The West Wing

Season 1

Pilot

1. During Josh's first scene in the pilot, the camera pans over his desk's in box, in which there is a copy of "George" magazine with Josh's (Bradley Whitford's) face on the cover. George was a real magazine, started in 1995 by John F. Kennedy Jr. and his business partner, Michael J. Berman. The magazine strove to cover politics in a celebrity- and popular culture-driven way; it folded in 2001, about a year and a half after Kennedy's death.
2. Rob Lowe says the line, "Alger Hiss just walked in with my secret pumpkin." Hiss was a State Department official in the 1940s accused of spying for the Soviet Union. His accuser was Whittaker Chambers, who hid copies of government files in a pumpkin on his farm before giving them to then Rep. Richard Nixon, a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The line most likely refers not to the original incident, but to North by Northwest (1959), in which Cary Grant's character asks, "Did you get the pumpkin?".
3. Janel Moloney, who plays Donna, appeared in another Sorkin TV show Sports Night as Monica Brazelton from the wardrobe department.
4. Aaron Sorkin based the character of Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) on George Stephanopoulos, President Bill Clinton's Communications Director and 1992 campaign adviser.
5. The Lambs of God are based on a real life group "The Lambs of Christ".
6. The first words of the series are "Two Absolut martinis, another Dewers rocks."
7. It is mentioned that the Roosevelt Room is named after Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt Room is, in fact, named after both Presidents Roosevelt. Normally, when Democrats control the White House, the portrait of Theodore Roosevelt is replaced with the portrait of Franklin Roosevelt.
8. The US military doesn't use the Exocet, a french-built anti-ship missile whose uses against airplanes is limited, preferring sea-launched Tomahawk missiles.
9. The Press Briefing Room shown early in the pilot is a different set than the one used in subsequent episodes.
10. The reference Toby (Richard Schiff) makes while on the flight (that the L-1011 "came off the line 20 months ago") is incorrect given that Lockheed produced that aircraft from 1968 to 1984. Likewise most US carriers had retired the L-1011 from their fleets before 1999.
11. "Honor Thy Father" is traditionally the fifth commandment in Jewish and Christian religions, though the fourth in the Catholic and Lutheran faiths. It is not the third commandment as suggested by Toby (Richard Schiff) when he corrects John Van Dyke (David Sage) who had asserted it was the first.
12. F. William Parker and David Sage share a scene together in the pilot to "Babylon 5: The Gathering" (1993) (TV) and The West Wing. In Babylon 5 they are the businessmen (credited as "Business Man 1" and "Business Man 2" who hire telepath Lyta Alexander to monitor their business deal. In The West Wing they play the Reverend Al Caldwell and John Van Dyke who attend the meeting in the west wing with Mary Marsh.
13. The iconic West Wing opening credits tune by W.G. Snuffy Walden is not heard in the pilot.
14. Muammar Gaddafi is one of a number of current real-life heads of state to be made reference to on The West Wing; however, Fidel Castro in Ninety Miles Away was the only one to actually make an appearance. Queen Elizabeth II is mentioned on multiple occasions, and King Olav V of Norway at least once. Most other presidents and prime ministers were fictional characters.
15. The Governor of Florida is named as Pat Thomas, but later on the series it is established that Robert Ritchie (James Brolin) is Governor of Florida, having been elected in 1996.
16. Sam (Rob Lowe) mispronounces Toby (Richard Schiff)'s last name when he talks to the fourth graders.
17. Near the very start of the episode Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Leo (John Spencer) are talking and walking. They then stop and Josh rests his arm on the glass wall. The next scene is of Leo, through the glass and over Josh's arm, but when it changes again, Josh's arm has changed position into a higher one that would have blocked Leo's face.
18. The first time President Bartlett is on screen, he is walking with a cane due to his biking accident. The last time he is seen, he is walking with a cane again (due to his MS), acting as an interesting character and series bookend.

