Best Sorkin Episode

[nfinn42]

"...What the hell is happening now."  ^_^

[eslomovits]

My personal favorite has to be Celestial Navigation, but every one of the episodes was an utter gem. It's impossible to say what was the best one. Aaron Sorkin, please do another show, or a movie, or something to rescue us from the less than brilliant writing that is on TV and in the movies now for the most part!

[radioman312]

So subtle. So nuanced. Yet DAMN Donna's line about red lights just hits you out of nowhere! This really was remarkable television!

[1burnman]

yes and it did they always cared for each other

[FreedInsanity]

Figures, the "Best Sorkin" episode was initially written to be cheap and to pad out the show count.

[cct505]

Shouldn't "Best Sorkin Episode" be "all of them" ?

[bornbillsmith]

When she states she wouldn't stop for red lights she's saying no matter what it would take(breaking the law and risking her own life) she would get to the hospital as quick as possible

I guess what's she is telling him is how much she cares for him.

It appears from the beginning of this clip that he didn't know she felt that way about him.

I didn't watch the show so I would like to know how he reacted and did it change their relationship.

[krxahfb]

I love great writing

[violettopaz]

None of the tv-shows today are as good as the West Wing was...

[Wings523]

"oh honest to god, do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?"

"no. no, no, no"

haha

[stevegoff420]

"I'm going to give ya a gift right now, that you dont deserve"...."Donna, if you have you old catholic School girl uniform under that....thanks".....lol lol lol That was awesomely funny.....and instantly put my imagination to work with visions of Hot ass Donna in that uniform. When she says 'I wouldnt stop for red lights"....I want to jump her bones right then.

[fingerless456]

I agree with you on this being the best episode. Yes, there are tons of other brilliant ones to choose from, but I cannot get over the Toby scenes in this episode. Rarely has any show taken my breath away as this one did. As a contrast to that intensity, these scenes with Josh and Donna are just beautiful in a subtle way.

[spiderbob]

I love how this happens, and then a few years later she's in Israel.



[Photohog4]

I love that. "What the hell is happening right now?"

[trijjj]

by no means the best episode. good, but not the best

[Jeffersonman1]

I want YOUTUBE to put the ENTIRE series on it's site. It's perfect for it and possibly be 'continued' into the next Administration (Jimmy Smits). Mr. Smits has been snake bit as it seems when it comes to his series'.

[Jessica1608]

@Jeffersonman1 It shouldn't be continued, it would ruin it. It's perfect as it is :-D

[Jeffersonman1]

@Jessica1608 Yes your absolutely right 

[2nantucket]

I hate Donna, forgive me. Amy rules.

[PrisonerNumber9653]

And I'd LOVE to have seen more...what happens to Greg Brock? What do CJ and Charlie do? Does Zoey marry Charlie? Getting Sam back was a master-stroke, could do much more with that, and develop new relationships with some of the Santos people and Sam and Josh and Donna. The Josh-Donna relationship built for years, and you could do years just on those two. CJ and Danny have a baby? I love it. Danny was one of my favorites (along with Brock, can you tell I'm interested in journalism?)

[PrisonerNumber9653]

There's some great moments in the final 3 seasons, individual episodes (King Corn) I really love, but overall the earlier ones are better, you're right. Worst example? Zoey's "rescue". That kidnapping was the single most gut-wrenching thing imaginable, and they just put NOTHING into it. "Oh, they found her, she's OK, that's it, move on." Crazy.

Do disagree with Toby, who WOULD have done what he did to save lives, thinking it was the right thing, he was driven by his view of morality.

[scoggles]

I don't know if this was necessarily the best Sorkin episode. I do know that the first four seasons of The West Wing were solid gold, and seasons 5 through 7 were nothing but a series of out-of-character diatribes, terrible dialog, and unnecessary plot inversions. It was as though every character lost 200 SAT verbal points in season 5. The story lines were amazingly tense, but there was no arch to the teleplay, so it just left the audience feeling uneasy. And the cold opens were just bad.

[goldiloks08]

@scoggles i could not possibly agree more.

e.g. the whole toby going to the press thing? i've studied his "we are a team" speech from "war crimes" (3.6); the man who gave that speech would not have betrayed any one he considered a friend, least of all his president!

[NobodyKA1]

I rather like "Bartlet for America," and I include the teaser in the subsequent episode, "H. Con - 172" for the killer last line delivered by the late, great John Spencer.

[Prime4571]

Shut Up! Do you ever get tired of your own voice. NOOOOOO.

