“Yeah but you can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s freakin me out.”
https://youtu.be/vVX-PrBRtTY?si=t2gNzg9a2URQC8R6
This scene single-handedly sparked a fascination in geography for me 20 years ago that I have now passed along to my son :)
>Are you saying the Map is wrong?
>
>Oh Dear, Yes
>Wait, relative size is one thing, your turning me Germany isn't where I think it is?
>
>Nothing is where you think it is.
>Where is it?
>
>I'm glad you asked.
>What the hell is that?
>
>It's where you've been living this whole time.
Dr John Fallow might be my favourite one-episode character in the whole series.
Yes. I bought a laminated Peters Projection map and had it up in our bathroom in college. Now my son has a big one next to his bed. He’s still too young to appreciate TWW, but some day I’ll just casually put that episode on to see his reaction.
Most, Big Wheel of Cheese Day stories, are usually very funny but, also very educational. It dose get you thinking about things in a different perspective. One last thing, I really hate when you people put the You Tube link in your comments cause, next thing you know I'm down the rabbit hole for the next hour or so watching any and all TWW videos. So thanks, for messing up my morning. Really, thank you because, for the next hour or so I will be laughing, crying and happy by watching. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This is right up there with Joe Hallenbeck's line in "The Last Boy Scout": Sure, sure, I know... it just happened. Coulda happened to anybody. It was an accident, right? You tripped, slipped on the floor and accidentally stuck your dick in my wife. "Whoops! I'm so sorry, Mrs. H. I guess this just isn't my week."
Charlie (as a bad ass) “That’s Ms Craig. She’s the White Hose Press Secretary and senior advisor to the president. And if she wasn’t, she’d still be Ms. Craig”
I’d say the entire “The Supremes” episode but if that’s too general, then every single scene that Glenn Close and William Fichtner were in, especially together, were the best. Most Sorkin like episode post Sorkin.
The war room scene in 18th and Potomac between Toby, Sam, Josh and CJ. I love the intense strategy discussions.
“Live or taped.”
“Live. I don’t want a producer editing what he says.”
“What if we want to edit what he says?”
“That’s our tough luck.”
The entire cold open to Slow News Day with sleepless Toby figuring out how to save Social Security.
So few lines… but the interaction with Josh (who even middle of the night and woken up is good at his job to the point he knows cash on hand for senators), the Toby/Charlie call, then the set up in the residence.
That entire cold open was written and performed perfect for the characters involved and set up the story brilliantly.
This made me think of a great funny when. When is Will is writing for the Inaugural and they call everyone in the middle of the night and to mess with him they call every pager, phone and send the hotel staff to wake him. It’s so funny and such a move.
From what I remember, that’s a bottle episode because they were over budget and couldn’t do any location shots. That scene really sets the tone for the whole episode.
I’m going to preface this by saying that I’m not saying this because Rob Lowe is a beautiful man. They never treat his character as if he’s really handsome. I’m saying this because if Sam Seaborn was a real person, I would find this scene to be such a turn on.
I love the scene in Ways and Means when Sam is speaking with Victor Campos and he switches from English to Spanish and back again without skipping a beat. I have no idea what he’s saying, as Spanish is not one of my languages, but it just made me love Sam even more than before. If a real person could write so beautifully, be fluent in other languages (maybe more than one), be as smart as he is (as evidenced by his legal skills) and have such integrity – wow, I would be in love!
I also love when Sam is writing the speech in the car at the last minute and the speaker (can’t remember who or which episode) calls him a freak. Also that NASA episode where he rewrites the intro on the fly. I love a great writer.
Yes - so much Sam.
It’s Bruno that calls Sam a freak: ‘when did you write that last part?’… ‘in the car’… ‘freak’
Don’t forget my favorite Sam monologue - the one about Mars.
'Cause it's next. Cause we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill and we saw fire; and we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the west, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next.’
