FAQ: alt.tv.the-west-wing
Toniann
The alt.tv.the-west-wing FAQ
This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) was created for the
alt.tv.the-west.wing Usenet newsgroup on January 18, 2002 and last
updated February 20, 2005. Please contact Toniann at dai...@gmail.com
with questions. The FAQ is divided into four categories:
A. Episode & Character Questions B. Songs & Music C. General Show
Questions D. Newsgroup Questions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A. Episode
& Character Questions
*** For a complete episode guide and more show details, visit:
http://www.thewestwingepguide.com ***
1. Who are all these people?
Josiah "Jed" Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is the President of the United
States, currently serving his second term. Jed Bartlet is a descendent
of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was raised
by a strict father and a Catholic mother (he remains very religious
today). His father was headmaster of the prep school Jed attended, and
Dolores Landingham was his father's secretary before going to work for
Jed. He has at least one brother, John. Jed was accepted at Harvard,
Yale, and Williams, but chose to attend Notre Dame because he was
thinking of becoming a priest. He did not do so, he once told CJ,
because he met Abbey (Abigail), his future wife. They have three
daughters: Elizabeth (who has a daughter, Annie and a son, Gus),
Eleanor, and Zoey. The family still owns a farm in Manchester, New
Hampshire. Jed has a PhD and is a Nobel Laureate in Economics. His
political career before running for President included serving in the
New Hampshire State Legislature, three terms as Congressman, and two
terms as Governor of New Hampshire. Jed Bartlet is an incredibly
intelligent man who has an encyclopedic knowledge of what some others
might deem "useless trivia". He plays chess, watches sports on TV (is
devoted to Notre Dame), and smokes two cigarettes a day (according to
him). He cares deeply about each member of his staff, and was hit
especially hard when Dolores Landingham was killed ("18th & Potomac")
and when Josh was shot ("What Kind of Day Has This Been").
About eight years prior to his election to the White House, Jed Bartlet
was diagnosed with relapsing/remitting Multiple Sclerosis. This matter
was kept private within the family and a few trusted doctors throughout
the campaign and the beginning of his term (he did tell Leo,
eventually). He was able to keep this matter secret because Abbey was
treating him and managing his remission with shots of betaseron, which
lowered the frequency of attacks. After the president was shot at
Rosslyn, Abbey informed the anesthesiologist of his condition; shortly
thereafter, Vice-President Hoynes' actions tipped off Toby, and soon
the rest of the staff was informed shortly before the president went
public. A Grand Jury investigation ensued, and was halted when Bartlet
agreed to a deal offered to him, in the form of official censure from
Congress. Nevertheless, Jed Bartlet ran for a second term in what was
initially a tight contest with the Republican candidate, Robert
Ritchie. After delivering a resounding defeat to his opponent in the
one and only presidential debate, however, Bartlet easily won
re-election.
During the first year of his second term, Bartlet's youngest daughter,
Zoey, was kidnapped from a club on the night of her graduation from
Georgetown ("Commencement"). A grief-stricken and terrified Bartlet
found himself unable to function as president, and he chose to invoke
the 25th Amendment of the Constitution (declaring himself temporarily
unfit for office) and step aside. Because Vice President Hoynes had
recently resigned and a new VP had not yet been appointed, the Speaker
of the House, Republican Glen Allen Walken became Acting President
("25"). When Zoey was rescued, Jed took back the presidency. Shortly
thereafter he agreed to appoint Bob Russell as his new vice-president,
as a compromise choice.
The president's health took a turn for the worse during his second
term as his multiple sclerosis relapsed, causing paralysis of the
limbs and extreme fatigue at a critical time during a summit in China.
The president perservered and the paralysis faded, but this episode
has changed his life and left him with greatly-reduced stamina.
Mrs. Dolores Landingham (Kathryn Joosten) was President Bartlet's
secretary, after working for his father at the prep school Jed
attended. She was an "older sister" to him, and often urged him on to
worthy causes. She and her husband, Henry, had twin boys (Andrew and
Simon) who insisted on refusing academic deferment and were drafted to
Vietnam as medics. They were killed on Christmas Eve of 1970. Mrs.
Landingham worked for Jed Bartlet while he was Governor of New
Hampshire and in the White House. She was strong-willed and acerbic
with the president, and enforced a certain standard of manners on him
and the rest of the staff -- and was dear to all of them. Her death
(she was hit by a drunk driver on the day she picked up the first
brand-new car she'd ever owned) hit all of the staff, especially the
president, very hard.
Debbie Fiderer (Lily Tomlin) was hired at the beginning of Season Four
as President Bartlet's new secretary. For more details regarding the
circumstances of her hiring, see question #16 below, in this section.
Charlie (Charles) Young (Dulé Hill) is the President's personal aide.