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

1. This episode is the first to reveal the intense enmity between John Hoynes (Tim Matheson) and CJ (Allison Janney), the source of which is not revealed until the season 5 episode "The West Wing: Full Disclosure (2004)".
2. William Duffy is credited as "Bill Duffy" and as playing a Staffer, his character is later identified as Larry.
3. Mandy (Moira Kelly) says she worked with the Bartlet team for two and a half years. Given the timescale clearly established in later episodes, that isn't possible.
4. Bradley James is credited as playing a Secret Service Agent, his character is later identified as Donnie.
5. Josh and Donna are talking about football bets involving Central Indiana State. This is a fictitious institution. There is only an Indiana State
6. Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) & Lisa Edelstein (Laurie) also worked together on Relativity (1996) as Barry Roth & Rhonda Roth respectively.
7. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Mandy (Moira Kelly).
8. The title of this episode comes from the Latin expression post hoc, ergo propter hoc, a logic fallacy which President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) references in the episode.
9. Chris Hendrie is credited as playing a businessman, his character is later identified as Chief Financial Officer Wes Wright.
10. There is a discussion in the oval office between Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and C.J. (Allison Janney) on Bartlet's sense of humor, during which Bartlet takes off his glasses. But in the next shot, Bartlet has his glasses back on, then in the next shot they are back off for the rest of the scene.
11. The euro is divisible by cents, not pennies.

A Proportional Response

1. In the movie The American President (1995) (also written by Aaron Sorkin and considered the catalyst for creating this show), the president must deal with a very similar situation. In the movie, Libya bombs a US missile defense system and the president is pushed to make a "proportional response", at the end of which he ruminates "Someday someone's going to have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response". The events are very similar to those in this episode, including that line, mirrored almost word for word by President Bartlett.
2. The acronym BDA is used without explanation - it stands for "bomb damage assessment".
3. John Amos (Fitzwallace) guest starred as Dulé Hill's (Charlie's) Uncle Burton on his later TV show Psych (2006).
4. Josh calls C.J. a "shiksa feminista". "Shiksa" is a Yiddish word used to refer to a non-Jewish woman. "Feminista" is a slang word used to describe a modern feminist.
5. Actor and director Timothy Busfield makes his first appearance as recurring character Danny Concannon in this episode but is not credited.
6. Debbie, played by Lily Tomlin, who later becomes a regular cast member is referred to in this episode as "Miss DiLaguardia."
7. Actress and director Laura Innes makes an uncredited appearance as a reporter in this episode. While the first season was being filmed she was also starring in the sixth season of Executive Producer John Wells' medical drama series ER (1994). She would return to The West Wing as a director in later episodes.
8. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J. (Allison Janney).
9. Ivan Allen is credited as playing an unnamed Newscaster in this episode but his character is later identified as Roger Salier.
10. Kim Webster is credited as playing "Kim" in this episode but her character is later identified as Ginger.
11. In the movie The American President (1995) (written by Aaron Sorkin) President Andrew Shepherd says "Someday someone's going to have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response." In this episode, President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) asks "What's the virtue of the Proportional Response?"
12. Marvin Krueger, George McDaniel, and Christopher Kriesa all debut as unnamed officers among the joints chiefs in this episode. Their characters are later identified as Harrison, Phil, and General Mitch Jensen respectively.
13. Before Charlie (Dulé Hill) is introduced to the president, Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) is wearing glasses in one shot, is without them the next, and then has them on again.
14. For most of the scene between Admiral Fitzwallace (John Amos) and Leo McGarry (John Spencer) in Leo's office, Admiral Fitzwallace's ribbon board on his uniform is upside down. At the end of the scene, the ribbon board is correctly placed.

