My first opinion of The West Wing is positive for the most part. The politics of the episode was very interesting. It gave me a good look of the personal and “behind-the-scenes” look of a president handling a crisis. I also like the use of the chessboard as a metaphor for the Chinese problem. However, because of the heavy (and sometimes pointless) dialogue and lack of action, I found the show to be a bit dull. I am interested in watching the other episodes so I can get more of a feel for this award-winning show.
For my second viewing, I watched the episode entitled “Dead Irish Writers”, aired on March 6, 2002. The President gets a visit from a British ambassador who tries to convince President Bartlet not to meet with an Irish terrorist. Also, the first lady is having a birthday party, however she spends it worrying about the possibility of her loosing her medical license. The episode follows other characters as well: Sam meets with a senator who is blocking a bill that would create a superconductor that would cost billions, several of the women sneak away to discuss other characters in the show, and Donna finds out that she is Canadian instead of American. I am surprised about how many different characters and plots this episode was able to follow without it becoming confusing to the viewer.
Next, I watched the episode “On the Day Before”, which aired on March 13, 2002. This episode focused on a veto that the President made on a controversial “death tax” bill. Tension ensues when the President’s staff realizes that the House of Representatives has enough votes to override the veto; so some of the congressmen try to get some political favors from the president. Also, Josh tries to dissuade a governor from running against President Bartlet in the next presidential election. This episode was much more focused on politics than the other ones I have seen. After seeing this episode, I prefer it when the plot focuses more on the characters than political maneuvering.
On March 20, 2002, I watched the episode “War Crimes”. The President asks the Vice President after a shooting occurs in a church to speak at an anti-gun rally but he doesn’t want to do it. The argument between the two characters has become one of my favorite moments of the series. It was great acting on behalf of Martin Sheen (President) and guest star Tim Matheson (Vice President). Also on the show, Donna lies to a Congressional Committee on behalf of the President. To add an interesting twist, the committee was lead by Donna’s boyfriend. This episode also contained some humor when Sam gets upset when a congressman proposes a bill to eliminate the penny from our currency (something I thought they should do). This kind of episode is what I like about the show; when they focus on the characters reacting with some political occurrence.
The last episode I watch was called “The U.S. Poet Laureate” and it aired on March 27, 2002. In this episode, the President says a disparaging remark about a possible future presidential election opponent and C.J. has to try to minimize the damaging effect it has on the president. Sam calls White House legal counsel Hayes from a vacation to help with damage control as well. Also, the President has to decide whether to use government resources to save a huge computer company from going out of business. Laura Dern from “Jurassic Park” guest starred in this episode as the U.S. poet laureate who speaks out against the United States’ lack of support for a proposed land-mines treaty to the dismay of Toby who tries to convince her to stop.
I think that these four episodes have a relatively similar setup as the first one I saw, “Hartsfield Landing”. The thing that differentiates them the most to me is the amount of political involvement they decide to have in each episode. At times they want it to focus on the characters and what is going on in their lives, and at other times they tackle a controversial political issue. Although it can be interesting to see them argue the tough political debates, I prefer it when the show centers on the characters. The West Wing features a terrific cast; they should make better use of that.
With all of the action and plot in every show, each episode of The West Wing seems like a mini-movie. There are always a lot of characters and story lines, which adds complexity to the show. The West Wing attempts to make it seem as realistic as possible, almost like a documentary on the presidency. The continuation of story lines and the dramatic acting hints at a soap opera. However, I would categorize The West Wing as a drama (or melodrama).
