If you’ve watched The West Wing, there’s a good chance you fall into one of two camps. One train of thought sees Aaron Sorkin’s political drama as an idealistic, naïve depiction of governance that has had a detrimental effect on real-world politics by glorifying centrism and the politics of compromise.
The other school of thought is that The West Wing represents a kind of fantasy, but one that should be aspired to: a world where politicians and the people who work for them are, while flawed, fundamentally good people who all want to make a positive difference in the world.
Or you could, you know… just think it’s a good show. Either way, The West Wing is responsible for some of television’s most iconic moments. Bartlet’s MS admission, the shooting at Roslin, the live debate episode—the list goes on. Luckily, we’ve put together this full episode ranking at The Daily Beast’s Obsessed that is certain to have bipartisan agreement.
So, to celebrate 25 years since the show debuted, here is every episode of The West Wing, ranked…
151. Season 5, Episode 18 – Access
Yeah, this ain’t it. CJ is followed around by a documentary crew, and what could have been an interesting premise is just a deeply boring episode of television.
150. Season 1, Episode 16 - 20 Hours in L.A.
The first episode of The West Wing that is actively quite bad. Even a David Hasselhoff cameo can’t rescue it. There’s a trip to L.A. for a fundraiser, and Zoey’s new Secret Service bodyguard is introduced. That’s about it. Snooze.
149. Season 5, Episode 21 – Gaza
Right… this entire arc was disappointing when it first aired, and it’s even worse now. Apart from a few dissenting opinions in one or two lines of dialogue, the four episode arc that begins with ‘Gaza’ boils down to ‘Israel: good, Palestine: bad.’ The writing lacks any real nuance, and it’s simply not good enough.
148. Season 5, Episode 22 - Memorial Day
See above. The worst arc in the show continues, and it follows along the same lines as its opening episode, with the added wrinkle of Leo seemingly being desperate for the U.S. to carpet bomb Palestine. It’s just bad.
147. Season 4, Episode 17 - Red Haven’s on Fire
Sam’s final scene with Toby is a sweet one. This episode focuses on the three kidnapped servicemen during the Kundu crisis and the operation to rescue them. There’s some thinly-veiled racism throughout which feels egregiously unnecessary, while Will works with the speechwriting interns only to deliver some equally unnecessary misogyny.
146. Season 4, Episode 4 - The Red Mass
With the early part of Season 4 building towards the election, “The Red Mass” focuses on upcoming debates, the Ritchie campaign strategy, and the potential of a Democrat vote split with Sen. Stackhouse running as a third-party candidate. If that sounds good, I didn’t explain it right. Torturously dull.
145. Season 5, Episode 4 – Han
A visiting North Korean pianist passes a covert message to the President saying he wants to defect, and all of a sudden the political drama you’ve been watching for nearly five years feels like a Saturday morning soap opera.
144. Season 6, Episode 19 - Ninety Miles Away
Lord knows what the aim was here. Attempting to flesh out Kate’s backstory by giving her a connection with Leo, which also ties into Castro and Cuba, “Ninety Miles Away” is bad television. Both Leo and Kate deserved a better episode than this.
143. Season 4, Episode 16 - The California 47th
The focus centers on Sam’s campaign in California and the litany of errors that come with it, including Donna’s meeting with a communist and Charlie and Toby getting arrested. It’s Sam’s penultimate episode, and it sucks that his character goes out in such a silly story.
142. Season 3, Episode 15 - Dead Irish Writers
I’ve watched The West Wing through quite a few times, and I have zero recollection of this episode. Bland, forgettable, featuring some pretty abhorrent commentary on the politics of Ireland. Thumbs down.
141. Season 4, Episode 18 – Privateers
While most of the episode is dedicated to a daft story revolving around Abbey potentially being the descendent of a pirate (what are we doing?), there’s a sub-plot of Toby and an old friend of his looking to be a whistleblower in a trial against a chemical company that’s actually quite interesting. There’s a lot of episodes of The West Wing where you really wish the show focused on the more interesting ideas it puts forward.
140. Season 1, Episode 7 - The State Dinner
Too much going on with too little consequence. All centered around a state dinner between the US and Indonesia. It does show the floundering nature of the Bartlet administration quite well, but overall it’s not great.
139. Season 3, Episode 11 - 100,000 Airplanes
Tackling the aftermath of the President being censured, and it just doesn’t land. It’s meandering, and worse, it’s uninteresting.
138. Season 5, Episode 16 - Eppur Si Muove
A Republican Congresswoman campaigns against publicly funded healthcare studies, which turns out to be a thinly veiled attack on Ellie Bartlet, who works for the research company. It’s all quite convoluted, and that’s before you remember Abbey appears on Sesame Street.
137. Season 3, Episode 8 - The Women of Qumar
Qumar plays a major role in Season’s 3 and 4, standing as a Middle-Eastern country analogous with Qatar, but bearing a lot of the hallmarks of a major power in that region. This episode centers on the renewal of an Air Force Base lease in Qumar, in exchange for over a billion dollars of weapons—something which CJ has moral objections to.
136. Season 6, Episode 1 - NSF Thurmont
The whole Palestine/Israel arc is a disaster, I’ve made that clear, but there are some high points to touch on. Josh and Donna’s little sub plot, as he holds a vigil at her bedside while she undergoes surgery, is touching and goes a long way to show their building relationship with a real payoff. Mary McCormack also delivers some really good work, and it makes you wish her character had been on the show for a much longer run.
135. Season 6, Episode 2 - The Birnam Wood
The Israel/Palestine arc wraps up (thankfully), at least as the main thrust of the story, with a shocking cliffhanger. Leo’s heart attack comes a little out of nowhere, but it works as a shot in the arm for the show moving forward, allowing it to focus on new stories and reposition characters into new arcs.
134. Season 3, Episode 5 - War Crimes
A bizarre episode. A Bartlet/Hoynes conflict arises over a fatal shooting at a church in Texas, and Donna embroils herself in some legal trouble. Leo discovers he committed a genuine war crime, and it’s never covered again.
133. Season 2, Episode 8 – Shibboleth
There’s a good blend of comedy and emotional resonance throughout this Thanksgiving episode, which is unfortunately brought down by a self-indulgent scene between Bartlet and a Chinese refugee. It’s a shame, because the carving knife arc between Bartlet and Charlie is endlessly lovely—but the episode doesn’t really deserve to rank any higher than this.
132. Season 7, Episode 15 - Welcome to Wherever You Are
With the election days away, “Welcome to Wherever You Are” tries to convey the chaos of those final moments—but it does it with camerawork akin to Cloverfield and it just doesn’t work.
131. Season 7, Episode 6 - The Al Smith Dinner
Abortion becomes a front and center issue in the lead up to the Al Smith Dinner, with both candidates being pro-choice—an interesting twist from the usual partisan split. It’s a pretty poor episode, salvaged slightly by the brief face-to-face between Vinick and Santos at the end.
