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Episode
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1. In the Shadow of Two Gunmen - Part I
October 4, 2000
President Josiah Bartlet is rushed to the hospital after being shot. Even though Bartlet undergoes surgery, his wound is not life threatening. But Josh sustained a bullet wound to the chest.
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2. In the Shadow of Two Gunmen - Part II
October 4, 2000
As doctors continue to perform surgery on his chest, Josh remembers, in a dream, how Toby, Sam, C.J., Donna and he became members of the Bartlet political team under Leo's direction.
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3. The Midterms
October 18, 2000
In the months leading up to the midterm elections, the staff makes an all-out effort to pick up Democratic seats in Congress. Josh recovers at home.
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4. In This White House
October 25, 2000
Toby and Josh help Bartlet mediate between the leader of an AIDS-ravaged, poverty-stricken African nation and a drug company.
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5. And It's Surely to Their Credit
November 1, 2000
C.J. finds a way to stop a retiring general from attacking the President's position on budget cuts for the military.
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6. The Lame Duck Congress
November 8, 2000
Bartlet considers the extraordinary measure of calling the Senate together during its winter holiday in order to force a vote on a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty.
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7. The Portland Trip
November 15, 2000
During a flight to Portland, Bartlet deals with three issues: a tanker that is transporting oil out of Iraq against sanctions; a bill involving same-sex marriage; and an upcoming speech on education.
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8. Shibboleth
November 22, 2000
As Thanksgiving arrives, Bartlet decides the fate of a container ship full of illegal Chinese immigrants who claim to be Christians seeking asylum from religious persecution.
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9. Galileo
November 29, 2000
While the Russian government claims an explosion in its country occurred at an oil refinery, evidence proves it happened at a nuclear facility.
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10. Noel
December 20, 2000
At Christmas time, Leo hires a traumatologist to force Josh to confront his unacknowledged stress resulting from when he was shot.
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11. The Leadership Breakfast
January 10, 2001
Bartlet's staff prepares for a Presidential breakfast meeting with Democratic and Republican leaders.
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12. The Drop-In
January 24, 2001
Leo fails to convince Bartlet of the merits of an expensive but unproven missile defense system.
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13. Bartlet's Third State of the Union
February 7, 2001
Bartlet's third State of the Union speech is a major success. Unfortunately, problems immediately occur that diminish the White House staff's enthusiasm.
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14. The War at Home
December 14, 2001
Three hours after learning that drug agents were taken hostage in Colombia, Bartlet gives the order for special forces to rescue them, risking a war.
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15. Ellie
February 21, 2001
Comments made by Surgeon General Dr. Courtney Griffith concerning the medical effects of marijuana appear to reverse the President's stance on legalizing the drug.
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16. Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail
February 28, 2001
Sam finds out that his father was unfaithful to Sam's mother for 28 years.
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17. The Stackhouse Filibuster
March 14, 2001
A stubborn Senator delays a vote--and the Senate's vacation--for over nine hours.
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18. 17 People
April 4, 2001
For days, Toby ponders the mystery of Hoynes' attempt to gain the voters' favor by admonishing the oil companies.
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19. Bad Moon Rising
April 25, 2001
Bartlet reluctantly consults the new White House Counsel, Oliver Babish, who is stunned by the legal implications of Bartlet's condition.
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20. The Fall's Gonna Kill You
May 2, 2001
After Toby informs C.J. about Bartlet's disease, she endures Babish's questioning and realizes that she might have unwittingly been part of a criminal conspiracy to deceive the public.
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21. 18th and Potomac
May 9, 2001
After Joey gives Bartlet and his staff devastating polling figures, they debate how to inform the public of Bartlet's multiple sclerosis.
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22. Two Cathedrals
May 16, 2001
Josh independently implements a rash plan to coerce wayward Democrats to support the administration's lawsuit against big tobacco companies. The military crisis in Haiti escalates.
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Synopsis: Go behind the scenes and experience the inner workings of the White House in this innovative drama series with humorous overtones from Emmy winner John Wells, Emmy nominee Aaron Sorkin and Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme. Winner of 24 Emmy Awards and 3 Golden Globe Awards!
This review is from: The West Wing: The Complete Second Season (Amazon Instant Video)
I generally agree with Newton Minow of the FCC who, in a speech to the National Broadcasters Ass'n. in 1961, said of television, "You will observe a vast wasteland."
In this year of 2011, I couldn't agree more. Yet, every once in a very great while, there comes along a show which is really worth watching. The West Wing (TWW) was such a show. The members of the White House staff are portrayed as smart, energetic, and principled, which is of course at variance to government in general. Jon Stewart once described The West Wing as "Total ******* bull****." In a sense, he was right. These characters aren't really true to life, particularly when it comes to the issue of integrity. But we wish that's how our government operated. And that's why TWW was, for me, appointment television.
Noel has particular interest to me as a therapist. It is well-written, the hallmark of Aaron Sorkin's work, with excellent character development. The stages that the character Josh Lyman goes through with metamorphoses in his issue of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder are very true to life. All of the symptoms he shows are textbook, and they were very well acted. Add to that his reliving of his shooting with Yo Yo Ma's rendition of the first movement of Bach's 1st Cello Suite as a backdrop, made for a stunning presentation.
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This review is from: The West Wing: The Complete Second Season (Amazon Instant Video)
I had the highest bid in a Playwrights Horizons auction for an autographed copy of the Noel episode and have been fascinated to compare the written version to what was actually shot. I bought it because I'm a huge fan of the series, of Playwrights Horizons, but especially of Aaron Sorkin. His dialogue is like music and I've heard actors refer to the specific rhythms created by the words and the importance of getting each syllable, line and interaction exactly right while making it sound real and unforced. The snarky people at Television Without Pity have a great term for it: speaking Sorkinese.
Reading the words was fascinating. 90% of what's said was what's written on the page. It was really fun to figure out what was happening with the other 10%. There are some minor deletions, I assume for timing constraints. There are also some changes of characters who are given the lines and it's really interesting to infer why: why does having Leo say the line make more sense than having Sam say the same words as originally written? Finally, the editing is as much a part of the story telling as the script or actors, and much of the impact of this episode came from powerful juxtaposition of visual images that were only briefly suggested on the page. Schlamme does a masterful job here, especially at the end when he is interweaving images of the assassination attempt, the therapy session and the congressional Christmas party, all over the haunting Bach cello piece.
Whitford was dazzling here and won the Emmy for this (and one other season 2) episode. Arkin is brilliant here as the therapist. It's 2011 and I still miss this show!
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