Search - The West Wing: The Complete Second Season on DVD

Mind-boggling stuff

Adam Dukovich | 04/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Aaron Sorkin is a prodigy. Nobody can write dialogue that simultaneously sounds so polished and natural like he can. He also can write well for people: his characters are believable, flawed, and heroic, and his view of the world is realistic, yet optimistic. I find myself missing my weekly dose of Sorkin's West Wing these days, but there is a prescription that can help: the West Wing DVD sets of yesteryear.The West Wing's second season had the show really hitting its stride. The season starts in the aftermath of the previous season's cliffhanger, with the President and Josh being shot by white supremacists and everyone else struggling to get through it all. Interspersed throughout the episode (In the Shadow of two Gunmen) were flashbacks to Bartlet's presidential campaign, a framework which really worked for the episode, although I cannot put my finger on how. Then, we were off to the races. I'll never forget Bartlet's vitriolic speech to the Dr. Laura-type pundit in "The Midterms," good material to remember if you ever get engaged in a debate with someone who likes to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they like to follow. "Do I have to kill my brother for planting different crops side by side?" Great stuff. Among the rest of highlights: Emily Procter begins her recurring role as Ainsley Hayes, a Republican lawyer working in the White House and constant sparring partner for Sam. Her best episode here was "And It's Surely to their Credit," which evoked much empathy for the poor soul. Plus, an impassioned speech at the end by Sam really got the juices flowing. The episode that just blew me away was "Noel", a haunting and poignant foray into Josh's head that really showed his pain underneath the facade of composure. The scene with Yo-Yo Ma alone was unbelievably intense. Perhaps the defining moment in the season is the discovery by Toby, and subsequently everyone else, that the President has Multiple Sclerosis, which is impressively explored in the episode "17 People". The episode takes the form of a series of fiery dialogues between Toby and the President and is filled with tension, but is lightened up by its subplot of staffers trying (unsuccessfully) to come up with jokes for the President. The juxtaposition is inspired, and the episode sets up what would become a key issue in the show for the upcoming season. "Two Cathedrals" was another episode with such raw emotional power -- the president announces his M.S. and contemplates whether or not to run. The final shot alone will send chills down your spine. This was surely Sorkin's best season on the show, in terms of narrative power (and that says a lot). It's what he does best: portraying the complex and jagged emotions that pervade us, consciously and subconsciously. Lord knows I miss him. Come back, Aaron. Please! We need you now more than ever.In conclusion, whether you're a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative (or whatever in between), this is a show that you can enjoy. This is substantial entertainment, there's comedy, but also pathos, problems to solve and the interplay of emotions, ideas, and forces outside our control. Words cannot convey my deep respect for this show (and I don't even consider myself liberal). Get it, and see television as it once was, and as it might again be one day."

The West Wing Soars

!Edwin C. Pauzer | New York City | 04/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a latebloomer in everything, I accidentally discovered "The West Wing" series long after it debuted by turning away from my usual program to a station that showed the reruns. In five minutes, I was hooked.



I recommend this second season or any other season highly. The direction, script, characters, acting, drama are absolutely stirring. Once you see a couple of these stories you may develop an inability to recall any other show or program that was nearly as good during your TV watching lifetime.



This is a story of our government and how our government should operate, with characters that have ideals instead of agendas, whom you can trust, and trust not to play dirty tricks. I wish everyone in the current West Wing could be made to watch this over and over again!



The episodes of hiring the young republican counsel, Mrs. Lanningham, and the treatment of PTSD are funny, dramatic, tragic, and powerful. This is not just a cut above American Idol or survival shows (which could whip The West Wing viewer into a hypnotic trance), it is a cut above the very best of the best in TV history.



You will watch these episodes over and over again. You will feel like you own a set of classics when you purchase this season or any other, and you will no longer feel the need to apologize to European viewers for our commercial interruptions.



Too bad there aren't six stars! It's just that good.

"