130. Season 1, Episode 17 - The White House Pro-Am
“The White House Pro-Am” tries to put Abbey front-and-center, but it’s a struggle. Abbey Bartlet will go on to have a lot of significant impact across the series, but this isn’t one of those times. Focusing on her political agenda and how it diverges from that of her husband, the episode could have been an interesting look at that dynamic. Alas, it isn’t.
129. Season 5, Episode 5 - Constituency of One
There’s a much darker tone in Season 5 which doesn’t always land, and that’s the case in “Constituency of One.” Josh strikes out with a conservative Democrat in the Senate, Amy blunders as Abbey’s Chief of Staff, CJ blunders in the press room, and all the while a recession looms. It’s just a bummer, and it doesn’t have the flair or writing to make it stick.
128. Season 4, Episode 8 - Process Stories
Bruno Gianelli being an absolute horndog at the post-election party is a fun bit, as is the ever-so-random pollster who claims credit for campaign strategy only to get slapped down by CJ. “Process Stories” also goes someway in establishing Will Bailey as an upper-level political operative, while spotlighting the non-stop work of the Situation Room.
127. Season 7, Episode 14 - Two Weeks Out
An episode that can’t decide what to focus on: the interesting political debate between a progressive Democrat and a moderate Republican being pushed to the right to secure his base, or a manufactured soap opera about Matt Santos potentially having a child from an affair. In focusing on the latter, “Two Weeks Out” suffers.
126. Season 2, Episode 6 - The Lame Duck Congress
The staff considers calling a lame duck Congress to pass a nuclear test ban treaty before the new Congress is gavelled into session. While there’s a lot of politicking and maneuvering going on, the episode isn’t great.
125. Season 5, Episode 13 - The Warfare of Genghis Khan
When a nuclear device is detonated in the Indian Ocean, “Bingo” Bob Russell swoops in to ease fears in the Situation Room. Gary Cole is as enjoyable as ever, but there’s a major issue with the episode that The West Wing found itself caught up with multiple times. The show paints Islamic people as dangerous over and over again, and it really makes you feel uncomfortable.
124. Season 6, Episode 21 - Things Fall Apart
An episode that’s more about setting the stage for the season finale than it is about standing alone as an interesting penultimate episode. “Things Fall Apart” is where we’re introduced to the military space shuttle plot line though, with the oxygen leak in the ISS—a pivotal plot throughout Season 7.
123. Season 5, Episode 6 - Disaster Relief
The President visits victims of a tornado in Oklahoma. The pervasive bleakness of early Season Five continues on and on. Josh continues to try and work his way out of his own political malaise, but fails. Angela Blake is introduced, played dutifully by Michael Hyatt, but is a character that adds nothing to the show. The staff, and The West Wing, desperately needed a win at this point.
122. Season 4, Episode 5 - Debate Camp
Bartlet and his staff go away to North Carolina for debate prep, dealing with controversy over their original Attorney General nominee and a family crisis in America. Spliced throughout are flashbacks of the early days of the Bartlet Presidency and how difficult their adjustments were. It’s a pretty poor episode overall, but the revelation of Andy’s pregnancy is a nice moment.
121. Season 4, Episode 6 - Game On
A frustrating episode in that we’re finally at the debate, but we only get the briefest glimpse of Bartlet’s takedown of Ritchie. Too much of the episode is devoted to setting up the California 47th storyline, and it’s just not very engaging.
120. Season 4, Episode 7 - Election Night
It’s quite an achievement for a political drama to make an episode focused on an election pretty bland, but The West Wing manages it here. Maybe it’s in part due to the lack of suspense and the clear direction of the story, but there’s also a clear dearth of creativity at this point in the series.
119. Season 7, Episode 4 - Mr. Frost
There’s a drip-feeding of the Kazakhstan situation which becomes the major international incident of the final season, while in the short-term there’s a brief return to Palestine-Israel storyline. It’s all just fine, but the ending of Toby’s confession over the space shuttle leak packs a punch.
118. Season 6, Episode 12 - 365 Days
A quite sweet episode that demonstrates Leo’s importance to the Bartlet administration as the team captain, so to speak. He returns to the White House after the President’s final State of the Union with the aim of boosting morale and pushing the remaining staff to be bold in their final year.
117. Season 7, Episode 21 - Institutional Memory
Focus switches back to the White House and what people will do after Santos’ inauguration, namely CJ. New jobs, a relationship with Danny, and so on are all on the cards—as well as a decision on whether to push the President to pardon Toby before leaving office. It’s okay, but it doesn’t hit the heights you’d expect for the show’s penultimate episode.
116. Season 7, Episode 2 - The Mommy Problem
The episode revolves around Josh and his unhinged micromanaging of the campaign, a thread that continues throughout almost all of Season 7. It’s alleviated somewhat with the introduction of Lou Thornton (Janeane Garofalo) as his Communications Director.
115. Season 6, Episode 14 - The Wake Up Call
Christopher Lloyd! He’s roped in to help Toby with a Belarussian delegation seeking to write their own constitution, and overall it’s a fun time with Lloyd clearly having a blast. The rest of the episode is pretty bleak though, with CJ juggling an international crisis involving the U.K. and the President’s new schedule, namely his new wake-up times.
114. Season 2, Episode 12 - The Drop-In
There’s a real innocence to Sam’s character that “The Drop-In” explores nicely, after an environmental speech he’s meticulously written is altered without his knowledge by Toby. It’s a different look at their almost-fraternal dynamic, with Sam’s innocence playing off effectively against Toby’s realism..
113. Season 4, Episode 12 - Guns Not Butter
There’s a mini-stretch of episodes in Season 4 with a heavy emphasis on both foreign policy and foreign aid that begins with “Guns Not Butter,” seeing the staff scramble to pass a foreign aid bill. It’s a by-the-numbers episode of Josh and the rest of the staff pulling out all the stops to secure votes, but it’s decent all the same with some good humor peppered throughout.
112. Season 6, Episode 6 - The Dover Test
“The Dover Test” brings the peace effort in the Middle East back to the fore with the first peacekeeper casualties. Josh goes back to Congressman Santos who’s backing a Republican healthcare bill, and their relationship continues to build. It’s a good episode that deals with Palestine/Israel without becoming Islamophobic, and Santos continues to be an interesting figure you want to see more of.
111. Season 3, Episode 17 – Stirred
A bit of a nothing episode, inoffensive but doesn’t stand out. The staff holds a meeting on replacing Hoynes on the ticket, while the VP himself works to save an education bill he’s championed with the help of Sam. There’s a schmaltzy, silly moment where Bartlet insists Hoynes has to stay VP, “because I could die”… cool.
110. Season 2, Episode 16 - Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s Going to Jail
It’s Big Block of Cheese Day once more at the White House, taking place during a Sam-centric episode. He’s found out his father has been having an affair for 27 years. It’s a good episode for him, and Rob Lowe does some of his best work as the character.
109. Season 1, Episode 4 - Five Votes Down
Some parts work, some parts don’t. A weak gun control bill is five votes short of passing and the staff has to scramble to secure its passage through the House. It’s great to see Josh flex his muscles as a political operative, and the dynamic between Leo and Vice President Hoynes is an interesting one to explore with their shared addiction. The episode gets bogged down in a weird plot involving Toby and insider trading though, which neither works nor is revisited again.
