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The Best Episodes of The West Wing

Every episode of The West Wing ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The West Wing!

The Best Episodes of The West Wing

The West Wing provides a glimpse into presidential politics in the nation's capital as it tells the stories of the members of a fictional presidential...

Seasons7

  1. Background image for Two Cathedrals
    9.3/10(7 votes)

    #1 - Two Cathedrals

    S2:E22

    On the day of Mrs. Landingham's funeral, the staff deals with a Haitian presidential crisis and the law suit against the big tobacco companies, and Bartlet must decide about running for reelection.

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  2. Background image for 20 Hours in America (2)
    9.3/10(3 votes)

    #2 - 20 Hours in America (2)

    S4:E2

    Donna teaches Toby and Josh an important lesson as their trek homeward continues; Sam staffs the President in Josh's absence and welcomes an old friend home; Bartlet hires a secretary and C.J. finds a Big Brother for Anthony; the situation in Qumar continues to escalate; Bartlet gets spooked by a photo op as the Dow continues its dive; and a pipe bomb kills 44 students at a Midwest university swim meet.

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  3. Background image for What Kind of Day Has It Been
    9.2/10(1.6k votes)

    #3 - What Kind of Day Has It Been

    S1:E22

    The staff deals with the crisis of an American pilot who was shot down in Iraq; Toby's brother is in danger on a space shuttle whose doors won't close; Bartlet and the senior staff walk into trouble as they leave a town meeting.

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  4. Background image for In Excelsis Deo
    9.1/10(2.1k votes)

    #4 - In Excelsis Deo

    S1:E10

    Toby tries to arrange a proper funeral for a homeless veteran. Josh and Sam try to set up a preemptive strike against Lillienfield, who is attacking Leo because of his prior drug and alcohol problem. CJ tries to get the staff to revisit the hate crimes issue. Bartlet sneaks out to do some last minute shopping.

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  5. Background image for Election Day (2)
    9.1/10(934 votes)

    #5 - Election Day (2)

    S7:E17

    Abbey is in New Hamphire with Liz Bartlet-Westin and they are awaiting the results of Doug Westin's campaign for a seat in Congress. Members of both the Santos campaign and the Vinick campaign must decide how to handle a tragedy, as the voters around the country continue to cast their votes for the next President of the United States.

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  6. Background image for Tomorrow
    9.1/10(1.1k votes)

    #6 - Tomorrow

    S7:E22

    After seven seasons of the Award-winning drama series, the Bartlet Administration prepares to leave the White House and The West Wing. While Santos and his winning camp are nervously gearing up for the presidential inauguration, current President Bartlet (Martin Sheen), CJ (Allison Janney) and the others fondly look back as they prepare to leave the White House forever.

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  8. Background image for We Killed Yamamoto
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - We Killed Yamamoto

    S3:E20

    While Jed, Leo and Fitzwallace grapple with terrorism and moral absolutes, Josh and Amy grapple with each other over a welfare-reform bill; Donna represents the White House at a North Dakota state-party caucus whose goal is to remove the word "North" from the state's name; Toby doesn't want Jed to attend a New York fund-raiser because Ritchie will be there; Charlie is assigned the responsibility of finding Jed a new secretary; C.J. discovers that Simon Donovan is a very straight shooter

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  9. Background image for Posse Comitatus
    9.0/10(5 votes)

    #8 - Posse Comitatus

    S3:E21

    Bartlet continues to struggle over the wisdom of assassinating the terrorist Qumari defense minister; after Ritchie declines to meet Bartlet, Sam and Toby play a dirty trick; as the search for Mrs. Landingham's replacement continues, Charlie finds the perfect candidate, who makes less than a stellar first impression on Bartlet; Josh's determination to pass a welfare bill costs Amy; as C.J.'s stalker is finally captured, the night ends in tragedy.

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    Director:Alex Graves
  10. Background image for Life on Mars
    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #9 - Life on Mars

    S4:E21

    On his first day at work, Joe Quincy pieces together three news leaks and uncovers a scandal which forces Hoynes to resign.

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  11. Background image for Commencement
    9.0/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Commencement

    S4:E22

    Bartlet finally tells the staff the truth about the death of Shareef; Danny agrees to hold off on the story after five alleged terrorists go missing; Andy goes into labor after once again refusing Toby's marriage proposal; Zoey is kidnapped from a nightclub on the night of her college graduation.

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    Director:Alex Graves
  12. Background image for The Supremes
    9.0/10(4 votes)

    #11 - The Supremes

    S5:E17

    Jed and the staff vet potential Supreme Court appointees; Toby and Andy don't see eye-to-eye on her fact-finding trip to the Middle East; Donna's parents are the unlikely inspiration for the resolution to the problems arising from the judicial confirmation process.

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    Director:Jessica Yu
  13. Background image for Celestial Navigation
    8.9/10(1.6k votes)

    #12 - Celestial Navigation

    S1:E15

    Toby and Sam travel to Connecticut to get Roberto Mendoza released from jail; Josh must run a press briefing when CJ has an emergency root canal.

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  14. Background image for Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
    8.9/10(1.5k votes)

    #13 - Let Bartlet Be Bartlet

    S1:E19

    Mandy's old memo about Bartlet administration weaknesses surfaces; Josh tries to get administration nominees appointed to the Federal Elections Committee; Sam works to get a better policy on gays in the military.

