S3e3- Ways and Means (Come and get us.)

Pair this image...

With this theme song...

... and you get my summary of this episode.

That's right.  One episode after almost submitting her resignation, C.J. is back, and she's pulling all the strings behind the scene.  Essentially, this entire episode is about her moving the debate from the Special Prosecutor, Clem Rollins (hard to hate a guy named "Clem") to the House of Representatives.  But let CJ tell you:

C.J.- Leo, we need to be investigated by someone who wants to kill us just to watch us die. We need someone perceived by the American people to be irresponsible, untrustworthy, partisan, ambitious and thirsty for the limelight. Am I crazy or is this not a job for the U.S. House of Representatives?

BAM!  You're awesome, C.J..  You know what would really be awesome?  If your devious plan worked, and after carefully manipulating the press into forcing the hands of Republicans in Congress to start hearings sooner so you have the enemy you want to fight (instead of poor ole' Clem), if you could have a badass tag line and a nice shot zooming out on you... 

Like the Capo you are, leading your Famiglia.   

Can you have a tagline too?  Something that sends us to the credits?

Thanks, C.J..  You're amazing.

In other news:

1. The President is going to veto the repeal of the Death Estate Tax.  He may sign it, he may stamp it, he may even sign and stamp it, but it's getting the repeal.  
2. Doug- still a tool. 
3. Connie Britton's character?  Still named Connie (seriously, was she just cast in this role that happened to be named Connie, or were they worried she wouldn't respond when other actors said "Connie?")
4. Donna- going crazy with her boxes.  Nearly misses having a date with Cliff Calley (another tool, not just because he's a Republican, though) because she was going crazy with her boxes.  Date with Cliff the Tool ends when he realizes the significance of her boxes, and that he probably can't be the lawyer for the people suing to see what's in the boxes and date the Donna in charge of organizing the boxes.
5. Lastly, Sam has some fairly decent Spanish skills, and definitely would have held his own with Cruz and Rubio in that one debate...

Lo siento por que le recuerda esto.

(I am sorry for reminding you of this.)

What's Next?  S3e4- On the Day Before

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S3e1&2- Manchester (Part I &II) (The President finds you all annoying, but not prohibitively debilitating.)

Welcome, Season 3!

This two part episode is essentially two episodes separated by four weeks-starting directly after President Bartlet's announcement that he would run for re-election, and four weeks later, as the whole staff goes to Manchester to make a more formal campaign announcement.  Shake up sections from each episode, blend it together, and you have a two-part season premiere.

Though there are several sub-plots in this episode, in my mind these two episodes circle around C.J.- which makes a whole lot of sense.  After the President's announcement, C.J. is the one member of the staff who is going to constantly face questions and pressure in the wake of his medical disclosure.  We see the impact of this news, whether in stories that didn't get covered (an agrigultural deal with Argentina), or more disastrously, on how stories get covered- as in the case of the military action in Haiti to restore the democratically elected government.

CARL- C.J., would you say that the President's situation makes it harder for him to focus on the situation in Haiti?
C.J.- To be honest with you, Carl, I think the President's relieved to be focusing on something that matters.

Bam.- and just like that, C.J., the person who was among the last to be told about the President's illness, the person who had shouldered the brunt of all the press questions, broke under the pressure and gave in to the frustration that must have been mounting (for sure, there was a ramp-up).  The quote isn't terrible at face-value, except when you consider the implication that he's relieved to be sending troops into harms way; not the most sensitive message given the circumstances.  Then, Leo decides that from that point forward, Nancy McNally will be briefing the press on the Haiti situation.  After several hints, C.J. tells the President that she will submit her resignation shortly after the announcement.   Thank goodness, the President starts to lecture C.J. and she gets in his face, which reminds him how much he needs her.  So, that crisis averted and C.J. once again back in the fold, let's check in on everyone else:

Josh continues to be Aaron Sorkin's Freudian Slip Machine- trying to fix the FDA's approval of RU-486; the very real Mifepristone, and confusing that with his misstep with the Tobacco Lawsuit.  I've got to say, I'm surprised that Josh actually asked everyone about leaking the memo and did it anyways, unless it is an expression of his frustration after learning about the President's illness.  Also, Josh needs to not make Donna get their bags.  Come on, man!

