I liked this episode. There were a couple of laughs and smiles, some good points were made, and as usual the politics were interesting. I can’t think of any real critiques, though my husband was grossed out by the description of the stuffing. Silly guy.
And I know this isn’t fair, but when Channing gets angry and raises her voice all I can think of is Rizzo. It’s not fair, I know, but I keep expecting her to start singing.
I have to admit, I expected the Butterball operator to say “Happy Thanksgving, Mr. President.”
Lowe’s strutting is getting annoying.
I laughed at CJ’s opening speech to the Prez, about tuning him out during his 17-spice turkey preparation speech:
Bartlett: You know that line, the one you’re not supposed to cross when you’re with the President?
CJ: I’m getting very close, aren’t I?
Bartlett: Look behind you.
That makes two of us lurkernomore. The man has a bit of trouble thinking on his feet. Are Presidents that insulated that he did not know about the Butterball hotline?
Simple tip. If you are going to lie make it about somthing you know. North Dakota? What was he thinking?
I said this last week and I’ll say it again. Stop with the silliness. 2 weeks ago it was Sam with the penny. Last week CJ with the “i’m too sexy” dancing. Last night, the president with the recipe. Who’s on for next week? Will Josh spend the hour focusing on a shoelace subsidy? Maybe it’s Toby’s turn and he get all worked up on parking spaces.
I didn’t know about the butterball hotline. It is a real hotline, right?
I like the silliness. But then, people I know are like that - capable of dealing with and caring about and working through things that are important, but occasionally becoming completely caught up in the idiotic. To me, Sam’s caring deeply about the penny or CJ’s getting completely involved in her big-block-of-cheese day peoples’ causes every time makes sense to me.
Anyone else cringe when the lawyer said “Okay, Ma’am”?
Not knowing about the Butterball hotline seems quite in keeping with character with President Bartlet. He’s a big picture kind of guy and doesn’t like to be troubled with little things.
However, I would think that a man who knows enough to soak his turkey in brine before cooking it would also know that cooking stuffing inside the bird slows down the cooking time and improves your chances of getting salmonella.
Coincidentally, I was helping a friend make her brine for her Thanksgiving day bird. She didn’t use coriander or anise.
A fun episode that advanced the ongoing story very little.
I didn’t know anything of the Butterball hotline, though I think the difference is, I wasn’t shocked to learn of it.
Although he wasn’t in the episode much, Leo has now usurped Josh’s place as my favorite WW-er. Not taking a meeting with someone holding a sit in. Good call.
The best line of the episode involved Leo, though he wasn’t present.
BEST LINE (paraphrase):
Bartlett: That (the cell phone project) is small time. I could pay for that out of my pocket.
Charlie???: It’s ten million dollars.
Bartlett: Well, then Leo could pay for it out of HIS pocket.
I’m sort of hoping that Bartlett gets a taste for using the phone. Maybe have him insist on calling the pizza place next time they’re burning the midnight oil. “Hello, Dominos? This is the President of the United States. I want five cheese pizzas…”
I liked it also, was fun to add such a piece to it as that.
I too like the “silliness” of the characters. They would be so damn boring otherwise. Sometimes people are silly, sometimes no matter how “serious” they are, they get caught up in the completely “mundane”. It makes them less “cookie cutter” characters.
And could I have used the “” anymore in this post?
Keep in mind the silliness only got to me when it reached the third episode in a row from different characters. Now, this week with Bartlett didn’t bother me as much because that is in character. It’s not uncommon for him to worry about something like that while everyone else is running around worried about something.
when it becomes a cheap plot device, then it bothers me. ER does this a lot. If there’s a big tragedy on the way, it is not uncommon to show the staff goofing off before hand before things get messy.
Another observation. I know Stockard Channing is in a wheel chair now but I noticed this before. She’s always slumped in her chair resting her head on her fingertips.
Maybe this is an American thing?
But in Canada the Press, Government, and T.V. would never call them “Indians”. It would be either “Natives”, “Native Canadians”, or the much liked “First Nation peoples” but never, ever “Indians”
It seemed odd for White House officials to call them “Indians”. Is that not offensive?
I wouldn’t say offensive. In public they would have probably said Native American but in private discussion it’s easier to say.
Wouldn’t an Indian in Canada also be a Native American since Canada is part of North America?
I’ve never heard the term “indian” being used as a slur. Don’t think the native americans take offense at this term…my great grandmother is a cherokee indian and they live on places called indian reservations.
I assumed the title was a word play on the movie and book named “Indian in the Cupboard.”
Some find “Indians” offensive, but I think they’re in the minority. Most of the time, the media are careful to use “Native Americans” to avoid offending that vocal minority, but keep in mind that these were staffers talking among themselves, not to the press, so they would tend to use whatever word came naturally to them.
Since the Federal agency that should have been meeting with the protesters in the lobby is still called The Bureau of Indian Affairs, I don’t think it would have been unusual for the White House staffers to say “Indians.”
In the U.S., “Indians” doesn’t have as much of a negative connotation as it does in Canada.
Another example is AIM, the American Indian Movement.
Am I the only one who find Stockard Channing incredibly sexy in that role???
I’m trying to put my finger on it, but I can’t help feeling WW is WAY off of its best. I don’t even think I would still be watching if not for last last season.
There are a couple of things I can put my finger on that have been bugging me:
People treat the President like crap. OK, I’ve never worked in the White House, but I have worked on senior military staffs and NOBODY talked to “the Man” the way that the staffers talk to the Prez. I thought this was going to get fixed this week with the “look behind you” line. But instead of the first-class ass chewing she so richly deserved, CJ leaves smokin’ and jokin’ with the Prez talking about what a great day she’s having.
This is partly related, but I also think Martin Sheen was so much more “Presidential” last season. OK, he’s a genius who loves to become deeply interested in the trivia of everything, but I think it’s gotten out of hand. It’s like I’m watching “Rainman” as President. (“Definitely need anise, definitely anise. anise.”) Last week’s banter about submarine was unwatchable – it’s like the President was trying to some sort of schtick.
I also feel like the storylines have become too fragmented. It’s like watching 5 or 6 different 10 minute shows. It seems to me that there is a lot less of the staff interacting with each other than last season. (This is probably more realistic, but much less fun to watch.)
I also agree with the “who’s turn is it to be silly?” criticism. Very annoying. The show is turning “Ally McBeal”-ish with quirks substituting for personalities.
Specific to this episode, the whole extradition thing was preposterous. OK, I’m no district attorney, but I’ve watched enough “Law & Order” to believe that any DA will take “life in prison” over “killer goes free.” I could be wrong about how this would work, and if so, I’m sure someone on the thread will let me know. The whole thing with CJ and the Indians was pretty stupid, too. I’m guessing if the White House is seeing a potential PR black eye, the Sec. of the Interior suddenly becomes available – even if he’s already gone home for the weekend. OTOH, I did like Leo refusing to meet with them.
Sorry this turned into kind of a rant, but I used to really like WW, and I am now finding the show nearly unwatchable. Kind of a bummer.