OTH: The West Wing- "Enemies Foreign and Domestic" / "The Black Vera Wang"
I bet C.J. is thankful she had this job before social media.
Season 3, Episode 18
Aired May 1, 2002
Directed by Alex Graves
Written by Paul Redford and Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: Before a briefing, C.J. receives distressing news- a fire broke out in a Saudi Arabian school, but 17 girls were denied access to escape due to their violating dress code, forcing them to burn to death. While she tries to avoid the subject, it soon comes up and despite her initial attempts, C.J. doesn’t mince words regarding the girls. Sure enough, C.J. soon receives some colorful emails regarding her statement, including a very noticeable death threat. While she tries to shrug it off, Donna finds it and sends it to Josh, who insists on informing Secret Service. The next day, C.J. is greeted in her office by Ron Butterfield, the head of Secret Service, who encrypts the threatening email C.J. received and asks to borrow her hard drive, determining that this death threat is a personal terrorist attack. She later meets with Ron in the Oval Office, where President Bartlet tells her that C.J. will receive Secret Service protection, which she initially refuses until Agent Butterfield pulls out photographs of C.J.’s house and her life outside the White House taken by her alleged stalker.
President Bartlet has an upcoming trip to a Russia summit set so he can meet their new president, but before departing, Admiral Fitzwallace meets in the Oval Office to discuss intel that Russia may be helping Iran build a heavy water reactor. The President has Fitzwallace disperse to look further into this while he and Leo discuss Anteras, a computer chip company that has made a serious error, which also happens to be ran by a friend of Bartlet and a serious contributor to the Democratic Party. As big of a conflict of interest that this is, the White House soon has an even bigger one when it’s discovered that while Russia denies building a water reactor for Iran, they are selling nuclear weapons to the country. Bartlet cancels his trip to Russia as he discusses strategy with Fitzwallace and the War Room crew. While the plan is to remain firm with Russia, Sam soon reads a letter sent to, and translated by Russian President Chigorin which implies that he’s willing to discuss this situation with President Bartlet, who agrees to go after all. As for Anteras, after some tugging between the President and Leo, Bartlet has made a decision and decides that although he can’t bail the company out, the US government remain their biggest buyer on the condition that the CEO refrains from donating to the DNC.
During this affair, Toby meets with a Russian reporter who is banned from covering the country’s summit, which he promises to look into. He’s able to score the reporter the necessary credentials, but learns something along the way- she sucks at her job, reporting numerous pieces that border on libel, including the new president’s twelve-year-old son’s report card. Also going on- Charlie receives a letter from a small child who wants to tell the President about the time he saw him in action alongside his assistant, Mr. Farley, after giving a budget speech in Pittsburgh. The thing is, there is no Mr. Farley in the White House, and President Bartlet never gave a speech about the federal budget in Pittsburgh, but later learns that FDR gave a budget-related speech in 1932, which has him do some digging. Charlie meets with Alan Tatum, the “child” in question, and his son Alan. When he was nine, Alan sent a letter to the White House that wasn’t delivered until 70 years after the fact, and Charlie is giving him the opportunity to meet the President, one-on-one.
It’s pretty charming to watch a show from 20 or even 10 years ago to see how much the internet has changed. Now that it seems like only five websites exist, it often feels like going back to a pre-social network, or even an era when social networks weren’t the default internet experience, feels almost alien. Why would you need to find a site like Television Without Pity when you can talk about your favorite TV shows on Twitter (never referring to it as a single letter, sorry) or read some idiot’s Substack? Regardless, you’ll have to deal with endless A.I. slop wherever you get your internet fill from.
One element about the internet that hasn’t changed, and likely never will, is that it is unsafe for women, particularly for passionate, strongly opinionated women. Passionate, strongly opinionated, heavily visible women. Like C.J.