His mother, a police officer, was shot and killed in the line of duty
less than a year before he started working at the White House. Charlie
has a younger sister, Deeana, that he was taking care of; she recently
went off to school and Charlie began college himself. Charlie joined
the staff when he was interviewing for a job as a messenger and was
offered the position of personal aide. He and Bartlet have a close
relationship: in "Shibboleth", the president presented Charlie with a
carving knife that had been in the Bartlet family for centuries, passed
down from father to son -- the knife was crafted by silversmith Paul
Revere. It is obvious that Bartlet thinks of him as a son, even aside
from the fact that Charlie has dated the president's youngest daughter,
Zoey. Charlie wasn't hit at the shooting at Rosslyn, knocked down to
safety, along with Zoey, by Special Agent Gina Toscano. It wasn't until
later, however, that Charlie learned that he, not the president, had
been the target of a white supremacist group that objected to his
relationship with Zoey. Charlie and Zoey broke up and Zoey began dating
French royal Jean- Paul, much to Charlie's chagrin. He set about trying
to win her back but seemed to be making little headway until her
graduation, when she met him to dig up a bottle of champagne they'd
buried years before in the National Arboretum ("Commencement"). Zoey
left, however, partially at Charlie's urging, to meet Jean-Paul at a
club - and was kidnapped. Charlie remained by the president's side
throughout that crisis, and was very supportive of Zoey after her
return. They do not seem to have reunited as a couple, however.
President Bartlet made Charlie promise that he would find another job
once he'd graduated from Georgetown. Reluctant to leave the
president's side, Charlie made on a token effort, but CJ stepped in
and hired him as a deputy.
Abigail Ann Bartlet (Stockard Channing) is Jed's wife, and the First
Lady. She is a medical doctor, with an M.D. from Harvard, and is board
certified in internal medicine and thoracic surgery. She is an adjunct
professor of thoracic surgery at Harvard Medical Center and is on staff
at Boston Mercy Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian.
Abbey is clearly an intellectual match for her brilliant husband, and
has a close relationship with her three daughters. She supported Jed
completely during his campaign, but they had an agreement that (because
of his illness) he would only serve one term as president. His decision
to run for reelection drove a rift between them for some time, but that
rift seems to have mended on the strength of their thirty-two years of
marriage. The First Lady faced difficulties regarding her medical
license and career because she disobeyed the American Medical
Association's code of ethics by treating her own husband and by not
keeping records of that treatment, and because she violated the State
Board of Ethics of three states (Arizona, Missouri, and New Hampshire)
by prescribing drugs for her husband and had them shipped out of state.
As a result, she agreed to voluntarily suspend her medical license for
the duration of her husband's time in office, an agreement she later
rescinded when she began volunteering at a local clinic.
When her youngest daughter Zoey was kidnapped, Abbey understandably was
shaken to the core, scared and filled with guilt. When Zoey was
returned, however, Abbey seemed to be convinced that the abduction had
been a direct retaliation for Jed's secret order for the assassination
of Abdul Shareef of Qumar. An icy silence reigned between Abbey and
Jed, and eventually Abbey took Zoey back to the family farm in
Manchester. The Bartlets later reconciled, and Abbey stayed by her
husband's side throughout his latest bout with MS.
Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is the former White House Chief of Staff. He
and Jed have known each other for over thirty years, but according to
Leo, their friendship began "about twelve years ago". Leo has been a
high-profile member of the Democratic Party for quite some time, and
served as Secretary of Labor in the early 1990s. Leo has been described
as "Boston Irish Catholic", but in a later episode claimed to be a "man
of Chicago"; perhaps he moved there as an adult. Leo's wife, Jenny,
decided to end their marriage and asked for a divorce, saying that Leo
"widowed" her when he began the Bartlet campaign. They have a
daughter, Mallory. He has at least two sisters, Elizabeth and
Josephine ("Jo" or "Josey"); Josephine apparently has at least several
children. Leo served in Vietnam as a pilot. Later, sometime during his
political career, he was an alcoholic and developed an addiction to
Valium. He went into treatment sometime during 1993-1994; we know of
at least one time he fell off the wagon, during the campaign ("Bartlet
for America").
In the first part of Bartlet's second term, Leo and Jed were going
through a rough patch and not seeing eye to eye in regards to the
Israel/Palestine situation. Jed actually asked for Leo's
resignation. Leo suffered a massive heart attack, however, and spent
the next several months in recovery - he would be unable to step back
into his former demanding position, regardless. It was Leo who told Jed
that CJ was the only person who could fill the position. Leo is
plain-speaking and sometimes does not hesitate to speak harshly to
those that work for him. However, he is fiercely loyal and combines
that angry criticism with an immense respect. The president relies on
him and trusts him implicitly, now in his role as advisor. Leo enjoys
crossword puzzles and is quite the gourmand, always with a bit of
advice for fine dining. From the comments of various others (Bartlet,
the staff), Leo apparently has quite a bit of personal wealth.
Margaret (NiCole Robinson) is Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Margaret
is a little... odd, and knows that she sometimes freaks people out. She
joined the Bartlet team sometime during the early part of campaign,
and was fiercely loyal to Leo. She and CJ have a slightly quirkier
(believe it or not) relationship.
Joshua Lyman (Bradley Whitford) was the Deputy Chief of Staff. He grew
up in Connecticut and is Jewish, though he does not seem to practice.
His father, Noah Lyman, was a well-known and respected lawyer who was a
partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, and an old friend of Leo's. Mr. Lyman
died on the night of the Illinois primary. Josh's mother is still
alive, and recently moved to Florida. Josh had an older sister, Joanie,
who died in a fire while babysitting Josh. Josh also mentions his
grandfather, who was in the Birkenau concentration camp during the
Holocaust. Josh keeps a picture of he and his grandfather on the wall
of his office. Josh attended Harvard and Yale, was a Fulbright scholar,
then began a career in politics. He was Floor Manager for the House
Minority Whip, Chief of Staff for Congressman Earl Brennan, and a
staffer on the presidential campaign of then-Senator John Hoynes. Leo
came to see Josh and asked him to come hear Jed Bartlet speak in
Nashua, New Hampshire. Josh did so, decided to join the campaign, and
brought Sam along with him. Josh relied on his assistant, Donna Moss,
heavily. The two were close, but a romantic relationship never seemed
to be in the cards, though often hinted at (When Donna was injured in
a car bombing in Gaza and flown to Germany, Josh spared little time in
getting to her side). Josh also failed to get anything going with
pollster Joey Lucas. He dated women's rights activist Amy Gardner
steadily, but a work-related falling-out broke them up. Ironically,
after she began working as Abbey Bartlet's Chief of Staff, they
resumed their relationship, but both Amy's tenure and their reunion
proved short-lived.
