The West Wing (TV Series) In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part II (2000) User Reviews

THE WEST WING: SEASON 2, EPISODE 1/2: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen

[dalydj-918-255175 · 10/10 · 5 February 2024]

THE WEST WING: SEASON 2, EPISODE 1/2: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Directed by: Thomas Schlamme Written by: Aaron Sorkin

The second season gets to a strong start with an immediate follow up to the first season's assassination attempt cliffhanger. The first episode is split between two episodes lasting 90 minutes and is a standout moment in the history of television. (1/6)

The episode is filled with the intensity of the present as medical professionals, presidential workers and anybody else involved in the incident deal with the aftermath of the shooting. (2/6)

I love how this episode through flashback gave us a greater insight as to how the presidential team we know came together. The first part doesn't really have a concrete end as both episodes aired together so you really cannot think of one part without the other. (3/6)

The second part continues to flashback and present narrative and it really is exciting seeing the team in their humble beginnings and it all makes sense for their group dynamics in the present. (4/6)

I'm so happy now that I've returned to this rewatch because I miss the experience of all these people especially Josh as played by Bradley Whitford. (5/6)

In the second part we get the devastating moment when his father is revealed to be dead which is played in contrast with the present where Josh finally comes out of surgery after suffering a gun shoot wound during the shooting. (6/6)

PTSD

[estathena2 · 10/10 · 6 January 2024]

It's the days following the shooting, the violence against the presidential body, and we see the detrimental effects, the strain it's placed on the office, the staff, and all those in that circle.

The writing, the characters - emoting the wear & tear of the body politic and those who take up arms against it. Through flashback, musical score, and artful lighting, we are drawn into the story, the people, and all they are going through.

Even in shadow, through pain, and amid the chaos, we are gifted with the first glimpses of hope - the ones that drew each character to the here and now, serving at the pleasure of the President.

Possibly the best 90 mins of TV I've ever seen

[teaparty_48 · 6 August 2011]

I just watched the two parts of this episode again for the latest of countless viewings. After the cliffhanger ending of season one, they return to the scene. The highlight of the opening sequence is the reaction of Toby to finding Josh, who has just been shot. The episode makes brilliant use of flashbacks to show how the team came together from its earliest beginnings. The speech that Bartlett gives explaining his decision to "hose" the dairy farmers is possibly my favourite scene of a show that is filled with brilliant scenes. There is not a word spoken of the bond between Donna and Josh, but it is explored brilliantly by the background scene, and is shown brilliantly just through Donna's expressions. Overall, these two episodes stand out as the crown jewel of what is, in my opinion, the best dramatic show I have ever watched.

US Secret service

[nleggett1 · 31 December 2017]

I love West Wing... BUT.... I really have trouble getting past the idea that the US Secret Service did not clear the buliding where the shooters shot from. One would think that this would be done and the building kept secure the whole time Bartlet was there. I know that is sop with the Secret Service in reality. Butterfield and his crew revealed incompetence.