In this episode, Josh uses the majority of his mental faculties to argue with Matt Santos and the remaining neurons to antagonize Donna like he's a sixth grade boy. Toby & CJ are still trying to navigate her shift to Chief of Staff and the vacancy she left, and Leo's still looking as dapper as ever. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "The Dover Test."
Episode 6.5 - "The Hubbert Peak"
Josh drives an SUV into a Prius during a debate over fuel efficiency standards (whoops). Toby gets a lesson in likability from Annabeth (it's the best). CJ gets a lesson both in chess & her responsibilities as Chief of Staff, and Charlie asks out Zoey (again). If you know a better name for Charlie+Zoey than "Choey," please write to us. We'll discuss that, our idea for a new dating site for Chess fans, and more in our recap of "The Hubbert Peak."
Episode 6.4 - "Lift Off"
It's CJ's first day as Chief of Staff - and Toby filling in as Press Secretary! What more could you need?! And in this episode we meet Annabeth Schott (Kristin Chenoweth) & Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits), so you can finally stop wondering who those people are on The West Wing cover on Netflix. Throw in a prank from our favorite Senior Staff boys and a delightful dose of Margaret, and you've got yourself a winning episode, folks. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "Lift Off."
Episode 6.3 - "Third Day Story"
This is easily the best episode of Season 6 thus far. What other show can still "bring the funny" (Josh & CJ have a healthy-eating challenge a la "The Office") while a major character undergoes heart bypass surgery? And without Leo at the helm, our favorite White House staffers are playing a patchwork game of telephone, which lends itself to even more perfectly timed comedy. We freely admit we don't entirely understand what happened with Josh and the pizzas (or with CJ + Greg Brock never getting together) but we know we liked it all. Everything's about to change with a new Chief of Staff about to jump off the metaphorical cliff, and we want to know your thoughts on all of it. Join us!
Episode 6.2 - "The Birnam Wood" **SPOILER ALERT**
Be advised: this episode contains a major spoiler since it relates to a real life West Wing event. It can be hard to watch at times, but being that this is our first episode post-election (in real life), we're turning to The West Wing to make it through.
Episode 6.1 - "NSF Thurmont"
Episode 5.22 - "Memorial Day"
Episode 5.21 - "Gaza"
Episode 5.20 - "No Exit"
We are on lockdown, people! This is not a drill. If "Hell is other people," it's getting (emotionally) fiery in The West Wing. CJ truth bombs Donna. Charlie, Debbie, & President Bartlet get to wear cool track suits. Leo & Abbey go head-to-head. Josh Lyman & Kate Harper play a game of "Who knows more?" while Toby & Will spend some quality time reunited in Sam's office. Oh, and there's a potential plague on the loose. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "No Exit."
Episode 5.19 - "Talking Points"
We've got Abbott & Costello references in the same breath as Shakespeare references, we've got Kate Harper (!), a farewell to Intern Ryan, Donna struggling to find satisfaction in her work & Josh struggling to save jobs (and his integrity) after a huge trade deal, and CJ playing a game of musical chairs in the briefing room. This episode also has Richard Schiff in the director's chair! Want to talk about, "Talking Points?" Good. Us too.
Episode 5.18 - Access
With Andrea out on tour this week, Sallie and guest podcaster Abby go behind the scenes of this behind-the-scenes episode! Loved by some and hated by many, we breakdown the good and bad of this documentary-style, CJ-loving episode.
Episode 5.17 - "The Supremes"
"I love her. I love her mind. I love her shoes." This is the Season Five episode we've all been waiting for, right? Right. When a Supreme Court Justice dies suddenly, it's all hands on deck to find a suitable replacement. Intrigue, humor, and guest stars abound in this classic West Wing episode. Join us as we discuss all things, "The Supremes" (finally).
Episode 5.16 - "Eppur Si Muove"
“Somebody’s out for blood, and they’re targeting Ellie Bartlet.” That pretty much sums it up! Oh, except for one more thing: The Muppets!!
Episode 5.15 - "Full Disclosure"
Hoynes is about to release a tell-all book, which has our favorite White House staffers on high alert. Meanwhile, Intern Ryan pulls a ballsy stunt in a meeting with the Base Closing Commission, Toby has a meeting about Chinese bras, and CJ is MVP... of everything, always. We'll chat about it all in our recap of, "Full Disclosure."
IN THE BRIEFING ROOM: TOBY ZIEGLER (RICHARD SCHIFF INTERVIEW #2) **Spoiler Alert**
In August 2016, Andrea had the opportunity to sit down with Richard Schiff in Los Angeles to hear his thoughts on Aaron Sorkin's Masterclass, Toby + CJ's relationship (including for whom the flashback pool scene was originally written), his feelings on "the leak" storyline, and much more. Thank you @Richard_Schiff for such a revelatory & thoughtful interview. **Be advised, this does contain major spoilers!**
Episode 5.14 - "An Khe"
Josh gets embarrassed by his intern, CJ - not to be mocked - goes on the Taylor Reid show with both wings flapping, President Bartlet & Leo have a bit of a role reversal, and John Spencer gets an EMMY nomination. Let's flashback to, "An Khe" and talk all about it.
Episode 5.13 - "The Warfare of Genghis Khan"
Episode 5.12 - "Slow News Day"
It's a slow news day, so naturally Toby thinks he can find a way to save social security. Let's see what happens!
Episode 5.11 - "The Benign Prerogative"
Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) & Andrea discuss one of the best episodes from Season 5. The discussion may be slightly more PG-13 than usual, but you'll hear 'Hamilton' & 'Bring It On' references. (You could skip it but we don't recommend it.) Plus, we really want to market-test our Political Malls idea with you. We'll talk about the Charlie & Ms. Anders "would've been" ‘ship, a pregnant Joey Lucas, and lots of Donna admiration in our recap of, "The Benign Prerogative."
Episode 5.10 - "The Stormy Present"
It's our 100th episode! And Toby gets drunks on a plane! We'll chat about what works & what didn't in our recap of, "The Stormy Present."