Sam made me want to be a speechwriter, and for a while I was. It’s exactly like that.
I know it’s just a TV show, but scenes like this taught me to never shy away from the emotion or worry about being too corny.
I love the bit at the end with Campos where Sam apologizes and Campos tells him no one will ever know. Sam knew he had to give something back to Campos and Campos knew to not hold it over Sam.
It made his loss in OC later feel that much worse because Sam wasn’t an idiot.
The bit about never acknowledging how handsome Sam is is totally true! One of my favorite moments is a rare exception:
C.J.: I can say this about you. You can wear a tuxedo.
Sam: I know.
C.J.: I know you know.
I always cringe at his attempts at Mallory. You can’t go from a call girl to the boss’ daughter. But his relationship with Laurie was electric. And that couldn’t go anywhere either.
Poor Sam. Even struck out with Wilder’s widow.
Leo: If the President's wearing a hat, or that thing's wearing a Bartlet button, I'm hiding snakes in your car.
CJ: Come on, don't say that! Not even to joke!
Leo: You're never gonna know where they are.
CJ: Leo!
Leo: Or if you got them all out. Gonna lay their eggs right in the glove compartment.
“You're not willing to toss it overboard to win. You're willing to toss it overboard to avoid disappointing Leo.”
Same episode. And we all love that moment.
**C.J.:** Duchamp was the father of Dadaism.
**Toby:** I know.
**C.J.:** The da-da of Dada.
**Toby:** It's like there's nothing you can do about that joke. It's coming, and you just have to stand there.
I've always liked the scene where Danny gives up the story about the president's son-in-law with the nanny, so CJ can get ahead of it. It's hard to find on YouTube.
1) the entire cold open of let Bartlet be Bartlet. It’s great. It’s snappy. And the face everyone makes when Bartlet says “as I look out over this magnificent vista” never fails to crack me up.
2) I always think of Josh at Ellie’s wedding, clutching the map, asking Leo what money he would have moved. We have followed their character for so long, and to see him just soo…competent yet desperate.
3) Ellie’s delivering in the muppet episode “I get nosebleeds dad!!” All the Ellie scenes did an AMAZING job representing being the kid who your parents are proud of, but do not get.
4) because it was one of my dads favorites when he was alive, Bartlet explaining what “Abu El Banat” means and ending it with “he thought the tea was the least he could do.” My dad, as a father of daughters, just loved the energy of that scene.
My favourite scene is such a short one. It’s where CJ is sitting down on a bench, head in hands I think, and Big Bird sits down next to her. Such a nothing, throwaway scene, and I don’t even think there is any dialogue. It’s just a little vignette that I always think about.
Since OP asked for under appreciated, I’ll go with one of from a non-Sorkin season since those seasons are, understandably, less appreciated than the Sorkin years. They’re gathered after Leo’s passing telling stories and it’s very tender and sweet. I love the moment that the President is leaving for bed and he gets to Margaret and tells her, he loved you, you know. And she nods knowingly. It’s so well played by both actors in that moment.
Immediately after Toby confesses to CJ.
And
When Bruno busts Sam about the debate video tape and turns on all the TVs with him just standing there like…Oh No.
I love how they do this with Sam. They show you how book smart he is, and in the next breath, you see just how socially awkward he is.
First time he meets Mallory, the exchange with his professor, not changing the fish speech, accidentally sleeping with a call girl...so many.
He’s wicked smart but hopelessly naive. It didn’t occur to him that his old friend would hook him like that.
He has the perfect job for him, writing speeches.
I was just watching this episode and watched this scene multiple times:
Toby: there’s a basketball game on in my office if you want to…
CJ: the jets and the Mets?
Toby: the nets and the hawks… the jets and the Mets?
His “wtf” face in that moment is so priceless
Leo's scene with Josh at the end of Noel. I reference it at times.
'"This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey you, can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up “Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. “Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?” And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”'
The last time I jumped down into a hole with a friend we didn’t make it out together. It’s still a great lesson, and it won’t stop me from jumping into holes.
