S02E12: The Drop In

The episode title refers to the (not-so) last minute change in the President's speech, but I'll get to that in a minute because quite frankly, when you have Lord John Marbury in the show he deserves the first paragraph. If you don't have a massive smile on your face during his first scene (in the office with Leo and Josh) then there's something wrong with you. His slapdown of the missile shield is particularly entertaining, and manages a level of condescension even Jed struggled to reach; I love it! He also gets the best line in the episode when he comments that even if the shield is successful people will simply build a better missile, while at the same time coming off warm enough towards Leo that even he thaws a little towards the new Ambassador. The one weird thing is that seemingly from nowhere CJ and Donna are swooning over him all of a sudden. I don't recall them indicating that during the India/Pakistan crisis last season.

And so to the drop in. The really interesting thing about this is that it highlights cracks in relationships between the senior staff that up to now have gone largely unmentioned in the show. We've always had the impression that Toby felt like he was just that little bit better than everyone else in the room, viewing everyone else with a mild disinterest. Notwithstanding that, the picture has definitely been painted thus far that they're all one big happy family who would walk through fire for any of the others. Here though, it's made abundantly clear that Toby is essentially backstabbing Sam.

I have to say, I don't entirely buy that subplot. Firstly, if there's one thing that Toby doesn't do it's duck a fight. He really doesn't do it when he thinks he's right. Second, Toby isn't dumb enough to give Sam enough evidence to figure out the drop in was planned. Third, if there's one person who Toby does show some affinity for it's Sam, which makes the move even worse. Finally, and most importantly, it's just a really mean-spirited and downright nasty thing to do. To steal Toby's own line here, "Friends are honest with each other". Thankfully Sorkin's a good enough writer that he doesn't push the reset button at the end of the episode, and it's clear from the scene in the bar that things aren't going to be back to normal with them for a while.

Honestly I don't know how I feel about the development we're given here. On the one hand it certainly injects a little realism into the show as I can imagine this is a pretty common occurrence in real life politics. On the other hand, isn't the whole point of The West Wing that it's a look at politics through rose coloured glasses, and that for the most part these people are the best versions of themselves they can possibly be? While characters make mistakes, and from time to time make calls that err on the side of political expediency as opposed to doing what's right, this is probably the nastiest thing that any of the main characters has done so far in the show.

Random observations:

Fancy Leo not picking up the Charlie Brown reference; shame on him! Having said that, given that information it's hardly worth Bartlet's effort adding the "Oh, good grief" line at the end.

It's not often that we know stuff before CJ does, but if you don't figure out who the British Ambassador to the US is going to be from the "previously on..." sequence alone then you're just not paying enough attention.

Gail is in a totally different bowl in this episode when compared to her normal one. Maybe that in itself is a reference to the replacement ambassador. It looks like a mobile phone has been "dropped in" the bowl too, which could just be a play on the episode title.

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

S02E11: The Leadership Breakfast

This is one of those place-holder  episodes. Nothing much happens, but it doesn't happen so nicely that we don't really care. There's some nice comedy, some geek trivia from Jed, some Machiavellian political manoeuvring in which Toby gets outplayed (several times) and some guest stars who do some really good work.

In some ways I feel like it's an opportunity missed. Small spoiler warning: It kind of feels like they're setting up both Felicity Huffman and Corbin Bernsen for recurring roles. By the end of the episode we're looking forward to round two between Toby and Ann and we've had Shallick's card marked as a probable opponent for Bartlet a couple of years down the line. Neither of those things happen (Felicity never appears again and Corbin is in one more episode a couple down the line). I think both of those things are bad. Bartlet's eventual opponent is no better a character than Bernsen's, who disappears without a trace, yet another continuity mis-step. Meanwhile the one thing the show could have done with is someone really good on the other side of the aisle (see spoiler section), and Felicity could have filled that role excellently.

The one thing that does happen which is concrete is the handshake between Leo and Toby where they form the "committee to re-elect the President". That plot-line does pick up over the next few episodes, leading to probably the best half season in the show's entire run.

Random observations:

There's nothing better to get me in the mood for an episode of West Wing than some Sam and Josh tomfoolery.

Sports Night crossover alert #1: Ann Stark is played by Felicity Huffman, who played Dana Whitaker in Sports Night (she was effectively the Leo of that show if you've never seen it).

Sports Night crossover alert #2: Sam screws up with a woman he wants to impress (Karen Cahill) by confusing Kurdistan with Kazakhstan. In Sports Night Dan Rydell (the Sam of that show if you've never seen it) screwed up with a woman he wanted to impress (Hillary Clinton) by confusing secular schools with non-secular schools.

Congressman Shallick is played by Corbin Bernsen, better known as Arnie Becker from LA Law.

Episode grade: A-

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

If there's one thing the post Sorkin era writers managed to do better than Sorkin himself, it was bring some really meaty Republicans to the show. Haffley is a weasel, but he's a talented one who keeps the administration on their toes. Vinick is probably the best example, and the season seven campaign is far more in-depth and well rounded than the season four version, which is all wrapped up in just a few short episodes.

S02E10: Noel

Noel is simply a perfect episode of television. Early on it's easy to see it's going to be something special. We're used to seeing Josh ride roughshod over people so his "you think you're talking to the paper boy" jibe is nothing to write home about, but the way Stanley comes back with "you're not talking to the paper boy either" salvo still has the power to send shivers down my spine, even though I must have seen this particular episode over a dozen times. What follows is a wonderful examination of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The first flashback takes us three weeks back. Nothing seems strange; Josh seems perfectly normal. We know the pilot has to have something to do with his issues (whatever they are - we still don't know as yet), Sorkin has already established the expertise of Stanley so when he picks up on the pilot comment we do too. As a result our ears prick up more over that subplot than any of the other stuff we hear in the opening segment. And then there's the knock at the door...

What's really clever about the way Sorkin deals with this is that he knows most of his audience don't know the first thing about PTSD, but he doesn't just want to tell us that Josh has it - he wants us to figure out what's going wrong with Josh (and more importantly why) at more or less the same rate as Stanley. It's far more nuance than you'd expect from the average network show, but this isn't the average network show.

The scene where Josh loses it in the oval office is tough to watch for me. I've probably mentioned it a time or six, but just to remind you Josh is my favourite character. Thing is, the person in that office isn't Josh. His whole demeanour is different straight from the off and watching him unravel in front of our eyes isn't easy viewing. Bradley Whitford is unbelievably good in the whole episode, but I think it's this scene which won him the Emmy that year.

Then we get Josh reliving the shooting during the Yo-Yo Ma performance and we begin to realise just how much he's been bottling up for the past ten episodes. When he puts his hand through the window it may not technically be cutting but it's not far off. By the end of the episode he's far from cured but at least he can see light at the end of the tunnel.

As an aside, the English snob working at the White House provides some much needed levity in an episode that could easily be a little too dark for most people.

Random observations:

Stanley is better known as Aaron Shutt, ace neurosurgeon from Chicago Hope. As much as I raved about Bradley's performance in the episode, Adam Arkin's is great too.

Does the President really receive a million letters in a year? That seems high.

"Long as I got a job you got a job." Thank goodness for that.

