the west wing 10/29
 

first off...

"what is at the capitol?"

"a big dome with a statue of a guy with a beard." :lol: go donna.:)

anyway, what the heck has happened to leo? i have seen him serious before but this is totally ridiculous. i don't understand the sudden void that everyone seems to be in. i understand the whole leftovers from the zoe kidnapping but this is kinda outta place. maybe i am just overreacting. it just seems like they are trying to be sooo depressing. after all, you had all of the junk from this week and then you have the events that will happen next week. i am wondering if they have a plotline in development of leo going back to drinking. after all, it would suit the general tone of things nowadays. i am really hoping that things can lighten up a bit but am not too optimistic.

yeah, everyone seems down on the show and it seems to have a darker feeling overall.

I actually liked this episode, and not in a "Well if this if the best they're gonna give us, I'll take it." Where the first few episodes seemed to meander this seems to have given the characters and the show something to build upon and move forward with. They even brought a little of the funny (not what we're used to, but more than the past several episodes combined).

It doesn't logically follow from what's happened before, it almost seems that if all the characters had new motivations and were in new moods than just last week, but if they can move forward with this episode as a base, then all may not be lost.

But maybe its the monkeys and the typewriter situation, eventually they type up something good.

I like Donna's line about "crisp dollar bills and a smock" (in regards to Josh's birthday). :lol:

(Did anyone else suffer a 2 to 4 minute interruption of this ep. right at the beginning of Act IV? (Network feed was lost in my area.) That was just as bad, and annoying, as the inevitable heavy downpour of rain which always seems to hit my area between 9 PM and 10 PM on Wednesdays, cutting out the satellite reception. :mad: )

October 29 was, in lieu of another term, the "Hostility" Episode of the season. :)

A very good ep. (IMO). Best of 2003-2004 thus far I think.

Lots of bickering, wrangling, and verbal barbs thrown between the characters, that heretofore we've not seen on this program.

Seems to me this would have been just the perfect "everyone's at each other's throats" ep. that should have featured the show's #1 "hostile" member: Abbey Bartlet (Stockard C.). :)

But Abbey was absent on Oct. 29. As was, once again, the feisty Mrs. Fiderer. But, I suppose not everyone can be shown in just a 40-minute timeframe each week.

Was the C.J./Leo dispute resolved in this episode? (Perhaps it was settled during the multi-minute NBC "blackout"??)

I liked the episode overall but I can't say I'm fond of where the characters seem to be going. What is all the hostility between Leo and CJ? There wasn't any resolution it's just hanging out there. Bailey's now working for the BP, where did that come from? The intern hitting on CJ now that was just ballsy on his part but his character is just odd to me so there's nothing to say there.

Where the hell are the writers going with all this?

I agree. Very strong episode. They built a lot of good threads with this episode, and I actually like what they've been doing with C.J. The Birthday angle with Josh was a great touch.

das

Best episode of the season, by far. Frankly, I think the CJ/Leo conflict was long overdue. She is always whining about some injustice in the country or world. She deserved to be scolded like that. Being Press Secretary can't be an easy job - you are always speaking on behalf of someone else. Perhaps this is why almost every Press Secretary resigns before a 4-year term is over.

I loved Tom Skerritt in this episode. You could see that coming. The words "Southern Democrat" came to mind, although the character was from Idaho.

Best episode of the season, IMO, a lot of the light humor was back. It seems like they're setting up an inspiring turnaround, as everyone on the show is on the verge of quitting/giving up. I think we're headed toward another Let Bartlet be Bartlet type of feel-good moment.

I was slightly confused by Will's theory of taking the other job - he's assuming that the VP is going to win the next election? Despite the fact he'd be an "incumbent", he wouldn't seem to have much of a chance.

I'm still not feeling the kid from Bring It On, though, shouldn't interns at the WH be, you know, working?

Great touch on the birthday at the end, they had made me totally forget about it by then. I knew there was going to be a payoff, but Josh's meeting with Viper took away my focus.

I saw that this episode was directed by Laura Innes, who plays Kerry Weaver on ER. I knew she had done some ER episodes, but wasn't aware she directed episodes for any other series. Maybe this is why we've seen less of Kerry on ER so far this season. Anyone know how much she's directing?

According to IMDB, she's directed:

"Presidio Med" (2002) TV Series (episode "Pick Your Battles")

"West Wing, The" (1999) TV Series (episode "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet") (episode "Let Bartlet be Bartlet") (episode "Shibboleth")

"ER" (1994) TV Series (episode "Be Still My Heart") (episode "A Hopeless Wound") (episode "If I Should Fall From Grace") (episode "Power") (episode "Sailing Away")

I thought this was the worst episode so far. It was sooo depressing. Even in past seasons, when something bad happens, the show still retains its light air. This episode just felt like all was lost. I hate the intern kid; he does nothing to advance the plot. The Leo & CJ plotline was forced; what kind of press secretary (especially not CJ) would make that kind of a mistake? The show has definitely lost its touch and I'm actually trying to figure out whether its worth watching anymore.

This season has been 100% gloom and doom, but they're obviously setting themselves up for a turnaround, so don't give up hope yet.

Does anyone know how many years Bartlet has left in the storyline? Is it 3 years?

The reelection and inauguration was last season. The WW election cycles are 2 years off (1998, 2002, etc). I think they could get 3 more seasons after this one if they wanted so the final episode could represent Bartlett's final day in office - Inauguration Day 2007 to be broadcast in May 2007.

Best episode of 2003 so far, no doubt. Where the characters used to be floating around on the cloud of "what do we do now that we have zoe back," there is now a great deal of conflict, an administration crumbling and bickering with one another, losing battle after battle with the Hill and the public. This better be leading up to a "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet Part Deux" or I'll be pissed.

True, the intern kid is bad, but so was Moira Kelly when she was on the show, and she was taken off, so I'm not worried about them finding a way off the show for him.

I'm really looking forward to a return by Matthew Perry, because, honestly, some of his best acting came from his guest spots on WW.

Leo as the badass is quite compelling - up to this point he's been the fire under his staff's seat in a fatherly figure way, so I like this sudden turn - it shows how this presidency is taking a turn and there is a lot of frustration and feeling of defeat in the White House.

So, overall, I'd say that these writers are finally getting their feet wet and getting settled with the idea that AS isn't around anymore to guide the show. They're finally stepping up to the plate.

Darkness is good, and the ending was one of the best I've seen on a WW episode in a long while.

I was thinking, whatever happened to “Let Bartlett Be Bartlett.” Seems like, if this is a setup for another one of these, as has been mentioned, it’s like been there done that.

All the characters seem to be new and I’m not getting that warm and smarmy feeling about them.

The birthday party at the end was a nice touch, but an obvious one. Since when did this show become obvious?

I have to agree with huzefa on this one.

Also, in the past I usually have the CCs turned on so I don’t miss a bit of the fast-paced dialogue. No such desire so far this season.

i find it interesting that all of us are thinking the same thing in regards to "let bartlett be bartlett".

Anyone know if Joshua Malina leaving the show? Hard to imagine him being in the plotline every week as the VP's chief of staff.