Don't play pool with Charlie for money.

Toby didn't want to do an announcement, and these signs are why.  But don't worry, he's fixing it:

Toby also has a new nemesis, and so do you.  Sensing, perhaps, that the audience missed the opportunity to loath a character to the extent that they disliked Mandy, Aaron Sorkin introduces Doug- the political consultant from hell.

Doug.

Thankfully, Doug has a jerk-idiot translator in Connie- the imaginatively named political consultant played by Connie Britton.  Seriously, it could only be worse if she spoke with a Cockney accent.

Connie, played by Connie

But wait- those aren't the only guest stars!  We also get Bruno- the political consultant brought in to help the campaign:

Bruno (who Leo doubts has ever voted in his life)

Most importantly, at the end of Part 2, we get a terrific pep talk from the President, who reminds them that not only do they want to win, they want to be right.  So, we're going to write a new book, and it starts here: Break's Over.  Cue the Band, it's time to run for re-election!

While it's clear that reelection is going to be a major focus in this season, these two episodes are very issue-light and character-conflict heavy.  I just read an interview with the producer of another television series talking about one of the benefits of placing a time difference between seasons is that you don't have to tie up every loose end.  Starting Season 3 with the last 3 minutes of Season 2 ensured that those each of those loose ends needed to be addressed, and after these two episodes, it feels like the show is ready to move forward into a new ark; no longer how he will reveal and what will happen after he does, but now how does he run for re-election, and what will the fall-out be, both politically and legally.

What's Next?  S3e3- Ways and Means

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S2e22- Two Cathedrals (Give me numbers.)

And just like that... we reach the end of Season 2.

This is a huge episode.  Most of the time, I try to write this blog like a seasoned pro who has watched this show several times, and is able to achieve some emotional distance from the plot and direction of the show.

This episode is not one of those times.  

Quick recap:
Leo: Taking meetings, not impressed by them.  Hopes Bartlet runs for reelection- even after he says he won't.
Sam: Clearly still struggling with the reality, clearly shouldn't be the one to meet with strategists.  Really doesn't think they should go on tv.
Josh: Would really like to light up Big Tobacco (pardon the pun)- generally worried.
C.J.: Still a badass, not sure if she wants to work at the White House anymore.
Toby: Offered a job, offended by job offer.  Worried about lighting the President from outside the windows.  Don't worry, though- they are lighting him from outside the window.
Donna: Still the calmest person in all the Senior Staff; manages to be worried about the President's well being and still do her job.  She's the best, to remind you.
Jane Lynch: Back in the Press Office (hasn't been there since S2e1- In the Shadow of Two Gunman)

The episode's title, "Two Cathedrals" refers to both the venue of Mrs. Landingham's funeral Washington National Cathedral and the chapel at the President's high school, where his father was the headmaster and Mrs. Landingham was the secretary to the headmaster.

The actress who plays the young Mrs. Landingham is a friend of Kathryn Joosten's, who recorded all of the lines for her so she can get the cadence and intonation correct- which might add to why the scenes portraying their relationship while the President was in High School are so eerie.  Mrs. Landingham attempts to get a younger Jed to advocate on behalf of the female employees of the school, who are being paid considerably less than the male employees (thankfully, this is an issue that no longer exists in the oh wait, I forgot it's still an issue).  This isn't an issue we're able to see Jed bring up, because unfortunately, his father has read a quote in the student newspaper-

"If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn."

An ironic quote, given the fact that Jed flaunts his intelligence, his father hits him and he's unable to talk to his father about the pay inequity that Mrs. Landingham has brought up.  However, it does help to explain some things that are shared a bit later in the episode.

