OTH: The West Wing- "Bad Moon Rising" / "The Fall's Gonna Kill You"
Everything else you will need to know.
Season 2, Episode 19
Aired April 25, 2001
Directed by Bill Johnson
Story by Felicia Wilson, Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: President Bartlet and Leo heed Toby’s advice in the previous episode and seek guidance from the new White House Counsel, Oliva Babish. Here, the President reluctantly reveals to Babish his disease, where he’s subject to a round of personal and invasive questioning. During the process, Babish reminds the President that as a government official, they do not enjoy attorney-client privilege, something he needs to remind Jed of before continuing, which he agrees to. The interrogation goes on for a while, but Leo’s involvement is distracted by a surprise call from Charlie- as he’s applying to go to law school, at the President’s behest, he finds paperwork that asks for his family’s entire medical history. What’s more, he notices that underaged applicants are required to have their parents sign for them. Charlie puts two and two together and informs Leo, who makes note of this. As it turns out, Zoey was only 17 when she was applying to Georgestown and had her father sign off on her family’s medical history, going so far as to not disclose his history of MS. This puts a damper on things, while also revealing that Charlie knows about the President’s diagnosis, which he learned from Zoey in hopes of keeping an eye on her father’s health. President Bartlet admires Charlie for his honesty while stating that if he ever lies under oath, even slightly, then Charlie’s time working for him is finished. Bartlet returns to meet with Babish and asks if he wants to resign now, before it’s too late and will make him look weak. Oliver agrees to stay on board on the condition that the President follows his every piece of legal advice, including revealing his condition to the senior staff. President Josiah Bartlet agrees as he states the White House’s new phrase- “bring it on”.
Also occurring, Sam discovers that a recent oil spill was caused by a ship he helped purchase for his previous company which he tried to steer them away from purchasing in favor of a more expensive- and sturdy- model.
Like the previous episode, “Bad Moon Rising” largely takes place in few sets, primarily in White House Counsel Oliver Babish’s large and looming office. This trick worked well for “17 People”, and it also seems good for “Bad Moon Rising”, where a visibly aggravated Babish just wants to head on a vacation he won’t get to enjoy.
Babish is delightfully agitated and right to feel so, as he comes into his position, one frequently revolving doors, only to step right into a landmine. He’s being forced to tackle an unwinnable battle, protecting the President from covering a damaging disease that could, and potentially has, affect his ability to run the country, before he’s even had the opportunity to take a proper vacation.
Oliver Pratt, a long-running character actor, gets to show off his talent as Babish, which results in an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama (which he ultimately lost to James Whitmore on The Practice*) as he’s rightfully frustrated at the work he’s asked for, but to his credit, Babish plays game and every question he asks the President, as personal and aggravating as they may seem, are relevant to any and all upcoming investigations. The West Wing doesn’t like to stray beyond showing us intelligent people in high-powered positions, and Pratt more than fits the part needed.
Besides Babish’s harsh investigation of President Bartlet or smaller storylines like Josh and Donna fighting over sending aid to Mexico (it is noteworthy that Donna is against it for a change, while Josh proves to be in the right by recalling one of the All-Time Great Dem leaders, FDR) or Sam’s past coming back to haunt him, the MVP of “Bad Moon Rising” is Charlie, who reveals his own awareness of the President’s condition. For one thing, he refuses to let Zoey take the blame for blabbing, noting that she told him personally so he could inspect any symptoms that he can warn the First Lady of, and he only comes clean after learning that the President could be in bigger trouble than anticipated. Charlie may have the least glamorous position of the show’s main cast, but he’s just as smart and capable as everyone on the senior staff. Loyal, too, as he intends to stand by his boss by any means except to lie.
Frequent show editor Bill Johnson sits behind the director’s chair this week to impressive results, showing off the sets he’s seen time and again in the editing bay in person and making them feel as worn as distinctive as ever. Having another side of production be responsible for handling direction was a smart move that I think worked to the episode’s advantage. And it helps that this is another tight episode, as the show is building to an exciting conclusion about its darkest secret… that we know of.
