This week's ironing basket... part 1
Jul. 15th, 2006 04:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caz963... was accompanied by He Shall, From Time to Time and Take Out the Trash Day.
I know it's sad, but I actually look forward to huge piles of ironing, these days!
So in the first ep, Bartlet is getting ready for the State of the Union and collapses... with the flu, we're told. I'd forgotten that this is when Leo actually finds out about the MS - that scene with him and Abbey is fantastic.
LEO
Abbey? What's going on?
ABBEY
Nothing. Uh, like I say--
LEO
What should I know that I don't know?
ABBEY
I just thought we should be on the safe side.
LEO
Why'd you cancel your trip?
ABBEY
Because he has the--
LEO
Because that President has a temperature. The President's not in nursery
school.
ABBEY
Look, if it's a problem to postpone--
LEO
It's not a problem to postpone. Of course, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize
the
President's health. What I'm saying...
ABBEY
Leo, please.
LEO
[sits] Hey, hey, hey. This is me. This has happened before. I see you trying
to
cover the panic. I see you prescribing medication. I think you're giving
him shots.
What does he have he can't tell people?
ABBEY
He has the flu.
LEO
Ugh! You would not have come back for the flu, Abbey.
ABBEY
He fainted. He was running a fever.
LEO
Abbey?
A pause. Almost in tears, Abbey decides to tell him the truth.
ABBEY
He has multiple sclerosis, Leo.
LEO
[shocked] Oh, Abbey.
ABBEY
A fever could be life threatening.
Abbey tries hard to fight back tears, but can't
Actually, Abbey's fantastic all episode - I love the bit where Bartlet is insisting he feels well enough to get up, and she's all "OK, off you go then," knowing full well he isn't, which is borne out when he can't stand up without falling over!
Leo's secret about the pills and booze hits the internet and he does his pre-emptive press conference, having bawled Sam out for writing the President's statement of support, and then Josh and Sam for giving it to him to read.
SAM
They want to tear you down, plain and simple. They don't like you and this is what they do, and for us not to defend you? I disobeyed you. I apologize, but that's the
way it is.
Abbott and Costello - shut up, it's a pretty picture!
(There's something about Josh in the dark suit with the dark(ish) blue shirt that really does it for me, OK? So I'm shallow - I admit it!)
Brought to you by "exposition girl", this week, the explanation as to why Josh has to
DONNA
She said Leo said to remind you you need to pick a guy.
JOSH
Right.
DONNA
She said you'd know what that means.
JOSH
Yeah.
DONNA
Do you know what that means?
JOSH
Yeah.
DONNA
I don't know what that means.
JOSH
Someone from the line of succession is required to be absent from the State of the Union.
DONNA
Why?
JOSH
Donna?
DONNA
Wait, I know why.
They walk to the NORTHWEST LOBBY.
DONNA
So if somebody blows up the building, nobody's...
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
Who are you gonna pick?
JOSH
Who do you think I should pick?
DONNA
I think you should pick me.
JOSH
You think so?
DONNA
Yeah, I'll be good.
JOSH
And where exactly do you fall in the line of succession?
DONNA
If somebody blows up the Capitol Building, I'd imagine I'd move up a few slots.
JOSH
Fair point.
and later...
DONNA
Roger Tribby.
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
I don't know why you're picking the secretary of agriculture.
JOSH
Because the secretaries of defense, state and treasury are famous faces, and we want the camera to find them.
DONNA
So, if the Capitol Building blows up...
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
The man my country will be looking to is the secretary of agriculture.
JOSH
It's my country too.
DONNA
Yeah, but you'll be dead.
JOSH
Which is why I really don't care that much.
DONNA
Josh?
JOSH
Donna, I really don't anticipate the Capitol Building exploding.
DONNA
What percentage of things exploding have been nticipated?
JOSH
Now you're bringing me down.
DONNA
I would think so. [walks away]
What I love about that little scene is that they've clearly just been out to lunch or something - Donna is finishing off a yogurt (well, something in a pot, anyway!) - it's cute!
Mallory and CJ get to .... scratch their respective "itches"!
Oh - and Toby putting the smack down on the congressmen who are arguing about funding the NEA...
CONGRESSMAN
Personally, I don't know what to say to people who argue that the N.E.A. is there to support art that nobody wants to pay for in the first place. I don't know what to tell people when they say Rogers and Hart didn't need the N.E.A. to write Oklahoma, and Arthur Murray didn't need the N.E.A. to write Death of a Salesman.
TOBY
I'd start by telling them that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote Oklahoma, and Arthur Murray taught ballroom dance, and Arthur Miller did need the N.E.A. to write Death
of a Salesman, but it wasn't called the N.E.A. back then. It was called W.P.A. and it was Roosevelt's...
Clearly a light-blub has flashed on in Toby's head!
And then, at the end, as Bartlet 'briefs' Tribby about what to do in an emergency...
BARTLET
You have a best friend?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Is he smarter than you?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Would you trust him with your life?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
That's your chief of staff.
Wonderful. And I'm amazed all over again that not only has all this gone on, but that they've managed to negotiate a peace between India and Kashmir as well. 45 minutes well spent, I'd say!
ETA - oops - keep forgetting to thank West Wing Transcripts and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
_jems_ for the screencaps!
I know it's sad, but I actually look forward to huge piles of ironing, these days!
So in the first ep, Bartlet is getting ready for the State of the Union and collapses... with the flu, we're told. I'd forgotten that this is when Leo actually finds out about the MS - that scene with him and Abbey is fantastic.
LEO
Abbey? What's going on?
