Posse Comitatus
- Episode aired May 22, 2002
- TV-14
- 42m
Bartlet, Leo, Sam, Toby, and C.J. travel to New York City for a Catholic fund raiser at a long Broadway play called "The War of the Roses". Josh steps up his efforts to beat his girlfriend, ... Read allBartlet, Leo, Sam, Toby, and C.J. travel to New York City for a Catholic fund raiser at a long Broadway play called "The War of the Roses". Josh steps up his efforts to beat his girlfriend, Amy, in their struggle over the welfare reform bill, which leads to her forced resignation... Read allBartlet, Leo, Sam, Toby, and C.J. travel to New York City for a Catholic fund raiser at a long Broadway play called "The War of the Roses". Josh steps up his efforts to beat his girlfriend, Amy, in their struggle over the welfare reform bill, which leads to her forced resignation. C.J. and Secret Service agent Simon Donavon have grown closer, but a tragic event cuts s... Read all
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe idea of doing a production of several of Shakespeare's so-called History Plays and calling it "The War of the Roses" originated with New York's The Public Theater, which in 1971 mounted a combined, all-night, marathon version of the Henries and Richard III as a fundraiser for the then-struggling theater. Martin Sheen, who plays President Bartlet on The West Wing (1999), was a Public Theater repertory member during the early days of the company. Sheen had some of his earliest acting successes while at the Public, including well-reviewed performances as Romeo and Hamlet.
- GoofsToby decides to send President Bartlet's motorcade to tie up traffic in an effort to prevent Ritchie from getting to the theatre. A motorcade would never leave the President's location, in case something happened which required a quick evacuation of the President. Additionally, it is highly unlikely that the White House Communications Director could direct the movement of a Presidential motorcade.
- Quotes
President Josiah Bartlet: [to Governor Richie] In the future, if you're wondering: "Crime. Boy, I don't know," is when I decided to kick your ass.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2002)
The plot was well set up for a more politically muddy season which would have added to the previous reduction in superiority. The decision to run in the election against a backdrop of politically charged actions due to the failure to disclose MS does provide plenty of tougher moments and it does drive a good two thirds of the season, but yet it never fully delivers. It goes for a third of the season with energy and urgency but doesn't build past this and sadly it sort of all fizzles out a little bit. It isn't that it doesn't have a conclusion or a meaning within the season, it is just that it is starts strong and gets softer whereas often with drama it works the other way so as to build and build. The show does explore the characters a bit in the midst of turbulent times, but it never challenges the viewer to like or dislike the character – their basic moulds and our views of them is never threatened and this adds to the slight feel that the drama is weaker than some of the dialogue and acting would suggest. Having characters drift out and seemingly be forgotten also made me feel like the plots involving them were sort of phased out rather than ended or being allowed to exist organically in the bigger picture.
The final handful of episodes are dramatic but the plots mostly seem to exist simply to create drama or to get everything to a point for next season – so again there isn't a satisfying build so much as a sudden rush to get all the pieces in place. It all still works as accessible melodramatic entertainment though and I enjoyed it as such, but just wanted more from it – more weight, more challenge and more in the characters; in short I hoped that the third season would continue to grow as the second had – not just reach a point and be happy with it.
The cast continue to do well and they benefit from the slick writing and glossy of the production. Everyone is good – or at least as good as the material wants. Sheen is typical of the whole cast – he can do troubled, he can do reflective, he can do kindly, he can do angry, he can do comical and so on; so whatever the dialogue that day needed, he was right there – it is not his fault that the days are quite separate and that his character, like that of others, isn't as smart or as developed as the gloss would have you believe. Again it works on a certain level – but I found myself thinking about what writers like those from The Wire etc would make of this show and only ever coming back with the answer of "more".
West Wing season 3 settles into a pattern a bit and as such it disappoints in terms of its ambition. The plots engage, the production is glossy and the performances are solid – in other words it does the job of melodramatic light entertainment and I enjoyed it as such despite wanting it to challenge me and push the characters and material. Of course it is still better than being smug and self-satisfied as it once was, but there is certainly still a lot of room to grow for this show.
- bob the moo
- Mar 1, 2013