TV Meme--Day 9
Day 09 - Best scene ever
The President rants at God, in The West Wing episode "Two Cathedrals." Still the most amazingly compelling thing I've ever seen on television. For a show that was known for its rapid-fire banter--and that I love for its rapid-fire banter--this scene stands out for its monologue. All Sorkin characters excel at a good verbal smackdown, but usually they're directing their scathing comments to another character. Here, the President takes on God, and it comes at the conclusion of a five-episode run that is the best I've ever seen a television show have, in which the President's emotional tension is wound so tightly that this diatribe against God becomes almost inevitable. It's pitch-perfect in its tone, and Martin Sheen plays it so beautifully that I still think the fact that he didn't get an Emmy out of this, well, should be another item on the list of God's less comprehensible moments. And I love even more that part of the speech is in untranslated Latin, and that doesn't matter, because you know exactly what's going on. It is just an incredible moment of drama, in what was one of the strongest episodes of a television show ever broadcast. If you've never seen it before, you should watch it. And if you have seen it before, you know you're going to stop and watch it again.
I'm going to cheat and also include, for your viewing pleasure, the "Brothers in Arms" portion at the very end of the episode. Just because "Two Cathedrals" is too beautiful an episode to only just watch the President's angry scene where he threatens to just give up. You should also get him as we the viewers and as his fictional staff knew him: putting his hands in his pockets, looking away, and smiling. Plus, this is an example of "The West Wing" showing off the strength of the connections between its characters with almost no dialogue at all (which is why the dialogue that is said, mostly Leo's "Watch this," has even more impact). So here you go:
Okay, I just re-watched these two clips as I posted them, and I'd just watched them yesterday, knowing I was going to post them today, and still have to say: You guys, this show was so good.
Past
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled: Dirty Sexy Money
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching: Gossip Girl
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season): White Collar
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever: The West Wing
Day 05 - A show you hate: Robin Hood
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show: Celestial Navigation
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show: The episode where the shuttle leak is revealed
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch: The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Future
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death
The President rants at God, in The West Wing episode "Two Cathedrals." Still the most amazingly compelling thing I've ever seen on television. For a show that was known for its rapid-fire banter--and that I love for its rapid-fire banter--this scene stands out for its monologue. All Sorkin characters excel at a good verbal smackdown, but usually they're directing their scathing comments to another character. Here, the President takes on God, and it comes at the conclusion of a five-episode run that is the best I've ever seen a television show have, in which the President's emotional tension is wound so tightly that this diatribe against God becomes almost inevitable. It's pitch-perfect in its tone, and Martin Sheen plays it so beautifully that I still think the fact that he didn't get an Emmy out of this, well, should be another item on the list of God's less comprehensible moments. And I love even more that part of the speech is in untranslated Latin, and that doesn't matter, because you know exactly what's going on. It is just an incredible moment of drama, in what was one of the strongest episodes of a television show ever broadcast. If you've never seen it before, you should watch it. And if you have seen it before, you know you're going to stop and watch it again.
Click to viewI'm going to cheat and also include, for your viewing pleasure, the "Brothers in Arms" portion at the very end of the episode. Just because "Two Cathedrals" is too beautiful an episode to only just watch the President's angry scene where he threatens to just give up. You should also get him as we the viewers and as his fictional staff knew him: putting his hands in his pockets, looking away, and smiling. Plus, this is an example of "The West Wing" showing off the strength of the connections between its characters with almost no dialogue at all (which is why the dialogue that is said, mostly Leo's "Watch this," has even more impact). So here you go:
Okay, I just re-watched these two clips as I posted them, and I'd just watched them yesterday, knowing I was going to post them today, and still have to say: You guys, this show was so good.
Past
Day 01 - A show that should never have been canceled: Dirty Sexy Money
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching: Gossip Girl
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season): White Collar
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever: The West Wing
Day 05 - A show you hate: Robin Hood
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show: Celestial Navigation
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show: The episode where the shuttle leak is revealed
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch: The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Future
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you've watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death