I can't hear Carol of the Bells without thinking of this episode. I get chills every time I hear it.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

S02E09: Galileo

It's no surprise in this episode when we find out that Jed geeks out over space related trivia. However, it's more of a surprise to hear that he's no fan of obscure symphony orchestras (no offense intended, Icelandic readers; I've personally visited Reykjavik and think it's a wonderful place). It just seems like the kind of thing he'd go for.

I love that the episode has so much going on, all of which is fairly interesting. Potentially the most boring of these is the stamp thing, so Aaron chooses wisely in giving this to the dynamic duo of Josh and Donna. Their natural chemistry along with some nice one-liners enables me to be entertained while simultaneously learning something, and I just love that.

After giving Mallory barely a mention for what seems like an age, she pops up again here. I've been critical before of the way they wasted the chemistry between her and Sam, so I should at least acknowledge that Sam comes out with a reasonably feasible reason why she's been absent for so long. I can see why being photographed hugging a prostitute may diminish other romantic possibilities. Having said that, she knew he'd actually slept with one before developing an interest, so I think it's clear she can't be referred to as prudish.

With all this going on (and I haven't even mentioned the green beans) a far more serious situation arises with the oil refinery/missile silo fire. What I really like is that most series would let all the more mundane subplots fade into the background as soon as something of this magnitude crops up, but The West Wing makes this the subplot. There aren't many shows that would have the guts to do that.

Random observations:

Did Jed really convert to celsius in his head, or did he just happen to know the figures in celsius rather than fahrenheit?

Would someone from NASA's PR team really be such an awful writer?

Toby gets something wrong again in this episode. Phobos and Deimos were Mars' sons, not his horses. Get it together Toby.

Gail makes an appearance and I think there's some kind of buggy in her tank, presumably relating to the space mission.

Is it just me or does the music playing as CJ and Charlie walk out the theatre sound like it's come straight from a Bond movie (mixed with a little whalesong)?

This episode would get an A if it weren't for CJ's little meltdown in the oval office towards the end of the episode. I don't like being lectured, but I especially don't like being lectured in a really obvious and patronising way.

Episode grade: A-

So what did you all think?

S02E08: Shibboleth

Wow. The plot for Sam's show is exactly the same as the plot for this episode... apart from the crime solving part.

Is it just me or is Toby absolutely insufferable in this episode? The whole thing with Leo's sister just doesn't sit well with me. From the off it's clear that Toby is well aware that Leo won't be pleased about it, and you'd assume that Toby would take that into consideration as been as Leo's his boss. Tiny spoiler alert: If I was Leo I'd say "Hey Toby, that's fine. By the way, I'm hiring your dad as my PA." I also think the issue is a bit bizarre. Didn't Josh get threatened with the school prayer issue last season when they were talking about FEC nominees who were against soft money? When did it go from being part of a nightmare legislative agenda to a debate the White House actually wants?

Al Caldwell and Mary Marsh make another appearance thanks to the religious asylum issue. Al is still a rotund buffoon and Mary is still awful.

I find the main plot incredibly similar to the one in the pilot. Call me politically naive, but does it really matter what the religious beliefs of the Chinese are? They came over in barrels and risked death in search of a better life. Shouldn't the White House have their backs regardless of their views on Jesus? Considering the final resolution of the issue shouldn't their beliefs be moot? Bartlet as good as says so to Josh at the end, so the entire interview is irrelevant really.

I know he's not perfect, but sometimes Sorkin's writing is just sublime. The little subplot with the knives is so inconsequential that 99% of writers wouldn't include it at all. Yet he makes it beautifully comic with each successive knife that fails to make the grade and just when you think it's run its course he concludes it with probably the most touching moment in the entire episode.

Random observations:

Yay. Yet another introduce the cast "previously on...".

Jamestown wasn't the 16th century Toby. If you're going to be a pompous ass at least be accurate about it.

Why is CJ setting off flashes in front of the turkeys when she knew from the off that Troy didn't like to be touched? Surely a turkey that doesn't want to be touched shouldn't be anywhere near PotUS?

The Chinese Christian names 11 apostles (there are two called James, and he omits Judas' replacement, Matthias).

"If the Oscars were like that I'd watch." The first time I heard that line I spit my drink out. The whole scene from that point up until Donna's "You can't pardon a turkey?" is brilliant.

Episode grade: B+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

I find it interesting the way Barlet indicates that the main reason for allowing the refugees to "escape" is to allow the Chinese to save face. Events in Han would indicate the real reason is very different.

S02E07: The Portland Trip

CJ is sort of in the doghouse at the beginning of the episode, thanks to her Notre Dame gaffe. It's light and fluffy stuff, and gives us the opportunity for a few chuckles, but I always get a bit concerned when they emphasize the somewhat sadistic nature of Bartlet's character. He's the President and they all serve at his pleasure. He can order them to do pretty much whatever he wants. Personally I think a good rule of thumb would be to refrain from deliberately making your senior staff miserable on a whim. Danny's retribution is far more subtle, and all the better for it.

The meeting Josh has with the congressman in this episode is particularly interesting. It shines a light on the complexity of political opinion, which can often get lost in world where the media needs to pander to the extremes in order to be heard. In reality, not every homosexual is a democrat, not every gun-toting redneck is a republican. Not every democrat is pro-choice, not every republican wants taxes lowered. Truth be told "the enemy" often isn't the enemy at all, and we'd probably be surprised how often our "friends" don't necessarily take the position we expect. What we should recognise is that just because someone disagrees with us doesn't mean they're any less sincere than we are, and we should respect that.

Jed's final decision on the issue is also interesting. He can rail all he likes about how it's wrong, but even for possibly the most idealistic president ever portrayed on the small screen, political expediency trumps what he feels is right. A second term is more important than doing what's right. Depending on how cynical you are you can see that one of two ways. Either it's a feather in the cap for democracy - he has to bend to the will of the people or risk being ousted, or it's a reminder of just how ineffective the whole process of government is. Ever get the feeling these weren't decisions we were meant to make?

I really get the feeling at this point that they're trying to make Ainsley part of the regular cast, not just a recurring character. Her part in this episode was totally crowbarred in.

Random observations:

Sports Night crossover - Colonel Chase was also in an episode of Sports Night. His character name? Chase.

I agree with Josh about Donna's dress. Wow.

Episode grade: B-

So what did you all think?

S02E06: The Lame Duck Congress

I'm a big fan of the moments in the show where we get to see how staggeringly knowledgable the main characters are when it comes to congressional and senatorial affairs. That's just what we get in the pre-credits sequence with the discussion of the various committee changes. As an side I find it interesting that when CJ criticizes the dirty pool they'd be playing Toby frankly admits that it is but he doesn't care. Funny how dirty pool is fine when you do it but disgusting when the other guy does.

Emily Proctor once again does some excellent work in the episode. I really like the way after handing Sam the position paper she just hangs around the office because she knows exactly what's coming. I also find the ensuing debate both interesting and very similar to the one Sam had the previous season with Mallory about school vouchers in Six Meetings Before Lunch.

This episode also gives us a sort of resolution to the CJ/Danny arc. It's not particularly elegant, but it's better service than they gave to Mandy and Mallory.

The final conversation between Jed and Toby is pretty interesting. I like the ethical dilemma of which way you fall when public opinion is clear one way or another (and it becomes a lot murkier when the thing you perceive to be right is the opposite of what's popular).

Random observations:

I find the whole carpal tunnel syndrome completely uninteresting (ditto the Konanov sub-plot). They provide a few mild smiles but they're just window dressing.

