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The Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 4

Every episode of The West Wing Season 4 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 4!

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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 administration. These interesting characters have humor and dedication that touches

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The West Wing Season 4 Episode 1 - 20 Hours in America (1)
    8.6/10(1223 votes)

    #1 - 20 Hours in America (1)

    S4:E1

    Toby, Josh, and Donna learn the hard way about the lack of accessible public transportation in the heartland when they spend a long day trying to get back to Washington after the motorcade leaves them behind during a campaign stop in Indiana; Bartlet interviews potential replacements for Mrs Landingham while C.J. tries to find someone to fill Simon's shoes as Anthony's Big Brother; the Ritchie campaign whips up a furor when Abbey claims to be "just a wife and mother"; Qumar reopens the Shareef investigation; and the Dow takes a dive.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  2. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 2 - 20 Hours in America (2)
    8.8/10(1032 votes)

    #2 - 20 Hours in America (2)

    S4:E2

    Donna teaches Toby and Josh an important lesson as their trek homeward continues; Sam staffs the President in Josh's absence and welcomes an old friend home; Bartlet hires a secretary and C.J. finds a Big Brother for Anthony; the situation in Qumar continues to escalate; Bartlet gets spooked by a photo op as the Dow continues its dive; and a pipe bomb kills 44 students at a Midwest university swim meet.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  3. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 3 - College Kids
    7.9/10(909 votes)

    #3 - College Kids

    S4:E3

    Bartlet decides he needs a lawyer when Qumar goes after Israel; Josh is disturbed to learn that Stackhouse might not endorse Bartlet; a comment Deborah made years ago comes back to haunt her during a security check.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  4. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 4 - The Red Mass
    7.7/10(867 votes)

    #4 - 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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 5 - Debate Camp
    8.1/10(928 votes)

    #5 - Debate Camp

    S4:E5

    As the staff prepares for the presidential debates at a North Carolina conference center, a vexing question about a failed attorney-general nomination (amid charges of racial profiling) leads to flashbacks of the administration's first weeks in office. Back then, Toby's marriage to Andrea Wyatt was about to end; now Sam and Charlie are helping him in his effort to reconcile with her. Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force weighs in on the Qumari matter, and Joey Lucas reports that the president is likely to lose New Hampshire.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 6 - Game On
    8.9/10(1085 votes)

    #6 - Game On

    S4:E6

    Bartlet, Leo, Josh, Sam and C.J. pull a practical joke on Toby; Sam's mission to end the Wilde campaign leads him to make a career-altering decision; Jordan backs up Leo as he deals with the Qumari; Toby continues to press his case with a resistant Andrea; and Bartlet cleans Ritchie's clock in their debate.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writers:Paul Redford, Aaron Sorkin

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  7. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 7 - Election Night
    8.5/10(951 votes)

    #7 - Election Night

    S4:E7

    Election day finally arrives with the staff eagerly anticipating the outcome; Sam is increasingly concerned about the Wilde campaign in Orange County; Toby worries about the effect of Andy's pregnancy on the voters; Donna accidentally votes for Richie and tries to rectify the situation by trying to find someone who will vote-swap; Josh resists Deborah's new office rules until she reveals their basis; Bartlet has some new health issues to worry about.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, David Handelman, David Gergen

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  8. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 8 - Process Stories
    7.9/10(867 votes)

    #8 - Process Stories

    S4:E8

    The staff celebrates election night and encourages Sam to run for the seat in Orange County; Toby continues to worry about how Andrea's pregnancy will play politically for both of them; a coup develops in Venezuela; Jed and Abbey endure some interruptions at their private celebration.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Paula Yoo, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

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  9. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 9 - Swiss Diplomacy
    7.6/10(831 votes)

    #9 - Swiss Diplomacy

    S4:E9

    The 15-year old son of an Iranian leader needs a heart transplant in the U.S. Problem is, the only man who could do it is an enemy of the Iranian government; The Senate minority leader threatens to thwart the President's legislative agenda when he believes that Hoynes is doing some political maneuvering for the next Presidential election; Toby offers a Congresswoman a Cabinet position but is forced to take back the offer.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writers:Eli Attie, Kevin Falls

