Gotta pick a new VP; I liked the discussion of the merits of either saying “pretty please” to the Electoral College, or making a nomination to Congress under the 25th Amendment. Good to hear Penna. Gov. Eric Baker mentioned - he’d be a good VP, from what we’ve seen (as a political junkie, picking a VP and Cabinet would be a blast, I think). Given how coy Baker was with both Russell and Santos, though, and how he nearly derailed Santos’s nomination, this is kind of a surprising choice for Santos.
Josh’s ex Amy’s already on the job as political advisor, and holding her own, too. I liked seeing the new First Lady’s reaction to the security arrangements, huge staff, redecorating, picking a school, etc. - seemed true to the character. I guess Josh and Donna are still off on their Caribbean vacation - good for them. I immediately guessed that Vinick wanted to lay the groundwork for another campaign; his advisors’ reactions were priceless.
Seeing Santos and Vinick standing by the fireplace at the end, discussing Kazakhstan, was a nice way to end it - you could just see them clicking as a foreign-policy team.
Just two more episodes remain. Damn. Hope they get Glenn Close to come back as Chief Justice for the Inauguration scene.
So, offering him the VP spot was just a red herring? Who will he pick for VP now? With two episodes left, it seems like there’s a lot to do and not enough time to do it. Will the Toby/leak storyline get wrapped up? I hope they end on a high note, a la Sorkin, and don’t screw it up. Where will CJ go, and will she bring Charlie with her?
I liked the idea of Vinick being designated as the VP. Harkens back to the good old days of Presidential elections, when George and Tom and the Adamses were running things. But incredibly impractical nowadays.
Ron the Secret Service guy is greatt. I loved how he just stopped in his tracks when he was told that the kids would finish out the school year in Texas. You could just see him wanting to start yelling and screaming at the Santos’s for being unrealistic. But then I remembered a line he had from years ago (In The Shadow of Two Gunmen, I think) where he told Toby “You give us the requirements, and we make it work.”
I’m another one that wants the whole Toby story arc resolved. Everything else, as far as I’m concerned, can fall by the wayside, because all of the important issues/plots have been answered. And I hope Toby and Sam’s reunion is on camera. I wonder what Sam would have to say to him about the whole mess?
Just about the only complaint I had with this ep was I HATED the 1st lady-elect’s reactions. Struck me as stupid, selfish, and rude.
Did she get to this point without realizing she was going to be living in a fully staffed mansion? She was undoubtedly planning on cleaning the bathrooms and setting out the guest towels herself? She is “shocked” that her husband’s subordinates, who are entirely dependant on hubby’s goodwill, would take an interest in their personal concerns (at least to farm them out to their own underlings)? No reason it should present a problem for the SS to protect her and the kids while they finish up school back home? Gee, really sucks that her personal preference would negatively impact her neighbors! Sucks to be her! How incompetent is she that she is unable to look at schools herself, without dragging the “leader of the free world” along?
I hope they show her waking up in the final 2 eps, and coming to grips with the tremendous opportunity she, her husband, and countless others busted their ass to make happen, instead of acting as tho it is all a major imposition and she’d rather be home baking cookies.
Another thing about the new first lady; when they toured the public school, the principal proudly said that they didn’t have metal detectors. I was thinking that they will soon enough, because they’ll be needed by the Secret Service. In other words, sending the kids there will be disruptive to the school. I know the first lady wanted to be egalitarian by not sending the children to a private school, but the security there would be less of a problem. (For one thing, I suspect the private schools are on a campus rather than right in the middle of a neighborhood.)
But it is a tremendous imposition, and maybe she would rather be home baking cookies. She’s gone from an upper middle-class lifestyle, to a virtual prisoner in a fortress of wealth. Her children may virtually be fatherless for the next 4-8 years. They may grow up rich and spoiled. And they can never leave the custody of the SS, because there’s a real chance they may be kidnapped (a la Zoe Bartlett) or killed. Plus, she’s got a job that she has no idea how to perform and little interest in doing.
I see no upside for her and the kids. It’s a tremendous sacrifice for Matt Santos and the country, and I have no problem seeing her struggle with it.
Yeah, but she worked damn hard to get to exactly where she is.
I’m neither a congress-spouse, nor a news junkie, but I have a good idea of how “artificial” the first family’s life is. There have been enough reports/books on presidents not carrying money, not knowing the price of food staples, the privacy of minors and adult children being intruded upon… As well as reports of budgets for redecorating the white house, purchasing state china, the staff, etc.
I did not sense a bit of “I knew it would be different, but not this different.” Instead, I (and Ms. D) sensed only, "Why can’t I just continue to live my own life - and just happen to be married to the most powerful man on earth."
I haven’t watched the show in a long time, but caught the last ten minutes. I saw Vinick discussing things with his advisors and became interested. When I saw that final conversation and the transparent ploy of the the president-elect in showing him the report, and then Vinicks reaction, I was greatly disappointed. Both my girlfriend and I sat there saying, “It looks like… they wouldn’t… Oh I can’t believe they went with that trite cliche. How lazy have these writers gotten?” Vinick didn’t even give any hint of realizing what was being done with that. How stupid would you have to be not to see it, and who would hire someone for such an important post that couldn’t see it? That scene was well written when it was first done 20 or so years ago, but it is pretty stale now.
Yeah, I agree with the plant. Santos really wanted Vinick for SoS. And he (Santos) had to show Vinick why he needed him - the best way to do that was bring out the report and start in on a problem. Remember during the campaign, Santos and Vinick disagreed on a lot of things, but were pretty much in step on foreign policy (as we were beaten over the head with several times last night on that point.)
I don’t remember as I have not seen the show in several seasons. From the little I saw it seemed obvious that Santos really wanted him. It was a trick to get him to take the job. The problem I had is that it was transparent what he was doing, illustrating that they agreed on many things and that Vinick would be valuable and valued in the position. Vinick, however, dove right into the problem, forgetting the reservations he had and not even realizing that Santos was doing this to show how they could work together (as was obvious from the smug smile on Santos’s face and the total lack of awareness in Vinick). This has been done many times before and either says:
Vinick is pretty dense and Santos knows it.
or (more likely)
The writers are lazy and went for a cheap cliche rather than resolving the drama originally.
I think one knowing smile from Vinick could say, “Yes I know what you are doing, but I will not admit that I do.” That would have made him appear to be less of tool.
