|
7-22 2006.05.14 |
Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow The show ends with a whimper -- not a bang -- but it's a stately, dignified, slightly weepy whimper. Old friends move on; new friends move in; and in his final act as President, Jed pardons Toby. Not a bad way to end things. |
| Extra |
"I Drive Around L.A. and Try to Make People Like Me"
"The Secret Life of an Actor" - Bradley Whitford submits to a pretty nice profile written by his brother for Esquire. Who better to reveal some choice goodies about Whitford? |
2001.06.18 2001.06.18 |
Deborah |
|
| 2-22 Recap |
Rose Garden of Gethsemane
Two Cathedrals - It's not King Lear or The Book of Job, but it's as close as you're going to get on primetime television. |
2001.05.16 2001.05.23 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-21 Recap |
This Is The Dawning of the Age of Sagittarius
18th & Potomac - This is the one just before the one where the crap finally hits the fan. |
2001.05.09 2001.05.12 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-20 Recap |
But We've Got Surprise On Our Side, Right?
The Fall's Gonna Kill You - Josh, C.J. and Sam find out about the President's MS. We don't see any of that, though. |
2001.05.02 2001.05.04 |
A- |
Deborah |
| 2-19 Recap |
Bring It On
Bad Moon Rising - Jed and Leo consult White House Counsel (Oliver Platt) in an effort to determine whether Jed has perpetrated an enormous federal crime in hiding his relapsing remitting MS from the American public. Josh and Donna battle over whether to give Mexico $30 billion, and a ghost from Sam's corporate law past returns to bite him on the ass. |
2001.04.25 2001.04.26 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-18 Recap |
A Discussion For Serious Men
17 People - Toby's world is turned upside down when his curiosity about Hoynes's behaviour forces Leo to tell him about Bartlet's relapsing remitting MS. For some comic relief, Sam and Josh recruit Donna and Ainsley (and Larry and Ed, and deborah finally figures out which is which) to help punch up a speech. But how much funny can you bring in an episode without C.J.? |
2001.04.04 2001.04.06 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-17 Recap |
Dad, You've Got Mail
The Stackhouse Filibuster - When a Democratic Senator decides to stage a filibuster just prior to a recess, it not only screws the staff's weekend plans but forces them all to sit up and take notice. |
2001.03.14 2001.03.16 |
A- |
Deborah |
| 2-16 Recap |
Pardon Me
Somebody's Going To Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail - Sam's and C.J.'s worlds are turned upside down. |
2001.02.28 2001.03.02 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-15 Recap |
Smoke 'em If You Got 'em
Ellie - When the Surgeon General decides to state that marijuana isn't all that great a health risk, it unleashes a PR nightmare. As if her opinions didn't create enough problems for the administration, Jed's middle daughter Eleanor inserts herself into the situation, forcing Jed to confront their problematic relationship. |
2001.02.21 2001.02.24 |
A+ |
Deborah |
| 2-14 Recap |
With Friends Like These, Who Needs Anemones?
