In Excelsis Deo

Season 1, Episode 10, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

Toby tries to arrange a proper funeral for a homeless veteran; Josh and Sam try to set up a preemptive strike against Lillienfield, who is attacking Leo because of his prior drug and alcohol problem; CJ tries to get the staff to revisit the hate crimes issue; Bartlet sneaks out to do some last minute shopping.moreless
9.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
180 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

See All

  • Christmas in The West Wing.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By kickdoor, May 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    It was nice to see a softer side of Toby, even if it was only spawned from his anger at the mistreatment of a war vet. The continuation of Leo's rehab troubles was very well done. Really showed how desperate Josh and Sam were that they would try something that they know is so immoral and underhanded.

    "I could care less about your indignation right now. A man has left himself open to the kind of attack from which men in my business do not recover. Now if our tactics seem less than civilized it's because so our are attackers. In any event I don't feel like standing here and taking a civics lesson from a hooker."

    The story of the gay student being basically stoned to death was pretty upsetting. Seeing the characters reactions(mainly CJ and Bartlet) made for some very moving scenes.

    All in all, an excellent Christmas episode, very emotional.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Review

    10
    "Perfect"
    By CTUBauer24, Sep 11, 2008 Report Abuse
    In the 10th episode of the first season of the hit TV show The West Wing Titled. In Excelsis Deo. Toby arranges a funeral for a homeless war veteran. Josh and Sam try to a congressman to lay off of Leo because of problems in his past.Meanwhile President Bartlet, Leo and some other West Wing staffers do a little book shopping. Overall a good episode of The West Wing. All the stories of the episode where good and not boring at all and I thought the scene in the book store was a very funny scene my overall rating of the episode 10 out of 10 the end of review.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • Super episode, moving, well written.. All the good things in so good episode.

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By Parricida, Nov 13, 2007 Report Abuse
    I am impressed. I did not expected it to be so good - it was just stunning. The way it first looks maybe just as another episode, but the way the main storyline is worked out and the ending.

    It is Christmas time and most of the people are in holiday spirit. Donna wants skies but in the end get a old book with signed by Josh and like Donna says - most of the time he acts like he and then he wrote something stunning. Toby gets a call as a man is found dead with his name label in is bucket. It comes out the man was war veteran and Toby gets emotionally involved and tried to get proper funeral for him. With Christmas song in background .. he with president's secretary go to the funeral...moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    2 0

  • Toby arranges a funeral for a homeless veteren.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By amfarley84, Jun 05, 2007 Report Abuse
    I thought that this was a very good episode of the West Wing and it was sad at moments. I thought that it was very sad that Toby got a phone call for a dead homeless man because his card was in a pocket of a jacket he donated to the good will then to find out that the man was a veteren. It was also sad to hear that Mrs. Landingham had lost two sons in a war at the same time. I was really happy that Sam and Josh was so supportive of Leo and that they wanted to help him stay out of trouble.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    1 0

  • By far the marquee episode of the first season. This one episode epidomises everything that makes the West Wing great.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By edmorita, Jan 10, 2006 Report Abuse
    By far the marquee episode of the first season. This one episode epidomises everything that makes the West Wing great. It's not a surprise that this was the episode that Richard schiff won the Emmy with. The excellent cinamatography, Fantastic art direction, and Aaron Sorkin's poetic prose elevated this episode from what could have been your standard campy Christmas episode to one of the greatest in Television history.

    DO YOU AGREE?

    5 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • C.J.'s fish bowl decoration: Christmas tree (this is of course the Christmas episode) Edit
    • Goof (props/editing): In the scene where Josh gives Donna her Christmas gift (a book), there is a moment where the camera is focused on Josh's back and you can see the microphone receiver clip on his belt. Edit
    • How does Toby know the man served in the 2/7 USMC infantry battalion? The tattoo looks like a (simple) Marine Corps insignia with 'korea' written under it. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES

    • Additional Credit: Washington DC Production Services by THINKFILM INC

      Edit

    • Additional Credit: Special Thanks to the Department of Defense

      Edit
    • Music: The music from the montage at the end of the episode is the popular Christmas carol "Little Drummer Boy." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Josh: Could you stop looking at me with the face-- Donna: It's my face. Josh: --like I just killed your hamster. Edit
    • C.J.: My Secret Service name is Flamingo. Danny: That's nice. C.J: I have to go feed my fish. Edit
    • Donna: You haven't bought me a Christmas gift yet. Josh: No. Donna: It's because you're agonizing over how to express your affection. Josh: Actually, it's more how I can spend ten dollars. Donna: I have a list. Josh: Ski boots, ski hats, ski pants, ski goggles, ski gloves, ski poles... I'm assuming you already have skis. Donna: Page two. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Episode Title: "In Excelsis Deo" A Latin phrase meaning "to God in the highest", the more usual quotation is Gloria in Excelsis Deo meaning "glory to God in the highest" which is said to be the song the angels sang announcing the birth of Jesus. Gloria in Excelsis Deo is also the title and first line of the doxology (song of praise) in the Catholic mass, as well as the recurring chorus of the classic Christmas carol "Angels We Have Heard on High". Edit
    • Josh: A book which if I was stuck with it on a desert island, I still wouldn't read, The Adventures of James Capen Adams Mountainer and Grizzy Bear Hunter of California. I believe I would eat this book before I would read it. The Adventures of James Capen Adams, Mountaineer and Grizzly Bear Hunter, of California by Theodore Hittlel which was written in 1860 and illustrated by Charles Nahl. Legendary hunter and trapper Grizzly Adams collaborated with Theodore Hittell to publish a first-person narrative of his life and adventures in California and the West. It is said to be one of the first books written about California. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch The West Wing Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 1 Episodes

See All
Ep 22
What Kind of Day Has It Been?
Ep 21
Lies, Damn Lies and Statis...
Ep 20
Mandatory Minimums
Ep 19
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
Ep 18
Six Meetings Before Lunch
Ep 17
The White House Pro-Am
Ep 16
20 Hours in L.A.
Ep 15
Celestial Navigation
Ep 14
Take This Sabbath Day
Ep 13
Take Out the Trash Day
Ep 12
He Shall, from Time to Time
Ep 11
Lord John Marbury
Ep 10
In Excelsis Deo
Ep 9
The Short List
Ep 8
Enemies
Ep 7
The State Dinner
Ep 6
Mr. Willis of Ohio
Ep 5
The Crackpots and These Women
Ep 4
Five Votes Down
Ep 3
A Proportional Response
Ep 2
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
Ep 1
Pilot

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use