Monday 25 June 2012

S01E12: He Shall, from Time to Time...

Is it a spoiler to say that the pre-credits sequence for this episode is massive? I don't think so, because by the end of the episode we know that Bartlet has MS and if you can't figure out that this is going to have huge implications for the future then you're too dumb to be watching the show in the first place.

I love the little factoid about them needing to pick someone to not attend the state of the union speech. I really hope that it's factually accurate, and if it isn't they need to sort it out pronto.

The scene where Leo tears a strip off Sam for thinking of him before PotUS makes for good TV, but you'd like to think that his point is a no-brainer for any political operative with an ounce of common sense. Interesting to think that in the real world by now both Josh and Leo would be looking for other jobs (Sam as well, after his defiance of Leo).

Lord John Marbury really shows his worth in the discussion about India and Pakistan. I think Sorkin does a good job with the scene in showing the importance of learning from the past, and we have a nice metaphor of the perceptions of British and American people. Leo represents the stereotypical American - viewing British people (as pictured by Lord John) as eccentric, old fashioned and heavy drinkers. Lord John, meanwhile, represents the stereotypical Brit - viewing Americans (as pictured by both Leo and Jed) as falsely overconfident, immature and somewhat stupid. Of course, both views are wrong, which just goes to show the danger of sweeping generalisations.

I get the feeling that this is the time when the series really begins to hit its stride. There have been great episodes before this one, but the actors are really starting to look comfortable in their roles now, and are starting to bounce off each other better.

Random observations:

Gail makes an appearance really early in the episode. She has a speaker's rostrum in her tank with US flags either side, which is obviously a reference to the state of the union speech.

I'm so happy CJ slaps down Mandy for flirting with Danny in her office. Mandy just gets less likeable with every passing episode.

The scenes between Jed and Abby are really touching. It's really good acting from both Martin and Stockard. Talking about good acting, Martin is absolutely superb in the scene with John Spencer.

Is one of the guys Toby is talking to about the speech Al Franken? I'm not sure if he is, but he's the spitting image of him. As an aside, interesting that this episode includes a debate on Federal funding of the NEA, and I end up watching it the same day as Sorkin's new pilot airs, where the very first thing being debated is Federal funding of the NEA.

Sam and Mallory kiss. Yay.

CJ and Danny kiss. Even bigger yay.

The final scene when Jed talks about who you appoint as CoS is Sorkin getting his sentimentality just right.

Episode grade: B-

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

Watch this back-to-back with 17 People and compare the reactions of Leo and Toby.

Monday 18 June 2012

S01E11: Lord John Marbury

So we're half way through season one and we finally get something really meaty for Bartlet to deal with. Posturing between India and Pakistan is no joke - even the might of America gets hot under the collar at the thought of tensions between these two. I love the way Sorkin manages to straddle the line between taking the situation seriously, giving it appropriate gravitas and injecting levity in the form of our eponymous Lord. There's also a nice subplot to the whole thing with CJ having her nose put out of joint over being kept out of the loop.

I honestly don't have huge amount to say about overall episode beside the fact that generally I think it's a pretty strong one. Even though I mention it in the random observations section, I really do have to single out the performance of Roger Rees. The scene where he deconstructs the problem they're facing is wonderfully done. I also love the scene where he steals from Barlet the opportunity to give a rousing speech to the troops.

Random observations:

Mandy was really starting to annoy me at this point. What kind of PR hotshot can't see the PR nightmare that would come from a major presidential advisor moonlighting for the other side (especially in view of a certain memo which I won't say any more about for the sake of first time viewers)?

The Claypool deposition is really well done, as it furthers the Leo substance abuse arc and dovetails really well with the Mandy/Mike Brace subplot.

The India/Pakistan briefing is hilarious. The Encyclopaedia Britannica reference tells us this is a pre-Wikipedia world we're in.

Leo's dismay over the possible appearance of Marbury prepares us for the fact that this isn't going to be the standard stuffed shirt, but Roger Rees manages to exceed expectations. His opening scene is fantastic. Speaking as a viewer from the UK I'd say the closest thing we have to a bona fide Lord John Marbury is the current Mayor of London, Boris Johnson (or BoJo for short). On the face of it he's a complete buffoon, but underneath all the bluster is a highly intelligent man who's fantastically entertaining to boot.

Gail the goldfish appears again. To me it looks like there are two tanks facing each other, which would clearly represent the two opposing nations. I'm not 100% sure though, so if anyone has any better ideas let me know (you see it at around the 20 minute mark when she's talking with Toby - you also see it briefly when CJ is on the phone at the 33 minute mark).

The Chinese ambassador has been in a truckload of stuff, but I remember him most strongly from Big Trouble in Little China. The Pakistani ambassador is Suresh's dad from Heroes, the Indian Ambassador is Abed's dad from Community and Claypool is the chief from The Shield.

"I'm Spencer Tracy at the end of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." I've always thought that line was brilliant, because there's definitely an argument to be made that there was some racial bias even at the end of the movie. It was effectively saying that as long as a black guy is a rich, intelligent surgeon then he's just about good enough for some nobody white girl. To someone younger Bartlet's comment may indicate that he's not as liberal as he claims on this issue, but it wouldn't generally be perceived that way by an older person, so I think the comment is pitched just about perfectly.

Margaret nodding when Josh asks Leo if his family knows about his addiction is a really nice touch which adds something to their dynamic.

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

Monday 11 June 2012

S01E10: In Excelsis Deo


I don't know what it is about this episode. Almost everyone I know loves it, and it seems incredibly popular online, but it just doesn't do it for me. There are lots of little moments which are really nice but I don't think the whole works that well.