Resource time:  here's your guide to Latin Phrases the President speaks in his tirade to God in the Cathedral after the service.

gratias tibi ago, domine.
Thank you, Lord.

haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito?
Am I to believe these things from a righteous god, a just god, a wise god?
cruciatus in crucem
To hell with your punishments! (literally "(put/send) punishments onto a cross")
tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci.
I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty.
cruciatus in crucem -- (with a dismissive wave of the hand) eas in crucem
To hell with your punishments!
And to hell with you! (literally, "may you go to a cross")"

You're welcome.

Kleenex alert: 35:28.  When Mrs. Landingham walks back into the Oval Office after the President has called out for her, it's hard not to lose it.  It's even harder to keep it together when she does exactly what everyone has been hoping for: remind this man she's known for years that he possesses the compassion, intelligence and leadership to right just a few of the many wrongs that exist out in the world- she makes him give her numbers.  She also tells him that his father was "a prick who could never get over the fact that he wasn't as smart as his brothers." This is an imaginary conversation on a fictitious television show, and I'm moved every time- mostly because of the echoed statements between the two of them in the retrospective scenes and current.

Then, the President get's in his car to go to the State Department for a press conference- and drives by the Washington Cathedral at the very moment that a janitor is picking up his discarded cigarette (the sign of disrespect previously mentioned by Headmaster Bartlet).  Aaron Sorkin is a master dramaturge, but my disbelief can't be this suspended.  Clearly, he forgot to write a line for Charlie, which should have read:

"Hey Bill (a great name for a driver)- the President asked for the scenic route."

Or, C.J. should have said- "OK- here now, after a significant transportation delay, is the President."

What am I talking about?

Now, I'm assuming that the Presidential motorcade could make the drive a bit faster, but why not just... you know- go right to the State Department?  

(Thanks, Google Maps, for making me look smart and snarky at the same time!)

One thing I only noticed this time?  The President forgoes his overcoat in the Tropical Storm, getting fairly well drenched.  Charlie offers him one, but he ignores it.  Once Charlie gets the President off the Portico, he takes of his own coat.  Because if President Bartlet is going to get soaked, then dammit, so is Charlie.  That's devotion.  I couldn't help but look- everyone else is shown either putting on their coats or bundling up even more into them.  Something about this made me appreciate the extent of Charlie's devotion a bit more.

When it aired, this episode was criticized for being a cliffhanger.  Really?  Take a second look at 20:45 into the episode:

MRS. LANDINGHAM- You're going to do it.
JED- Well, I didn't say that.
MRS. LANDINGHAM- Yes, you did.
JED- When?
MRS. LANDINGHAM- Just then. You stuck your hands in your pockets. You looked away and smiled.
MRS. LANDINGHAM- That means you made up your mind.
JED- That doesn't mean anything.
MRS. LANDINGHAM- Yes, it does.
JED- I stuck my hands in my pockets!
MRS. LANDINGHAM- And looked away, and smiled. We're in.

Leo is right on when he says at 42:50- "Watch this" - and sure enough, President Bartlet puts his hand in his pockets, looks away, and smiles.

We're in.

Thanks, Mrs. Landingham.

What's Next?  Season 3!

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S2e21- 18th and Potomac

Whew.

Just got done watching this episode, and I think the same thing every time- why does Charlie have to be the one who gets the phone call?

He spends what seems like a decent part of the day being shocked by Mrs. Landindham- no surround sound, no subwoofer, no tow package, no extended warranty.  She even paid sticker price, to Charlie's amazement.

So why does Charlie, whose mother switched to the shift she was killed on for him, whose boss and the guy that hired him were shot by people were trying to shoot him- why does Charlie have to be the one to get the phone call that Mrs. Landingham has been killed in her new blue car by a drunk driver at 18th and Potomac?

Because it hurts more.