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  10. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 10 - Arctic Radar
    7.8/10(843 votes)

    #10 - Arctic Radar

    S4:E10

    When a celebrated female fighter pilot is threatened with a dishonorable discharge for refusing to end her affair with an enlisted man, the staff, though full of opinions, agrees that the White House should not get involved; Donna asks Josh to find out if Jack Reese likes her, and is horrified to discover some of the anecdotes about her that Josh has shared with Jack; Sam heads out to California to begin his election campaign, and sends Will Bailey to the White House to help Toby with the inaugural address; despite the best efforts of Leo and Charlie to keep him out of it, Bartlet blows a gasket over complaints from U.N. diplomats about parking enforcement in New York City; and Josh takes issue with a temporary worker's choice in accessories.

    Director:John David Coles
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Gene Sperling

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  11. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 11 - Holy Night
    8.2/10(944 votes)

    #11 - Holy Night

    S4:E11

    It's December 23, and the holiday brings several visitors to the White House: Zoey comes home with her new French boyfriend in tow; aided by Josh, Toby's father seeks a reconciliation; and Danny arrives bearing gifts of gold and a heads-up for C.J. about Shareef's death. Will moves into Sam's office at Toby's insistence, and is treated to some good-natured ribbing by the rest of the staff. Bartlet and Leo try to exorcise their guilt about Shareef by adding eleventh hour funding to combat infant mortality in the federal budget, and promoting peace in the Mideast, respectively.

    Director:Thomas Schlamme
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  12. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 12 - Guns Not Butter
    7.7/10(820 votes)

    #12 - Guns Not Butter

    S4:E12

    Josh, determined to make sure a foreign aid bill passes even though it's a hopeless cause, sends Donna out to track down a reluctant senator; in an attempt to impress Zoey's new boyfriend, Charlie unwittingly gets over his head with the Department of Defense; Danny continues to pursue the Shareef matter; a Bartlet photo op with Heifer International creates unexpected opportunities -- for C.J. to perfect her spin-doctoring techniques, and for the staff once again to test Will's mettle and sense of humor.

    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writers:Eli Attie, Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Falls

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  13. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 13 - The Long Goodbye
    7.6/10(1098 votes)

    #13 - 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.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Jon Robin Baitz

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  14. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 14 - Inauguration (1)
    8.0/10(835 votes)

    #14 - Inauguration (1)

    S4:E14

    The staff wrangles with the State Department over language in the inaugural address; a genocidal war breaks out in Kundu, and Bartlet weighs his options as Will pushes for American military involvement based on Bartlet's statements in the past; the Chief Justice's increased propensity for writing opinions in verse causes concern about his competence; Bartlet keeps Charlie busy on the hunt for the perfect Bible for the inauguration; Donna becomes upset when Jack is transferred out of the White House and reassigned to Italy after getting caught in a squeeze play between the Oval Office and the Pentagon.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Michael Oates Palmer, William Sind

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  15. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 15 - Inauguration: Over There (2)
    8.3/10(867 votes)

    #15 - Inauguration: Over There (2)

    S4:E15

    Toby discovers that Will's frankness, stubbornness, and commitment to ideals is much like his own; Charlie remains on the hunt for an inaugural Bible; Bartlet and the staff continue to debate over sending American troops into Kundu to stop a genocidal war until Laurel and Hardy provide some needed inspiration; Bartlet appoints Will Deputy Communications Director; Donna takes one for Jack when a comment he thinks he is making off the record is included in a "Post" article by Danny's editor.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  16. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 16 - The California 47th
    7.9/10(835 votes)

    #16 - The California 47th

    S4:E16

    Bartlet plays hardball to end the genocide in Kundu; after the entire speechwriting staff quits, Will is forced to rely on Elsie and some inexperienced interns to write tax policy remarks; the trip to California to help Sam's campaign gets off to a rocky start; Sam refuses to let Bartlet hold off the Democratic response to the Republican tax plan because it might hurt the campaign; Toby and Charlie get arrested coming to Andy's defense after a drunk accosts her; Bartlet fires Sam's campaign manager and replaces him with Toby.

