The West Wing - Complete Season 7

Really enjoyable binge. Also nostalgic of a very different White House. It was surprising how often there were comments in the dialogues which hint at some of the US politics of today.

The West Wing is without doubt the finest television series I have ever watched. There are seemingly many critics of this series that state that the first 4 Series were superb and then it tails off. I am not one of them. I sat through Series 5 expecting a downturn in the script/acting and found none. Series 6 did start off a bit slow but the interest level picks up at the start of the campaign trail and season 7 continues the Democratic and Republicans nominees run for the Oval Office. Perhaps the only negative comment I can make regarding Series 7 is the lack of air time for some of the old faces as the focus was not on the West Wing but the battle for it. I find it hard to believe other comments made that the Series was cancelled early due to poor ratings. Thus being said, Series 7 is as fitting an end as one could imagine and the final episode perfectly hits the right level of sentimentality and you are left with clear understanding of the future plans and careers for at least most of the main characters. All those who purchased Seasons 1-6 will buy Season 7 anyway because they are already devoted followers of this magnificent series. For those of you who are still wondering if this is worth a look, I can imagine no reason for you to delay your purchases any longer. The acting is magnificent, the direction spot on and contains some of the best camera work to hit the small screen. Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford have been my favourite actors or maybe CJ and Josh were just my favourite characters. There are many things you should do before you depart from this world, and viewing the West Wing should be somewhere near the top of the list.

The last season of the series is an uprooting experience, taking a step farther away from the safe ol' White House and the good ol' days. Having now watched the whole marvellous series, I have a great feeling of nostalgia. The plot focuses on two things: the presidential campaign and its two opposing camps, and the ongoing politics of the current White House. Several long-time love stories of the series are brought to their conclusions, and political crises arise - as usual. The first episode features a short "three years later" flash forward, to the dedication of the Bartlet library, and through it you get a glimpse of the future without being told everything that will happen for the next few years. After this short intro, we are shot back into the present. And when I say "shot", I'm not kidding around. The pace is frenetic, and illustrates the true pace of a national campaign and the wear on the people running it. Josh Lyman is the centre of attention throughout, working himself to the brink of destruction to take his candidate to victory. The fundamental problem of the last two seasons is that there is something missing. That thing is Bartlet. His wit and interactions with the staff. Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits do their parts very well, but their characters simply aren't as interesting as the president, who's not around much. Whenever the candidates say something enlightening, it just makes you feel like the writers are trying to make them look like the new Bartlet. You end up missing the good old days. Much of the fun is also gone; every moment is drenched in such a serious undertone that you miss the amusing puns and quick replies; when they try, more often than not does it fall short - the show has, in short, lost itself. The "magic" is what's missing. Another thing is the lack of a trademark exciting final episode; being the last of the series there is of course no need for a cliffhanger, but I'd still appreciate a bit more grandiose finale than this "back to the everyday doings of the new White House" stuff. The acting is what keeps it alive. Allison Janney, Janel Moloney and Bradley Whitford are still central characters and as we all know, they've got some game. Whitford in particular is spectacular, centrepiece cast member as he is. The story is not strictly necessary, but the character interaction and development is something you'll want. I'd like to emphasize one episode as being better than the others...: "The Cold". The rest are decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. Seriously, you can stop after buying five seasons, but if you're a big fan, you should pick up the last two. The only really BIG reason for buying season 7 is the developing story of Josh and Donna. He's been impossible as far as ANY romance is concerned for eight years, but despite her leaving him to find more serious work somewhere else he loves Donna like a sister... perhaps even a bit more?

What can you say about the West Wing? Only that it has been probably the best television series of the last 7 years. Characters Josh Lyman and CJ Cregg shedding tears for the loss of Leo are Bradley Whitford and Alison Janney shedding tears for John Spencer, and a series which has prided itself on being extremely close to the real-life events had finally blurred the boundaries between its fictional White House and reality. The show has even affected real policy; The Daily Telegraph threw its support behind David Cameron in the Tories leadership election last year, saying he could bring 'West Wing politics' to parliament. Earlier this year, the Tories won a vote in the House of Commons by hiding their members in a backroom, fooling opposition Whips into a false sense of security; a ploy, it was said, 'borrowed' from an episode in Series Six. The West Wing has become a by-word for politicians and politics wishing to bring truth and decency before selfishness and status. For the fans who've been around since Series One, Rob Lowe makes a welcome return (in a laugh-out-load momemt of history repeating itself), and for fans of Jon Bon Jovi, well, he's in it too - babysitting Matt Santos's kids! Negatives? Well, if you're being hyper-critical; there are fewer witty lines than in earlier series, and there's enough storylines in Series 7 to fill two seperate series, so at times it feels rushed, and things that would have taken an episode to unfold previously now take 15 minutes, but put that down to NBC cutting WW short when it at least had one more year left in it. But the ending is apt and suitably emotional. I'm going to miss it.

