The West Wing backdrop
The West Wing poster
Drama

The Worst Episodes of The West Wing

Every episode of The West Wing ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The West Wing!

The Worst 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 An Khe
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #1 - An Khe

    S5:E14

    When five navy E-2C Hawkeye crew members are stranded in North Korea, Bartlet orders a risky Navy Seal rescue attempt. C.J. agrees to one on one with a motormouth conservative talk show host.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:John Wells
  2. Background image for Full Disclosure
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #2 - Full Disclosure

    S5:E15

    He's back, Former VP John Hoynes, who resigned in sex scandal, makes a bid for political resurrection by trashing Barlet and Leo in a tell-all book. But it's C.J. who's taking the news the hardest.

    0 Comments
    View all
  3. Background image for Eppur Si Muove
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #3 - Eppur Si Muove

    S5:E16

    When a conservative Republican Congresswoman targets Ellie's research project in an effort to discredit Jed, Toby discovers that the source of the leak is uncomfortably close to home, and Will realizes that they've all greatly underestimated his boss; Josh investigates the wisdom of a recess appointment as he tries to convince an old friend to be patient with the Sixth Circuit judicial nomination process and keep his hat in the ring; C.J. completely misreads Ben's intentions; Donna tracks down an AWOL Ryan; an opening is created on the Supreme Court; in an effort to redefine Abbey's image with the press, C.J. sets her up to do a public service announcement with the Muppets, which inspires Ellie to stand up before the press in defense of scientific research unhampered by politics.

    0 Comments
    View all
  4. Background image for The Hubbert Peak
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #4 - The Hubbert Peak

    S6:E5

    Hours before the CAFE standards amendment is defeated, Josh succumbs to the lure of test driving a monster SUV while shopping for a Prius and gets into a fender-bender that proves embarrassing to the administration, so he's saddled with heading up a task force on alternative energy sources; after hosting a surprise graduation party for Charlie, Zoey agrees to his taking her out to a thank-you dinner; Annabeth educates Toby on the art of "charm and disarm" in handling the press; Charlie is offered an attractive way out of his employment dilemma; Kate extents a hand of friendship and support to Donna; C.J. gets some crucial insight from Leo on keeping Jed healthy; Margaret's plan to redecorate Leo's former office meets with resistance from her new boss.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Julie Hébert
    Writer:Peter Noah
  5. Background image for The Dover Test
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #5 - The Dover Test

    S6:E6

    The peace mission suffers its first American casualty, whose father is sharply critical of the administration; Santos breaks ranks with the party by signing onto Republican legislation for a patient bill of rights when his own bill dies in committee; Margaret searches for a new office for Charlie; Leo struggles to recover his health, his strength, and his appetite with the help of his nurse, who looks after both his body and his soul with wisdom and determination; Donna, out of her wheelchair and onto crutches, is besieged by the media for interviews; C.J. has harsh words for Toby when he lets his personal feelings take him off-message in the briefing room; Leo contemplates a post-recovery job offer in the private sector before his nurse reminds him why he left there in the first place; Will calls Josh out about the staff's disrespect for Russell's candidacy; as Annabeth finds a way to turn around a bad news cycle, Toby admonishes C.J. about micro-managing the press office.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Laura Innes
  6. Background image for A Change Is Gonna Come
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #6 - A Change Is Gonna Come

    S6:E7

    Hoynes throws his hat in the presidential ring, and asks Josh to join his campaign; Jed's health begins to deteriorate; Toby and Kate head the protocol negotiations with the Chinese over the arrangements for the upcoming summit, which is jeopardized when Jed mistakenly accepts a Taiwanese flag at the National Prayer Breakfast; Bernard takes his new position as head of the Gifts Unit to heart as he gives Charlie a hard time about retrieving the flag so that it can be returned; Josh has his hands full with a pro-Taiwanese senator holding a hard line on recognizing their independence; Bob Russell crashes an Oval Office photo op with the governor of Pennsylvania, who's also another potential presidential candidate.

    0 Comments
    View all
  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of The West Wing

    READ
  8. Background image for Ninety Miles Away
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #7 - Ninety Miles Away

    S6:E19

    New rumors about Fidel Castro's health cause the President to re-examine the economic sanctions against Cuba that haven't worked for 40 years, and he sends Leo McGarry to meet secretly with the Cuban dictator. The occasion causes C.J. to check into Kate Harper's past with the C.I.A., but she is unaware of a past encounter between Kate and Leo. Meanwhile, Charlie discovers the complexities of dealing with a termite invasion of the White House.

    0 Comments
    View all
  9. Background image for The Long Goodbye
    7.1/10(5 votes)

    #8 - The Long Goodbye

    S4:E13

    While Toby unsuccessfully attempts to fill her shoes in the briefing room, C.J. returns to Dayton, where she gives a speech at her high school reunion, reconnects with an old friend, and struggles with her father's worsening Alzheimer's.

