Ten Stand-Out Scenes

[Zola]

This may have been done to death under different guises here, but I hope you'll play along again.

We all know what a great show TWW is (and I realise there is quite a lot of dissension for the Post-Sorkin seasons). Nevertheless, can you pick out up to 10 scenes that really stand out in your opinion? (They don't necessarily have to be season cliff-hangers either)

In no particular order, mine are as follows:-

• Toby pulling strings to give a dead homeless veteran a full military funeral. (In Excelsis Deo)
• Leo's wonderfully descriptive narrative to Jordon Kendall regarding his problem with alcoholism (Bartlet For America)
• Toby's dramatic "coup d'etat" outburst in front of Bartlet & Leo regarding  the MS cover-up. (17 People)
• Josh's dealing with the Press corp and his "secret plan to fight inflation" amongst other embarrassing scenes involving him (Celestial Navigation)
• Donna being shown her new capacious office, mistakenly thinking it was the office of the First Lady (Tomorrow)
• Josh looking at a photo of Leo during the Presidential campaign and saying "Thanks, Boss!" (Election Day : Pt 2)
• Charlie defending CJ against Anthony's disrespectful abuse towards the Press Secretary (20 Hours in America: Pt 2)
• Josh's flashbacks of being shot as he gradually opens up and confesses to Stanley that he has PTSD (Noel)
• Donna finally losing her patience with Toby & Josh whilst being "lost" in Middle America (20 Hours in America : Pt 2)
• Josh describing musician Blind Willie Johnson dying in abject poverty, yet his music has just left the Solar System (Warfare of Genghis Khan)

(I have omitted all the usual suspects (especially those from "Two Cathedrals), because they're a given! And again, it doesn't have to be a top 10 either; a top 5, or 6 or 8 or any number you care to choose will be appreciated!

Edited April 17, 2017 by Only Zola

[Melancholy]

5 hours ago, Only Zola said:

This may have been done to death under different guises here, but I hope you'll play along again.

We all know what a great show TWW is (and I realise there is quite a lot of dissension for the Post-Sorkin seasons). Nevertheless, can you pick out up to 10 scenes that really stand out in your opinion? (They don't necessarily have to be season cliff-hangers either)

Great idea, Only Zola. This was a fun challenge. Here's my top 10. I also tried to go for underrated scenes. 

1.       Jed and Abbey fighting. “YOU’RE PISSED AT ME. I don’t believe this. I don’t believe you. You go from ‘I’ve got a lot to say’ to ‘I can’t say it right now because I’ve got so much to say’ to ‘I’ve gotta read about agriculture and you’re not with me and go to hell…NOW THAT’S AN EXTRAORDINARY EVOLUTION.” (Manchester)- I think it was truly skillful in how the writing backed up how Abbey was truly betrayed and jerked around by Jed when he ran for a second term…even the whole damn mythos of the show to root for Jed to be president as long as constitutionally allowed. 

2.       “Mandy thought it was pretty accurate analysis and you know it. You know she was working for Russell, and you knew why. You knew she had to have written the memo. Why wasn’t it the first thing you asked her for when you hired her? ‘Mandy, tell us everything you think we’re doing wrong.’ ‘Cause you knew what she was going to say. You knew she was right. You knew there was nothing you could do about it. You guys are stuck in mud around here and NONE of it is the fault of the press. I know you’re frustrated. But it ain’t nothing compared to the frustration of the people who voted for you so don’t come in here and question my…’We’ll have a comment for you by the end of the day???’ CJ, when I want the White House to comment on a story of mine, I’ll ask for it!” (Let Bartlet be Bartlet)- Danny’s finest moment. Tim Busfield really nailed this monologue. He’s the voice of the frustrated, betrayed voter, the reporter who’s close to all of the dysfunction and his closeness just breeds contempt, also the reporter who’s excited that he got a scoop to write about it to raise his profile, a friend/romantic interest of many of the people in the administration so he’s empathetic to their frustration all rolled into one. 

