The Great West Wing Rewatch: 1.4 Five Votes Down

Joel: The West Wing should be a very boring show. It’s about the most boring aspect of politics. It’s just about the talking. And somehow it’s not. This episode is the first, real prime example of that. There’s a vote taking place about gun control and our heroes learn they they are five votes short of what they thought they had. This should lead to some very boring scenes but instead it leads to scenes of people sitting around a table that are more tense than most action thrillers. The West Wing does this time and time again. John Spencer also needs to be specifically mentioned when talking about this episode (Spencer was actually nominated for an Emmy for this episode.) Most of the show takes place in the West Wing itself, so very little of the show spends time on the families of the people who work there. The moment where Leo gets home to find his wife is leaving him is one of the most heart wrenching scenes to date and Spencer does the scene masterfully. Leo, in the scene is faced with the impossible task of trying to get his wife to stay, while at the same time explain that what he’s doing is still more important that saving his marriage. The torture that Leo is going through reads perfectly on his face through those lines and stays with you for the rest of the episode.

Alexa: The West Wing often strikes the perfect balance between drama and well-timed laughs, and between professional and personal issues. Five Votes Down is a prime example of that. The central focus of the episode is a gun control bill that’s five votes shy of passing, and the West Wing staff springs into action to turn those crucial votes into yeses. Whenever I re-watch this show I frequently marvel at how many of the societal and global issues it tackles are just as topical today as they were when The West Wing first aired, and the gun control plot is no exception. We see political frustrations on all sides – congressmen turn their backs on the bill because they don’t think it’s comprehensive enough, because they’re afraid their constituents won’t re-elect them if they’re on the NRA’s bad list, because they want something in return before they commit to a yes vote, and because they think it’s just wrong. The gun control bill storyline and a subplot about financial disclosures are peppered with Josh’s sardonic wit and Toby’s delightfully dry delivery, and the combination transforms the potentially mind-numbing inner workings of political legislation and White House policies into something fascinating. (And a brief hilarious appearance from President Bartlet high on pain meds certainly helps to lighten the mood.) This episode is also a phenomenal acting showcase for John Spencer, as we’re introduced to Leo’s crumbling marriage and his battle with alcoholism. During the scene in which Leo learns his wife is leaving him, he delivers an incredibly restrained yet complex performance. He conveys more turmoil in his eyes alone than any lesser actor could hope to communicate in a more obvious way. He’s so vulnerable in his subsequent scene with Vice President Hoynes, a moment that humanizes Hoynes as much as Leo. And it’s that humanity that defines the show more than any political discourse.

Chris: John Spencer doesn’t get enough credit in his depiction of Leo McGarry in this series. The way he can be a pillar of the entire show yet slip into the background for some parts and Spencer shows off some of his acting chops as we get a closer look at McGarry and the personal demons that he will battle for essentially the entire show. One thing I’ve always respected about West Wing is that they give characters a fair impression even if their initial impression wasn’t exactly a good one. Such is the case for Vice President Hoynes who initially came off in earlier episodes as a VP that’s hungry for his own vested interests. Here, Hoynes seems like he’s willing to put politics aside to offer help to McGarry...but not for long because he still has to win at politics, of course. Essentially the question behind this episode is it really a political win for you if you pass a law you want to get passed but don’t get the credit for it in the press? If it’s a morality issue that you believe heavily in, sure, getting the bill passed should be good enough but good press is currency in the political world. And to be fair to Hoynes, he did exactly what was asked for him so it’s not like he went rogue on the president or anything. This episode goes back to what Joel said about the original idea for this show to focus more on the staff rather than the president as Bartlett shows up very briefly at the beginning and then again at the end but the entire focus of the episode is on the staff trying to whip 5 votes. That premise doesn’t exactly excite the audience of prime time programming and yet, this episode is still interesting and now we have shows like House of Cards where watching politicians whipping votes is a pillar of the whole show. Politics is great theater when you get to see how the sausage gets made.

A good president seriously considers getting a dog.