You have to remember that whilst The West Wing's been must-see TV ever since series 1, it's also had the ability to educate and inform our understanding of the political process. You may disagree with the politics (definitely a democratic leaning) and some of the scenarios may be a little warped, but the backbone - the fundamentals of the American political process - remains throughout. So we return to the beginning of the presidential process. In series 6, Santos secured the Democratic nomination. So series 7 outlines what happens next, and what it's like to tick down the clock on the last 365 days of a presidency. We get to savour the full panoply of Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits leading the charge for the Republican and Democratic parties respectively, and also have time to honour the passing of John Spencer mid-series. Despite the introduction of many new characters, I found the symetry and resolution that this series produced satisfying. Brief appearances in the final two episodes of a host of 'usual suspects' will round off any die-hard's viewing pleasure. The last series 7 episode airs on More4 in the UK this evening, and I for one will miss this quality programming. Time to dust off those dvds and start my personal re-runs.... Fans of Aaron Sorking may wish to hold their breath to see if a uk network picks up his new series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". If they do, lets hope they have more consistency in scheduling than Channel 4 has given to TWW over the years.

Covering the final months of the Bartlett Presidency, Series 7 represents a fitting sign off for what has been one of the greatest TV series produced. Over the last seven series, we have been treated to great writing, acting and directing. All the old stagers from the previous six series continue to deliver great performances in their charactors. As to be expected, there is a lot of focus on the election campaign to succeed President Bartlett and Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda pick up where they left off as the sparring candidates. Both actors have added greatly to the core cast and turn in great performances in Series 7 all the way up to the election result. The episode focussing on Leo McGarry as a tribute following the death of John Spencer was a great tribute to an actor that has been central to this great show. On a personal note, it was great to see Sam Seaborn return (albeit briefly). I always felt it was a shame the show lost Rob Lowe's charactor serveral series ago, but Sam is brought back into the show nicely in a sequence that references that classic opening episodes of Series 2. If you are already a fan, you will probably already have bought it. If you aren't a fan yet.....buy it anyway and then prepare to order the previous six series box sets and to spend a lot of time in front of your TV. "Four more years.......four more years....."

Much of the criticism of the West Wing is rooted in people not agreeing with creator Aaron Sorkin's left-wing tendencies. That strikes me as strange - it is like not watching Law and Order because the police aren't always right or ER because it simplifies hospital funding pressures. The West Wing is simply a remarkable drama that takes place in the most stress-intensive, fast-paced setting imaginable. Ultimately, it is a show about people. And the characters of Josh (Bradley Whitford), Leo (the late, John Spencer), CJ (Alison Janney) and Toby (Richard Schiff) spend their waking lives making ethical and political decisions affecting 100s of millions of people. There is a real noble purpose behind how they spend their days that you can't help but envy. Yes, much of the show is targeted at appealing to Democrats - as the Republicans are seen as the enemy. However, seasons 6 and 7 provide a wonderful insight to the nomination/election process that wasn't shown in the early seasons. These last two seasons follow the presidential campaigns of Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) and Democrat Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and their respective trials and tribulations are eerily similar - despite their different political view points - as they fight for the presidency. What perhaps is most impressive is how the show manages to contrast the frantic campaign trails of both candidates with that of the ongoing presidency of Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his remaining staff. Martin Sheen is again outstanding as he grapples simultaneously with the lasting effects of MS, a declining presidency, an emptying nest, nuclear disaster and trying to avert world war 3. For fans of the show, season 7 is something you quite simply can't do without. If you have previously watched the show and thought it was too biased to the left, season 7 may appeal to you more as there is a lot of balance in the differing political views of Bartlet, Vinick and Santos. From my point of view, I just think it is a rare treat to purchase 15 hours of work from Martin Sheen, Alan Alda, Jimmy Smits, Alison Janney, and the best group of actors, writers, directors and producers working today. We can only hope that work of this standing will one day return. Highly recommended.

