The West Wing:

The West Wing: Holy Night

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It's December 23, and the holiday brings several visitors to the White House: Zoey comes home with her new French boyfriend in tow; aided by Josh, Toby's father seeks a reconciliation; and Danny arrives bearing gifts of gold and a heads-up for C.J. about Shareef's death. Will moves into Sam's office at Toby's insistence, and is treated to some good-natured ribbing by the rest of the staff. Bartlet and Leo try to exercise their guilt about Shareef by asking Josh to add eleventh hour funding to combat infant mortality in the federal budget, and promoting peace in the Mideast, respectively. Add a recap »

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Writers:: Aaron Sorkin

Director:: Thomas Schlamme

Stars:: Martin Sheen (President Jed Bartlet); Dul� Hill (Charlie Young); Allison Janney (Claudia Jean "C.J." Cregg); Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler); John Spencer (Leo McGarry); Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman); Janel Moloney (Donna Moss (Episodes 23-, recurring previously))

Recurring Role:: Trent Ford (Jean Paul); Kim Webster (Ginger); Melissa Fitzgerald (Carol Fitzpatrick); Devika Parikh (Bonnie); Timothy Davis-Reed (Mark); Kris Murphy (Katie Witt); Timothy Busfield (Danny Concannon); Elisabeth Moss (Zoey Bartlet)

Guest Star:: John Diehl (Claypool); Steve Ireland (Ron); Danny Jacobs (Young Jules); Alex Reznik (Jacob); Jerry Adler (Jules Ziegler); Adam Arkin (Stanley Keyworth); Harry Karp (Zev)

Toby: You've been convicted of multiple felonies. You think the U.S. Secret Service lets you walk around this building unescorted? You can't. You're a threat to the President.

Um. Toby's office is 63 feet from the Oval Office. There are no Secret Service officers stationed outside Toby's office at this time. edit »

Awards and Nominations:
Nomination for 2003 Emmy in Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Thomas Del Ruth, A.S.C.)

Won 2003 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series along with several other episodes from the season (Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John Wells, Kevin Falls, Alex Graves, Christopher Misiano, Paul Redford, Kristin Harms, Llewellyn Wells, Neal Ahern, Jr.)

Nomination at 2003 ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Episodic TV Series (Thomas Del Ruth, A.S.C.)

Won the 2003 Banff Rockie Award for Continuing Series edit »
Toby's birthday is December 23, 1954. edit »
Joshua Malina appears in the opening montage for the first time. edit »
Jean Paul's full name is Jean Paul Pierre Claude Charpentier Vicomte de Cond� de Bourbon. edit »
Music: Special appearance by The Whiffenpoofs, who sang "Bye-bye Blackbird", "The Girl From Ipanema" and "O, Holy Night".
Also "Silver Bells" was performed by someone else on a TV in the background. edit »

Toby: Why do you sit in the lobby instead of my office?
Will: The Holy Line of Demarcation. (indicates the floor) Right there. It's where the West Wing starts and I won't go past it.
Toby: I wasn't listening to anything you just said.
Will: I said the Holy Line Of Demarcation...
Toby: It's because I didn't care. edit »
Zoey: So I have to ask you and I'm nervous, but I'd like Jean Paul to come stay with us in Manchester this Christmas.
Bartlet: Zoey, I think it's really sweet that you still come to me for permission. You're classy and you're old-fashioned.
Zoey: So it's okay?
Bartlet: Not in a million years. edit »
Will: Seriously, Toby, you put me in that office and everyone on the speech writing staff is going to resent me.
Toby: Don't be rediculous. It's a West Wing office, everyone in the White House is gonna to resent you. edit »
Julie: Ich hub uuz deh gebracht.
Toby: What?
Julie: I'm having the strongest memory. edit »
Will: Hey, your dad seems like such a nice guy. I was talking to him before.
Toby: Yeah?
Will: Is he retired?
Toby: Yeah.
Will: What did he do?
Toby: He made ladies' raincoats, and before that, he worked for Murder Incorporated. edit »

Toby: (about his father) He made ladies' raincoats and before that, he worked for Murder, Incorporated.

Murder, Incorporated was a division of the organized crime group National Crime Syndicate that operated from the late 1920s to 1950s. It performed contract killings for mob bosses across the United States and was run from the back office of a candy shop in Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY, a primarily Jewish neighborhood. A large number of the hitmen were Jewish. Targets were usually informants or gang and mob members. Murder, Inc. was reportedly responsible for hundreds of murders during its time. Very few of these murders were prosecuted, however, as a few of the hitmen were caught they plea bargained for lesser sentences by turning in their fellow murderers. With the murder of boss Albert Anastasia in 1957, Murder, Inc. dissolved to what is now known as the Gambino Crime Family and murders were again ordered by individual mob bosses. edit »
Toby: When was Albert Anastasia killed?

Albert Anastasia, a.k.a. "The Mad Hatter" or "Lord High Executioner," was a Mafia boss, most notably as the head of the contract-killing organization Murder, Incorporated. He hailed from Italy, but had a comaradarie with Jews from his early crime days. He reportedly ordered hundreds of ruthlessly brutal murders, but was not prosecuted for any of them, as key witnesses would mysteriously disappear if a trial seemed likely. Anastasia was killed in the Sheraton hotel barbershop in Midtown Manhattan, NY on October 25, 1957. Many people and groups have claimed responsibility for his murder, but the only consensus is that it was likely organized by his then-underboss, Carlo Gambino. edit »

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Ummagnumma
member since: Jan 26, 2006
Holy Night
The Bottom Line: "Character development"
The last Sorkin-Schlamme work on The West Wing -- unfortunately. ...Continue »
02/16/06 08:22pm | report abuse