The War At Home - Joey finally gives Josh his polling numbers, but Josh is disappointed in them. As a bonus, Joey spells out Donna's interest in Josh. An angry left-leaning Democratic senator tries to tear Toby a new cornchute, but Toby is unscathed. And Ainsley manages to make the most of a second opportunity to humiliate herself in front of POTUS. |
2001.02.14 2001.02.16 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-13 Recap |
Blame it on the Bossa Nova
Bartlet's Third State of the Union - The President makes his third State of the Union address, and hits it out of the ballpark in just about everybody's opinion; everybody, that is, except his wife. Joey Lucas returns to run the critical polling effort and bug Josh; Donna tries to play matchmaker to no avail. As usual, behind the scenes, Leo's trying to quietly manage an international crisis. Ainsley finally gets to meet the President and manages to completely embarrass herself. What a surprise! |
2001.02.07 2001.02.09 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-12 Recap |
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
The Drop In - Lord John Marbury returns! In other news, Toby screws the enviromental lobby and Sam in one fell swoop; C.J. screws a comedian-Democrat (no, not like that); and Leo and his missile shield are just plain screwed. |
2001.01.24 2001.01.25 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-11 Recap |
Breakfast in America
The Leadership Breakfast - A bipartisan breakfast that's intended to be a benign photo opportunity turns into a political mess as Toby makes a bad deal in his desperation to generate substantive debate and action. |
2001.01.10 2001.01.12 |
C- |
Deborah |
| 2-10 Recap |
Take Me to the Pilot of Your Soul
Noel - Months after the shooting, Josh finally starts to come apart at the seams, as his colleagues watch him with increasing concern. Leo forces Josh to spend a day being deposed by a psychologist in the form of Adam Arkin. C.J. returns Nazi loot to the daughter of a man who died in Auschwitz, and Toby overcompensates for previous years of weak Christmas spirit by inundating the lobby with Christmas music. Jed and Leo deal with a minor crisis involving a suicidal fighter pilot. And the President sends a lot more Christmas cards than you can imagine. Special bonus: concert by Yo-Yo Ma! |
2000.12.20 2000.12.14 |
A- |
Deborah |
| 2-9 Recap |
Fresh Icelandic Mink Whale Meat With a Side of Green Beans
Galileo - The night before a televised classroom session revolving around a spacecraft that's exploring Mars, it turns out that there's a major communications failure. While everyone waits to see whether the event can go forward, Toby and C.J. manage a tempest in a green beanpot, Josh weighs the issues involved in getting a potentially controversial stamp approved, Sam and Mallory finally speak, and Leo and Jed give the Russian ambassador what for. |
2000.11.29 2000.11.30 |
A- |
Deborah |
| 2-8 Recap |
A Turkey Wing And A Prayer
Shibboleth - It's Thanksgiving at the White House and everybody's got a lot to do. C.J. is the Thanksgiving cruise director, as she puts it, and must choose which turkey gets a Presidential pardon and which turkey gets the shaft. Leo, Josh, Sam, and Jed must handle a situation involving Chinese refugees seeking religious asylum. Toby tries to get Leo's sister installed in a political position no one else wants her to occupy, and Charlie is on a mission that's more significant than he realizes. No Danny, no Mandy, no Ainsley. |
2000.11.22 2000.11.24 |
A+ |
Deborah |
| 2-7 Recap |
The Quarterback of Notre Dame
The Portland Trip - On a night flight to Portland, Toby and Sam wrestle with a speech the President has to deliver in the morning, and C.J. is made to look like an idiot more than once. Back in Washington, Leo handles an incident of potential oil smuggling, Josh tries to convince a gay Congressman that he shouldn't support the Marriage Recognition Act, Donna dates a "local gomer" in a stolen dress (on Donna, not the gomer) and Ainsley suffers in...well, not "silence," exactly. |
2000.11.15 2000.11.16 |
B+ |
Deborah |
| 2-6 Recap |
Lame Duck Soup
The Lame Duck Congress - We follow the staffers through yet another long day of meetings, arguments, and politicking as they consider calling a lame-duck session of Senate to push through the Test Ban Treaty. C.J. and Danny are not on the best of terms, having reached something of an impasse with their potential relationship. A maverick reformer from The Ukraine shows up drunk, insisting on seeing the President, and becomes Josh's project. Donna yammers about workplace-related RSI injuries, and tries to cause a minor mutiny among the assistants. |