108. Season 1, Episode 14 – Take This Sabbath Day
It takes a swing when it comes to commentary on the death penalty, providing different viewpoints throughout the episode… but it’s a little too centrist in that it never actually takes a stance of its own. There’s a narrative reason for that, in that it neatly encapsulates the uncertainty of the Bartlet presidency up to this point, floundering in a sea of indecision.
107. Season 3, Episode 3 - Ways and Means
The staff of The West Wing are never better than when their backs are against the wall, so when the special prosecutor begins dolling out subpoenas over Bartlet’s MS concealment, it’s go time. CJ’s plan to move away from the special prosecutor and towards Congressional hearings, turning the whole situation into a partisan rock fight is one the many, many examples the show gives you as to why she was deserving of the Chief of Staff role in Season 6.
106. Season 3, Episode 4 - On the Day Before
There’s a really strong set of scenes between Josh and the Governor of Indiana, played by Kevin Tighe, who’s considering a primary challenge against the President. Tighe brings his own kind of charm to the show, albeit briefly, and his chemistry with Whitford is pretty great.
105. Season 7, Episode 1 - The Ticket
Oliver Babish returns as White House Counsel to sniff out the space shuttle leak in the White House while the Santos/McGarry campaign takes off in earnest. There’s a focus on the relationship between Santos and Leo, effectively strangers, culminating in them sitting down to close the episode to bond properly. It’s an effective snapshot of the past and future.
104. Season 4, Episode 9 - Swiss Diplomacy
Within a rough spell for the series, “Swiss Diplomacy” is a decent palate cleanser, with the Ayatollah’s son needing a heart and lung transplant—a surgery that can only be performed in the US. The episode demonstrates the importance of diplomacy, but more importantly, offers a reminder of Bartlet’s character and his desire to do the right thing.
103. Season 4, Episode 10 - Arctic Radar
While your mileage might vary on Will Bailey as a character, “Arctic Radar” is Joshua Malina’s best performance in The West Wing. Sam recognizing Will’s talent as a speechwriter and putting him in touch with Toby to help pen the inauguration address is a nice touch, shuffling his successor in place. Malina always had a pretty strong chemistry with Schiff and their scenes in this episode work well.
102. Season 1, Episode 13 - Take out the Trash Day
There’s a lot going on here, and not all of it lands. Sam and Josh are on the Hill trying to avoid hearings over the White House drug scandal, featuring some great work by James Handy. CJ is asked to vet the parents of a boy murdered for his homosexuality, mirroring the real-life death of Matthew Shepard. The staff discover who leaked Leo’s rehab records, leading to a confrontation. There’s something intangible missing from “Take out the Trash Day,” and it all just feels “okay”.
101. Season 2, Episode 5 - And It’s Surely to Their Credit
Something of a filler episode, but not without some bright spots. A lot of the episode focuses on Ainsley adapting to work at the White House Counsel’s office under a liberal boss. It bounces along, there’s some conflict, before a sweet closing scene between herself and the staff… and Gilbert and Sullivan.
100. Season 5, Episode 9 - Abu el Banat
The whole Bartlet family gathers for a Christmas dinner, but naturally shenanigans ensue affecting the festive period. It’s a middle-of-the-road episode, but there’s some good comedy peppered throughout, as well as an interesting debate about assisted suicide.
99. Season 5, Episode 2 - The Dogs of War
Zoey Bartlet’s kidnapping is resolved shockingly quickly, and it has to be assumed that it’s a by-product of Sorkin’s departure. Given that the kidnappers are never really identified, it doesn’t track with the decision to bomb Qumar, and a major plotline that started out with a lot of promise goes out with a bit of a whimper. John Goodman is great as President Walken throughout the arc, and everyone else is doing strong work, but the story just doesn’t hold up.
98. Season 6, Episode 11 - Opposition Research
One of the things that works so well about Season 6 (and 7) is the broadening of the world, moving beyond the confines of the West Wing and out onto the road for the campaign. Pair that with the evolving relationship between Josh and Santos, and it makes for a fun episode.
97. Season 5, Episode 11 - The Benign Prerogative
State of the Union episodes come with high expectations, and while this doesn’t clear the bar with room to spare, it does a passing job. Toby has finished the speech early, and Joey Lucas returns to show him how it tests with the masses, while Bartlet discusses pardons for nonviolent offenders serving time under mandatory minimums. It’s that sub plot that’s the more effective of the two, dealing with the morality, or lack thereof, of incarcerating people for petty crimes.
96. Season 6, Episode 3 - Third-Day Story
The immediate aftermath of the Palestine/Israel arc is significantly more interesting that the arc itself. Leo is found barely alive in the woods of Camp David, the President is wracked with guilt, Josh and Toby try to hold the peace deal together in negotiations with Congressmen, and CJ gets promoted to Chief of Staff at the end in a tender moment.
95. Season 3, Episode 6 - Gone Quiet
One of the most purposefully light-hearted episodes in the show’s run, and one that works all the more given the seriousness of the subject matter. A submarine has gone quiet near North Korea, so Bartlet, Leo, and Albie Duncan (Hal Holbrook) sit and wait. The chemistry between the three works really quite well, and it makes “Gone Quiet” feel quite breezy.
94. Season 7, Episode 8 – Undecideds
While the Santos campaign has to deal with racial tensions in L.A. between the Black and Latino communities, CJ and Kate deal with the growing tensions in Kazakhstan and the looming threat of World War 3 between Russia and China. Aside from two great scenes between Josh and Toby, “Undecideds” feels a little like the wheels are spinning without any momentum.
93. Season 5, Episode 7- Separation of Powers
A definite uptick from the malaise that affected the early portion of Season 5, with the Chief Justice collapsing and Joe Quincy (Matthew Perry) being called in to ascertain his ability to continue in the role. It’s really strong work from the Friends star, and a good showcase for his dramatic chops.
92. Season 3, Episode 12 - The Two Bartlets
Focusing on the dichotomy of the Bartlet persona, or as Toby Ziegler puts it, “Dr. Jekyl and Uncle Fluffy,” the episode is a great meditation on the relationship between the President and his Director of Communications. Schiff and Sheen have exceptional chemistry on-screen, and while the relationship is maybe a touch unrealistic, it makes for delicious television.
91. Season 1, Episode 2 - Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
The kind of by-the-book episode you expect early on in a first season of televisio—solid enough, but one that doesn’t necessarily move the needle too much outside of being fun and engaging.
90. Season 7, Episode 20 - The Last Hurrah
The Vinick-focused episode the show needed post-election, given we’d invested a lot of time with the character, and he’d earned our respect as viewers. As Vinick considers another run for the Oval Office, Santos comes to him with an offer for Secretary of State, which makes sense in the story and fits in with Santos’ push for bipartisanship. Away from that, it’s a great episode for Teri Polo’s Helen Santos, a character who quietly sings every time she’s on the screen.
