First, a reminder that there is a new (and scandalous! the shock!) episode tonight.
Also, appropos of nothing, my last dream last night/this morning morphed into a sort of West Wing episode, where I was hanging with some obscure staff members in a WW antechamber. There was hushed discussion as the president had been shot, and I wasn’t wearing any shoes (a carry over from my earlier dream). I did have on a passable suit. Then I started to go through the liquor and the cigars in an antique cabinet. I was checking to see if any of the cigars were Cubans when I was shooshed away from the cabinet. I should note that my dreams are not scripted by Sorkin. And I need to watch less West Wing (or more Playboy Channel) apparently.
More when the show actually airs…
Ok, I liked the ‘Tippi’ Hedren joke, but other than that what was the point of the dove tapping on Donna’s window? Did I miss something?
Overall, nice episode, it took me about 2/3 of the way through to piece it together even though I knew what was going to happen. Not sure about the Toby (DSB?) subplot. Thought that Matthew Perry did a passably good job as Joe the Republican. At one point I asked Mrs. ShibbOleth if she could imagine David Schwimmer playing the role (no!). Although the initial exchange with CJ and Joe seemed almost like it had one foot in Friends and one foot in West Wing.
Does anyone know if Matheson has something else lined up, or was it just an interesting turn for Sorkin to take?
Am I the only one that had the unfortuntate image of Helen Thomas when they metioned Helen Baldwin? Not that I would think that Helen Thomas would do anything like that!
When Toby entered the room, it was a rehash of the potential commercial ideas: Will suggested a pan down from blue skies, through haze, to the same family exiting their SUV wearing gas masks. He also offered up the SUV pulling Saudis example. Then Toby said neither was a high-level(minded?) debate. Will said it’s not about high-level debate, it’s a reaction to Republican scare tactics. Toby said, no, it’s a high-level debate on gasoline tax in the House. Anyway, he wasn’t in the mood to discuss (because of what was about to happen with Hoynes).
Not 100%, but a close approximation of the discussion. Can’t rewatch the tape right now, but if you really need it I could do a better recap tomorrow.
What’s the question on the preview? Or did you just want to discuss it? Looks like it’s a set up for an end of the season cliff-hanger.
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel they tried to pack too much into a single episode. The idea that a scandal this big could blow up from a single clue to a historic climax in a single day may make good drama, but ruined my suspension of disbelief.
I think the current arc is a five parter (tonight’s was the second).
Inquiries reached the White House about two different pieces of classified information on the same day: fosslized carbon material in a meteor from Mars, and a legal settlement that put 100,000 computers in public schools. On the same day, a gossip columnist reported that a woman named Helen Baldwin, who had ties to Vice President Hoynes, had signed a seven figure book deal. New counsel Matthew Perry does some investigating, and finds phone records of 47 calls from Hoynes to Baldwin. Josh, Toby, and CJ confront Hoynes, and he admits that he had an affair with Baldwin. In the course of the affair, he bragged about things to made himself seem powerful (We have proof that there’s life on Mars; we put 100,000 computers in America’s classrooms), and this information would presumedly be the meat of Baldwin’s upcoming book.
Hoynes insists on resigning to minimize damage to the party’s chances in the next election, over Bartlett and Leo’s objections.
I was wondering the same thing, and then wondered if he hadn’t learned from Anna Deavere Smith or Emily Procter that the new show (and new character) won’t be as good?
Yeah, amarinth, but in real life terms “steady paycheck” might trump those first two concerns. Matheson is in about 30% or so of the episodes, right? His dramatic acting seems to have really improved, perhaps he could pull it off.
When they first starting talking about a book deal, I though “Helen Thomas would never write a tell all” Then, when the affair came to light, I thought, “Oh, no, for sure they are not paralleling Helen Thomas” (I can be sharp as a marble sometimes )
I liked the episode and felt the pace was good. I loved that Joe was in Ainsley’s old office sans the G&S memoribilia (must be in Miami).
I don’t know about this blowing over, even with the VeePee’s resignation. I mean, even though I personally believe its none of anyone’s business what someone does on their own time, this was kind of different in that classified information was revealed.
I liked that the vp was honest about his motives. It’s all about ego. Every once in a while, it feels good to show off.
That does reflect on the administration in that they really didn’t keep the vp under control. I mean, they found out about his alleged trip to Hawaii that was really New Hampshire, how could they not have a clue about an affair?
It annoyed me a bit that the President speculated that the “Republican Leadership” might be behind it. For crying out loud, no one held a gun to the Veep’s head and forced him to unzip his fly. I doubt seriously political affiliations had anything to do with it.
That’s not to say the Republicans aren’t going to have a field day with this…I wonder if that will be portrayed?
Well, it was a newly-hired Republican counsel who figured it out? And I think any president, regardless of party, would think that the opposition is out to discredit him.
I think what Bartlet meant when speculating about Republican leadership’s involvement was more about the book deal than the affair. If Joe heard a rumor about the affair, no doubt it reached other, more influential ears too. They may have made Helen Baldwin an offer she couldn’t refuse.
I also just read on www.imdb.com that Aaron Sorkin is leave TWW at the end of this season, and Tommy Schlamme might be going too. What terrible news. I hope this doesn’t mean a sharp decline in the quality of the show.
)