3.       (After Leo learns that Jed had MS). “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Because I wanted to be President.” (He Shall From Time to Time). It’s such a raw, tender scene about how Jed’s and Leo’s friendship and political allyship, their embarrassments and their triumphs are inextricably linked.  

4.       “A milking goat. It’ll seem like a parody of foreign aid”. “I don’t know everybody. CJ wants to cancel the goat picture. Half of the world’s people live on less than $2 a day. 130 million will never step inside a schoolhouse. Ingredients for bombs can be purchased at hardware stores and we’ve just given the Third World what the doctor ordered: rollbacks. Heifer International…they give free cows and goats to people who need milk?” “Yes, sir” “Well, then, I don’t think we’re in any position to be snotty. Let’s do it.” (Guns, not Butter). This scene is such a great use of the ensemble and the conclusion about a very tightly told A-plot about securing a foreign aid vote and C-plot comedy plot about Abbey tricking CJ into a goat picture. The payoff is a very sweet but melancholy final scene that still brings the funny. 

5.       “I changed my clothes because I didn’t think it was appropriate to talk about the death of two teenagers while wearing a ballgown and you knew that. Because you’re stupid. But you’re not stupid- you know what I’m saying.” (On the Day Before) Sherri Wexler’s back-biting remark about CJ changing clothes is a very sly sexist microaggression. A lot modern politicos/celebrities still don’t know to beat back this kind of virtue signaling side-swipe. See the 2016 American presidential election. It’s such a subtle issue that it’s impressive that such a believable story was told about it. “And the chemical abbreviation for salt is NaCl.”

6.       “I was wrong. I was…I was just...I was wrong. Come on, you know that. Lots of times we don’t what right or wrong is but lots of times we do and come on, this is one. I may not have had sinister intent at the outset but there were plenty of opportunities for me to make it right. No one in government takes responsibility for anything anymore. We foster, we obfuscate, we rationalize. “Everybody does it.” That’s what we say. So we come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone’s to blame so no one’s guilty. I’m to blame. I was wrong.”(HCON172)- I think this is a particularly elegant speech about taking responsibility. We can debate on whether accepting a joint censure for Congress was adequate penance for Jed after lying about MS (I kind of think so)- but it was a great twist to show the end to the show’s usual tac of fighting political set-backs because that just wasn’t appropriate anymore. 

7.       “We were all so smart. Russia’s hobbled. Next conflict is going to be in the Middle East. Turns out it is in the Middle East. With the Russians.” (Enemies, Foreign and Domestic) I think TWW is surprisingly prescient at a bunch of points about the future, for a fictional network show predicting a particularly dark, unpredictable future. I don’t think that’s an accident. Whether it was Sorkin or the real-life politicians consulting on the show, incredibly deep minds were crafting these storylines. Also RL irony from the same ep, “Aha. Time to teach these Stoli-drinking Tchaikovsky’s a thing about free press American style! You don’t ban those who supported your opponent. You make them wallow in their loserdom by covering their victory. You sit them in the front row! You give them a hat! I will save Ludmilla Koss, for I am Toby, and in doing so...why am I going on like this?” 

8.       This is cheating a little bit but a lot of the beauty is in the parallels. 

Jed: I want to tell you, a couple of years ago in Iowa, I really admired the way you hung in there on the ethanol tax credit. You went out to Iowa and said the same things you’d been saying in the Senate for the last 8 years, even though you knew it wasn’t going to play. My confession is, you and I agree on ethanol, but you were the only one to say it. You stood in there even though you knew you were going to lose Iowa and who knows what after that. Anyway, I just wanted to say that you had a good day, John.” (20 Hours in LA)

Vinick: You're not an ethanol fan?

Santos: Not till today. 

I don’t know if Bartlet/Hoynes were deliberately paralleled with Santos/Vinnick- so much as both the early-season and later-seasons writers wanted to tell a story about selling out with the ethanol pledge because it’s so uniquely a small issue that only benefits a few states, but notably it benefits Iowa at the pivotal start of the presidential race. However, they both benefit from a great similar twist. The series focused on the romance of dark-horse neophyte candidates like Jed Bartlet or Matt Santos jumping into a presidential race and then, winning against all of the odds. However, there’s a similar dark lining that these dark-horse candidates end up selling out at key points because they’re trying to overcome such insurmountable odds. 

