The West Wing - Complete Season 7 [DVD] [2006]

Much of the criticism of the West Wing is rooted in people not agreeing with creator Aaron Sorkin's left-wing tendencies. That strikes me as strange - it is like not watching Law and Order because the police aren't always right or ER because it simplifies hospital funding pressures.The West Wing is simply a remarkable drama that takes place in the most stress-intensive, fast-paced setting imaginable. Ultimately, it is a show about people. And the characters of Josh (Bradley Whitford), Leo (the late, John Spencer), CJ (Alison Janney) and Toby (Richard Schiff) spend their waking lives making ethical and political decisions affecting 100s of millions of people. There is a real noble purpose behind how they spend their days that you can't help but envy.Yes, much of the show is targeted at appealing to Democrats - as the Republicans are seen as the enemy. However, seasons 6 and 7 provide a wonderful insight to the nomination/election process that wasn't shown in the early seasons. These last two seasons follow the presidential campaigns of Republican Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) and Democrat Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits) and their respective trials and tribulations are eerily similar - despite their different political view points - as they fight for the presidency.What perhaps is most impressive is how the show manages to contrast the frantic campaign trails of both candidates with that of the ongoing presidency of Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his remaining staff. Martin Sheen is again outstanding as he grapples simultaneously with the lasting effects of MS, a declining presidency, an emptying nest, nuclear disaster and trying to avert world war 3.For fans of the show, season 7 is something you quite simply can't do without. If you have previously watched the show and thought it was too biased to the left, season 7 may appeal to you more as there is a lot of balance in the differing political views of Bartlet, Vinick and Santos.From my point of view, I just think it is a rare treat to purchase 15 hours of work from Martin Sheen, Alan Alda, Jimmy Smits, Alison Janney, and the best group of actors, writers, directors and producers working today. We can only hope that work of this standing will one day return.Highly recommended.

Script, casting, and relevance to today's politics all help to make this whole series from 1 to 7 the smartest and most compelling series for those who love to glimpse a dramatised version of the inner workings and challenges of the mechanisms of government and global current affairs. You will be compelled to keep watching throughout the seven series, by the clever, and mostly unsensationalist story lines. It is impossible not to become invested in the personal journies of nearly every cast member. I am sad it is over, but glad the writers did not try to squeeze too much out of the brand and end up losing the essence of the message.

The West Wing is without doubt the finest television series I have ever watched. There are seemingly many critics of this series that state that the first 4 Series were superb and then it tails off. I am not one of them.I sat through Series 5 expecting a downturn in the script/acting and found none. Series 6 did start off a bit slow but the interest level picks up at the start of the campaign trail and season 7 continues the Democratic and Republicans nominees run for the Oval Office. Perhaps the only negative comment I can make regarding Series 7 is the lack of air time for some of the old faces as the focus was not on the West Wing but the battle for it.I find it hard to believe other comments made that the Series was cancelled early due to poor ratings. Thus being said, Series 7 is as fitting an end as one could imagine and the final episode perfectly hits the right level of sentimentality and you are left with clear understanding of the future plans and careers for at least most of the main characters.All those who purchased Seasons 1-6 will buy Season 7 anyway because they are already devoted followers of this magnificent series. For those of you who are still wondering if this is worth a look, I can imagine no reason for you to delay your purchases any longer.The acting is magnificent, the direction spot on and contains some of the best camera work to hit the small screen. Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford have been my favourite actors or maybe CJ and Josh were just my favourite characters. There are many things you should do before you depart from this world, and viewing the West Wing should be somewhere near the top of the list.