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The Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 1

Every episode of The West Wing Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 1!

Binge this in 14h 58m·Peaking at 9.2/10
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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The West Wing Season 1 Episode 10 - In Excelsis Deo
    9.2/10(2352 votes)

    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.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writers:Rick Cleveland, Aaron Sorkin

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  2. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 22 - What Kind of Day Has It Been
    9.2/10(1753 votes)

    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.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  3. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 15 - Celestial Navigation
    8.9/10(1738 votes)

    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.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 19 - Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
    8.9/10(1592 votes)

    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.

    Director:Laura Innes
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 14 - Take This Sabbath Day
    8.8/10(1751 votes)

    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.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 3 - A Proportional Response
    8.6/10(1799 votes)

    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.

    Director:Marc Buckland
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  7. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 6 - Mr. Willis of Ohio
    8.6/10(1734 votes)

    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.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  8. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 9 - The Short List
    8.6/10(1547 votes)

    S1:E9

    Bartlet struggles to name a nominee to the Supreme Court when the perfect nominee turns out to be not so perfect. A congressman attacks the staff, claiming that 1 in 3 use drugs.

    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 12 - He Shall, from Time to Time
    8.6/10(1488 votes)

    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.

    Director:Arlene Sanford
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  10. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    8.5/10(2536 votes)

    S1:E1

    The senior members of the White House staff are summoned to the office early in the morning to handle difficult situations: Hundreds of Cubans are on their way across the Atlantic Ocean in search of freedom; and klutzy President of the United States Josiah Bartlet accidentally sprained his ankle riding a bicycle into a tree.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  11. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 5 - The Crackpots and These Women
    8.5/10(1776 votes)

    S1:E5

    The staffers spend the day ("Big Block of Cheese day") dealing with private organizations, aka the crackpots. Throughout the day, Sam deals with a UFO nut, CJ gets a proposal to build a wolves-only road, Toby and Bartlet clash over everything, and Josh is overwhelmed by guilt regarding his sister's death.

    Director:Anthony Drazan
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  12. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 21 - Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
    8.5/10(1362 votes)

    S1:E21

    Bartlet gets closer to making the FEC campaign finance reform-friendly, but his opponents strike back by making Sam's former dalliance with the call girl public knowledge; CJ waits anxiously for the administration's approval rating.

    Director:Don Scardino
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  13. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 13 - Take out the Trash Day
    8.3/10(1430 votes)

    S1:E13

    Josh and Sam are able to make a bargain to keep Leo from going through a hearing, at the expense of a new sex education report. Mandy doesn't think a couple should be present at the signing of a new hate crimes bill instigated by the death of their son. Toby contends with some of PBS's detractors.

    Director:Ken Olin
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  14. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 7 - The State Dinner
    8.2/10(1537 votes)

    S1:E7

    The president of Indonesia is honored at a state dinner. The staff deals with Hurricane Sarah, a potential teamster strike, and a raid involving children in Idaho while a reporter flirts with CJ.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Paul Redford

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  15. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 4 - Five Votes Down
    8.1/10(1626 votes)

    S1:E4

    Five votes keep a very important gun-control bill from being passed and the staff has 72 hours to track down the errant congressmen. Toby is accused of manipulating the stock market by having a friend testify to Commerce on internet stocks. Leo's wife gets fed up with his long hours.

    Director:Michael Lehmann
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 11 - Lord John Marbury
    8.1/10(1490 votes)

    S1:E11

    War breaks out between India and Pakistan and Bartlet consults with Lord John Marbury. Toby accuses CJ of being too friendly with the press when she objects to being kept in the dark. The staff realizes that Lillienfield's efforts to bring down Leo are going to get ugly when Josh gets a subpoena.

    Director:Kevin Rodney Sullivan
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 20 - Mandatory Minimums
    8.1/10(1336 votes)

    S1:E20

    Andrea Wyatt insists that mandatory minimums be added to a new drug policy the staff is developing; C.J. makes a mistake and sets them back.

    Director:Robert Berlinger
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  18. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 2 - Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
    8.0/10(1836 votes)

    S1:E2

    The Vice President refuses to fall in line with Bartlet. Sam discusses the problem of Laurie with Josh and Toby. Bartlet hires Mandy as his consultant.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  19. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 18 - Six Meetings Before Lunch
    8.0/10(1391 votes)

    S1:E18

    Mendoza is confirmed by the Senate; Mandy needs Toby's help to replace a dead panda bear; Sam angers Mallory when she reads a position paper that he wrote supporting school vouchers; Josh meets with Jeff Breckenridge, who is irritating certain Congressmen with his stance on slavery reparations.

    Director:Clark Johnson
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  20. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 8 - Enemies
    7.9/10(1468 votes)

    S1:E8

    Bartlet and Hoynes argue in front of the Cabinet. CJ fends off Danny's advances when she suspects he's after a big story. Mallory asks Sam out. The staff leaps hurdles to pass a banking bill.

    Director:Alan Taylor
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 16 - 20 Hours in L. A.
    7.8/10(1394 votes)

    S1:E16

    Bartlet and the senior staff fly to California to attend an important fundraiser. Hoynes must decide whether he will support Bartlet's stance or go with his convictions when the Senate is deadlocked on an ethanol tax bill.

    Director:Alan Taylor
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  22. The West Wing Season 1 Episode 17 - The White House Pro-Am
    7.7/10(1327 votes)

    S1:E17

    Abbey keeps the staff busy with the fallout when she leaks her personal preference for a Federal Reserve Board appointment and discusses child labor on a talk show, prompting a Congresswoman to offer an amendment which could shoot down the entire international tariff bill. Charlie's date with Zoey is cancelled because of threats by a white supremacist group.

    Director:Ken Olin
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Lawrence O'Donnell, Paul Redford

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"In Excelsis Deo" is the best rated episode of The West Wing season 1. It scored 9.2/10 from 2,352 votes. Directed by Alex Graves and written by Rick Cleveland, Aaron Sorkin, it aired on December 15, 1999.