The West Wing backdrop
Drama

The Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 5

Every episode of The West Wing Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The West Wing Season 5!

Binge this in 14h 44m•Peaking at 9.2/10

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

Airs on
NBC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The West Wing Season 5 Episode 1 - 7A WF 83429
    8.6/10(1009 votes)

    #1 - 7A WF 83429

    S5:E1

    As the search for Zoey continues, Walken takes a hard line against the kidnappers that could contribute to her death; Danny releases the Shareef story, and the revelation creates a rift that separates Jed from Abbey and Liz; tensions arise between Walken's staff and Bartlet's staff; the Democratic leadership in Congress assails Leo for allowing Jed to step aside; in retaliation for Shareef's death, a movie theater in Turkey is bombed, and eighty people, including American soldiers, are killed.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:John Wells

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 2 - The Dogs of War
    8.1/10(883 votes)

    #2 - The Dogs of War

    S5:E2

    Bombs drop on Qumar upon Walken's orders; as the hours pass without any word on Zoey's whereabouts, tensions increase within the Bartlet family; Walken and Leo clash after Josh's suspicion that the opposition is using Walken's tenure in the Oval Office to advance their agenda is confirmed; Andy takes the twins home; Leo inflicts a new intern from a prominent political family on an unwilling Josh; Jed's staff is less than thrilled when they learn who will succeed Walken as Speaker of the House; the search for a new Vice President is accelerated; Zoey is rescued.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:John Wells

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 3 - Jefferson Lives
    7.5/10(838 votes)

    #3 - Jefferson Lives

    S5:E3

    When he realizes that his first choice for Vice President faces an uphill fight for nomination, Jed nominates a congressman that none of the staff can get excited about; Josh is less than thrilled with his new intern.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Carol Flint

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 4 - Han
    7.7/10(880 votes)

    #4 - 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.

    Directors:Christopher Misiano, Peter Noah
    Writers:Paula Yoo, Mark Goffman, Peter Noah

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 5 - Constituency of One
    7.5/10(822 votes)

    #5 - 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.

    Director:Laura Innes
    Writers:Eli Attie, Michael Oates Palmer

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 6 - Disaster Relief
    7.6/10(797 votes)

    #6 - Disaster Relief

    S5:E6

    The fallout on the Hill from Carrick's switch to the Republican party exiles Josh deep into a White House doghouse, so C.J. gives Donna some tips on how she can support him; Jed gets a harsh reality check from C.J. when he lingers too long in a small Oklahoma town devastated by a deadly tornado; in Jed's absence, Leo juggles an impending war between Albania and Greece, a visit from the German chancellor, a tussle over tax cuts, and an over-reaching Secretary of Defense; Josh and Toby are less than thrilled when Leo brings Angela on board to assume some of Josh's responsibilities.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter
    Writers:Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Alexa Junge

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of The West Wing

    READ
  7. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 7 - Separation of Powers
    7.9/10(827 votes)

    #7 - Separation of Powers

    S5:E7

    As Chief Justice Ashland's health problems continue to mount, Joe Quincy, Ashland's former clerk, is pressed into service to persuade him to retire; as C.J. prepares Zoey for a sit-down interview about her kidnapping, Abbey reveals that her relationship with her husband is still strained; Jed refuses to be held hostage by the Republican in the budget negotiations.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Paul Redford

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 8 - Shutdown
    8.6/10(968 votes)

    #8 - Shutdown

    S5:E8

    Jed's decision not to be held hostage by Haffley shuts down the federal government; unable to get through to Jed and fearing the worst, Leo calls in the reinforcements, and Abbey returns to Washington to deliver a message and provide her husband with a little perspective; after being benched from the staff meetings, Josh gets put back in the game by Jed and sets the stage for victory; disregarding the advice of more seasoned colleagues, Haffley makes a major misstep and loses his advantage over the White House; Jed and Haffley meet and reach an accord on the budget.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Mark Goffman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 9 - Abu el Banat
    7.5/10(796 votes)

    #9 - Abu el Banat

    S5:E9

    The Bartet clan attempts to gather for a holiday dinner. Jed must deal with a hostage situation in Sudan, an assisted suicide in Oregon, his son-in-law's yearn to run for the House of Representatives, and his grandson's want to spend time with his grandpa. C.J. takes a stand on the assisted suicide because of her father's worsening condition.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter
    Writer:Debora Cahn

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 10 - The Stormy Present
    7.5/10(813 votes)

    #10 - The Stormy Present

    S5:E10

    President Bartlet attends the funeral of a former president with other former presidents Glenallen Walken and D. Wire Newman, while monitoring a possible situation in Saudi Arabia. Josh Lyman mediates an argument between a representative from Connecticut and one from North Carolina who wants her state's copy of the Bill of Rights returned. CJ is concerned about a scientist's invention which could interfere with privacy.

