There was a scene later on where Charlie is arguing with that young reporter and she mentions that she understands that Jed was much more than just the President to Charlie. Hell, Charlie was offered immunity for testimony against Jed, but refused as that would be an act that would ruin the trust between them (even with Jed and Leo telling him he should take it).
Brick wall hell he would have stood in front of tanks and smiled and said give.me your best shot, i can take it. And he would have took the best shot they had. No doubt in my mind.
greenjedi8 Except Jed already had a grandson named Gus (Liz’s son, the Abu el Banat episode). I love Charlie, but I never understood why Jed couldn’t just give the knife to Liz for safekeeping until Gus was old enough to appreciate it.
@@DC_1894 Because he saw Charlie as the son he never had. And so he wanted to give the knife to him. I'm sure he had other things to give his grandchildren...
+Hockey Boy 246 - I would think that what struck Charlie most was when the President said "I'm proud of you Charlie". The knife was a symbol, the words were a reality.
It becomes more and more poignant when you realize that Charlie doesn't have a father, and that because of the death of his mother, he is the father figure in his household. Also that Bartlet has three daughters, and no sons. Incredibly beautiful scene.
One of those beautiful West Wing moments that’s slowly built up and then hits you like a train, leaving your heart in tatters and tears falling from your eyes.
Dule's reaction to this shows how good an actor he is. Anything more would be too much. Anything less would make Charlie less than the moment. He threads the needle PERFECTLY.
A boy who never had a father, and a man who only has daughters. The fact that Bartlett was basically telling Charlie that he was giving this knife because he was like a son to him teared me up. It’s honestly a great father-son relationship these 2 have. And maybe the world can learn something by watching these 2
I love how, clearly, Bartlett essentially drove Charlie crazy, to the point where Charlie would question the reason for the presidents pickyness over a knife, just to do that presentation.
I always thought there was something else there too. Like he made him jump those hoops so he would learn to appreciate a really good knife. So when he finally got it, he knew he was getting something amazing.
ratliff2006 crying because a moving story touched your heart requires emotional help? Id say youre the one who needs emotional help if you dont understand why someone would cry over a fictional tv show
She killed herself. The actress mentioned to Aaron Sorkin on a smoke break about auditioning for a role on a different show. Made Sorkin’s wheel spin and he came up with the episode to kill her off.
My favourite scene of the entire series. Charlie applied to be a messenger in the mailroom and now he has been given this incredible gift. Shows the strength of their relationship, their love for each other and makes me cry every time.
This is one of the best, that's true. But I always come back to Hartsfield's Landing, when Pres. Bartlet tells Sam he will one day run for President, and that he believes in Sam.
Yes! And the scene outside the Oval Office where Charlie deals with the kid who was Sam's "little brother" for disrespecting C.J., and where POTUS talks to Charlie about not lying when he's questioned about the president's MS, and Josh's scenes with Stanley (Adam Arkin) who is wry and understated and very funny, and the whole episode of the Stackhouse Filibuster, the episode of C.J.'s first day as chief of staff, and... and... Best drama ever written for TV, IMO. Wonderful ensemble of actors.
Every time I watch this sequence and he reveals that his knife was made by Paul Revere, it gives me chills. It is such touching and monumental segment in the show.
If I was in Charlie’s shoes, as soon as Paul Revere was name dropped; I might have accidentally stabbed myself with that knife..or dropped the case, one of the two.
I wish this clip included All the scenes in the episode where Charlie showed Bartlett one knife after the other, to have Bartlett reject each one, just to exasperate Charlie to the point of asking what he asks here, so Bartlett can pull this on him. It’s not just the brief gesture seen in this snippet. It’s carefully crafted interactions lasting several days to build up to a moment, and a memory, with lasting impact. It’s a good example of both conscious mentoring... and parenting.
By the time we got to this scene, Charlie knew what Paul Revere's maker' s mark was. He just needed the President to confirm it out loud when he saw it in his hands.
