The Great West Wing Rewatch: 1.8 "Enemies"

Joel:  I want to go back a second to the moment in episode four where Leo says that his job is more important than his marriage. It doesn’t matter if you agree with Leo about that or not, the point is that to Leo, and the rest of the people on the show, for these eight years their job is the most important thing that they could do. And I think that’s a good thing. These are the type of people that you want in charge of the country. America doesn’t close at five, so sometimes people need to stay late. But it can be complicated. Take this episode for instance. It isn’t just Leo and his wife who are affected by his job. To Mallory, working at the White House is what ended her parent’s marriage. And it can be hard to understand that. And it can’t be fixed simply by Leo saying that this is the way it is. What I love about this little ploy is how relatively harmless it is. Nobody was hurt or offended, and at the end of the day Mallory gains a better understanding of how the jobs in the White House are viewed by the people who fill them. Mallory and her father end up with a better relationship, by the end of the show. Nobody had to go see an opera they didn’t want to see and the tickets were already bought so the arts were still supported. And somebody out there got a killer birthday message from the president that year.

Alexa: This episode serves to further several key relationships that remain important throughout season one and beyond. We see uncomfortable tension between President Bartlet and Vice President Hoynes, and glean some insight about why their relationship is so contentious. In other cases, the episode employs some of the screwball techniques I mentioned in the previous review, particularly with the growing banter between C.J. and Danny, and with Leo and President Bartlet interfering in Sam and Mallory’s budding romance. This episode showcases some of the many reasons why Danny is one of my favorite fictional reporters. Though he’s clearly attracted to C.J., he doesn’t let it obstruct his work, protecting his sources and pursuing the story about the conflict between Bartlet and Hoynes despite her objections. But he’s also reasonable and willing to prioritize a more substantial story when it comes along (in this case, 30 minutes with the president on the record about any topic of Danny’s choosing). The episode also offers a sweet father-daughter moment between Leo and Mallory, with a little help from President Bartlet as he compels her to understand the sacrifices Leo makes to serve the country – sacrifices that impact far more people than Leo’s immediate family.

Chris: How awkward it must be for a Vice President knowing that your boss just doesn’t like you but you’re both just stuck with each other. Also, Sam and Toby are going about the whole writer’s block thing the wrong way. The worst thing you can do is obsess and hover over what you’re trying to write. The moment Sam was given the okay to go enjoy the rest of his night with Mallory, you gotta take that chance to get out, occupy your mind with anything else and, if he still wants to nail the birthday message, revisit it afterwards and I promise he’ll have an easier time. Of course, when you’re the President’s speech writers, you don’t always get the luxury of getting a chance to take a step away from what you’re working on. Also, yay for national parks.

A good president is a parental wingman for his/her chief of staff