OTH: The West Wing- "Night Five" / "Hartsfield's Landing"
Two solo Sorkin scripts offer different experiences.
Season 3, Episode 13
Aired February 6, 2002
Directed by Christopher Misiano
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: Dr. Stanley Keyworth, the same psychiatrist who saw Josh last year, is called up to the White House. Expecting another session with the Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh gives Dr. Keyworth a private tour of the White House, where he’s being asked ominous questions, prominently if he knew anyone on his flight. Before long, Dr. Keyworth realizes that he isn’t here for another appointment with Josh, as he’s taken to the President’s private study, where Josiah Bartlet arrives. It turns out that that the President has been having trouble sleeping for the past few nights, and it seems like he’s exhausted all other medical options, including sleeping medication. The psychiatrist asks President Bartlet about his previous few days and learns that this will be the fifth night he’s had without sleep, which started right after the Iowa caucus. Dr. Keyworth makes a breakthrough when he discovers that the President and Toby were talking about Jed’s complicated relationship with his father, something that still continues to eat at him and may be the root of his sleeping issues. The President remains reluctant to delve into his father’s issues, although from what he can gather, Dr. Keyworth offers some choice words, including the harsh reality that the senior Bartlet will never change his mind on Jed. He then ends their appointment, already a double session, informing Bartlet that he will be among the few people who will not care that he is President.
Outside of his study, C.J. meets with a newspaper editor who informs her that Billy Price, one of his reporters who has a fairly close relationship with her, has been missing deadlines while reporting in the Congo. That wouldn’t be so alarming if there wasn’t also news of Americans captured from the capital of the Congo. She and Leo set up an appointment with the Congloese attache, who becomes unresponsive when they try discussing money. Realizing he’s a dead end, C.J. makes some calls, but eventually learns the truth when Josh checks in with another source, who confirms that Billy’s body has been found as a casualty from an ambush.
Toby, who previously had a discussion with Leo about his meeting with the President the other day, is surprised in his office by Andy Wyatt, his former wife and current Congresswoman, who takes offense with a speech he has planned that calls Islam fanaticism. The two argue over the ethics of insulting the religion, especially compared to the extremities Christianity has been known for, but Toby stands his ground, although he eventually agrees to tone down the comment.
Meanwhile, Sam has Ainsley review a speech he’s working on, but first compliments the dress she wore following a federalist event. While Ainsley appreciates the compliment, a government agent who has come to help Sam and Toby’s assistants did not appreciate the language he used. Sam insists that he and Ainsley are friends and that there was no insult meant by his words, but she remains unconvinced until Sam speaks with Ainsley and has her go to bat for him. At the same time, Donna meets with an old college friend who offers her a lofty role at his startup dotcom business, with a higher salary than what she receives at the White House. She tells Josh, who isn’t able to match or increase her pay, which only makes it more appealing to her.
We met Dr. Keyworth in last season’s “Noël”, where Josh is encouraged to discuss his lingering trauma following getting shot earlier in the season. Like many of Sorkin’s characters, the psychiatrist had unconventional methods but used that to his advantage to delve into Josh’s psyche and get to the bottom of what’s upsetting him.
So I appreciate bringing the character back, as well as Adam Arkin, who fits Sorkin and Schlamme’s world well even if he isn’t as quippy as their core cast. That said, I consider “Night Five” a downgrade from “Noël”, largely for one specific reason.
If you recall, season 2’s “Noël” used the show’s popular flashback framing device, going back and forth between Josh and Dr. Keyworth’s session and the former’s recollection from the past few days. This was Josh’s story above all, and while the rest of the cast earned their bag so to speak, the episode remained devoted to his perspective and detailing why he eventually snapped at the President.
“Night Five”, meanwhile, almost treats Bartlet and Keyworth’s session like an afterthought as we keep going back and forth between his study and the senior staff’s section of the White House. There are worthwhile stories this week, which I’ll get back to, but these shouldn’t overshadow President Bartlet’s breakthrough, yet they basically do.