89. Season 2, Episode 15 – Ellie
In terms of its placement in the season, “Ellie” is a weird one, not quite fitting tonally. In terms of an episode in isolation, “Ellie” brings a lot to the table. The Surgeon General makes some comments about legalizing marijuana, inflaming family values groups causing issues for the White House—issues that are worsened when the president’s middle daughter Ellie publicly backs the SG.
88. Season 7, Episode 10 - Running Mates
There’s a sadness to “Running Mates” that is wholly unintentional. In the story, Leo is weeks away from dying, while in reality, John Spencer died just before the episode aired. Given that it’s essentially a showcase for Leo as character, his mischief, his brilliant political mind, it’s heartbreaking in hindsight. But… It’s still beautiful to see him get one last front and center episode.
87. Season 7, Episode 9 - The Wedding
There’s some sweet moments with Ellie Bartlet’s wedding, but the Russia-China-Kazakhstan situation ticks over in the background to add the tension the episode needs to stop itself from being too schmaltzy. The more interesting side of the episode is back with the Santos campaign, still trailing in the polls and trying to decide a new media strategy. There’s a lot of fast and frenetic dialogue, and it feels like old school West Wing.
86. Season 7, Episode 5 - Here Today
I have my issues with Toby being the leaker of the military space shuttle. The show geared you up for CJ being the leak, then pulled the rug out from underneath you to pin the issue on Toby—then spent half a season doing backflips to make it make sense. But… the scenes in “Here Today” between Toby and Babish are outstanding, as are the performances of Schiff and Oliver Platt.
85. Season 1, Episode 6 - Mr. Willis of Ohio
Not overly consequential, but a charming episode nonetheless. A census amendment has been added to an appropriations bill that would allow population sampling, and the widower of a Congresswoman from Ohio represents one of the swing votes. It’s a great showcase for Toby (and Richard Schiff) who works to get the bill passed.
84. Season 2, Episode 7 - The Portland Trip
CJ has to ride on Air Force One with the President after mocking Notre Dame while Toby and Sam use the plane ride to work on an education speech. There’s a fun development for Charlie seeing him, in some way, have an impact on domestic policy with his tuition incentives idea. It’s a good reminder of his own intellect and character.
83. Season 2, Episode 11 - The Leadership Breakfast
After a silly opening scene with Sam and Josh nearly setting fire to the White House, the episode focuses on Toby trying to turn the bipartisan leadership breakfast from an inconsequential event into a discussion on real issues. The new Chief of Staff for the Majority Leader, Ann Stark, leaks her and Toby’s conversation though, putting the White House on the back foot. It’s fun to see how quickly the staff adapt to setbacks though, given their floundering in Season 1.
82. Season 6, Episode 13 - King Corn
Focused on the Iowa Caucus, “King Corn” does a neat job of breaking down the approach to a pivotal point in any presidential campaign. Segmented into three parts, looking at the Russell, Santos, and Vinick campaigns in turn, and how differently each one deals with the same issue. It’s a smart episode with a great look at campaign politics.
81. Season 2, Episode 3 - The Midterms
A strong episode dealing with, among other things, the futility of governance at times, with the Midterm elections leading to zero change in the make-up of the House.
80. Season 1, Episode 8 – Enemies
Built around tension between Hoynes and Bartlet at a cabinet meeting, and the subsequent leak of that tension. “Enemies” is a great showcase for CJ, her relationship with Danny Concannon, and her competency as a Press Secretary. Add in the excellent chemistry between Martin Sheen and Tim Mathison, and overall it makes for a strong episode.
79. Season 7, Episode 19 – Transition
Sam Seaborn is back! While that‘s a nice moment as he becomes Josh’s Deputy Chief of Staff, it’s the good cop/bad cop from Santos and Bartlet towards Russia and China that works so well. A lot of the pre-election episodes touched on Santos’ lack of foreign policy experience, so to see him flex his muscles and show he’s got what it takes is a strong development for the character.
78. Season 4, Episode 14 - Inauguration: Part I
With a genocide breaking out in The West Wing’s fictional African state—Equatorial Kundu—the staff works on new foreign policy language for the inauguration speech, clashing with the State Department as they do. Will Bailey is a character that never quite clicked in the series, but his initial run in Season 4 working with Toby and building his relationship with Bartlet is definitely his most interesting arc.
77. Season 4, Episode 15 – Inauguration: Part 2 - Over There
As Toby and Will work on new language for the inauguration, the latter’s conversation with Bartlet about the value American lives compared to those in Kundu leads to a rewrite of the speech and a new doctrine of force that redefines the policy of American interventionism.
76. Season 5, Episode 10 - The Stormy Present
A strange, strange episode of The West Wing, and one I can’t decide if it works brilliantly or fails spectacularly—so it sits here at the halfway point. A former President dies, meaning Bartlet, Walken, and James Cromwell’s President D. Wire Newman share a ride on Air Force One to the funeral. Their discussion covers protests in Saudi Arabia and the future of the region. It’s not the most nuanced writing when it comes to the politics of the Middle East, but it’s three outstanding actors all delivering some excellent work.
75. Season 6, Episode 7 - A Change Is Gonna Come
By this point in the series, The West Wing really starts to position Josh Lyman as the central figure. He’s dismayed when on the eve of a China summit that he’s negotiated, Bartlet accepts a Taiwanese independence flag as a gift, while he also jockeys with Hoynes who’s gearing up for his campaign and wants Josh to run it.
74. Season 4, Episode 19 - Angel Maintenance
A breath of fresh air after a rough stretch in Season 4. A potential landing gear issue stops Air Force One from landing while CJ and Will try to keep it from the reporters on the plane. On top of that, after a friendly fire incident in Kundu, a Congressman looks to reinstate the draft upon discovering one of the soldiers was a constituent of his.
73. Season 3, Episode 10 - H. Con-172
Leo is offered a deal by Calley to end the hearings into Bartlet’s MS early in exchange for Congressional censure—in essence, Bartlet agrees to let Congress declare him a liar. Throughout the episode Leo takes advice from both Josh and Jordan—his lawyer and love interest—and it’s a straightforward, effective hour of television.
72. Season 6, Episode 20 - In God We Trust
The episode interestingly inverses expectations when it comes to tackling faith in party politics. Vinick is lapsed, his preferred VP candidate is a reverend who’ll secure the right-wing of the party, and the episode closes with some scintillating scenes between Bartlet, a devout Catholic, and Vinick about separation of powers and the politicizing of faith. Putting Vinick front and center for an episode was a smart choice for the show, and it paid off.
71. Season 3, Episode 16 - The U.S. Poet Laureate
Laura Dern is just swell, isn’t she? Cameoing as U.S. Poet Laureate, Tabitha Fortis, she meets with Toby over the President’s refusal to sign an anti-land mine treaty. Her character’s idealism allows the show to open Toby up into a slightly more vulnerable character, albeit for one episode, and it’s a nice change of pace.
