OTH: The West Wing- "The Portland Trip" / "Shibboleth"
Can you pronounce the latter episode accurately?
Season 2, Episode 7
Aired November 15, 2000
Directed by Paris Barclay
Story by Paul Redford, Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: President Bartlet has a trip to Portland planned, with Toby, Sam, and a reluctant C.J. in tow. Before stepping onto the flight, Leo meets with the President and informs him of a tanker that US forces stopped at the Gulf, which President Bartlet keeps in mind during the long flight. This is an eventful flight, where an early draft of Toby and Sam’s speech is shared with the press before they’re ready to approve, and an anxious Sam demands that C.J. retrieve it. She’s able to get everyone to return their copies aside from Danny, who insists that he has no reason to hand it over. A quick talk with Toby has Danny hand over the speech, which he admits that he was only stingy about to mess with C.J., and it worked.
Back at the White House, Josh asks Donna to cut a date she has planned short so she’ll be there to help Josh as he meets with Congressman Skinner, a friend who he’s able to get along with… aside from the fact that he’s a Republican and is backing a bill that prohibits same-sex marriage. A shocking turn of events, as Skinner is gay. The two discuss the bill over beers as Skinner states his case. Josh remains unconvinced and eventually asks why he’s a member of the party that doesn’t value him. It’s here that Skinner confesses that he agrees with 95% of the GOP’s policies and while he’ll always try to go to bat for the LGBT community, it’s one battle he’s willing to lose in the long run. Josh thanks Skinner as he exists and notices that he rejects a fellow Republican Congressman’s embrace. Meanwhile, as Leo attempts to handle the tanker crisis on his own, a distraught Margaret worries that the recent arrival of his divorce papers will cause him to drink again. Leo assures her that this isn’t the case, but the news clearly stings.
President Bartlet’s hands are tied over the attack on the Gulf, and he’s still insisting on fighting the bill standing against same-sex marriage, but he agrees to an initiative Charlie suggested regarding the teachers union, as he hopes to approve of tuition initiatives for 100 teachers, 1/100th of the previously agreed amount, but better than nothing.
“The Portland Trip” not-so-subtlety recalls the previous season’s “24 Hours in LA”, except this time, the President never leaves Air Force One. I believe this is by design, allowing the show to stick to a play-like structure, only focusing on two locations and having the action take place with sharply-punched dialogue. All of this is Sorkin’s specialty, and he revels in it.
I can’t call this the most exciting hour of television, but enough of “The Portland Trip” has stood out to me over the years. The concept of Josh arguing with a high-profile queer member of the Republican party is a notably memorable storyline, one that I don’t think entirely works out. While Charley Lang is more than game enough to make his appearance as Matt Skinner land, neither he nor the character have what Emily Procter has to make Ainsley stand out for exceptional conservativism, and that’s probably why she’s relegated to a weak subplot about being stuck in a boiling hot office.
The fight over same-sex marriage feels simultaneously dated and relevant today, when nationwide same-sex marriage has been approved in the US for nearly a decade but remains contestable amid our post-Trump society. While the issue has had slight pushback in earlier episodes, often resulting in the senior staff considering it a detriment to other issues they hope to fight for. This sometimes feels comparable to our current White House, which often seems indifferent to the LGBT community compared to, well, anything else. It shows the nature of politicians on the left, who claim to be supportive of marginalized communities but often leaves much to be desired with their intent to change the system.
If nothing else, I think that Sorkin is clearly-pro LGBT, which is why Skinner’s arguments feel trivial, recalling dated and debatable logic from the Founding Fathers that Josh is quickly able to rebuff. Also making the Congressman in question a gay man is a choice, and it’s worth acknowledging that even those oppressed against can still support their oppressors when it suits their goals. I do think that if Sorkin wanted to give the gays a little less credit, he’d lash Ainsley out on them, but once again, she’s too busy sweating and being hungry to do so.
While Josh’s material stands out to me, I do think that the episode works better on air as opposed to land. Sam’s little identity crisis over his writing allows for a welcome sense of humor in between C.J.’s frustration over Bartlet insisting that she share pride for Notre Dame. Even her material with Danny is cute, allowing the two a familiar but friendly spat that doesn’t overwhelm with their still-high tension.
Directed by legend Paris Barclay, who we’ll see in ER alongside a slew of impressive works, including two Emmys for NYPD Blue and a stint as the president of the DGA, “The Portland Trip” delivers on the televised stage production angle that I think Sorkin and Schlamme were angling for. This isn’t the best we’ve seen the show, nor is it the best episode involving a flight to the west coast, but it’s clear to see why the ratings were only improving from here, aside from the premiere’s high. Frankly, the show has found its groove.
Season 1, Episode 8
Aired November 22, 2000
Directed by Laura Innes
Story by Patrick Caddell, Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: It’s the Monday before Thanksgiving and the White House has an international crisis to deal with. In San Diego, a container ship holding 100 Chinese immigrants are trying to make their way through the states. After sending translators over, it appears that these are Christian evangelicals trying to receive asylum in the US to avoid religious prosecution. Josh and Sam meet with Mary Marsh and Al Caldwell, the evangelicals from the pilot who insist on the White House paying bond for the Chinese migrants. According to Chinese Embassy, Christians aren’t persecuted in China and don’t qualify for sanctuary, but the two insist. Sam eventually starts another debate with the stern Marsh, but Caldwell takes Josh aside and informs him that if the White House won’t pay, his church will, and if they can’t, he personally will. Josh and Sam meet with a couple of INS agents who give them an update, stating that China stands by their belief that Christians aren’t persecuted and that these people broke the law by illegally leaving the country. When they inform the President of this development, he decides to meet with one of the refugees, presumably the one who speaks the best English, to decide for himself. He meets with a man named Jhin Wei who shares the origin of his faith, which on top of the correct pronunciation of the word “Shibboleth” (a religious password of sorts) encourages President Bartlet to call up the Governor of California.