After watching the season 6 finale, I couldn't wait to begin season 7. It is a very different show than it was seasons 1-5, following the campaign trail of Matt Santos (and Arnold Vinick), which means much less time is spent in The White House, and consequently less of Martin Sheen. Nevertheless, season 7 is (I feel) stronger than season 6. A particular highlight includes the episode, 'The Debate'. Some viewers found this a strange episode, but I felt it lent itself very well in setting up Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick as viable characters. Another excellent episode is 'Running Mates', concentrating on Leo McGarry's VP debate practice. A strong episode, Kristin Chenoweth and John Spencer play very well off each other. Jimmy Smits clearly plays his role with relish, and Alan Alda's Arnold Vinick never fails to be impressive and almost scene-stealing. Allison Janney has an excellent season, which is good as with the campaign trail the White House storylines are largely redundant; Martin Sheen only does one major plotline all season which is a huge shame, as he's excellent in his role. I like Will Bailey, but I constantly find Mary McCormack's character, Kate Harper, unnecessary, and her and Will have an odd chemistry, slightly uncomfortable to watch. Finally, Bradley Whitford is excellent in anchoring the White House and the Democratic campaign. His portrayal of Josh is as fantastic as it was in season 1. In summary, a wonderful addition to The West Wing. But ensure you see season 6 first!

Une des meilleures series que j'aie jamais eu l'occasion de voir.. et la saison 7, qu'on peut mettre en rapport avec la campagne d'Obama, tient toutes ses promesses!!

Una de las mejores series que ha ofrecido la TV. Inteligente, magnética y con unos actores/personajes que casan a la perfección

This was the best show on TV in the late nineties. Great acting, and incredible cast and a lot of the storylines they wrote are actually very similar to what is happening in today's world. If your interested in getting this series, by all means start with the first season. For those of you who think this is a show about politics, well you're right but in a very small way. It's about the people who work at the Whitehouse, not the events that happen. After watching the first episode of season one, you'll be hooked. I highly recommend that you add this series to you DVD collection.

Staffel 7 ist leider die letzte Staffel der einstmals so erfolgreichen Politikdramaserie "The West Wing", die in den Staaten während der letzten Zeit völlig zu Unrecht vom Publikum vernachlässigt worden ist. Der bereits in Staffel 6 begonnene Umbruch mit Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) als demokratischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten wird konsequent fortgesetzt. Der noch amtierende US-Präsident Jed Bartlet (ganz stark: Martin Sheen)und sein Stab von Mitarbeiterinnen u. Mitarbeitern (u. a. Allison Janney, Richard Schiff u. Dule Hill) rücken nach und nach in den Hintergrund und räumen somit Santos und seinem Team immer mehr Platz in den Handlungsbögen ein. Unter Santos Wahlhelfern finden sich bereits bekannte Gesichter wie Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Donnatella "Donna" Moss (Janel Moloney) und der während der Dreharbeiten leider verstorbene John Spencer als Leo McGarry, der als Kandidat für den Posten des Vizepräsidenten antritt, an. Bekanntester Neuzugang ist hier die Schauspielerin Janeane Garofalo, die als "Lou" für frischen Wind sorgt. Während Präsident Bartlet u. a. mit einem internationalen Konflikt und einem "Verräter" in den eigenen Reihen zu kämpfen hat, tritt Santos als erster Latino zur Präsidentschaftswahl gegen den republikanischen Politiker A. Vinnick (Alan Alda) an. Auch ihm und seiner Wahlkampfmannschaft (u. a. Patricia Richardson u. Ron Silver) wird genügend Zeit innerhalb der 22 Folgen gewidmet. Krönender Höhepunkt der finalen Staffel ist selbstverständlich die allerletzte Folge, in der der neue Präsident vereidigt wird und Bartlet abtritt. Zuvor liefern sich die beiden Präsdentschaftskandidaten in einer vor Live-Publikum inszenierten Episode eine TV-Debatte, wie man sie auch aus deutschen Wahlkämpfen kennt. Dramatik pur verspricht dann die Doppelfolge über den Wahltag. Aber auch die restlichen Episoden halten den Zuschauer mit spannenden, dramatischen, tragischen und auch mal amüsanten Geschichten aus der amerikanischen Politklandschaft bei Laune. Regelmäßige Zuschauer der Serie, die eher romantisch veranlagt sind, kommen auch zu ihrem Recht, da u. a. 2 bestimmte Charaktere endlich zusammenfinden. Technisch gibt es an den 6 DVDs nichts auszusetzten. Bild und Ton sind für eine TV-Produktion in Ordnung. Was leider ab der 2. Staffel Tradition geworden ist, ist das komplett fehlende Bonusmaterial. Wer der englischen Sprache mächtig ist (es sind auch englische Untertitel anwählbar!) und sich für anspruchsvolle Fernsehkost mit intelligenten Dialogen interessiert, sollte unbedingt mal einen Blick auf diese Serie werfen und sich zunächst die 1. Staffel bzw. Staffeln 1 u. 2 im Paket zulegen. Anhänger der Serie, die bereits die Staffeln 1 bis 6 zu Hause im Regal stehen haben, werden sich diese Box zu 99 % sowieso zulegen. Ihnen sei gesagt, dass m. E. keinerlei Qualitätsverlust zu Staffel 6 zu verzeichnen ist. Für West Wing Fans ist dieses Box-Set daher ein absoluter Pflichtkauf.