Josh was shot at Rosslyn, and had to undergo intensive surgery for over
twelve hours while his life hung in the balance. He recovered, but
later in the year suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
("Noel"). Donna and Leo intervened, and got Josh the help he needed.
It was Leo's advice, and Josh's own frustration, and Donna's
resignation that prompted Josh to go out and find a candidate for the
upcoming presidential election. He left the Bartlet administration and
chose Matt Santos, an independent-thinking man, as his pick for the
next president. On the campaign trail, Josh and Santos don't always
see eye to eye, but Josh's initial instinct regarding Santos'
character seems to have been on the mark.
Donnatella Moss (Janel Moloney) works for the Russell campaign, and was
Josh's Assistant, or as she once put it, "Deputy Deputy Chief of
Staff". We learned in "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen" that she joined
the Bartlet campaign by showing up at headquarters and assigning
herself to being Josh's assistant. She confessed to Josh that her
boyfriend had recently broken up with her (after she'd dropped out of
college to help put him through med school) and wanted a fresh start.
Josh was negative at first, telling her that wasn't what the campaign
was about, and Donna convinced him that it could be. We later learned
(in "17 People") that Donna left the campaign and Josh to go back to
her boyfriend for several months; when she rejoined the campaign Josh
was relieved and, according to Donna, never questioned her. Donna and
her family, according to Josh, are Protestant; despite claiming to be a
"farm girl", Josh also points out that she grew up in a condo. She
admits to having a list of different majors while she was still in
school, and the list of boyfriends seems to be just as long. She became
involved with Republican lawyer Cliff Calley with nearly disastrous
results during the grand jury investigation surrounding the disclosure
of Bartlet's MS. In season four, she began dating Lt. Commander Jack
Reese (played by Christian Slater), a member of Nancy McNally's staff.
When Jack was transferred (perhaps unfairly) out of the White House,
Donna took the blame for an angry quote he gave to the press. Josh
figured out her loyal though perhaps misguided deception with Danny's
help ("Inauguration Part II").
Donna began to feel stymied in her position, and spoke to CJ for advice
about advancing in her position. Although Josh predictably resisted
this at first, he finally agreed to send her on a CODEL mission to
Gaza, along with Admiral Fitzwallace and several Congressmen. There
Donna met a charming photographer, Colin Ayres. At the conclusion of
the trip, though, a car bomb exploded, killing three of the people in
the car and seriously injuring Donna. She was flown to the military
hospital in Germany, where Josh rushed to her side - as did the
photographer boyfriend.
Returning to the West Wing and recovered, Donna continued to try to
express to Josh how frustrated she felt in her position; when he did
not respond she resigned and took a job with the Russell campaign,
working alongside Will Bailey.
Toby Zachary Ziegler (Richard Schiff) is the White House Communications
Director. After Leo, he was the first of the current staff to join the
Bartlet campaign - but not the president's first choice for
Communications Director (in "The Crackpots and These Women", we learned
the president's pick, David Rosen, turned him down, and that Bartlet is
now glad to have Toby instead). According to Toby, he has been a
professional political operative his whole life, but never managed to
be on a winning team until now. He is a passionate man who could be
described as idealistic, and often serves as the voice of the
president's "better angels"; their relationship fluctuates as a result,
but is undeniably close and based in respect.
Toby is Jewish and attends Temple. We know he is from New York and that
he went to the City College, CCNY. [Note: Toby wears a sweatshirt with
the school's logo in a first season episode; the Official Companion
book confirms that CCNY is meant to be Toby's alma mater.] He and his
father, Jules, have a tense relationship, due to his father's checkered
past with the law (and involvement in organized crime in the fifties).
He has a brother, David, who is an astronaut; in "What Kind of Day Has
This Been" we learn that there is or at least was some tension between
them. Toby also refers to his sisters in "Somebody's Going to
Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail". Toby also has an ex-wife, Andrea
(Andy), now Congresswoman Wyatt. They divorced not long after Bartlet
first took office but Andy became pregnant with twins later, possibly
through ongoing fertility treatments ("Debate Camp") though the
circumstances were not explained. Toby began trying to convince Andy to
remarry him, without success; he went so far as to purchase her dream
house ("Commencement") and propose yet again, but Andy said no, saying
they were too different and Toby was too "sad" for her. Andy seemed to
regret her harsh words - just as she went into labor. Their twins, Huck
and Molly, were born the day of Zoey Bartlet's kidnapping - Huck named
for Andy's grandfather, and Molly for the Secret Service agent on
Zoey's detail who was killed by the kidnappers. However, Andy and Toby
did not reunite and instead grew farther apart.
Toby wanted to take a more policy-centered role and hoped to turn most
of his speech-writing duties over to his deputy, Will Bailey. Will
hadn't gotten his stride with the president yet, however, and found
himself stymied; VP Bob Russell offered Will a position in his staff
and Will decided to take it. Toby's reaction was less than positive.
