The iconic and fan-favorite show, The West Wing, is still relevant even after its end in 2006. And although The West Wing is considered to be a political show it truly was a drama first. The show focused on the characters and their relationships and added in external shocking storylines that the characters had to face.
The West Wing was primarily focused on the stellar cast and strong characterization and development that truly brings the shocking storylines to life. It might be obvious, but just in case, spoilers for the show are ahead!
Mrs. Landingham's Children
In the fan-favorite episode, S1 E10's "In Excelsis Deo," Toby Ziegler is on a mission to help a homeless veteran receive a proper burial after the man was left for dead on the streets with Toby's previously donated coat on. He uses some of his political prowess to fast track a burial in the VA cemetery, as he deserves. Early on in the episode, a scene between Charlie and Mrs. Landingham reveals that she had twins who both died in service at the same time right around Christmas. It's an emotional scene that gives more backstory to the character and her choosing to Toby for the burial gives even more weight to the already emotional plot of the episode.
Leo's Addiction
Early in the first season, we learn that Leo has a history of addiction with alcohol and pills even while he was serving as a government official. It was a bit shocking to learn that the inspiring and even-toned leader was struggling with this hardship. The storyline is even more shocking when Josh and Sam prove that they're willing to resort to blackmailing an escort, who Sam was seeing romantically at the time, to get names of Republican lawmakers who had hired her, resulting in an uncomfortable scene where Josh lets his anger at the situation get to him and he snaps at her.
Zoey Bartlet's Kidnapping
Whether it was a successful plotline or not, it was still a shocking move to have the president's daughter kidnapped. Bartlet actually foreshadows the storyline earlier in the show, and it comes to fruition as Elisabeth Moss' character is truly kidnapped.
The event changes the entire White House as President Bartlet signs the 25th Amendment and temporarily leaves the Vice President in charge as he is unfit to continue due to his emotional state. The storyline arguably drags on for too long until it is resolved, but it was shocking nonetheless!
President Bartlet Decides To Run Again
Although not incredibly shocking because of the long shadow that President Bartlet casts over the main cast of this series it was still a surprise to see that he defied his wife and decided to face his lie head-on and run for another term as President. The show's later seasons focus on other candidates running for office after Bartlet finishes his second term, so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that he could have only been a one-term President. Not to mention he reveals he is running again right after the events of our number one most shocking moment, it adds a certain depth to the scene and his monologue alone in the church through a Shakespearean thunderstorm makes this a heavy and deeply emotional moment.
Simon Donovan's Death
The entirety of season 3 C.J. is being sent death threats and it gets serious enough that she is assigned her own secret service detail, Simon Donovan (Mark Harmon). They begin their work relationship with witty banter and this turns into true caring between the two characters. In the season finale, they catch the man who has been sending C.J. the threatening mail and everything seems to have calmed down.
While President Bartlet and his staff are attending a Shakespearean collection of "War of the Roses" we see Donovan go to a local bodega and actively stop an armed robber. As he makes a few witty lines he misses the robber's partner and is shot and killed. The aftermath of C.J. hearing about his sudden and random death and seeing her aimlessly walk through the streets of New York while the song "Hallelujah" is playing in the background is heartbreaking.
Josh Was Not Okay After the Shooting
After the shocking season 1 ending and beginning of season 2 most thought that the shooting was behind the characters once Josh Lyman made a full physical recovery, but halfway through season 2, episode 10 "Noël," the storyline returned. In one of the top-rated episodes of the series, Christmas has come to the White House, but staffers see a change in Josh from his normal sarcastic and comedic self.
It gets serious enough that President Bartlet makes him see a psychiatrist to work through his lingering feelings over the event. It's a heart-wrenching episode as we see Josh at his emotional core trying to work through his PTSD and his friends worrying and attempting to help him through this hardship. Although this storyline was only explored in this episode and never fully revolved, it's still an incredibly emotional and special episode.
Leo's Death
This storyline was written into the show when actor John Spencer died in 2005. Both deaths were sudden and tragic. In the show, the stress of his work finally catches up to him and he dies of cardiac arrest. At this point, Bartlet is in his last months as President and the team is scattered between continuing with his presidency and helping new Democratic candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits). But, every single one of them attends the funeral and it's an emotional scene given the real-life death of John Spencer at the same time.
Shooters Targeted Charlie
At the end of season 1, there was a shocking shooting after one of President Bartlet's speeches when all of the main characters are outside in the line of fire, or "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" as the title of the episodes refer to.
The shooting is shocking in and of itself, but there is an added weight to the finale when the secret service figure out that the shooters had been targeting the President's personal aide, Charlie Young, for racially charged reasons as Charlie is black and dating the President's daughter who is white, instead of targeting the President himself which was everyone's assumption.
President Bartlet Has MS
This shocking reveal made us question President Bartlet's motives and truthfulness. We love him and love seeing him as President inspiring his team and the American people. But this reveal shows us that he's been lying to a majority of the trusted people in his life and to every American voter and this makes us question his integrity, which is something we thought we'd never do. Although he continues to win our trust, him keeping his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis a secret for so long is something most wouldn't forget and his reveal to the public was never fully resolved in the show.
Mrs. Landingham's Death
No one saw this coming. No one could have seen this coming. The entire episode, the male staffers are giving Mrs. Landingham a hard time because she's looking for a new car and they claim she has no idea what she's doing and they should take their help, but she laughs them off, giving them some wit of her own, and refuses. She goes to pick up her new car, the first new car she's ever owned, and while driving to the White House a drunk driver crashes into her and she is killed. Charlie tells President Bartlet she was in an accident and matter of factly, in shock, says that she's died. The episode ends and the audience's tears start.