[Jason Vines]

Amazon.com discounted the DVD sets for seasons one and two of The West Wing by 67% this week, meaning each one was only $20 apiece. Eager for more TV on DVD to dive into (I like watching stuff before bed, but I often don't want to watch a whole movie ), I ordered them, and they should arrive in the next few days.

I haven't been a fan of West Wing through most of its first run, although I've heard wonderful reviews of its first few seasons. They should hopefully entertain and intrigue a political junkie like me.

I'll post what I think of the seasons after I finish them.

[Jason Vines]

I love the show. After finishing the first two seasons, I bought seasons three and then four, each of which was excellent.

The West Wing is reminiscent of Star Trek: The Next Generation, focusing on plot. At its greatest heights, which The West Wing reaches often in its first four seasons, it offers compelling stories that show us how Washington, D.C., ideally works. Even though this could have made The West Wing as as dry as C-SPAN, creator and writer Aaron Sorkin rescues the show from dullness with witty dialogue and intriguing twists. As I watched the DVD sets, I eagerly anticipated every new episode, wondering what the administration of President Josiah Bartlet would face next.

Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, is one of the primary reasons for the success of The West Wing. He's the kind of president we all wish we had in the Oval Office: Bartlet is moral; he always does what he thinks is right, regardless of the political consequences, and he'd never consider cheating on his wife. He's deeply religious, although no one has more tolerance for other faiths (or lack of faith) than he does. He's smart, having earned a Nobel Prize as an economics professor. He's liberal, but he never lets anyone get away with threatening his country. Bartlet is who would emerge from a mixing of the best traits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Watching a president of Bartlet's integrity, strength, and compassion is one of the greatest joys of viewing an episode of The West Wing.

Some weaknesses afflict the program, though. Its concentration on plot comes at the expense of character. By the end of season four, all of the characters are the same as they were at the start of season one. And I feel as if I don't know any of them well. This disconnects me somewhat from the stories. When The West Wing is good, which is most of its first four seasons, that doesn't matter much. But when the plot is foundering, characterization isn't around to save the day.

So I wouldn't place Sorkin and his series on the same level of Joss Whedon and his works (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly). Whedon remains the master of dramatic and comedic storytelling on modern television. But don't misunderstand me: Sorkin does acquit himself well.

I'd heartily recommend The West Wing to anyone.

This post has been edited by Jason Vines: 16 November 2005 - 08:59 PM