In the wake of the president's illness and staff resignations and
shuffling of positions, Toby has remained in the Communications
office, now responsible for the Press Secretary's duties as well
(with the help of Deputy Annabeth Schott).
Samuel Norman Seaborn (Rob Lowe) was the Deputy Communications Director
for the first three and a half seasons of the show. He attended
Princeton as an undergraduate and Duke for law school. He worked for
Dewey Ballantine and Gage Whitney Page in New York City, where he was
about to be offered a partnership when Josh got him to join the Bartlet
campaign. As a member of Bartlet's staff, he bonded with Toby Ziegler
and the two made a formidable speech writing team. As far as romance
goes, Sam was never very lucky. We first saw him involved with a
high-priced call girl, Laurie, whom he "accidentally" slept with (he
didn't know she was a hooker). He later tried to get involved with Leo
McGarry's daughter, Mallory, but the relationship failed to take off.
Sam's parents are both living; his father has had a mistress for years
and his parents are divorced. Sam is outdoorsy but clumsy, knows almost
as much inane trivia as the president, and is nuts for dental hygiene.
Sam came in contact with Will Bailey and the members of Horton Wilde's
campaign staff just after Wilde, the candidate for a California
congressional seat, had passed away. On impulse, Sam offered to serve
as the replacement candidate should Wilde nevertheless win the
primary. Wilde won, and Sam, somewhat shocked at first, did agree to
run for election. He left the White House with full support from
everyone, including the president, to campaign in California. In "The
California 47th", we were led to believe that Sam would lose his
election and mention had been made that he would be returning to the
West Wing, with a promotion. Obviously, he has not returned. No
explanation has been given.
Will Bailey (Joshua Malina) is Bob Russell's campaign manager. When
we initially met him, he was the campaign manager for Horton Wilde's
primary bid in California. When the candidate passed away, Will
continued to campaign aggressively, determined to get the ideas that
Wilde had represented out, if nothing else. During that campaign, Sam
Seaborn came out to California -- actually with the intention of
shutting the Wilde campaign down, on behalf of the DNC. Instead, he
agreed to run in Wilde's shoes, should the deceased candidate somehow
win the primary. He did win, and Sam came out to California -- and
Will, a talented speechwriter, went to the White House, on Sam's
recommendation. He helped Toby with the Inauguration speech and was
asked to step in as Deputy Communications Director ("Inauguration Part
II"). Will is an Air Force Reservist ("Evidence of Things Not Seen").
Will's attempts to win over the speechwriting staff in the West Wing
were a dismal failure, and they all resigned - leaving him with a team
of interns (all but one (Cassie) named Lauren) as his staff. Sister
Elsie Snuffin worked in the West Wing as well, sometimes writing jokes
for the First Lady. After a bad speechwriting joke with Toby that ended
up with derogatory remarks concerning new Vice President Bob Russell
ending up on the president's teleprompter, Will was surprised to
receive a job offer from the new VP. Frustrated by his position with
Bartlet's staff, and looking to the future Russell (a blank slate)
represents, Will took the job (much to Toby's disappointment, but with
the president's approval).
CJ (Claudia Jean) Cregg (Allison Janney) is the White House Chief of
Staff, and was formerly Press Secretary. She is a graduate of U.C.
Berkeley, though it is unclear whether she attended there as an
undergrad or to get her Master's degree. She was involved in politics
and caught the attention of Leo McGarry through her work with a group
called Emily's List: "Early Money Is Like Yeast, it helps raise the
dough". She had just been fired by a Hollywood public relations company
when Toby (clearly an old friend) asked her to join the Bartlet
campaign. CJ is six feet tall, a Catholic, and needs glasses or contact
lenses. She drinks Grasshoppers and likes Goldfish crackers. She
received a series of death threats at the end of season three, and was
assigned Secret Service protection headed by Special Agent Simon
Donovan, with whom CJ enjoyed a burgeoning flirtation. The man sending
the threats was caught, but Simon was killed in an unrelated store
robbery, just moments after he and CJ connected romantically and made
plans for a later date.
CJ's father, recently turned 70, is obviously a source of sadness in
her life. Unfortunately, his health and mental acuity seems to be
deteriorating; though upset about this, CJ speaks only to Toby about
her concerns. In "The Long Goodbye", she returned home for her high
school reunion and discovered that her father has truly begun the
descent into Alzheimer's. In recent episodes, we have learned that he
is now hospitalized and his health is further failing. Although the
source of much romantic comedy in the early seasons, her relationship
with Danny Concannon never actually got off the ground because she was
the Press Secretary, and he was a reporter for the Washington Post.
CJ was promoted to the position of Chief of Staff on Leo's
recommendation - after Leo's heart attack, the president asked him
for a list of names for his replacement. Leo said there was only one
name - CJ.
Gail is CJ's goldfish, given to her by Danny (a little misunderstanding
about the crackers). You can spot her in most every episode, complete
with episode- appropriate props. See
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/gail.html for more details.
John Hoynes (Tim Matheson) is currently running for president. He was
the Vice President of the United States, and a former United States
Senator from the state of Texas. In the first bartlet election,
Hoynes was actually the leading candidate for the Democratic
Presidential nomination, and employed Josh Lyman as one of his
advisors. When Jed Bartlet eventually won the nomination, he offered
the VP slot to Hoynes in order to balance the ticket with someone who
could carry the south. Hoynes and Bartlet had a strained relationship,
sometimes hostile, but ended in mutual respect.
