifts and apologies, may have you laughing out loud in delight. It took me two episodes to realize that Mandy's been missing in action. Almost, but not quite, gone. Fare ye well, Moira (but yes, the absence of the link that never clicked means that the show might actually become MORE seamless?).
-Six Meetings Before Lunch ***
A reporter startles Zoey into lying to cover for a friend. Mallory grills Sam for his school voucher beliefs written in a paper she doesn't realize is opposition research. A transcendent scene in which the appointee for assistant attorney general (Carl Lumbly - ALIAS, M.A.N.T.I.S., CAGNEY & LACEY) argues with Josh that the government owes black people a trillion dollars in reparations. Possibly the most beautiful kiss in show history, as Zoey pins Charlie against a West Wing wall. And the first over-the-top Bartlet jacket donning!
-Let Bartlet be Bartlet ***
Amidst malaise over their ineffectual record, the staff reacts to a memo Mandy wrote when she was working for Russell, about the administration's weaknesses and how to defeat them in the next election. Danny lays into C.J. for taking her frustrations out on him. Fitz drops in on a gays-in-the-military meeting, and makes more sense than fifty years of debate. Comedian Paul Provenza (NORTHERN EXPOSURE) debuts as Senate majority leader aide Steve Onorato.
-Mandatory Minimums ***
Bartlet throws down the gauntlet by naming two reformers to the Federal Election Commission. The debut of Kathleen York as Andrea, Toby's ex-wife. She's fun and spontaneous, and a perfect foil. Al Keifer and Joey Lucas spend time at the White House, providing numbers on Bartlet's campaign against racist drug laws. The Josh/Joey adorableness at its peak. The wonderful Bruce Weitz (HILL STREET BLUES) growls out a lovely Senate Majority Leader. Leo and Toby have a bang-up scene telling opposition staffers whose bosses have drug records in their families, that hypocrisy won't be tolerated.
-Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics ****
Polling results on favorability are anxiously awaited. On the eve of his prostitute friend's law school graduation, Sam is paparazzi-stalked and photographed giving her a present. Toby sticks up for him. It's Lisa Edelstein's last appearance; is there anyone who didn't hope we'd get more? Leo schmooze-intimidates nervous F.E.C. commissioner Barry Haskell (Austin Pendleton - THE MUPPET MOVIE, MY COUSIN VINNIE). To make room on the F.E.C., Bartlet recalls an ambassador (Lawrence Pressman, DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D.) who is having an illicit affair. His scene while nervously waiting with Charlie, with whom he has a minor history, is classic, as is Jed's "intuitive" repartee with Charlie. An hysterically classic scene rolls by between Jed and a tell-it-like-it-is, redneck senator (David Huddleston - BLAZING SADDLES, SANTA CLAUS, THE BIG LEBOWSKI).
-What Kind of Day has it Been ***
As Bartlet closes out a town hall meeting with college students, the day's events roll by. A stealth fighter has been downed in Iraq, and the space shuttle is having re-entry problems. Josh jogs with Hoynes. Some prime Fitz. Bartlet knows how to say "couldn't care less", but not Toby? As the episode closes, the Presidential party walks out to the motorcade...and a hail of gunfire envelops them. Searing. As for protests that this cliffhanger was contrived, i have the benefit of coming late to the party. When i heard about these criticisms, my reaction was, "What are you even talking about?"