9. "They want to hear what I have to say as the representative for every Latino man, woman, and child in the United States. And let me tell you something. I'm getting very tired of being responsible for every Jose Miguel Rodrigo Garcia Martinez de Lopez in America." (Undecideds). A very real moment from the Santos's. I wish I had more to describe it- but a lot of identity politics from a token member of a minority feels shoe-horned in. Not this one- very organic. 

10. The DNC convention seen live for the entire episode turns into the TV airing the DNC episode. Camera pans to Vinick watching with his staff. "OK, let's go win this thing." Camera flashes back to the TV with the DNC. AND THAT'S THE END OF S6. It was absolutely worth paying Alan Alada to be in an episode for literally 3 seconds for such an epic joke crossed with cliff-hanger! 

Edited April 17, 2017 by Melancholy

[AriAu]

10????? I got 10 in Season 1...hell, I might have 10 in the first half of season 1.

There goes productivity for today

[betsyboo]

Am copying some of yours @Only Zola.

• All time fave: Josh goes to get Sam in ITSOTG: "hmmm.... <pushes chair back> I won't need this anymore!"
• Also a fave: CJ talking to the turkeys in her office. (Shibboleth)
• Leo's wonderfully descriptive narrative to Jordon Kendall regarding his problem with alcoholism (Bartlet For America)
• Josh's dealing with the Press corp and his "secret plan to fight inflation" among other embarrassing scenes involving him (Celestial Navigation)
• Donna finally losing her patience with Toby & Josh while being "lost" in Middle America. "My guys are gonna need some time to walk this off." (20 Hours in America : Pt 2)
• Josh avoids CJ re: Laurie story:  "Is it possible that there's a situation involving Sam, a woman, and C.J. being denied information about something?" ...<blather> "Wow, are you stupid!!" (A Proportional Response)
• "I'm just sayin' - if you were in the hospital, I wouldn't stop for a beer." "I wouldn't stop for red lights."  (17 People)
• Post Leo's heart attack where Pres and Leo discuss the only possible candidate for CoS. (Third Day Story)
• Bruno to Sam "When did you write that?" "In the back of the car on the way over." "Freak." (20 Hours in America : Pt 2)
• Admiral Sissymary! ((20 Hours in America : Pt 2))  <apparently this must be my favorite ep!>

[Aethera]

Avoiding the Big Moments, some of the stuff already mentioned would absolutely make the cut for me. Off the top of my head I also would put the scene where Joe Quincy makes CJ call the gossip columnist and then points out all the links on the list that nail the VP. I'll have to give this some thought and come back, ha.

[twinkietwin94]

OH wow so many great moments already listed I'm going to have to think for a bit to come up with my top 10.

[hiccup]

I'll have to come back to this also, but one that just popped into my head is the Privateers episode, where CJ busts out laughing at Marion Coatesworth-Haye.  I'm not a fan of Amy, so I don't know that I can say it's a favorite overall scene, but it's a favorite CJ moment for me. 

[Kohola3]

15 minutes ago, hiccup said:

...where CJ busts out laughing at Marion Coatesworth-Haye.

I have to admit I burst out laughing just to watch her cracking up!

[ProudMary]

It's near midnight and I was going to go to sleep, but instead I've been sitting here for the last 40 minutes or so thinking about ten stand-out scenes!
In no particular order:

President Bartlet gives the Paul Revere knife to Charlie. (Shibboleth)
The scene at the bar involving Zoey's panic button, ending with Charlie's "Now I'm having a good time." (Mr. Willis of Ohio)
Toby talking to his newborn twins. (Twenty Five)
The President instructing Secy. of Agriculture Roger Tribbey:  "Do you have a best friend?" (He Shall From Time to Time)
The Butterball Hotline (The Indians in the Lobby)
CJ and the Cartographers for Social Equality (Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail)
The President and Dr. Jenna Jacobs (The Midterms)
The President and Senator Max Lobel (Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics)
The Dialogue between CJ and Nancy McNally.  "They're beating the women, Nancy." (The Women of Kumar)
CJ and Josh:  "Technically I outrank you."  "SO FAR UP YOUR ASS." (The US Poet Laureate)

[hiccup]

@ProudMary Good list!  Love love love the Paul Revere knife scene!