In season four ("Life on Mars"), a new lawyer in the Counsel's office,
Joe Quincy, began piecing together disturbing information about press
leaks of classified information... coinciding with the announcement
that a tell-all book would be published by a prominent female
journalist. Hoynes' phone records showed that he had been placing calls
to her, and in the end he admitted that they had been having an affair
and he had talked too much. Though Bartlet and Leo initially tried to
persuade him to weather the storm of controversy, Hoynes resigned -
leaving the Bartlet administration without a vice-president. After a
few quiet years, however, Hoynes has returned to the political arena.
"Bingo" Bob Russell was the Governor from Colorado chosen to replace
Hoynes as Vice President. A compromise choice, he was seen by the
administration as ineffectual, not serious, and somewhat goofy. Oddly,
though, Bingo Bob seems well aware of his own mediocrity and professes
to be interested in doing better. To this end, apparently, he asked
Will Bailey to come and work for him and run his campaign.
Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) is a Democratic congressman from Texas,
approached by Josh to run for president. He has a wife and two
children.
Senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) is the presumptive Republican
candidate for the upcoming presidential election. He is a recent
widower.
Other characters, past and present (in no particular order):
Nancy: assistant to first Mrs. Landingham, now Debbie Fiderer.
Coincidentally, played by Martin Sheen's daughter Renee.
Ginger: assistant in Communications Department.
Bonnie: assistant in Communications Department.
Rena: Assistant to Toby.
Nancy McNally: National Security Advisor.
Kate Harper: Deputy NSA.
Fitz (aka Admiral Percy Fitzwallace): Former Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. Fitz was killed on a CODEL mission to Gaza, in the
same car bomb that injured Donna.
Ed and Larry: Never seen apart. Job titles never given, but apparently
assistants/aides to Toby, CJ, Sam, the president, Leo. Pretty much
everyone.
Oliver Babish: White House Counsel. Very involved during MS situation.
Joey Lucas: Pollster, apparently based in California. Travels with
interpreter Kenny.
Amy Gardner: Women's rights activist, later First Lady's Chief of
Staff.
Mallory O'Brien: Leo McGarry's daughter.
Andy Wyatt: Congresswoman. Toby Ziegler's ex-wife and mother of his
twins, Huck and Molly.
Stanley: Crisis counselor/psychologist brought in for Josh, later
counseled president.
Ainsley Hayes: Republican lawyer hired by White House. Has since moved
on.
Joe Quincy: Republican lawyer hired to replace Ainsley, and played by
guest star Matthew Perry from "Friends".
Danny Concannon: White House reporter from the Washington Post. Angela
Blake: staffer brought in by Leo after Josh screwed up with the
Congressman who switched parties; stayed on after Bartlet brought him
back in.
Glenallen Walken: Former Speaker of the House, former Acting President,
Republican. Stepped in for Bartlet during Zoey's kidnapping.
Annabeth Schott: Deputy Press Secretary.
2. Who works for whom?
CJ works for the president, as do Leo and Debbie Fiderer. Margaret is
CJ's assistant. Charlie is one of CJ's deputys. Toby heads up the
Communications department, and Annabeth is one of his deputies. Bonnie
and Ginger work for Toby as well. Ed and Larry seem to be general
staffers. Will runs the Russell campaign. Donna works for him. Josh
runs the Santos campaign.
3. How did each staff member join the Bartlet campaign/administration?
Leo suggested that Jed Bartlet run for president in the first place.
Out of the current staff, Toby was on-board with the team longest; he
was part of the original campaign staff and the only one not to be
fired by Leo. Leo then convinced Josh to come and hear Bartlet speak;
Josh previously worked for Hoynes when he was a Senator. Josh convinced
Sam to quit his lucrative law firm (on the verge of being made partner)
and join the campaign as well. Toby asked CJ to be Press Secretary for
the campaign, CJ having just been fired from her job with a Hollywood
public relations firm. Will Bailey came on board when Sam left, then
went to work for the VP.
4. How many children do Jed and Abigail Bartlet have?
Three. The eldest, Elizabeth, is married to Doug Westin and has two
children, one daughter, Annie, and a little boy, Gus. Eleanor is
currently a med student at Johns Hopkins. She and Jed have had a
clearly stormy relationship, but seem to have mended many of their
fences. Zoey, the youngest daughter, graduated from Georgetown at the
end of season four. She began dating a young French royal, Jean Paul,
some time before that, much to her father's, and Charlie's,
consternation. She was kidnapped on the evening of her college
graduation, an event which led to Jed Bartlet's temporarily removing
himself from office ("25").
5. What happened to Mandy? Danny Concannon? Cathy? Gina? Ainsley?
Oliver Babish? Sam? Bonnie & Ginger? (Some of these characters
disappeared; some took long absences. Explanations below.)
- Actress Moira Kelly portrayed Mandy in the first season. From early
episodes, it is clear that Sorkin intended her character to have a
long-term role on the show. However, she left the cast during the
hiatus for reasons unconfirmed. Her character simply disappeared, and
no explanation has ever been given as to why.
- Danny Concannon, White House correspondent for the Washington Post,
had an on-again, off-again flirtation with Press Secretary CJ Cregg.
