The Great West Wing Rewatch: 1.13 "Take Out the Trash Day"

Joel: You know, this was shaping up to be a good old fashion episode of The West Wing. All the right signs were there. We were learning about some new White House jargon (in this case taking out the trash) and Donna was there to not understand so that Josh could explain it to her and to the audience. We had two different meeting set up where we were going to get to see our heroes, the various staff members of The White House, lay down verbal justice on people who just couldn’t quite keep up with the ideals or their Sorkin written snappy comebacks. All the signs were there for a good old fashion West Wing episode. But I had forgotten the last part of a good old fashion West Wing episode, the part where a gut punch comes out of nowhere in the last act, and this time we got more than one.

Alexa: The characters on The West Wing tend to alternate as the show’s moral compass, and perhaps more often than not, it’s C.J. C.J.-as-moral-compass is front and center in this episode, as she struggles to balance the politics of her job with what she feels is right. When she confronts the Lydells (the parents of the gay teenager who was murdered a few episodes back) because she fears the father was embarrassed of his son and doesn’t support the hate crime legislation the president is about to sign into law, the father informs her he actually thinks the president’s position on gay rights is weak, and he isn’t doing enough to help people like his son. C.J. is also hesitant when President Bartlet tells her he plans to withhold the damning results of a study about abstinence only sex education for a year in exchange for Leo avoiding a hearing about his alcoholism and drug addiction. It’s apparent that C.J. understands the president is protecting Leo, but she’s uncomfortable with the way in which he’s doing it, just like she understands why Mandy wants to send the Lydells home rather than risk them badmouthing the president, but her gut tells her they should let the grieving parents speak their minds. The West Wing staffers and President Bartlet represent an ideal in many ways, but this episode reminds us they are not immune to playing politics. A few other highlights: We finally learn who leaked Leo’s history with addiction (a young woman from the personnel office whose father was an alcoholic), and her moving exchange with Leo further underscores the idea that little in the West Wing universe is black and white. And Toby’s vehement defense of PBS (it’s Fozzy Bear, not Fuzzy Bear) offers a bit of levity against the episode’s heavier storylines.

The “Oh hey, I know that person” award: Liza Weil, aka Bonnie from How to Get Away with Murder, as Karen Larson, the woman responsible for the leak about Leo.

Chris: We see another Sorkin trait that he utilizes every once in awhile play out in this episode. Something happens, a main character makes a reasonable discussion and then as the situation plays out, the assumption seems obsolete and will blow up in the face of character involved. Of course, this is in reference to CJ assuming the father doesn’t want to be involved in the hate crime bill signing because he was ashamed of his son being gay only to find out it’s because the father cares more for gay rights. Another example would be in an episode of The Newsroom when Will completely uncomfortably grills an African American gay man that supports a politician that is against gay rights and then the other man pretty much lays down the law from that point on and Will has to face the consequences. This is the episode in which it becomes evident how good the staff is getting at burying stories that need to be mentions but done so in a way that won’t damage them.

A good president chooses his sex education vocabulary carefully.