Refresh my memory on the Pres. & Senator Max Lobel scene.

[CJRocks]

I don't know the names of all the episodes, but these scenes were always a stand-out for me:

When Annabeth tells Josh that Leo has died.

Sam arguing with the intern Winifred over cutting the government programs.

After the panic button scene, when Josh and Sam are arguing over which guy was "theirs" and Charlie shuts them down.

When Charlie makes CJ his bitch during their prank war.

Ron Butterfield and Toby discussing the memo and the canopy.

Ainsley blaming it on the Bossa Nova.

[ProudMary]

25 minutes ago, hiccup said:

@ProudMary Good list!  Love love love the Paul Revere knife scene!

Refresh my memory on the Pres. & Senator Max Lobel scene.

The President is trying to persuade the Republican Senator to assist him in getting his two chosen candidates appointed to the Federal Elections Committee.  David Huddleston plays Sen. Lobel.
 

Quote

President Josiah Bartlet: We agree on nothing, Max.

Senator Max Lobell: Yes, sir.

President Josiah Bartlet: Education, guns, drugs, school prayer, gays, defense spending, taxes, you name it, we disagree.

Senator Max Lobell: You know why?

President Josiah Bartlet: 'Cause I'm a lily-livered, bleeding-heart, liberal, egg head, communist.

Senator Max Lobell: Yes, sir. And I'm a gun-totin', redneck son-of-a-bitch.

President Josiah Bartlet: Yes, you are.

Senator Max Lobell:We agree on that.

 

President Josiah Bartlet: Max, can I count on your support to confirm my candidates?

Senator Max Lobell: And what do I get in exchange?

President Josiah Bartlet: [beat] The thanks of a grateful President.

Senator Max Lobell: Good answer, sir.

[hiccup]

Thank you, @ProudMary!  I remember that one, and yes, it was great!

[Aethera]

OK, I'm dashing this off while at work so it'll be short on citations! Without any of the forethought I though I'd have. Some of these I share with others above. I left out a couple of the big obvious ones, but I stil

• The Panic Button scene in Mr. Willis of Ohio. The scene I was most often, probably. Ice Cube, ice tray man!
• Good Cop Bad Cop when Donna takes credit for Christian Slater's press commentary, and they're all throwing snowballs at her window, in Season 4.
• The scene when Ron Butterfield realizes the President has been shot, in the back of the limo, first ep of Season 2.
• Toby being mad about the signs that say "Bartlet for President" during Manchester, and Ron Silver yelling at him to write him a speech that doesn't make him think he's sitting Shiva somewhere.
• Charlie revealing to Leo that he knows about the President's MS, and Leo realizing what he's saying. Seriously, John Spencer was so good at being surprised and reacting.
• Leo telling Jordan the story of his alcoholism in Bartlet for America. And the "were you nominated?" "no." "that's ridiculous!" exchange which always pops into my head.
• Joe Quincy figuring out that the VP has been having an affair, and explaining it to CJ while the inane columnist prattles on in the background.
• The Butterball Hotline. Impossible to avoid.
• Toby revealing that Andi is pregnant during one of the Camp David Debate Prep episodes.
• The President betting everyone that Toby couldn't contain himself during the "positive only" debate prep session.

 

I could easily name 10 more if I did actually give it some thought, so I decided not to try too hard ha. I'd be here hours.  A while ago, I posted my favorite episodes, and I think that list was well above 10, as well. And it's awful that there's no CJ in here but Alison Janney is so good every single second that it's really hard to pick something.