Yep, it's absolutely brilliant, both story telling wise, but also on the part of Bartlett. It ensures that Charlie understands the value of what is given, beyond just the sentimental, by making him earn it through picking the knife to replace the one being given.
Every single time I've seen this remarkable scene -- and it's been many, many times -- I think to myself that if television was always this good, I wouldn't leave my house for anything ... ever.
I never watched west wing. I was like hey its Dule Hill from Psych. Then I started think it was not. The Charles Young was played so incredibly different from his swagger, how he emotes his face when speaking, to a slightly lower tone in his voice. I believe Dule Hill is fantastic actor with fantastic range.
It is absoluely breathtaking the way that Sheen delivers this as if he's talking to his own son, because that's how he sees him after all this time. Just beautiful!!
Not only is this a heartwarming moment between a father and a son but also the fact that it is nice to see that the president’s lineage was rooted in our country and the ideals it was born with. Freedom, liberty, honor, duty, respect and more. A gift passed down from generation to generation.
Even after all these years...... this scene never fails to tug my heartstrings. My family and I watch this entire episode on DVD every Thanksgiving. It is funny and beautifully written and performed.
This scene should definitely come with a tear jerker alert... Doesn't matter how many times I watch this episode in my TWW play through, I cry every time.
Still tear up when I see this, all these years later. The regard that he holds Charlie, a father-son type bond. I aim to replicate this type of bond with my own children.
Brilliant scene. Their entire relationship summed up in less than two minutes. Brilliant writing and actors completely immersed so deeply into their characters that they're responding as those people would, not just what the script called for.
Indeed. It was very much a father-son vibe. Bartlett loved Charlie, and was always so supportive and proud of him. Even to the point he could accept Charlie doing his daughter, lol!
Every time I watch this scene I am reminded of how much I loved this show - So beautifully written, so well cast that every cast member seemed to have chemistry with every other one. The best TV drama ever made.
2019: Still gives the chills. Still gives the expressive gratitude of Bartlett to Charlie. One scene that can be over looked, but man, it shows the knowledge and wisdom of the character President. And delivered by one hell of an actor.
Bartlet is many things but at the core of it all is his love and respect for history and the lessons it can teach. For him to pass on this piece of history to Charlie shows a level of love and respect that very few in his life ever earn.
a great scene, powerful, between 2 men so totally different in their life story, yet so close. And one of Sorkin's best scenes where less is more- he doesn't gush, lets a few words, his look, and the gesture itself say what he needs to say to this young man
This makes me tear up every time I see it. I was 12 when my dad passed and I was the oldest. He didn't have a carving knife to pass down but after I saw this episode 30-some-odd years later, I had one made for me so I'd have one to give my boy. I watch this every year on Thanksgiving (just like I watch Die Hard after dinner every Christmas).
Makes me cry every time. Charlie needed a father and Jed wanted a son. Even if Charlie and Zoe broke up, you know Charlie was always part of their family.
It's about idealism - communicating a bigger, better idea of how things could be. This show does that, without making the characters flawless and inhuman.
This is my favorite scene in the whole series. I get teary eyed every time I hear “these were made for my family by a Boston silversmith named Paul Revere.”
I like to think that Bartlet's plan was to not only give Charlie the knife after the kid learned about the intricacies of knives and their companies so he'd appreciate them better, but also after he finally stood up for himself.
Excellent interpretation. The moment we see Charlie, as you put it, “standing up for himself” is so easily swamped by what follows - at least for me - that I’d never considered your take. But it adds even more richness to the scene. Very well done on your part.
I know the scene is mostly about Charlie and the president and it’s a wonderful scene as a wonderful example of the connection between the two but can we also acknowledge the shade for Mrs. Landingham at the beginning. LOL A perfect pair of scenes.