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  15. Background image for Take This Sabbath Day
    8.8/10(1.6k votes)

    #14 - Take This Sabbath Day

    S1:E14

    After the Supreme Court refuses to stay the execution of a convicted murderer, Bartlet has forty-eight hours to decide whether or not to commute the sentence. Josh faces off with Joey Lucas about his staff's not backing her candidate as vigorously as she'd like.

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  16. Background image for 20 Hours in America (1)
    8.8/10(5 votes)

    #15 - 20 Hours in America (1)

    S4:E1

    Toby, Josh, and Donna learn the hard way about the lack of accessible public transportation in the heartland when they spend a long day trying to get back to Washington after the motorcade leaves them behind during a campaign stop in Indiana; Bartlet interviews potential replacements for Mrs Landingham while C.J. tries to find someone to fill Simon's shoes as Anthony's Big Brother; the Ritchie campaign whips up a furor when Abbey claims to be "just a wife and mother"; Qumar reopens the Shareef investigation; and the Dow takes a dive.

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  17. Background image for Twenty Five
    8.8/10(6 votes)

    #16 - Twenty Five

    S4:E23

    When Bartlet learns that Zoey's kidnapping is the work of Qumari terrorists, he invokes the 25th amendment to diminish their leverage and eliminate any conflict of interest; since there's no Vice President, the power of the Presidency passes to Bartlet's chief political rival and the most powerful Republican in the country, the Speaker of the House, who immediately takes a very hard line; now that twins Huck and Molly have arrived, Toby wonders if he's capable of loving them enough.

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  18. Background image for The Debate
    8.8/10(1.2k votes)

    #17 - The Debate

    S7:E7

    Santos and Vinick battle it out in primetime live. Forrest Saywer the moderator poses questions and attempts to ensure that the candidates remain within bounds. Ellen DeGeneres guest hosts the show on behalf of American Express and their new credit card.

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  19. Background image for Requiem
    8.8/10(926 votes)

    #18 - Requiem

    S7:E18

    Former series regulars, including Marlee Matlin, Mary-Louise Parker, Tim Matheson, Anna Deavere Smith and Gary Cole, make guest appearances as Bartlet, Santos and their staff members attend a funeral for one of their own. Also, Josh cautions Santos about getting involved in the vote for Speaker of the House.

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  20. Background image for In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (1)
    8.7/10(6 votes)

    #19 - In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (1)

    S2:E1

    "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" is the two-part second season premiere of the American political drama television seriesThe West Wing. Both parts were written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Thomas Schlamme.

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  21. Background image for A Proportional Response
    8.6/10(1.6k votes)

    #20 - A Proportional Response

    S1:E3

    Still enraged at Morris's death, Bartlet makes a show of deadly force. C.J. is upset about being kept out of the loop about Laurie. Josh hires Bartlet's new personal assistant.

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  22. Background image for Mr. Willis of Ohio
    8.6/10(1.6k votes)

    #21 - Mr. Willis of Ohio

    S1:E6

    Toby and Mandy push for a commerce bill with a census-counting provision, with three votes as the deciding factor. Sam tutors CJ on the finer points of the census. Josh & Sam take Charlie out for a beer and are joined by Zoey and Mallory.

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  23. Background image for He Shall, from Time to Time
    8.6/10(1.4k votes)

    #22 - He Shall, from Time to Time

    S1:E12

    Bartlet collapses before his first State of the Union address. Leo publicly admits to his former alcoholism and drug abuse. Things get interesting romantically for both Sam and CJ. Lord John Marbury helps the staff negotiate an agreement between India and Pakistan.

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  24. Background image for Game On
    8.6/10(5 votes)

    #23 - Game On

    S4:E6

    Bartlet, Leo, Josh, Sam and C.J. pull a practical joke on Toby; Sam's mission to end the Wilde campaign leads him to make a career-altering decision; Jordan backs up Leo as he deals with the Qumari; Toby continues to press his case with a resistant Andrea; and Bartlet cleans Ritchie's clock in their debate.

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  25. Background image for Election Night
    8.6/10(5 votes)

    #24 - Election Night

    S4:E7

    Election day finally arrives with the staff eagerly anticipating the outcome; Sam is increasingly concerned about the Wilde campaign in Orange County; Toby worries about the effect of Andy's pregnancy on the voters; Donna accidentally votes for Richie and tries to rectify the situation by trying to find someone who will vote-swap; Josh resists Deborah's new office rules until she reveals their basis; Bartlet has some new health issues to worry about.

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  26. Background image for Election Day (1)
    8.6/10(831 votes)

    #25 - Election Day (1)

    S7:E16

    Election Day finally arrives, and between analyzing exit polls, and mulling over news reports, a few Santos staff members discover the joys of campaign romance. Meanwhile, C.J. ponders life after the White House; and Annabeth makes a tragic discovery.

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Best Episodes Summary

"Two Cathedrals" is the best rated episode of "The West Wing". It scored 9.3/10 based on 7 votes. Directed by Thomas Schlamme and written by Aaron Sorkin, it aired on 5/16/2001. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "20 Hours in America (2)".