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, Aethera said:

Toby being mad about the signs that say "Bartlet for President" during Manchester,

Him crossing out "for" and writing in "is the" is one of my favorite Toby moments.

My instinct is to say my top ten would skew heavily towards CJ, and CJ and Toby together, but on the other hand, so much of that is brilliantly subtle nuance that doesn't exactly stand out, it just makes the scene ten times better than it was already wonderfully written, and it just seeps into my brain, and it's later that I think about the little looks and inflections and mannerisms that made it so great.

[Aethera]

5 hours ago, Bastet said:

Him crossing out "for" and writing in "is the" is one of my favorite Toby moments.

My instinct is to say my top ten would skew heavily towards CJ, and CJ and Toby together, but on the other hand, so much of that is brilliantly subtle nuance that doesn't exactly stand out, it just makes the scene ten times better than it was already wonderfully written, and it just seeps into my brain, and it's later that I think about the little looks and inflections and mannerisms that made it so great.

Agreed.  If I did just CJ, it would likely be easier. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow, ha.

[Zola]

CJ's "woot cannoww" scene from "Celestial Navigation" was a highlight amongst many others. But then I also liked Danny balling out CJ over the Mandy Memo.

I loved CJ as Press Secretary, but not so much as CoS, and as such she didn't have that many memorable scenes in the latter - at least not for me.

[Melancholy]

I liked your picks @Aethera. Adding more. I'm  trying to go off beat.

1. This is a really weird pick but the scene where Hoynes convinces that old Southern Senator to vote for Jed's gun control bill over breakfast. I love the Southern dialectic. "You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube." And the great picture of Hoynes correctly being a team player by whipping up the votes for his administration but also resenting the "smug Bartlet administration" by agreeing that they improperly whip votes and holding on with the "I'm going to be President of the United States one day and you're not."

2. I just love the way that Jed and CJ relate in The Midterms. I think it's a subtly great picture of how their senses of humor play off each other and how they negotiate the Bully Pulpit.

Bartlet: You don't take these people seriously because they don't get anywhere nationally. But they don't have to. All they have to do is bit by little bit, get themselves on the City Councils and Boards of Education. Cause that's where all the governing that really matters to anyone happens

CJ: We do a little governing over here

Bartlet:  I'm on hold with a guy whose name I've got on an index card. How much governing do you think is going on around here today? And can you believe I'm still on hold?!

CJ: You're not, Sir. You finished the call. 

3. In particular for Celestial Navigation, the scene where Leo reads them the riot act:

Josh: A lot of this is our fault. And the President probably isn't going to take this very well and we just want you to know that we'll be with you in spirit tomorrow. 

Leo: You'll be with me in every way imaginable, Josh. 

Speaking of great CJ/Toby stuff, that already hilarious exchange is made even more awesome by Toby and CJ exchanging WTF? Looks in the background as Josh tries to do a slick "our fault" for what was really just his screw-up.

4. To add to the Toby in Manchester stuff, I thought his fight with Doug over the announcement speech was incredibly effective. 

Toby: We had to educate the public on MS. 

Doug: For months? You guys are never happier than when you're "educating the public"!

5. For more Bruno love, I kind of loved him turning ALL of the TVs in the bullpen to full blast negative coverage on Bartlet's failure to sign the clean campaign pledge to shame Sam for giving Kevin Kahn the tape. Really truly effective punishment. 

6. Abbey noticing Jed stumbling over the TelePrompTer on his victory speech because of MS as she feared and yelled about so much in the past but deliberately adhering to a positive "You've got a lot of nights in the future" optimism. In a similar vein, Abbey casting shade at Santos for looking like an idiot for not wearing a coat because Jed isn't fit enough to do that and ending with "You made it."

7. Jed's impression of a neglected spouse when he and Leo have their candlelit French romantic dinner. Nicely made appropriate by:

Jed: Just pretend there's no candlelight. 

Leo: And that we're not paranoid homophobes. 

