The West Wing:

The West Wing: Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail

« prev episode next » episode

It's Big Block of Cheese Day again. Toby meets with World Trade Organization protesters, and CJ meets with a group of cartographers who want the standards for maps changed to be a more accurate reflection of geographical and political reality. Donna asks Sam to look into granting a pardon for a friend's deceased grandfather. Barlet is having problems selecting a site for his Presidential library. Add a recap »

YOUR SCORE

RESET

N/A n/a

Writers:: Aaron Sorkin Paul Redford

Director:: Jessica Yu

Stars:: Martin Sheen (President Jed Bartlet); Dul� Hill (Charlie Young); Allison Janney (Claudia Jean "C.J." Cregg); Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn (Episodes 1-84)); Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler); John Spencer (Leo McGarry); Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman); Janel Moloney (Donna Moss (Episodes 23-, recurring previously))

Recurring Role:: Peter James Smith (Ed); William Duffy (Larry); Devika Parikh (Bonnie); Clark Gregg (Mike Casper); Nicole Robinson (Margaret); Kim Webster (Ginger); Anna Deavere Smith (Nancy McNally)

Guest Star:: John Billingsley (John Fallow); Richard Stay (Terry Webber); Roma Maffia (Rhonda Sachs); John Strand (Cop); Shirley Jordan (FBI Receptionist); Michael Charles Vaccaro (Protester #3); Free Brooks (Protester #2); Shana O'Neil (Protester #1); Christopher Neiman (OMB Staffer); Brent Hinkley (Donald Huke); Jolie Jenkins (Stephanie Gault); Jordan Baker (Cynthia Sayles)

In one scene, the president puts his glasses in his left pocket and then two shots later retrieves them from his right. edit »
Mercator is named here as a German cartographer, while he is in fact a Belgian (Flemish) one. He was the most respected and famous map maker of his time (16th century) and well beyond that. edit »

Another instance in which Aaron Sorkin borrows part of a plot from Sports Night. This episode has Sam having a hard time dealing with his father's infidelity. Coincidently the episode of Sports Night "The Sword Of Orion" has Jeremy (Joshua Malina) having trouble dealing with his father's infadelity. edit »
Awards and Nominations:
Rob Lowe was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy in 2001 for this episode

2002 WGA Awards: Nomination for Episodic Drama edit »
Music: The song at the beginning and end is "New York Minute" by Don Henley (of the Eagles) from his The End of the Innocence CD. edit »

Sam: It�s just there are certain things you�re sure of... like longitude and latitude.
Donna: Sam, I don�t know if this is the best time to tell you, but according to C.J., I wouldn�t be so sure about longitude and latitude. edit »
Leo: Andrew Jackson, (staffers groan) in the main foyer of the White House had a big block of cheese. The block of cheese was huge...
C.J.: Leo, who made these assignments?
Leo: I think this will go faster if I�m not interrupted, don�t you?
C.J.: I�m meeting with the Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality?
Margaret:Yes.
C.J. What do mapmakers have to do with social equality?
Leo I guess you�re about to find out.
C.J.: Well, probably not, because I won�t really be listening to them.
Leo: The block of cheese was huge...
Larry: Excuse me, Leo. C.J., I got NIH research funding for cancer treatment using shark cartilage, if you want to trade.
Ed: I�ll take that.
Larry: What do you got?
Ed Citizens for D.C. Statehood.
Larry: Forget it.
Donna: I�ve got the Kemp�s Ridley Sea Turtle Society, but I�m keeping it.
Leo: You�re all keeping it. I�m sure Margaret worked long and hard to make sure that the appropriate petitioner went to the appropriate staffer.
(Margaret shakes head �no�, Leo turns to look at her and she nods �yes�.)

edit »
(After Sam learns the identity of a deceased Communist Spy)
Donna: It was people pushing paper around fifty years ago. Why does it matter?
Sam: It was high treason, and it mattered a great deal! This country is an idea, and one that's lit the world for two centuries and treason against that idea is not just a crime against the living! This ground holds the graves of people who died for it, who gave what Lincoln called the last full measure of devotion. Of fidelity. You understand the last full measure of devotion to... Treason against them is... [almost crying] edit »
Bartlet: What plaid-flannel-wearing cheese-eating yahoo-of-a-milkman governor signed that idiot bill into state law? (Pause) It was me, wasn't it?
Charlie: Yes, sir. edit »
Sam: I'm just going to change my shirt.
Leo: You look bad. You're tired. You slept in the office. It's Friday. Go home.
Sam: Why?
Leo: Because I think you're putting too much faith in the magical powers of a new shirt. edit »

Josh: "These guys find Brigadoon on that map, you'll call me, right?"

The musical "Brigadoon" was the first big hit for creative team Frederick Loewe (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics). The story revolves around the small Scottish town of Brigadoon which only appears for one day every hundred years. In 1954 it was made into a movie starring Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, and Cyd Charisse. edit »
Episode Title: Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail. The title of this episode comes from "New York Minute" on Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" cd. edit »
John Fallow: "....to teach geography using the Peter's projection map instead of the traditional Mercator."

While the OCSE (Organization of Cartographers and Social Equality) is a ficitonal group, the Mercator vs. Peters argument does in fact exist. edit »
Sam: "Ring Lardner just died."

Ring Lardner was a famous early 20th century writer who became a member of the Communist Party In 1936. During the McCarthy hearings in 1947, he refused to name other former or current Party members by saying: "I could answer the way you want, Mr. Chairman, but I'd hate myself in the morning." edit »