Folks, you've all lost the forest for the trees here. The knife isn't a mere present picked up at a store someplace. It's a tangible sign that Bartlet thinks of Charlie as the son he never had and it's a gift of the work of an American legend from the President of the United States. Whatever the demographics involved may be, that's why it's such a moving scene.
Agreed, yes its a piece of TV fiction, but the moment is probably one of the most memorable moments for me from the show and moves me everytime I see it. THE President of the United States, not just some guy, but a man who is now a part of history in a very big way, gives you an approximately, a 150 year old family heirloom crafted from one of the most iconic American's in the history of the United States, that would in real life I think move a person to tears. Anyways a great scene.
I came here just to watch that scene again. The way Charlie looks at Bartlet when he tells him the knife was made by Paul Revere--ahhh, almost brings tears to my eyes. Great scene.
There are so many great scene from this show, but this one speaks to me. My fathers favorite show was always West Wing. Every year after he died I have watched it from the beginning. It makes me feel like I am back on the couch in his Tv room watching it with him. I have never finished the show. This scene more than any other reminds me of the simple task I try to complete every day. Making my father proud.
So easily Bartlett gives such an historic blade to Charlie. He loves Charlie like a son. It was THE best show that I ever watched all the way from beginning to end.
Bartlett had an exceptional talent for being dramatic. In lesser hands this would have been kind of cheesy but in the hands of the West Wing cast and writers, it flowed like water.
This scene got me in the feels when I 1st saw it all those years ago, It still get me to this day. In a show with so many quotable and memorable scenes, this is right up there.
Not being hyperbolic, but this is truly one of the most impactful scenes in the history of dramatic television. The Sorkin years of West Wing occupy an almost unreachable place in the medium.
This scene gives me chills every time. With today's political rancor, one of the best retreats is to watch TWW. I seldom agreed with the politics expressed, but I could aways respect the patriotism and commitment of the characters. Truly smart shows like this are far to rare.
God this is a good scene. Bartlet knows exactly what this event happening in a young man's life will lead to. This is the best scene in the series. He forgot the Komin Yamada in the office, though.
That moment when something as innocuous as a silversmith from boston instantly becomes a huge deal. It's a beautifully crafted scene and it especially fits his character that he would engineer the scenario for just that kind of reveal.
The sentimentality of the knife is amazing. But also monetarily. An 8 spoon set that’s authenticated as made by Paul Revere goes for about $60,000. Imagine what you could get for a large knife that you can trace throughout the years in addition to the letter by a president that it used to belong to him.
Aaron Sorkin is the master of knowing how to tap into human emotions with his screenplay !!! One of the many best scenes in this series. Along with Ms.Landhingam's " My boys !! " scene !!!
+jesusthroughmary The best part is pretty much every scene on youtube has at least one comment like this, with multiple likes. The West Wing is just that good.
And this scene shows why Charlie would charge through a brick wall for the President. Wonderful scene.
+Darkmind1970 Or, an armed wall of secret service agents, as he literally does haha.
This and that scene, still makes my eyes well up with tears
@@DURANTNY Me too, I think President Bartlet had been chopping onions with that knife.
There was a scene later on where Charlie is arguing with that young reporter and she mentions that she understands that Jed was much more than just the President to Charlie. Hell, Charlie was offered immunity for testimony against Jed, but refused as that would be an act that would ruin the trust between them (even with Jed and Leo telling him he should take it).
Brick wall hell he would have stood in front of tanks and smiled and said give.me your best shot, i can take it. And he would have took the best shot they had. No doubt in my mind.
I'd love to think that when Charlie was giving the knife to his son, he was also giving it to Jed's grandson!
A distinct possibility, I am thinking Jed was hoping that too.
greenjedi8 Except Jed already had a grandson named Gus (Liz’s son, the Abu el Banat episode). I love Charlie, but I never understood why Jed couldn’t just give the knife to Liz for safekeeping until Gus was old enough to appreciate it.