70. Season 1, Episode 20 - Mandatory Minimums
Our first look at a truly engaged and energized Bartlet presidency, and it’s a good one. The President names his candidates to the FEC, starting his big play to change campaign finance, as well as begin the push for a drug policy that advocates for treatment over enforcement.
69. Season 1, Episode 21 - Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
There are two important plots here: the first being Sam’s relationship with Laurie becoming public on the eve of her graduation from law school, and the second being the results of a new poll of the President’s approval rating. The staff all predict they’ll hold steady, apart from CJ who thinks they’ll get a bump, which they do. It tackles the whole “CJ being kept in the dark/ignored” subplot that existed throughout Season 1, while driving home that she should be listened to far more.
68. Season 6, Episode 15 – Freedonia
A really good campaign episode as the show ramps up to the New Hampshire primary. Santos is excluded from a debate featuring just Hoynes and Russell, leaving Josh working every angle to get Santos involved. But it’s Santos himself who turns up the dial with a stirring direct-to-camera ad that clearly sets him apart from the by-the-book candidates he’s up against.
67. Season 7, Episode 3 - Message of the Week
The pure campaign episodes in Seasons 6 and 7 are almost always effective, and “Message of the Week” is no different. Shifting the focus back to the Vinick campaign as they try to halt Santos’ momentum by courting the Latino vote themselves, while Vinick himself deals with concerns from the Christian right. It’s a great look at Vinick’s campaign staff and the spectrum they represent, from cynically political to morally concerned.
66. Season 2, Episode 13 - Bartlet’s Third State of the Union
State of the Union episodes tend to be quite busy, and Season 2’s is no different. There’s a live political talk show taking place in the White House which provides a neat backdrop, and Season 2’s major international incident begins in Colombia. It ticks along well, while the speech itself is the soft-launch for Bartlet’s re-election campaign, setting up the MS plotline later in Season 2.
65. Season 6, Episode 18 - La Palabra
In the lead up to Super Tuesday, Santos has to win California or his financial support will disappear. It’s one of the few episodes that actually tackles Santos’ background and what it means to be a prominent Hispanic candidate, and Jimmy Smits brings a lot of gravitas to the performance.
64. Season 5, Episode 1 - 7A WF 83429
The first episode in the post-Sorkin era for The West Wing picks up the baton from the end of Season 4 and immediately takes it in stride. It’s fast-paced, interesting both politically and personally for the staff. It’s John Goodman who makes this arc work so well though, and it’s hard to imagine another actor trying to carry that role.
63. Season 6, Episode 5 - The Hubbert Peak
It took a while for The West Wing to find its comedic groove after Aaron Sorkin departed the show, but by this point in Season 6 it was mostly back on track. Josh test drives an SUV and crashes into a Prius, pushing CJ to make him sit down with alternative energy spokespeople to make amends. It’s a light episode, but it keeps everything ticking over nicely until the primaries begin in earnest.
62. Season 1, Episode 18 - Six Meetings Before Lunch
After the first real win for the Bartlet administration—Mendoza’s confirmation to the Supreme Court—the staff is brought back down to earth pretty swiftly with a series of tough meetings. Sam deals with Mallory on school vouchers, CJ has to tackle an issue involving Zoey, and Sam vets a civil rights lawyer in favor of reparations for slavery. While a lot of the episode is solid, it’s the scenes with Josh and Jeff Breckenridge, played by the always outstanding Carl Lumbly, that really elevate “Six Meetings Before Lunch.”
61. Season 4, Episode 3 - College Kids
Leo gauges the legal reaction to Shareef’s assassination by disclosing it to Jordan as Qumar threatens to accuse Israel of the murder, all while Josh and Toby gauge a new education policy of making college tuition tax deductible. It’s the domestic politics of “College Kids” that works significantly better than the Shareef stuff. Seeing Toby and Josh engaged, and seeing them bring Sam and CJ onboard, is a great depiction of what governance should strive to be.
60. Season 5, Episode 14 - An Khe
By Season 5, it had been a long time since the show delivered a Leo-centric episode, but “An Khe” was very much worth the wait. Telling a back and forth story between two US servicemen stranded in North Korea and the time Leo was shot down over Vietnam. John Spencer brings a lot of despair to the role, particularly when Leo gets caught up in an issue involving the man who rescued him. It doesn’t propel the wider picture of the show forward, but it’s a great focus for Leo.
59. Season 5, Episode 19 - Talking Points
An episode almost exclusively focused on Josh and Donna, with the former having negotiated an international trade deal only for a CEO to use it to move 17,000 jobs to India, while the latter is looking to have a larger role in the administration. It’s a good, energetic episode, with some great work from Whitford and Janel Moloney.
58. Season 6, Episode 10 - Faith Based Initiative
Written by Bradley Whitford, “Faith Based Initiative” is surprisingly good. An internet rumour that CJ is a lesbian appears the same day as an anti-gay-marriage amendment to the federal budget, with Josh and Toby trying to kill it before the President has to publicly position himself on it. On the campaign side, Santos agrees to run but only if Josh is campaign manager. It all culminates in the beautiful “hope” speech Santos gives to announce his candidacy, spliced with shots of Bartlet working to stand on his own two feet. Beautiful symmetry.
57. Season 4, Episode 20 - Evidence of Things Not Seen
Remember when Matthew Perry was in The West Wing? Yeah, that was strange. Regardless, “Evidence of Things Not Seen” is a really strong episode with a lot of moving parts. A spy plane crashed in Russia and Bartlet has to convince the Russian President to allow the military to go and recover it. Shots are fired at the White House leading to a “crash”; Josh interviews a new associate counsel (Perry)… all while the staff try to blow off steam with a late-night poker game.
56. Season 5, Episode 3 - Jefferson Lives
When the Bartlet administration decides to push for a strong VP nominee, the newly-emboldened Speaker of the House, Jeff Haffley (Steven Culp), provides a list of candidates that would be easier nominees. All of this leads to Gary Cole’s delightful ‘Bingo’ Bob Russell, a character significantly less weird than a lot of current-day politicians.
55. Season 6, Episode 4 – Liftoff
CJ’s promotion to Chief of Staff is great, and her first episode in the role is propulsive fun.
54. Season 6, Episode 9 - Impact Winter
A lot goes on in “Impact Winter.” Donna quits to go and work for Russell. An asteroid may, or may not, be heading to Earth. Leo and Josh discuss the latter’s future and who he can push towards the White House. All of that pales in comparison with Martin Sheen’s turn as a wheelchair-bound Bartlet. His desire to leave a lasting legacy, his despair at his physical condition—it’s a masterful performance from one of television’s titans.
53. Season 7, Episode 18 – Requiem
“Requiem” has the difficult job of juggling the aftermath of Leo’s death now Santos is elected, while also setting up the transition from campaign to administration. The Leo-reminiscence is a really lovely group of scenes, acting as a great tribute to one of the show’s key figures.