The actor, Timothy Busfield, was said to have become otherwise occupied
with directing projects (He was working on the NBC show "First Years"
in 2001 and is listed as a Supervising Producer for "Ed"). The
character did not appear in all of season three, returned in season
four, and has been absent thus far in season five.
- Cathy, played by Suzy Nakamura, was Sam's assistant. She has not been
seen or referred to since season one. The actress spent some time on
the sitcom "Daddio", which was cancelled, and on "Imagine That". You
can view her IMDB entry at http://us.imdb.com/Name?Nakamura,+Suzy
- Gina Toscano, special agent assigned to protect First Daughter Zoey
Bartlet, was last seen in the Season Two premiere, "In the Shadow of
Two Gunmen", where she spotted the shooters at Rosslyn. We haven't seen
her since. As for the actress, Jorja Fox went on to be seen in the
critically acclaimed film, "Memento", and in the CBS series, "C.S.I."
- Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) worked in the White House Counsel's
office. A Republican political analyst, Leo hired her on the
president's orders after she gave Sam Seaborn a run for his money on
"Capitol Beat". She was firm in her political convictions but respected
the office of the President immensely and was honored to come too work
at the White House. As of Fall 2002, Procter has a new show ("CSI:
Miami"), and has left TWW. In "Evidence of Things Not Seen", Josh is
interviewing a candidate to replace her, but no explanation is given
for her leaving the White House.
- Oliver Babish (Oliver Platt) has not been seen as White House Counsel
since season three ("Gone Quiet"). He has been mentioned as White House
Council since, but sparingly.
- Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe). Rob Lowe chose to leave TWW and star in his
own political drama, "Lyon's Den". And then "Dr. Vegas."
- Bonnie & Ginger: Disappeared sometime in the early fifth season.
Recent Ginger sighting in Season 6.
6. In "In Excelsis Deo", it sounds an awful lot like Toby said "I got
better treatment in Panmunjom." What's that about? Was he in the Korean
War, or ever in service?
No. Although it does sound like that is what he said, and the closed
captioning indicates this is so as well, Aaron Sorkin spoke on this
issue and stated that Toby wouldn't even have been born yet. The line
was, "The guy got better treatment in Panmunjom." Furthermore, in S4's
"Holy Night", we learned that Toby was born in 1954, thus making it
impossible for him to serve in the Korean War.
7. In "Two Cathedrals", after Mrs. Landingham's funeral, President
Bartlet stood in the National Cathedral and spoke at length in Latin.
What did he say?
Translations may vary slightly by translator, but roughly, he said, "Am
I really to believe that these are the acts of a loving God? A just
God? A wise God? To hell with your punishments. I was your servant here
on Earth, and I spread your word and I did your work. To hell with your
punishments. To hell with you."
8. In "H. Con - 172", Toby tells the president he saw his favorite
movie on TV the night before. Toby and Bartlet quote, "When the fall is
all that's left, it matters a great deal." What movie are they talking
about?
"The Lion in Winter", starring Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn as
King Henry II of England and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their
three sons, Richard (Anthony Hopkins), Geoffrey, and John. Bartlet also
paraphrases Henry, saying, "By God, I'm alive, I'm King, and I'm fifty,
all at the same time!" (The actual quote is "I've snapped and plotted
all my life. There's no other way to be alive, king, and fifty all at
once.") Find out more about this movie at
http://us.imdb.com/Details?0063227
9. Then what's the movie they watch at the end of "Ellie", in the White
House screening room?
"Dial 'M' For Murder". See http://us.imdb.com/Details?0046912 for
details.
10. Why is Mallory's last name (O'Brien) different from her father's,
Leo McGarry?
Beats the heck out of us. There's never been an explanation. Theories
abound (perhaps she was married before; perhaps she took a different
last name, such as her mother's maiden, to protect her privacy) but
your guess is as good as ours. It's entirely possible her last name is
"O'Brien" so that Aaron could write that scene where Sam doesn't
realize she's the boss's daughter.
11. Who are the "17 people" who knew about Bartlet's illness?
We spent a lot of time trying to figure this one out, and then White
House Counsel Oliver Babish listed them all in "Bad Moon Rising" as
follows: The First Lady and the three Bartlet daughters. The "six
original doctors" (whoever they were). Jed's brother. Leo. Vice
President Hoynes. Admiral Fitzwallace. The anesthesiologist (from "In
the Shadow of Two Gunmen"). Toby Ziegler. And finally, as Toby pointed
out, Bartlet himself.
12. Why does Toby wear a wedding ring?
Toby wears a wedding ring because actor Richard Schiff thought it was
an interesting idea for his character, and created a backstory for
himself that involved, perhaps, Toby being a widower. The ring,
according to Schiff in an interview he gave with Pamela Wallin, is a
prop and not his own wedding ring. Schiff went on to say that Aaron
Sorkin didn't even notice the ring until half-way through the first
season. (Note: Aaron earlier gave a different version of this story, in
the spring of 2000, saying that it was Richard's ring and that he and
Tommy Schlamme noticed Richard wearing it during the Pilot.) We've
since been introduced to Toby's ex-wife, Andrea Wyatt (now a member of
Congress), a twist on the backstory Schiff had envisioned.
13. I love when they do that "Big Block of Cheese Day" thing. Which
episodes were those?
In the first season, "The Crackpots and These Women". In the second
season, "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail". The
first time around, we're told that Big Block of Cheese Day was supposed
to be a monthly event, but that they'd "missed a few", and in fact only
done it twice so far. The second time around, it's presented as more of
a yearly event.