@@DC_1894
Because he saw Charlie as the son he never had. And so he wanted to give the knife to him. I'm sure he had other things to give his grandchildren...
The actress who played Zoey said she hoped that Charlie and Zoey married.
I like that theory.
All these years later and just that look from Charlie when Bartlet tells him who made it, and I'm welling up. God what a show
glad i'm not the only one!
+1 That COULD be my favorite scene in all of season 2.
+Hockey Boy 246 - I would think that what struck Charlie most was when the President said "I'm proud of you Charlie". The knife was a symbol, the words were a reality.
I hear you!
@@BVJ1973 Me too. I have watched this scene a dozen times. Same result every time.
It becomes more and more poignant when you realize that Charlie doesn't have a father, and that because of the death of his mother, he is the father figure in his household.
Also that Bartlet has three daughters, and no sons.
Incredibly beautiful scene.
Charlie is the son Jed Bartlett always wanted.
Ana Perez AND the son he deserved.
One of those beautiful West Wing moments that’s slowly built up and then hits you like a train, leaving your heart in tatters and tears falling from your eyes.
Charlie ended up as his son in law
It's scenes like this one why I call WW the best show ever made.
Dule's reaction to this shows how good an actor he is. Anything more would be too much. Anything less would make Charlie less than the moment. He threads the needle PERFECTLY.
Dule threads it perfectly in every scene he had with the legend Martin Sheen
@@briandfallon74 No doubt about it. He is damn good.
Dule Hill is so underrated as an actor, and his range is incredible
A boy who never had a father, and a man who only has daughters. The fact that Bartlett was basically telling Charlie that he was giving this knife because he was like a son to him teared me up. It’s honestly a great father-son relationship these 2 have. And maybe the world can learn something by watching these 2
Or he was telling him “well I have no other options”
@@jamesbizs well he wasn't going to give it to his daughters, might as well
Gets me every time
This one gets me, too, for just that reason, especially since my Dad passed
I feel like if I was one of Bartlett's daughters I'd have been more than a little annoyed by this. Girls can use knives too!
I love how, clearly, Bartlett essentially drove Charlie crazy, to the point where Charlie would question the reason for the presidents pickyness over a knife, just to do that presentation.
I always thought there was something else there too. Like he made him jump those hoops so he would learn to appreciate a really good knife. So when he finally got it, he knew he was getting something amazing.
@@rokylouie Except it's almost certainly a terrible knife lol. Just expensive and historically relevant.
Bartley playing 3 dimensional chess again
Mrs. Landingham chiding him about the intercom always makes me cry a little...
+antourte1 RIP Mrs. Landingham. :C
antourte1 - Especially now that we know she even does it once she's dead.
ratliff2006 crying because a moving story touched your heart requires emotional help? Id say youre the one who needs emotional help if you dont understand why someone would cry over a fictional tv show
She killed herself. The actress mentioned to Aaron Sorkin on a smoke break about auditioning for a role on a different show. Made Sorkin’s wheel spin and he came up with the episode to kill her off.
She can get away with talking to the President that way since she knew him back when he was in high school.
My favourite scene of the entire series. Charlie applied to be a messenger in the mailroom and now he has been given this incredible gift. Shows the strength of their relationship, their love for each other and makes me cry every time.
This is one of the best, that's true. But I always come back to Hartsfield's Landing, when Pres. Bartlet tells Sam he will one day run for President, and that he believes in Sam.
Yes! And the scene outside the Oval Office where Charlie deals with the kid who was Sam's "little brother" for disrespecting C.J., and where POTUS talks to Charlie about not lying when he's questioned about the president's MS, and Josh's scenes with Stanley (Adam Arkin) who is wry and understated and very funny, and the whole episode of the Stackhouse Filibuster, the episode of C.J.'s first day as chief of staff, and... and... Best drama ever written for TV, IMO. Wonderful ensemble of actors.
Ooh-ooh! And Debbie's interviews to be the president's secretary...
