In the eighth episode of the sixth season of The West Wing, Bartlet’s trip for the China summit takes a surreal turn due to flag burning, presidential candidates, and the inevitable. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The West Wing.
OH MY GOD, WHAT DID THIS SHOW JUST BECOME.
Trigger Warning: Just in case, we’ll have to discuss MS and disability today.
Flag Burning
I will admit that I’m amazed how well “In the Room” balances three extremely heavy plots in a single episode. Though… well, it’s Penn & Teller! Even if their appearance here is both entertaining and humorous, the issue at hand – the right to burn the American flag as an act of free speech – is quite serious. Of course, it’s compounded by the fact that the duo seemingly burned an American flag in the White House itself. And knowing American media obsessions, I wasn’t surprised that the press jumped on such a juicy story, nor was I surprised that it threatened to overshadow the President’s summit in China.
The issue is one that I remember coming up in my household growing up, and it never ended well. I stand firmly on the side of supporting flag burning, particularly since what the flag is supposed to represent for this country doesn’t translate for other groups in America. You know, a lot of those marginalized ones. Despite growing up in a pro-military household with a veteran for a father, I couldn’t ever agree with my father’s assertions that the flag was holy. I understood what it meant to him, and I could appreciate why my father’s military past informed why he looked upon the flag with reverence. But I didn’t have that same respect for the flag myself; however, it’s not like I could have easily explained all the reasons why I didn’t have the same affinities as he did. I was still in the closet, and I definitely didn’t possess the knowledge or understanding to explain my complicated feelings about race and American culture.
“In the Room” doesn’t necessarily focus on the emotional realities around the American flag, but it still approaches the issue was an air of the absurd. I think Josh’s conversation with Penn & Teller exemplifies why the framing of the issue is so frustrating. Regardless of the actual truth – whether or not a flag was literally burned – people’s perception will inform their opinions. Even if Penn & Teller explained their joke, would people believe them? And does it actually matter if a flag was burned at all or if it was just an illusion? What if they did burn it, but in celebration of the First Amendment, not out of hateful intent? Does that matter? Oh gods, bless Josh’s face during this scene for the record.
I liked Arnold Vinick’s thoughtful take on it all: it’s not even remotely worth a Senate investigation to determine what happened during Zoey’s birthday party. Of course, that then complicates how I feel about Vinick because – oh, hell. Let’s just talk about the candidates.
Presidential Candidates
As if what’s happening aboard Air Force One isn’t enough for one human soul to deal with, “In the Room” kicks off the primaries in a spellbinding and bewildering way. It was absolutely fascinating to watch this unfold, not just from a political point of view. Josh is at the center of the action, and it’s intentional. It’s becoming clear to me that by making C.J. Chief of Staff, the writers have also opened up a world of possibility for Josh. He’s obviously upset about being left behind, even if he understands why. So while he’s doing busy work for C.J., which includes yelling at Penn & Teller and ignoring Donna’s constant requests to meet with her regarding…. something, he’s also overwhelmed by the twists and turns of the possible nominees for either party. Baker is in the lead, with Russell somewhat far behind, and Hoynes even further back than that. (GOOD. BECAUSE NO. NO HOYNES. NO.) And on the Republican side, until Vinick surprises Josh with his plan to run, there’s no one.
Before I talk about Vinick and his undeniable charm (Alan Alda <3 <3 <3 ), I do want to bring one of my favorite aspects of this episode: Will getting a story that doesn’t ignore the fact that he is actually a likable person. Thankfully, without Toby to be pit against him, Will shows up and affects the plot! He contributes to Josh’s story while getting one of his own! And it’s the first time in a long time (probably the beginning of season five) that he feels like the Will Bailey I enjoyed so much in season four. He’s savvy, he’s clever, and he knows his limitations. It’s why he asks Josh to take over Russell’s campaign, to shape Russell into the candidate Josh wants him to be. Will recognizes that he doesn’t have the experience or knowledge to run a national campaign, and Josh is much better than him.
But does Will truly believe in Russell, or does he just believe Russell will win? We know Will wants a Democrat in the White House for the next president, but there’s that quietly devastating moment with Josh that made me wonder how much Will actually wants Russell to lead the country. When Josh claims he cares about the presidency (explaining that this is why he doesn’t want Russell), Will stares at him, shocked, and in just one facial expression, I felt like Will conceded Josh’s point. It’s so brief, I could be 100% wrong, but holy shit, something happened.
And something’s gonna happen now that Vinick is in the game. Bless Alan Alda’s charm because I am fundamentally opposed to Republicans in nearly every respect, and yet I can’t help but like him. He cares about what the government focuses on, and it’s genuine. His frank defense perfectly exhibits what Leo says is Vinick’s strength. He seems real. He’s intensely clever and believable. And there is no doubt in my mind that if he went up against Russell, Russell would crush him. Honestly, the only candidate we’ve seen that could go up against Vinick is Santos, who is currently off NOT BEING ON THE SHOW. Bring him back. He’s on the DVD box! It has to mean something!
Bartlet’s MS
This really is some of the show’s best writing and Martin Sheen’s best acting, and I was destroyed by how “In the Room” chose to depict Bartlet’s onset of symptoms of MS. It’s difficult to watch, and while I readily admit that it’s not the same, I got teary-eyed watching it because it reminded me of the progression of Alzheimer’s in my father. It’s a demoralizing to witness, but the show avoids portraying Bartlet as nothing more than a victim of a disease. He can’t control what’s happening him, but what’s happening him doesn’t control him either.
It’s also fascinating to me to see how the writers have been hinting not just at this development, but Bartlet’s behavior this season. Bartlet is, to put it mildly, obstinate as hell in the face of the onset of his paralysis. He hides it from everyone else, but once it’s undeniable, he becomes… determined. The only time we really see fear on his face is when Dr. Griffith begins to feed him, and even then, it’s remarkably sudden. It’s like Bartlet had already prepared himself for this day because he’s largely unshaken during the episode. Even when most of his body is paralyzed, he refuses to let the plane turn back. It’s scary because it’s the same stubbornness we saw at the end of season five and the beginning of this season. If anything, I’d say that Bartlet has never been more aware of his mortality than he is here. It’s not that he only has a year or so left in presidency; he knows that his time on this earth is limited, too.
At the same time, the writers don’t ignore the fact that there are physical logistics that must be dealt with immediately. How is Bartlet going to shake hands with anyone at the China summit? Is it worth it to announce it, or should they try to keep it a secret? Will it create a disaster if they do what’s best for Bartlet’s health versus what’s best for his presidency? Some of that is gonna be saved for the next episode (WHICH I NEED RIGHT NOW OH MY GOD), but this conversation had to happen in some form here. And lord, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, and Mary McCormack are SO SO SO SO GOOD in this episode. Ah, this is all both scary and super rewarding to watch. I’m a big fan of the stubborn Bartlet, especially when it’s been shown over and over again that he does know what he’s doing and what’s best for himself and his presidency. I think his instinct here – to fully come out with the truth about himself and to control the story this way – will prove to be a good thing.
BAH I NEED THE NEXT EPISODE RIGHT NOW.
The video commission for “In the Room” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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