    Directors:Alex Graves, John Sacret Young
    Writer:John Sacret Young

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 11 - The Benign Prerogative
    7.6/10(789 votes)

    #11 - The Benign Prerogative

    S5:E11

    In the days leading up to the State of the Union address, Toby gets crucial voter feedback when he accompanies Joey as she mall-tests the speech around the nation; Jed and the staff wrestle with the issues of presidential pardons and mandatory minimums; Charlie dates an attractive woman who's not what she seems; Joey Lucas derails Josh's plans when she arrives at the White House carrying a surprise; Jed and Abbey reach out to an old friend on the eve of his ex-wife's remarriage.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Carol Flint

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 12 - Slow News Day
    8.0/10(810 votes)

    #12 - Slow News Day

    S5:E12

    Toby gets Jed's support to seize a controversial window of opportunity to save Social Security, but is hampered by Jed's mandate to keep the operation under wraps; desperate to feed the press corps beast on a glacially slow news day, C.J. meets with an attache to discuss cabbage imports, and has a little fun with a particularly dense reporter; Josh's brainstorm to help Will burnish Bob Russell's presentation problems and a persistent reporter endanger Toby's attempts to broker a deal on the Hill; Rina finds a friend in Donna, and Josh isn't too happy about it; Toby is saved from having to fall on his sword when Josh and Jed devise a plan to rescue his deal from certain disaster.

    Director:Julie Hébert
    Writer:Eli Attie

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 13 - The Warfare of Genghis Khan
    7.7/10(799 votes)

    #13 - 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.

    Director:Bill D'Elia
    Writer:Peter Noah

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 14 - An Khe
    7.6/10(781 votes)

    #14 - 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.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:John Wells

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 15 - Full Disclosure
    7.8/10(764 votes)

    #15 - 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.

    Director:Lesli Linka Glatter
    Writer:Lawrence O'Donnell

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 16 - Eppur Si Muove
    7.6/10(759 votes)

    #16 - 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.

    Director:Llewellyn Wells
    Writer:Alexa Junge

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 17 - The Supremes
    9.2/10(1410 votes)

    #17 - The Supremes

    S5:E17

    Jed and the staff vet potential Supreme Court appointees; Toby and Andy don't see eye-to-eye on her fact-finding trip to the Middle East; Donna's parents are the unlikely inspiration for the resolution to the problems arising from the judicial confirmation process.

    Director:Jessica Yu
    Writer:Debora Cahn

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 18 - Access
    7.1/10(947 votes)

    #18 - Access

    S5:E18

    A documentary camera crew follows C.J. around for a not-so-typical day in the White House.

    Director:Alex Graves
    Writer:Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 19 - Talking Points
    7.5/10(750 votes)

    #19 - Talking Points

    S5:E19

    Hail the conquering hero. Josh returns after nailing down details for a trade agreement. But the devil in the detail, including information kept from Josh. C.J. fights megamedia ownership of local TV.

    Director:Richard Schiff
    Writer:Eli Attie

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 20 - No Exit
    7.9/10(817 votes)

    #20 - No Exit

    S5:E20

    An airborne contamination alert locks down the West Wing, forcing staffers to stay put until the all-clear is sounded; Toby and Will face off over Will's working for the vice president; C.J. tells Donna some things she'd rather not hear about Josh and her career prospects; Leo confronts Abbey about the dangers of her recent coping mechanisms; Jed, Debbie, and Charlie are poked, prodded, and sent to the decontamination showers; Kate is initially reluctant to give Josh any information on a personal or professional level as they sit out the alert together.

    Director:Julie Hébert
    Writers:Debora Cahn, Mark Goffman, Carol Flint

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 21 - Gaza
    8.5/10(876 votes)

    #21 - Gaza

    S5:E21

    Donna Moss, Percy Fitzwallace, Andrea Wyatt and a couple of congressmen are in the Middle East on a fact finding mission when their cars are blown up. President Bartlet considers possible military targets to bomb in retaliation. In flashbacks, we see Donna becoming attracted to British photojournalist Colin Ayres.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writer:Peter Noah

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. The West Wing Season 5 Episode 22 - Memorial Day
    8.2/10(815 votes)

    #22 - 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.

    Director:Christopher Misiano
    Writers:John Sacret Young, Josh Singer

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 5 Ratings Summary

"7A WF 83429" is the best rated episode of "The West Wing" season 5. It scored 8.6/10 based on 1009 votes. Directed by Alex Graves and written by John Wells, it aired on 9/24/2003. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "The Dogs of War".