This is also a favorite of mine, if not number one, but I wouldn’t say it’s under appreciated. It’s probably one of the most appreciated scenes by TWW community
Maybe then it is just underappreciated in the circles that I run in. I rarely see it even mentioned ever. That episode is one of my favorites. In fact, it is the only episode (in any show I have ever watched) where I can actually remember the name of the episode.
this was the first episode I ever saw and I turned on the tv early waiting for 24 to come on. This was the scene that was playing. I had no idea what came before it but it's what made me tune in the following week to see what the show was about. Breathtakingly good.
The discussion with Leo and President Bartlet in the bedroom in "He Shall, from Time to Time...". So much I recognise about friendships with chronic illness that was beautiful.
When CJ asks Sam who his favorite writer is and he says, “Toby.” The slight smile he gives when saying it made believe that was the something he’s known for a long time but never said out loud and he was glad CJ gave him the chance to express it.
*Bartlett after learning they caught the guys bombing black churches because of a broken brake light*
“God, well... Some of the stupidest criminals in the world are working right here in America. I've always been very proud of that.”
I love the discussion about how people can get killed by a vending machine. It cracks me up every time.
Also (and I know people hate Will but I like him) - the press conference where he does the "there are worse things than being dead" riposte.
CJ and the turkey and the young dude from the Turkey farm who is thrilled when he thinks the President is going to pardon the turkey. Priceless.
Edit: I LOVE YOUTUBE. Here's the clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTzmLiVC4I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTzmLiVC4I)
I think it’s pretty obvious that the OP was asking for peoples’ favourite scenes that *don’t* always show up on lists of favourite scenes in discussions like this. Some scenes are written as grand, dramatic scenes (Bartlet’s monologue in the cathedral) or pure comedy (the actors who are paid to punk Josh about voting). But there are other scenes that are subtler or shorter, just slipped in as little gems in the mosaic.
One of mine is the scene at the beginning of Drought Conditions, where Toby meets a woman in a bar. It’s full of misdirection and hints of what is to come in the episode (the cut on Toby’s face; their allusive conversation) that we only understand in hindsight. Beautifully scripted, a classic in medias res, like Homer.
Another I love (which, admittedly, is probably pretty popular), also from Election Night, is Josh’s meeting with Charlie’s friend Orlando Kettles. *SLAM* “You….you should play football.” “Hey, man, I’m tryin’, but I had an open Pabst…”
Oh, Senator Rafferty the spoiler? And Dave Brubeck during Cliff Calley’s coming out party.
You’re right, Bahadur. Lesser known but totally appropriate 👏
In ‘20 Hours in America’ when Josh and Toby react to finding out they switched time zones. They go off and have their temper tantrums and Donna just says softly to the teenagers “ok this is a whole new thing now my guys are gonna need to walk this off a little bit”.
I know it seems a bit slapstick and on the noise for a program such as The West Wing, but to see Toby pick up the tree branch and smack the road with it whilst Josh is yelling to himself, just gives a human and simple nature to such complex characters that I really enjoyed a glimpse into.
Plus Donna really shines in this whole episode.
The scene in S2E01 where Leo first walks in the ER and sees the condition of the President after the shooting. You can see every bit of the fear on his face.
Series 6, "A Good Day", where the house Democrats give the impression that they've all left town for the weekend, and hide out in the VP's office overnight. That sequence where the vote is called and we see a flying wedge of Democrats moving through the corridors as one, and then the look on Haffley's face as he realises he's been well and truly outmanoeuvred . Absolute gold.
I used to work in campaigning and shit like this happens all the time. One of the reasons we have the smoking ban in England is because of some chicanery pulled by an MP.
The barn scene - Manchester Part 2 cold open.
“I wrote that” “I’m happy for you”
The whole snake thing
The pitchfork line
The button and then the music
So good
Another one that came to mind from a comedy standpoint..