[eilidhw]

"you know there are times when, to put it quite simply - I hate your breathing guts"

I love it :-)

[jillhbaudhaan]

great scene yes, but THE best of sorkin, i think not

[abhisheksab]

Then what would you call the best of Sorkin?

[jillhbaudhaan]

Oh wow, there are many that would beat this one. Like The Stackhouse Filibuster when everyone figures out about the autistic grandson or Two Cathedrals when POTUS is cursing God or Galileo when Sam rewrites the intro or The Supremes with Glenn Close and William Fichtner or And It's Surely To Their Credit with John Larroquette and the "bat"

[ominoreg]

@jillhbaudhaan

[JessicaVictification]

@abhisheksab Anything thing that involves Claudia Jean Cregg.

[stevegoff420]

Wow!...What a great scene...Did you see how Donna jumped at Josh with teenage crush eyes and listening interest when she asked him "where ya going?" (in her mind...without me I an so in love with you Josh...please take me...lol).. After he just got done busting her chops....Great writing...one of my favorite scenes. The "I wouldn't stop for red lights" is killer. The couple character development here through the years was one of the best on TV ever in my opinion. Luke and Laura who??????????

[sunnchilde]

Would it be alright if *I* saw the Catholic school uniform? Please?

[thisisreallygreat]

This is an amazing scene one of my top 100.

Seriously~ thank you for posting it. I love it.

[cawsnallthis]

I wish someone would post the scene in the bar with Sam and Will , where he told Will to tell the widow he would run for the seat.

[Prime4571]

I wonder if the actors now think that will I get another role this brilliantly written. The answer is probably not and that is a shame.,

[democrat10]

"Donna, if you've got your old Catholic school uniform on under there - don't get me wrong I applaud the thought but..."

and Donna can't help but smile at that, as provocative as Josh is being

[bluechair244]

I love the "wouldn't stop for a red light" part, but i am wondering if it is actually significant to donna's accident. Was there a josh related reason she was driving unsafely? I just cant seem to find anyting like that. I am a continuity freak so was just wondering if anyone knew.

[Sparks127]

She's showing her loyalty. This is seen later when Josh is shot.

[M946]

IMHO it's not to be taken literally beyond what's said in this clip. It's simply wordplay: how Donna compares to her ex-boyfriend having stopped in a situation when he shouldn't have, that Donna says for Josh that she wouldn't stop in a situation that she should.

[Ethmae]

bluechair244, this episode was in the third season after Josh had been shot. So it could be a reference to the fact that at one point, she /had/ rushed to the hospital to see him.

[CubsinNY]

no this wasn't' it..when he was shot Donna showed up at the hospital because the President had been shot..she was unaware that Josh was hurt at all(other characters had to break the news to her when she arrived at the hospital)

[wrestlingdog]

"You told me it was a... late thaw."

I love his face when he says that.

[Cabaret43]

agrees with giffone2...its nearly impossible to choose a fave WW episode...im sure we all have our own...mine personally is 20 hours in America...and the inaugral episode from the same season...but if i watched the dvds i would find new faves almost every time...Noel...etc etc

[OccamsRazors]

I agree with you. Mine is when JOsh tells the story of Blind Willie Johnson. As a Blues man, I knew the story, but it was so well written, that it really moved me when I heard it told by Josh. Or maybe it's when Sam told Malory he slept with a call girl... (I have a thing for redheads) This is my favorite TV Series of all time, and my series collection is one of my most fav. things that I own.

[linzzyy]

i am not sure of the name of my fav, but it was the post 9/11 show when everyone was locked down in the white house while a high school group was on a tour. amazing dialogue.

[biggicoc]

@linzzyy Issac and Ishmael Season 3 Episode 1

[wisnuops]

actually it's not season 3 episode 1. It is additional episode to make a donation. The story doesn't link to any episode (neither before nor after). I might say that it is season 3 episode 0. Hahahaha...

[pavansapra]

It was the first episode of the Third Season called Ismael something something... it was an out of season show so it did not interact the shows timeline

[shutterflie]

"You ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?"

"Nooooooo"

Typical Donna and Josh.

[jimbobjimminy]

Josh is cute as frig with the longer hair.

Screw it, I think Bradley is hot.

[shutterflie]

Join the club.

And a good actor.

And funny.

And REALLY hot.

[Balin62]

One thing amazing about this show was that the pilot was as equally brilliant as every other episode.

