The West Wing- Sorkin Library

A little over decade ago, one of the greatest political dramas on television came to an end, The West Wing. Created by one of the most acclaimed writers today, Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing is a show about the White House staffers who work under the Bartlet Administration and its high demands.

Before I start off this review, here are the order of seasons of which I enjoyed while watching this television drama:

SEASON 1

SEASON 2

SEASON 3

SEASON 4

SEASON 6

SEASON 7

SEASON 5

With starting off in an era in which political television shows were universally panned, The West Wing managed to deliver an amazing display solely due to the masterful writing of Aaron Sorkin and the actors that took on these compelling characters. What further made this show a piece of beauty was the realistic approach of politics and the real-world problems tackled in every episode. Sorkin managed to create a show in which the characters felt real and there was no overdramatization of certain outcomes. Furthermore, The West Wing required its audience to be fully engrossed in each episode with its intellectual and fast paced dialogue which resulted in its uniqueness that can truly never be found in any other show on television.

There is truly a sense of art presented in each episode written all mostly by Aaron Sorkin. He is able to present a mix of genius, drama, and wit which results in the audience to sit back and reflect after every single episode he writes. But after Aaron Sorkin leaves The West Wing in season 4, its sense of art only appears occasionally. Due to Sorkin’s departure, each episode still manages to be good, but not as amazing as they were during Sorkin’s presence. With its occasional ridiculousness, such as, the documentary episode, the DNC mess, Toby’s storyline, and the debate, post-Sorkin doesn’t have that sense of that realism that the first four seasons had.

That being said, the positives of this amazing political drama far outweigh its negatives. With its social and political impact on the world, The West Wing is the greatest political drama ever made on television and as of now is in my “Top 3 Favorite Shows of All Time” list. The West Wing gets a 9.5/10.