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Original poster

The West Wing: Trivia, Questions (Here Be Spoilers)

938 replies

Fiderer · 05/02/2012 07:21

Also admiration and swooning. If you haven't watched all 7 seasons, read no further!

Two Cathedrals - have watched it several times and only just realised last night that Mrs Landingham was driving back to the WH as Bartlet wanted to tell her about the MS.

I love the scenes with young Mrs L and Jed.

Why "two" cathedrals though?

OP posts:
tribpot · 26/02/2012 20:45

It's one of the big unexplained plot holes. Okay, I have no idea what the exact level of Secret Service protection the CoS has but in the next episode, CJ seems to be hosting a pyjama party with half the entire Service on her first day, with someone apparently based in or near her apartment??

I suppose the Secret Service could have been distracted at the time trying to get all the Middle Eastern dignitaries through the closing ceremonies without incident and someone missed Leo, but it seems very odd that no-one knew where he was for all that time. Nor, actually, does the sequence of events really matter to the plot - what if he had been found whilst everyone was still at Camp David? The Pres would hardly have gone 'you know what, now he's had a heart attack I've decided Leo was right after all'. And it's hardly a stretch to imagine that a man with Leo's medical history would not bounce back from a heart attack just because he wasn't left for hours on end in a wood :(

BartletForAmerica · 26/02/2012 20:46

The input of the Secret Service is fairly variable throughout. I particularly noticed it after CJ becomes CoS. Sometimes they were there, often not.

We watched the first episode last night. Mallory comes with her class to get the tour from Sam, but she's introduced as Mallory O'Brien. Has she been married before the WW starts?

CaveMum · 26/02/2012 20:48

IIRC Mallory uses her mother's maiden name.

tribpot · 26/02/2012 20:54

BartletForAmerica, I think the back story is she's using her mother's maiden name, although I can't find anything now to back that up. In retrospect, is it really likely this was the first time Sam had met Leo's daughter? He didn't even know her age, never mind who she was! (Despite having hit on her mother at a party - Jenny is fine figure of a woman but she hardly appeared young enough to have a 5-year-old daughter, surely?)

CelstialNavigation · 26/02/2012 21:15

That part definately didn't hold up to scrutiny - doubt it would have been used in a later episode. But I forgive it as I am unfailingly amused by Sam's: "Well, this is bad on so many levels!"

SS levels of involvement definately seemed to vary as needed for the plot - I liked seeing an older, more emotional Ron in the last episode with the president, that was a nice touch.

celticlassie · 26/02/2012 22:58

Ron's face when he told Leo about Zoe having been kidnapped just said it all - brilliant acting. He was a great character.

Tee2072 · 27/02/2012 13:59

Just watched the S1 finale. That gives me tears, especially as I watched it the first time 'live' and then had to wait all friggin' summer to find out who was shot!!!

Still have lots of tidying to do...time for S2!!

frasersmummy · 27/02/2012 14:04

I am currently doing season 6 and it just seems soo far fetched compared to the earlier seasons

an international summit is put on hold while the president goes for a nap!!!

MNHQ
OliviaMumsnet · 27/02/2012 19:51

@tribpot

Okay, I have no idea what the exact level of Secret Service protection the CoS has(
Sorry I can't resist.Grin This is 'cos TSSDNCOP Grin
tribpot · 27/02/2012 20:40

Oh Olivia. Groan!

Tee2072 · 27/02/2012 20:49

Just read back and caught up!

It's not true that American shows don't know how many episodes they are going to have. They never know how many series and can be cancelled pretty much any time, but they are always made in lots of 13 or 22, I think it is. I may have my numbers wrong, but it's something like that.

The show went tits up with Sorkin left, that's for sure. It went totally soap opera and lost a lot of it's charm. Not that I stopped watching it!

The Wedding is, by far, the worst episode, not including that stupid episode they put in because of 911.

And, I am fairly sure, TSS really DNCOP so I would imagine the writers made up SS protocol completely as they couldn't exactly ring them and ask! Just like that's not really what the current Air Force One looks looks like. There have been documentaries about Air Force One but always after a particular plane has stopped being used for actual transport.

MNHQ
OliviaMumsnet · 27/02/2012 23:41

ah but do they have M&Ms on the plane?

gettingalifenow · 28/02/2012 06:37

Talking of the plane, who else loves the moment when Will tries to distract the press core with a 'lights and flowers festival'in Virginia when the F16 flies by other window?

Tee2072 · 28/02/2012 07:55

Olivia! SIOB

TSSDNOCOP or chocolate!

gettingalifenow · 28/02/2012 10:37
Original poster
Fiderer · 02/03/2012 07:42

SIOB is sharp intake of breath, I think. Could be anything on MN though!

I was watching the tularemia episode last night and noticed something which gives away the fact that it is only a drill and Bartlet knows it as soon as Ron turns up.

Bartlet is on the phone to Abbey who mentions that Leo is in the Residence with her. Bartlet says "I thought they would..." and then changes what he was going to say and ends "I thought he went home."

I like it when no matter how many million times I've watched TWW, I always find something I missed or never really got before.

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 02/03/2012 15:23

sniff The President just gave Charlie the knife. sniff

TinyPawz · 02/03/2012 18:49

Fiderer I always assumed that he was going to finish that sentence "I thought they would have put him in the bunker" or words to that effect, but thought better of it, and changed it...

Just a thought

CalamityFiderer · 02/03/2012 19:02

TinyPawz - thought you'd turn up. Just as I was going to start lusting after Jason Isaacs Wink
Re Leo, maybe, yes, what?
Let me lust...
Grin

tribpot · 02/03/2012 19:05

I've just counselled a friend through the death of Leo :( and then end of the series forever :( I still can't forgive the programme makers for what a poor episode the one with Leo's funeral was.

TinyPawz · 03/03/2012 08:36

He (Jason Isaacs) was in something else I watched recently. Oh can't remember what it was, but I took an irrational dislike to the character becuase of his foul accent in WW (not that I hold a grudge, you understand)

Original poster
Fiderer · 03/03/2012 10:08

Grin at your grudge, TinyPawz. I'm deploying a waiver at my usual insistence on authenticity for the luscious Jason Isaacs.

Meanwhile, I always wonder at how quickly Donna goes back to work. Josh was off for 3 months and while her injuries weren't as bad, she seems to go back to work a matter of days after being blown up. The timeline is clear from the talk of the ceasefire and the tax cut.

I might have to re-re-re-watch the scenes with Jason Isaacs so I can determine if I'd prefer him talking to me as Colin or Lucius Malfoy.

OP posts:
CaveMum · 03/03/2012 18:58

Lost you all for a while! Just posting to get you back in my Threads I'm On Grin

TinyPawz · 04/03/2012 13:02

So back to trivia......

Where is Kirkwood?

tribpot · 04/03/2012 13:06

Well textbooks are important, TinyPawz! If for no other reason than they would accurately place the town of Kirkwood in California and not Oregon.