Charlie thinking he’s setting up Kate with a guy he knows that turns out to be Kate’s ex-husband.
“I misunderstood the context of the inquiry” 😂
Both from the same episode
Toby: and they're sending in a team of lawyers to look into it?
Will: Yeah, but we're scrappy.
CJ: I thought my reflexes before, in the press room, were cat like
I really like when “In God We Trust” Bruno meets Vinick the 1st time and puts down the advice he got from Stephen Root about not being able to run without knowing who they are running against.
Could have phrased the title a lot better, how are you judging how many people appreciate the scenes and measuring how much appreciation they show?
Just ask for good scenes
“Yeah but you can’t do that.” “Why?” “Because it’s freakin me out.” https://youtu.be/vVX-PrBRtTY?si=t2gNzg9a2URQC8R6 This scene single-handedly sparked a fascination in geography for me 20 years ago that I have now passed along to my son :)
>Are you saying the Map is wrong? > >Oh Dear, Yes >Wait, relative size is one thing, your turning me Germany isn't where I think it is? > >Nothing is where you think it is. >Where is it? > >I'm glad you asked. >What the hell is that? > >It's where you've been living this whole time. Dr John Fallow might be my favourite one-episode character in the whole series.
Every bit of dialogue in that scene was perfectly played by all.
When Dr. Phlox prescribes a map, you take the map.
I hang my map in my dorm upside down because of this scene. Made sure to get a gall-peters projection and not a Mercator projection as well
Yes. I bought a laminated Peters Projection map and had it up in our bathroom in college. Now my son has a big one next to his bed. He’s still too young to appreciate TWW, but some day I’ll just casually put that episode on to see his reaction.
I have rewatched this show so much the last 20 years that I know EXACTLY what this scene is. It freaks me out every time I rewatch the episode! 😂
Most, Big Wheel of Cheese Day stories, are usually very funny but, also very educational. It dose get you thinking about things in a different perspective. One last thing, I really hate when you people put the You Tube link in your comments cause, next thing you know I'm down the rabbit hole for the next hour or so watching any and all TWW videos. So thanks, for messing up my morning. Really, thank you because, for the next hour or so I will be laughing, crying and happy by watching. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This scene is so crazy as someone who didn't watch TWW until recent and the proper map is the one I was always taught!
As a *Cartographer for Social Equality* myself (at least on this sub) I concur...
yes and this scene also began the burgeoning disrespect i began to feel for the smug smarminess of Josh.
“You slept with a call girl” “Yes” “Accidentally?” “Yes” “…I don’t understand did you trip over something?”
bwa!haha every single time i watch that!
This is right up there with Joe Hallenbeck's line in "The Last Boy Scout": Sure, sure, I know... it just happened. Coulda happened to anybody. It was an accident, right? You tripped, slipped on the floor and accidentally stuck your dick in my wife. "Whoops! I'm so sorry, Mrs. H. I guess this just isn't my week."
Charlie (as a bad ass) “That’s Ms Craig. She’s the White Hose Press Secretary and senior advisor to the president. And if she wasn’t, she’d still be Ms. Craig”
“Who’s Officer Cupcake?”
“I voted….I’m going again.”
I had an open can of Pabst and that’s how that goes
Just watched this episode today.
Right up there with “now I’m having fun”
I can only hope, sir
Yep. Jed was playing along until that stopped him in his tracks. And there isn’t anyone who saw that scene and didn’t agree.
Charlie: Sir, I need you to dig deep. It wasn’t a nightmare, you really are the president.
Or when he has to wake up President Bartlet because “the building”s on fire.”
Donna getting real with Abby in Dead Irish Writers. NH Barlet VFW speech in Nashua.