Although that one fell foul of contract negotiations...
LOVE THE SHOW AND LOVE THIS SCENE,BUT IS THIS SCENE BEFORE OR AFTER BEING CAUGHT LEAVING ZOEY'S ROOM?...WINK WINK!
"These were made for my family by a Boston silversmith named Paul Revere."
Chills.
Was literally coming here to write this exact comment.
& tears
Maxx61 man I would have been ..well tears would have fallen..
In real life, I don't how I would be able to keep it together to have such a personal gift passed on in such a manner.
"And back then, we spelled our name with two T's at the end."
Every time I watch this sequence and he reveals that his knife was made by Paul Revere, it gives me chills. It is such touching and monumental segment in the show.
Michael Mathies I just think eBay
The look on Charlie's face is completely priceless!
Same here. It actually brings tears to my eyes. Many scenes from TWW do for me.
If I was in Charlie’s shoes, as soon as Paul Revere was name dropped; I might have accidentally stabbed myself with that knife..or dropped the case, one of the two.
I kind of don't want to say it...but Paul revere was a real dick.
Whenever I'm having a crappy day I watch this clip so I can remember what joy feels like
damn,that knife cuts nothing but onions I guess...
MAN,AM I GETTING OLD...STARTING TO FIND FORGOTTEN COMMENTS WHERE I DID NOT LEAVE CAPS LOCK ON...
The ability of this show to shoulder check you square in the emotions is almost unparalleled
I’m not sure how to say it.....Shiboleth
I wish this clip included All the scenes in the episode where Charlie showed Bartlett one knife after the other, to have Bartlett reject each one, just to exasperate Charlie to the point of asking what he asks here, so Bartlett can pull this on him. It’s not just the brief gesture seen in this snippet. It’s carefully crafted interactions lasting several days to build up to a moment, and a memory, with lasting impact.
It’s a good example of both conscious mentoring... and parenting.
By the time we got to this scene, Charlie knew what Paul Revere's maker'
s mark was. He just needed the President to confirm it out loud when he saw it in his hands.
Agreed. Although I still love the Butterball hotline from another Thanksgiving episode
Yep, it's absolutely brilliant, both story telling wise, but also on the part of Bartlett. It ensures that Charlie understands the value of what is given, beyond just the sentimental, by making him earn it through picking the knife to replace the one being given.
This may be one of my favorite scenes in the entire series.
Definitely one of the most touching scenes of the whole show.
Every single time I've seen this remarkable scene -- and it's been many, many times -- I think to myself that if television was always this good, I wouldn't leave my house for anything ... ever.
well, now you can't leave your house lmao
I can watch this hundreds of times and I still well up…PR, I don’t recognize…Paul Revere …gets me every time.
Can’t watch this without tearing up. Imagine if politicians today were actually this kind and thoughtful.
Maybe they are behind closed doors and we just don’t ever see it.
Obama was this nice
@@barrywoodward7740 obama bailed out millionaires and bombed innocent americans....so who cares if he was "nice"
Trump’s kindness and thoughtfulness reminds me of Jed Bartlett.
@@aaronperhach3154 you're dumb
"Awesome, Paul Revere! Louie Louie is my favorite song of all time!"
"Give me back the knife, Charlie."
Why does this only have 55 likes?? 🤣
Ok. This is hilarious.
Even worse, the other band that covered "Louie Louie" was the Kingsmen.
@@mc76 Well that's just Loyalist treachery then.
Thanks I was on the edge of tearing up from the scene. Your comment brought me back.
The Ghost of Paul Revere demands you rewatch The West Wing.
Again 😩 😍😍😍😍
What a wonderful scene. Mrs Landingham "Maybe after the ceremony you can get one of the 4th graders to show you how to use the intercom."
She's the only one who could get away with talking to him like that.
"There's that tone again." :)
So beautifully underplayed, Sheen doesn't get nearly as much credit as he deserves! Hill is very good too, and this scene is one of his best.
