The West Wing: In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part 2 Rewatch

October 4, 2014 9:36 PM - Season 2, Episode 2

As the Bartlet Administration deals with the shooting (and with Josh still not out of the woods), flashbacks recall how the staff made it to the West Wing.

All the President's men and women scramble in the chaotic wake of an assassination attempt that leaves some victims fighting for their lives. Meanwhile, as a manhunt continues, the wounded drift in and out of surgery recalling how Bartlet's team came together during the dark months of his longshot primary campaign. Elsewhere, the press department is hounded by the media for details of the shooting while a military crisis looms in Iraq.

Airdate: October 4, 2000
Director: Schlamme
Writer: Sorkin
Yeah Count: 55

posted by ApathyGirl (12 comments total)

She [Anna Deveare Smith] never got to see the Situation Room, where her character typically interacts with President Bartlet on The West Wing. But she knows Condoleeza Rice, President Bush's national security advisor -- Rice was Smith's provost at Stanford University -- and she talked to former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger about her role.
"He was very generous," Smith says. "He said, basically, 'You've got to try to know everything. And you're overworked. Call your friends up once you get the job and say, "Look, you won't hear from me for four years." You're overworked, but on the other hand, you have to be the most alert person in the room. You could have been working for 12 hours, but you've got to feel like it's first thing in the morning.' "

"'West Wing' actress gets proof she's convincing"
by Marc D. Allan
March 14, 2002
Indianapolis Star

posted by ApathyGirl at 9:49 PM on October 4, 2014

As usual, CJ makes this episode for me, and I will never not love her quick wit and dry delivery.

Roger: I went from third to ninth...I dropped to ninth! Do you know how that looks? Do you know how many other people were ahead of me?
C.J.: Eight?

C.J.: How much does it pay?
Toby: How much were you making before?
C.J.: $550,000 a year.
Toby: This pays $600 a week.
C.J.: So, this would be less.
posted by casualinference at 2:05 PM on October 5, 2014 [5 favorites]

One critic who sensed some underlining sexual tension between C.J. and Toby over the years wondered if they could eventually hook up.
"I think there always has been something between C.J. and Toby that has never been fully realized," said Janney, adding that Toby brought C.J. to the White House.

"A vote for C.J. as 'West Wing' chief"
by Alan Pergament
November 10, 2004
Buffalo News

posted by ApathyGirl at 6:06 PM on October 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

One critic who sensed some underlining sexual tension between C.J. and Toby over the years wondered if they could eventually hook up.
"I think there always has been something between C.J. and Toby that has never been fully realized," said Janney, adding that Toby brought C.J. to the White House.

Oh yeah, Toby's definitely got a crush on C.J.; remember when some Republican contender is asked "the question" and flubs it and C.J. is really excited and starts being like "I'm too sexy for..."? Look at Toby's face. He's got a crush.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:20 AM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

Toby is breathing and also smart, so of course he is crushed out on C.J.

This is one of my favorite episodes.
posted by rtha at 8:47 AM on October 6, 2014 [3 favorites]

Toby already having demonstrated a propensity towards tall, strong, sassy, independent women.

Also this moment later this season:

C.J. Cregg: No cameras.
Toby Ziegler: You negotiated that?
C.J. Cregg: Yeah.
Toby Ziegler: And they agreed to it?
C.J. Cregg: You want to make out with me right now, don't you?
Toby Ziegler: Well, when don't I?

I'd squee more, but I'm pretty strongly on the CJ/Danny4EVA ship.
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:38 PM on October 6, 2014

CJ's "people who were killed by a gun last night" speech is my favorite moment in the entire series.

There were 36 homicides last night. 480 sexual assaults. 3411 robberies. 3685 aggravated assaults, all at gun point. And if anyone thinks those crimes could have been prevented if the victims themselves had been carrying guns, I'd only remind you that the President of the United States was shot last night while surrounded by the best-trained armed guards in the history of the world.

posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:21 PM on October 6, 2014 [9 favorites]

Was anyone else startled at Gov. Bartlett and Leo etc appearing at Josh's gate in the airport? That it used to be possible for random people to go through airport security to lurk at the gates, hang out until departures or meet arrivals as they enter the building? I remember that, but it feels unreal.
posted by janell at 7:17 PM on October 6, 2014 [1 favorite]

My theory on Toby and CJ is that they Already Went There: they had a Thing years ago (maybe at uni?) but it didn't work out longer term and they managed to stay/be friends again after. She dumped him. To me this is exactly what their chemistry says.
posted by runincircles at 2:54 AM on October 8, 2014 [6 favorites]

I'm on board with that theory.
posted by jeffamaphone at 3:05 PM on October 8, 2014

Huh! Yes! Especially on revisiting the scene by CJ's pool and the smirky Toby looks therein.
posted by janell at 5:18 PM on October 8, 2014

There are a number of boss/secretary relationships on the show. Bartlet and Mrs. Landringham's relationship is the most fun ("She withholds food from me") as they have such a long history and Mrs. Landringham is so hilariously terse and deadpan. Toby and Sam both seem to have a decent working relationship with their secretaries, although it isn't more than a working relationship. C.J. and her secretary work together really well and seem to be friends, with the minor drawback and running gag that her secretary can't spell worth a damn. I find both Josh and Donna to be obnoxious characters, but I do enjoy their verbal sparring matches, and so do they.

But the dynamic between Leo and Margaret always sets my teeth on edge. They don't seem to like each other at all, and it makes me wonder why they'd continue to work together. And holy crap, what got into Margaret to suggest that she forge the president's signature? How clueless is she? Leo's a jerk to her in a way he generally isn't to other people, but then I can almost understand it as she can be really annoying, and then in return she gets impatient with him. Perhaps they simply bring out the worst in each other. Maybe it's supposed to be part of an effort to be realistic; to have one bad boss/secretarial relationship to balance out the others.
posted by orange swan at 10:48 PM on October 2, 2017