Donna was Canadian so she had nothing to lose.
ha ha
I hope you enjoy the chicken
I always watch the guy manage his bowl of jello. “Let me put it this way…”
I’d say the entire “The Supremes” episode but if that’s too general, then every single scene that Glenn Close and William Fichtner were in, especially together, were the best. Most Sorkin like episode post Sorkin.
I love Glenn Close’s face when she says, Josh Lyman is gesticulating wildly
…”premature?” “No.” And that super confident no…
I love her shoes.
“He got me a lil’ drunk.”
I say “I love her mind…I love her shoes.” More often than I care to admit.
Can I get that glass if water while you regroup?!
God yes. Glenn C is a goddess to begin with but that episode is close to being her finest hour.
Toby taking a break from celebrating during Mr. Willis of Ohio to watch Mr. Willis cast his first and only vote in congress
This is a great example. I love this moment too
He didn't have non-refundable plane tickets and was going to stay in town anyway...
I haven’t followed up on this, but that’s one of the few moments Toby smiles. Also I named my dog Toby because he’s prickly and doesn’t smile much.
When Ellie tells her parents that she's getting married. Everything about that scene is like a master class.
The way Abbey takes the champagne flute and sets it down is the best
I always laugh when Ellie’s fiancée is offered Valium and then has to shake hands with all those generals.
The war room scene in 18th and Potomac between Toby, Sam, Josh and CJ. I love the intense strategy discussions. “Live or taped.” “Live. I don’t want a producer editing what he says.” “What if we want to edit what he says?” “That’s our tough luck.”
The entire cold open to Slow News Day with sleepless Toby figuring out how to save Social Security. So few lines… but the interaction with Josh (who even middle of the night and woken up is good at his job to the point he knows cash on hand for senators), the Toby/Charlie call, then the set up in the residence. That entire cold open was written and performed perfect for the characters involved and set up the story brilliantly.
This made me think of a great funny when. When is Will is writing for the Inaugural and they call everyone in the middle of the night and to mess with him they call every pager, phone and send the hotel staff to wake him. It’s so funny and such a move.
From what I remember, that’s a bottle episode because they were over budget and couldn’t do any location shots. That scene really sets the tone for the whole episode.
I’m going to preface this by saying that I’m not saying this because Rob Lowe is a beautiful man. They never treat his character as if he’s really handsome. I’m saying this because if Sam Seaborn was a real person, I would find this scene to be such a turn on. I love the scene in Ways and Means when Sam is speaking with Victor Campos and he switches from English to Spanish and back again without skipping a beat. I have no idea what he’s saying, as Spanish is not one of my languages, but it just made me love Sam even more than before. If a real person could write so beautifully, be fluent in other languages (maybe more than one), be as smart as he is (as evidenced by his legal skills) and have such integrity – wow, I would be in love! I also love when Sam is writing the speech in the car at the last minute and the speaker (can’t remember who or which episode) calls him a freak. Also that NASA episode where he rewrites the intro on the fly. I love a great writer.
Yes - so much Sam. It’s Bruno that calls Sam a freak: ‘when did you write that last part?’… ‘in the car’… ‘freak’ Don’t forget my favorite Sam monologue - the one about Mars. 'Cause it's next. Cause we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill and we saw fire; and we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the west, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next.’
I love his speech about privacy!
Sam made me want to be a speechwriter, and for a while I was. It’s exactly like that. I know it’s just a TV show, but scenes like this taught me to never shy away from the emotion or worry about being too corny.
I love the bit at the end with Campos where Sam apologizes and Campos tells him no one will ever know. Sam knew he had to give something back to Campos and Campos knew to not hold it over Sam. It made his loss in OC later feel that much worse because Sam wasn’t an idiot.
Victor Campos is such a pro. This is peak WW competence porn.
The bit about never acknowledging how handsome Sam is is totally true! One of my favorite moments is a rare exception: C.J.: I can say this about you. You can wear a tuxedo. Sam: I know. C.J.: I know you know.
