the west wing 1/8
 

a new year starts and this show just keeps on delivering. while not the overpowering show of some previous episodes, i thought it was solid with some filler stuff in between the assassination stuff that we know is coming. it was great to see zoe again albeit briefly. somehow i think that they will maybe be trying to set her and charlie up again, because i don't see french guy lasting very long, bartlett would probably have him deported.

the best part of the episode, for me, was the josh/donna storyline. i know that AS has said that he isn't going to start a thing between them and he may not, but tonight was a great example of why these two characters fit with eah other. true, some will say that donna was just doing her job, but not only was she doing her job but she also did it to help josh (and the president). the conversation that donna and josh had outside the oval office was maybe one of the best scenes that those two have ever had. all of that coupled with the christmas episode, makes me think, make that hope that maybe something will progress on that storyline. yeah, i know that christian slater is in the picture, but let me dream.

anyway, tonight was definitely a good show :thumbsup:

oh yeah, it was also good to see the always :drool: megan ward back in the opening scene.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what was wrong with funding an NIH study about "remote" prayer and its effect on healing? As long as they include prayers from various religious beliefs, and they don't exclude any group that wishes to be represented, how does that violate the first amendment?

In any case, a solid show with some nice scenesd involving Donna - I especially like how she made the freshman congresswoman's aide feel small at the end. :) And Charlie really got himself in over his head trying to show off for that little French twerp. :lol:

I liked the episode for the most part. I kinda got tired of Josh whining in the middle. He went off to Willie about the branches of government etc. I understand he was upset about the vote, but it made me cringe enough to hear him whine the 2 minutes that I was hoping a commercial was coming.

The only other problem I had with the show was the audio. It seemed to me like everyone was mumbling. I didn't really notice it until my father mentioned something and then for the rest of the show I really noticed it. I put the sound through my theater system and it seemed a little better. I know they are all trying to be cool and talk extremely fast and in very low voices, but they kinda run their words together in the process.

Because it is government endorsement of religion. Such gov't spending would be blatently unconstitutional.

The Josh/Donna scenes were the highlight of the show. Frankly, any episode that does not have Josh's girlfriend is already ahead of the game.

Next week's episode looks extremely lame though.

I'm certainly not a consitutional scholar, but I don't see how funding a medical study of that nature does anything to establish any particular religion, which is what I believe the first amendment was designed to prevent. There is enough scientific evidence of a mind/body connection, and about how postive mental attitude helps in healing - why not study this further in the way that was proposed? If the federal government can provide public funding to assit students in attending private religious schools, why not this?

Was that Will Bailey (Bill Bailey..or just plain Tim) or was it Jeremy Goodwin.....I saw a lot of Jeremy in the "I'm focused" speech. He's a great addition to the cast in that he's just damn funny.

I agree about the Donna/Josh scene, its really the best scene they've had in a while and it shows how much Donna and Josh have grown.....she's not the ditzy assistant anymore (though I do love the ditzy assistant!)

Not sure about next's week....anything that starts with " an extra special episode of __________" I start cringing.