And even if there were a secret plan to fight inflation, Josh would not support it.
How realistic is their work day? It doesn’t seem like they sleep for four (or eight) years.
I just got to the episode where Santos is elected and they’re in transition mode. Josh realizes he needs to go on vacation before the inaugural or he’ll be useless.
As he chugged the Pepto Bismol, dripped the Visine into his eyes, and gulped the Red Bull, all I could think was, “Dude, that’s how Leo had his heart attack.”
I always assumed that we saw only the craziest highlights of the work day – not the boring meetings (well, we did see some of those), not the aides doing lots of typing and filing stuff, just the exciting stuff.
Also they made the point right at the beginning of the series, when Leo’s marriage breaks up: nobody on the senior staff is married or has much time for relationships. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. I figure they spend their few hours off doing laundry and e-shopping for birthday gifts for nieces and nephews, which will be delivered by mail. "Hi! This is your Aunt C.J.! Remember me? …Last Christmas? …I’m tall…?
For me it’s a simple scene from the same episode. C.J. is dancing around the room, the Prez and Toby watching from afar, and Bartlet says, “Look at C.J. She’s like a '50’s movie star; so capable, so loving and energetic.”
From 2020, John Amos looks back on his work on the show (and sings a country song!). There’s a nice short film with regular cast members talking about their favorite guest stars, too.
The episode where there was a cascade of embarrassment and sending in proxies to pave over it resulting in yet more embarrassment… I recall Josh Lyman making a misstatement and sending in Donna Moss to offhandedly “remark” that of course he knew better and hadn’t meant to say that… then a pair of her underwear slide to the floor (because she’d reworn her clothes from the previous day) and get returned to her in an envelope, and she worries that it will be interpreted as some kind of sexual hint.