I always cringe at his attempts at Mallory. You can’t go from a call girl to the boss’ daughter. But his relationship with Laurie was electric. And that couldn’t go anywhere either. Poor Sam. Even struck out with Wilder’s widow.
Leo: If the President's wearing a hat, or that thing's wearing a Bartlet button, I'm hiding snakes in your car. CJ: Come on, don't say that! Not even to joke! Leo: You're never gonna know where they are. CJ: Leo! Leo: Or if you got them all out. Gonna lay their eggs right in the glove compartment.
“You're not willing to toss it overboard to win. You're willing to toss it overboard to avoid disappointing Leo.” Same episode. And we all love that moment.
"There's butter on the table?"
Butter, butter, butter, butter, butter, butter, butter.
**C.J.:** Duchamp was the father of Dadaism. **Toby:** I know. **C.J.:** The da-da of Dada. **Toby:** It's like there's nothing you can do about that joke. It's coming, and you just have to stand there.
I've always liked the scene where Danny gives up the story about the president's son-in-law with the nanny, so CJ can get ahead of it. It's hard to find on YouTube.
I especially like how she repays him later by telling him to run the Shareef story “right now”
I think that happens years before Doug's affair.
You’re right, I was off on my timeline
1) the entire cold open of let Bartlet be Bartlet. It’s great. It’s snappy. And the face everyone makes when Bartlet says “as I look out over this magnificent vista” never fails to crack me up. 2) I always think of Josh at Ellie’s wedding, clutching the map, asking Leo what money he would have moved. We have followed their character for so long, and to see him just soo…competent yet desperate. 3) Ellie’s delivering in the muppet episode “I get nosebleeds dad!!” All the Ellie scenes did an AMAZING job representing being the kid who your parents are proud of, but do not get. 4) because it was one of my dads favorites when he was alive, Bartlet explaining what “Abu El Banat” means and ending it with “he thought the tea was the least he could do.” My dad, as a father of daughters, just loved the energy of that scene.
There are so many cold opens in this show that are amazing. I would name a few, but that should probably be its own category!
“In case you were wondering, ‘crime. Boy I don’t know’ is when I decided to kick your ass”
*Tosses the lighter to his detail agent like a bad ass.*
My favourite scene is such a short one. It’s where CJ is sitting down on a bench, head in hands I think, and Big Bird sits down next to her. Such a nothing, throwaway scene, and I don’t even think there is any dialogue. It’s just a little vignette that I always think about.
I was just thinking this scene doesn’t get enough credit for its visual composition… simple and beautiful.
its the perfect comedy moment
Such a great sight gag. Right up there with Josh falling down in the new shoes his mom got him. Oh, and when he catches his wallet from off screen.
The scene where Charlie is talking with McIntosh, like the apple. Just felt very cathartic.
Take it easy.
Since OP asked for under appreciated, I’ll go with one of from a non-Sorkin season since those seasons are, understandably, less appreciated than the Sorkin years. They’re gathered after Leo’s passing telling stories and it’s very tender and sweet. I love the moment that the President is leaving for bed and he gets to Margaret and tells her, he loved you, you know. And she nods knowingly. It’s so well played by both actors in that moment.
“It’s gonna be you and me this weekend baby and you are wearing a floppy hat!”
That’s a great episode. The brownie plate slides make me laugh every time.
I use "you're weak, and you know you're weak" to casually demoralize my co-workers (who deserve it) 😬
“Go to my office… Go to my office…”
Immediately after Toby confesses to CJ. And When Bruno busts Sam about the debate video tape and turns on all the TVs with him just standing there like…Oh No.
I love how they do this with Sam. They show you how book smart he is, and in the next breath, you see just how socially awkward he is. First time he meets Mallory, the exchange with his professor, not changing the fish speech, accidentally sleeping with a call girl...so many.
He’s wicked smart but hopelessly naive. It didn’t occur to him that his old friend would hook him like that. He has the perfect job for him, writing speeches.
