"I fired him." One of the most heartbreaking lines delivered in the whole 7 seasons. Which means one of the most heartbreaking lines ever delivered in on television.
And the beginning of the "We're going to add new characters, give existing ones less screen time and completely upset the dynamic we've carefully built over the past 5 seasons" phase.
Abbey is just stunned to hear that Jed fired Leo, and now she gets that he's directly blaming himself - and that there is some justification. But she also knows that Leo got to where he was through a lifetime of high stress, booze, etc..
The heart attack story line was ok, but it was absurd that the post-Sorkin writing team thought it made any sense to: 1. Have Bartlet fire Leo. That would just never happen. 2. Think Toby should try to jump out in front of Josh to be "in charge." Toby knew his place better than anyone. 3. Have Toby leak the classified info. Toby would never have betrayed the president like that. Season 6 was marginally better than season 5, but it still completely ignored the character development that had occurred through season 4.
The show definitely took a hit when Sorkin left. In a sitcom when they run out of ideas they would write in C.J. having a baby. Of course, they had Toby and his partner having a baby, which is somewhat better I guess.
1. Agreed. The Jed/Leo dynamic was too strong, so they just HAD to throw a wrench into it. It always felt forced to me, though the stress of it triggering a heart attack did make sense, given the (faulty) premise. I always thought Jed would have changed his mind anyway. 2. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh was supposed to be Leo's successor of sorts. Agreed that Toby wouldn't have done it. CJ was the most likely of the three to be able to step up, though. 3. The actor always maintained that he felt it didn't make sense and that he felt it was a lie to cover for someone else. But of course it was a way to have Bartlett hit him with the "you always thought you were morally superior to me" business. It would have made more sense I think if CJ had actually done it.
correct except for the leak -- that is exactly what Toby would have done -- he was the most steadfast in his morality and beliefs of anyone on the show -- his blowup when he found out about the MS shows that he had no problem arguing and disrespecting the president -- he would never tolerate hiding the existence of a shuttle and letting astronauts die just to keep the shuttle secret
@@dirdib69 I could see Leo having a heart attack. But Jed was never going to fire him. Ever. If the writers wanted to change the chief of staff, fine, but it should have been done in a logical way. 2. I didn’t have an issue with CJ becoming COS. Josh was way too reactionary to play that role. 3. Toby was too loyal to Bartlet to ever betray him like that. That was the most egregious part of the final seasons.
Josh acting so unphased (at best) by Leo's heart attack, merely to justify CJ becoming Chief of Staff over the course of a single episode, was utterly ridiculous. (Everyone's reactions were wrong, but Josh in particular would -- should -- have been devastated.
totally agree. IT was a stretch, and bad writing. Josh should have taken it hard! Writer made it look like it was just a normal day at the office when it should have have been.
This may have been a play on Alexander Hegg saying he was in charge here at the White House when Reagan was shot, even though that was clearly not constitutional
I dunno if this is intentional but does anyone notice how Bartlet kind of acts ridiculous when he doesn't know things? He just repeats, almost authoritatively, some grade school-level understanding of the issue. "Time being muscle." Or basically everything he says to Hal Holbrook about the lost submarine in North Korea. Not being the smartest man in the room is subtly uncomfortable for him.
Being the smartest man in the room is a way for him to feel "greater" than his father, who used to beat him because he was intimidated and threatened by his son, whom he knew would grow into a better man than him.
I think he connected what his wife said on the way to the hospital, with what the doctor explained - the penny dropped, and he repeated ‘time being muscle’ because of that. I do that all the time when learning details about things - ‘Oh so that’s why they said X back then’. Happens when you get a small window into an experts knowledge. Doesn’t make you an expert yourself, but you understand a little more than a layperson. It doesn’t mean ‘pretending to be smart’. It’s just a thinking person processing what they’re seeing and hearing.
Its interesting how, in retrospect, they were setting CJ up as CoS by showing how she mediates and delegates with Josh and Toby without them even really realizing it, and how she doesn't actually need their advice and has come to the same conclusion before them. That being said, it is a departure from her previous characterization, usually coming to a perception problem long after Toby even when he points her in the right direction and often never understanding a political/legislative problem that Josh would understand intrinsically. Still, Josh was going to take center stage with Santos and Toby makes a better lieutenant than a captain (to say nothing of the weaker writing of the later seasons) so I understand why they went with CJ
Where Bartlet leads, Leo has to follow as CoS. Leo can voice his objections, argue his points, but at some point, he has to acquiesque. It was in the middle of the summit and Leo was still not in line with the presidents approach, so he had no choice but to let him go - country before friendship.
