04.22.06
The Sopranos and The West Wing
I don’t watch much telly but these two programmes are unmissable. The Sopranos is the most perfect piece of television EVER. The West Wing is 95% perfect – great drama, great script. Like The Sopranos and the first couple of series ER, the dialogue is so intense that you have to concentrate really hard. It’s the only time I do anything all week where I think about one thing at a time. So even though I am usually frowning, I am completely absorbed and it gives my poor head a great rest. However, that missing 5% in The West Wing consistently bugs me.
It’s the 5% which is the underlying theme of all Bartlett’s actions, and now those of Santos’ and Vinnick’s. Everything they say or do, even if we disagree with it, is portrayed as being good. What a fabulous piece of propaganda! The guy in the White House and both of the guys running for President do things because they are good men trying to do a good thing. If they do something that LOOKS bad it’s only because they are privvy to information which the (tv) public can’t know about. So, they bomb terrorist countries because they KNOW they’ll get the bad guys, they assassinate a guy who DEFINITELY killed a good guy, Bartlett refuses to rescue a man from execution. The President didn’t know who the leaker was, the leaker was only leaking for the public good, there was no cover up and not even a HINT of a cover up. Santos is religious even tho he’s the Democrat, Vinnick is aetheist even tho he’s the Republican. It doesn’t matter who wins the election – the man in The White House is trying to do the right thing for the country. The candidates both willingly abandon the debate rules because they want a REAL debate because they both passionately believe in their causes and they admit what they really think about all the controversial issues. The first lady is a clever career woman who is strong and yet never gets involved in policy or is seen to tell the president what to do – any arguments she wins are about the children or his health.
Sorkin gets a lot right but the sheer goodness of each character is irritating.
simon said,
April 22, 2006 at 3:15 pm
I have seen the next few eposodes. I know who wins the election.
. How much for my silence
Sarah said,
April 22, 2006 at 6:25 pm
aaaagh. I came across the nbc website today and NEARLY clicked on the episode guide. Then I thought WHY ruin one of your pleasurable hours of the week. My mental health for your silence Simon!
simon said,
April 22, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Fair enough.
It is good though.
Daniel K. said,
April 23, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I’ve watched the election and post election episodes. That interweb thingy is great.
One point of information, Sorkin hasn’t been writing for it for the last few series. The producer and he had a parting of the ways.
Pat Moore said,
April 24, 2006 at 4:34 am
Yea they did part mainly because Sorkin had an abuse problem…and his scripts were coming in late, which is why the fifth season was so poor in comparison to the rest. Thank God they got back to great writing for the last two. By the way surely it is not being suggested that the current occupant of the White House is not as wonderful and good as those portrayed in this series. I am sure he would also say that he knows things we don’t…..oops sorry he’s already said that and being proved wrong.:)
Sarah said,
April 24, 2006 at 9:56 am
didn’t know that about Sorkin. Interesting cos I did lose interest a little while back and only just got back into it on this series…now I know why.
on the web, I know one Sopranos traitor fan who’s been watching it ahead of me on the web…..treachery.
Funny thing about The Sopranos is that I never got into when it was on telly first. Then a friend gave me the DVD set of Series 1 when I was pregnant and couldn’t go out much. I watched it back to back on 3 nights then went out straight away and got Series 2. Then rented 3,4 and 5. I watched about 60 hours of The Sopranos in 3 weeks. I was dreaming about Tony. It was mental. But great fun.
Fiona said,
April 26, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Funny, these are the two programmes that my brother & I religiously watch together every week now. The chat that follows the West Wing is always entertaining but more importantly, the issues increase my appetite for more info. on them (re. nuclear plants for eg.) in the week that follows.
I hear you on that missing 5%. Every action does seem justified no matter how potentially horrific. Bartlett’s character seems to be doing no wrong. Recently, when two employees died after they managed to contain the emissions from a nuclear plant, they were portrayed as heroes and Bartlett looked so compassionate when he told his secretary that he would phone their families PERSONALLY! I actually sat there thinking …’oh, what a lovely gesture as he is so busy’ ..as if that balanced the scales somehow!!( I think his hands are too squeaky clean these days for my liking!)
Both candidates are brilliantly entertaining however. I like the fact that we can clearly see how cleverly manipulative the whole race is -from the team’s attention to details & their tactics to the strength of the media’s processing & control of the entire campaign.
Gripping stuff!
Sarah said,
April 26, 2006 at 3:43 pm
yeah I love the two media management people. Jennifer Garufolo and yer man with beard on the other side…So hard and tough and clever…
Fiona said,
April 26, 2006 at 6:58 pm
‘Tis hard to fault the casting alright.
Thankfully we will still have the Soprano’s after West Wing has ended.
It seems that all my favourite shows keep ending…Sex in the City…..Six Feet Under….and now West Wing! Jee, Tony better hang in there or i’ll have to seek entertainment away from the box!
Pat Moore said,
April 28, 2006 at 10:55 am
Hate to break the bad news but this is also the last series of the Sopranos.
simon said,
April 28, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Also Alias is cancelled as well. What else is left. Hustle is good. It is on rte2 at the same time as the west wing.