The West Wing: preliminary thoughts. Very preliminary. As in, I've seen four episodes.

[snick_backup]

Love unashamedly: CJ, Charlie

Expect to love shortly: Toby

Am perpetually irritated with: Sam

Ought to be perpetually irritated with but rather adore anyway: Mandy, Josh

Feel "eh" about: everyone else (although I'm warming up to Leo pretty fast)

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Otherwise: hits my competence kink like woah. The dialogue is fab. I kinda don't care about the plot (and I really don't care about Sam and his call girl, even if she is Lisa Edelstein), but I like the characters enough that it doesn't matter.

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ETA: No spoilers in comments, please. Or hints. Or intimations.

Comments

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Love unashamedly: CJ, Charlie

Expect to love shortly: Toby

GOOD TASTE!

I am somewhat surprised by your Sam irritation (though I am trying hard to think of how I felt about him at the beginning and can't really remember). Is it just because of the hooker!Cuddy storyline, do you think?

I am not at all a Mandy fan, but Josh is just a flat-out fantastic character even though I know I'd hate him in real life. Leo grows on you, too.

I am so excited you're watching it! :D

I hope this wasn't hinty!

[snickfic]

The hooker!Cuddy storyline didn't help Sam at all, but I think what I fundamentally dislike about him is that I'm so clearly supposed to think he's adorable. He's good-looking in a very all-American way, he's a little bit clueless, he has a tendency to get himself into unfortunate situations - the world is just a slightly befuddling place to him. Which is bizarre, because I expect all these people to be, if not brilliant, at least highly savvy, and I haven't seen him be savvy at all yet. So far his highest qualification for this job seems to be that he has pretty eyes.

All of which is pretty funny, considering that the next character that description (minus the pretty eyes) might fit is Josh, and even though he has a few other irritating qualities besides I still like him way better.

Then again, I've still only seen six episodes. My opinion is subject to change.

Speaking of which, I just watched Xander's best friend Jesse (did he ever have a last name?) harrass the president's daughter...

Also, I met Elisabeth Moss once, very briefly. Alas, I'd never seen her in anything and had no idea who she was.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I think Sam's characterization becomes a lot stronger as things progress. I think the problem might have been that the part was written for Rob Lowe instead of casting after creating the character. So it took a little time for everything to settle.

He does have pretty eyes, though.

There are seriously a gazillion characters who will show up for an episode or two and make you shout, "I know that guy!" Sooooo many familiar faces, it's ridiculous. I love it lots.

I like Elizabeth Moss a lot. And she's quite lovable in this role.

[next_to_normal]

Hee! Other than liking Mandy and disliking Sam, I'd say you're right on track. :) I am trying to remember my first impressions of Sam, and I kind of want to say the hooker storyline bothered me, but other than that I loved him. Although, to be fair, I suspect I may have seen the episodes out of order (I've watched the early seasons so many times, it's VERY fuzzy which came first), which might change my first impression.

[next_to_normal]

Speaking of which, I just watched Xander's best friend Jesse (did he ever have a last name?) harrass the president's daughter...

LOL! I adore seeing Eric Balfour randomly pop up in every single TV show ever.

Re: Sam's competency, I think it's partly that he's an idealist with poor social skills, lol. He's extremely good at his job, but he also tends to expect the best of everybody and gets flustered very easily by women, both of which get him into trouble. But you don't really need either of those skills to be a brilliant speechwriter. :)

Bruno, after the President gives an amazing speech: "When did you write that last part?"
Sam: "In the car."
Bruno: "Freak." :)

[snickfic]

Heh. Well, I don't know that I actually like Mandy. She's a huge pill. But I enjoy watching her. And the actress is pretty much as cute a button.

You and penny_lane_42 have fabulous WW icons. And look, I've already seen that episode! And the "There's literally no one I don't hate right now" icon. W00t!

[snickfic]

Well, we shall see. Right now he's still rubbing me the wrong way, but we shall see.