Sam's "we play with live ammo around here" line gets borrowed by the Parks and Recreation writers for the episode which features Bradley Whitford.

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

S02E05: And It's Surely to Their Credit

For an episode with an awful lot of humour in it they also manage to deal with some pretty heavy stuff too. When you're fifteen minutes in and all the President's been involved in is an abortive attempt to read a radio message and a possible booty call from the first lady you realise he's just the comic relief.

Heavy stuff #1: Ainsley's first assignment is pretty sensitive stuff. After shocking us by introducing a sympathetic republican in the last episode, he really floors us in this one by giving us two democrats who are just, well, pathetic. Sam's initial lack of support seems against character to me, and the last minute turnaround doesn't really redeem him totally. This is a man who was best pals with a prostitute the previous year but can't stand sharing the same room with someone who doesn't share his political opinion. It's put in even bigger contrast by Leo's acceptance, given the article she previously wrote about him.

Heavy stuff #2: Suing the KKK. I love Josh's reason for rejecting this. He's a big picture guy, and classy with it.

It's really impressive how well Emily Proctor gels with the main cast right from the off (more about her in the spoilers section).

Random observations:

Donna's jokes were probably good enough to make Studio 60.

Gail makes an appearance at the five minute mark. It looks like a stage in her bowl, which could be a Gilbert & Sullivan reference. It's hard to tell though, as you only see it for a couple of seconds.

Lionel Tribby is better known from Boston Legal (and IIRC from the US remake of Fawlty Towers).

Is it Donna's birthday during this episode? There's a note on Josh's blackboard.

The steam pipe trunk distribution venue doesn't seem too bad to me.

Aaron Sorkin actually got me into Gilbert & Sullivan (curse him). He's clearly a fan too, as the first Studio 60 episode after the pilot modifies Modern Major General for their cold open.

Episode grade: B+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

Clearly Emily Proctor had a good future with the show, but she chose to go and star in CSI: Miami instead. While I can understand why she'd do that, I think it's a shame she didn't stay with The West Wing until the end of its run. She's a good enough actress that she'd have easily been able to get the lead in another series after.

S02E04: In This White House

I have to say I loved the pre-credits sequence of this episode the first time I saw it, and to this day I find it really entertaining. Problem is, it's completely unbelievable and doesn't stand up to any scrutiny. Why would Sam continually refer to the state Kirkwood is in if he doesn't absolutely know? This is a guy who will not only know which state it's in, he'll know which Congressional district it's in (as evidenced by the previous episode), and most likely how Justice Mendoza would get there by car.

While Ainsley Hayes is the focus of the episode, I think it's worth focussing on the absolutely stellar job Zakes Mokae does as President Nimbala. He steals pretty much every scene he's in, and while a lot of that is due to Sorkin's fantastic writing Moake just nails the performance. He makes Nimbala incredible personable and that makes the resolution to the episode all the more heartbreaking. It's the Nimbala subplot which raises this from a good episode to a great one.

And that brings us to Ainsley. I think she's a fantastic character, and without a doubt the best written Republican Sorkin has ever managed. Yes, he makes Sam untenably stupid in an effort to emphasise her intelligence, but there's no denying he writes her with great deal of subtlety. When Sam rails at her because of the Roslyn shooting there just doesn't seem like any response, yet her "you don't like the people" speech back to him isn't at all confrontational yet manages to be completely disarming. Boy is she better than Mandy or what?

Random observations:

Yet another previously on which just introduces us to the main cast.

We get another bit of Sorkin recycling as the host of Capital Beat is Dana's former boyfriend from Sports Night.

I think Sorkin has a rule - for every sympathetic Republican in an episode he needs to put in two dreadful ones to make it clear that what we're observing is the exception rather than the rule.

Gail's bowl has an elephant in it, presumably a reference to Ainsley getting a job at the White House.

I was racking my brain because I knew I'd seen the actor who plays President Nimbala somewhere before. I checked the IMDb page and nothing rang any bells. Then it hit me - I'd seen him in a Matthew Modine film called A Cut Above, but it was listed on IMDb as Gross Anatomy (they changed the name for the UK release presumably).

In another bit of Sports Night recycling "the President likes smart people who disagree with him" sounds suspiciously like an Isaac Jaffe quote.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

S02E03: The Midterms

While the episode is called The Midterms we actually pick things up 12 weeks before. I can't recall off the top of my head if there's any other episode which covers such a long period of time but I don't think so.

The fast pace allows us to deal with subjects in a single episode which would normally be spread over several, and that has some advantages. For instance, the Tom Jordan subplot wouldn't normally make it into the show, because quite frankly it doesn't warrant a multiple episode arc - it's just not important enough. However, it is interesting, though I'm not entirely sure the reasoning is sound given various revelations about pretty much every presidential nominee for the last 20 years.

We also get to see some of the emotional aftermath of the shooting. We see it between Zoe and Charlie (who seem to have a somewhat strained relationship) and particularly in Toby, who seems to be going off on a crusade against hate groups.

Of course, the best thing about compressing 12 weeks worth of events into a single episode is that we get Josh's entire recuperation out of the way in a single week. Yay!

By far the most remembered part of this episode is the confrontation between Bartlet and the Christian talk show host. Lauded as it is, I have problems with it on several levels. First off, I just don't buy the fact that she'd be stupid enough to fail to stand for the President (people get briefed on appropriate behaviour before they meet PotUS, don't they?). Secondly, they don't even make her a good bigot - if you're going to condemn homosexuality then use the New Testament reference so you can't get tagged for the stuff Bartlet quotes from the Old Testament (you also then get a chance to say that the Old Testament laws were abolished when Christ came, further cementing your Christian credentials). Thirdly, Sorkin didn't even come up with it, he just nabbed it from an email that was doing the rounds. Finally, it just doesn't seem very presidential. He's the leader of the free world - isn't it beneath him to comment on stuff like this? He just comes off as petty and small (and I think that's why they had to have her sitting down - she had to appear obnoxious in every possible way to stop anyone from feeling sorry for her).

Random observations:

Gail's bowl has a ballot box with a vote going into it, which should be self-explanatory given the episode title.

Someone should really make a gif of Josh repeatedly smacking his head off the bed.

The bit with the tech support guy seems completely tagged on, almost like the running time was a bit short and they needed to fill another couple of minutes of air time.

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

When I said Josh's recuperation was dealt with entirely in this episode I was talking about his physical recovery obviously. Noel will reveal how his emotional state is far more fragile than Zoe's, Charlie's or Toby's.

S02E01: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part I and S02E02: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part II

"Who's been hit, who's been hit?" How long did it seem we had to wait to find the answer to that question? Pre-credits what do we find out? PotUS: OK, though apparently injured in some way. Zoe: Throwing up but supposedly OK. CJ: Knocked on the head but looking alright. Sam: Fine. Gina: Fine. Toby: Fine. Charlie: Fine. Leo: In a car, apparently fine. Josh: Uh-oh.

As regular readers will know, Josh was my favourite character in the show, and had been from really early on. I very rarely (and by rarely I mean almost never in living memory) shout at the screen while watching TV, but this got an anguished "NOOOOOOOO!" the first time I saw the reveal of Josh's injury. You see, at the end of season one I figured that one good guy would probably end up dying as a result of the cliffhanger, but I guessed it would be someone on the periphery - Gina, Zoe, maybe Charlie. Anyone really, as long as it wasn't Josh. At that moment things weren't looking good.

