An Ode to The West Wing

Hello friends,

Tonight I’m wrapped up in my cream coloured slanket (cream so the cream coloured dog doesn’t wreck it), feet up on the recliner, on front of the fire with doggy lying on the floor playing with her toys.

And…….I’m watching The West Wing!

Oh The West Wing. Have you ever watched it?

Well take it from me if you’ve never seen it, watch it, I know you’ll love it. If you like fast paced, intelligent and witty television – well then this is it at it’s best.

There are 7 seasons in total and right now I’m re-watching the boxset and am half way through Season 2. And well, God damn, it gets better and better every time I watch it.

I didn’t see it when it was on originally. You know the way it is, you miss the first few episodes of something and end up thinking there’s no point in trying to catch up. Before you know it the last season has come and gone and it’s all completely passed you by. I knew from the snippets I’d seen of it on TV that I would’ve enjoyed it. I knew it was something I should’ve been watching but it wasn’t on my radar until I met my beloved that he exclaimed in horror one day “What do mean you’ve never seen The West Wing??? What is wrong with you?” He and his family were avid fans and had the boxset from early on.

And so it happened that I was sat down on front of the TV one fine day and Season 1, Episode 1 was put on for my viewing pleasure.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I still enjoy this show. The writing and dialogue is so intelligent and witty that it makes me quite despondent that there is nothing on television now that is even half as smart. Aaron Sorkin is a genius writer and when he leaves half way through The West Wing’s running, you can really notice the change. But yet it remains the single most wonderful TV show in America’s recent history. In my opinion of course

Even the musical score is wonderful. The opening credit music rouses something in me which I can only describe as pride and patriotism (strange since I’m not even American), it makes me want to hold my head up and puff out my chest. Watching this show makes me want to do something important, be someone special that will make a difference to the world, it makes me want to be a better person.

It might sound silly but every episode is tinged with a little sadness for me, knowing that I’ll never work with Sam, Toby, Josh, Leo, CJ, Charlie, Donna and of course President Bartlet. It makes me want to be a better, more intelligent person and that can’t be a bad thing.

If there’s one person I’d love to be like in that show it’s CJ. What a strong, confident, clever, energetic lady! Yet with all her brass neck she never fails to wear her heart on her sleeve. She never loses her femininity and charm even though she has to ‘man up’ a lot of the time just to get heard by her colleagues and to stand up to the press room full of cut throat journalists.

I want to be Claudia Jean.

As for the witty one liners in this show, every episode delivers in spades.

Not to mention that I have learned so many things because of this show, one being that I suffer from Dyscalculia! Which is: Impairment of the ability to solve mathematical problems, usually resulting from brain dysfunction. Brain dysfunction when it comes to maths, no s**t.

Something tells me that Ireland needs a President Bartlet. He may be fictional but I am sure there are people out there like him, and if there are we need them! Now more than ever Ireland needs someone who is academic, knowledgeable, strong in character, moral and can admit when he’s wrong. That description doesn’t fit a one of our so called leaders in the Dáil right now. Will we ever find out President Bartlet?

Maybe we should sit the Dáil down one day, lock the doors of Leinster House and make them watch Season 1 through Season 7 and then say “There! See how it’s done?”

I love The West Wing and I always will