S01E14: Take This Sabbath Day

This is one of my favourite philosophical episodes of the shows entire run. There aren't a huge number of them, but this is one of the strongest of the bunch. The pre-credits sequence almost feels like a feature film opening (helped by the fact that there's no "previously on The West Wing" section).

There's an old saying: "Knowing what's right is easy; doing what's right is hard" (I may be paraphrasing a little there). There is no better example of it than this episode. It's clear that everyone knows what the right thing to do is. The public defender does; they go way beyond the call of duty on this. Sam does; he blows off his entire weekend to try and find a way to make it politically expedient to do the right thing. The rabbi giving the sermon at Toby's synagogue knows. Toby knows, even though he tells Sam the President won't stay the execution. Presumably the Pope knows. Joey Lucas knows. CJ knows, even if she knows for pretty selfish reasons. Leo knows, and tells the President as much. Jed's priest knows it, and makes his point to devastating effect. Amidst all of that the strongest counterpoint is Charlie's "I wouldn't want to see him executed... I'd want to do it myself."

Honestly, I don't have a horse in this particular race. I live in a country which doesn't have the death penalty, and I wouldn't campaign for it to be introduced. If I lived in a country which did have it, I wouldn't campaign for it to be abolished. The weak part of this episode for me (and the thing which denies it an A rating) is that Sorkin falls into his usual trap of being unable to write the opposing argument. The only dissenting voice is someone too emotionally attached to the issue to give a subjective opinion. This is effectively Sorkin giving a 40 minute lecture against the death penalty and telling 71% of America that they're wrong. Fair enough - it's his show, but at least give a stronger argument for it.

Why then, did I use the "Knowing what's right..." quote? Well simple really. In this episode, the only person who matters is Jed. His faith tells him he should stay the execution. His ethics tell him he should stay the execution. Any number of people he respects deeply tell him he should stay the execution. It was the right thing for him to do, but he didn't because of political convenience. That gives us the strongest conclusion to any episode so far, as the most powerful man on the planet is devastated by a priest's parable. Incidentally, of all the nuggets I've borrowed from The West Wing over the years the one I've used the most is that story, or a variant of it at least. It never fails to get a wonderful reaction.

As an aside, this episode also introduced us to Joey Lucas. Is it a spoiler to say that we'll see more of her? Based on her discussion in the bar with Josh I'd say no.

Random observations:

The guy who used to beat up Sam in high school was Jim Carrey's best friend in The Truman Show.

The scene between Josh and Donna when he's hung over is a comedy gem, and it's great acting from Bradley. The scene where Joey (most famously the Oscar winner for Children of a Lesser God) bursts into his office is another.

I find it troubling that someone could convince a rabbi to give a sermon that is effectively a political position given its timing.

The priest Jed talks to is Karl Mulden, who's been in so much stuff it's hard to pick out a highlight, so I'll just mention the first movie that came to mind: The Cincinnati Kid.

Anyone know what the sign was that Josh didn't know but could probably guess? If you do try to keep it family friendly.

Gail's bowl has what looks like a body floating in it. A reference to Simon Cruz dying or Sam falling out of his boat?

Episode grade: B+

So what did you all think?

S01E13: Take Out the Trash Day

The concept of take out the trash day is as old as the hills. What surprises me is how blatant they are about it in this episode. Isn't this exactly why people hate politicians? As an aside, a senior political advisor in the UK lost their job over suggesting in an email that the day after 9/11 would be a good day to bury bad news. I know that's an extreme example but I think the repugnance of the entire concept is pretty universal.

Of course, the episode title works on many levels. The issue with Leo could be considered an annoying piece of rubbish that needs to be dealt with. It's messy to deal with, but it gets done. Sorkin also wraps the the entire Claypool subplot up in this episode by dealing with the issue of the leak and its resolution.

Leo's speech about his addiction is basically Sorkin revealing his views on his own addiction(s). As such it feels really cathartic and and very "real". What's not so real is him reinstating the staffer who sold him out.