Season 3, Episode 20
Aired May 2, 2001
Directed by Christopher Misiano
Story by Patrick Caldwell, Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: We return to Oliver Babish’s office, this time as C.J. is asked to answer questions. It’s discovered that she has learned about President Bartlet’s condition two days after Josh learned, who was told two days after Toby. Babish asks C.J. a straightforward question- how many times has she lied about the President’s health- and she gives a straightforward answer- many, many times. While Babish continues to interrogate C.J., Leo is talking strategy with Josh and Toby, while also trying to find the right to tell Sam, as long as it’s by the end of the day by the President’s request. Sam still has his own issues going on with the ship crisis, but Toby promises that he will try. Meanwhile, Josh suggests using Joey Lucas to try some form of polling before the President comes clean, which Leo reluctantly agrees to. Back in Babish’s office, while he asks C.J. about her reports of the President’s physicals, he’s aiming for a different angle and tries to get her to stop answering more than what she’s asked for. When you’re asked if you know what time it is, just say yes. The First Lady is next, after Abbey arrives and starts a classic screaming match with her husband. Babish asks if she is able to recall why she signed Zoey’s health wavier without reading it, but she insists that as a long-practicing doctor, she should have known to read her daughter’s form more properly. Abbey feigns innocence, but it’s clear that she’s getting uncomfortable with the Counsel’s line of questioning. The First Lady then meets with C.J. and laments that she wasn’t there when the President told her about his condition, when C.J. takes a turn and reveals that during their campaign trail, she saw Abbey inject something into her husband, which she confirmed was medication to help prevent incidents. By the episode’s end, along with Leo and President Bartlet preparing to tell Sam, we’ll see Josh reunite with Joey Lucas and her interim interpreter, who he pushes away to tell her the truth, using sign-language to tell her exactly what illness the President has. She agrees to come up with a poll asking if voters would still support a governor if they lied about having a life-preventing illness within 96 hours.
I brought up Franklin Roosevelt in the first part of my review, and it probably makes sense to return to him, as Jed Bartlet has some form of precedent by withholding his health to the public. Between a less expansive media available to the public and the intent to make our nation seem as strong as possible during wartime, the President was able to keep his polio under wraps for the most part and only used his wheelchair in private. Personally, I don’t find this to be the worst part of FDR’s presidency (the man was responsible for the indoctrinate camps used for Japanese Americans, after all), but I understand why this remains a controversial part to this day.
For a more contemporary example of White House controversy, what Sorkin and co likely had just as much on their mind was Bill Clinton and his affair with Monica Lewinsky, which still remains a hot topic that the right likes to return to whenever any of Donald Trump’s numerous crimes come up. Still, there hadn’t quite been a scandal this juicy to happen with an American President since Watergate, so this understandably made for worthwhile conversations and concepts.
I’m sure that these remain the primary influences for President Bartlet’s oncoming controversy, which he and the staff recognize but clearly want to avoid. Rather than focusing on each of his senior staff’s reactions, I think it makes for a worthwhile change of pace to show us Josh and C.J. already aware just before Sam discovers and gauge their reactions from what we see.
Josh, as expected, is frustrated but tries to keep a straight face and returns to a friendly face (Joey Lucas) to make sense of the situation. It’s telling that he asks for permission to tell her before Donna despite their previous encounter, where Joey can tell that his secretary has the hots for him. Not only is Josh conflicted on whether he reciprocates, but he needs someone closer to an equal to talk to first, as well as someone who can offer him welcome statistics. Marlee Matlin is always a welcome treat when she returns, and I love their moment together in the airport as Josh comes clean. The switch-up of communication is both adorable and vital, as Joey stops lip-reading when she realizes what’s going on and comes full circle with Josh signing off the President’s disease.
C.J., meanwhile, appears just as frustrated as Josh, but perhaps for a different reason- it’s her job to know and to tell the press the truth about the President’s every activity, including his health, and it will make her look bad if it comes out that she either lied or was unaware of his condition. We get more scenes of Babish’s intensive interrogation as he laser points at her ability and credentials as necessary.
Although the First Lady really gets the brunt of the damage, as Abbey was the one who signed off on their daughter’s medical records without disclosing her father’s condition. Abbey’s logic is sound- MS has yet to be determined as hereditary, and Jed was the first in his family to be diagnosed- but as a doctor with as impressive credentials as hers, one who medicates the leader of the free world on a daily basis, she will have a lot to answer for. Luckily this makes for damn good TV.
Next up is Sam, and then the rest of America. Bring it on.
Presidential Records:
I want to start this off by asking my readers a question- how did you feel when you first learned of the President’s condition?
And yes, I said that this probably wouldn’t be ready on time- surprise, miracles can happen!
*Another noteworthy Guest Actor nomination that year was Alan Alda, who had a brief turn on future OTH series ER. Besides being the lead of M*A*S*H, which is another upcoming OTH series, Alda will have a memorable turn later on The West Wing. Stay tuned.
“The telemarketing was a nice touch, but you should have said she cleaned floors.” “I thought it would have been too much.” “Yeah, you’re right.”
Ainsley is back in “Bad Moon Rising”, trying to stay as neutral as possible to Sam’s possible liability regarding the tanker spill. That’s arguably the smart thing to do.
I agree with Josh- Dale Bracket should be a television detective.
Next Week: Yes, I think we’re able to go back to weekly reviews for both series, and perfect timing to end the second season. First, a personal travesty occurs among the senior staff, which leads into how President Bartlet will come clean about his MS.