This almost has me question if Jed Bartlet isn’t as well-defined of a character as Josh Lyman, which is ridiculous to ask- he isn’t. And that’s kind of the point, as I need to recall how the plan was to never even introduce the President in the show in the first place. Sorkin has done a good deal to make him a likable character, introducing his passion for knowledge and culture, but I think it would be fair to argue that Martin Sheen has done a lot of heavy lifting to bring the character to life. It’s Sheen’s immaculate that makes up the majority of his most memorable moments- while it’s a hell of a line on its own, I can see many other actors struggle to bring “have I displeased you, you feckless thug” to life- but even despite being such an instantly iconic character, there’s only so much you can do when your character is intentionally meant to be aloof.
I shouldn’t enjoy the material from “lesser” characters like Donna, whose job offer is likely to go nowhere, or Ainsley, who continues to play the token conservative who’s a little too proud of her title to a disturbing degree, to what is meant to be the meat of the episode, but I do. Kind of, Donna’s doesn’t go anywhere aside from being a welcome voice to Billy Price’s now widow as she reminds the soon-to-be-grieving woman, and the audience at large, of why C.J. loves reporters, actually. But her look of dismay as C.J. reveals the news to Mrs. Price at the end sells it.
The Ainsley stuff, meanwhile, is somewhat sillier, even when dealing with a heavy subject like sexual harassment, and it rings differently in a post-Me Too world, where we’re finally having necessary discussions regarding harassment and how women are treated in the office. It comes off as kind of weird that she’s so willing to appreciate Sam comparing himself to a dog to say she looks nice, but the show has never truly taken the character seriously and it knows that.
The fact is, Sam is an HR disaster this week. Ainsley may like his comments, and that’s her right as a token Republicanwoman, but he was inappropriate and only digs himself deeper as he goes on. Still, the show wants us to root for him, and neither he nor the script is charming enough to pull that off this time. Sam looks like an ass and Ainsley a heel, and even if they’re fictional characters, they both deserve better.
It’s frustrating that “Night Five” is as mixed of a bag as it is, as there’s a lot of good here worth digging into. The show has and can do better, but luckily we may not have to wait too soon to see it do so.
Season 3, Episode 14
Aired February 27, 2002
Directed Vincent Misiano
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: President Bartlet and C.J. exit Air Force One after a trip from India, and the former’s press-charming time is cut short when Leo calls to have the President return immediately to the White House due to Chinese activity. As he meets in the Situation Room, it appears that Taiwan is testing missiles and China is responding by increasing their already lethal military activity. As the President begins to move ships into the area, he first meets with Sam, and later Toby, with gorgeous chess boards as gifts from India to thank them for a successful State of the Union speech. With Sam, we learn what’s going on with China- it appears that Taiwan is about to start having free elections, which scares the hierarchy of China. Meeting with the Chinese ambassador, it appears that the only way that they’ll even consider standing down is if the U.S. stops selling Taiwan particular weapons, which Leo is not interested in debating. Over at Toby’s game, President Bartlet’s talks more about China, but the Communications Director is more interested in the discussion the two had the other night, about the President’s father, which Jed doesn’t want to talk about. After meeting with Leo once again to discuss the current Chinese conflict, Bartlet and Toby form some kind of truce over their previous argument as they finish their game, while Jed and Sam discuss the Chinese situation further over at theirs, as they learn of the impending truce- China will back down if the U.S. agrees to stop selling the specific weapons to Taiwan to a period of ten years, which they’ve agreed to as their game is wrapped.
As all of this is happening, Josh and Donna have a back and forth as they keep tabs on Hartsfield Landing, a small town in New Hampshire famous for determining the outcome of every Democratic primary for seemingly ever. It appears that two voters are switching from the President to his opponent, so Josh needs Donna, who cannot conduct these calls at the White House, to see what they need to do to maintain their votes. She goes back and forth between the Flenders, a couple who helped the Bartlet campaign during its earliest days as they’ve lost faith, as she and Josh try to convince them that, among other things, the salmon industry will be ensured and jobs will stay in America, but they have a harder time convincing the Flenders about President Bartlet’s honesty. Rather than try to defend his honor, though, Josh tells Donna to drop it and allows the Flenders to vote how they please.