Charlie's look when he says Paul Revere is really just priceless
What a wonderful show...perfect casting, impeccable writing.
I never watched west wing. I was like hey its Dule Hill from Psych. Then I started think it was not. The Charles Young was played so incredibly different from his swagger, how he emotes his face when speaking, to a slightly lower tone in his voice. I believe Dule Hill is fantastic actor with fantastic range.
I cannot watch this clip without tearing up.
I love how subtle and impactful this is. It's a beautiful moment.
THE BEST TELEVISION SHOW EVER AIRED! NO QUESTION.
Damn you Aaron Sorkin. I must have unrealized daddy issues because this scene gets me no matter how many times I watch it.
I don't know which I love best Mrs Landingham's intercom observation or the President giving Charlie the knife. Best show ever.
It is absoluely breathtaking the way that Sheen delivers this as if he's talking to his own son, because that's how he sees him after all this time. Just beautiful!!
Not only is this a heartwarming moment between a father and a son but also the fact that it is nice to see that the president’s lineage was rooted in our country and the ideals it was born with. Freedom, liberty, honor, duty, respect and more. A gift passed down from generation to generation.
I've watched all 7 years of the West Wing at least 3 times and this is my favorite scene of all 7 years.
This tv series had many memorable scenes. This is one of the most memorable. Today, years later, I remember it well. Still impressive.
Even after all these years...... this scene never fails to tug my heartstrings. My family and I watch this entire episode on DVD every Thanksgiving. It is funny and beautifully written and performed.
someone is always cutting these dang onions around me :--)
One of my all time favorite clips from a show with so many great moments.
This scene should definitely come with a tear jerker alert...
Doesn't matter how many times I watch this episode in my TWW play through, I cry every time.
Still tear up when I see this, all these years later. The regard that he holds Charlie, a father-son type bond. I aim to replicate this type of bond with my own children.
Incredible acting with such engaging interchange. You don’t see this level of writing anymore.
Brilliant scene. Their entire relationship summed up in less than two minutes. Brilliant writing and actors completely immersed so deeply into their characters that they're responding as those people would, not just what the script called for.
There are so many incredibly powerful relationships on this show, but the relationship between Charlie and Bartlett is so moving.
Indeed. It was very much a father-son vibe. Bartlett loved Charlie, and was always so supportive and proud of him. Even to the point he could accept Charlie doing his daughter, lol!
Every time I watch this scene I am reminded of how much I loved this show - So beautifully written, so well cast that every cast member seemed to have chemistry with every other one.
The best TV drama ever made.
2019: Still gives the chills. Still gives the expressive gratitude of Bartlett to Charlie. One scene that can be over looked, but man, it shows the knowledge and wisdom of the character President. And delivered by one hell of an actor.
From a great show with thousands of great scenes, this one sticks with me most. I loved the relationship between these two.
A show that gave us hope back when hope was a thing.
Hope hasn’t gone anywhere. Just need to wait a little while longer this time.
I've watched this clip a million times and always brings a tear.
Bartlet is many things but at the core of it all is his love and respect for history and the lessons it can teach. For him to pass on this piece of history to Charlie shows a level of love and respect that very few in his life ever earn.
I've re-watched this scene over a dozen times, and it still hits me with all the feels. Awesome.
a great scene, powerful, between 2 men so totally different in their life story, yet so close. And one of Sorkin's best scenes where less is more- he doesn't gush, lets a few words, his look, and the gesture itself say what he needs to say to this young man
I loved this show. I get tears watching their interactions. This was good writing and superb acting!
If this scene doesn't get you, you're not human.
This makes me tear up every time I see it. I was 12 when my dad passed and I was the oldest. He didn't have a carving knife to pass down but after I saw this episode 30-some-odd years later, I had one made for me so I'd have one to give my boy. I watch this every year on Thanksgiving (just like I watch Die Hard after dinner every Christmas).