Anyway, Josh's delirious state was a good way to segue into a flashback from three years earlier, when Josh is working for Hoynes' election campaign. Straight away we see the discussion that I'm guessing Hoynes was referencing earlier in the series when he spoke about being President if he'd listened to Josh. This is perfect timing for Leo to swoop in and dangle an idealistic candidate in front of Josh's nose. Turns out that Josh and Sam go way back, so he ropes him in easily.

For some reason Toby starts having flashbacks too, and as luck would have it to the exact same time period as Josh. Messy writing, but I suppose necessary considering these are events that Josh isn't a party to. It's interesting seeing that Toby is on the outs, even amongst people who we know aren't in the President's setup now. I guess Toby just likes being the unpopular kid in the room. Interestingly, if you take things back to fundamentals, Toby should take the credit for Bartlet's election. It's the answer Toby tells him to give which brings Josh on board, and it's Josh who brings Sam. Toby personally ropes in CJ. Would Jed have won without Toby, Josh, Sam and CJ? I don't think so.

At this point we leave the episode, with Josh's fate still hanging in the balance. No big deal - the next episode was shown right after (hence the double length review), but IIRC in the UK we only got the first episode, and had to wait yet another week to find out if he lived or died. That was a long week I can tell you.

After sidetracking briefly to let us known that the baseball cap wearing neo-nazi involved in the shooting has been taken into custody, we get back to our flashbacks. Josh gives Sam the face and just like that, he's in. Then CJ starts having flashbacks of her own (actually, she doesn't, they just cut from the ringing phone in her office to the ringing phone in her apartment three years ago, so they at least handle that jump in a better way than Toby's). I always found it fascinating that both Sam and CJ came from totally non-political former jobs. Yes, they'd done political stuff before, but the idea of CJ going from being Harvey Weinstein's gopher to a presidential candidate's main PR bod is delightful.

The motivations of the shooters are revealed and I'm sure it's meant to be one of those shocking moments, but to me it seemed so irrelevant. I really didn't care about their motivations - whatever they were they sucked, and whoever would do something like that isn't worthy of any deep consideration by me.

So what did I make of the episode? Well Josh survives, so that's a good start. I'm a sucker for origin stories, so this kind of show plays right into the stuff that I love. I can't say I'm as bowled over by presidential candidate Bartlet as I am by President Bartlet, but I like that there's a recognition of the fact that he's just an imperfect man doing his best. I think the scene between him and Josh at the airport is really nicely done too, if a little too fairytale for my liking.

Random observations:

The West Wing went widescreen from this episode onwards.

There's a real Godfather vibe to Jed's kiss of Leo.

Hearing Nancy mention Bin Laden in an episode that aired less than a year before 9/11 is chilling (even more chilling for UK viewers, as it was broadcast less than three months before the attacks).

Why does Donna come in to the hospital but none of the other secretaries do? It's not like she knew about Josh before she arrived. I think it indicates once more that the relationship between her and Josh is more than simply boss/assistant.

The one reporter at the briefing is Jane Lynch, from Party Down and Glee.

The who's in charge question is an interesting one. I don't think it's a massive leap of the imagination to think there could be a fair amount of infighting under these circumstances.

How does someone who handles award campaigns for a movie studio not known when Golden Globe nominations are out?

CJ's fall into the pool provides the biggest laugh of the episode (though Margaret's "I can sign the President's name" comes in a close second).

The idea that someone with the mind of Bartlet can't remember the names of his four main staffers is ludicrous, regardless of how recently he made their acquaintance.

As I pointed out in the last review, Sam doesn't save anyone - it's a secret service agent.

How does the secret service know the gunmen were down in 9.2 seconds and not 9.1 or 9.3?

Episode grade: A

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

The tanker deal Sam is working on will have significance further down the line when one of them goes disastrously wrong.

Season One Review

What a great freshman season The West Wing had. It certainly had more than its fair share of classic episodes, but I was particularly interested in seeing how the episodes would fare when they'd all been given my rating, and how the season as a whole would come out. Remember, I'm rating these against other episodes of The West Wing, so some have considered my marking a little harsh, but taking all the ranking into account, the season as a whole averages a B grade, rendering it an above average season, which it certainly is, even by West Wing standards.

In rating the episodes from best to worst I've strictly adhered to my original grades for the episodes. So here's my role call of best to worst of season one:

Celestial Navigation (A+)
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet (A+)
The Crackpots and These Women (A+)
Pilot (A+)
The State Dinner (A+)
What Kind of Day Has It Been? (A)
Five Votes Down (A-)
Take This Sabbath Day (B+)
The Short List (B)
20 Hours in L.A. (B)
Lord John Marbury (B)
He Shall, From Time to Time... (B-)
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (B-)
Mandatory Minimums (B-)
Six Meetings Before Lunch (C+)
A Proportional Response (C+)
In Excelsis Deo (C+)
Enemies (C)
Take Out the Trash Day (C-)
The White House Pro-Am (C-)
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics (C-)
Mr. Willis of Ohio (D)

Of course, it's all highly subjective (in particular I imagine most fans would place In Excelsis Deo significantly higher) but I call them how I see them. Roll on season two!

S01E22: What Kind of Day Has It Been?

I like it when the pre-credits sequence poses questions, like this one does. What does the signal mean, and what did it mean before? What was it that Charlie showed PotUS? And what did Zoe's bodyguard see which spooked her so much?

Within minutes we can have a reasonable stab at the first question. There's a problem with the NASA mission Toby's brother is on, and given the phone call Sam took was for Toby, we can guess the signal meant things turn out well with that (my one nit-pick of the episode is that all the tension of things going wrong with the mission during the episode is lost because we already know it resolves successfully). Considering we also get the information that an F-117 is down in Iraq that gives us a pretty good idea what the signal was initially used for.

Truth be told I really don't care about the answer to the Charlie question, but even this early in the episode I was beginning to have a nasty feeling about the last one. When you hit the last episode of a season what you don't want is a cliffhanger, and what you really don't want is a massive cliffhanger. The pace things were going was making me think we'd get the latter.

When they cut back to the town hall meeting I remember looking at the clock and realising there was only five minutes left of the episode, and I knew my worst fears were about to be realised. The way they crank up the tension with the music and editing is brilliant, we just know it's going to end in tears. "Who's been hit, who's been hit?" are words which will be ever etched on my memory. If you caught the show for the first time years later be grateful that you didn't have the four and a half months of agonising wait to get that question answered - as well as the more important one - does anyone die?

Random observations:

What Kind of Day Has it Been was the title of the last episode of season one of Sorkin's other show that was running at this time, Sports Night. It was also the title of the last episode of season one of his show which followed this one, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip. Anyone else here really disappointed that the last episode of season one of The Newsroom was called The Greater Fool?

Has there ever in recorded history been a cricket match between Scotland and Bermuda? My guess would be no.

The question Hoynes asks Josh about listening to him two years ago is a tantalising teaser for a future flashback episode.

Leo's dressing down of Josh is totally unexpected (or was to me at any rate) but really satisfying. I hadn't even considered how callous his comments to Hoynes were until Leo dropped the boom.