    Director:Vincent Misiano
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Paula Yoo, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

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  17. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 17 - Red Haven's on Fire
    7.8/10(823 votes)

    #17 - Red Haven's on Fire

    S4:E17

    While Toby and C.J. are in California working on Sam's campaign, Josh drops Abbey's agenda in favor of his own, Jed deals with a military hostage situation, and Will runs his intern writing staff ragged.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writers:Aaron Sorkin, Debora Cahn, Mark Goffman

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  18. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 18 - Privateers
    7.5/10(850 votes)

    #18 - Privateers

    S4:E18

    Toby's old friend approaches him ready to blow the whistle on his employer's violations of environmental laws; staff pranks abound on Amy's first day at the office; Abbey charges Amy with the task of convincing the President to threaten a veto on a foreign aid bill containing an abortion gag rule provision; claiming that Abbey's ancestor was a pirate rather than a privateer, a prominent member threatens to mount a boycott of the D.A.R. dinner at which Zoey will be inducted until Will, C.J. and Amy devise a plan to defuse the situation; at the behest of Jean Paul, Zoey sends Charlie a "Dear John" email, but Charlie refuses to accept the brushoff and declares his love for Zoey; Donna is less than thrilled when Josh assigns her the job of shadowing a possible security risk at Zoey's D.A.R. induction; Will takes one for the team in putting an environmental and political face on the destruction and deaths which resulted from the melting of an Alaskan glacier.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writers:Paul Redford, Aaron Sorkin, Debora Cahn

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  19. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 19 - Angel Maintenance
    7.7/10(830 votes)

    #19 - Angel Maintenance

    S4:E19

    Air Force One is forced to keep aloft for almost 24 hours when an indicator light leads the flight crew to believe that the landing gear isn't functioning properly; Bartlet and Will have a spirited discussion on Colombian recertification, which is ultimately rendered moot when Air Force One doesn't land on time; the Black Caucus plays hardball with the Oval Office to gain a Congressional debate on the merits of reinstating the draft; legislation to clean up Chesapeake Bay is sacrificed to partisan politics; Will is unsuccessful in hiding his fear of flying from C.J. and Charlie; deaths in Kundu continue to mount.

    Director:Jessica Yu
    Writers:Eli Attie, Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Falls

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  20. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 20 - Evidence of Things Not Seen
    8.2/10(902 votes)

    #20 - Evidence of Things Not Seen

    S4:E20

    The White House is locked down after a gunman on the street fires shots into the West Wing; Josh interviews a candidate to replace Ainsley Hayes; Bartlet negotiates for the return of a spy plane is forced down over Russia; the staff plays poker.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writers:Eli Attie, Aaron Sorkin, David Handelman

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  21. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 21 - Life on Mars
    8.7/10(997 votes)

    #21 - Life on Mars

    S4:E21

    On his first day at work, Joe Quincy pieces together three news leaks and uncovers a scandal which forces Hoynes to resign.

    Director:John David Coles
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  22. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 22 - Commencement
    9.0/10(1185 votes)

    #22 - Commencement

    S4:E22

    Bartlet finally tells the staff the truth about the death of Shareef; Danny agrees to hold off on the story after five alleged terrorists go missing; Andy goes into labor after once again refusing Toby's marriage proposal; Zoey is kidnapped from a nightclub on the night of her college graduation.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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  23. The West Wing Season 4 Episode 23 - Twenty Five
    9.3/10(1259 votes)

    #23 - Twenty Five

    S4:E23

    When Bartlet learns that Zoey's kidnapping is the work of Qumari terrorists, he invokes the 25th amendment to diminish their leverage and eliminate any conflict of interest; since there's no Vice President, the power of the Presidency passes to Bartlet's chief political rival and the most powerful Republican in the country, the Speaker of the House, who immediately takes a very hard line; now that twins Huck and Molly have arrived, Toby wonders if he's capable of loving them enough.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Aaron Sorkin

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Season 4 Ratings Summary

"20 Hours in America (1)" is the best rated episode of "The West Wing" season 4. It scored 8.6/10 based on 1223 votes. Directed by Christopher Misiano and written by Aaron Sorkin, it aired on 9/25/2002. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "20 Hours in America (2)".