Why kill Mrs. Landingham?  As a plot device, we'll find out more in the next episode, but that episode is more about President Bartlet than it is Mrs. Landingham.  It turns out that the actor that plays her, Kathryn Joosten, went out for a cigarette with Aaron Sorkin at a charity banquet and shared with him that she was shooting a pilot for another show.  Then, Sorkin started thinking about what it would be like to not have her in the cast... and then, she was getting pulled into the producers office to discuss her exit from the show.

So, here you go, Mrs. Landingham- the three things I'll miss the most about you:

1- There are few things more entertaining than hearing one of your parents use language outside their colloquial nomenclature.  I always felt like Toby and Josh asking Mrs. Landingham a simple question- "Who da men?"(S1e9- The Short List) was a sign of both their love of her and her role in the office.  She endeared herself to the audience and characters by responding:

2- Often times, she was the only person who could call out the President, and get away with it.  Consider the following conversation (S1e19- Let Bartlet be Bartlet), regarding his dissatisfaction with his lunch:

Charlie: He says it's made almost entirely of vegetables.
Mrs. Landingham: Yes, it's a salad, Charlie.
Charlie: The President would prefer a sandwich. He says roast beef will be fine, pastrami, sliced steak...
Mrs. Landingham: Charlie, tell the President he will eat his salad, and if he doesn't like it, he knows where to put his salad.

And he wouldn't dare try to steal her beer (S1e5- The Crackpots and These Women).

3- She kept a cookie jar on her desk with cookies that she could give on a bad day and refuse on a snippy day and always knew what was next.  So when we heard the story of her two sons (S1e10), we realized just how much she had already given to her country, and the fact that she hadn't missed a day in 14 years of working for Bartlet only made us love her more.  If it was possible, after this:

What's Next?  S2e22- Two Cathedrals

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S2e20- The Fall's Gonna Kill You (The sky is falling down.)

More and more people are learning about the President's illness- C.J. clearly learned the night before this episode takes place, where she starts her day at 5:30am with a meeting with the always-charming Oliver Babish.

The big question is whether the President's illness will be as C.J. suggests (responding to the concern that putting a poll into the field will give the impression that they revealed his MS in response to that poll):

"You guys are like Butch and Sundance peering over the edge of a cliff to the boulder-filled rapids 300 feet below, thinking you better not jump 'cause there's a chance you might drown. The President has this disease and has been lying about it, and you guys are worried that the polling might make us look bad? It's the fall that's gonna kill ya!"

C.J.'s position is considerably more jaded that Josh's because she is the one who had delivered the results of the President's physicals, and confides in Mrs. Bartlet that she saw her inject her husband with something during the campaign, and that she only ever asks the President if there's anything else she "needs" to know- a wording designed to maintain deniability.  Which doesn't bode well for C.J., who ends the episode not exactly feeling like a part of the gang.

OR!

Will the revelation of the President's MS be like Donna's Chinese Satellite- one of 17,000 pieces of man-made space junk that have returned to earth, but miraculously never hurt anyone.  In another words- does it just seem like the sky is falling, but it will all be ok?  Maybe the whole senior staff doesn't realize that this is all very benign- happens every day and isn't a big deal.  We're going to be looking to Donna a lot for optimism in the coming episodes.

The lowest hanging fruit available to me currently is to compare this whole space objects crashing safely/death by falling off a cliff metaphor chain that "The West Wing" is working to the nomination of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for President.  Unfortunately, the mere fact that he has been nominated indicates that we are already a political Jackson Pollack painting on the rocks below the cliff- that is to say, we have already gone "splat."

The next rung of fruit available that might provide some insight into the multitude of ways that "The West Wing" imitates life as a whole would be to compare it to the end of a school year- some students rushing to leave everything behind them that they crash on their way out; others hurdle themselves through and truly commence at Commencement without so much as a scratch.  However, that's only an interesting analogy if you happen to be a teacher of high school students, and are thinking about anything besides dragging yourself across the finish line (by the skin of one's teeth) yourself!