If you were picking a theme for the episode I suppose it's all about the giving of gifts. Toby wouldn't normally go out of his way to organise a funeral for the homeless war veteran but he does. Josh (and Sam) wouldn't normally go to a hooker to try and dig up some dirt on the Republicans, but he does because he wants to give Donna (and to a lesser extent, Leo) a gift that really means something. Jed should tear a strip off Toby for pulling strings and backing it up with the office of the Presdency, but the gentle scolding, and tacit approval, is his gift.

I really loved the scene in the antiquarian bookshop. I liked that Bartlet didn't want to it be a photo-op. I liked that with all Josh's ambivalence toward it he was still actually looking with interest, as revealed with his gift to Donna. More than anything, I like books. I like their smell and their feel in my hand, especially an old book, steeped in history. In the age of Kindles and Nooks the value of a real book is heightened somehow. I like that this President feels the same way.

Random observations:

In Excelsis Deo is presumably a reference to Gloria In Excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest). Why does Sorkin remove Gloria? Is it because he's reminding us that a lot of pretty inglorious things happen over Chrismas. In the episode we have a veteran dying, a homosexual man being beaten to death and someone holding the sins of six years ago over Leo's head. I found it strange that given the episode title and the fact that they have a choir on set, it never gets sung.

Flamingo. Well I suppose she is a tall bird with long legs.

The cop talking to Toby is Daniels from The Wire and Broyles from Fringe (he was also in Lost briefly, but I can't think of the character he played off the top of my head).

One of the best parts of the episode is showing how Bartlet has to switch into happy mode at the drop of a hat, putting on a brave face for the children after hearing about Lowell Lydell dying.

With Kathryn Joosten dying recently I thought this episode was particularly poignant. Her speech about her children is one I've always found moving, but knowing that she isn't with us any more adds to it.

Gail's bowl appears with a Christmas tree in it. I hope the significance of that doesn't require any explanation.

When Josh says he didn't mean it that way when talking to Laurie, I struggle to see how it can be meant any other way when you're talking to a prostitute.

When Leo admits to Sam and Josh that in spite of his annoyance he was touched  by their gesture it's a really nice moment between them.

The interplay between Danny and CJ in this episode is wonderful.

The montage as the choir sings Little Drummer Boy is really nicely done.

Episode grade: C+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

Out of all the lovely moments in the episode my favourite is the scene where Josh gives the book to Donna. I'm glad that we don't get to find out what Josh wrote because nothing really would come up to scratch. I know their have been other moments in the series so far that tell us that they're more than just friends, but this is the most blatant sign so far that they really need to get a room. The additional look he gives her after he's walked back to his office is a fantastic touch.

Monday 4 June 2012

S01E09: The Short List


Has there ever been a more testosterone-fuelled opeing to an episode of West Wing? I can't think of one. I don't know whether I really like it that much, but I'm prepared to allow the show its little indulgences.

Be aware that this paragraph contains what may be considered mild spoilers for the future season, though it doesn't give away any specific plot points. This is an episode which sets up a lot of plotlines which are going to pay off further down the line this season. We have the supreme court confirmation, which for my money factors strongly in the best episode of the season. We have the plotline I mention in the spoilers section. And finally we have the claim about drug use in the White House, which should have obvious implications given the open secret that is Leo's alcoholism (and as revealed in this episode, pill addiction). Impressively, it remains an exceptionally good self-contained episode.

Perhaps the most far-reaching plot point is something that seems incredibly innocuous: The introduction of Gail the goldfish. To the first time viewer this seems like just a quirky little sub-plot to fill out an episode, but there's a lot more to it than that. The prop department start squeezing Gail into more and more episodes, and each time they put something in the bowl which is a reference to something that's going on in that episode. So here's the deal: Every time I spot Gail in an episode I'm going to endeavour to link what's in her bowl with what's going on that episode. Your job is to spot Gail when I miss her, and point out the reference. Deal?

When we see who Mendoza is we immediately know that they've made the right choice (though we already knew that thanks to Josh's impassioned plea to Mandy). How could Gaff from Blade Runner (or for you younger kids, Adama from Battlestar Galactica, even though us older guys know that's Lorne Greene) possibly be a bad choice? Sorkin decides to really drive the point home by giving us the scene between Harrison and Charlie where we find out he's a member of some exclusive country club where Charlie caddied, and it's clear Charlie doesn't think much of him.

At this point in the show I feel like Mandy is being more and more marginalised. It seems like so far the only thing they've actually taken her advice on wound up with someone getting shot. She doesn't seem to gel as well as the other main players do, including those more on the periphery like Charlie, Donna, Mrs. Landingham, Margaret and even Mallory to an extent.

Random observations:

The interchange immediately before the credits between Josh and Donna is a really early indicator that they have a far more complicated and intimate relationship than employer/employee.

I don't quite know how Sorkin manages to make it completely obvious from the outset that there are going to be problems with Harrison and that they'll likely end up going with Mendoza, but he does it, in spite of it not being explicitly stated until almost half way into the episode.

"You're not gonna be taken down by this... small fraction of a man. I won't permit it." If Josh isn't your favourite character by now then you're just plain wrong. ;)

They vetted Harrison extensively and something came out in the eleventh hour. Mendoza had nowhere near as much vetting, so why are they so confident about him?

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

The conversation between the outgoing justice and Bartlet is an interesting foregleam of events much later in the season. It's also interesting to see Bartlet involved in a conversation where the person on the other side of the table can tear a strip off him.

As much as I enjoy this episode it's not my favourite episode which centres around supreme court nominations. No prizes for guessing which one I'm talking about.