Not a review of the whole episode (although I enjoyed it) but two specific questions.
1 - I saw the name Walken on one of the coffee bean jars. I assume this is Glenallen Walken. This seems a pretty casual way to mention that he’s running for President. Wouldn’t one of the characters have mentioned this in a previous episode when they were talking about the upcoming election?
2 - Whose picture was used in the photo of Vinnick and his wife? Unless they’re portraying him as a widower, this actress will presumedly be joining the cast as his character becomes more important. I’ve read that Wells is saying he hasn’t decided yet which character will win the upcoming election.
I enjoyed the episode as well as a now and then watcher of “West Wing”. I liked how they showed the trials and tribulation of the campaign trail, especially how sometimes you have to put your beliefs on the backburner to such a degree to gain votes. Though I quite like how they all slammed Iowa though ;).
It wouldn’t be surprising that people would be trying to get Walken to run for president. But he hasn’t announced. Probably because John Goodman hasn’t been available.
It mirrored the shuffle at the very beginning before the credits. Josh once again has trouble with hotel room swipe cards, donna had the room across the hall, and helped him to get in. Donna goes into her room, Josh goes into his room, and then comes out to knock on her door - but changes his mind at the last minute and doesn’t.
Does anyone else think Alda and Smits are going to wind up running together on a third party ticket and stunningly create American political history in the election?
Interesting idea, but probably not in the cards. I think, instead, that Vinick is being used as a foil or mirror to let Santos express his views without pandering to the special interests. If Vinick can say what he wants without caring if he gets lambasted for it, Santos can move from the center of the Democrats towards where he really wants to be, and still look like a viable candidate in comparison.
I was deeply disappointed in the Hamburg Inn #2. I have been to the Hamburg Inn #2. I have enjoyed many of their fine sandwich melts, milkshakes, and breakfast entrees. And that was NOT the Hamburg Inn #2.
Okay, okay, I knew that there was no way that they’d drag a film crew to Iowa Freakin’ City so that they can film on location at the 'Burg. But when they said they were going to the Hamburg Inn, the hubby and I got all excited, and we were all like “Are they really there? Are they really there?” But of course, no, they were not.
And, just for the record, their pie is only so-so. The best thing on the menu is an omlete called “Zadar, Cow from Hell.”
A 3rd party ticket with a moderate Republican and Democrat on it? Yeah, that’ll work.
First of all, neither the Santos nor the Vinick characters look like they would want to settle to be VP.
Second of all, if Santos were to bolt, who would Bartlet back? He would still have to back the Democratic nominee, who would likely be Russell (because it seems that Gary Cole has more time on his schedule than Tim Matheson).
This just wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t work in the real world and it seems even far-fetched for the world of “The West Wing”, where Democratic presidents swing deals with Supreme Court justices and Republican congressmen so they can have a liberal chief serving along with an arch-conservative associate.
Alan Alda has said in interviews that he is only appearing in about 12 episodes. It certainly looks to me like they are grooming Jimmy Smits to win the election – he’s the one listed at the end of the credits in the same format used for Martin Sheen.
I’ve already said that I would be voting for Alan Alda, who had a twofer last night, hosting Scientific America Frontiers right before The West Wing – not to mention receiving an Oscar nomination. I think he’s having the Best Week Ever.
I realize this is TV world and reality can be ignored when convenient. But mention was made on the show that Santos was entering the race late and filed on the last day it was possible. So by now, a candidate like Walken would have had to either announce and file or sit it out (unless he’s hoping for a deadlock at the convention but those basically never happen anymore).
For no reason that’s apparent, Vinick is the front-running Republican in this election. Showing Walken’s name on the jar seems, to me, just a nod to the show’s past, and to show that although only one Republican is being followed, he’s not the only one in the race.
Santos will end up being the Democratic nominee. He’s already said he needs to get out of little races like New Hampshire and Iowa, and get to the big states like California and Texas, where he can get some votes. That’s where we’ll see him and Josh start working together effectively. Or else, some deus ex machina plot will show up to blow Hoynes and Russell out of the race. With the way things have been going with the series, there’s probably an equal chance of either.
I’m still sticking to my theory that Vinick is only there to make Santos’s positions, “crazy talk” campared to the rest of the Democratic candidates (well, except for the nutjob farmers Donna interviewed in Iowa) seem more moderate when compared to Vinick’s rhetoric.