Melodrama began in the nineteenth century in the theaters of England and France. At that time, the lower class population was increasing dramatically; Melodrama provided escapism from their poor lifestyle and gave them a taste of a more enjoyable life. Melodrama was originally defined as “a drama which used music and songs as background accompaniment to help the characters express their thoughts and feelings.” (Monson, 1996) Now, the typical melodrama features a conflict between good and evil in which good always wins, and concludes with a happy ending. It always focuses on a good guy, who is someone to whom we can all relate to and has certain characteristics that we admire, i.e. honesty, strength, and intelligence. However, the character is not well developed and is not the center of interest for the melodrama. Usually, the situation in which the character finds himself in is why we watch melodramas. There is always a conflict that the story centers around. There are three types of conflict used in storytelling: character versus another character, character versus nature, or character versus himself. In the melodrama, you will find the character faced against external conflicts such as another character or a natural disaster, but not with himself.(Creeber, 2001) A genre that features self-conflict is tragedy, which deals with internal thoughts and emotions. Events occur for a different reason on melodramas. Fate, chance and destiny motivate the character and move the plot instead of by any logical means. Melodramas have often been criticized for their excessive sentiment, underdeveloped characters, and outlandish plots. Furthermore, they have been charged with several cultural evils: instilling false consciousness in the working class, presenting an idealized view of bourgeois life, being escapist and reactionary, eroding the public's appreciation of "good" art and undermining the capacity for individual responsibility. (Mullen, 1998)
Fortunately, writers of melodramas these days realize that viewers want more substance in their programming and that they tire of the predictable happy ending. Dramas have become much more sophisticated and complex and have a wide range of artistic and aesthetic possibilities. (Monson, 1996) Dramatic shows have become more realistic (although still relying on improbable events and chance happenings) and try to incorporate current events and issues. The West Wing is a result of the recent changes to dramatic series, as well as containing elements from tragedy and comedy genres. The show finds the requisite ‘good guy’ in President Bartlet. He is charismatic, intelligent, and a good leader. However, the conflicts in the show come from not only external sources like politicians and foreign countries, but from internal sources. In most episodes, the characters are faced with making tough ethical and moral decisions. This quality is more reminiscent of a tragedy than a melodrama.
Quite often, The West Wing will have an episode that deals directly with a current event or issue. When a major debate erupts in our society, you can be sure that it will appear on a future episode. After the September 11 attacks, The West Wing filmed an episode in which the White house was sealed off due to a terrorist attack and the staff take refuge with a group of high school students who ask about terrorism. Besides terrorism, The West Wing has had episodes on gun control, abortion, taxation, and foreign affairs; just to name a few of the many issues featured on the show.
One characteristic of a melodrama is that the viewer knows more about the situations than the characters. However, The West Wing often prefers to let us learn along with the characters. Although The West Wing is about the workplace of the President, many of the issues between the cast members could be set in any office. This makes it very relatable for viewers. The show focuses on the more sensational aspects of the presidency, such as sex scandals, back-room deals, and heated arguments. However, they keep it from becoming too lurid by having a strong human aspect in each show. You see the consequences of the president’s actions on the people they affect.
The West Wing attempts to tackle tough political and moral issues. In fact, the show has been criticized by religions groups for its liberal views of abortion rights and homosexuality. (Issac 2000) Although not every one may agree with the decisions reached by the cast of The West Wing, it will leave them thinking about them. While other shows also attempt to tackle difficult issues, I think that what makes this show different is that you see political figures who are supposed to remain ‘politically correct’ wrestle with what might offend some people.
Although the classical definition of melodrama doesn’t sound very appealing, I like most of the dramatic series on television today. They have become much more sophisticated than the standard ‘good guy versus bad guy’ story that defines a melodrama. With incorporating some comedy and tragedy, The West Wing has a good mix of several genres and it results in some entertaining, unpredictable, and thought-provoking episodes.
Bibliography
Creeber, Glen. “The Television Genre Book”. British Film Institute. June 2001.
Issac, Steven. “The West Wing”. Plugged In Magazine. November 2000.
Mullen, Mark. “Sympathetic Vibrations: The Politics of Antebellum Melodrama.” University of California, Irvine. November 1998.
Monson, William and Lane, Philip. “Radio and Television as Popular Culture”. California State University, Fresno. 1996.
Neale, Steve. “Melodrama and Tears”. Screen 27, 6 (1986), pp. 6-23.
The West Wing official website. http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/westwingtv/