The following is an episode list for the NBC serial drama television series The West Wing . The series ran from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006 airing 155 regular season episodes and one special episode.
Series overview
- *Plus one special episode.
Season 1: 1999–2000
Cast: Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen
The first season, which begins in the middle of Bartlet's first year in office, is loaded with images of a West Wing "stuck in neutral" and powerless to govern (thought by many to mimic President Clinton's early days in office, when he was forced to compromise on campaign promises such as gays in the military). Several episodes (notably "Five Votes Down" and "Mr. Willis of Ohio") feature the White House desperately digging for a backdoor through which to pass a particular piece of legislation. This powerlessness ends in "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" when Leo and the president finally agree to fight any battle they believe to be important, even if they are not sure they can win. The season ends with a cliffhanger assassination attempt with an ominous call over a Secret Service radio: "Who's been hit?! Who's been hit?!"Season 2: 2000–2001
Cast: Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen
The second season detailed the period between the end of President Bartlet's second year in office and the middle of his third. It covered a wider legislative array than the first season did, and presented issues including the rights of hate groups and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.The West Wing characters were shown as being more capable of legislating thanks to an increased approval rating (described as a temporary "bubble" due to the shooting that ended the first season). Also vital to this theme is the new doctrine for legislating laid out in the first season episode "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet."
The second season also made consistent use of flashbacks, demonstrating the campaign for the presidency, and the period prior to events covered in the first season. The first two episodes, In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I and In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II, showed how many of the central characters were introduced to Josiah Bartlet at the time that he was seeking The Presidential nomination and election. Aaron Sorkin originally planned to have such flashbacks as a major part of the entire season, but budget and logistical demands prevented this.
The multiple sclerosis arc (also introduced in the first season) became central late in the second season as staff members were introduced one-by-one to the president's ailment and the public is made aware. This theme would remain central to the series.
Mrs. Landingham, the long time secretary of President Bartlet, died in the penultimate episode, "18th and Potomac." In the final episode, "Two Cathedrals," Mrs. Landingham's funeral was central as was the question of whether or not the President would run for re-election.
The season ended with the President having announced his multiple sclerosis. It concludes just moments before he answers a reporter's question: "Mr. President, can you tell us right now if you'll be seeking a second term?"
Season 3: 2001–2002
Cast: Rob Lowe, Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen
The third season, which covers the administration's third and fourth years in office, starts off with Bartlet announcing his intention to run for reelection and is heavily devoted to the upcoming presidential election. Other prominent plotlines include Congressional investigations into whether Bartlet committed electoral fraud by concealing his MS, a death threat against C.J. and the ensuing relationship she develops with a Secret Service agent assigned to her, the Qumari defense minister Abdul Shareef plotting terrorist attacks against the US, and a troubling meeting between Toby and the President that leaves Bartlet with a bout of insomnia in "Night Five." The season finale, "Posse Comitatus" closes several of these storylines as Bartlet meets his opponent in the elections and reaffirms his commitment to beat him. The episode ends with the president finally deciding to order Shareef's assassination (a legally questionable act) and C.J.'s agent's murder, just after the man threatening C.J. was caught.
From a critical perspective, series creator Aaron Sorkin acknowledged in October 2002 that the terrorism-related plots designed to keep the series relevant after the real-life 9/11 attacks were awkward at times, saying "from week to week, you felt like you were writing the show handcuffed, a little bit. I didn't know how to write it anymore. It was a constant search for what I wasn't doing that used to make the show work. Maybe there was a way to make it work; there probably was. I wasn't able to find it in twenty-two episodes." Nonetheless, the show went on to win its third "Outstanding Drama" Emmy in a row.
Season 4: 2002–2003
Cast: Rob Lowe, Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Joshua Malina, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen
The fourth season covers the end of Bartlet's fourth year and first term in office through the beginning of the first year of his second term. The season begins with the continuation of the election storyline with the president touring the nation and his staff trying to firm up presidential debates. Surprisingly, the election is not used as a cliffhanger, but seen as a clear victory for Bartlet, the storyline ending less than halfway through the season in "Election Night". Other plots include Sam leaving the White House to run in a special election in California, the news of the Abdul Shareef assassination resonating both inside and outside the U.S., Will Bailey taking Sam's position after coming over from the California campaign's staff, the President and his staff facing the reality of an overseas genocide, and Vice President Hoynes being forced to resign after a sex scandal is uncovered. The fourth season ends with Bartlet's youngest daughter being taken hostage. Bartlet ends up invoking the 25th Amendment in the final episode, "Twenty Five." Since no one had been nominated to replace Hoynes yet, the presidency passes to the Republican Speaker of the House, Glen Allen Walken.After the difficulties Sorkin encountered in writing Season 3 (see above), he saw Season 4 as a return to the form he and the show had previously enjoyed, saying " came back to work, after the hiatus, and didn't feel any of that, just felt the week-to-week pressure of trying to write well." In 2003, at the end of the fourth season, Sorkin and fellow executive producer Thomas Schlamme left the show due to internal conflicts at Warner Bros. TV not involving the NBC network, thrusting producer John Wells into an expanded role as showrunner.
Season 5: 2003–2004
Cast: Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Joshua Malina, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen
The fifth season opens with US forces successfully rescuing Zoey Bartlet from her abductors. Bartlet takes the presidency back from Walken, but is forced back into a Season One level of powerlessness. He comes to terms with his actions at the end of Season Four leading to his daughter's kidnapping, a powerful new Republican Speaker of the House (Walken has had to resign in order to assume the presidency) who forces Bartlet into several decisions he doesn't want, including the nomination of an unimpressive Democrat, "Bingo Bob" Russell, for Vice President. This conflict with the new Speaker comes to a head in "Shutdown," when the Speaker tries to force Bartlet into cutting federal spending more than had been agreed to and Bartlet refuses to sign the budget (forcing the federal government into a shutdown). Bartlet regains some of his Seasons 2-4 power, cutting a deal to get a liberal Chief Justice of the United States, and season five ends with a bombing in Gaza leading Bartlet to push for Israeli peace talks and Josh to come closer to Donna. The fifth season begins toward the end of Bartlet's first year of his second term (fifth year overall) in office. By the end of the season, however, over a year has elapsed. This season was the first without creator Aaron Sorkin and producer Thomas Schlamme, who had left the show in a dispute with the production company (see above).Season 6: 2004–2005
Cast: Alan Alda, Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Joshua Malina, Mary McCormack, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, with Jimmy Smits and Martin Sheen
The sixth season starts with the president negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, Leo having a heart attack and leaving the staff, and the president trying to fund peacekeepers for the accord. Josh is pondering whether he will stay with Bartlet or support a presidential candidate. Three events shape his decision: Santos not running again for Congress, Vinick running for president and Donna leaving the White House to work for the Russell campaign (further fraying Josh and Donna's relationship). The later parts of the season center heavily around the primaries for the 2006 presidential election. Josh leaves with Santos, a Congressman from Texa
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