The West Wing: 5 Relationships Fans Were Behind (& 5 They Rejected)

The ensemble cast that brought the unforgettable staff of the Bartlet Administration to life were responsible for forming some of TV’s most enduring moments in the cult classic, The West Wing. The show was primarily so memorable because of the exquisitely crafted and acted interpersonal relationships and dialogue that unfolded in various “Walk and Talks,” one-on-one chats, epic monologues, energetic debates, and touching moments that the show became so known and loved for.

No one does personal interaction and dialogue like Aaron Sorkin. And thanks to The West Wing’s stellar cast, his work generally translated into great on-screen chemistry. Sometimes, though, no matter how well-written they are, some characters just don’t gel for fans, where others fit together perfectly. Here are five relationships on The West Wing that fans were behind and five they weren’t.

10 Josh Lyman and Joey Lucas (Rejected)

One of Josh’s funniest moments on the show was his first meeting with California Pollster Joey Lucas. He had assumed that Joey was a guy, due to her ambiguous name. And he’s doubly taken by surprise when her sign language interpreter startles him awake alongside Joey while he’s sleeping off a hangover at his desk in season 1.

Despite a tense first meeting, with Josh not only hungover but inappropriately dressed in wading pants, attraction grows between the two. But as things progress, it’s clear that Josh’s heart isn’t really in it. And she’s involved with someone else. Joey also points out that Josh’s assistant Donna is hiding her true feelings for him.

9 Will Bailey and Kate Harper (Behind)

After a number of episodes in season 7, in which Kate and Will share some pretty awkward interactions due to the obvious chemistry between them, Kate finally takes charge of the situation and invites Will to be her date at Ellie Bartlet’s wedding. Will and Kate’s is one of the few relationships in The West Wing that doesn’t involve a level of impropriety. When Will takes over as Communications Director following Toby’s resignation, Kate — as Deputy National Security Advisor — has no problem keeping classified information from him.

The consensus among lovers of the show is generally that Will and Kate worked perfectly together. Political differences and circumstances doom the relationship in the final season, though — much to the disappointment of many fans.

8 Sam Seaborn and Mallory O’Brien (Rejected)

When Sam is forced into giving a tour of The White House to an elementary school class, it turns out that the class teacher is Mallory O’Brien — Leo’s daughter. And when she takes him to task for giving her pupils a lousy tour, he rants to her about (among other things) a call girl he “accidentally” slept with.

This inauspicious first meeting is an indicator of the high-spirited debate that follows throughout their relationship. Mallory refuses to accept the long hours Sam has to work, in spite of the fact that her father has been in a similar position for as long as she can remember (or perhaps because of it). She also causes a fair amount of tension between Leo and Sam, as Leo is often the very reason Sam has to put in extra hours — awkward. The moral of the story? Don’t date the boss’s daughter.

7 CJ Cregg and Simon Donovan (Behind)

When CJ’s life is threatened in season 3, Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan is assigned to protect her. The chemistry between the two characters is palpable, right from the word “go.”.Fans were really rooting for them to get together. But despite a little flirting and a lot of tension, Simon turns out to be the consummate professional and makes it clear that he can’t become involved with someone he’s assigned to protect.

Though they do share a kiss, the relationship is tragically short-lived, when Simon is shot and killed in a convenience store robbery. Many have noted that Mark Harmon’s character was the most cynical casting choice to play a potential love interest, who ultimately was used just the break the hearts of fans.

6 Zoey Bartlet and Jean-Paul Vicomte de Bourbon (Rejected)

Zoey’s boyfriend in season 4 is not a particularly nice guy — which doesn’t make a great case for him with fans of TheWest Wing. His ludicrous French accent isn’t very endearing either — but that’s probably the least of it. While the character may be royalty, he doesn’t behave with the decorum one might expect.

His jealousy of Charlie (Zoey’s ex at this point) leads to him being repeatedly rude and condescending to one of the show’s best-loved characters. And to top it all off, he slips GHB into Zoey’s drink after her graduation, resulting in her kidnapping and, ultimately, a constitutional crisis — all in a day’s work for one of the show’s most disliked characters.

5 Josh Lyman and Donna Moss (Behind)

Finally, in Election Day, Josh and Donna are seen in bed together and are (hopefully) still together in the West Wing universe.

4 Toby Ziegler and Andrea Wyatt (Rejected)

Kathleen York’s Andrea Wyatt is the United States Representative for Maryland’s fifth district. She and Toby have serious history, as they used to be married. And past flames are rekindled for them in season 4 when Andrea falls pregnant with twins fathered by Toby. He promptly tries to win her back for the long-haul by buying her a house so that they can finally settle down together.

But sadly for him, Andrea shoots him down in flames. She makes it quite clear that Toby never made her happy, and never will. So, his gesture is just too little, too late. The relationship was never comfortable and it was always apparent during interactions between the characters on screen, even though everyone wanted Toby to be happy.

3 Charlie Young and Jed Bartlet (Behind)

Charlie Young’s first encounter with President Bartlet is a little unpleasant for him when he first appears in Season 1, Episode 3 (A Proportional Response). Still reeling from the death of his friend and physician, Morris Tolliver, by order of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Bartlet is not having a good day. And after Charlie introduces himself by reminding the President where he might have left his missing Phoenix Report, Bartlet snaps, “I don’t have time for new people right now.”

Thankfully for Charlie, that’s not a taste of things to come. And their relationship blossoms into a heartwarming father/son-type connection. The depth of their bond is typified in season 2’s “Shibboleth” episode, when the President gives Charlie the Paul Revere knife–a priceless Bartlet family heirloom.

2 Mandy Hampton and Josh Lyman (Rejected)

Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) turned out to be an uncomfortable presence in season 1. She’s Josh Wyman’s ex and a White House Media Consultant who clashes aggressively with Josh in season 1 until she’s written out of the show following increasingly sporadic appearances. Her abrasive, somewhat rude demeanor simply didn’t gel with fans, who were much more behind the idealism that the core team of senior staff in the White House staff embodied. Mandy never quite gets it.

She’s more about keeping up appearances than idealism and she just isn’t a very good fit on the show. It’s also apparent in some scenes that Moira Kelly struggled a little with some of Sorkin’s fast-paced, often wordy dialogue. Maybe she wasn’t behind the character either.

1 Leo McGarry and Jed Bartlet (Behind)

The late John Spencer inhabited the much-loved Leo McGarry — President Bartlet’s Chief of Staff — with unparalleled warmth, heart, and fiery passion. And his sincerity translates on screen into a character that is a true friend to Martin Sheen’s Jed Bartlet, through thick and thin — with a fair amount of heated arguing along the way. Leo was instrumental in convincing Bartlet to run for president in the first place while he was Governor in New Hampshire, and stands by him in the Oval Office throughout his presidency.

He’s one of the few characters who is not afraid to speak his mind to the President, acting as his trusted advisor. Leo is able to reign the President in when he feels the Commander in Chief’s decisions are unsound, and when no one else can. He’s Bartlet’s number 1 guy for the entire duration of The West Wing, and also his best friend. Their brotherhood is a match made in heaven that fans were behind from day 1.

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