52. Season 7, Episode 11 - Internal Displacement
“Internal Displacement” essentially works as an episode to remind viewers that the White House is still running while the campaigns tick over. CJ deals with issues on all sides, from genocide in the Sudan to a potential sex scandal with the President’s son-in-law, Doug Westin. It comes out of nowhere, but it’s a powerful episode focused on an administration that’s lost focus as their time in office ticks down.
51. Season 1, Episode 15 - Celestial Navigation
This is the show’s first real foray into non-linear storytelling, and it works really well. All centered around Josh describing a “typical week at the White House,” featuring the President becoming embroiled in a sensitive debate over racism, and Josh himself giving a press briefing that would make Sean Spicer look like one of history’s great orators.
The main thrust of the episode though is the arrest of Supreme Court nominee Roberto Mendoza, and Sam and Toby’s part-comedic/part-introspective on institutional racism on their sojourn to bail him out before it becomes a story.
50. Season 7, Episode 16 - Election Day Part I
A really great opener to a two-parter, breaking down the complexity of the election, how tight it is, while not ignoring the White House. Josh and Donna finally spend the night together, while Charlie encourages CJ to think about her future. It all culminates with Leo’s shocking collapse though, adding a devastating ellipsis to the episode before the second part.
49. Season 3, Episode 18 - Enemies Foreign and Domestic
“Enemies Foreign and Domestic” is a great episode centered on… you guessed it – conflicts home and abroad. At home, CJ slams Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women leading to death threats and her own personal Secret Service detail, including Mark Harmon playing Special Agent Simon Donovan, with whom Janney shares incredible on-screen chemistry.
Abroad, a diplomatic summit with Russia and their new reformist president looms, but intelligence services discover Russia potentially building a nuclear reactor for Iran. It all leads to a covert communiqué from the Russian president through a protocol negotiator about the importance of nuclear non-proliferation. It’s a complex look at modern diplomacy, and it works really well.
48. Season 2, Episode 9 – Galileo
The signal from a Mars probe named Galileo disappears, impacting a live-classroom session; there’s a fire at a Russian oil refinery which turns out to be a missile silo, and the President doesn’t like green beans. “Galileo” is a pretty good episode about being inquisitive, asking questions, and importantly, asking for help.
47. Season 6, Episode 8 - In the Room
A strong and consequential episode establishing Arnie Vinick as the Republican frontrunner, Bartlet’s escalating issues with his MS, and Donna’s impending break from Josh, all against the backdrop of the upcoming China summit. There’s also a bit with Penn and Teller maybe, or maybe not, burning an American flag at Zoey’s birthday party, which is as fun and silly as it sounds.
46. Season 4, Episode 22 – Commencement
The Zoey kidnapping arc is a divisive one, given that it’s never really revealed what happened. Having said that, “Commencement” is a supremely dramatic episode that hits all the high notes before the despair and tension of “Twenty Five.” Away from the main drama, Toby buys Andy a house and learns she isn’t playing hard to get, but instead she doesn’t want to get back with him because he’s “too sad”, which is about as depressing as The West Wing gets.
45. Season 1, Episode 11 - Lord John Marbury
Threat of war between India and Pakistan ratchets up the global stakes for Bartlet and the senior staff, but luckily Lord John Marbury—the most stereotypical ideal of an English person ever put to screen—is on hand to assist. A strong episode that develops every character further and pushes every arc forward.
44. Season 5, Episode 20 - No Exit
One of the more interesting and original episodes of The West Wing that sees the White House “crashed” because of a potential chemical attack. It pairs off characters neatly, coupling the combative Will and Toby, sticking Josh in with Kate Harper who’s a nut he can’t crack, while CJ and Donna discuss the latter’s career prospects and whether Josh is holding her back.
43. Season 2, Episode 4 - In This White House
A tremendous sleeper episode that deals with two contrasting plot threads, before sewing them together at the end. The first involves the introduction of Ainsley Hayes (Emily Proctor), a Republican lawyer who whoops Sam on a late-night talk show, only to be hired by Leo to the White House Counsel’s office. Meanwhile, Toby and Josh mediate a conference between pharmaceutical leaders and the president of Equatorial Kundu, a fictional African state in the midst of an AIDS crisis.
42. Season 4, Episode 11 - Holy Night
Ignoring the revelation that Toby’s father was quite literally a hitman, which in itself is all kinds of absurd… this episode is actually excellent. It’s the kind of swing that the middle stretch of Season 4 was crying out for. Sopranos alumni Jerry Adler plays Toby’s estranged father, and it’s a touching look at Toby’s family life, but Josh’s too, who arranged the surprise visit to reconcile the two out of his own entrenched desire for a familial connection given his own loss.
41. Season 4, Episode 21 - Life on Mars
A seismic episode that comes out of absolutely nowhere. Hoynes resigns after Joe Quincy uncovers a trail of evidence that implicates the VP as a major security leak. Excellent work for Tim Matheson, as always, while Matthew Perry matches him punch for punch, as do Sheen and Spencer.
40. Season 1, Episode 3 - A Proportional Response
Following the death of his personal physician at the end of “Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc,” the episode centers on Bartlet’s response, from a personal standpoint and a military one. It’s an interesting first look at his role as a military leader, and one that develops significantly over the course of the show.
39. Season 7, Episode 13 - The Cold
The Santos campaign shoots up in the polls after the San Andreo nuclear incident, leading to celebrations and, finally, the first real moment of romance and passion between Josh and Donna. “The Cold” is good, really good, dealing with the aftermath of San Andreo while still keeping a tight focus on the Vinick campaign’s response, as well as on Kazakhstan.
38. Season 3, Episode 14 - Hartsfield’s Landing
This is an effective, well-thought out episode that uses chess as a recurring motif to advance the story. There’s a standoff between China and Taiwan as the latter seeks to hold free elections, while the President returns from India with chess sets to gift Toby and Sam. Through these games, Bartlet and Sam explore the China-Taiwan issue and the president mentors Sam into a wider political role, while Bartlet and Toby discuss the former’s insomnia and the latter’s fervent belief in Bartlet’s potential as an intellectual leader.
37. Season 5, Episode 15 - Full Disclosure
Hoynes is back with an interview and a sensationalist tell-all book about the administration. The staff all deal with it from a political standpoint, trying to ensure they have enough ammo to fire back if it comes to that, but it’s through CJ that the story becomes something more interesting. Throughout the episode, CJ’s own sexual past with Hoynes comes out, and Janney delivers one of her very best single-episode performances.
36. Season 5, Episode 8 – Shutdown
Putting aside the absurdity of an economist like Bartlet playing a game of chicken with a shutdown of the Federal Government, “Shutdown” is a throwback to former mid-season high points while giving the Bartlet administration the win it desperately needed. It establishes Speaker Haffley as an excellent villain and also brings Josh back to the table as he helps Bartlet manage the crisis and end the shutdown.
35. Season 5, Episode 12 - Slow News Day
A surprising episode dealing with legacy, Social Security, and Toby’s passion for making a real impact on the American people. Toby comes up with a plan to fix Social Security after the State of the Union, but it requires bipartisan support and a lot of cloak-and-dagger politics. There’s some excellent tension building, and both Schiff and Whitford bring their A-games.
34. Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2 - 20 Hours in America
A fun episode with a back-and-forth between the White House and Josh, Toby and Donna’s trip from Indiana to Washington after being stranded. For the most part, the episode works thanks to the dynamic between Josh and Toby—something that always works—as they interact with ‘regular’ people on their quest back home. The West Wing doesn’t spend enough time looking at the people the politicians and the staff represent, so when it does, it has to nail it. Thankfully, “20 Hours in America” does just that.
33. Season 6, Episode 17 - A Good Day
A vote in Congress on stem-cell research is pulled by the Speaker when he sees how many Democrats are on hand to vote for it, leading to a covert sleepover in the Capitol Building organized by Santos. If it sounds silly, it’s actually a strategy that was later copied in Parliament in the UK—a damning indictment of democracy if you’ve ever read one. Still…this is a great episode that keeps Santos in the spotlight as a savvy political operator, while throwing up two fun B-plots that keep everything breezy.
32. Season 1, Episode 12 - He Shall, from Time to Time…
Against the backdrop of war in Kashmir and Leo’s outing as a recovering addict, Bartlet prepares for the State of the Union, but collapses in the Oval Office. Originally diagnosed as flu, it provides the set up for the later reveal of his MS, a major plot throughout the entire series.
31. Season 2, Episode 14 - The War at Home
A superb episode focusing on the balancing act of the President dealing with the situation in Colombia while also trying to win Abbey back after unofficially announcing his intention to run for a second term. It’s a strong examination of their relationship, and while Abbey is an up-and-down character throughout the show, her run in this part of Season 2 is excellent.
30. Season 3, Episode 7 - The Indians in the Lobby
A great sleeper episode set around Thanksgiving, with two Stockbridge-Munsee Indians in the White House lobby refusing to leave until their 15-year-old application is heard. Gary Farmer and Georgina Lightning are both excellent as the two eponymous Native Americans, and while the show shied away from tackling Native issues, the one time it does go there, it works.
29. Season 1, Episode 5 - The Crackpots and These Women
A blast of an episode that does a great job balancing the comedy and emotion of The West Wing, while never losing the earnestness that ties everything together. It’s our introduction to Big Block of Cheese Day, with Sam dealing with a UFO tracker and CJ dealing with a group who want a $900 million “wolves only” highway. While this is going on, Josh gets his NSC card and learns what really matters to him in the event of a crisis: being with the ones he loves. It’s a neat early exploration of Josh’s past trauma, and it dovetails well with the comedy of the episode.
28. Season 3, Episode 19 - The Black Vera Wang
There’s excellent tension throughout the episode as CJ chafes under her Secret Service protection, while Bartlet and Leo deal with a potential terrorist attack on the Golden Gate bridge organized by Abdul Shareef. Even the side plot of Sam dealing with a planted attack ad on Bartlet comes with drama and tension, and it’s just an excellent episode.
27. Season 3, Episode 20 - We Killed Yamamoto
After conclusively linking Shareef to the planned attack on Golden Gate Bridge, the discussion turns to arrest or assassination. While there’s a lot of other plotlines taking place as Season 3 builds to its conclusion, it’s Leo and Fitzwallace in the Situation Room that really takes the episode to new heights—boiling down the moral argument of killing Shareef. John Amos is typically a quiet, reserved presence as Percy Fitzwallace, but this one time where he lets his fierceness show is a brilliant moment for his character.
26. Season 4, Episode 23 - Twenty Five
Just a relentless episode defined by the extraordinary moment at the close when Bartlet invokes the 25th Amendment, installing the Speaker of the House, Glen Allen Walken as President. It doesn’t have the quality of an episode like “Two Cathedrals,” but for sheer shock value, “Twenty Five” is a powerhouse.
25. Season 2, Episode 17 - The Stackhouse Filibuster
Stylistically different through the use of voice overs, with the staff composing emails to their families detailing the night’s events. An elderly senator is filibustering a slam-dunk healthcare bill, searching for more funding for autism research, which comes out later in the episode. But it’s the underlying subplot of Hoynes gearing up for his presidential campaign, noticed only by Toby, that provides the real drama; namely Hoynes’ incredible line, “Toby, the total tonnage of what I know that you don’t could stun a team of oxen in its tracks.”
24. Season 1, Episode 1 – Pilot
Pilot episodes all have the same function: establish the characters, the core themes, and so on. The West Wing pilot does it better than most. We’re introduced to the visual style of walk-and-talks, along with the exceptional production design that would continue until the series finale. And on top of that, we get Bartlet’s genius introduction at the conclusion of the episode.
23. Season 2, Episode 19 - Bad Moon Rising
Look, TV is just better with Oliver Platt involved. I don’t make the rules. His introduction as the new White House Counsel, Oliver Babish, is as good as you’d expect. Bartlet, Babish, and Leo discuss the MS concealment and whether or not any crime has been committed. It’s sharp, witty, and it opens out the world as more characters come to know about the MS itself.
22. Season 2, Episode 20 - The Fall’s Gonna Kill You
There’s a real palpable tension throughout as each member of staff deals with the revelation of Bartlet’s MS while trying to gear themselves up for the inevitable fight that’s coming. Josh’s interaction with Joey Lucas at the airport stands out as a real highlight of the episode, and it’s a neat reminder of how good a performer Marlee Matlin is.
21. Season 2, Episode 21 - 18th and Potomac
Incredible episode, but one of the darker episodes in the show’s run. The exploratory poll the staff have put in the field makes it seem like announcing the MS would be political suicide, a military coup begins in Haiti, and Mrs. Landingham dies to wrap up the episode. It’s a real heartbreaker, coming out of nowhere and adding another layer of drama before the climax of “Two Cathedrals.”
20. Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2 – Manchester
Season 3’s opening two-parter has to accomplish a lot: establishing the re-election campaign, showing the aftermath of Bartlet’s MS revelation, and evolving the tension between the President and the First Lady. “Manchester” manages to achieve all of it in this extended season opener. There’s a strong theme of apologies throughout, switching between whether or not the President should apologize to the nation, then at the end where he does indeed apologize to his staff. It’s a touching moment to close a thought-provoking episode.
19. Season 7, Episode 17 - Election Day Part II
Confirmation of Leo’s death comes pretty quickly in the second part of the election arc, and it’s really tough to take. Add in the fact that there’s still an election to contest, and “Election Day Part II” is incredible drama—almost to a point where it could feel overdone, but it never does. It deals with so many mixed emotions, all conflicting, but it creates a symphony of television that’s fitting for the moment.
18. Season 7, Episode 22 - Tomorrow
“Tomorrow” does a remarkable job of tying up loose ends, providing the emotional moments a series finale should offer, while encapsulating the passing of the torch that the final two seasons focused on thematically. Toby gets his pardon, Mallory gives Bartlet the ‘Bartlet for America’ napkin that started off this crazy ride, and the new era of the Santos presidency begins in earnest. It doesn’t hit the heady heights of other season finales, but as a series finale it has a different job—one it accomplishes fully.