[giffone2]

The West Wing , from beginning to end was one of the most intelligently written and best acted shows ever on television. To choose an episode as the "BEST ONE" would be almost impossible, however the only episodes that weren't amazing were the ones when Sorkin wasn't there.

[goldiloks08]

"if YOU were in an accident, i wouldn't stop for red lights." *SQUEEE!!!* omfg, i love Jonna.

[halliwellsis93]

@goldiloks08 me too! me too!! I love it. The thing is she totally wouldn't stop for red lights. I love them... I love her.... I love him. There is some serious love going on here. There is an amount of perfection between them that is completely amazing. Ok I'm done gushing now. :D

[goldiloks08]

@halliwellsis93 haha! yeah, every once in a while i stumble across a moment that reminds me why i have loved this show so much for so long. this is one of those moments in a big way.

[escorpious3]

@goldiloks08 do you mean Donna or Josh or some hybrid of the two??

[hitch4645]

game on

[Surax]

Except this plot is the B-plot line of the episode.

[step5732]

that's what makes it so great - this was a secondary plot and it was awesome!

[UniqueMakis]

This is my favourite episode too!!

It´s just perfect! It has everything!

You had Toby with Leo and Bartlet in the Oval office, and Josh&Donna and Sam&Ainsley in the Roosevelt Room... Only one missing is CJ. Anyway, this is THE best episode ever!!!

I miss The West Wing!!

[BERGRS]

CJ and Danny are also a great mix with professional and social scenes

[DGB85]

Maybe that's because Sorkin had nothing to do with the show in season 5, 6, or 7!

[paperorplastic111]

i also think this is the episode where josh looks the cutest :)

[ihgac]

I always had Noel down as the best episode but this is right up there in terms of best scenes

[GoodbyeToBlueberyPie]

Hardly...

The best episodes are when Zoey is kidnapped. Hands down.

[Thynnmas]

Two Cathedrals...

[lanol3]

I agree.

[Rotarrin]

"So the flowers did the trick, huh?"

"Oh yeah." [Donna stalks off]

I love it!

[rotterdam1953]

Josh should have just stretched Donna across the desk and have let nature take its course. --Geen woorden maar daden--.

[sorryman105]

I always assume that after the series ended, he did.

[Sairin13]

Are you kidding that's what happened every time the camera was off them. You can always assume when we're with the president and leo in the sit room that josh is somewhere with donna

[sorryman105]

Hmm, makes me think about some other people.

[bpeter3196]

LOL you got to love women & their lovely complicated ways ;).

[bonangusacdc]

That is what they call 'chemistry'.

[crazedmongoose2003]

I've no idea why but I found Donna progressively more attractive each season.

Guess she really grew on me.

[MrSixFive]

I found her sexy from day one! Damn...she's HOT!

[sfgrunt]

every now and then i come back to see WW and am amazed at how crisp and engaging the dialog always is.

aaron sorkin for all his faults, just nails it.

my first reaction to donna was...hmm..kinda cute...

by the end of the series, i was totally smitten with the character.

[geoffge]

'I wouldn't stop for red lights'

Love this show.

[amalmond]

"if you were in a accident i wouldn't stop for red lights!"

[LAquarius08]

"Does this make you feel superior?" I'm not really attracted to Donna but the way she said that line is hot.

[alixkay888]

oh shut up honest to god do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?

no. no no no.

[hollywoodwerewolf]

Bradley and Janel had perfect chemistry. They infused it into their character which made scenes like this so believable and brilliant.

[Ozmo07]

Amazingly well written--perfect Aaron Sorkin, perfect acting by Brad and Janel and perfect delivery. This show set a bar that has not since been passed. Even the Sopranos (which I love) had more freedom and still.........TWW is the standard.

[crimps321]

Oh, AGREED, this is my favorite episode!

[sassmyfrass]

Oh the tension...

[jokr8790]

"I need you to stop, well, being you for a minute."

[nejnyy]

oh, i love this clip irrationally.

[xxeffervescencexx]

i love when donna says, "if you were in an accident, i wouldn't stop for red lights"

[emotionalfilms]

Yeah I know-My favorite show ever. But hey campers don't fret. Now we've got Dancing with the Stars and Dance Wars!-and Danc....aw forget it.

[InCupsOfCoffee821]

and Paris Hilton's new BFF!

[mystrial]

SOOOOOOOOO!

romantic.

[caty25]

i absolutely love this scene beautifully written and acted

[Gledster]

I LOVE this scene, so well written "I wouldn't stop for red lights." :D

[tigerfanfrv]

i LOVE the last part.

[movieobsessive]

They are so meant to be :D