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dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:19 AM Aug 2020

I re-watched the first episode of the West Wing just now



It's on Netflix.

Haven't re-watched it for years. The characters are just as real as I remembered them, the show is unabashedly heart tugging, the Sorkin lines remain as terrific as when he penned them.

So now I'm dropping tears into my water glass at a pretty steady rate, feeling so very sad over where we are today.

Sometimes the sadness and tears have to come and then go before I can get recharged with anger and determination
again.

Jus' sharing....
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I re-watched the first episode of the West Wing just now (Original Post) dixiegrrrrl Aug 2020 OP
The last episode is wonderful, too. raging moderate Aug 2020 #1
Sam and the call girl (gonna be a lawyer!) PJMcK Aug 2020 #2
Oh, I will check that out, thank you. n/t dixiegrrrrl Aug 2020 #3
Something that annoys me about that first episode is that Toby, in a heated argument RockRaven Aug 2020 #4
The writing stretched things from time to time Sherman A1 Aug 2020 #5

raging moderate

(4,281 posts)
1. The last episode is wonderful, too.
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:21 AM
Aug 2020

From the first to the last, all of the episodes are informative, entertaining, and inspiring.

PJMcK

(21,916 posts)
2. Sam and the call girl (gonna be a lawyer!)
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:32 AM
Aug 2020

President Bartlet busting the so-called Christians!

Josh! Toby! C.J.!

What a great beginning to a 7-year series!

By the way, listen carefully to the opening theme. It's played on some kind of synthesizer/sampler and if you compare it to the theme around episode 3 or 4, you'll hear the full orchestra version. I suspect they were under time pressure and budgets restraints.

RockRaven

(14,782 posts)
4. Something that annoys me about that first episode is that Toby, in a heated argument
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 01:10 AM
Aug 2020

Last edited Tue Aug 11, 2020, 12:07 PM - Edit history (1)

with some Xian fundies, correctly rebukes them that the "honor thy father (and thy mother)" commandment is NOT the first one, as some old flabby white jerk is babbling about. But he calls it a number (third) which doesn't match any list I've ever seen, and the last time I saw that rerun I checked on Wikipedia to be sure I wasn't crazy. Indeed, Wikipedia gives eight different numbering permutations by various sects/traditions, and the filial piety one is only ever 4th or 5th. And number 3 is only ever the name-in-vain or Sabbath one.

It's overshadowed because it is the lead in line for President Bartlett's big entrance and his own smackdown of the fundies, but that is one of those details that you've got to get right, imo. You can't have a protagonist character be righteously indignant about other people's idiocy while also being wrong (any least not with never having it acknowledged or paid off in some way) -- in the introductory episode!

Other than that, it is one of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite series. That was a great cast, and so well written compared to its contemporaries.

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)
5. The writing stretched things from time to time
Tue Aug 11, 2020, 05:28 AM
Aug 2020

On subjects that were fairly easy to research even in the early days if the internet and prior to its arrival. Nevertheless it was a great show.

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