I've watched this scene probably 100 times and it still makes me cry. Television doesn't get any better than this.
I watched and loved every episode of West Wing, and this is quite possibly my favourite scene of the whole series.
Time to get this series back on the air... So many classic lines of dialogue with intense performances..
Sobbed my eyes out the first time I saw this and it lways brings chills. Thank you, Aaron Sorkin for showing the world what television can be.
If only his real son Charlie had half as much sense.....
+Darrin Baker Best comment ever.
+Darrin Baker Lmao this is the best comment I've read on the internet
+Darrin Baker Feel the BURN
this comment is winning for days
He has more than one son.
35 years old. I still drip a tear to this scene. Everytime. Magic.
What's a bit scary is that after another 4 decades, you'll still feel the same way.
Another outstanding father and son moment between Jed and his adoptive West Wing children.
This show is such an amazing masterpiece.
All of the Charlie/Jed Bartlet scenes always make me choke up. Beautiful.
One of the most beautiful moments in all of Dramatic Television history. Martin Sheen Dule Hill and Aaron Sorkin, cheers.
My favorite TV series ever. So well written and the acting is impeccable.
Be as cynical and sarcastic as you like . . . . . . I STILL tear up at this scene even after a dozen views or so
Makes me cry every time. Charlie needed a father and Jed wanted a son. Even if Charlie and Zoe broke up, you know Charlie was always part of their family.
Can we please have Bartlet as our president?!
Maybe not Bartlet but he did have a show on NBC...Hilary, YER FIRED!!!
Turbo9987 - Damn, if only NBC had let us PICK which of their shows had the right candidate.
@Robert Chandler Bartlet the fictional tv character, not a Bartlet pear.
This is the problem with the United States. You want fictional characters as your president.
It's about idealism - communicating a bigger, better idea of how things could be. This show does that, without making the characters flawless and inhuman.
This is my favorite scene in the whole series. I get teary eyed every time I hear “these were made for my family by a Boston silversmith named Paul Revere.”
Charlie was my favorite character. The relationship between Charlie and the President was amazing. He was truly the son Bartlett never had.
I've seen this scene maybe 100 times and it still makes me cry.
I have seen this scene maybe 60-70 times. And I still tear up. *snuffle*
The look in Charlie's eyes when the President says "Paul Revere": Priceless!
I like to think that Bartlet's plan was to not only give Charlie the knife after the kid learned about the intricacies of knives and their companies so he'd appreciate them better, but also after he finally stood up for himself.
Excellent interpretation. The moment we see Charlie, as you put it, “standing up for himself” is so easily swamped by what follows - at least for me - that I’d never considered your take. But it adds even more richness to the scene. Very well done on your part.
I know the scene is mostly about Charlie and the president and it’s a wonderful scene as a wonderful example of the connection between the two but can we also acknowledge the shade for Mrs. Landingham at the beginning. LOL A perfect pair of scenes.
Folks, you've all lost the forest for the trees here. The knife isn't a mere present picked up at a store someplace. It's a tangible sign that Bartlet thinks of Charlie as the son he never had and it's a gift of the work of an American legend from the President of the United States. Whatever the demographics involved may be, that's why it's such a moving scene.
"someplace" edit: "some place"
I also think it is foreshadowing a slight bit for who Charlie dates later in the series.
chessflipper Charlie dated Zoey both before and after this scene.
Agreed, yes its a piece of TV fiction, but the moment is probably one of the most memorable moments for me from the show and moves me everytime I see it. THE President of the United States, not just some guy, but a man who is now a part of history in a very big way, gives you an approximately, a 150 year old family heirloom crafted from one of the most iconic American's in the history of the United States, that would in real life I think move a person to tears. Anyways a great scene.
I came here just to watch that scene again. The way Charlie looks at Bartlet when he tells him the knife was made by Paul Revere--ahhh, almost brings tears to my eyes. Great scene.
