It’s been over a week since I last got my West Wing fix, so I’m feeling the need to do something West Wing related until my friend returns from vacation and I can resume season two (so far we’re about eight episodes into that season). As promised, here are some of my thoughts about things that have happened so far:

The Evil Vice President

Don’t worry, I already know that he’s going to be gone sometime soon so if you mention it I won’t be shocked. I just get bad vibes from him. Maybe it’s the southern Texas thing? I don’t know. He just seems slimy. Oh, and I hated it when he yelled at CJ in season one. Don’t mess with her!

The Story About the Man and the River

At the end of the episode about capital punishment, Bartlet’s priest tells him the story about the man who lived by a flooding river and that man’s belief in God. Thanks to the episode summary for “Take This Sabbath Day” on TV.com:

You know, you remind me of the man that lived by the river. He heard a radio report that the river was going to rush up and flood the town. And that all the residents should evacuate their homes. But the man said, ‘I’m religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me.’ The waters rose up. A guy in a row boat came along and he shouted, ‘Hey, hey you! You in there. The town is flooding. Let me take you to safety.’ But the man shouted back, ‘I’m religious. I pray. God loves me. God will save me.’ A helicopter was hovering overhead. And a guy with a megaphone shouted, ‘Hey you, you down there. The town is flooding. Let me drop this ladder and I’ll take you to safety.’ But the man shouted back that he was religious, that he prayed, that God loved him and that God will take him to safety. Well… the man drowned. And standing at the gates of St. Peter, he demanded an audience with God. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I’m a religious man, I pray. I thought you loved me. Why did this happen?’ God said, ‘I sent you a radio report, a helicopter, and a guy in a rowboat. What the hell are you doing here?’

The priest says it reminds him of Bartlet because Bartlet mentions that he “prayed for wisdom,” to which the father seems rather annoyed because “God” had sent Barlet a priest, a rabbi (from Toby’s synagogue), and a Quaker (Joey Lucas), yet in the end Barlet decided not to step in and save the man’s life. As an atheist, it really struck me because it proved to me how Christians (among others) are always praying for signs and whatnot even though the answer is right in front of them — they just don’t want to accept it or want something more glorious and foreboding.

Soap Opera Instincts: Zoe and Charlie

I could tell that they were gonna get together during the episode in which Bartlet was cooking chili and Zoe had Charlie taste it. I think watching soap operas makes me either really good at knowing when writers are trying to get people together, or (and maybe more likely), they make me assume that everyone is going to hookup.

The NSA and Osama bin Laden

I loved how during the season premier of season two (“In the Shadow of Two Gunmen”) the National Security Advisor (played by Anna Deavere Smith, who spoke/performed at my college a few years back) was more worried about Osama bin Laden in October 2000 than the real National Security Advisor (Condoleezza Rice) until Sept. 11. Actually, I don’t “love” that fact — it freaks me out that writers and people making a fictional television show might’ve been more alert and aware of the real dangers facing the U.S. than the Bush administration.

I Never Liked Mandy

Even though I feel like I should support Moira Kelly since she was in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (playing Donna after Lara Flynn Boyle decided not to do the movie — what’s with lame actresses playing Donna???), I just hated her character… and I loved the fact that she was a regular cast member in season one and then just sorta disappeared when season two came along. I have tons of theories on what happened to her (amnesia, drugged and abducted, she was really a spy, etc. — see, soap opera influence here!!), and since we never find out, I’ll let my imagination run wild.

Marathon Watching and Hair

It was funny to see people’s hair change overnight when I watched the first season’s finale followed immediately by the second season’s premier. Rob Lowe‘s hair change was especially noticeable.

Paging Dr. Laura

In “The Midterms” there is a “doctor” named Dr. Jenna Jacobs who has a Ph.D. in English Literature (which is a very nice degree, I might add), but passes herself off as a psychologist or something a la “Dr.” Laura Schlessinger who passes herself off as a psychologist/therapist/etc. despite the fact her degree is in physiology. Both of the women (in the show and the real Dr. Laura) have conservative call-in radio shows. It was cool to see that real-world tie-in.

… But I Got One Tie-In Wrong

I assumed that the Ainsley Hayes character (especially based on her appearance — tall, blonde, leggy, etc. — and her opinions) would parallel the evil right-wing conservative author Ann Coulter. Turns out I was wrong and Ainsley is a cool person, after all.

So in addition to Buffy and Angel and The L Word and The X-Files and The Simple Life and Millennium and Dallas and Dynasty and Firefly and Nip/Tuck and The Surreal Life and Queer as Folk and Sex and the City and others I am probably forgetting, for someone who “doesn’t watch TV” (and I really don’t!! only TV on DVD), I sure have a lot of television shows I am obsessed with.

Add to that: The West Wing.

A couple of weeks ago one of my friends (who is a huge fan of the show) mentioned that he thought I would like it. I’ve always been leery of contemporary network television, but for some reason I figured I would listen to him. He brought over season one on DVD and after watching the first episode with him, I was hooked.

Last Sunday we did an 11-episode marathon, finishing season one and getting two episodes into season two. I haven’t watched any episodes since Sunday, and I’m definitely going through withdrawal, though I doubt I’ll watch any more episodes until Friday, at the earliest — what to do??

I think what I love about the show is that it’s a combination of two things I love: politics and media. I’m a total news geek, so not only do a lot of the story lines ring true (either inspired by or based on real events), but then we see how the behind-the-scenes people have to deal with the media fall-out.

Due to that media aspect of the show, CJ Cregg is by far my favorite character. I just love her energy, her coldness (but at the same time her vulnerability), her tallness, her dry sense of humor — everything about her. And despite the fact she makes out with that reporter Danny Concannon in season one, I still think/hope she is a lesbian (how that would do anything for me, I don’t know — I just want her to be a lesbian for some reason).

My second favorite character is Leo McGarry. He is so calm and collected, it’s just awesome. Especially during season one when those goddamn conservatives are going after him for his previous drug and alcohol abuse — he reacts to things so well and is so dignified.

Also, I hate it when Leo and CJ fight — which they have done a few times. It kills me. I would rather that they make babies (even though it would ruin my CJ-as-a-lesbian thing).

Watching the show also makes me wonder if the current administration (or an administration in the future) shouldn’t turn the Oval Office into a reality show. I mean, people are already cynical and disillusioned with the American government, so why not give it a more human face? Frankly, I am really surprised that the popularity of The West Wing hasn’t made the American public, in general, more interested in politics.

Starting a new television obsession is going to be a daunting task, I know… and the fact that it is currently on network television almost makes me tempted to watch it live (which would make it the first television show that I watch during it’s actual season since The X-Files back in 2000). I know that the upcoming season will see a new president come in, so that might be a good time to start watching. I’m not sure. We’ll see how I feel after seasons two and three and four (which are all available on DVD now).