West Wing Icons

[lost_spook]

Not what I was supposed to be doing, but then I thought it would be fun to have a Ainsley Can-I-have-a-muffin icon. 54 other icons later, I did remember to do that...

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[lost_spook]

Hi!!!! Well, I'm glad your weeks of scarcity have been filled with relatively nice things, at least so far as you're saying here, anyway. I have been watching my way through S4 and S5 while being ill.

Heh, as for Sam, I'm just amazed that I like anything with Rob Lowe in it at all due to his being in this version of The Glass Menagerie, which I was forced to watch during A Level (it feels like a nightmare I once had & sometimes I think it was, and it was about lobotomy, and he was so pretty he scared me. Plus, I assumed everything I watched for A-Level was at least 10 years old, but judging by his age in the WW, either he has scary non-aging powers... and anyway, I am therefore impressed that I quite like him in this.) Which is the joy of the (totally non-existent) ship that is Sam/Ainsley because... I was going to do a post of clips. I will, and then you can see for yourself. She arrives in S2, so you won't meet her yet.

Heh. :-) I think I love just about everyone - it's the likeability of the characters that keeps me watching. The President and Donna remain my favourites, and the more Josh realises he should be with Donna (because of the whole thing where they are ALREADY MARRIED, OKAY?), the more I like him, too. I have problems with some of his smugness, too, sometimes, but he is losing it rapidly. Donna gets more awesome as she goes along. And CJ is great. And Leo. And Abby...

And... The West Wing can get very serious and dark from time to time - be warned. And the lightness departs along with Aaron Sorkin after S4, as far as I can see. But it remains good. And because it's such a top-rating US show, you get random guest stars like Glenn Close.

[belantana]

Well actually it was weeks of stress and little sleep, which I think you guessed! But I have been healthy, so I'm sorry to hear you're not - get better soon, and enjoy your medicinal telly. :)

He was in The Glass Menagerie?? I studied that for my final exams, too, but we stuck to the text version. I guess he was Tom? Or the Gentleman Caller? Ha, it feels like a nightmare to me too!

I am very much looking forward to how everyone changes as I go along. And new characters sound like fun! Oh hmm, I'm not sure I like that it stops being light-hearted, but I will definitely wait and see. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! ♥

[lost_spook]

Aw. Hope things get less stressful now - and definitely involve more sleep!

Yes, I am feeling quite a bit better, and luckily had S4 and S5 to hand - and have now watched so much of it so fast, my head is a stranger place than usual. Most of the quotes were from S4 that I used above.

We actually did Cat On A Hot Tin Roof as one of our set texts, so we watched The Glass Menagerie for sort of background stuff, or because the Demon English teacher wanted us to? I don't know. But, yes & he was the doctor being asked to do the lobotomy, I think. Unless it actually was a nightmare, or it wasn't even Rob Lowe and it was realy 30 years old or something. I wouldn't swear to anything about it. :-)

Well, never entirely, but Aaron Sorkin seems to have left, and that has changed the vibe a bit, but it goes quite dark in between the light stuff up till then anyway. But hasn't yet lost its sense of the ridiculous of government entirely. And the characters are still themselves, very much so.

[belantana]

have now watched so much of it so fast, my head is a stranger place than usual - oh yes, I know what you mean! I get that whenever I watch more than two episodes of something in a row. Or, after pretty much any episode of Spooks, lols.

I... what? I do not remember a lobotomy in The Glass Menagerie! Either that was a very strange film adaptation, or you have been having nightmares, or I have forgotten a lot of my high school years (very possible).

[lost_spook]

Okay, in the interest of whether or not I had evil-English -teacher induced madness/nightmare or not, I Googled and what I watched was Suddenly Last Summer (1993) with Maggie Smith, Natasha Richardson and Rob Lowe, which makes total sense. Whether I got confused by the teacher's waffling, or he actually told us it was the Glass Menagerie, I don't know - either is entirely possible.

I quote, mainly for my information, sorry: Mrs. Venable has to be one of Maggie Smith's most powerful small screen performances, her rendition of the crippled yet revenge ridden widow is a gothic portrayal which is matched with an equally memorable Natasha Richardson as Catherine. Every facet of this Richard Eyre production reeks of class, the supporting cast are divine with Rob Lowe turning in an understated Dr. Sugar who is pressured to perform a dangerous lobotomy on Catherine in return for substantial research funding by Venable. As the film progresses the viewer is drawn into the tense narrative and the final scene where Catherine is summoned to the house to relive the death of Venable's son before the unbelieving harridan is just phenomenal. Only seen once on BBC2 back in November 1993, this film surely deserves a video release or even a repeat showing. Why it has only had one British outing is beyond me.

This means it was shown while I was doing my A-Level and it explains where I knew Natasha Richardson from - she was amazing in this. And Maggie Smith! No wonder it was giving me nightmares... :-)

Well, that was probably not exciting for you, but I have explained a weird thing that's been lurking at the back of my head for about 16 years, so I'm happy.

Edit: I think I remember how the son died as well now. No wonder I filed it under 'nightmare' and forgot it until I was forced to watch something else with Rob Lowe in...

[belantana]

Well, I am glad you sorted it all out! That is quite a mystery to have been carrying around for so long. In the interests of sanity I am avoiding that film at all costs.

[lost_spook]

:lol: Judging by the 'why has this never been released on DVD' remarks that accompanied the reviews, I think you should find that easy. On the other hand, Maggie Smith and Natasha Richardson? Hmm... :-)