The West Wing - Netflix's Hidden Gem

Recently, I have been scavenging the streaming services for more shows to binge but because of the ungodly amount of time on my hands, I have managed to watch most shows I have deemed worth watching (please don't ask me if I have seen Outer Banks - I have not).

I recently went on an Aaron Sorkin binge and watched all the movies he's written (Moneyball, The Social Network, Molly's Game, A Few Good Men) and I realized that his biggest credit was creating and writing a show that aired through the late 90s and early 2000s called The West Wing.

The West Wing completely blew me away. It was an Aaron Sorkin movie that you get to watch for hours, with his signature snappy dialogue and cleverly constructed scenes, like shown here:

I love politics and I have always wondered what went on behind the scenes in the white house, and if you're even remotely interesting in politics, I'd give this a watch.

DISCLAIMER: The acting president in this show and his administration are apart of a certain political party, and because so, many topics that the episodes cover politically lean to one side. HOWEVER, they take time to show that nobody on capital hill is innocent, regardless of their party. I didn't agree with everything but I'd get over it fast. This is a drama, and nothing is more dramatic than Capital Hill politics.

Anyways, back to the actual story. It follows the beginning of newly elected president Jed Bartlet, played by Hollywood legend, Martin Sheen, and his gang of white house senior and junior staffers. This show didn't win 26 emmy awards for nothing, because the acting and chemistry between these people is electric.

President Bartlet is a genuinely good man who was the underdog during his campaign. He's intelligent, kindhearted, and a good father and husband. He, however, has trouble understanding the game of politics and how to play it. That's what his staffers are for.

Each episode tackles a new problem in spectacular fashion, with the finale of season 1 causing me to bite my nails off and scream at my phone (sometimes I watch it during online lectures). The events that occur in this show are monumental in scale, such as India invading Pakistan, death threats to the president's daughter for dating a black man, and American soldiers being trapped in hostile territory. However we get to witness it all behind the scenes. Who advises the president, how does he make a decision when half tell him one thing and the other half tell him another? How does the Press Secretary handle the press? It's utterly fascinating and it glued me to the screen.

If you're remotely interested in politics, give this a shot. If you don't care about politics at all, maybe still give this a shot and see if you change your mind.

It was honestly one of the greatest television dramas I've ever seen and I'm only halfway through season 3 (each season is roughly 20 1-hour episodes if that gives you an idea).