10th Day of (TV) Christmas: West Wing
Readers, things have been getting a little too Holly and or Jolly round these parts. Sure Christmas is about joy and love and all that, but Christmas is also a rough time of the year. Let's bring this mood down a few notches and talk about The West Wing's Noel.
This episode is a rough one, but stick with me kids, I promise this post has a happier ending. The important back story to this episode is that this takes place during the second season of the show. The season opened with a shooting where Josh Lyman was hurt and nearly killed. This episode is told through a series of flashbacks while Josh sits down with a therapist to talk about how his behavior has been unraveling.
Sorkin has a few qualities as a writer that drive me a little crazy (the big one being how abrasive his characters are which is on full display in this episode), but he has a immense talent for structuring out an episode through flashbacks. While Josh explains his week to the therapist, we see him slowly unraveling as his untreated PTSD affects him more and more at work. The back and forth works incredibly well in the format of network television and Sorkin was the best at that.
The episode uses music really specifically. Josh's flashbacks are triggered by music, and the show ramps up his problems with the musicians that Toby hires to play in the White House lobby. They escalate in volume as Josh gets more unstable. The singers give way to a brass band, until finally the scene that precede's Josh's big meltdown sees him walking past bagpipes.
Okay, I promised to end this post on a happier note. This episode includes an absolutely breathtaking performance of Bach's Cello suit by Yo Yo Ma. It's one of my favorite moments of this show. The actual episode cuts in in with a conversation so I found you guys a BBC performance of it. Marry Christmas everyone!
This episode is a rough one, but stick with me kids, I promise this post has a happier ending. The important back story to this episode is that this takes place during the second season of the show. The season opened with a shooting where Josh Lyman was hurt and nearly killed. This episode is told through a series of flashbacks while Josh sits down with a therapist to talk about how his behavior has been unraveling.
Sorkin has a few qualities as a writer that drive me a little crazy (the big one being how abrasive his characters are which is on full display in this episode), but he has a immense talent for structuring out an episode through flashbacks. While Josh explains his week to the therapist, we see him slowly unraveling as his untreated PTSD affects him more and more at work. The back and forth works incredibly well in the format of network television and Sorkin was the best at that.
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The episode uses music really specifically. Josh's flashbacks are triggered by music, and the show ramps up his problems with the musicians that Toby hires to play in the White House lobby. They escalate in volume as Josh gets more unstable. The singers give way to a brass band, until finally the scene that precede's Josh's big meltdown sees him walking past bagpipes.
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| source |
Okay, I promised to end this post on a happier note. This episode includes an absolutely breathtaking performance of Bach's Cello suit by Yo Yo Ma. It's one of my favorite moments of this show. The actual episode cuts in in with a conversation so I found you guys a BBC performance of it. Marry Christmas everyone!
Happy Holiday Watching!
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