The West Wing: Episode Trivia
TRIVIA GUIDE:
- Aaron Sorkin based the character of Sam Seaborn on George Stephanopoulos, President Clinton's Communications Director and 1992 campaign adviser.
- In the argument over the commandment "Honor thy father", it is first claimed that it is the first commandment, and Toby corrects them and says that it is the third. In fact, neither is correct, "Honor thy father and thy mother" is the *fifth* commandment (Exodus 20, verse 12).
- Sam tells the fourth grade class that the Roosevelt Room was named for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Mallory corrects him, saying that it was named for Theodore Roosevelt, whose picture is on the wall behind him. In fact, the room is named in honor of both men.
- Sam mispronounces Toby's last name when he talks to the fourth graders.
- Josh and Donna are talking about football bets involving Central Indiana State. This is a fictitious institution. There is only an Indiana State.
- Debbie, played by Lily Tomlin, who later becomes a regular cast member is referred to in this episode as "Miss DiLaguardia."
- Toby: Women can't get enough of my 1993 Dodge Dart.
Dodge stopped making the Dart in 1976.
- Toby: Women can't get enough of my 1993 Dodge Dart.
- In this episode, C.J mentions that Pluie the wolf might eat her cat. However, in the episode Dead Irish Writers in Season Three, she mentions she doesn't have a cat.
- This is the first time we hear the theme music that is used for the rest of the series. Up until this episode, it was similar but not the same one.
- This is the first time we see Zoey Bartlet.
- The home of Susan B. Anthony is in Rochester, New York.
- The sandwich Sam is eating while telling C.J. about the sentence noticeably changes from a bun to bread and back again.
- At the end of the episode, when Toby is watching Mr. Willis's first and only roll call vote, the Clerk of the House is calling the members' names alphabetically. Mr. Willis's name is followed by Mr. Zantowski, yet, as we find out in subsequent episodes, there certainly should have been a "Ms. Wyatt of Maryland".
- This episode is not the first time that Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and Lisa Edelstein (Laurie) have shared the small screen. They both starred in Relativity an ABC series that was cancelled the year before.
- "Indonesian" is indeed a language, albeit an invented one. It starts with Malay as its grammatical base, then adds vocabulary items from the various other languages of the islands.
- This was the first of only two episodes to have not been written or co-written by Aaron Sorkin during his tenure as executive producer, the other being season four's "The Long Goodbye."
- Bartlett says of Cabinet meetings that he finds them to be a waste of time, but that Leo "assures him that they are constitutionally required." In actual fact, the US Cabinet has no constitutional or legal basis, and is convened at the President's discretion
- This episode was a 2001 WGA Award Nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Television Writing for Episodic Drama.
- Goof : At the beginning of the episode, when Josh is walking with Donna, she is on the right side of the camera and he's on the right side, but when they turn right and Sam appears they've changed sides and Donna is on the Left and Josh on the right.
- This is the first appearance of Gail, C.J.'s goldfish.
- CJ refers to reporter Katie Witt (Kris Murphy) as Kris which is her real name.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bartlet: I am the president of the Great Kingdom of Luxembourg.
Luxembourg is not a Great Kingdom. It is a Grand Duchy, because it is ruled by a Grand Duke.
- 'And I looked, and I beheld a pale horse, and the name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.'
This quote is from the Book of Revelation--singular-- not Revelations--plural. The President refers to it in the plural-- a biblically literate President ought to know this. - If, as CJ says on the phone, his Lordship is a hereditary Earl, then he is *not* Lord John Marbury and would never introduce himself to anyone as such. He is John, Lord Marbury, and should be referred to simply as Lord Marbury. He would in fact be most accurately described as "John Marbury, Earl of Sherbourne", as Lord is how a Baron is addressed, not an Earl. The title CJ gives him is also not one of the ones he himself lists in the later episode "Dead Irish Writers", and while it is possible to gain extra titles it is not possible to lose them unless you disclaim them, which peers often do in order to be elected to the House of Commons, or if the titles are reverted to the Crown by an Act of Attainder, none of which have been passed for several centuries.
- When the NRO officers review the satellite photos, the Indian naval task force consists of two CVEs and four destroyers. When Fitz briefs Jed, he says there are two destroyers and four CVEs.
- A real-life Lord would never refer to the Queen as "Her Royal Majesty". She is properly called "Her Britannic Majesty" or, more usually, simply "Her Majesty".
- 'And I looked, and I beheld a pale horse, and the name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.'
- CJ Fish Bowl decoration: A podium and two flags (as a reference to the state of the union address.)
