It's crazy how certain things find their niche and have this perfect symbiotic relationship. A lot of us wish to find that somebody that we'll be able to predict at all times, but who will still continue to surprise us with their knowledge and impress us every single day. For "The West Wing," that's apparently Christmas episodes. I'm not sure why Aaron Sorkin hates Christmas as much as he evidently does, but he seems to have a mission with this show: to make Christmas as depressing as he possibly can every time he gets the chance. During the first season, we got a great insight into Toby's mindset and how he wanted to help somebody who needed it. This season, we see Josh going through a therapy session, trying to figure out his issues after he was shot in the beginning of the season. The show is taking the idea of Christmas and turning it on its head, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's always interesting to take a concept that has been done by every other show before this and do something that's not generally the structure, and I think Sorkin and the other creatives have found a way to keep it refreshing. This episode was another great one for this show and the one that shows the power Sorkin's writing can have if it's done properly. He knows these characters and he knows what makes them work, so this episode was a great evaluation of Josh as a character and a human.
I've been asking the question of whether or not the show would ever tackle post traumatic stress for any of the two parts involved in the shooting. Josh has seemed fine in previous episodes, and it always confused me. However, Sorkin comes up with a great catalyst for this new chapter of Josh's story and it takes the audience on a journey that's both very scary to go on, but also deeply insightful, showing us that people we love can deal with terrible things under the surface and it may only come out in the most random of times.
The episode never puts a lid on the where it's going. It's easy to see that Sorkin is building up to a very emotional climax, and even though we're never in doubt whenever Josh is lying about something that happens, the writing is so good that we're never sure what the actual truth may be, and Sorkin usually takes it in a direction that's still quite unpredictable. I don't think I would have ever been able to predict Josh realizing what's wrong during a Yo-Yo Ma concert, but that's where he took us, and it made a lot of sense.
I was obviously joking when I said that Sorkin hates Christmas, because the episode actually manages to invoke the holiday spirit through music, which is a running theme throughout the whole episode. Toby wants to do something to wake the spirit, so he hires different orchestras to play the people to work when they arrive and that's ultimately what starts Josh's disorder. I like how something so nice can be the catalyst to something to disruptive. You know what? Maybe Sorkin actually does hate Christmas. This part alone just makes me think more and more that he got a bad gift once.
I like the episodes that focus on singular characters and Josh really comes to play here, with Bradley Whitford delivering another splendid performance, as he's been doing all season. The talent of this cast is unparalleled, so it's nice to have episodes where individuals can shine, and Whitford gives a stunning portrayal of someone caught in the past, trapped by things he doesn't understand. He delivers the dialogue with his usual sappy note but gives it a little extra emotion every chance he gets, making the point hit harder and the cut so deep that you'll not forget it.
"Noël" is another deep episode that takes the idea of Christmas and spins it on its head, delivering a truthful and poignant hour of TV. Whitford really shines in this character study and his character goes through a journey that will change him forever, both for the worse, but definitely also for the better.
7 out of 8 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
