@@tomsurber2293 Not to mention the excellent movie, "The American President", written by Sorkin that in many ways could pass as a trial run for "The West Wing". Allison Janney's role in "Primary Colors" (not Sorkin), was a precursor to her CJ role, methinks...
My favourite parts of most West Wing episodes (and I've watched them all) is the jousting between President Bartlett and Mrs Landingham. Mrs Landingham is the only person (apart from Mrs Bartlett) who can talk down to and even insult without him getting angry.
MRS. LANDINGHAM It’s your diet. BARTLET Would you get off me with that? MRS. LANDINGHAM You’re not getting enough roughage in your diet. You know I’m right about that. BARTLET I know I’d like to beat you senseless with a head of cabbage. I know that for damn sure. MRS. LANDINGHAM Once again, you display an immaturity about vegetables and I think is not at all Presidential. Would you get off me with that? MRS. LANDINGHAM You’re not getting enough roughage in your diet. You know I’m right about that. BARTLET I know I’d like to beat you senseless with a head of cabbage. I know that for damn sure. MRS. LANDINGHAM Once again, you display an immaturity about vegetables and I think is not at all Presidential.
"CJ, are you taller than you usually are?" "No sir, I'm my usual height." "Okay." "Here we go." "Couldn't pick a trout out of a police lineup, by the way."
I’ve watched the series many times over the years. This is imo the best opener of the show. There’s some other great ones (Galileo 5, Celestial Navigation) but this one takes the cake. The dialogue is quick and punchy. Little bit of humor. Sorkin at his finest here.
The scene with Mrs. Laningham reminds me of a quote from another great Sorkin show. "If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. If you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you."
This is possibly the best scene of the best episode of the series. Sam was great, Leo was amazing, Toby always made me smile, CJ and Josh used to have great back and forth and Jed was is beyond description. Sorkin is a genius, him leaving was a disaster for the show
0:26 Ive seen this episode a few times and on the last watching, I noticed a bit of an inside joke, foretelling if you will. They are in Washington DC, anyone who knows how to read a weather map will know..... It's going to rain.
I know this video is probably old enough to vote, but I just wanted to make the comment that the secret service agent on the left is actually looking around, assessing threats, while the agent on the right is staring straight at the camera.
This is like Steph Curry throwing up 35 footers that hit nothing but the net. Or Bob Dylan writing “It’s Alright Ma.” Aaron Sorkin is showing off here, and just simply can not miss.
Josh is holding a book titled A Necessary Evil. Per Google "In A Necessary Evil, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills shows that distrust of government is embedded deep in the American psyche." Interesting
From The West Wing Wiki: “Sam attempts to assure Toby that it will not rain before President Bartlett gives his speech based on a report he received from First Lieutenant Emily Lowenbrau of the US Coast Guard. Although this is viewed as a goof as "First Lieutenant" is not a Coast Guard rank, it is in fact a billet and position title, held by the officer in command of the deck department.”
I've never understood why Sam always pulls ranks and names off the top of his head without writing them down. And in this case he got it wrong (twice) as there are no '1st LTs' in the Coast Guard. She'd be a Lieutenant Junior Grade
First Lieutenant in this instance regards her position, not rank. It's like an old naval tradition of referring to whomever was in command of a naval vessel as Captain, even if they didn't hold said rank.