So instead, I will get out my ladder, and from such a lofty perch, I'm going to talk about parenting.  My one year old started to walk this past month, and in the short amount of time he's been moving on his own, it has been a study in risk management.  First, let's be clear on the fact that from an engineering standpoint, it would be better if he were not both upright and mobile at the same time.  With a head that is large even by our high standards as Irish people with big heads, approximately 60% of his body's weight sits above his shoulders.  He has pudgy feet that are cute, but clearly not the most stable foundation upon which to stand, much less perambulate.  He is also unable to resist joining in applause; if he hears clapping, he must join in- whether it is on the tv, one of his toys (thanks, Fisher Price) or a parent congratulating him on his newfound mobility.  In most ways, every time he initiates movement, we are watching him enter a process that will either end in an amazingly miraculous safe (albeit clumsy) landing or a cataclysmic tumble leading to tears (mostly by us).

Why does all this matter?  Because while I would love it if he were safely earth-bound and unwilling to move that giant noggin more than a safe torso-length away from the floor, the truth is that he won't get very far in either our living room or life doing so.   I talk to those students who are about to graduate about the inherent risk involved in choosing to try something new- and my son is a wonderful example of that.  Watching this episode, you can't help but hope that these wonderful characters will find a safe resting place, and that their faith in each other won't be crushed in the process.

Also, heaven help us if "He Who Must Not Be Named" (my new moniker for Trump) is elected.  Sorry- that low-hanging fruit is just so tasty.

What's Next?  S2e21-18th and Potomac

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S2e19- Bad Moon Rising (Bring it on)

If you're keeping track at home, President Bartlet is apparently on his fifth White House Counsel in his first 3 years in office.  Apparently, they all want to have more input than is allowed; a problem that Oliver Babish isn't going to have, given the events of this episode.  

If this was a higher-budget blog, I would have created a "In Memoriam" video montage for the dearly departed Lionel Tribbey.  

Unfortunately, this isn't a higher-budget blog.  Instead, you get to look at the following image, and sing to yourself Sarah McLaughlin's "I Will Remember You" 

(try to hold it together)

Anyways- out with the old, in with the new.  Meet your newest White House Counsel:

Nope, that's not it...

Still not it...

Ok, I really enjoy Oliver Platt in "Three Musketeers."  Sorry...

There he is- Oliver Babish, with the gavel given to his grandfather by Supreme Court Justice Brandeis.  He's very proud.

So, why do we need to know about the new White House Counsel?  Now that Toby has figured out that something is wrong, it's clear that the President needs to speak with his lawyer, and begin plans to tell the senior staff and eventually, the public.  

Mr. Babish is from Chicago, and was about to go on vacation when the President and Leo show up to ruin his week.  So, after some preliminary questions and the start of conversations, Babish seems convinced that it everything seems in order- a bit too in order:

LEO- I mean, in the two and a half hours we've been sitting here have you discovered one thing 

that he's done wrong? 

OLIVER- No. 

LEO- So, what's your problem? 

OLIVER- That's my problem, Leo. Are you out of your mind? He did everything right. He did 

everything you do if your intent is to perpetrate a fraud. 

Thankfully, there is something rotten in Denmark- Zoey had to submit a health form giving medical history, and she didn't put the MS on the form, and Abigail Bartlet signed it (Lady Macbeth, as President Bartlet calls her- hence the Denmark reference).  So, Babish's recommendation is to tell the staff, tell the public, and then invite the Attorney General to pick a Special Prosecutor to dig through the whole matter.  Babish even suggests a motto for the administration in this: "Bring it on."

That's right- "Bring it on."  Meet your new media consultant:

Seriously- the movie "Bring it On" came out one year before this episode aired, and I remember thinking that it was a terrible line back then.  Hasn't gotten much better, but that only makes you appreciate the moments of genius more!

Less-Major plotlines:

- Josh/Donna update- they're talking about bailing out Mexico, but really it's all flirtation.  