The little factoid about which way the eagle on the seal faces fascinated me - I really hope it's true. What I do know about the seal is that there's 13 of almost everything - 13 stripes, 13 clouds, 13 stars, 13 arrows, 13 leaves and 13 olives. All that pictures the original 13 states (there's also a ring of 50 stars around the edge of the seal representing the current number of states). Sad thing is, geek that I am I paused the DVD when it focussed on it and they're missing a star (one that should be just by the head of the eagle). Shame on you props department - you're normally great but you dropped the ball on this one.

Gail's bowl has a space shuttle in it, in reference to the NASA mission.

Richard Schiff's acting when he's talking with Jed in his office is magnificent, especially the way he conveys Toby's frailty.

Episode grade: A

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

We clearly see in this episode that it's a Secret Service agent who takes down CJ, not Sam. Bit of a continuity gaffe given the next episode.

S01E21: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

I really don't know what to say about this episode. It's a nothing episode, where nothing of any note takes place. The fact that the Federated States of Micronesia musical chair situation is the most interesting thing that takes place is a damning incitement of the episode. Fortunately, the fact that the actors really have a feel for the roles now means that even mundane everyday activities around the White House means the time passes reasonably pleasantly. I suppose it gives us the resolution to the campaign finance issue and validates the decision to really go for it politically but other than that there's not much of substance.

Random observations:

CJ's optimistic prediction turning out to be pessimistic is a prime example of the show getting sentimentality wrong. Everyone else feeling things would get worse or hold steady makes the denoument even more of a Cinderella story, but it just doesn't ring true. What's worse, is it's totally predictable.

Why are Sam and Toby even having the discussion about Laurie, and what gives Sam the unmitigated gall to prioritise his feelings over giving the President a mini-scandal to deal with? Has he heard of FedEx?

Is the thing Rodney does the same thing the marines are doing at the beginning of A Few Good Men?

Laurie's friend is better known as Michelle Dessler from 24.

Margaret's joke is awful, and I mean really awful.

Is ployglot really a 760 SAT word? It seems a little easy.

I have a pretty dreadful opinion of the UK tabloid press, but take it from me, even if a senior staffer to the President was engaged in an illicit affair with a call girl it wouldn't make the Mirror, much less someone giving someone else a briefcase.

Gail's bowl has a telephone in it, which relates to the polling being done during the episode.

I really love the "language of Shakespeare" speech.

Episode grade: C-

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

How wonderful that as soon as Laurie ceases her criminal activities Sam appears to break off all contact with her. That makes sense.

S01E20: Mandatory Minimums

Well thank goodness they didn't bottle out of the Let Bartlet Be Bartlet promise. As it turns out the finance reformers do get nominated, and causes exactly the storm that's expected.

While the episode is called Mandatory Minimums (and they do get a fair crack of the whip) it should really have been called Fallout. The whole point of getting the pollsters out is to examine how the legislative nightmare scenario will play out.

Probably the most interesting character development in the episode is the revelation that Toby was married, and to someone pretty hot (well, too hot for him anyway). Even more interesting, she's a Congresswoman (further comments in the spoilers section).

Random observations:

I don't believe the guy who gets asked back instead of Danny wouldn't jump at the opportunity to do so, let alone try to get Carol to change her mind.

Is it just me, or is the lunch at the restaurant one of the most bizarre West Wing scenes ever?

I think Sam and Toby have an idealistic view of the American public whereas Al Kiefer has a realistic one.

How on earth do Toby and Josh grasp the Laurie thing immediately? This is almost clairvoyant in its genius, and considering some of the rookie mistakes they've made in the past few episodes I'm not buying it.

Does anyone else feel sad that Kenny doesn't get a White House coffee mug?

Episode grade: B-

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

I always thought Andy was criminally underused. She wasn't my favourite character by any stretch, but considering how influential her position was the fact that she mainly appears as a result of a kooky will-they/won't-they sub-plot seems a waste to me.

S01E19: Let Bartlet Be Bartlet

If there's an episode that challenges Celestial Navigation for the season's best, it's this one, though it starts out oh so innocuously. Little do we know in the pre-credits sequence that a little piece of paper is going to throw the entire series a curveball, which will sow the seeds which produce the best ever season of The West Wing (season two).

While there are disparate elements in the episode they all tie into the main theme beautifully. The scene where Josh meets with the leadership guys is phenomenal, and the moment where he suddenly decides he's not playing anymore makes my hair stand on end. The equivalent plot strand for Toby and Sam involves gays in the military, and once again they know they're on a hiding to nothing. All this is just a preamble to the barnstorming final act.

Danny's confrontation with CJ is another exceptional scene, as it validates the memo and drives home the point that we've been gradually fed throughout the episode that Bartlet is indeed all bark and no bite, and the opening scene suddenly has us thinking that maybe Leo has been shepherding him to the centre. The rising sense of resignation in Leo's office as they all report back to him on their day's activities is enough to make you die a little inside.

And then we get "You drive me there." That sets up the jaw-dropping conclusion which changes everything. I'll sometimes be critical of the sentimentality the show occasionally drops into, and the "I serve at the pleasure of the President" scene is certainly laden with a heavy dose of the most syrupy kind of sentimentality, but here it just feels right, don't ask me why.

I guess the thing that floors me about this episode is that up to now I'd really liked PotUS, and thought he was doing a pretty good job under less than ideal circumstances, but this episode just shatters that illusion, while at the same time making us feel optimistic about what's to come.

Hand on heart, I'd have to say that I probably enjoy watching this episode even more than Celestial Navigation, but the thing that tips it in the latters favour is that I know just how devastatingly hard it is to nail comedy, and both Sorkin and the cast deliver in spades. However, you'll struggle to find 44 better minutes of drama anywhere than what we observe in Let Bartlet Be Bartlet.

Random observations:

Gail's bowl has a load of Easter eggs in it, which is pretty self-explanatory.

In a less densely plotted episode I'd wax lyrical about the raisin muffin fiasco, but this was just jam-packed with awesome.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

As much as we all may hate Mandy (and I think that's pretty much universal) and were thrilled that she vanished in season two, we have to concede that the foul-up which was the memo proves to be a catalyst for a real improvement in a show which was already great. We need to be grateful to her for that at least.

S01E18: Six Meetings Before Lunch

OK, I'm putting it out there - CJ's The Jackal really isn't very good. That would be OK if it weren't for the fact that they make such a huge thing of how fantastic it is.

Of all the meetings that take place in this episode by far the most interesting is the one Josh has with Breckenridge. Maybe it's just a high school civics lesson but the way the two actors deliver the lines is great, especially the increasingly tense reactions from Josh (you just know he wants to scream "what about the Jews in Nazi Germany?!" way before he actually raises it). The other meeting that I like is the one between Sam and Mallory about school vouchers. When you realise that Sam doesn't actually believe  anything he was saying it makes his argumentation even more impressive.

It was about this time during my first watch that I realised that I really didn't care much for the Zoe/Charlie plotlines at all. Zoe comes across as whiney and any time spent on her campus life is just stealing time from shenanigans in the West Wing.

On the whole I find this episode to be pretty lacklustre. Nothing of note really happens other than the potential white supremacist stuff being developed a little. I almost get the feeling that Sorkin has a bucket with all the ideas he had that weren't good enough to make into episodes, and once in a while he reaches into it, grabs three or four and says "if I put these all together it should fill a show". This is one of those episodes.