Meanwhile, C.J. asks Charlie for an additional copy of the President’s private schedule, but is miffed when Charlie asks her to sign it off, a new policy he’s enacting as copies have been making it to the Press Room. Not happy with this, C.J. later takes Charlie’s copy of the schedule and relocates it, leading to a prank war between the two, culminating with Charlie swapping their security badges. This gets C.J. in trouble when she comes back to the White House with pizza, and is buzzed for having the wrong badge. Leo calls the two into his office and demands that they settle things, which they agree to… only for C.J.’s desk to dismantle.
Normally I save this kind of trivia for the end or the observations tag, but it’s worth noting that in 2020, the surviving West Wing cast members reunited to recreate this episode as an Election Time special. Sterling K. Brown was casted as Leo, replacing the late John Spencer, while Schlamme directed, Emily Procter (Ainsley Hayes), Elizabeth Moss (Zoey Bartlet) and Marlee Matlin (Joey Lucas) all made appearances alongside other non-West Wing alumni, and it’s streaming on Max. Pretty cool, right?
I start off with this fact to discuss how “Hartsfield’s Landing” is a strong showcase for the cast, one that gives everyone something worthwhile to focus on, one of Sorkin’s strongest scripts in a while.
Although in hindsight, it’s surprising that the President’s chess games aren’t a stronger motif to tie the episode together, like maybe adding a third game with Josh or Leo that relates to their own crises. Not that the games aren’t important, mind you, as not only are they seemingly helping to allow the President to strategize against China, it does seem that his opponents are thinking of different strategies.
Toby, of course, still has his and the President’s heart to heart over the abusive nature of the senior Bartlet on his mind, a discussion that’s kept Jed up at night. This is a sore subject, one he knows should be cracked, whether it’s on his level or not, and that makes for interesting conflict. While Toby’s intentions are good, he is crossing a line, professionally and personally, and he knows it, yet her persists. At the same time, while it’s clear that there are skeletons still needing to be dug out, Bartlet is only willing to play the game as slowly as possible, making this easier said than done. I appreciate Toby’s commitment, but understand why it’s not going the way he wanted.
Meanwhile, Sam is trying to get a clearer picture of the conflict between Taiwan and mainland China, which might be similarly out of his wheelhouse, but his intent is to understand the situation, which I think is valid. “Hartsfield’s Landing” paints Sam as quite smart (a nice contrast to how Sam sometimes isn’t the brightest part of the senior staff) as he waits for the right opening to make an informed decision. If Toby goes for a direct approach, Sam is a more patient and reserved chess player, which makes them unique opponents for such a pro like Bartlet who can handle both.
While I would have liked to have seen more with the chess motif, the rest of the cast does a fine job of proving their worth this week. Leo’s role is in some ways the least substantial, as he primarily sticks to his job and cleans everyone’s messes, but it works to keep him involved with the President and still have fun moments with characters like C.J. and Charlie, whose tiff makes for good material. Alison Janney is traditionally game for going beyond, and Dulé Hill is a surprisingly perfect match to go against her, matching her energy. The two should be paired more regularly.
I’m also a fan of Josh and Donna’s story, as the two work with the fictional Hartfield Landing, which is based on real towns in (Bartlet’s) New Hampshire. I think I’m more charmed by Donna hopelessly following Josh’s insistence to ensure that the President receive their votes, as it fits both characters. Whenever it seems like the series and characters are making me weary, they find a way to redeem themselves yet again.
And I think that’s the charm of “Hartsfield’s Landing”, how Sorkin finds a way to keep the show fresh even if it sometimes feels like the show is losing itself in importance and darkness. This is the tightest episode in a while.
Presidential Records:
TIL that airplanes aren’t allowed to fly over the White House.
Donna’s assessment that dotcom startup’s aren’t dying, just the hype, is interesting because that was kind of true at the time, but would change when dotcoms turned into apps and the internet would become defined by the same few sites. Who doesn’t love a reminder that this was made in 2002?
So Ainsley doesn’t know what Charlie does, and to be fair, what is he supposed to do if the President is in a private meeting?
I would like to visit Claudia’s House of Useless Knowledge.
Next Week: British Ambassador Marbury returns! Do I need to say more? How about Laura Dern in the next episode?