“I gave up on The Newsroom after a single episode lol.”
—John Maher, a man who knows nothing
In John’s defense, his first step into the Aaron Sorkin television empire was an unfortunate one. He chose the worst possible option: The Newsroom. A single episode is all it takes to realize Will McAvoy is just a pompous, smug, and self-important fictional newscaster and one of the most unbearable characters to ever have defiled the small screen. John could have done better. Much better. But it’s okay, John. We all make mistakes, and there’s a path to redemption…
There are three other, undeniably better Sorkin shows John is missing out on. I could launch into days-long arguments defending each of them, but for the sake of keeping this piece somewhat concise, I’ll narrow it down to just one show, one show I can’t believe John won’t watch. If ever there were a Sorkin show he should take a chance on, it should definitely be the highest-rated, most critically acclaimed, and overall one of the best live-action dramas ever created. Yes, I am talking about The West Wing.
HOW HAS JOHN NEVER SEEN THE WEST WING???
Now John was probably too young to have been watching TWW when it first aired, what with being in the fifth grade and all. So why should he watch four seasons (we don’t talk about Seasons 5–7 in this house) of a show that premiered in 1999, when we are currently living in the so-called Golden Age of Television? It’s overwhelming enough to try and keep up with the constant stream of content Netflix pours out on the day-to-day, so why bother finding the time to flip back and watch a show that tackles some outdated political and foreign policy issues?
Because it was a game changer, that’s why. TWW transformed both the way we made and viewed television dramas. It was a show that challenged its audience members and elevated their expectations. We demanded more from our shows after seeing what President Bartlet and his White House staff delivered week after week. The West Wing raised the bar and set the standard for what we now recognize as “premiere” television.
To which John might reply, “It doesn’t really matter, I only watch cartoons.”
I get it, cartoons are wonderful, enjoyable, and, as John has mentioned in multiple conversations, they can do things live-action shows cannot (or at least any live action show that doesn’t have a Game of Thrones–sized budget). But John, the road goes both ways! There are elements to live-action television that animation simply cannot achieve. No amount of skilled animation can replicate a good, real-life, and classic “walk-and-talk.” It’s just not the same! A frantic lap around the White House with Sam and Toby while they made last-minute changes to the State of the Union address was the political nerd’s version of a Fast and the Furious car chase. (I’ll take a moment to mention that while the walk-and-talk is considered the quintessential Sorkin move, credit in part belongs to executive producer, Thomas Schlamme, who directed TWW’s pilot episode and ultimately created the show’s iconic blocking style.)
I understand not everyone is a fan of Sorkin or his style of writing. Every one of his shows, including TWW, suffers from classic Sorkin criticisms. I have already anticipated some arguments John would make, and here are my responses:
“People don’t talk like that!”
Okay, anyone watching Adventure Time or Bravest Warriors cannot argue that they won’t watch a show because the dialogue isn’t entirely realistic. Next.
“He doesn’t know how to write women!”
This is for the most part *tired sigh* true, but… he gave us CJ Cregg, played by the incomparable Allison Janney, who won FOUR Emmy Awards for her portrayal of a sharp and passionate White House press secretary. CJ was charming and could go toe-to-toe with all of the men in the office, but wasn’t afraid to show compassion in the series’ more emotional moments. She is often considered the best character on the show, and she damn well deserves it. She was also cool and collected under pressure, which is more than we have to say for our former White House press secretary. As fun and frustrating as it was to watch Sean Spicer’s press briefings go off the rails like a roller coaster fire, I prayed on more than one occasion that CJ would step up to the podium and take over.
“It’s so preachy!”
Also true—both the best and the worst of Sorkin’s work tends to pontificate and come off as overly idealistic. But what better time than now to indulge in a show filled with political optimists and do-gooders? They FIXED Social Security! They brokered peace in the Middle East! They appointed Glenn Close as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court! If you’re frustrated and fed up with our current administration and the Cheeto-in-Chief, the bleeding idealism of President Jed Bartlet and his plucky senior staff is a wonderful palate cleanser. Sure, Jed or Leo will sermonize on, like, dignity and the beauty of the American spirit or something, but I promise it’s not nearly as unbearable as that condescending five-minute monologue Jeff Daniels spits out in the first scene of The Newsroom. If that scene is what caused John to give up on that show, I would understand. And should John say he prefers cartoons because some are infused with fantasy elements, I’m here to tell him TWW is a fantasy show as well. Political fantasy, that is. If you like cartoons because they can depict people and places that don’t exist in the real world, I can assure you, this idyllic, romanticized, morally upright version of Washington functions in the same way.
So yeah, Sorkin has a lot to say about the failings and promises of American politics, and they tend to err on the saccharine side, but overall, The West Wing was a beautifully made workplace drama with a core sense of love and camaraderie amongst its characters. Having watched the series to escape the doom and gloom of the current political climate, I fell in love with Josh, Sam, CJ, and Toby all over again, and wanted to walk and talk with them down the hallowed halls of the White House. Maybe John would too.
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