ABBEY
Nothing. Uh, like I say--
LEO
What should I know that I don't know?
ABBEY
I just thought we should be on the safe side.
LEO
Why'd you cancel your trip?
ABBEY
Because he has the--
LEO
Because that President has a temperature. The President's not in nursery
school.
ABBEY
Look, if it's a problem to postpone--
LEO
It's not a problem to postpone. Of course, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize
the
President's health. What I'm saying...
ABBEY
Leo, please.
LEO
[sits] Hey, hey, hey. This is me. This has happened before. I see you trying
to
cover the panic. I see you prescribing medication. I think you're giving
him shots.
What does he have he can't tell people?
ABBEY
He has the flu.
LEO
Ugh! You would not have come back for the flu, Abbey.
ABBEY
He fainted. He was running a fever.
LEO
Abbey?
A pause. Almost in tears, Abbey decides to tell him the truth.
ABBEY
He has multiple sclerosis, Leo.
LEO
[shocked] Oh, Abbey.
ABBEY
A fever could be life threatening.
Abbey tries hard to fight back tears, but can't
Actually, Abbey's fantastic all episode - I love the bit where Bartlet is insisting he feels well enough to get up, and she's all "OK, off you go then," knowing full well he isn't, which is borne out when he can't stand up without falling over!
Leo's secret about the pills and booze hits the internet and he does his pre-emptive press conference, having bawled Sam out for writing the President's statement of support, and then Josh and Sam for giving it to him to read.
SAM
They want to tear you down, plain and simple. They don't like you and this is what they do, and for us not to defend you? I disobeyed you. I apologize, but that's the
way it is.
Abbott and Costello - shut up, it's a pretty picture!
(There's something about Josh in the dark suit with the dark(ish) blue shirt that really does it for me, OK? So I'm shallow - I admit it!)
Brought to you by "exposition girl", this week, the explanation as to why Josh has to
DONNA
She said Leo said to remind you you need to pick a guy.
JOSH
Right.
DONNA
She said you'd know what that means.
JOSH
Yeah.
DONNA
Do you know what that means?
JOSH
Yeah.
DONNA
I don't know what that means.
JOSH
Someone from the line of succession is required to be absent from the State of the Union.
DONNA
Why?
JOSH
Donna?
DONNA
Wait, I know why.
They walk to the NORTHWEST LOBBY.
DONNA
So if somebody blows up the building, nobody's...
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
Who are you gonna pick?
JOSH
Who do you think I should pick?
DONNA
I think you should pick me.
JOSH
You think so?
DONNA
Yeah, I'll be good.
JOSH
And where exactly do you fall in the line of succession?
DONNA
If somebody blows up the Capitol Building, I'd imagine I'd move up a few slots.
JOSH
Fair point.
and later...
DONNA
Roger Tribby.
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
I don't know why you're picking the secretary of agriculture.
JOSH
Because the secretaries of defense, state and treasury are famous faces, and we want the camera to find them.
DONNA
So, if the Capitol Building blows up...
JOSH
Yes.
DONNA
The man my country will be looking to is the secretary of agriculture.
JOSH
It's my country too.
DONNA
Yeah, but you'll be dead.
JOSH
Which is why I really don't care that much.
DONNA
Josh?
JOSH
Donna, I really don't anticipate the Capitol Building exploding.
DONNA
What percentage of things exploding have been nticipated?
JOSH
Now you're bringing me down.
DONNA
I would think so. [walks away]
What I love about that little scene is that they've clearly just been out to lunch or something - Donna is finishing off a yogurt (well, something in a pot, anyway!) - it's cute!
Mallory and CJ get to .... scratch their respective "itches"!
Oh - and Toby putting the smack down on the congressmen who are arguing about funding the NEA...
CONGRESSMAN
Personally, I don't know what to say to people who argue that the N.E.A. is there to support art that nobody wants to pay for in the first place. I don't know what to tell people when they say Rogers and Hart didn't need the N.E.A. to write Oklahoma, and Arthur Murray didn't need the N.E.A. to write Death of a Salesman.
TOBY
I'd start by telling them that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote Oklahoma, and Arthur Murray taught ballroom dance, and Arthur Miller did need the N.E.A. to write Death
of a Salesman, but it wasn't called the N.E.A. back then. It was called W.P.A. and it was Roosevelt's...
Clearly a light-blub has flashed on in Toby's head!
And then, at the end, as Bartlet 'briefs' Tribby about what to do in an emergency...
BARTLET
You have a best friend?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Is he smarter than you?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
Would you trust him with your life?
ROGER
Yes, sir.
BARTLET
That's your chief of staff.
Wonderful. And I'm amazed all over again that not only has all this gone on, but that they've managed to negotiate a peace between India and Kashmir as well. 45 minutes well spent, I'd say!
ETA - oops - keep forgetting to thank West Wing Transcripts and
_jems_ for the screencaps!
no subject
Date: 2006-07-15 04:57 pm (UTC)I'd forgotten too. Before I started a total rewatch I'd watched ITSOTG (can't think why) and had presumed that Leo had known for ages. Made the fact that the Bartlets lied to all of them seem worse somehow.
So I'm shallow - I admit it!
I'm shallow too. He looks particularly good in blue.
I really enjoyed this episode and both the J/D scene and the Bartlet scene at the end totally rocked. 45 minutes very well spent I'd say.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-16 10:25 am (UTC)You know, that hadn't occurred to me before, but you've got a point. Although I guess it wouldn't be the sort of thing you'd want anyone to know if you were running for president.
I'm shallow too. He looks particularly good in blue.
or, you know, not a lot...