As an episode it feels a little disjointed to me. I'd struggle to say whether the major plot was the Lydell's or Leo's situation, and there were a myriad little things going on in the background that made me feel like the episode was constantly jumping around, almost haphazardly. There seem a lot of out of character moments too, and this the very episode after I'd said the actors were really beginning to get a feel for their characters. Thank goodness for Timothy Busfield, who was the standout performer this week (the Republican interrogator was pretty good too).

Random observations:

If he's dotting the i's and crossing the t's then shouldn't they have 16 pens? I guess he's just using one stroke for the t's.

CJ goes overboard in the briefing about the Lydells. When two reporters query the situation she should immediately realise something is going on - not squish it.

Gail's bowl has something in it - I'm just not sure what.

Does this episode have the only scene in the entire history of the show with a conversation between all the secretaries of the main cast?

I think Leo's line about "how enlightened do you think he's gonna be" is absolutely awful. However, it sets up the old switcheroo excellently. I just wish they'd had a reporter say that line, not Leo.

The Republican who tears a strip off Sam and Josh is probably the most well written Republican in the show so far. Conversely, Simon Bligh is the most awful Democrat to appear on the show to date.

If CJ thinks Danny couldn't have gotten that story without her help she must have a dreadfully low opinion of his skills as a reporter.

Episode grade: C-

So what did you all think?

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.

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?

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.

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.

S01E08: Enemies

Yet another geek out begins an episode, with Bartlet waxing lyrical about various national parks. Don't worry though folks, this will actually have significance later on. As it is, I always think this shows a somewhat sadistic side to Jed. Maybe I feel that way because of my affinity for Josh, but there's something perverse about forcing someone to listen to trivia when they're back at work in four hours. He also makes Hoynes feel about two inches tall at the cabinet meeting, and with a cheap shot at that. It doesn't seem very Presidential, just mean. Once again though, it at least serves the plot, as it gives Danny a chance to flirt with CJ, as well as reminding us of the tenuous relationship between PotUS and the Veep.

The thing I remember most about this episode is the subplot involving Leo forcing Sam to write a birthday message to stop him going on a date with his daughter. Jed gets in on the act and adds Sam to the growing list of people he's dumped on.

I suppose if this episode has any moral lesson to teach us it's that when you're powerful there are no shortage of people who want to take you down a peg or two. If it's not one person it's someone else, just because "it's their turn" as Toby puts it. Unfortuately if that is the message that's being sent it's a little undermined by the many examples of the potential for the misuse of power demonstrated during the course of the episode.

In an otherwise so-so episode it's always good to have a strong finish. It reminds the viewer why they love the show so much, and it leaves them hankering for the next one. The moment between Josh and Jed at the end when we get the statement about "talking about enemies more than we used to" provides just that. The musical score adds weight to the moment too, with the almost melancholy mood the woodwind section evokes.

Random observations:

My favourite part of the episode is the little conversation between Leo and Jed on the settee.

Josh's epiphany when he hears Donna say the files are antiquated is really reminiscent of your average episode of House.

Episode grade: C

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

If I had to be picky about The West Wing as a series, I'd first mention overt sentimentality that is prevalent on occasion (for instance, in this very episode when Mallory tells Sam he's exactly like her father (and not in a complimentary way) and Sam reponds that it's the nicest thing she's ever said to him - cue dewy eyes from all present), but a close second would be the plot strands that are finished really clumsily. Mandy is a prime example, Sam's exit is pretty poorly handled too, as is Ainsley's. The reason I mention it here is that from this episode it seems clear that Sam and Mallory had fairly good chemistry. What happened? For that matter, where did Danny swan off to, because the chemistry between him and CJ was even better. Don't get me wrong, I love the show, but on rewatches I tend to think about the path not taken.

"The implication that I leaked priviledged information is as stupid as it is insulting..." There seems to be a delicious irony to the fact that Hoynes was just talking to his huddle about missions to Mars before making that statement.

The "You shouldn't have made me beg" comment seems very powerful on a first watch, but when we get the full story Hoynes' position seems a lot more understandable. You've been the favourite for the nomination during the whole process and then get pipped at the eleventh hour. Immediately after losing you're told by your opponent "Oh, by the way, there's this thing you need to know about me that if you'd known a week ago, you'd have the nomination right now. I have MS. Keep that to yourself, will you?" If I'd have been Hoynes he'd have had to do a darn sight more than beg.