- Bartlet promises Tribby that next year it will be the Surgeon General who stays away from the State of the Union in case it is attacked. This is a goof as the Surgeon General is not part of the Presidential Line of Succession and as such cannot assume Presidential powers.
- Abby tells the President that she doesn't care if Canada invades Michigan. In the 2004-2005 season, the opposite happens; some hunters from Michigan invade Canada, almost causing a Can-Am military showdown.
- There are currently no trivia for this episode.
- Bartlet: Why is [the execution] my problem at all?
Leo: As opposed to who?
Bartlet: The Governor of Michigan.
Leo: Oh, you mean why isn't it a state crime? It was prosecuted by the US Attorney under the Drug Kingpin Law...
It's a good thing the Federal statutes on executions are being argued in this episode--because in Michigan (the state in which Simon Cruz was apparently tried) the death penalty is not an option. The strongest term one can serve in Michigan is life imprisonment. - The small pocket bible Father Cavanaugh uses is the same one Karl Malden used in the movie, On the Waterfront, in which he also portrayed a priest.
- This wasn't the first time Martin Sheen and Karl Malden had worked together. They previously had worked together on the TV series The Streets of San Francisco in the episode "Betrayed" in 1973.
- This episode was a 2001 WGA Award Winner and a 2000 Award Winner of the Humanitas Prize in the 60 Minute category.
- Toby: "Even two thousand years ago, the rabbis of the Talmud couldn't stomach it."
Toby tells the President that the ancient rabbis were averse to the death penalty. This is fairly true since the Talmud states that the fundumental difference between capital crimes and property crimes is sentence reversibility. A miscarriage of justice in the latter can be reversed by returning the property to its rightful owner. But a miscarriage of justice in a capital crime can never be reversed and the Talmud warns the rabbis that the blood of the accused, and the blood of all his progeny will be upon them till the end of time. As a result they instituted impossible conditions that the state had to meet in order to execute a person (that it can be proven that he was warned that is actions carry the death penalty, that the witnesses know that if they are caught lying they will receive the same punishment they intended for the accused, that the witnesses actually saw him commit the crime, etc.).
This is taken from the Babylonian Talmud's chapter "Sanhedrin". There are many more procedural restrictions mentioned there regarding witness examination, witness reliability, the judges involved etc.
- Father Cavanaugh says to the President that God, "...sent you a priest, a rabbi, and a Quaker...." How did he know about Toby's rabbi and Joey Lucas (the Quaker)? Cavanaugh appears in only one scene with no breaks, during which the president does not mention either rabbi or Quaker. Maybe that part of the conversation was cut from the final.
- Bartlet: Why is [the execution] my problem at all?
- This is the first episode of the series to contain flashbacks.
- Marlee Matlin (Joey Lucas) and Elizabeth Moss (Zoey Bartlet) have guest starred in many of ths same series. The have both had recurring roles on, of course, The West Wing, and Picket Fences. They have even appeared on Law & Order, albeit on seperate series of the francise (Matlin on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Moss on Law & Order: Trial By Jury). What's most interesting is that with the frequent recurrence in these roles they have never shared a scene on The West Wing or in Picket Fences. Take this episode for example in which they both appear but not together.
- When Donna and Josh are checking in to the hotel, Josh has trouble opening his door with his key card. Years later, in the episode "King Corn", after they have both left the White House, they are checking in to rooms that are across from each other and as he is having trouble with his key card yet again, she comes over and helps him.
- While Josh is talking to Joey Lucas with Kenny, Kenny says what Joey is signing a few signs before she even signed the word he said.
- As the President boards Air Force One, the entire port wing is visible, including the six-foot vertical winglet at the end. The plane commonly used as Air Force One is one of two modified Boeing 747-200s; Boeing didn't add the winglet until the 747-400 model.
- There are currently no trivia for this episode.
- Sam's middle name is Norman.
- There are currently no trivia for this episode.
- There are currently no trivia for this episode.
- There are currently no trivia for this episode.
- CJ's fish bowl decoration: The Space Shuttle, (one of the subplots of the episode is a problem on the shuttle mission Toby's brother is on)
- The departure of Mandy Hampton after this episode is never really explained.
- Jed and Fitz discuss how the eagle in the great seal faces the arrows during times of war, which conflicts with Truman's 1945 Executive Order 9646 that the eagle must always face the olive branch.
- The assassins load their guns while standing in the window frame, backlit by a bright red light; they are clearly visible from the street, and from other buildings, yet neither the agents on the ground, the sharpshooters on the roofs, nor the agents in the helicopter notice.
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