The West Wing: Shibboleth Rewatch

November 29, 2016 6:12 AM - Season 2, Episode 8

A shipload of Chinese immigrants lands in California seeking asylum, claiming to be persecuted Christians. In the meantime, Leo's sister is being vetted for a job in the administration, and Charlie is looking for the perfect carving knife.

The West Wing Weekly (previously on the Blue) has finally passed FanFare with this episode, so I thought it might be fun to restart the rewatch and follow along.

posted by Etrigan (7 comments total)

I didn't like this episode as much as other people do. Sure, the Charlie scene was good, and well-earned, but the other two plotlines were too pat.
posted by Etrigan at 6:38 AM on November 29, 2016

Yeah but the thing with the turkeys!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:52 PM on November 29, 2016

CJ is wonderful in this episode, she carries the comedy, what with the singing and the turkeys. The shibboleth subplot lays it on a bit too thick. I do really like the very end when he reads the proclamation.
posted by mai at 5:12 PM on November 29, 2016

While the carving knife gift is touching in the episode, I can't help but feel miffed on behalf of the Bartlet daughters. It's been in the family for two hundred years and dad just up and gives it to an employee he's known for a year? Doesn't seem right.
posted by Tentacle of Trust at 7:09 PM on November 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

While the carving knife gift is touching in the episode, I can't help but feel miffed on behalf of the Bartlet daughters.

Yeah, Sorkin has a definite "These are men's things/issues/discussions, and those are women's things/issues/discussions" streak, and knives appear to be firmly in the former.
posted by Etrigan at 6:41 AM on November 30, 2016 [3 favorites]

OMG, I didn't know we were doing a WW re-watch!!


While the carving knife gift is touching in the episode, I can't help but feel miffed on behalf of the Bartlet daughters.

Yeah, Sorkin has a definite "These are men's things/issues/discussions, and those are women's things/issues/discussions" streak, and knives appear to be firmly in the former.

A charitable interpretation of giving the knife to Charlie is that he wanted to let him know he was part of the family, whereas the daughters are not confused about that. But given Sorkin's track record, I don't blame anyone for not giving him the benefit of the doubt on that one.
posted by dry white toast at 2:59 PM on December 2, 2016

When Charlie looked at the knife, I wondered if he felt like he'd have to marry Zoe now, to keep the knife in the Bartlet family.
posted by orange swan at 6:31 PM on October 6, 2017