17. Season 6, Episode 22 - 2162 Votes
A really strong close-out to an underrated season of television, with a frenetic Democratic convention going through every twist and turn before Santos comes out on top… with Leo McGarry as his running mate. It’s a mad soap opera, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun with a triumphant ending.
16. Season 1, Episode 19 - Let Bartlet be Bartlet
The turning point episode for both the Bartlet administration and the show at large. Beginning with the clearest picture yet at just how ineffective the Bartlet government has been up to this point. Leo, as he often does, turns the situation around, unshackling the staff and Bartlet himself in one of the show’s most iconic scenes to close out the episode. It’s silly and hokey, more melodramatic than it has any need to be… and yet it’s exactly why we love The West Wing.
15. Season 1, Episode 9 - The Short List
The first truly outstanding episode of The West Wing sees the Bartlet administration looking to fill a seat on the Supreme Court. After discovering some issues with their original candidate, they pivot to Judge Roberto Mendoza.
14. Season 4, Episode 13 - The Long Goodbye
Unique within The West Wing, “The Long Goodbye” is completely divorced from the usual format that comes with an episode of this show. CJ returns to her hometown for a high school reunion and comes to grips with just how bad her father’s Alzheimer’s has become. A true stand-alone episode, but one that elevates CJ as a character incredibly well. Beautifully sad.
13. Season 7, Episode 12 - Duck and Cover
Outside of the election itself, “Duck and Cover” is the most consequential episode of the show’s final season. There’s a potential nuclear meltdown in California, made all the worse for Sen. Vinick, given that he pushed to have the nuclear plant open. The episode also does a great job of portraying the dichotomy between playing politics with disasters or trying to work to do the right thing.
12. Season 1, Episode 22 - What Kind of Day Has It Been
Packed with heart, wit, drama, and a cliffhanger ending to die for, “What Kind of Day Has It Been” is the first of seven outstanding season finales. There’s so much going on, but it all weaves together flawlessly, from Toby’s brother on the space shuttle to the downed pilot in Iraq, with all the politicking and melodrama in between. Exceptional television.
11. Season 5, Episode 17 - The Supremes
One of the most famous episodes of The West Wing, and one that might be the perfect encapsulation of the idealistic, unrealistic and naïve idea of bipartisanship that critics of the show regularly point to.
Having said that, both Glenn Close and William Fichtner are genuinely delightful as Evelyn Baker Lang and Christopher Mulready, respectively—the best guest stars in the show’s run. Beyond that, if you take a step back and view The West Wing as purely a television show, “The Supremes” is one of the best episodes of the post-Sorkin era.
10. Season 2, Episode 10 – Noël
A divisive episode that focuses far less on politics, instead putting Josh’s trauma front and center. Josh meets with Stanley Keyworth (Adam Arkin) after Donna and the senior staff expressed concern about his behavior, and from there we jump back and forth between the session and the past few weeks exploring the heart of the issues.
There’s a lot of anxiety in the episode, from Josh’s panic attack during the Congressional Christmas party to his outburst in the Oval Office, but it all works exceptionally well. The wider theme of “Noël” is one the show will return to time and again: that the bonds between the staff are just as important as the jobs they’ve been hired to do.
9. Season 6, Episode 16 - Drought Conditions
This is one of those episodes that comes along each season where Richard Schiff acts everyone else off the screen. Dark, teasing out the story of his brother’s suicide, building to his explosive meeting with Josh, all while the Democratic primaries intermingle with West Wing politics. Excellent stuff.
8. Season 7, Episode 7 - The Debate
Wickedly bold television. From a production standpoint, it completely grounds you in the world; and from a performance standpoint, both Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda hold your attention for the full hour. There’s just enough slip-ups from both actors that it actually adds to the realism of it all—outstanding episode.
7. Season 1, Episode 10 - In Excelsis Deo
A poignant and powerful hour of television focused on Toby Ziegler and his efforts to secure a military burial for a homeless veteran. The man in question has died in Arlington cemetery wearing a coat Toby donated, still with his business card inside, setting Toby on this mini quest. It’s a strong dissection of homelessness among veterans, and one of Richard Schiff’s finest performances on the show.
6. Season 3, Episode 13 - Night Five
The most under-appreciated episode of The West Wing, “Night Five” is a special hour of television. A deep dive in Bartlet’s psyche after his to-do with Toby in the Oval Office, “Night Five” focuses heavily on Bartlet’s deep-seated desire to live up to his father’s expectations, and the expectations of the office of the President. Dark, complex, masterfully written.
5. Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2 - In the Shadow of Two Gunmen
From start to finish, Season 2 is the strongest of The West Wing, and this opening two-parter is a great encapsulation of its relentless storytelling. Dealing with the aftermath of the Rosslyn shooting as the staff deal with both Josh and the President being hit, while flashbacks flesh out the origin stories for the Bartlet campaign.
It tees up the major plotline of Season 2 by referencing Bartlet’s MS, while simultaneously offering a look at the bonds of family between the staff that define so much of the show.
4. Season 3, Episode 21 - Posse Comitatus
From both a political and personal point of view, “Posse Comitatus” delivers everything you could want from a season finale. Josh and Amy’s clash over a welfare vote brings about the end of their relationship; we’re introduced to Gov. Ritchie (James Brolin) and his deeply unserious “crime…boy, I don’t know;” CJ and Simon’s relationship begins only to end tragically when he’s shot dead.
The main event of the episode though is the assassination of Shareef and the morality of such an action, all set against the pageantry and crescendo of the Shakespearian play they’re taking in. It’s The West Wing melodrama dial turned up to 11.
3. Season 3, Episode 9 - Bartlet for America
A masterclass from John Spencer, who totally embodied Leo McGarry from first episode to last, but never better than in “Bartlet for America.” Leo testifies before a Congressional hearing over Bartlet’s MS, and through that, the episode explores the beginnings of the Bartlet campaign and Leo’s relationship with Jed himself.
“Bartlet for America” doesn’t have the out-and-out drama of “Two Cathedrals” or the quiet tension of “17 People,” but it’s a pitch perfect “regular” episode of The West Wing.
2. Season 2, Episode 18 - 17 People
The most intense episode of The West Wing, brimming with tension, gravitas, powerful silences, and a flawless performance from Richard Schiff. Following on from Toby deducing Hoynes’ intentions to run, Bartlet makes him the 16th person to know of his MS, leading to essentially a bottle episode in the Oval Office. It’s masterful television, showcasing the strength of Sorkin as a writer when he has a singular goal in mind.
1. Season 2, Episode 22 - Two Cathedrals
The best episode of The West Wing, and honestly, one of the best episodes of television… ever. It raises the hairs on the back of your neck when it needs to, and brings tears to your eyes when it wants to. The “will he/won’t he” over running for re-election, the flashbacks to his earliest memories of Dolores Landingham, his speech to God in the cathedral, the Dire Straits needle drop: It all works on so many levels, elevating the show to a stratosphere of television that few others could ever hope to match.