8. Jed calling Santos and Vinick to the White House to inform them that the start of their administrations, whoever wins, will be defined by the Russia v. China war is so powerful. 

9. Babbish laying down the law that Jed better be open and honest and cooperative when he releases his MS, or he's off the case. "Bring it on."

10. In The Wedding, I love Leo just cutting this phoney suspense of, "Oooh, can Josh take Santos further? Did he irredeemably fuck up by not seeing the nuclear meltdown in the future and applying campaign resources in accordance with that?" and explaining to Santos that this is *his* election and he needs to take responsibility instead of being so easily swayed by any DNC member Monday-morning quarterbacking. 

[Aethera]

More thinking has made me realize I have so many more, bleh. I'm a bit ashamed of myself for forgetting Vinick and Bartlet eating ice cream together. I really enjoyed the hell out of Alan Alda on that show. If I confined myself to the last seasons, I'd also add these:

• When Frank Hollis shows up to meet CJ, and Margaret, Kate and CJ freak out a bit. Josh Malina's "ew" to the teeth check makes me laugh every time.
• The entire 'Doug Westin is banging the nanny plot' line, particularly when CJ tells Kate. I never liked Kate more than at that moment when she says "Get. Out."
• Jon Bon Jovi taking care of Santos' kids.
• CJ going to see Toby at his apartment in the next to ask him about the pardon.
• Everyone reminiscing up in the residence about Leo, after his funeral, in Requiem.

I really enjoy Season 7.

[Kohola3]

Everything I love has already been listed but I will add one Totally Without Redeeming Features but Always Makes Me Laugh scene when Josh and Sam lit a fire in the non-functioning fireplace.  The deadpan delivery ("Yeah, I don't think she's getting those leaves", "Are you burning the dining room table?") was hysterical ending with poor Charlie waking the president with "Mr. President, you know how you told me not to wake you up unless the building was on fire?"

[Melancholy]

As someone who also loves the late seasons, from entries just from S6:

1. I loved Josh SO MUCH when the Santos's taking out a second mortgage on their home to fund the Texas was just too much and Josh said Santos should just quit with dignity, coming out against the anti-immigrant bill on his way out. "I believed it...I made you believe it too."

2. I actually loved the Josh v. Toby fight. Richard Schiff really acted out a raw from grief Toby playing out his brother issues with Josh. And it all made sense that Toby would feel betrayed that Josh just decided on his version of the future of the Democratic Party and didn't even check in with Toby. In a similar vein, the scene where CJ goes to comfort Toby. 

3. CJ getting her groove back by figuring out how to resolve the plutonium storage issue in Liftoff. "You're an odd woman and I've never quite understood you. But you are extremely capable and you run this office like a Swiss watch --- and you're tall which is reassuring. Leo may need you and if he does, that's okay. But if he's willing to part with you, I hope you'll stay." 

4. Josh standing up to Leo and refusing to recommend Santos be Russel's VP just to have a quick easy fix. "He's 10 times the man Russel is on his best day...and Russel doesn't have many best days."

5. It's small but I love Leo's meeting with Josh, Will, and Hoynes's COS to iron out the details of the DNC. Josh's and Will's neuroses and issues really sparkled. Love how BW tries to slickly peek at Will's paper and looks like a big dork. 

[Moose135]

Many great scenes already mentioned, and many that would be on my Top 10 list.  One that I might add is from "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" when Dr. Morris Tolliver, the Navy doctor is giving Jed his weekly checkup, and Jed jokes that the flu shot could be the start of a military coup.  This exchange between them is a classic:

MORRIS: In the event of a military coup, sir, what makes you think the Secret Service is gonna be on your side?

BARTLET: Now that's a thought that's gonna fester.

[Eeksquire]

Quote

9. Babbish laying down the law that Jed better be open and honest and cooperative when he releases his MS, or he's off the case. "Bring it on."

I never noticed it until this re-watch, but if you watch carefully, after Babbish makes his pitch, Jed does indeed put his hands in his pockets and look away.  It was a nice bit of foreshadowing to Two Cathedrals.

