I’m among the hardcore West Wing (excuse me, “The West Wing”, as someone on another site corrected me recently…I’m currently plotting his/her death) fans on this site. I’ve noticed over the years that we tend to be some of the most devout fans that any television show has ever had. But it was/is one of the best shows (THE best show, IMO) to ever air!
So my question for other West Wingers is this- Do you have a single moment or event in the series that is your absolute favorite? Deciding on my answer was much more difficult than I expected. Making a list of 20 or even 50 of the best West Wing moments would be much easier than choosing just one…but that’s what I did and what I’m asking you to do!
For me it was the first five minutes of Season 6, Episode 4 “Liftoff”. Narrowing it down even further, it is when CJ goes to the podium to start the Press Briefing and she announces that it will be her last briefing. Everyone in the audience looks very shocked and confused, but before anyone can say anything, President Bartlett walks up and takes her place at the mic. He gives an update on Leo’s condition and announces that Leo will not be returing to his position as Chief of Staff. He follows with “I am therefore pleased and terribly proud to announce that, effective immediately, the position as White House Chief of Staff will be filled by Claudia Jean Cregg”.
I’ve watched it at least 50 times and I still get goosebumps! CJ (Claudia Jean) is my favorite character on the show and I was blown away that she was promoted to Chief of Staff (from Press Secretary)…but she did a great job and made the remaining seasons as entertaining as the ones before!
I’ll keep thinking about a specific moment - maybe one that doesn’t even involve Josh and Donna - but I really like the epi with Glenn Close, maybe it’s one called The Supremes.
The script is really good anyway but I like the reminder that senior judges are on a way different intellectual level to transient, self-serving politicians. It also reminds us of the distinction between gifted film actors and tv types.
*I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleaned the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?
My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here’s one that’s really important cause we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean, Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point?
Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother, John, for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?*
The season two episode where Bartlett meets a group of talk radio hosts, including a woman who is a virulent far right firebrand (this predates the era of Coulter and Palin types, but basically she was one of those.) Bartlett is giving some brief remarks to the radio hosts and is distracted by the conservative host who is sitting while he speaks (everyone else in the room is standing.) He can’t help himself, and asks her about what type of doctor she is, and when she reveals that she has a Ph.D. in English Literature he says he wonders if his listeners are confused about he credentials and ability to give advice. He calls her out for calling homosexuality an abomination, she says it’s what the Bible says, citing chapter and verse from Leviticus. Bartlett, highly biblically literate quotes multiple Old Testament passages specifying draconian punishments for things everyone does in modern life, and at the end he reminds her that in the White House when the President stands, no one remains sitting. “While you may be mistaking this as your monthly meeting of the ignorant tight ass club, in this building when the President stands, nobody sits.”
In the pilot (iirc this may be his first appearance mentioned already) Bartlett has a similar show down with religious conservatives that is pretty memorable. Josh had committed a gaffe in arguing with one of them on TV, and Bartlett was being pressured to fire him. But a religious extremist group that some of the evangelical leaders are lightly associated with had sent Bartlett’s granddaugter a doll with a knife stuck through it, so instead of meeting with them for a schmoz to try and make Josh’s gaffe water under the bridge Bartlett storms in and rips them all a new asshole. I think he says something like “until you denounce these people, you need to get your fat asses out of my White House.”
Wow, I see both of mine were already taken (I guess those are memorable scenes.)
Another I like is from the Season 4 debate episode, during the debate:
Governor Ritchie: He’s gonna throw a big word at you–unfunded mandate. He’s going to say if Washington let’s the State do it, it’s an unfunded mandate. But what he doesn’t like is the Federal government losing power…
Bartlett: Well first of all let’s clear up a couple of things, unfunded mandate is two words, not one big word.
It’s been a while, but off the top of my head I really enjoyed the moment when John Goodman’s Speaker of the House character returned the presidency to Bartlett.
John Goodman, of course, was pretty much the only good part of that kidnapping storyline.
Yeah, I wish they had found a better scenario to bring the 25th Amendment into play. The Zoey Bartlett kidnapping storyline was just very badly done. He had MS, they should’ve just had him have a serious episode that debilitated him right after Hoynes resigned, thus bringing Walken onto the stage.
Yeah, that is one interesting personality trait of Bartlett’s from the show that isn’t necessarily a positive one and is kind of out of step with how most modern Presidents have tried to portray themselves. Bartlett was always very willing to imperiously use his office and lord it over others in personal confrontations like that. At least publicly most of the real Presidents of my lifetime have tried to portray themselves as part of the “common man” and avoid so openly flaunting the trappings and prestige of the office.
That is my definitely my second favorite scene, a very close runner-up for first! And I loved how he ended it- ***“And one more thing, while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the ‘Ignorant, Tight-Ass Club’, In this building, when The President stands, NOBODY sits!”
What takes this down for me is the fact there are some very knowledgeable and educated men sitting there who have studied the Bible for years and they didn’t know the 10 Commandments. Major flaw in the scene, just to set up the entrance. Was a nice entrance though.
My favorite, hands down.
Really wish he hadn’t had to leave after that. Would have been great to see him being an opponent to the Bartlett White House.
What about CJ freaking out about the Women of Qumar-
“The point is that Apartheid was an East Hampton clam bake compared to what we laughingly refer to as the life these women lead. And if we had sold M1/A1s to South Africa 15 years ago, you’d have set the building on fire. Thank God we never needed to refuel in Johannesburg!”
Then she said in the most agonizing, heart-wrenching tone- “They’re beating the women, Nancy.” You could hear the agony in her voice.
Allison Janney was brilliant in the role of C.J. Cregg and that was the role of a lifetime for her!
The West Wing had an amazing cast of actors, probably the best I’ve ever seen. But Claudia Jean (C.J.) was always my favorite character, hands down.
