In the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of The West Wing, THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER. OH MY GOD. If you’re intrigued, then it’s time for Mark to watch The West Wing.
SO AMAZING. And I just noticed that a woman wrote this episode and a different woman directed it. THIS IS A SIGN. DO THIS MORE.
- MY GOD, what a thrilling, intellectually engaging, and satisfying episode of The West Wing, easily one of the very best things in the entire show’s run. Just from the cold open, I could tell that this was going to be massive, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. THIS WAS SO FULFILLING TO WATCH.
- EVELYN BAKER LANG FOR PRESIDENT
- EVELYN BAKER LANG FOR EVERYTHING EVER.
- GLENN CLOSE IS SO PERFECT HERE. I mean, I already loved her body of work, but this was revelatory. Her portrayal of the upfront, honest, and charming judge who was initially a red herring for the White House was refreshing to watch, especially since she truly represents a liberal fantasy in a lot of respects. Which is a problem in and of itself, one the episode itself acknowledges outright. Evelyn’s own (very legal) history is brought up as a disqualifying factor, but why should that be the case? Why is this the standard we hold women to when they are in positions of power? Why are men allowed to be openly biased in terms of their own experience and morality and not have their lives called “activist”?
- It’s the willingness of the writers to address these very issues that make “The Supremes” such a rewarding experience. Well, and the cookies. And the cat people conversation. And getting drunk with Ryan Pierce’s uncle. And Charlie going toe-to-toe with a conservative judge. AND EVERY GODDAMN THING ABOUT THIS INCREDIBLE EPISODE.
- JUST…. that cold open alone was so incredible. I loved that Evelyn knew exactly why she was there and didn’t want to bullshit in the process. Right off the bat, you could tell that this was someone special.
- MORE LISA WOLFE. YES. CAN DEIDRE LOVEJOY APPEAR MORE? SHE’S SO GREAT.
- This script does a wonderful job at conveying chaos and urgency. It helps that for the most part, this is one of those rare episode with a singular story. (With the exception of that uncomfortable Andy/Toby scene, which I’ll get to later.) The focus is on the confirmation of a judge, which then morphs into one of those Josh-like schemes THAT DOESN’T ACTUALLY END IN DISASTER. Let the record show that cookies and cats made this happen. COOKIES AND CATS SOLVE EVERYTHING.
- (Also, the name of those cookies – black-eyed Susans – seemed SUPER FUCKED UP until I Googled it and found out it was the name of a flower with a dark center! Phew, that made me uncomfortable. Thank you, Internet!)
- So, while Toby and Josh entertain the liberal fantasy that is Evelyn Baker Lang, Bartlet meets with the best choice to replace Owen Brady, one E. Bradley Shelton. (Y’all, the guest list for this episode alone is ridiculous. How? How are there so many great actors and actresses in a single episode???) He’s a moderate, but his philosophy was kind of fascinating to me. I appreciated that he was honest, but it was this idea of him focusing on the particulars of a case rather than its ideological implications that was appealing. It’s easy to see why he was a choice that would get confirmed easily!
- LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SCENE WHERE TOBY AND JOSH DISCUSS ROE V. WADE WITH LANG. Because it’s just a treat to see how Lang’s mind works, y’all, and it’s why Josh is (rightfully) blown away by her. It’s not just that she understands the law as well as she does. She’s just so politically aware! She knows exactly what the Republican panel members would ask her during a confirmation process, and she knows how she’d pass. IT’S AMAZING TO WATCH.
- The unfortunate reality of the process, though, is brought to light when Lang outright admits to getting an abortion in her second year of law school. The more I think about it, the more frustrating it is that we live in a world where getting an abortion means you have to care about how it’ll be used against you in the future. It’s so sad to hear C.J. detailing the ways in which someone could get around Lang’s right to privacy regarding her own abortion, but that’s the awful fucking world we live in.
- So BLESS YOU, BARTLET, for hearing Josh give his reason for rejecting Lang for the short list and then REINSTATING HER ON THE SPOT. Because goddamn it, he’s right. She deserved it. And yeah, it’s infuriating that all she could get was a short list nomination because SHE’S SO GOOD. SHE’S PERFECT.