[Melancholy]

I'm pretty addicted to this activity.

1. Donna pranking CJ in Bad Moon Rising by "confessing" to the education leak...and every other crime. I FRAMED ROGER RABBIT!

2. CJ's big walk and talks on her way to podium are always great but The Stackhouse Filibuster is particularly great. "Well, I wouldn't want you to miss a legitimate dude sighting." And:

Reporter: I'm supposed to meet my girlfriend for dinner. She's gonna kill me. 

CJ: Yeah but you know what, Mark. This is just the kind of thing that cleanse the palate of a relationship that's gone stale. Like a fine sorbet. 

Reporter: We've just been going out for 3 weeks. 

CJ: And she's already bitching about dinner? Lose her. 

3. More "Bruno's harsh!" love. Informing Josh in excruciating detail how he lost Big Tobacco as a good campaign issue and how it could have flipped swing states. 

4. In Shibboleth, when the Chinese refugee "out Christians" Jed by not just knowing the names of the apostles but identifying the true shibboleth as faith and good works instead of memorizing tenets. 

5. The assasination of Shareef played against a pretty great original song from "The War of Roses"

6. The sequence where Zoey was found to be kidnapped against the Massive Attack song. When TWW just dips its toe into being a 24 type action show, it's better than those shows. 

7. The end of 25. "You're relieved, Mr. President."

8. Richard Schiff just kills me when he plays Toby as busting with pride as a new father and eager to tell his friends that they were born healthy but also embarrassed that he's bringing this up in the midst of the personal, security and political crises of Zoey's kidnapping 

9. Toby's whole ad rant to Will in Life On Mars. "HAVE AN IDEA."

10. Election Day- when Toby and Josh brutalize Sam for "tempting the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing."

Edited May 5, 2017 by Melancholy

[AriAu]

Okay, after too much thinking and the impossible task of limiting to 10, I just figured I would throw a few out there.

Excluding the obvious (THE Entrance of POTUS in the Pilot, THE Knife in Shibboleth, THE smackdown of Dr. Jenna Jacobs, THE Guy fell into a hole, THE Flashbacks in ITSOTG (altho I do love him telling the dairyfarmers that he screwed them) and THE KIss), stuff used above  and anything too cheesy ("I serve at the pleasure of the President" stuff)

1. The Cold Open from The Midterms.... "Psychics from Cal Tech"

2. CJ's press briefing ITSOTG 1 "the best trained armed guards in the world"

3. Ambassador Roulette from Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

4. Mrs. Landingham talking about her sons In Excelsis Deo

5. Leo's "I like a good glass" speech in B4A...as well as obviously the end with the first appearance of the framed napkin

6. Senators bailing out Stackhouse- "I have a question, it is in 22 parts and might take awhile"...(ok that one is a little cheesy)

7. Cold open of ITSOTG 2 at The Dixie Pig diner with the fried egg and the helicoptors (By the way, for TWOP friends, I will never forget Deborah's recap..."You're Ron Butterfield's bitch now")

8. First interview with soon to be Chief Justice Evelyn Baker Lang. "and in my 2nd year of law school I had an abortion......Can I have some water while you regroup"

9. Take 5 sequence in Drought Conditions

10. Sam and Toby drinking in the bar in Red Havens On Fire, with Sam realizing that he will "get creamed".

Edited May 5, 2017 by AriAu

[Driad]

On 5/4/2017 at 0:46 PM, Kohola3 said:

poor Charlie waking the president with "Mr. President, you know how you told me not to wake you up unless the building was on fire?"

Charlie waking Jed another time:  "It's not a nightmare, you really are the President."

Charlie sneaking out of Zoey's room at night and running into Jed:  "And remember, the sixth fleet works for me."  [not sure which military unit it was, but the message was clear.]

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

Charlie sneaking out of Zoey's room at night and running into Jed:  "And remember, the sixth fleet works for me."  [not sure which military unit it was, but the message was clear.]