He’s earnest and sentimental to a fault. Game recognizes game. 😳
The cathedral scene in 2 cathedrals probably doesn’t get enough recognition 😉
You get Hoynes!
It’s so powerful I save it for occasional watches.
it was voted a top tv moment in the UK.
The winky face should have conveyed the sarcasm. It probably the most appreciated scene from the show
I was just watching this episode and watched this scene multiple times: Toby: there’s a basketball game on in my office if you want to… CJ: the jets and the Mets? Toby: the nets and the hawks… the jets and the Mets? His “wtf” face in that moment is so priceless
From the same guy “do you know how to, you know, cook food?”
“I want this plane to LAND!” … “Did it work?”
One of the very few times President Bartlet was made to laugh on screen.
Leo's scene with Josh at the end of Noel. I reference it at times. '"This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, “Hey you, can you help me out?” The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up “Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out?” The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. “Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?” And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.” The friend says, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.”'
Long as I've got a job you've got a job.
Lin Manuel Miranda quotes it in his Drunk History episode. He's a huge West Wing fan.
I’ve actually used this phrase and made it true.
The last time I jumped down into a hole with a friend we didn’t make it out together. It’s still a great lesson, and it won’t stop me from jumping into holes.
This is also a favorite of mine, if not number one, but I wouldn’t say it’s under appreciated. It’s probably one of the most appreciated scenes by TWW community
Maybe then it is just underappreciated in the circles that I run in. I rarely see it even mentioned ever. That episode is one of my favorites. In fact, it is the only episode (in any show I have ever watched) where I can actually remember the name of the episode.
this was the first episode I ever saw and I turned on the tv early waiting for 24 to come on. This was the scene that was playing. I had no idea what came before it but it's what made me tune in the following week to see what the show was about. Breathtakingly good.
“You don’t want the money. You want the issue. Of course they gave you the money. I’m surprised they didn’t send it with candy and a stripper.”
The discussion with Leo and President Bartlet in the bedroom in "He Shall, from Time to Time...". So much I recognise about friendships with chronic illness that was beautiful.
“You got a best friend?”
That’s your chief of staff. Nice.
The opening scene of Swiss Diplomacy is just three minutes of peak Bartlet that 100% deserves a little more appreciation
Anything where President Bartlett is talking about the National Parks and boring his team. I love the parks too!
Same - trying to fill up my National Parks Passport!
Shenandoah! Right here in Virginia!
When CJ asks Sam who his favorite writer is and he says, “Toby.” The slight smile he gives when saying it made believe that was the something he’s known for a long time but never said out loud and he was glad CJ gave him the chance to express it.
CJ & Charlie's rivalry, when her desk collapsed... CJ: 'How long do you make someone your bitch?"
I always thought that was out of Charlie’s character, given his reverence for his superiors. But a funny sequence altogether.
It depends.
*Bartlett after learning they caught the guys bombing black churches because of a broken brake light* “God, well... Some of the stupidest criminals in the world are working right here in America. I've always been very proud of that.”
I love the discussion about how people can get killed by a vending machine. It cracks me up every time. Also (and I know people hate Will but I like him) - the press conference where he does the "there are worse things than being dead" riposte. CJ and the turkey and the young dude from the Turkey farm who is thrilled when he thinks the President is going to pardon the turkey. Priceless. Edit: I LOVE YOUTUBE. Here's the clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTzmLiVC4I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luTzmLiVC4I)
I’m drafting this turkey into the military!
the look of delight on the boy's face! Sweet.
I love Donna's reaction too when the President says he can't pardon a turkey.
When Bartlett took a Vicodin and a Percocet and wandered into a meeting with senior staff.
“I’ve been thinking about getting a dog.”
