The West Wing Episode Ratings Heatmap
1999 · 7 Seasons · 154 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.7/10 (154 rated)
Season 4 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 4 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.3), maintaining an average of 8.0.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 7.2 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.7 | 5.3 |
| Ep 2 | 6.8 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 9.3 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 5.8 |
| Ep 3 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.7 |
| Ep 4 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.7 |
| Ep 5 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 8.5 |
| Ep 6 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.7 |
| Ep 7 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 8.8 |
| Ep 8 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Ep 9 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.7 |
| Ep 10 | 7.3 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 7.7 |
| Ep 11 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.3 |
| Ep 12 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 6.0 |
| Ep 13 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 4.5 |
| Ep 14 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| Ep 15 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Ep 16 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 17 | 6.4 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
| Ep 18 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 6.0 |
| Ep 19 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.2 |
| Ep 20 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 6.0 |
| Ep 21 | 6.4 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 9.2 | 7.5 | 7.3 | 6.2 |
| Ep 22 | 8.4 | 9.3 | – | 9.0 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 23 | – | – | – | 8.8 | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 6.7 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 7 seasons and 154 episodes, The West Wing has earned an overall series rating of 7.7 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 2, Episode 22 ("Two Cathedrals"), rated at an extraordinary 9.3/10 with 8 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 7, Episode 13 ("The Cold"), landing at 4.5/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 7 between Episode 15 ("Welcome to Wherever You Are", 7.5) and Episode 16 ("Election Day (1)", 5), a swing of 2.5 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of The West Wing
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 2, Ep 22 | Two Cathedrals | 9.3 | 8 | May 16, 2001 |
| #2 | Season 4, Ep 2 | 20 Hours in America (2) | 9.3 | 3 | Sep 25, 2002 |
| #3 | Season 4, Ep 21 | Life on Mars | 9.2 | 3 | Apr 30, 2003 |
| #4 | Season 5, Ep 17 | The Supremes | 9.0 | 4 | Mar 24, 2004 |
| #5 | Season 4, Ep 22 | Commencement | 9.0 | 2 | May 7, 2003 |
| #6 | Season 3, Ep 21 | Posse Comitatus | 8.8 | 6 | May 22, 2002 |
| #7 | Season 4, Ep 23 | Twenty Five | 8.8 | 6 | May 14, 2003 |
| #8 | Season 4, Ep 1 | 20 Hours in America (1) | 8.8 | 5 | Sep 25, 2002 |
| #9 | Season 7, Ep 7 | The Debate | 8.8 | 4 | Nov 6, 2005 |
| #10 | Season 4, Ep 6 | Game On | 8.6 | 5 | Oct 30, 2002 |