S1e9- The Short List (There’s many a slip twixt the tongue and the wrist.)

Look, I understand that filling a seat on the Supreme Court is a timely topic to discuss, given the recent death of Justice Scalia and the reluctance of Senate Republicans to, you know- do their job.  I could also applaud Aaron Sorkin for accurately predicting that the right to privacy will indeed be the biggest issue of the next twenty years- only a few days ago Apple began a very public fight against court orders to unlock an iPhone found on the body of one of the San Bernadino shooters.  I could also discuss the decision to make Leo, one of the most likable characters, a recovering addict; something that both John Spencer and Aaron Sorkin know plenty enough about.  These are all incredibly worthy topics, as is the discussion of the difference between moderate and nondescript as it pertains to judicial prowess.

So what am I going to blog about today, while watching this episode?

Donna.  That's right, Donna.  

Commedia dell'arte was one of the earliest forms of profesional theater, best known for the stock character types used in their productions.  One such type is Colombina, who is a servant girl who, despite her station, was known as the smartest and wittiest characters on stage.  This immediately upsets the social order, and provides wonderful dramatic fodder.  Why do I bring this up?  Donna shares many of the characteristics of Colombina.  At the start of the episode, when Josh is celebrating getting his nominee to the Supreme Court, Donna offers the following: 

JOSH- Peyton Cabot Harrison III. He sounds like he should be a Supreme Court justice.

DONNA- It’s a good name.

JOSH- Phillips Exeter, Princeton, Rhodes scholar, Harvard Law Review, for which he was, oh yeah, 

the editor. Did I mention that he was dean of Harvard Law School? Did I mention that his 

father was attorney general to Eisenhower?

DONNA- Peyton Cabot Harrison III. 

JOSH- That’s right.

DONNA- Jewish fellow?

...

JOSH- You know what we’re finally gonna have?

DONNA- A waspy old man in the Supreme Court?

JOSH- A smooth confirmation process.

...

JOSH- It’s gonna sail, Donna.

DONNA- There’s many a slip twixt the tongue and the wrist, Josh.

JOSH- Yes. Well, your fortune cookie wisdom notwithstanding, it’s gonna sail.

DONNA- Please don’t get your hopes up.

JOSH- Why shouldn’t I get my hopes up?

DONNA- Because when it doesn’t work out, you end up drunk in my apartment in the middle of 

the night and yell at my roommate’s cats.

JOSH-Smooth sailing, Donna.

DONNA-Cautious optimism, Josh.

JOSH- Nothing bad is gonna happen this week.

DONNA- Exercise cautious optimism.

These lines move by so quickly (thanks, Sorkin) that it's easy to miss, but twice, Donna makes a point to comment on the lack of diversity evidenced in this selection.  She also knows that even when things seem certain to succeed, they can still go wrong; that's the meaning of the proverb she misquotes: there’s many a slip twixt the tongue and the wrist (it should be twixt the cup and the lip).  Her point is only further stressed by a chunk of ceiling falling on Josh's desk, serving as punctuation for her encouragement for cautious optimism.  My point is, Donna may be Josh's assistant, without his experience or degrees, but that doesn't make him smarter than her; Columbina was often more intelligent in the ways of the world in comparison to the book-smarts of the other characters.  For the record, though, Columbina wouldn't have accrued parking tickets like Donna.  That is definately a departure between the two characters.

This is the first episode where voice is given to a larger issue with the Bartlet administration: moderation and lack of political will.  The retiring Supreme Court Justice accuses the President of running an insurgency campaign and then moving too firmly to the middle, and Josh remarks that Harrison was never who they talked about during the campaign.  The retiring Justice goes so far to say that Bartlet would lose the next election to a gutsier Republican candidate.  While Bartlet keeps his composure, some part of this meeting leads him to reconsider his appointment, eventually naming the judge who the retiring Justice encouraged him to consider.  So Bartlet, on some level agrees; will we see more of this?  

Finally, Josh seeks out reporter Danny Concannon for info and advice about the latest scandal- Congressman Lillienfield asserting that 1/3 of White House staffers use drugs on a regular basis.  Danny's council is appreciated, and as a thanks, Josh tells him that CJ likes goldfish.

Danny thinks Josh means this, 

and shows up in CJ's office like this,

but unfortunately, Josh meant this:

This exchange is touching- CJ gives us a great laugh, Danny gets a kiss on the cheek, and Gail the Goldfish is officially welcomed to the cast of The West Wing.  Keep an eye on her fishbowl- it is often decorated in a theme matching the episode.  And no, those of you who were about to ask- there was no Commedia Dell'arte character for a goldfish.

What's Next? S1e10- In Excelsis Deo (Yay for Holiday episodes!)

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