A Leftist Fever Dream in Seven Seasons

some thoughts after watching The West Wing

The West Wing was an acclaimed American television drama that aired from 1999 to 2006, created by Aaron Sorkin. Set in the bustling corridors of the White House, the series had input from several former Clinton administration staffers and followed two terms of President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. Blending sharp-witted dialogue, complex characters, and a mix of idealism and political realism, the show focused on the dedicated staffers of the West Wing as they navigated crises, crafted policy, and balanced their personal lives with the relentless demands of power.

Known for its fast-paced "walk-and-talk" sequences and its optimistic portrayal of public service, The West Wing earned widespread acclaim, winning 26 Primetime Emmy Awards over its seven-season run.

I recently watched the entire series while coping with a serious bout of depression, and I have thoughts. Particularly about how The West Wing serves as a kind of political fan fiction for left-leaning audiences—and how many of its tropes have worked their way into the wider culture.

What is Fan Fiction?

Fan fiction is storytelling written by fans using the characters, themes, and settings of an existing fictional world. While professionally published novels expanding Star Trek or Star Wars lore are a form of sanctioned fan fiction, the more common variety is amateur and thrives in online communities.

To give you a sense of its scale, the fan fiction archive AO3 currently hosts:

• Harry Potter: 537,497 stories

• Sherlock Holmes: 151,542 stories

• Star Trek: 115,907 stories

And those are just three examples in a sea of thousands of fandoms. It always surprises me when people are unaware of just how vast this world is.

I've previously written about the impact of fan fiction on young women—how it functions as their primary form of sexual education in much the same way that pornography does for young men. In that same essay, I also explored fan fiction's role in the trans social contagion.

Given that the show ended nearly two decades ago, I won’t be avoiding spoilers. If that’s a concern, consider this your warning.

What I Enjoyed

The writing and performances are excellent. The show delivers several stunningly handled, complex storylines:

• Bartlet having a chronic illness

• Bartlet dealing with grief when someone he loves is suddenly killed, and some real anger at God, including telling God off, in Latin, in a church

• A vice president lost to a sex scandal

• A First Daughter’s kidnapping

• The presidential campaign to replace Bartlet

• The real-life death of an actor, woven into the final season

After the first season, I struggle to recall a single outright bad episode. The series maintains a remarkable level of quality.

What Made Me Sprain My Eyeballs Rolling Them

Then there’s the part of The West Wing that is so ridiculous, so utterly absurd, that I had to seek out contemporary reviews to see if anyone at the time noticed—or if this kind of thing was just accepted as normal back then.