There are so many great scene from this show, but this one speaks to me. My fathers favorite show was always West Wing. Every year after he died I have watched it from the beginning. It makes me feel like I am back on the couch in his Tv room watching it with him. I have never finished the show.
This scene more than any other reminds me of the simple task I try to complete every day.
Making my father proud.
Finish the show. Your father would approve.
This still gives me the chills. What a great moment.
All these years later, all the times I have watched this - still tears.
i wanna this show back. i wanna them all back. Long LIve the west wing
+AndreA Administrations change. :) Best way to salute this fine piece of art is to keep voting for smart leaders.
+Christopher V. Barredo good idea to vote for smart leaders...know of any?
Dean of DVD Me. mwahahaha!
Hope this young man rises in his craft, as Mr. Sheen did. This was a beautiful moment and gift. Glad they made this show.
The most casually tear-producing scene, ever.
So easily Bartlett gives such an historic blade to Charlie. He loves Charlie like a son. It was THE best show that I ever watched all the way from beginning to end.
One of my favorite scenes in the best television show ever.
Scenes like this are why the West Wing is the greatest show to ever grace the small screen.
What could you possibly say to such an incredible gesture of kindness, love and trust?!
+TheDiggster13 I wouldn't be able to say anything, because I'd be crying too hard, being overwhelmed at the significance of the gesture.
+Robert Chandler WTF are you on about?
"Five minutes in the Rose Garden, Sir."
he said that, exactly.
Such a great scene in a great series. I can't believe how long this has been off the air haha. I'm friggin' old.
This scene is very similar to the series finale when Bartlett gives Charlie his copy of the Constitution and says, “I won’t be needing it anymore.”
That moment... Every time I watch this (and I've watched it many times), I still can't help but go "oh...my...god..."
Bartlett had an exceptional talent for being dramatic. In lesser hands this would have been kind of cheesy but in the hands of the West Wing cast and writers, it flowed like water.
This scene got me in the feels when I 1st saw it all those years ago, It still get me to this day. In a show with so many quotable and memorable scenes, this is right up there.
This brings a tear to my eye each time I see it
Not being hyperbolic, but this is truly one of the most impactful scenes in the history of dramatic television. The Sorkin years of West Wing occupy an almost unreachable place in the medium.
This scene gives me chills every time. With today's political rancor, one of the best retreats is to watch TWW. I seldom agreed with the politics expressed, but I could aways respect the patriotism and commitment of the characters. Truly smart shows like this are far to rare.
I got a little teary eyed just from this two minute scene. So meaningful, so kind.
God this is a good scene. Bartlet knows exactly what this event happening in a young man's life will lead to. This is the best scene in the series.
He forgot the Komin Yamada in the office, though.
That moment when something as innocuous as a silversmith from boston instantly becomes a huge deal. It's a beautifully crafted scene and it especially fits his character that he would engineer the scenario for just that kind of reveal.
The sentimentality of the knife is amazing. But also monetarily. An 8 spoon set that’s authenticated as made by Paul Revere goes for about $60,000. Imagine what you could get for a large knife that you can trace throughout the years in addition to the letter by a president that it used to belong to him.
Fair, but Charlie would rather starve to death than give up that knife.
Aaron Sorkin is the master of knowing how to tap into human emotions with his screenplay !!! One of the many best scenes in this series. Along with Ms.Landhingam's " My boys !! " scene !!!
This might be the best scene of the entire series.
+jesusthroughmary The best part is pretty much every scene on youtube has at least one comment like this, with multiple likes. The West Wing is just that good.
NOPE! Sam defending Ainsley and getting Lionel Tribbey as back up- It's from Penzance!
I never thought John Larroquette was a good actor, and I'm glad he didn't appear more often than this episode. Oliver Platt as Babish was far better.
I argue that final scene from 'Bartlet for America' is.
That is great stuff! So well-writtern AND played!