14. You know, that scene where the president quoted the Bible back at
Dr. Jenna Jacobs sounded really familiar. And she sure reminded me of
real-life Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Haven't I seen that around the
Internet somewhere?
Yes, you did. Aaron Sorkin admitted that the source for that dialogue
was the much-circulated "Open Letter to Dr. Laura" that was going
around the Internet around the time "The Midterms" was being written -
Sorkin and crew say that they "cast a wide net" and tried to find the
original author, but had no success.
15. What was the deal with that episode, "Isaac and Ishmael", at the
beginning of the third season?
This episode was put together in the wake of the tragedy of September
11th and the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Season 3's
premiere was originally scheduled to air that week, but producers
decided to put this episode together quickly instead, to address
terrorism (though not specifically the recent attacks). The show opens
with each cast member briefly addressing the audience and explaining
that the viewer is about to view a play titled "Isaac & Ishmael". Actor
Bradley Whitford (Josh) tells fans not to try to fit this episode into
the show's regular plotline, and consider it a stand-alone
presentation.
16. Why was Debbie Fiderer originally fired from the White House? What
did it have to do with Charlie?
Debbie (then Laguardia) Fiderer worked in the Office of Presidential
Personnel, under Director Donald McKittridge. It was she who brought
Charlie, there to apply for a messenger job, to Josh's attention for
the position of personal aide to the President. She was subsequently
fired from the Office of Presidential Personnel. It turns out that
Donald McKittridge's brother is Representative Mark McKittridge. One of
the Representative's major campaign supporters is Brian Dweck, CFO of
Colfax. Brian wanted a job for his son David Dweck, and Donald was
supposed to get him the position of personal aide to the President.
Debbie chose to hire Charlie instead, and this is why she lost her job.
President Bartlet, learning of all this (in the season four premiere,
"20 Hours in America"), hired Debbie Fiderer as his secretary, the
position Mrs. Landingham once held.
17. How was Zoey rescued from her kidnappers?
Apparently, Zoey was being held by her captors in America, drugged and
restrained. A young inebriated woman, after a fight with her boyfriend,
called 911 for help getting home. The officer who answered that call
noticed something suspicious in the area and reported it; agents
stormed the kidnappers' hideout, killing all of them and rescuing Zoey.
18. In S5, in the episode "The Stormy Present", former president Owen
Lassiter passes away, leaving a letter for Bartlet. What does it say?
Here is the best transcription we can come up with at this time:
----------
The Need for an American Empire America. A country founded by
refugees. Populated by immigrants. Made strong by the sweat of the
tired, the poor, until it became America. An idea, a flame, a city on
a hill. A vision for all who believe in liberty. An experiment in-
(cannot read lines here; missing. "democracy" is glimpsed, as well as
"Islam".) -men seek to douse the flame, douse the ideal, to return to
a different age entirely, to return to the age from which our
forefathers fled. Fundamentalism is a vision, an ideal as rigid as
democracy is flexible and we cannot let it overcome what we have
worked so hard to learn. Jed- Go see Lincoln and listen. Owen Lassiter
----------
According to Steve Chernicoff, on alt.tv.the-west-wing, much of this
was taken from Jacob Bronowski's superb PBS series "The Ascent of
Man," made in the 1970s, on the history of science.
19. Where the heck is Sam?
No one knows. He left to run for office in the California 47th; we were
told that if he lost, he would return to the West Wing with a
promotion. All indications are that he lost; however, he never
returned. Actor Rob Lowe left the show for his own series: first
"The Lyon's Den" and then "Dr. Vegas". Neither were
successful.
B. Songs
The West Wing has featured many musical selections, sometimes used to
great effect. This section identifies those songs.
Season 1: In "Six Meetings Before Lunch", CJ lip-synched to a song, to
the delight of her co-workers. That was "The Jackal", and you can find
it on the CD "The Quiet Revolution" by Ronny Jordan. Jordan is a
guitarist, and the spoken word vocalist on this track is Dana Bryant.
Season 2: "Noel". The wonderful cello piece, performed by Yo-Yo Ma, was
Bach's Unaccompanied Suite for Cello in G Major. Several Yo-Yo Ma
recordings exist, but I favor "Bach: The Cello Suites Inspired By
Bach". It's the first track on Disc 1.
Season 2: "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"
featured Don Henley's "New York Minute". It can be found on his CD,
"End of the Innocence".
Season 2: "Two Cathedrals". The final scene featured President Bartlet
walking into the press conference following his MS disclosure, and
announcing his intention to run for re-election. Over this scene, Dire
Straits' "Brothers In Arms" played, from the CD of the same title.
Season 3: "Posse Comitatus". In the scene where Secret Service Agent
Simon Donovan is shot, and CJ receives the news, Jeff Buckley's version
of "Hallelujah" plays. Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, and others have
performed that song (Cohen wrote it) but the version used in the
episode was Buckley's. It can be found on his album "Grace".
Season 4: "20 Hours in America". Tori Amos' cover of "I Don't Like
Mondays", from her CD, "Strange Little Girls". The original was records
by The Boomtown Rats.
Season 4: "Holy Night" featured a men's a cappella group singing in the
White House. That was the Whiffenpoofs, an a cappella group at Yale.
You can visit their web page at http://www.yale.edu/whiffenpoofs/
Season 4: "Inauguration Part II: Over There" featured Jill Sobule
singing in the club that Toby, Josh, and CJ went to. Her first song was
"Heroes". Her second was "Rock Me To Sleep".