Alan Alda must feel blessed to have been such an integral part of two of the greatest shows in television history. The creative forces behind the West Wing gathered their collective strengths and gave the series the ending it deserved. Decades from now I'll be pulling out these discs and watching them. With horror and sadness we learned last December that John Spencer had suddenly passed. West Wing fans grieved and sent their prayers on behalf of Mr. Spencer and those who had actually known and loved him. We can see that some of that love and respect gets translated to the show and the episodes that swirl around Leo's death are among the most heart-breaking I've ever seen on screen. When Kristin Chenoweth as Annabeth tells Bradley Whitford as Josh that Leo has died her tears didn't look at all like "acting". The same can be said for the expressions on the faces of all of the actors at Leo's funeral, ending with Martin Sheen as President Bartlet. The storyline of this season centers on the Presidential race with Jimmy Smits portraying Congressman Matt Santos against Alda's Senator Arnold Vinick. This ticket was clearly the fantasy of the liberal writers as even the Republican candidate is pro-choice, insults some NRA-type vigilantes and all but thumbs his nose at the religious right. As Vinick's campaign is derailed somewhat in the aftermath of a nuclear accident in California a particularly shrewish right-winger is brought in to help the Senator woo back the republican base. Ron Silver continues in his role as Bruno Gianelli, the political strategist who only cares about winning - and knows how to do it. Patricia Richardson is effective as Vinick's assistant who tries to keep him on track. Janeane Garofalo serves as sparring partner to Josh as Lou, a democratic operative who gets almost as much pleasure from seeing Josh flounder (which he inevitably does for brief moments) as from helping her political causes. Teri Polo plays Helen - candidate Santos' wife - and this character always seems a little less enthusiastic than would be appropriate for the wife of a man who may become president. Aside from the sensitive and respectful way the real-life death of John Spencer was worked into the fictional story, this season gets a few other things right. Where we may have been frustrated in the past at the lack of love lives of most of these characters for years - all in the service of their country - this season we get to see most of the principal characters hook up in one way or another. First daughter Ellie gets married in a White House ceremony curiously missing both of her sisters. (Although all three daughters make Leo's funeral.) Through their own obvious attraction and Donna's persistence Josh and Donna finally get together. In the opening of the first episode we're glad to see in flashback that C.J. and Danny Concannon have married and have a child, and in other episodes we get to see Danny's gentle courting techniques on one of the most powerful (and powerfully nice) women in the world. It's also gratifying to see some "old friends" show up in the final episodes such as Rob Lowe's return as Sam Seaborn. (Sam is recruited to duty by Josh in a scene that pays homage to the earlier flashback scene from season two when Josh conscripts Sam to the first "Bartlet for America" campaign.) To the shows writers, directors, actors, and the professionals who shot, set and costumed the show: Bravo! I'll miss you dearly and watch these shows with enduring pleasure. To the pinheads who decided to release these DVDs without any significant extras: A pox on your houses. While the first seasons came with full sets of subtitles, documentaries and commentary tracks in which performers, directors and creators couldn't withhold their obvious glee - this season comes with next to nothing. The first seasons came with subtitles in English, Francais and Espanol. The last two seasons have not had an option for English subtitles. What if the viewer is hard of hearing? What is the reason for these deficiencies? Laziness? Complacency? No doubt the almighty dollar played the major role. This show - and this show's fans - deserved better. Rest in well-deserved and honored peace, John Spencer. Adieu, West Wing.