I love how boys can do casual, but CJ probably knows that she will be judged differently (both because her position and sex) and she is in a jacket and a skirt
Actually Jed had nothing to do with that. But he asked him to run the DNC and thrust him into that whole field of "active" politics again. Otherwise Leo might have had a quiet retirement and a couple of years left. He gave his everything to the democratic party - to help them win and helped make Santos a worthy successor, while also not being a drag on the ticket (pretty much the role a VP-running mate has to do with a top of the ticket like Santos).
What effect does being fired have on the coronary artery? If being fired eliminates the stress of responsibility, it would have a very positive effect.
"I fired him." One of the most heartbreaking lines delivered in the whole 7 seasons. Which means one of the most heartbreaking lines ever delivered in on television.
RIP John Spencer.
Amen
"Time is muscle." Well done Mr. President, well done. 🤣
0:12 Can someone PLEASE stop and give Margaret a hug? 😂
Ironically tragic that within 13 months of this episode John Spencer would die in a very similar way.
Ironically? Princess Bride, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
He was suffering from health problems in advance of this. His illness was written into the show's storyline.
@@PMandrekar Agreed. But that being said, I do not think anyone expected things to play out so close to the story line.
This was thankfully the end of the "yelling at each other as character development" phase of the show
And the beginning of the "We're going to add new characters, give existing ones less screen time and completely upset the dynamic we've carefully built over the past 5 seasons" phase.
@@GredddfeAlso known as the “budget cuts” phase
@@Gredddfe
Oh my god! 😂😂😂
I hate this phase but when u put it like this, it sounds hilarious.
You can tell they were setting up CJ to become Chief of Staff with how she had to take charge and in the end Leo ends up naming her as his successor.
Yes, they are showing that she's the adult in the room.
Abbey is just stunned to hear that Jed fired Leo, and now she gets that he's directly blaming himself - and that there is some justification. But she also knows that Leo got to where he was through a lifetime of high stress, booze, etc..
The heart attack story line was ok, but it was absurd that the post-Sorkin writing team thought it made any sense to:
1. Have Bartlet fire Leo. That would just never happen.
2. Think Toby should try to jump out in front of Josh to be "in charge." Toby knew his place better than anyone.
3. Have Toby leak the classified info. Toby would never have betrayed the president like that.
Season 6 was marginally better than season 5, but it still completely ignored the character development that had occurred through season 4.
The show definitely took a hit when Sorkin left. In a sitcom when they run out of ideas they would write in C.J. having a baby. Of course, they had Toby and his partner having a baby, which is somewhat better I guess.
1. Agreed. The Jed/Leo dynamic was too strong, so they just HAD to throw a wrench into it. It always felt forced to me, though the stress of it triggering a heart attack did make sense, given the (faulty) premise. I always thought Jed would have changed his mind anyway.
2. As Deputy Chief of Staff, Josh was supposed to be Leo's successor of sorts. Agreed that Toby wouldn't have done it. CJ was the most likely of the three to be able to step up, though.
3. The actor always maintained that he felt it didn't make sense and that he felt it was a lie to cover for someone else. But of course it was a way to have Bartlett hit him with the "you always thought you were morally superior to me" business. It would have made more sense I think if CJ had actually done it.
Didn’t Tobey legit say it should be Josh? He was just trying to keep everyone organized
correct except for the leak -- that is exactly what Toby would have done -- he was the most steadfast in his morality and beliefs of anyone on the show -- his blowup when he found out about the MS shows that he had no problem arguing and disrespecting the president -- he would never tolerate hiding the existence of a shuttle and letting astronauts die just to keep the shuttle secret
@@dirdib69 I could see Leo having a heart attack. But Jed was never going to fire him. Ever. If the writers wanted to change the chief of staff, fine, but it should have been done in a logical way.
2. I didn’t have an issue with CJ becoming COS. Josh was way too reactionary to play that role.
3. Toby was too loyal to Bartlet to ever betray him like that. That was the most egregious part of the final seasons.
I do not think the members of the Marine Corps, who stand guard at the White House ever get their fair share of accolades.
Indeed, they have to wait *hours* for their Crayola ration.
They only stand there while POTUS is in the west wing.
@@pbdye1607 and they probably don't even get the red ones
Accolades for what? Standing there in a nice shiny uniform?
Oddly, in the U.K. the “Guards” Regiments are regarded.
man I Miss that show
Thank goodness for online streaming episodes 😊
Josh acting so unphased (at best) by Leo's heart attack, merely to justify CJ becoming Chief of Staff over the course of a single episode, was utterly ridiculous. (Everyone's reactions were wrong, but Josh in particular would -- should -- have been devastated.
totally agree. IT was a stretch, and bad writing. Josh should have taken it hard! Writer made it look like it was just a normal day at the office when it should have have been.