“Enemies Foreign and Domestic” isn’t exclusively an expose on the difficulty women have to face daily for living their lives regardless of how random men think they should be, but that is the most notable part of the episode, as we see C.J. get too close to the sun with her (questionable, but understandable) views on misogyny in Saudi Arabia and Islam on a whole. Her deadpan remarks regarding the school burning suggest that this isn’t the first time C.J. has had to report a story of this nature, nor will it be the last, while she does her best to show her contempt while not reading as too visibly upset.
Part of the appeal of C.J.’s character is how committed Allison Janey is to the role, and how she’s able to still find new, but believable, angles for the character. It’s not surprising that she would rebuff insistence that she has Secret Security follow her, while at the same time, it also makes sense that she would change her mind after finding evidence of a stalker. It’s a smart character moment for C.J., one of the reasons why she so easily resonates.
It’s distressing material, somehow much less so than the Russia material, which only feels evermore relevant given recent activity in the country. As much as I love Martin Sheen and John Spencer’s performances as President Bartlet and Leo, this isn’t very memorable and only seems to give a comparable act of terrorism for the White House to face. When it’s a much larger scale vs something more personal, you’d think the bigger issue would be of higher interest, but usually it’s the other way around in storytelling. I find C.J.’s threat towards her to be far more engaging.
The rest of the episode is fine, although it primarily feels like everything is here to give the cast something to do more than anything. Charlie’s material is probably the most memorable, giving an eager child the opportunity to meet the President, just far removed from childhood. I can’t help but feel like this is kind of cheesy, the kind of sentimentality someone who isn’t familiar with Frank Capra beyond It’s a Wonderful Life would accuse him of, but frankly, I think it’s better when Sorkin stays in this lane rather than going in a more charged direction.
I don’t think “Enemies Foreign and Domestic” is a bad episode by any stretch, but it does seem like The West Wing’s third season isn’t gearing towards as exciting of a conclusion as the previous two. That’s fine, if slightly disappointing. Sometimes instead of trying to repeat yourself, it’s better to go for the safer route.
Yes, that is NCIS’ Mark Harmon as Agent Simon Donovan. Harmon will receive a Primetime Emmy nomination for guest acting for his tenure at the end of this season.
Season 3, Episode 19
Aired May 8, 2002
Directed by Christopher Misiano
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: The President and senior staff return from a trip to Finland and briefly stop at the White House to check their mail. While C.J. is getting used to her Secret Service protection, Agent Donovan, Sam finds an unmarked envelope with a VHS tape, which has what appears to be a brutal, detailed smear campaign ad against the President, although it’s not clear who sent it. Sam believes this may be from Governor Ritchie’s campaign, and he wants to meet with their staff, although he’s discouraged to do so from Bruno. Still, Sam persists and meets with Kevin Kahn, Ritchie’s campaign manager, who wants to keep their game clean as he leaves the tape with Kevin. He agrees, but Sam soon discovers the ad airing on television, which shocks the White House, leaves Bruno agitated, and infuriates Sam, who meets with Kevin, promising that all bets are off.
President Bartlet meets in the Situation Room, where he’s beefed about a potential terrorist attack on two US military bases, Dover AFB and Fort Myer, which are close to the White House. It’s encouraged for President Bartlet to hide in a bunker, a move he refuses. Soon, they discover further terrorist activity in Bethesda, a Maryland suburb within close proximity to DC, and it’s becoming apparent that Abdul Shareef, an intelligence worker who would have this information, may be responsible, which means the President may have to make an important decision before he arrives in the next ten days.
C.J. schedules some time in her busy day to go dress shopping with her niece. After finding a gown that would be perfect for her, C.J. excuses herself to try it on as C.J.’s niece, Hogan, learns of Donovan’s duties as he shows her how to properly scope the scene. They notice a man in a coat, inside a mall in May. Why? She also learns that Agent Donovan was one of the Secret Service agents in Rosslyn, which he shares with C.J. later on, after they return to her office and check her email. C.J.’s stalker sent her another email, recognizing her new dress and furthers his plans to kill her.