Season 4: "Commencement"'s final scenes featured haunting music as the
kidnapping of Zoey Bartlet was revealed. That was Massive Attack's
"Angel" from their 1998 album, "Mezzanine".
Season 5: "7A WF 83429" closed with Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance
singing "Sanvean". The song can be found on both Gerrard's solo album,
"The Mirror Pool", or on Dead Can Dance's "Toward the Within".
Season 5: "Han" featured a North Korean pianist playing several
selections by Chopin. In order of appearance, these were: 1) Prelude
No. 2, Lento 2) Prelude No. 4 in E-minor, "Largo" 3) Op. 10, No. 12,
"Revolutionary Etude"
Season 5: "The Warfare of Genghis Khan" mentioned a blues song that was
included in the material sent in Voyager; this song, Blind Willie
Johnson's "Dark was the Night (Cold was the Ground)", played over the
last scene. It can be found in "The Complete Blind Willie Johnson",
http://tinyurl.com/3ytnk
Season 5: "Gaza" featured a song titled "Indra" by Thievery
Corporation.
Season 6: "A Change is Gonna Come". The title of this episode is
taken from Sam Cooke's immortal song, here performed by James
Taylor.
Season 6: "King Corn" featured Ryan Adams' "Desire", which
can be found on his album "Demolition". There were also two songs
audible in the background at the beginning of the episode: "Walking
After Midnight" by Patsy Cline and "Green, Green Grass of Home"
by Johnny Cash.
Season 6: "The Wake Up Call": President Bartlet was listening to
the opera "Otello"; specifically, an aria commonly known as "The
Willow Song".
C. General Show Questions
1. I don't understand the timeline for this show. It seems to be
happening in roughly real time, but then why was Bartlett running for
reelection in 2002? And new elections are scheduled for 2006? Because
Aaron Sorkin wrote it that way. Yes, the show is running roughly in
real time (in the US at least), as is evidenced by occasional
references characters have made to current events (the Millennium, for
example). However, Sorkin has created an alternate universe where
presidential elections were held in 1998 and again in 2002 and 2006.
It's fiction. In S5's "The Stormy Present" we learned the names of some
past presidents in the fictional TWW world: the deceased Owen
Lassiter, Republican, and D.W. Newman, Democrat.
2. I really want all of the episodes on VHS/DVD. Are there any plans
for a release in the near future?
Good news. Seasons 1-3 have been released on DVD in the US; Season 4 is
coming soon. Season 1: http://tinyurl.com/mxva
Season 2: http://tinyurl.com/2jakv
Season 3: http://tinyurl.com/56e73
Season 4: http://tinyurl.com/4uaad
DVDs and PAL VHS are available in the UK. For ordering information from
Amazon.co.uk, see http://tinyurl.com/mxvk
Note: This is in no way the guaranteed "best price" available; scout
around a bit before you order, of course, but you'll at least find the
pertinent information here.
Note: Region 2 or 4 DVDs do not play on regular North American DVD
players.
3. I hear Bravo is showing syndicated episodes. When? Where? Wait, I
don't get Bravo!
Yes, the cable channel Bravo has syndication rights to The West Wing.
For more information, go to http://www.bravotv.com If you don't get
Bravo in your area... my sympathies. Call your cable company or switch
to satellite.
4. Do you know a site where I can download complete episodes?
No, I don't. And if I did, there wouldn't be any point in mentioning it
to you, because of copyright infringement and my reluctance to endorse
such a site.
5. Where can I get a screensaver and/or wallpaper like I see on the
computer screens in the West Wing, on the show?
Unfortunately, there's currently no magical (and simple) download of
what you're talking about. However, you can download the Presidential
seal image, and there are ways to make your own screensaver. Go to
http://www.borghalrantipole.com/WestWing/screen.html for detailed
instructions. [Thank you to Stephen Fuld for providing this
information.]
D. Newsgroup Questions
1. So, how long has this newsgroup been around?
Fans of "The West Wing" posted in rec.arts.tv until this newsgroup was
formed at the end of March 2000.
2. What's the spoiler policy around here?
It's always been hotly debated. There's no official policy. If
you're posting information about an as-yet completely unaired
episode, it would seem only polite to put "Spoiler" in your
subject line, and perhaps leave some space in the body of the text.
Once the episode airs in the U.S. (historically, in Eastern Time),
discussion ensues. Simply put, if you have not yet seen the episode
for that week, you should expect to read about it on the newsgroup
after 10 PM EST, Wednesday night.
3. Is fanfic posted to this newsgroup?
No. At this time, there is no newsgroup devoted to fanfiction, as some
other shows have. However, there is a lot of TWW fanfic around out
there on the web. A Google search using [+"west wing" +fanfic] should
do the trick.
4. Does anyone from the show read this newsgroup?
Your guess is as good as mine. All I can say is, don't leave personal
messages for them here and expect an answer. In other words, if someone
from the cast or crew of "The West Wing" is reading this group (and
that conversation about legalized prostitution in "The Women of Qumar"
sounded mighty familiar, as well as the whole Josh bit about
LemonLyman.com), they're lurking only.
5. There seems to be a LOT of OT posting about real-life politics
around here. What's the deal?
Before you post to the group about this, do yourself a favor and do a
search on something like "newsgroup politics" at Google Groups:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/alt.tv.the-west-wing
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