Actually, it was in Season 1, when Charlie first asks Jed about going out with Zoey.  Jed answers with "Just remember these two things: She's nineteen years old, and the 82nd Airborne works for me."  The scene you are thinking of takes place much later, S6, maybe, after they have been dating a while.

[Aethera]

This week's West Wing Weekly reminded me how much I love the Mon Petite Fromage scene. Abbey and Jed are so good together.

[Archery]

I haven't gotten there yet in my latest rewatch, but I love the scene where Vinick, hungry for real debate on issues, decides to answer every question the reporters have until they are done.  He literally exhausts them.  

[BW Manilowe]

16 hours ago, Archery said:

I haven't gotten there yet in my latest rewatch, but I love the scene where Vinick, hungry for real debate on issues, decides to answer every question the reporters have until they are done.  He literally exhausts them.  

As I remember, it was also a tactic to try to keep Santos from getting airtime he may have desperately wanted or needed (I can’t remember how much he needed the airtime). If Vinick keeps the TV (& probably radio) people busy, he can get more attention for his campaign & keep Santos from getting any/a lot of attention for his campaign.

[PeterPirate]

My stand-out scenes:

1.  Toby ranting at Bartlet in 17 People.
2.  Leo and Bartlet talking near the end of Posse Comitatus, which ends with Bartlet giving the order to kill Shareef. 
3.  The meeting of Father Cavanaugh and Bartlet at the end of Take This Sabbath Day.  
4.  Bartlet giving the napkin to Leo at the end of Bartlet For America, together with the ending to Tomorrow.
5.  The military funeral in In Excelsis Deo.  

[Browncoat]

49 minutes ago, PeterPirate said:

5.  The military funeral in In Excelsis Deo.  

One of my favorite scenes from any TV show or movie ever.

[Guest]

Let’s see.... some stand out scenes that come to mind right now.

1) Scene in the Oval toward the end of Celestial Navigation where they are catching Jed up on all the mishaps.

2) Abby and Jed fighting where he tells her to stand there in her wrongness and get used to it

3) Secret Service realizes Jed was shot in ITSOTG

4) The end scene of The State Dinner

5) Butterball turkey hotline

6) Jed and Leo make up after his heart attack

[Hooper]

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5.  The military funeral in In Excelsis Deo.

One of my favorite scenes from any TV show or movie ever.

 

Oh, Gawd.  All by itself, the military funeral could be broken down into at least 5 stand out sub-scenes:

5. Mrs Landingham's ever so subtle smile after telling Toby he "absolutely shouldn't have done that" regarding Toby using Bartlet's name to authorize the military funeral

4.  The honor guard starting to hand the flag to Toby, and Toby nodding to pass the flag to the vet's brother

3.  Toby's flinch during the 21 gun salute, followed by Mrs L's more subtle and stoic flinch

2.  Toby's "I can only hope, sir" in response to Bartlet's wondering what would happen if every homeless vet started coming out of the woodwork

1.  Mrs L's "Toby, I'd like to come along"

Ok, maybe technically some of these are "best lines" rather than full-fledged scenes, but any one of those moments pretty much means another box of kleenex bites the dust in my household.  And that's not even including the "I miss my boys scene" from the same episode.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Hooper

[AriAu]

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1. The Cold Open from The Midterms.... "Psychics from Cal Tech"

So, I saw that there was some more action in this thread that used up so much of my time and thinking, so I looked back at my own list and decided to watch the one above....well that made me laugh. It is really so well written....and then the next one was the cold open for Galileo...so now I'm up to like 10 wasted minutes

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, AriAu said:

So, I saw that there was some more action in this thread that used up so much of my time and thinking, so I looked back at my own list and decided to watch the one above....well that made me laugh. It is really so well written....and then the next one was the cold open for Galileo...so now I'm up to like 10 wasted minutes

How can you say that?  Watching clips of TWW is not wasted minutes!  You got to go outside, turn around three times and curse!

[Eeksquire]

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You got to go outside, turn around three times and curse!

And spit! Do it all!