Random observations:

For the record, the six meetings are:
Mallory's meeting with Sam.
Josh's meeting with Breckenridge.
Mandy's meeting with Toby.
CJ's meeting with Zoe.
The meeting of secret service agents.
CJ's meeting with PotUS.

There are other random conversations between various characters, but these seem like the main six to me.

Episode grade: C+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

Josh says in Noel that nobody shouts at the president in the Oval Office, but CJ has a good go at it here.

S01E17: The White House Pro-Am

First off, my apologies for the three week gap between recaps; what can I say, life gets in the way sometimes. I'll try to make up by doing a couple of episodes a week for the next two weeks.

The premise of this episode is quite interesting, and it makes me wonder how realistic the West Wing setup is. I can imagine that if the two staffs are as disconnected as portrayed here stuff like the snafu in this episode would be happening in real life all the time.

As an episode it strikes me as being an awful lot about nothing, and for the most part it's saved by a few really well-written little conversations I speak about in the next section. Of all of them the main highlight is the one between Jed and Abby towards the end of the episode in the oval office.

Random observations:

The conversations about CJ picking up on the "signs" the President gives off are really sweet.

Why are Donna and Zoe apparantly reading the same book (to mention nothing of Leo and Jed)?

I love the conversation between Danny and Charlie about "being the one guy in her life who is totally hassle-free", and it's advice that I've tried to apply in my relationships, with pretty good success.

The chat between Danny and Jed is another gem in a somewhat nondescript episode.

Episode grade: C-

So what did you all think?

S01E16: 20 Hours in L.A.

This is the rarest of episodes - one where Hoynes is right and Bartlet is wrong. Don't worry though, by the end Bartlet has come around (kind of), and even looks like the good guy.

The main plot, though, concerns the LA trip, which splits into two main sub-plots - flag-burning and gays in the military. The flag-burning issue is poorly done. John de Lancie makes the best of the material he's given, but the idea that anyone could fall for his argument is somewhat unrealistic, and Josh, Toby and Sam being concerned about it is laughable. Joey sleeping with Al made her plummet in my eyes. Then we have gays in the military. Once again, it's handled in a slightly hamfisted way, with people failing to display the common sense they were born with. My favourite part of the discussion between Bartlet and Marcus is when he asks if he enjoyed the party and they both admit they didn't; it seems like the one real moment between them.

All that probably makes it sound like I thought this was a poor episode, and in the hands of lesser writer that would be the case. I don't know if Sorkin just knows how to push my buttons, but the way he dresses up these flights of fancy really is remarkable. It helps when the acting talent is so good of course, but the writing is the main ingredient in the suspension of disbelief. I remember loving this episode when I first watched it, and it was only under repeated viewings and closer scrutiny that the rough edges become noticeable.

Random observations:

Zoe's new agent is better known from ER and CSI.

Ted Marcus (AKA Bob Balaban) has been in everything. You can IMDb his full crendentials, but if you're thinking "I know the face but can't place him" you've probably either seen him in Seinfeld or as Phoebe's dad in Friends.

Al Keifer is Q from various incarnations of Star Trek.

David Hasselhoff is... well, David Hasselhoff. And Jay Leno is... a really big chin.

Episode grade: B

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

I forgot that they started foreshadowing the shooting this far in advance. I know it's only six episodes in advance but at the time it felt like it came out of nowhere.

Wasn't the ethanol thing a big issue during the primaries that Santos and Vinick were involved in (I seem to remember some pledge that Vinick wouldn't take but Santos did (even though he didn't really agree with it))?

Why is CJ so clueless about movie development given the job she had immediately before working for Bartlet.

"Matt Perry, right there." Don't go rushing after him Donna - you'll see him again in a few years, he'll just be called Joe Quincy.

S01E15: Celestial Navigation

Once every year there is an episode of TV that is just so good that all other episodes of all other shows fall by the wayside in deference to that particular episode's brilliance. A couple of years ago it was Community's "Modern Warfare", but in the 1999/2000 season it was Celestial Navigation, and by a country mile.

This isn't a comedy show, but I defy anyone to find a funnier hour of TV than the one we get here. From Toby and Sam bickering in the car, to CJ's woot canal, to the secret plan to fight inflation, it's just brilliant. What's even more impressive is the amount of serious subject matter the episode squeezes in.

Yes, I know I've already mentioned it, but the sequence from where CJ comes back from the dentist to the end of the briefing is just televisual perfection. I swear that CJ is channelling Elmer Fudd when she warns Josh "be vewy vewy careful not to destwoy us." Then Josh steps into the press room and gets a polite warning from Danny that this isn't a good idea. Maybe up to this point we'd been thinking "how badly could it go", but the way Josh brushes off Danny's concerns in the most condescending way possible tells us that it's going to be a car crash. From the moment Josh says "Are you sure you want your one question to be that stupid" we're treated to the most symphonic display of humour I've ever heard. The way they cut to reactions from CJ and the manner in which Josh gradually digs himself into a deeper hole, culminating in the "secret plan to fight inflation" is just beautiful. Of course, it carries on beyond the briefing itself, as we get all the main character's reactions to Josh's calamitous performance which also overlaps with the Mendoza comments on O'Leary. The final cherry on top is Sam's display of geek bravado as he describes Mendoza's potential route from Nova Scotia to Washington via Connecticut (which makes his getting lost even funnier). Oh yeah, there's also the President's response to Josh's precis of the situation.

With all that Sorkin still manages to give us a bit of commentary on racial profiling. This is the one part that doesn't ring 100% true with me, as I don't imagine a 50 something year old man being pulled when they're in a car with their wife and nine year old child. Maybe that's just me being naive though.

So as I said at the outset, all in all, not only is this the best episode of this season of West Wing (and one of my all time top five episodes), it's the best episode of any show that season. Have you guessed what grade I'm awarding it yet?

Random observations:

Weird intro to this episode - basically it introduces all the characters with them saying what they do. US folk - was this the first episode after a break, or did they realise that this was such a good episode that they promoted it to death in an attempt to get new viewers?

Debbie O'Leary is better known as a surgeon from ER.

The watch commander was Archer's superior officer from Enterprise.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

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.

S01E07: The State Dinner

If the last episode was a whole lot of fuss over nothing then this one is a whole lot of fuss over a whole lot. Union negotiations, extremists, hurricanes, protests and a state dinner all vie for attention in a gripping 44 minutes.

The whole episode is really about decisions, and the huge consequences both physical and emotional when we have to make big ones. Most of us are making decisions which are pretty inconsequential most of the time. We bite into our ham sandwich and wish we'd made cheese sandwiches instead. We realise that the colour we picked for our living room doesn't actually look as good in our house as it did in the brochure. It's rare that we make really big, life-altering decisions. These guys do it all... the... time.

Leo and Jed have to make a decision about what to do with a carrier group. It seems straightforward, so straightforward that Leo effectively makes it on behalf of the President, but it ends up most likely costing the lives of most if not all of the 12,000 men in it. You can tell from the final shot in the episode that Jed isn't looking to apportion blame, the weight of this decision sits squarely on his shoulders, at least in his eyes. He might not be able to tell a hurricane to change course, but it leads him to flex his muscles over the union dispute, settling that in short order.