- The oil tanker that Sam was uneasy about purchasing on the last day before he went to work for the campaign ran into Delaware and is leaking oil.  He's not happy about it, since he wanted them to buy better boats (or are they called ships?).

- Someone leaked a story, Toby channelled his anger at the President to CJ, and told her to find the leak; an impossible task. 

- Gail gets two fishbowls- one with oil leaking (for Sam's tanker) and one with a hundred-dollar bill in it for the Mexico Bailout.

It's worth noting that this episode is 4th from the end of Season 2- expect the pace to quicken, and for the title of the episode to ring true: there truly is a bad moon rising over the Bartlet Administration.

What's Next?  S2e20-The Fall's Gonna Kill You

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S2e18- 17 People (They forgot the funny.)

Ah, "17 People."

The composer Igor Stravinsky felt strongly that the greatest creativity could be found by establishing very strict parameters to work in; that the limiting of options emboldened the mind to explore new options.  "17 People" features the most limited cast in the series: only Emily Proctor (Ainsley Hayes), William Duffy (Larry or Ed) and Peter James Smith (Ed or Larry) serve as co-stars.  This episode is the only one that Allison Janney isn't in (she had to fly to London to reshoot scenes for "The Hours), and the show is shot entirely on already built sets.  Warner Brothers asked Sorkin to shoot a no frills (inexpensive) episode- and the result is one of the best episodes in the series.

Toby's Pink Rubber Ball plays a major role (I told you it was important), because Toby can't figure something out, and when Toby can't figure something out, he bounces his Notorious PRB.

And so, Toby thinks a little, bounces a little, asks Leo a few questions, and repeats.  For 6 nights and 23 minutes- until he figures it out.

Why did John Hoynes admonish the Oil Industry?  Why did he put a poll in the field?  Why is he taking a break from a camping trip to give a speech in New Hampshire?

Why does John Hoynes think President Bartlet won't run for reelection?

All this leads to Toby becoming the first member of the Senior Staff to learn that the President has Multiple Sclerosis.

As you're watching to this episode, the PRB becomes the soundtrack of impending doom- it's brought back when Toby asks Leo what's going on before the theme song rolls, and closes the episode right before the credits start to roll.

Of course, Toby doesn't take any of this well.  Shock, disbelief, anger, confusion; and the conflict that always simmers between the President and Toby- a natural conflict of character and personality, boils over and leads to the President throwing papers of his desk with such violence that this was as close as I could get to capturing a photo of it:

So, I wouldn't say that the conversation goes extremely well, except that after telling Toby that he's not going to apologize for not telling him about the MS, he apologizes to Toby.

So, what plotlines are steamrolled by this confrontation between Bartlet, Toby and the truth?

Josh bought Donna flowers to be a jerk, but it turns out the real jerk was Donna's ex-boyfriend, who stopped for a beer before picking her up from the hospital after getting into a car accident.  Josh/Donna fans exalt in the following line of dialogue:

JOSH- I’m just sayin’ if you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for a beer.
DONNA- If you were in an accident, I wouldn’t stop for red lights.

Ainsley is going back to her Alma Mater in order to receive an award and will speak out against the Equal Rights Ammendment, and she and Sam get into a fantastic debate over it.

Most prominently, Bartlet has the White House Correspondent's Dinner coming up, and looking over his speech, it's clear that the writers forgot the funny- so it's up to Sam, Josh, Donna, Ainsley, Ed and Larry to punch up the jokes.  The juxtaposition of the search for humor along with the discovery of a somber truth creates wonderful tension and the release of that tension, in typical Sorkin form.   Watching this so soon after President Obama's final Correspondent's Dinner was nice- although in fairness, most of President Obama's humor was found by simply telling the truth with regard to the current state of affairs- which is slightly depressing.

One last thing- I'd really like to know what the joke was that involved a John Wayne impression and a sock puppet.

West Winging It Blog Out.

What's Next?  S2e19- Bad Moon Rising

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