The West Wing - Complete Season 4 [DVD]

Simply brilliant - still so slick, fresh and relevant. Seems we never learn anything - we are still making the same mistakes today and agonizing over the same unresolved issues.

You will probably read some reviews for this season of the outstanding drama that is "The West WIng" that are somewhat derogatory. It has often been said that Season 4 is the darkest of the first four offerings, and this is indeed the case. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.Let me explain why...The first two seasons were phenomenal, and there really is no excuse for not having seen them. If you haven't, stop reading this review now, buy them, and settle back in your armchair for something like 29 hours of televesion that could conceivably change your life - they really were that good.The first two seasons were all about developing the relationships between the lead characters, and introducing the viewer to somewhat complex political process that exists in the US. This was tremendously successful, but could not form the basis of an ongoing drama series. The third season, whilst excellent in many ways, did seem to flounder somewhat in comparison. It lacked some of the comedy of the first two seasons, and this was seen by some as a weakness.So where to go with season 4? For me, it was all about going back to basics, and developing intriguing, in many cases powerful storylines, and then exploring some of the deeper emotional aspects of the characters within those stories. This differs from the first three seasons in that they often seemed to build the stories around the character rather than the other way around. This is, in my opinion, the greatest success of season 4. The emotional link that you build with the senior staff is much stronger than those seasons that went before it, as you see them face situations that have greater personal significance.My assessment would be that this season is not worse than 1 or 2, just different. There are some truly outstanding episodes - four to pay special attention to are 20 hours in America parts 1 and 2, Game on (perhaps one of the top 3 all time episodes), and the incredibly tense and gripping commencement.

Everything is interesting and informative.Acting is top notch with brilliant casting.Soooo addictive!!!Only issue is that some of the dialogue is to rapid to catch...but then I just wind it back!

SAFE TO READ - NO SPOILERS!This, in so many ways, is what we hope Pennsylvania Avenue, Downing Street and other seats of government are like. I don't think they are but there is nothing wrong with sitting round the television imagining and wishing; the detailed and imaginative storylines and the situations with which they have to deal are, perhaps, the reasons seats of government are not like this. (Recent picture of President Obhama, Secretary of State Clinton and Vice-President Byden sitting with their war cabinet watching events playing out in Pakistan was not so shocking to those of us who have seen it so often on the WW.)President Bartlett is a character with whom many of us could do business, as are many of the team which surrounds him - all credit to the script-writers. This, and others like it, have a great effect on the electorate's view of politicians, politics and the system in which they live but that is more a PhD thesis rather than a review here, e.g. the thought of a woman or a black president had already been mentally digested by the public in other series.The maelstrom that is politics is portrayed so well by such a talented group of actors, technicians and script-writers it is easy to understand why this series became so popular and why there were so many.Even if you have already seen it when it was first broadcast, buy it. I am sure, in this fast-moving programme, you must have missed something.

(No spoilers in review)I cannot say this is the best series of the West Wing. The first series is the best, but this sure is close. I've seen series 1, 2, 3 and 4 - All are unbelievably great. This is better than series 3, it seems more focused and has some great story ideas. All the characters are up to their usual great standards and with some new ones added.The climax to the series, however, is possibly the best piece of television I have ever seen. Any fan of the West Wing will recognise "2 Cathedrals" from series 2 as a legendary episode - the final episode of series 4 "25", surpasses that.Right from episode one this series delivers the goods and it carries on all the way through. One or two episodes can't be considered brilliant, but there are certainly no bad episodes. Special mention goes to the episodes "Game On", "Evidence of things not seen", "Commencement", "25", "Inauguration part 1&2" (2 especially) and "The California 47th" - But as earlier stated, there are no bad episdoes.I cannot wait until series 5 comes out. Once you watch series 4 you will be thinking that exact same thing as well!

Love this series, the quality of the writing, humourous at times, reflecting real crises and how they should be dealt with, wonder how the would have dealt with looney Russians