The Great West Wing Rewatch: 4.21 "Life on Mars"

Joel: This is the second episode for Matthew Perry, but really the first one where he gets a lot of story time, so it’s a better episode to discuss the introduction of this character. I think that the previous episode was the first time someone on the show acknowledged that Ainsley has left the show. I mean, there hasn’t been any mention of her for a while now, so it’s not exactly a big shocker, but still, it’s just another example of The West Wing’s inability to give a character a graceful exit. Matthew Perry is brought in as Joe Quency to replace Ainsley, and like her, he just happens to be a republican as well. (Also, interesting note, way back in the first season, when everyone goes to LA, Donna tries to have a conversation with Matthew Perry. Now all these years later, in finally gets to happen.)

They start Joe off with a really big story, with is uncovering the Vice President Scandal. I’m usually not a big fan of episodes where the big shocker happens right at the beginning, and then we have to go back twenty-four hours earlier to find out what happened. However, in this case it’s pulled off incredibly well. We know what’s going to happen at the end but have no idea why. And as we are shown the pieces it still isn’t made clear until the final reveal. I hate the end result, because I’d grown to love the Hoynes and Bartlett dynamic over these past four years, but the storytelling in this episode is fantastic.

Chris: It's your first day on a new job and you end up bringing something to light that will cause the Vice President to resign. That's fun and all, but the rest of the job as to be downhill from there in terms of excitement, right? Also, as far as I know, Joe is pretty scarce from this point on and doesn't come back after the end of season 4 and that kinda makes sense seeing as how he will be forever labeled as the republican lawyer who worked for a democrat administration and led to the VP having to leave. That can't exactly be great for the resume even though Joe was just doing his job and getting to bottom of multiple leaks that happen to come from the same careless, ego-maniacal source. Seriously, Mr. Vice President? You're offering up confidential information so that you can get laid? As soon as that comes to light, Bartlet should have fired him instead of allowing Hoynes to resign. I'm not even sure if the president legally can do that but he should've at least try. It's one thing if someone is guilty of having an affair like that because it doesn't necessarily affect his ability to govern. However, the inability to withhold state secrets from your booty call does.

A good president ponders whether or not to allow a leak within the government resign or not.