    0 Comments
    View all
  10. Background image for Constituency of One
    7.1/10(5 votes)

    #9 - Constituency of One

    S5:E5

    Will Bailey receives an offer to become Vice President Russell's top aide. Amy Gardner does some skillful lobbying for domestic violence prevention which gets the wrath of Bartlet. A conservative democratic senator switches parties.

    0 Comments
    View all
  11. Background image for The Portland Trip
    7.3/10(6 votes)

    #10 - The Portland Trip

    S2:E7

    After ridiculing Notre Dame, C.J. is forced to accompany the President on a trip to Oregon; Toby and Sam struggle to write Jed's education speech for the following day; back at the White House, Josh tries to dissuade a gay Congressman who supports legislation banning same-sex marriages and Leo gets divorce papers, which causes Margaret to worry that he may fall off the wagon.

    0 Comments
    View all
  12. Background image for The Warfare of Genghis Khan
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #11 - The Warfare of Genghis Khan

    S5:E13

    An unlikely party comes to the aid of the administration as it seeks to discover the party responsible for nuclear testing in the Indian Ocean; Will is unhappy, but his boss doesn't seem to mind, when a request to beef up the Vice President's issue profile results in Toby's handing him boring, low-level minutae; Josh dismisses a NASA proposal for a manned Mars mission until an agency staffer shows him the error of his ways; a conservative talk show host makes a pathetic attempt to bait C.J. into appearing on his show.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:Peter Noah
  13. Background image for Memorial Day
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #12 - Memorial Day

    S5:E22

    Jed weighs his options for responding to the bombing as Israeli and Palestinian forces face off against each other; Josh has an interesting reaction when Colin arrives at the hospital to visit Donna; Kate and Leo clash over the advice she's giving Jed; Josh assumes a diplomatic role when the Palestinians approach him to initiate settlement discussions; Toby and Charlie prepare a reluctant Jed for throwing out the first ball at Camden Yards; Donna's life is threatened when she develops a pulmonary embolism; Jed reflects on the days prior to his first inauguration.

    0 Comments
    View all
  14. Background image for Third-Day Story
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #13 - Third-Day Story

    S6:E3

    Leo is rushed into bypass surgery after suffering a massive heart attack; as Toby and Josh scramble chaotically to get votes after Haffley demands Democratic support for a tax cut in exchange for ratification of the peace plan, it becomes quickly apparent that Jed must overcome his reluctance to name a new chief of staff; C.J. works with the State Department on getting U.N. and NATO approval of the peace accord; Charlie drags his feet about completing some minor graduation requirements because he's reluctant to keep his promise that he'll resign as Jed's body man to seek a better position once he has his degree; Donna returns to work; C.J. gets on Josh's case about his unhealthy diet.

    0 Comments
    View all
  15. Background image for Faith Based Initiative
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #14 - Faith Based Initiative

    S6:E10

    A senator attaches a rider to the federal budget bill that would ban gay marriage, almost daring the President to veto it, as the physical infirmities of Bartlet's MS become more pronounced. The Internet is rampant with a story that questions CJ's sexual orientation, and it is only fueled further when CJ refuses to dignify the allegations by putting out a statement. Donna joins the Vice President's senior staff, and heads for New Hampshire to start up Russell's presidential campaign there. And Santos decides that he will run for president after all, but only if Josh will leave the White House to manage his campaign.

    0 Comments
    View all
  16. Background image for 365 Days
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #15 - 365 Days

    S6:E12

    On the day after Bartlet gives his last State of the Union address, Leo returns to the West Wing but has difficulty getting the attention of the rest of the staff for a meeting about what to do during the remaining 365 days of Barlet's term. Kate and C.J. have to deal with emergencies in Bolivia and North Korea. Charlie tries to figure out how to get Congress to support funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Toby solicits Annabeth's advice regarding proper behavior for Abbey at a NASCAR event. Will asks why they originally chose Russell to be Vice President. And Bartlet seems to have recovered most of his strength after his recent bout with MS.

    0 Comments
    View all
  17. Background image for The Wake Up Call
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #16 - The Wake Up Call

    S6:E14

    Valentine's Day starts badly when the Iranian air force shoots down a British airliner, killing 100 passengers. The U.K. Prime Minister threatens to retaliate by bombing nuclear reactor sites, which could doom future support for political reformers in Iran. But C.J. has made an agreement with Abbey to allow the President to get more rest, and she is reluctant to awaken him at 5 A.M. to deal with the crisis. Meanwhile, Toby and a visiting law professor answer questions from a foreign delegation that is trying to write a new constitution for the former Soviet Republic of Belarus, and harried staffers pass the buck of Leo's traditional meeting with the new Miss World.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Laura Innes
  18. Background image for In God We Trust
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #17 - In God We Trust

    S6:E20

    Senator Vinick, now the Republican Presidential nominee, receives advice from former Bartlet political consultant Bruno Gianelli on how to win all 50 states in the general election, and more specifically in the near term how to present his religious views to the public and pick a running mate. Meanwhile, Bartlet wrestles with getting a minimum wage hike passed by attaching it to a bill necessary to raise the debt ceiling, and with how to unify his party in the face of a three-way race for the Democratic nomination.