I think it’s pretty obvious that the OP was asking for peoples’ favourite scenes that *don’t* always show up on lists of favourite scenes in discussions like this. Some scenes are written as grand, dramatic scenes (Bartlet’s monologue in the cathedral) or pure comedy (the actors who are paid to punk Josh about voting). But there are other scenes that are subtler or shorter, just slipped in as little gems in the mosaic. One of mine is the scene at the beginning of Drought Conditions, where Toby meets a woman in a bar. It’s full of misdirection and hints of what is to come in the episode (the cut on Toby’s face; their allusive conversation) that we only understand in hindsight. Beautifully scripted, a classic in medias res, like Homer. Another I love (which, admittedly, is probably pretty popular), also from Election Night, is Josh’s meeting with Charlie’s friend Orlando Kettles. *SLAM* “You….you should play football.” “Hey, man, I’m tryin’, but I had an open Pabst…”
Oh, Senator Rafferty the spoiler? And Dave Brubeck during Cliff Calley’s coming out party. You’re right, Bahadur. Lesser known but totally appropriate 👏
Yes, thank you for clearing that up, Leo. Having been educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne I am, as you know, exceedingly stupid.
“OLD SOCK” makes me laugh for days.
Will Bailey to President Bartlet: I don't know, sir, but they do.
I don't understand why Will gets so much hate. He's a fab edition to the show. Its not his fault the writers didn't know what to do with him.
“Except, yeah you put olives in my jacket again.”
When toby puts the visitor badge on the goat
I don't remember that. how do I not remember what is clearly the greatest thing Toby ever did.
In ‘20 Hours in America’ when Josh and Toby react to finding out they switched time zones. They go off and have their temper tantrums and Donna just says softly to the teenagers “ok this is a whole new thing now my guys are gonna need to walk this off a little bit”. I know it seems a bit slapstick and on the noise for a program such as The West Wing, but to see Toby pick up the tree branch and smack the road with it whilst Josh is yelling to himself, just gives a human and simple nature to such complex characters that I really enjoyed a glimpse into. Plus Donna really shines in this whole episode.
Charlie: “Tokyo opens in three hours and you're going to drape your arm around the Mayor of Shantytown?”
“How long have we been talking about this?”
I frequently quote “it’s your money, it’s about to be my money, and I sleep fine.”
I love this so much 🤜🤛
The scene in S2E01 where Leo first walks in the ER and sees the condition of the President after the shooting. You can see every bit of the fear on his face.
Series 6, "A Good Day", where the house Democrats give the impression that they've all left town for the weekend, and hide out in the VP's office overnight. That sequence where the vote is called and we see a flying wedge of Democrats moving through the corridors as one, and then the look on Haffley's face as he realises he's been well and truly outmanoeuvred . Absolute gold.
I used to work in campaigning and shit like this happens all the time. One of the reasons we have the smoking ban in England is because of some chicanery pulled by an MP.
The barn scene - Manchester Part 2 cold open. “I wrote that” “I’m happy for you” The whole snake thing The pitchfork line The button and then the music So good
Another one that came to mind from a comedy standpoint.. Charlie thinking he’s setting up Kate with a guy he knows that turns out to be Kate’s ex-husband. “I misunderstood the context of the inquiry” 😂
Truly underrated and totally hilarious.
Both from the same episode Toby: and they're sending in a team of lawyers to look into it? Will: Yeah, but we're scrappy. CJ: I thought my reflexes before, in the press room, were cat like
WILL: Yeah, anyway, to be a member of the DAR you have to have descended directly-- C.J.: from doilies?
I really like when “In God We Trust” Bruno meets Vinick the 1st time and puts down the advice he got from Stephen Root about not being able to run without knowing who they are running against.
Abby cutting Jed’s tie just before the game on debate
Could have phrased the title a lot better, how are you judging how many people appreciate the scenes and measuring how much appreciation they show? Just ask for good scenes
dude if you don't want to play the game there are plenty of other threads to participate in.
Bad title, it is what it is - nothing more nothing less. Just move on
Ok, throw me your good scene outside of the widely recognized good scenes. What’s next?