Stockard Channing looks more like Rizzo in this episode than in any other ….
I'm pretty sure the deputy chief of staff outranks the communications director therefore Toby suggesting that he being charge was a little ridiculous.
Drumpf might be an outlier but based on the Obama+Bush organizational flowchart their Press Secretaries & Comms Directors outrank the Deputy CoS
This may have been a play on Alexander Hegg saying he was in charge here at the White House when Reagan was shot, even though that was clearly not constitutional
The West Wing, Yay! I liked this video so much, it made me smile!
I dunno if this is intentional but does anyone notice how Bartlet kind of acts ridiculous when he doesn't know things? He just repeats, almost authoritatively, some grade school-level understanding of the issue. "Time being muscle." Or basically everything he says to Hal Holbrook about the lost submarine in North Korea. Not being the smartest man in the room is subtly uncomfortable for him.
Being the smartest man in the room is a way for him to feel "greater" than his father, who used to beat him because he was intimidated and threatened by his son, whom he knew would grow into a better man than him.
It’s how he grasps at understanding when he doesn’t have understanding
Human nature .... when you don't know much, you hang on dearly to the few things you DO know. Or, rather, that you think you know ....
I think he connected what his wife said on the way to the hospital, with what the doctor explained - the penny dropped, and he repeated ‘time being muscle’ because of that.
I do that all the time when learning details about things - ‘Oh so that’s why they said X back then’. Happens when you get a small window into an experts knowledge. Doesn’t make you an expert yourself, but you understand a little more than a layperson.
It doesn’t mean ‘pretending to be smart’. It’s just a thinking person processing what they’re seeing and hearing.
Bartlett for President!
Its interesting how, in retrospect, they were setting CJ up as CoS by showing how she mediates and delegates with Josh and Toby without them even really realizing it, and how she doesn't actually need their advice and has come to the same conclusion before them.
That being said, it is a departure from her previous characterization, usually coming to a perception problem long after Toby even when he points her in the right direction and often never understanding a political/legislative problem that Josh would understand intrinsically. Still, Josh was going to take center stage with Santos and Toby makes a better lieutenant than a captain (to say nothing of the weaker writing of the later seasons) so I understand why they went with CJ
Didn't like how they totally ignored Margaret
Who?
@@mikemesser4326 Leo's assistant and right hand.
Fired the guy that put him in the Whitehouse, what a guy.
Well, at least he fired him in person. That is in stark contrast to the way Donald Trump used to fire people.
Where Bartlet leads, Leo has to follow as CoS. Leo can voice his objections, argue his points, but at some point, he has to acquiesque. It was in the middle of the summit and Leo was still not in line with the presidents approach, so he had no choice but to let him go - country before friendship.
is that Fred Willard I hear on the news
I love how boys can do casual, but CJ probably knows that she will be judged differently (both because her position and sex) and she is in a jacket and a skirt
Jed feeling guilty - but then later bullied Leo into being running mate for Santos.
Actually Jed had nothing to do with that. But he asked him to run the DNC and thrust him into that whole field of "active" politics again. Otherwise Leo might have had a quiet retirement and a couple of years left. He gave his everything to the democratic party - to help them win and helped make Santos a worthy successor, while also not being a drag on the ticket (pretty much the role a VP-running mate has to do with a top of the ticket like Santos).
This is the one thing i hated most about season 5 & 6. the downfall of Leo & Jed's relationship.
I wish he was president now
Ive said it hundreds of times. We need Jed Bartlet
I wish he'd been President in 2016.
The character, not the actor. Sadly, we ran out of real leaders and now we have sound bites and TH-cam.
Well gee who’s going to be writing the scripts?
@JohnSmith-gb5vg good point. Since most of what we see IRL is part of a plan, not really scripted. I don't think the actor will be as successful.
Well dressed doormen. The real security is the Secret Service. Their patient discretion and constant adaptability deserves the accolades.
(President Bartlett) I fired him. 4:18
What effect does being fired have on the coronary artery? If being fired eliminates the stress of responsibility, it would have a very positive effect.
Or it could put you in such a resounding state of shock that you have a coronary event
4 months after being fired from a job with 24 yrs in, i had a heart attack, also had a young family. doesnt have to be an overnight thing
Given this is fiction, Bartlett broke Leo's heart when he fired him.
Why him being picked as VEEP was so stupid.
Silly Hollywood writing. Entertaining but unrealistic.
Whats that xavier? Stealing other peoples creative production?
Trump 2024
Yes, for prison!
Trumpo? Make sure you donate him your paycheck.
"Time is Muscle" belongs on a gym wall. 🧱