2000.11.08 2000.11.09 |
B- |
Deborah |
| 2-5 Recap |
Initiation
And It's Surely To Their Credit - Ainsley Hayes -- the new Republican lawyer in the Democratic White House -- gets hazed by her new boss, and by a couple of dorks in the Communications Office. (No, not Sam and Toby! Yeesh.) Sam beats up on them for her. Sam also tries to mastermind a way for Josh to sue the people who are responsible for his shooting, but Josh isn't so sure he wants to do that. C.J. tears a new one for a retiring three-star general who's planning to trash-talk the President on his way out the door. And Jed tries unsuccessfully both to record a radio address and to have sex with his wife. Um, Not at the same time. |
2000.11.01 2000.11.02 |
B- |
Deborah |
| 2-4 Recap |
In This White House
In This White House - "Ainsley nervously asks Mr. Scream, 'I'm sorry, did I overreach?' Mr. Scream chuckles and rudely fails to answer her question, choosing instead to lean over Sam's shoulder to note, 'This one might know something.' Sam mutters to himself, 'Please, oh, please, let them not be watching.'" |
2000.10.25 2000.10.25 |
B- |
Strega |
| 2-3 Recap |
The Midterms
The Midterms - "Josh says, 'It's called the theory of everything.' Catchy name. We fade up on C.J.'s office as she asks, 'Is it comprehensive?'" |
2000.10.18 2000.10.18 |
B |
Strega |
| 2-2 Recap |
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II - "We see a little diner called the Dixie Pig. I wondered if this was supposed to be some sort of comment on neo-Nazi crackers from the southern U.S." |
2000.10.04 2000.10.04 |
A |
Deborah |
| 2-1 Recap |
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I - "Amidst flashing lights and sirens, the President and his staff are being driven away from the shooting site." |
2000.10.04 2000.10.04 |
A |
Deborah |
| Extra |
Squeaky Clean
Squeaky Clean - I looked forward to preparing a humorous essay regarding the article. A summary of its points, with some additional sarcastic commentary, and perhaps a few cheap shots at Rob Lowe, would provide the legions of The West Wing fans with some much-needed new reading during the long, hot summer reruns. |
2000.06.19 2000.06.19 |
Strega |
|
| 1-22 Recap |
What Kind Of Day Has It Been
What Kind Of Day Has It Been - "Some thought it would fit in nicely with the folksy atmosphere of a town hall meeting; others thought it wouldn't be presidential. Can I trust you all to read nothing into it, other than I've been talking for two hours and it's a little hot under these lights?" |
2000.05.17 2000.05.17 |
A |
Deborah |
| 1-21 Recap |
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics - "Shouldn't it be 'damned lies,' rather than 'damn lies'? It would look better on the title card that way, too." |
2000.05.10 2000.05.10 |
B |
Strega |
| 1-20 Recap |
Mandatory Minimums
Mandatory Minimums - "Jed's sarcastically asserting that they better have mandatory sentences, because judges can't be trusted to dispense justice, and we better have term limits, because voters can't be trusted to recognize corruption, etc. Jed adds, 'When the playing field is leveled and the process is fair and open, it turns out we have term limits: they're called elections.'" |
2000.05.03 2000.05.03 |
A- |
Deborah |
| 1-19 Recap |
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet - "The Prez snaps, 'Can we get this godforsaken event over with so I can get back to presiding over a civilization gone to hell in a handcart?' Mrs. Landingham suggests that his mood is being affected by his diet: 'You don't get enough roughage.'" |
2000.04.26 2000.04.26 |
B |
Strega |
| 1-18 Recap |
Six Meetings Before Lunch
Six Meetings Before Lunch - "Toby bellows, 'Fifty-one yea votes is what we see on these screens before one drop of wine is swallowed, because there's a little thing called what, Bonnie?' Bonnie dutifully answers, 'Tempting fate.' |
2000.04.05 2000.04.05 |
B+ |
Deborah |
| 1-17 Recap |
The White House Pro-Am
The White House Pro-Am - "The anchor asks if the nameless company they've been discussing knows that some of its workers are children. Abby says, 'If they don't, then they're criminally negligent. If they do, then they're simply criminal.'" |
2000.03.22 2000.03.22 |
Strega |