West Wing
West Wing

Episode Report Card
Deborah: C- | 1313 USERS: C+
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A Very Special Episode of The West Wing

Donna comes in and tells them they're clear: the crash is over. Abby takes her leave, telling the students to hang in there. Josh tries to wrap things up, but somebody has one more question: "Do you favour the death penalty?" Josh replies, "No." The student: "But you think we should kill these people?" Josh says, "You don't have the choices in a war that you do in a jury room. But I wish we didn't have to. I think death is too simple." On cue, another kid wants to know what he would do instead. Josh's suggestion: put them in a small cell, and make them watch home movies of the birthdays, baptisms, and weddings of every single person they murdered, over and over, every day, forever. I can get behind that. He adds, "And then they'd get punched in the mouth every night at bedtime. By a different person, every night. There'd be a long list of volunteers but that's all right. We'll wait." Josh kind of shifts gears and tells the class, who are very serious and sad-looking, not to worry about "all this." He says they've got them covered and just to worry about college. "You're gonna meet guys, you're gonna meet girls...." He looks at Freddy/Billy. "Not so much you, Fred." The kids chuckle weakly. "Learn things. Be good to each other. Read the newspapers, go the movies, go to a party. Read a book. In the meantime, remember pluralism. You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. Makes them absolutely crazy." We get close-ups of a few kids' faces taking this in, and then Josh says, "Go." They grab their stuff and get moving. Josh admonishes them not to steal anything on their way out. Freddy/Billy's one of the last to leave; Josh calls him over for a few private words, which turn out to be, "Keep doing what you're doing." The kid shakes his hand and leaves. ["Probably thinking, 'This fool is Deputy Chief of Staff? I should be the Head of the UN by now.'" -- Wing Chun]

Leo comes to Raqim's office, where Raqim is working at his desk. Leo solemnly says: "Good evening." Raqim looks up. Leo continues: "That's the price you pay...for having the same physical features as criminals. That's what I was going to say." I wonder just how many white Christian men paid a "price" for looking like Timothy McVeigh. Lots, I bet. Raqim quietly says, "No kidding." Leo says, "I'm sorry about that. Also about the crack I made about teaching Muslim women how to drive." Well, he means Saudi women, more specifically, because of course, a great number of Muslim women know how to drive and live in countries where it is allowed, but whatever. Leo adds, "I think if you talk to people who know me, they'd tell you that that was unlike me, you know? We're obviously all under, um...a greater than usual amount of...you know." Very weak. "And like you pointed out, with the shooting and everything..." Long pause. Raqim searches Leo's face. Leo just concludes by saying, "Yeah. Well, that's all." Leo walks out and Raqim goes back to his work. Leo hesitates in the hallway and then says to Raqim -- as we can hear the strains of "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield -- "Hey, kid...way to be back at your desk." I find this insufferably patronizing after what Leo put Raqim through, and after that half-assed apology. What a disappointing episode.

West Wing

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