Look, it’s not fair to build up the first half of the season of West Wing like it’s gonna fix everything for me right now. It’s not fair if you’re just gonna flip the script and give the president a severe disease. (SPOILERS. Although, I mean I’m the only one who hasn’t seen it yet.) Listen, I’m going on record and saying if he doesn’t make it through both terms or has to be wheeled out of the White House, I’m NOT. GONNA. MAKE. IT. Okay?!
Phew. OK. I’m OK. I promise. OK, I’m not. Lord John Marbury? What?!
I’m starting to worry a little bit, because we’re getting a little “Newsroom”-y with some of these characters. Surely, there’s a better expert on India/Pakistan relations that this obvious lush. How would Bartlet even know someone like this?
Also, what is Mandy’s point on this show? I honestly forgot she was on the show until the episode where her anti-Bartlet memo from her past gig popped up. It begs the question: If Mandy is so smart, why isn’t she used more? Probably because this cast is pretty stinking huge.
Why, Mandy has to split air time with Sam’s prostitute/lawyer friend. Which is the most 80’s storyline of this show yet. I wasn’t very impressed with “Pretty Woman” either, so, no, not a fan of this. Good thing she graduated. Maybe she’ll get promoted to another show!
Some of the better lines from this season that I can remember: Bartlet (talking to an audience of young people): “Decisions are made by those who show up.” Josh (talking to the vice president after an aborted attempt at jogging): “I don’t know how we’ve done it, but we’ve legalized bribery.”
By far, my favorite part of this season so far is watching the president’s communications team work. Part of it is because it’s part of my new job is to handle messaging for an organization. But the other part of it is watching this fictional show in the background of a very real administration that doesn’t really value communications. Like C.J. Cregg makes one mistake and wrings her hands over it. Let’s just say that’s not happening in real life right now.
I am going to need to do more updates here, I’m sure, because I’m missing a lot. Obviously, we have to talk about the last episode. But first, a quick anecdote: When I was a journalist at the Pittsburgh Trib, the publisher died and I was invited to a ceremony honoring his life. We got there and stood around for a while, drinking champagne, checking out his fancy bathrooms and eating hors d’oeuvres. At some point, one of my old co-workers came over and said he thought Bill Clinton was there. We were in serious doubt for a moment, and then I saw some men standing around looking very … alert. They hadn’t really stood out at all, and when Clinton actually came out, I realized that they were Secret Service agents. I mention that because of this:
It is ridiculously obvious that she is a Secret Service agent, and I kinda thought it was the point to keep it a secret. Am I missing something? Is there an advantage to people knowing you are supposed to be guarding the president or his family?
I am also not sure that she is very good at being a Secret Service agent. OK, let’s paint the picture: Security is high, not just because the president wants to watch some off-brand sporting event on TV, but because there have been many threats. And here’s Gina surveying the crowd before the president’s big event (during which he drops a lot of knowledge to the kiddies — that’s for the sidebar):
She can’t quite put her finger on what’s bothering her. Surely, it can’t be the Eminem-looking skinhead standing right before her. Nah.
So anyway, Gina’s spidey-sense doesn’t kick in in time to stop this attempt, and I’m about to start watching season two. Here are the people who absolutely cannot get shot:
Toby
CJ
Josh
I’ll throw in Bartlet
also Toby
I’m going to nominate Gina for getting shot because I’m a better Secret Service agent than her.