Monday 23 July 2012

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.

Monday 16 July 2012

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?

Monday 9 July 2012

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?

Monday 2 July 2012

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?