In the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of The West Wing, Joe Quincy’s first day as Assistant Council proves to be the very worst first day of anyone so far. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The West Wing.
You know, there’s something to “Life on Mars” that’s striking to me. I’ve spent portions of season four complaining about the way that the Charlie/Zoey plotline doesn’t work because it came out of nowhere. I think you could also say that Hoynes’s story works from the same premise. I’m aware that Sorkin and the rest of his team did not master plan seasons or story arcs. They more or less wrote it all as they went along. It explains why certain stories pop up so suddenly and why characters like Hoynes, Abbey, Ainsley, or Oliver Babish are always there but rarely seen.
However, I don’t have the same complaint for what Hoynes does in “Life on Mars.” It is incredibly jarring to learn what he’s done, but it doesn’t feel as forced as Charlie’s story this season. Hell, it’s easy to imagine that we haven’t seen him much in season four because he’s been off having this horrible affair, you know? But it’s not just this. The acting and writing here is just unreal, y’all, and I’m just so goddamn impressed with this.
Sorkin’s a fan of in media res, clearly, but lord, what a brilliant execution of that storytelling device. We open with Hoynes’s resignation. Wait, no, that’s not quite right. Claire Huddle, one of the vice president’s staffers brings the envelope with his resignation to Bartlet, and EVERYTHING IS SO FULL OF DREAD. And that’s necessary because “Life on Mars” is all about that slow burn until all hell breaks loose. It’s perfectly written in terms of escalating tension, and knowing that ending spoils nothing about this. The pieces of this puzzle still matter throughout the journey.
This episode also continues the show’s need to give characters extremely challenging and bizarre first days on the staff, but I really think Joe Quincy takes the cake. I do want to take a moment to praise Matthew Perry here, since he is able to portray the muted horror of Joe’s discovery with class and ease. It would have been easy for any actor to give a panicked edge to their character because… shit, WHO WOULDN’T PANIC IN THIS INSTANCE? It’s your first day on the job, and you discover a ridiculous scandal involving THE VICE PRESIDENT. (I almost wrote “THE FUCKING VICE PRESIDENT” there, but then realized that described the situation a little too accurately.) Instead, Joe does his best to hide what he’s feeling because it’s his first day on the job. He’s a Republican in a Democratic president’s office, and he’s bracing for all the hazing/jokes from the get-go. Plus, he’s well aware that it probably looks bad that on his first day, he’s discovered something that’ll certainly ruin the Democratic party for some time.
So, while Matthew Perry is being awesome being subtle, Allison Janney is FULL STEAM AHEAD throughout this episode. Her sass is at 100% activation levels while giving Joe a “tour” of the White House because clearly she’s 17 rungs above him in power. And look, her scenes with Joe before that horrifying scene in her office are hilarious, but I need to address how this episode masterfully switches gears right at that point. Prior to this, there are a lot of humorous little subplots. We’ve got Toby eating a salad, Charlie goading Toby because that’s what everyone does, the bird who is obsessed with Donna, and all of Will’s scenes with the speechwriting interns (YAY THEY ARE BACK!!!!). With the exception of Will’s scenes, each of these contribute in part to what inevitably happens as Joe pushes further with his theory of who is behind all of these seemingly coincidental leaks. Even when that scene in C.J.’s office starts, it’s funny. They make fun of Stu Winkle’s name, and then Stu ends up being played by SAM PANCAKE! It’s Denny Downs in Pushing Daisies and James Alan Spanger in Arrested Development! So we’ve got Stu’s sycophantic praising of C.J. going on, she looks clearly annoyed, and then Joe starts passing her notes and evidence and OH MY GOD THIS JUST GOT SO AWFUL SO QUICKLY. I loved that this was playing out over Stu’s monologue because it highlighted how truly absurd this all was. And yet, I hadn’t quite put it together until the phone log, and even then? 1000000000% unprepared for where this went.
Y’all, I thought it was bad. I thought the scene in C.J.’s office would be the worst of the worst, and then IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. The confrontation scene in Hoynes’s office is so fucking heartbreaking, not the least of why is because of Josh’s presence there. Here’s a good bit of evidence for why those “Previously On…” segments work: We were reminded that Josh once worked for Hoynes. And now he’s standing in front of him, listening to Hoynes confess to an affair with a D.C. socialite, and he’s CRUSHED. REMINDER: Josh is the only person to say, “Thank you, sir” instead of “Thank you, Mr. Vice President.” He’s already not the VP in Josh’s heart.
It’s just horrifying. “Life on Mars” is smart to focus on the immediate affects, as I assume the next couple episodes will address the ramifications of Hoynes’s resignation. It just feels too big right now to address the larger affects, you know? That’s why we get these intimate scenes with the staff talking to Hoynes. And y’all, you can see how disappointed Leo and Bartlet are, too, though they both have faith that it’s possible for Hoynes to overcome this. It’s not lost on me that people like Leo and Bartlet make a case for Hoynes’s ego, that he can’t let someone like Helen Baldwin take him down. I’m glad, then, that Hoynes refuses to think that fighting against Baldwin is a good idea. Not only will it drag his family through this nonsense for a lot longer than necessary, but it’s pointless. It’s not like this is a lie or a conspiracy. Hoynes had an affair! HE USED WHITE HOUSE PHONES TO CONDUCT IT. It’s a disaster any way you look at it. So why keep this going? I think it’s smart of him to bow out now, though it does create a very immediate problem for the White House: They need a new Vice President.
Holy shit, y’all, this season is too much.
The video commission for “Life on Mars” can be downloaded right here.
Mark Links Stuff
– You can now purchase a personalized Holiday Card from Mark for just $20!
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com. All Mark Watches videos for past shows/season are now archived there!
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. The schedule for Double Features is also updated through the end of the year!