Toby and Sam have to make a decision about how hard they go on Indonesia in the toast they're writing. Sam wants to keep it light, but Toby's principles force him to pull rank and go harder. The consequence - Toby's friend isn't getting released from prison in Indonesia any time soon. Richard Schiff's acting is fantastic in the scene as it begins to dawn on him just what "doing the right thing" has cost him. We almost see him die a little inside. Sam has his own low point of the night when it turns out Sledge Hammer has bought Laurie as his date. His decision to further his association with her has consequences too.

Mandy and Josh have to make a decision about how they deal with the faceoff between the extremists and Federal Agents. Mandy is far more idealistic than Josh about the whole situation, and she revels in the fact that the President takes her advice, not Josh's, but that's short lived when she discovers the consequences of that decision - the probable death of the negotiator she urged Bartlet to send in. Josh's "Well you're in the game now" reveals that he's been on the wrong end of these choices a great many times. For Mandy, it's absolutely crushing.

With all the weighty stuff in this episode it's nice to have moments of levity, and they come courtesy of the interpreting snafu and Danny's flirting with CJ.

Above all things this episode is just really well written. It has a lot to squeeze into its running time yet nothing feels rushed and all the subplots, and hence characters, get their moment to shine, and shine they do. There are episodes that are great and as a result the running time just flies by - before you know it they're over, but there are other episodes that are great, but are so densely plotted and so flawlessly executed that they feel more like a film. This is one of those. By this time The West Wing was already my favourite TV show on the air, but if I think back it was probably this episode which made me realise what potential the show really had. It could be the best show I'd ever seen. Turns out, it was, and still is.

Random observations:

I feel a bit sorry for the Indonesian president during the photo-ops. They make him out to be a real stuffed shirt, but I bet if he was talking to Bartlet in Indonesian (any one of the 583 varieties) Jed would be a little terse too.

There aren't many moments in this show where Toby gets comprehensively schooled, but the most extreme example of it can be found in this episode where he gets put in his place in no uncertain manner by Rahmadi Sumahijo Bambang (no, I can't spell it correctly either but IMDb is my friend).

Sam's "I'll give you $10,000 not to go home with that guy tonight" kills me. In an episode full of great lines it's hard to single one out, but I couldn't not mention that one.

I guess Sorkin is a big Yo-Yo Ma fan. Tiny spoiler: We actually get to see him play next season, not just hear his music.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, turns out FLotUS is a Pink Lady.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

S01E06: Mr. Willis of Ohio

"There is one fruit..." Yes, it's another opening that doesn't consist of any actual writing, more an exposition of various random trivia. As I mentioned previously though, I love that kind of stuff, and to this day I still know all 14 punctuation marks and regularly ask people which three words begin with DW.

The way I see it, the main thrust of this episode (involving the eponymous Mr. Willis) asks the question of what would happen if you abolished all lobby groups and soft money contributions and simply had two sides state their case to an impartial observer and let the chips fall where they may. Of course, Mr. Willis being a Social Studies teacher is somewhat convenient, but it allows for an interesting constitutional discussion. As someone from the UK, "everything I know about US politics I learned from watching The West Wing", and the 3/5s portion of the constitution was a bit of an eye-opener.

In the B plot we get some character development in the form of a field trip to a local bar, where Zoe gets harrassed by Milo from 24 and a few of his buddies. The purpose of it is to show what a good guy Charlie is, but it does a better job of showing how incapable Sorkin is of writing realistic dialogue for college kids. It's absolutely cringe-worthy. It does allow for some nice one-liners afterwards though, mostly while Josh, Sam and Charlie wait for the president.

Overall this feels like a bit of a nothing episode, where the whole manages to be less than the sum of its parts. There's some nice small talk (the dispute between Donna and Josh is well done, with a humourous coda) and a little bit of character development, but it's hard to really care about much of what goes on. The appropriations bill is about as dry as it gets and no amount of factoids make up for that. It's not a "bad" episode, during the entire run I'd say there are only two episodes that I'd describe in that way, it's just not very good.

Random observations:

If a Congress(wo)man dies in office does their significant other really serve out their term? That seems a tad unbelievable to me.

"It's OK by me, so long as it's not the same people who decide what's on television." Ain't that the truth.

Mr. Willis' parting words to Toby (the "wisdom of Solomon" speech) sound remarkably like something Jed would say.

For a Democratic president Bartlet has some decidedly conservative views on things, as exemplified by his conversation with Leo ("You're the man - fix it"). I know he backtracks later, but from the heart's abundance the mouth speaks.

Episode grade: D

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

CJ's total ignorance concerning the census made me question her later promotion to CoS. Bartlet said it needed to be someone smarter than you, and sorry, but CJ was never the smartest person in the room (except maybe in The Long Goodbye - and yes, I know I'm evil for even thinking that, but there you have it).

Probably the most famous scene in this episode is Bartlet's diatribe at Zoe concerning her potential kidnapping. It's famous due to its almost pinpoint accuracy in its description of the events in Commencement and Twenty Five. I often wonder if Sorkin ended his time on the show in that way to go out with a bang or simply to paint his successors into a hideous corner. I like to think it's a little of both.

S01E05: The Crackpots and These Women

Yes, it's our first "Big block of cheese" episode. I have a soft spot for these, as very often I find myself being taught stuff and entertained at the same time - always good.

Our first crackpot is Ted from Scrubs. While not taking him seriously Sam's still left with a nagging doubt about the alledged UFO over the Pacific.

During the early stages of the episode there is clearly friction between Toby and Jed. While it manifests itself in small ways initially (the basketball game, the press conference prep), it really comes to the surface during the Oval Office meeting where they discuss the LA trip. "Nobody ever looks like Joe McCarthy, that's how they get in the door in the first place" is a line that never fails to give me chills, and yet again we see that Toby finds it incredibly hard to just shrug things off when he's really impassioned about them.

Ron Swanson (!!!) then makes a less than compelling case for a wolf highway to CJ. Is it wrong that when the troupe reveals Pluie's fate I just crack up at their earnestness? After all, what's $900 million between friends?

As if Toby wasn't fragile enough at this point in the episode, Mandy then drops the bombshell that he wasn't PotUS first choice for Communications Director. There's a silver lining to that cloud though, as it proves to be the catalyst for genuine reconciliation between him and the President.

If you don't love Josh by the end of this episode then you're dead inside. The whole plotline of his nuclear strike card is wonderfully done. As gradually we see the penny drop with him that neither Sam, nor Toby, nor CJ get one, then see his visit to his psychiatrist, we begin to realise what a soft centre the President's bulldog really has. The scene where Ave Maria is playing and he has the conversation with CJ reduces me to tears every... single... time. His speech about smallpox is unbelievably well written and acted, and the whole scene is capped off beautifully with his tension-breaking "Well you better hurry 'cause I'm the only one with one of these cards." Then he gives the card back. He really is very sweet sometimes.

Right toward the end we get what I feel is the only duff note in the episode, which is Jed and Leo's appraisal of the women in the room. It's one of those cloyingly sentimental scenes that Sorkin occasionally throws in when he forgets that he's writing the best series ever. However, as far as the rest of the episode it's like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way.

Random observations:

Oh the irony that possibly the most idealistic person in the room gets described as one of the "more jaded" staff members.

I think they said Larry Posner when they meant Michael Bay.