    0 Comments
    View all
  19. Background image for Things Fall Apart
    7.3/10(3 votes)

    #18 - Things Fall Apart

    S6:E21

    Faced with a Democratic party in disarray in the face of the strongest Republican challenger they have ever had, Bartlet asks Leo to take charge of the potentially chaotic Democratic National Convention, while Santos considers a party-unifying vice-presidential offer from front-runner Russell. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is leaking oxygen and a rescue of the three astronauts will be difficult, and Bartlet catches Charlie leaving Zoey's bedroom after a nighttime visit.

    0 Comments
    View all
  20. Background image for Han
    7.4/10(5 votes)

    #19 - Han

    S5:E4

    Josh fails to sway an unruly congressman who insists on voting against the administration on the vice presidential confirmation, but Ryan reaches out to get him to change his mind; Leo fears that the potential defection of a prominent North Korean pianist will jeopardize secret nuclear disarmament talks; Will and Toby are humiliated when an early draft of a speech outlining their struggle to laud Bob Russell's confirmation is erroneously substituted for the final version; Donna's aunt and uncle from Wisconsin pay a visit, testing Josh's ability to refrain from bad cheesehead jokes during their tour of the White House; the staff struggles over how to language the state of the economy; fearing that the administration is drifting off-course, Toby wants to hand over more responsibilities to Will in order to focus on getting back to their core message.

    0 Comments
    View all
  21. Background image for The Lame Duck Congress
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    #20 - The Lame Duck Congress

    S2:E6

    The president considers recalling the Senate to push ratification of a nuclear-test-ban treaty. Meanwhile, Donna lobbies new legislation introducing ergonomic standards in the White House; A Ukrainian politician shows up at the White House drunk demanding to see the president.

    0 Comments
    View all
  22. Background image for Shibboleth
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    #21 - Shibboleth

    S2:E8

    Toby encourages the President to appoint Leo's controversial sister to a national education post, against Leo's objections; Bartlet must decide what the do with 83 Chinese citizens who stowed away on a freighter ship and seek asylum on the grounds of religious persecution; CJ has to decide which one of two turkeys the President should "pardon" but then tries to save the other from the chopping block; Charlie is tasked with buying the President a new carving knife which is not as easy as it sounds.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Laura Innes
  23. Background image for Bartlet's Third State of the Union
    7.5/10(6 votes)

    #22 - Bartlet's Third State of the Union

    S2:E13

    The President delivers his 3rd State of the Union address, what critics call "the speech of his political career" and ends up angering Abbey by what he does and doesn't say; Josh must work the polling center with Joey Lucas, but a power outage delays the results; Sam attempts to introduce Ainsley to the President with disastrous results; CJ must juggle a live recording of the show "Capitol Beat" being broadcast within the White House and run damage control when a cop has a (possibly undeserved) black mark on his record; Leo and Bartlet must handle the matter of five DEA officials who are taken hostage by Columbian terrorists.

    0 Comments
    View all
  24. Background image for Ways and Means
    7.5/10(4 votes)

    #23 - Ways and Means

    S3:E3

    The Special Prosecutor sets his probe in motion; Sam and Bruno are concerned about the loyalty of a powerful labor leader; Toby and Josh are preoccupied with a congressional battle over the estate tax; Ainsley fixes up Donna with a Republican.

    0 Comments
    View all
  25. Background image for H. Con-172
    7.5/10(4 votes)

    #24 - H. Con-172

    S3:E10

    Leo defiantly rejects the Congressional Oversight Committee's offer of a public censure of Bartlet that would finally bring an end to the investigation and spare Leo of any possible personal repercussions.

    0 Comments
    View all
  26. Background image for The Red Mass
    7.5/10(5 votes)

    #25 - The Red Mass

    S4:E4

    Leo meets with the Israeli Foreign Minister to enlist Israel's assistance with the Shareef investigation, but is ultimately foiled by the Qumari; the debate about the Ritchie debates rages on until the staff comes up with a brilliant tactic; Josh and Amy argue over whether Stackhouse is siphoning votes from Bartlet; Ritchie tries to bait Bartlet on needle exchange programs; Bartlet is faced with resolving an 11 day standoff with the KSU bombers in Iowa who are holding an injured child; Josh sends Donna undercover to a seminar held by one of Ritchie's advisors in an effort to expose the "fortune cookie candidacy"; Stackhouse comes to a momentous decision about his campaign and provides inspiration for Bartlet.

    0 Comments
    View all
    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Worst Episodes Summary

"An Khe" is the worst rated episode of "The West Wing". It scored 7/10 based on 3 votes. Directed by Alex Graves and written by John Wells, it aired on 2/18/2004. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Full Disclosure".