5 REASONS TO WATCH... | PICSPAM | THE WEST WING
The Beginning
This show, for one, is ridiculously pretty. Seriously, look at that first cap! One of my main reasons for loving this show much is DC. (which I unfortunately didn't get to got to while I was in the US over New Years) It's so beautiful, I plan on visiting there when I'm not a semi-broke teenager living in Australia. Anyway, this cast and these characters are so brilliant. Okay, so look at the third cap. You see that gorgeous specimen on man? Yes? That, my friends, is Samuel Norman Seaborn, Deputy White House Communications Director. A few weeks ago I was given a "pre-test/quiz" for my legal studies class and we were asked who our favourite fictional legal character was. I wrote Sam Seaborn. And who is that stunning woman he is so inconspicuously at? Oh that would be one Miss Laurie "Brittany" Rollins; Law student, part-time bartender and very (Sam's words, not mine) high-priced call girl. (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Lisa Cuddy was once a hooker - and you all thought House was being an ass) Next up we have Leo McGarry, White House Chief of Staff, who relies on the "Time"'s crossword for daily stimulation. Not much else can be said about Mr. McGarry as he is too busy being a HBIC and all. Claudia Jean Cregg, White House Press Secretary extraordinaire, best fictional character ever created, etc. etc. See this, she is managing her time, this is her personal time which she usued to excersise and meet interesting men (that she towers over) at the gym. Joshua Lyman (Deputy chief of Staff). What to say about him except "OH MY GOD, CAN I PLEASE HAVE ONE?!" Trust me, you will love him too. Just wait until you see his best features. Aren't they glorious?....Moving on. Tobias Zachary Ziegler, White House Communications Director, he bought this phone at radio shack. It will not flummox this plane's navigational system.
"Lady, the god you pray to is too busy being indicted for tax fraud."
Joshua, Joshua, Joshua. Josh, Josh, Josh. See, this man is very good at pissing people off, usually by being right and his assistant Donnatella Moss (from Wisconsin) is always there to bring him metaphorical cups of coffee (except this time, it's real). Donnatella Moss, Deputy-Deputy Chief of Staff, is not your average assistant. Her quirks and fortune cookie wisdom makes her one of the most lovable characters of the show. The chemistry between these two (Janel Moloney and Bradley Whitford) is my favourite next to that of Gillian Anderson ad David Duchovny and is another one of my favourite things about the show, later on in the series (starting next episode) you really see it. Now, I'm not saying that you have to see their relationship (later on) as one of those "WILL YOU TWO JUST HURRY UP AND FUCK LIKE BUNNIES" ones, most of the time I don't, and with a lot of my 'ships, I much prefer the platonic side of it. Anyway, the dialogue of this scene is fantastic and I thought I'd share.
Leo's Daughter's 4th Grade Class
Here's the thing, remember Laurie who I mentioned earlier? Remember that she's a call girl? Yeah, well Sam kind of slept with her. But it's okay because he didn't know she was a prostitute at the time. Still, it's not the best image for a White House senior staffer to be sleeping with prostitutes. Anyway, that second cap there is of Leo's daughter's fourth grade class. Would you like me to point her out to you? She's the gorgeous redheaded teacher, Mallory O'Brien, Sam didn't know this at the time, and while going off on a bit of a rant about how much his day sucks and wanting to know which one of the kids is his boss' daughter, told her about his previous night with Ms. Rollins. Anyway, Sam is supposed to be giving that class a tour of The White House. Sam knows nothing about The White House.
"When she said 'New York sense of humor', she was talking about you and me."
"Lady, the god you pray to is too busy being indicted for tax fraud" isn't the best thing to say to Mary Marsh, member of the religious right, aligned with Reverend Al Caldwell, friend of both President Bartlet and Leo, and John Van Dyke, who needs to learn his ten commandments. Like I said, Josh is great at pissing people off, well, this is exhibit A. Anyway, not to get too into the whole situation (that's for you to find out later when you watch it) Mary ends up making a thinly veiled anti-Semitic remark which offends Toby (and Josh, although he doesn't say anything apart from the fact that he's from Connecticut) and he precedes to go off at her. Okay, you see Martin Sheen? Well, he plays President Josiah Bartlet, who does know his commandments. He also knows how to show people the door/politely tell the to GTFO.
"Hello, Mr. President. Did you have a nice trip, sir? How’s the ankle, sir?"
Long story short, The President, while riding a bicycle on his vacation in Jackson Hole, came to a sudden arboreal stop."There was this time that Annie came to me with this press clipping. Seems these theologians down in South America were very excited because this little girl from Chile had sliced open a tomato, and the inside flesh of this tomato had actually formed a perfect Rosary. The theologians commented that they thought this was a very impressive girl. Annie commented that she thought it was a very impressive tomato. I don’t know what made me think of that.
[reporting the information from the slip of paper] Naval Intelligence reports approximately 1200 Cubans left Havana this morning. Approximately 700 turned back due to severe weather, some 350 are missing and presumed dead, 137 have been taken into custody in Miami and are seeking asylum. [pause] With the clothes on their backs, they came through a storm. And the ones that didn’t die want a better life. And they want it here. Talk about impressive. My point is this: Break’s over."
And so begins the greatest journey you will ever take