President Bartlet is working on a list of recess appointees for the Senate and Josephine McGarry, Leo’s sister and the superintendent for public schools in Atlanta, is on the list. Leo is uncomfortable with this, noting her religious beliefs, but the President remains adamant. Toby goes to bat for Josephine at a leadership meeting, but she’s rejected, and this time Toby can’t save her with a passionate speech as a damning photo comes out with her in handcuffs alongside a pair of students after saying a prayer at a basketball game. Toby meets with Leo and tries to argue if she can be saved, but he doesn’t think it’s doable and has Margaret phone his sister up. Josephine flies in the next day (hopefully she’ll have dinner with Leo and Mallory on Thursday) and asks Leo to withdraw her name from consideration, which he refuses to do, noting how he is aware that she set up the photograph and asks her to personally withdraw the nomination.
C.J. was sick last Thanksgiving, so she missed out on some of the White House’s holiday shenanigans. First off, each year the President pardons a turkey, and it’s up to the Press Secretary to determine which of two birds is the more photogenic for him to pardon, so she enters her office and sees two turkeys waiting for approval. C.J. learns at a briefing that she will also be leading children in song on Thanksgiving day. Come Thanksgiving, she has made her decision and learned her song, but is shocked to learn that the company who brought the White House the turkeys only promised to send them one, and plans to take the other to another buyer. C.J., who’s clearly grown an attachment to both turkeys, decides to buy the other one from them and send it to a Delaware zoo with the winner. They won’t allow her to, so C.J. asks President Bartlet to pardon the other turkey. The episode ends with Josh and Sam sharing news that the Chinese immigrants escaped, which the President notes allows China to “save face” and is then moved by Sam and Toby’s Thanksgiving proclamation, which recalls the pilgrim’s settlement.
If you’re unaware, there is a history of presidential turkey pardonings, which is neatly wrapped up here. Is it a silly concept? Sure, but I bet it makes children happy and it allows for a fun sideplot to allow Allison Janey to perfectly show off C.J.’s easily-flustered nature as she doesn’t know what the hell to do with her turkeys. Also, it makes me hungry for a drumstick, and that’s always cool.
“Shibboleth” is peak West Wing, showcasing good-natured government employees trying to do good in a world that doesn’t always allow it. I don’t think it’s the very best the series is capable of, but this is still a fine episode that proves we’re still in a particular groove. We even have ER’s Laura Innes returning behind the camera to shoot another solid hour of TV. Part of it does feel like an ER episode- you can definitely imagine a couple of turkeys hanging out in the front office at County.
Although it’s one that I struggle to go into detail about beyond detailing how cute C.J.’s time with the turkeys are. That said, I do think that the Chinese refugees storyline lands, giving us a rare example of Christians being prosecuted as President Bartlet has his chance to offer religious sanctuary like the Founding Fathers before him. The title phrase in particular lands a worthy gut punch near the end of the episode as we’re reminded of his faith, one of Jed’s defining traits as a person and a leader.
We also get to see Mary Marsh and Al Caldwell again, the evangelicals President Bartlet had words with in the pilot. I do admire their dynamic, and I find it especially noteworthy that Marsh is the face who appears on TV, as she's stone cold, rejecting the expected need for spiritual women to feign niceness. That makes it easy to root against her, but it also makes Caldwell a little more likable as he’s easier to reason with even after Sam starts another tirade against the two. Let’s hope to see more of them.
The story with Leo’s sister Josephine is a little disappointing, since it doesn’t have a proper resolution, just Leo telling her to not accept the nomination. We don’t learn much about Leo and his sister’s relationship or history, just a little about her beliefs and how they contrast with the White House. That’s interesting, but we should be able to do more with them, and if I recall right, she never appears again.
One missed opportunity doesn’t deter from an otherwise highly enjoyable episode, so I’ll just leave it at that. Now I think that I’m going to get some turkey. Or probably just Popeye’s.
Presidential Records:
Why is C.J. going to Portland? Because she made fun of Notre Dame. Kudos to Danny for asking her off the record.
Margaret is pretty straight-laced in “The Portland Trip” as she’s concerned over Leo’s history with alcoholism. Luckily, Donna recovers in terms of weirdness with her awkward meeting in Ainsley’s office.
Speaking of Ainsley, she doesn’t even appear in “Shibboleth”, which has me wonder if Sorkin and co have already run out of things for her to do and if she’s going to Mandytown.
On the top of my head, I don’t know what episode Allison Janey won her Emmy for this season, but I hope it was for her work with the turkey.
Damn, Miss Landingham is cold- “maybe you could ask one of the fourth graders to teach you how to use the intercom.”
Next Week: The President has to deal with explosions in a Russian base while Josh has a rough holiday.