Oh, and Josh gives Donna a gift of moose meat, which she’s disinterested in and hands to an intern instead. When the White House finds the moose meat on eBay, Josh has no choice but to fire him, but Donna makes a passionate plea to spare the poorly-paid intern, which he agrees to. Donna ends up buying the meat to get the intern out of trouble, but he’s not able to reimburse her, as he already spent that money.
The documentary special must have been beneficial to Sorkin, as he receives sole writing credit for the last three episodes of the season. It’s clear that he has some end goal in mind, or he’s possibly spending the time to build the groundwork for the next season, which by all accounts is meant to be the big campaign.
Sam gets his share of campaign material this week as he deals with the inflammatory ad that the White House receives, a reasonable cause for concern that he inadvertently gives to the opposition for free. Classic Seaborn goof.
I’ve mentioned before that I like how clueless Sam can be in some instances, it helps to balance the cast out and make him seem like slightly less of a Sorkin stand-in like Josh and Toby often fight to be. It’s also a reasonable way to give the senior staff cause for alarm as hit pieces are already coming out, ones with good points as they call out the President’s cover-up.
Although C.J., the show’s favorite alongside Josh, isn’t always shown to be the brightest, herself. I do think it’s a little different here, however, as the show tends to want us to laugh at Sam, but with C.J., even with her occasional (massive) flub. I wouldn’t consider her condemnation of Saudi Arabia as a flub (although I could name genuine ones she’s been responsible for), but it’s clear, and really not surprising, that it’s struck a nerve with some people. The wrong people, in fact.
“The Black Vera Wang” refers to the dress C.J. tries out while shopping with her niece, which is referred to in the ominous email she receives at the end of the episode. It’s clear that her Secret Service addition isn’t enough to set away her stalker, but we don’t know anything about them yet, including their motive. It’s possible that they’ve been waiting for the right moment to strike against the Press Secretary, and her recent comments on the Saudi Arabian fire was the perfect incentive.
Sorkin and Misiano, one of the show’s most reliable directors, do a fine job of making C.J.’s looming threat feel alarming, albeit not necessarily terrifying, while Mark Harmon does a decent job of fitting into the show’s world with all of Sorkin’s writing ticks without pushing himself too far into their manner of speak. He’s Secret Service, after all, not a part of the senior staff. Agent Donovan does get at least one good moment, however, with his solo time with Hogan, C.J.’s niece, as he clues her into his duties. It’s a nice moment that eases the tension without coming off as too silly or cheesy, and allows both characters a moment to shine.
The rest of “The Black Vera Wang” is solid West Wing fare, not quite the show at its best but entertaining as it builds to a potentially appealing final arc. President Bartlet has another terrorist attack to deal with, although this one has more potential long-lasting affects than the previous episode’s, which is why I’m keeping that light. And there’s another silly Donna plot that relies on Bradley Whitford and Janel Molony’s undeniable chemistry with each other, and that’s fine but not especially memorable unless you’re interested in moose meat.
The West Wing’s third season has been reliably enjoyable, but does feel somewhat lighter than last year’s run. Will the final stretch change my mind, or will I have more to say about it when we get there? We’ll soon find out.
Presidential Records:
“It’s hard not to like a guy who doesn’t know frumpy but knows onomatopoeia.”
As mentioned before, The West Wing tends to be rife with errors, but a noticeable one is how Alan Tatum supposedly worked the Spirit of St. Louis for 53 years, when it only ran for 44 years, starting in 1927. If Alan was nine when he wrote to President Roosevelt in 1932, that makes him… way too young to work the Spirit of St. Louis for 53 years, especially when it wouldn’t have run for nine of those.
I knew that Hogan Cregg, C.J.’s niece, seemed familiar, and that’s because she’s played by Evan Rachel Wood, a good year before Thirteen.
I love Bartlet’s plan for conceding the presidency to Hoynes- he’ll ask to run for Vice President, especially if it means he won’t have to hide in a bunker.
Next Time: We wrap up season 3 with a potential at-home terrorist and an explosive benefit play.