Lurve is a beutiful thing. 
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Jimmy Smits has the more desireable position in the opening credits. Alan Alda appears alphabetically with the rest of the cast (he’s only first because his name begins with “A”), while Smits is pulled out separately the way Martin Sheen has been all along. This doesn’t mean that Smits/Santos will win the election, just that he’s getting more credit as an actor for his role on the show.
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Toby is the leaker. At least that’s what I’ve believed ever since last year’s finale. Toby very much regrets the death of his brother, and would do anything to save other astronauts – his personal angle on the situation was emphasized in this episode by his concern for the astronauts’ wives (while other staffers were worrying about international reaction).
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This episode was a set-up for a Josh/Donna romance. They couldn’t get romantically involved while they were working together without all sorts of ugly complications (witness C.J. and Danny). Now wherever Donna ends up, she’ll be free to pursue a relationship with Josh – although it will almost certainly be Josh doing the pursuing.
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Speaking of C.J. and Danny – yay! I hope we get to see some of the development in this relationship before the series ends. I loved the whole cold open – just thinking about how they’ll have to avoid messing with it over the next few years made it worthwhile.
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The West Wing is back! And Alan Alda is in it!
I really really really hope that Donna doesn’t get romantically entangled with Josh. Granted, a business relation is not the same as a personal one, but Josh’s treatment of Donna over the years has bordered on abusive to me. Not in a smack her down kind of way, but in a shut her out kind of way. He seemed to tease her from time to time with seemingly thoughtful little gifts, like the book he gave her when she wanted ski equipment. But he didn’t give her ski equipment. He gave her something that he picked up while he was doing something else. He gave her something convenient. To me, he always seemed to treat her the way a man treats the Penthouse hidden under his mattress — be there when I need you, but stay out of my way otherwise. Even his response to her accident seemed more like a study in guilt and jealousy than in love. I think Josh would be really really really bad for her. And I hope she’s not that stupid.
Don’t put too much faith in them maintaining continuity. Remember, in a Season 4 episode where the PBS crew was following CJ around, they said she was the only woman to be White House Press Secty for two full terms.
Hey, what if Barton instructed Toby (or CJ) to leak the existance of the military shuttle? Because, although it looks like Toby did it, I don’t think he would have done it on his own. I got the impression that he would insist on honoring the secret, even at the expense of astronaut lives. He told CJ that his brother would have insisted on maintaining the secret, remember. I think that means more to him than any other consideration, except possibly being told by the President to do it. And I can easily see him taking the hit for it.
I still just don’t see it. It’s not as if she had been working for the Republican candidate. It’s also not as if she had been doing slimy, Karl Rove-type stuff against Santos before. It was a good scene dramatically, though.
Moderator Growls: such comments have no place in Cafe Society. You want to snipe at a politician, do it in Great Debates or the Pit. Not here. Not again.
I realize that WEST WING does tend to reflect current politics, but it is fiction, it is not political satire. Restrain yourself.
Dex, did you know that when you get all growly and start moderatin’, you sound just like Clint Eastwood?
In fact, you’re right, and point taken. However, the next time you address me, skip the posturing.
Back to the subject: It’ll be interesting to see how the relationship between Leo and Santos works out. They have very different styles, and don’t know each other well yet. After two terms of being in the middle of things as White House Chief of Staff, he’ll surely want his VP job to be a close partnership with the President (assuming they’re elected).
Moderator interrupts briefly: Please, folks, even though the thread title says “Open Spoilers,” readers will assume that means about the 9/25 show. If you want to provide a spoiler for another episode, whether earlier or later, please use spoiler boxes.
You do that by typing:
Whatever you want hidden
and it will come out:
Whatever you want hidden
In short, I’m agreeing with MaxtheVool. However, Max, when you want to call attention to a spoiler that you think should be boxed, please don’t quote it – you’re just requiring me to fix things twice rather than once. OK?
VPs, in real life (generally) and in The West Wing are selected on their ability to bring in votes that the candidate for President cannot get. Here, Josh picked Leo because he has the foreign policy savvy that Santos lacks, and which would become an issue in the campaign. As VP, he will find that his job is far different from his days as Bartlett’s CoS. Rarely are the Pres/VP candidates friends IRL. Look at the way Barlett and Vice President Otter got along. He was insulted to be recruited as VP at the convention that nominated Barlett for his first run at the White House. And he was a good complement for Barlett until that whole sleeping with a gossip reporter thing.
For some reason, we lost the sound when Josh is talking in his office with Marlee Matlin and her aide. Could someone tell me what they talked about (the more detail, the better), please?
They’re going over the poll results, and spend a bit of time on the single word most used to describe Santos: “appealing.” Joey paints a picture of Santos as the star of some romantic scene with a fireplace and fingers running through her hair. “Women like him and men want to have a beer with him.” The upshot is that they want to try to make Santos seem more substantial and leader-y and less soap operatic.
The romantic image is referenced by Josh in the meeting with the media folk when he makes an offhand comment about “biceps” and such.