Ep: 154: The West Wing: S3 E0-3

We're kicking off Season 3 of The West Wing on "Only Show Fans," and we started somewhere unexpected: episode zero. Before diving into "Manchester," we're recapping "Isaac and Ishmael" — the standalone special the show aired just weeks after 9/11, breaking from its usual continuity to grapple with terrorism, fear, and prejudice in real time. It's a fascinating, sometimes messy piece of TV history, and we get into why it exists and how it holds up.

From there, we move into the real Season 3 premiere with "Manchester, Parts I and II," as Bartlet officially commits to running for reelection while the fallout from hiding his MS diagnosis keeps snowballing around him. Add in a new campaign strategist, a furious First Lady, and Charlie getting told to lawyer up, and the administration is already in crisis mode before the season even really starts.

We close out this batch with "Ways and Means," where Congressional hearings into the MS cover-up officially kick off and a sharp new attorney named Cliff Calley steps into the world of "The West Wing" for the first time.

Whether you're rewatching Season 3 or discovering it for the first time, this episode covers the history, the behind-the-scenes trivia, and the tangents that make this stretch of episodes such a turning point for the series.

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