Episode grade: A+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

This episode is only enhanced when watched knowing Josh's full backstory, and which Donna nails when she's talking to Amy in Commencement. Talking of which, I'd never picked up before on Sam's line that his relationship with his secretary was like Donna and Josh's. Oh no it isn't.

S01E04: Five Votes Down

Once again, Sorkin goes to The American President well, but what a corker of an episode. The Monday caption at the outset along with the episode title tell us this is going to be a race against time to get back five votes that they've lost which is the difference between passing a bill or not. The President's speech where he promises success in the issue raises the stakes. Then we get the wonderful walk and talk with playful banter (which introduces a recurring theme of Toby's less than ecstatic reaction to the President's delivery of Toby's lines), and guess what - we still haven't hit the opening credits yet.

So who are our five defectors? Katzenmoyer and Wicke are our first two, though both Josh and Sam find Wicke an unlikely defector for some reason. O'Bannon makes three, and Sam guesses Tillinghouse and LeBrandt as four and five. The scene makes it clear that all these people are staggeringly in the know when it comes to the literally hundreds of members of the house. We'll deal with each of these and their various motivations in the course of the review. As a side issue, this encyclopaedic knowledge comes at a price, exemplified by Leo's failure to remember his own anniversary.

Katzenmoyer is Josh's first target, and he goes in hard against him. Just as we found out earlier that Leo is in actuality more powerful than Hoynes, so Josh is more powerful than any congressman. His whole shakedown is great writing, and Whitford nails it. One down, four to go. Actually, three down, two to go. Josh's performance was so great that O'Bannon and LeBrandt fall into line too.

Chris Wicke is next, and as it turns out all he wants is a game of chess with Bartlet. While it makes Josh sick (Wicke was a personal friend, which explains Josh's incredulity over his defection), at least it means four down, one to go. Tillinghouse is out due to Leo's feud with Hoynes, so off goes Leo to the previously unmentioned Richardson.

With the introduction of Richardson we see the first honourable congressman of the episode. He actually has a valid reason for voting down the bill, and as much as Josh displayed an in-depth knowledge of the bill in the previous scene, Richardson leaves him in the shade. He puts Leo in his place, which just goes to show that when you have the facts on your side all the power in the world doesn't mean a thing (something Bartlet alluded to in his speech at the start). Yes, in this episode a lowly congressman manages to accomplish what the VP couldn't, and all because he's right.

As it turns out, they need Hoynes to go to Tillinghouse after all (another congressman that is actually voting his conscience, though that soon changes when Hoynes wields his "I'm going to be president" stick), and that's that. Five votes grabbed, which saves Bartlet's face after the Monday speech.

The stoned Bartlet scene is fantastic - there's really nothing else to say about it. I defy any West Wing fan to dislike it.

Of course, with the VP coming into save the day, he ends up making all the political hay out of the events of the past 48 hours, and looking at this episode with the hindsight of familiarly with the Josh/Hoynes relationship, Bradley Whitford does a fantastic job when Leo says "Listen, we won" to him. Just look at his eyes during that sequence. Brilliant acting.

I guess the thing I really love about this episode is the realism that gets injected into it. The manouvering and political chicanery all feel eminently believable. Hey, it has to be good, because I haven't even mentioned smoking jackets, stock options or Leo's alcoholism, the first two in particular being lovely and whimsical subplots which will never be mentioned again yet really add something to the episode.

Random observations:

Leo get upset about the mis-spelling of a dictators name, but when he gets asked for names he "don't got 'em yet"?!

According to Sam, between Tillinghouse and LeBrandt, if they got one then they'd get both. So why was LeBrandt so easy and Tillinghouse so hard?

Things not to say to your wife: "X is more important than my marriage." I'm not married, never have been, but even I know that.

The sudden reconciliation between Leo and Hoynes feels really strange and out of place. I don't think Tim Matheson does a particularly good job in the scene, though the whole thing seems weird to me.

Episode grade: A-

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

"I'm going to be President some day..." Oh John, how wrong you are.

"Welcome to the NFL." This coming from the man who lost the Presidency because he didn't listen to Josh. Maybe "The pupil becomes the master" would have been more appropriate.

S01E03: A Proportional Response

The early scene in this episode provides a lovely insight into the character and morality of Toby, as he's often at odds with the rest of the staff when a principle is involved, and while Toby can often be more pragmatic than most of senior staff (Leo excepted), if he gets a bee in his bonnet he really can't let it go.

"What is the virtue of a proportional response?" On the one hand it's an interesting ethical debate, on the other, it's an incredibly familiar phrase, at least it will be if you've ever seen the Sorkin-penned The American President. When you watch it it's almost like seeing the real pilot episode of the show, and it touches on a theme: Sorkin often recycles, be that actors, plotlines, actual lines of dialogue or even episode titles. While I don't have encyclopaedic knowledge of these crossovers, I have seen pretty much everything he's ever written and a pretty good memory to boot, so I'll try to spotlight them as they occur. The proportional response line was a particularly notable example, though while I'm talking about The American President I may as well add for those few that haven't seen it, Martin Sheen takes the Leo role (CoS). In all honesty, I wish they'd reused the "this is the least Presidential thing I do" line too.

"Your transcripts, these grades are better than mine... well, not really but it's close." One of the things I loved about Josh in the early episodes was his cockiness. As much as I loved all these characters, in the early episodes Josh was definitely edging it as my favourite.

While I'm talking about the things I loved about characters, the way Toby rattled off the missile stuff when he's effectively a speech writer was incredibly cool.

We also get to meet Danny in this episode (who would later join Josh at Studio 60 in another one of those Sorkin crossovers). Quite how Sorkin manages to convey that Danny is the bigshot in the press room in the space of a couple of sentences is beyond me, but I guess thats why he's writing award winning series and I'm typing up a blog post.

Random observations:

Charlie takes care of his little sister, so Josh thinks it's a good idea to give him a job that involves 20 hour days? That guy has a serious work/life balance problem.

If the picture Mandy gives Josh is from the first time they met then why are they hugging like they're going out? I get the feeling there was a miscommunication between the writing department and the props department on that one.

I've heaped a fair amount of praise on Sorkin in this episode, but he occasionally throws in these really twee moments that can almost make you cringe. He does it in this episode when everyone in the oval office shuts up and hangs on the words of the black kid that no one's ever seen before. It then gets compounded when Leo (after apparantly letting Barlet get away with several snaps at his wife, to mention nothing of his mauling of the joint chiefs) decides that he needs a dressing down for sniping the new kid. Maybe it's the straw which breaks the camel's back, but even so... Don't worry though, we get lovable Jed back by the end of the episode with the cloyingly sentimental scene where he finds out which gun was used to kill Charlie's mother. Leo's "raise up an army" line also made me wince. On the other hand, Josh's "It doesn't go away" line gave me chills.

Episode grade: C+

So what did you all think?

Spoilers for the future follow.

"I had an interview with Miss de la Guardia..." Wasn't it Debbie Fidderer who spotted Charlie? Of course, Sam later refers to her as Debbie, so maybe de la Guardia was her maiden name and then she was married. Having said that, Lily Tomlin doesn't particularly look like a de la Guardia to me, but we'll give them a pass for at least getting her first name right.

"I've got some real honest-to-God battles here, I don't have time for the cosmetic ones." Still, Fitz will find time to weigh in on the gays in the military plotline further down the road.