The show's creator and chief writer, Aaron Sorkin, was still at the helm during the 22-episode 2002-03 season, which witnesses the culmination of the Bartlet reelection campaign and explosive developments that rock the beginning of the administration's second term. The season-opening two-parter, “20 Hours in America,” finds Toby (Richard Schiff), Josh (Bradley Whitford), and Donna (Janel Moloney) stranded in flyover country after being left behind by the Presidential motorcade during a campaign stop. Meanwhile, the Qumari problem continues to escalate, and the stock market takes a dive when the news worsens. “Debate Camp” takes a break from the campaign storyline and presents flashbacks to the early days of Bartlet's first term. “Election Night” is a tense episode that finds the entire staff scrambling right up until the polls close. Press secretary C.J. Cregg (Allison Janney) takes center stage in “The Long Goodbye,” returning to her hometown of Dayton, OH to give a speech at her high-school reunion, reconnect with an old friend, and observe firsthand her father's worsening Alzheimer's. The two-parter “Inauguration” deals with the frenzied activity surrounding the second swearing-in of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), who faces the tough decision of whether or not to send U.S. troops into the African nation of Kundu to stop a genocidal slaughter. The season comes to a shattering conclusion in “Twenty Five,” in which Bartlet relinquishes the Oval Office to his foremost political rival, the Republican Speaker of the House (John Goodman), upon learning that his daughter has been kidnapped by Qumari terrorists. It makes for a gripping cliffhanger that will be resolved in the fifth season. DVD extras include commentary by Sorkin and others for the episodes “Game On,” “Commencement,” and “Twenty Five,” as well as deleted scenes, and a pair of featurettes. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
The West Wing: The Complete Fourth Season
Warner, 6 discs, 1,000 min., not rated, DVD: $59.98 May 16, 2005
The West Wing: The Complete Fourth Season
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