- THE COOKIE AND CAT CONVERSATION. Oh my god, WHY CAN’T WE HAVE BOTH? It’s such a ridiculous idea, and I adore that Josh just runs with it. This episode is also so satisfying to watch because of all the continuity present in using Ashland’s appearance earlier this season to build the story here. BRILLIANT. PERFECT. EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT SERIALIZED STORIES.
- I really want to try a black-eyed Susan. A peanut butter cookie with a Hershey’s kiss in the center??? WHAT THE FUCK. How have I not had one of these???
- Can we talk about a weird bit of character continuity with Toby? I feel like in the first few seasons, Toby was often the most liberal of the characters in the West Wing, but this season (and some of season four) pits him as the more pragmatic staff member. Does that feel weird? Because I feel like the Toby of season 2 would have been more in favor of Josh’s plan than he is now. I don’t know if this is just a gradual change in his characterization or if I’m reading this wrong.
- I’ll miss Ashland, as I’m guessing he’s not going to show up again after this. HE’S SO ENTERTAINING.
- I was already weary of Christopher Mulready just based on what little I knew from Toby’s reaction, and the things Toby lists were certainly disturbing and upsetting. But that was how this deal would work: both parties would get a judge on the bench that was more radical than what they would have initially got. It’s a break in a tradition of nominating moderates or centrists who only slightly lean to one side, and it’s also a great follow-up to the issues brought up in “Eppur Si Muove.”
- Y’ALL, DEBBIE’S REACTION TO BARTLET’S RAGE. SO AMAZING. Oh my god, she should always be in every episode.
- Seriously, it’s at the end of Act II that this episode just leaps into another realm of perfection. So much happens ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Josh tries to get Senator Pierce, Ryan’s uncle, to agree to this plan without listening to Ryan’s advice on the matter. Toby tries to quietly bide time while waiting for Bartlet to finish with Lang, only to be unable to resist the clarion call of ARGUING WITH MULREADY ABOUT GAY MARRIAGE. Oh my god, Toby, I love you for what you say here.
- AND THEN JOSH IS VERY DRUNK. HE IS LOSING TO PIERCE’S POWER TO DRINK OBSCENE AMOUNTS OF LIQUOR.
- AND THEN LANG WALKS IN ON MULREADY TALKING TO TOBY AND I CANNOT DEAL WITH HOW INCREDIBLE THIS EPISODE IS.
- Honestly, I know this is all a spectacle, but it’s the way that the writers manage to tackle the idea of hope, fantasy, compromise, and possibility that strikes a chord with me. It’s the way in which Josh takes this wacky idea and then believes in it that makes me so happy. Watching Glenn Close and William Fichtner debate with one another without resorting to cheap shots? That is exciting. It’s why Toby goes to Bartlet and tells him he thinks this can work. They are debating the issues. They are doing so in a way that just might invigorate the Supreme Court.
- Which is a big reason why Toby and Josh suddenly end up on the same side. If you think about Josh’s conversation with Pierce, it’s all focused on the fact that with this plan, the White House can guarantee that a liberal – not a moderate – can remain on the Supreme Court. They need someone who can provide that crucial voice to the court, in the hopes of changing our nation for the better.
- And that’s largely echoed by Mulready, who echoes the importance of an “extraordinary dissent.” Whether that dissent comes from him or Lang, he knows that it’s a vital element that’s needed to keep the court honest and challenged.
- They pull it off.
- THEY PULL IT OFF.
- THEY MADE IT HAPPEN
- THERE IS A GOOD ENDING HERE.
- Y’all, let that scene where Toby gets Lang to sign a copy of the Constitution for Molly stand as proof that representation matters. Do you realize what that might mean for Molly? Do you realize what a huge deal it is that Lang is being nominated for Chief Justice of the United States? TEARS IN MY EYES.
- There’s just one moment in this whole episode that feels a bit off to me: Toby’s meeting with Andy. Andy has been largely unmentioned this season, and Toby practically never talks about his children. It’s jarring and confusing to have this thrust into this episode because I have no idea what’s going on between these two. Are they living separately? Does Toby ever help raise the kids? This episode suggested that they didn’t, but I never felt like it was clear. Y’all, this is one Sorkin-esque thing I could do without now that John Wells is running the show. Please stop having shit happen off-screen for a long run of episodes and then suddenly appear onscreen! It’s a weird experience for me. So, Andy’s going to Gaza? And Toby doesn’t like it? I don’t know where this is going at all.
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