The West Wing - A review

The West Wing - ah! To think that I had almost given up watching this much recommended TV series after the first 5 mins seems like a load of drivel now. I have seen the entire Season-1 now and my reaction is - I am wild about it!. It is fast paced, it is superlatively exciting and it sure is immensely watchable even if you, like I, do not have as much as a fleeting interest in politics. Below is an attempt to touch upon the main characters of the drama, while summarizing it ever-so-briefly.

The series is about the White House senior staff who work out of the West Wing led by the U.S. President Josiah (Jed) Bartlet. It depicts the frenzied day-to-day ongoings involved in running the administration of the largest super power in the world, while presenting a closer view of their personal lives, their working solutions to issues large and small, their joie de vivre, their personal sacrifices, camaraderie and of course, their political persona and their exaltation to serve at the pleasure of the President.

Though most of the main characters are impossibly smart, ultra witty, walking-talking encyclopedias who can quote the entire U.S. Constitution, its clauses, or even its Amendments verbatim if required, they do understand the moral rights from the moral wrongs and you can not but feel for them, episode after episode, after watching their trials and tribulations to run the country as efficiently and humanely as possible in spite of the real national and international pressures heaped on them.

Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is the White House Chief of Staff. A mature, dependable, no-nonsense ex-military man, he is an uncannily astute and a seasoned politician who runs the show in a firm, but friendly manner and can beat the crap out of anybody figuratively by his authoritative manner. Joshua Lyman (Bradley Whitford) is his young, witty and energetic deputy who has the kind of boyish charms and good looks that clearly make him my favourite of the lot. With a high regard for his debating and negotiating abilities, he is always the one to infuse some playfulness into a serious discussion. He is supported by his ultra efficient, but tangential secretary, Donna Moss.

Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) is the morose White House Communications Director who has an unmatched flair for all things literary. A good at heart Jew, rarely seen with a smile on his face, he can be arrogant, outspoken and snappy at times and is seldom sympathetic to his opponents. His deputy, the dapper Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) is a well bred, high flying lawyer, who believes "oratory should raise your heart rate and should blow the doors and windows out off the place" (Oooh!). He too, like Toby, often composes speeches for the President, but is an idealist by nature which sometimes becomes the bone of contention between him and his more practical colleagues. Sam and Josh are close confidantes and often engage in witty banter or odd pranks on others.

Claudia Jean Cregg (Allison Janney), affectionately called C.J by all, is the frank, sharp and charming White House Press Secretary who plays her part of being the spokesperson of the White House for all news events to the hilt. She is constantly racing against time to keep ahead of the latest events and to break the all important news or provide details to the ever hungry media and in between this, she is fending off advances from a dashing senior press reporter, Danny Concannon.

You can not miss the very likeable, bright young black bloke, Charlie Young. He is the personal aide to the President who is initiated into his job by a strange set of events and goes on to become the object of affection of the President's youngest daughter, Zoey. Together they become an item and incur the wrath of white supremacists and get themselves and the President nearly killed for their inter-racial romance.

And last, but not the least, the First Couple themselves. President Jed Bartlet (much awarded Martin Sheen), a Nobel Peace prize winner, is a passionate and phenomenally erudite politician with a great sense of integrity. He likes quizzing his aides on general knowledge questions to the point of their exasperation but he sure does rise to the ocassion of state matters wherever required. Personally, I find him a tad too human for my taste or rather my idea of the President of the largest superpower. The First Lady, Dr. Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing) is a fierce advocate of equality for women and stands largely steadfastly behind her husband on most of the issues, but she somehow fails to impress me with her antics. Her role does not seem particularly etched out , she is mostly sullen and and her sing-song manner of dialogue delivery always manages to irk me.

So there! One smartly made series with crisp dialogues, an outstandingly convincing cast, a near-authentic glimpse of busy proceedings in the hallowed office and the various facets of the characters themselves. Thanks a bunch, P, for recommending this series. One heck of a package to resist!

Target next - Season 2.