Five Votes Down

1. The long Steadicam shot in the episode teaser took thirteen takes and five hours of filming to accomplish.
2. While President is high on his back pills, he tells his aide Charlie that "Charlie's a great name." Martin Sheen, who plays President Bartlet, named his youngest son "Carlos" but nicknamed him "Charlie".
3. Martin Sheen almost kills the "walk and talk" at the beginning of the show? As the ensemble nears the exit of the building, Sheen delivers his line about Toby (Richard Schiff) being a 'pain the ass'. If you listen carefully there is a groaning sound - Charlie (Dulé Hill) jumps in with "Mr President" and Sheen replies "Oh yes, Charlie, by the way - did the first lady call?" Sheen had forgotten his line and Hill jumped in to try and save the scene.
4. Toby says he drives a 1993 Dodge Dart. Dodge didn't make Darts in 1993, but Dodge Darts were a running punchline on the NPR radio show "Car Talk" at the time.
5. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Leo (John Spencer).
6. In the pre-credits sequence there is one continuous steadycam shot which begins when the president leaves the ball room and ends when he reaches the motorcade outside. To get there the ensemble have to travel down flights of stairs, along corridors and keep the dialogue going with pin-point precision! Says Rob Lowe: "You'll have to ask Thomas Schlamme how many takes it was. It was either in the twenties or the thirties. The steadycam operator literally fell over from exhaustion when it was done. It's amazing that we did that in a weekly television show. In a movie, that would be a staggering achievement."
7. President Bartlet (Martin Sheen)'s back problems and medication is similar to the real back problems of President John F. Kennedy.
8. This episode takes obvious liberties with real life firearms, probably to avoid legal problems. The real life Ruger mini-14 is referred to as a "Rutger 14" and the real life Tec-9 is referred to as a "Tech-9".
9. Cal Tillinghouse (Michael McGuire) - the Democrat from Texas who opposes the gun reform bill in this episode - shares the same last name with the secretary of Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen)'s father, who preceded Mrs Landingham (revealed in season 2, ep 22).
10. Leo (John Spencer)'s home in the Pilot episode had a lawn and appeared suburban. Here, it's in a street that looks urban.
11. Several weapons are referenced in this episode. The "Rutger Mini-14" is mentioned several times, actually refering to the Ruger Mini-14, a gun that is indeed similar to the AR-15. When talking to Chris Wick Josh claims the "Mac-90, PCR, and NFR" are "both" copy cats of the AR-15 assault rifle except the grip is changed. This would be accurate if talking about the ARES SCR, however the Mak-90 would be more accurately described as a civilian version of the AK-47, the only PCR rifle that exists is bolt action and thus not similar to the AR-15, and the NFR is not a gun. In addition the Tec-9 is spelled in the captions as the "Tech-9" several times. There is also no such thing as the "Pat Maxi" grenade launcher. Congressman Richardson references the TEC DC-9, which is another name for the TEC-9 Josh says is getting banned, and both the Striker-12 and Street Sweeper, the latter of which is a complete copy of the former. Following this he says the "40 gauge barrel" which is unlikely to be addressed in a gun control bill since gauges are only ever used in reference to shotguns. He also references the "30 round clip and 20 round clip" most likely meaning magazine as most gun control bills address. At the end a reporter mentions the Mini-9, which in 1999 was not a gun that existed, and is probably mixed up with the TEC-9 and the Ruger Mini-14, which this reporter calls the Rutger-14.
12. Toby (Richard Schiff) claims to drive a 1993 Dodge Dart, but these where only produced from 1963 to 1976.
13. Scenes shot for the opening sequence are revealed by Making of documentary, as August 26th 1999. Placing the entire episode within the range, 23rd - 29th of August 1999, just prior to the season 1 broadcast.
14. Leo (John Spencer)'s alcoholism is first hinted at. His problem with substance abuse would become a subplot of the first season.
15. Tim Matheson' alcoholism is first mentioned. This would come up in Season Three when the Staff is briefly considering replacing Hoynes as the VP in the election.
16. Leo (John Spencer)'s wife leaves him in this episode. The divorce papers would be finalised in episode 2.7, The West Wing: The Portland Trip (2000).

The Crackpots and These Women

1. Aaron Sorkin got the idea for a story about the NSC card after George Stephanopoulos showed him his card. Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers assured Sorkin that the card didn't exist, unaware that only certain people were issued one.
2. Not only is the Andrew Jackson block of cheese story a true one from the real Jackson Administration, but several years after this show went off the air, President Obama also added a real "Big Block of Cheese Day" to his administration's schedule. On January 24, 2014, the Obama White House announced that in the spirit of both Andrew Jackson and the television program "The West Wing," they would host a real version of the show's "Big Block of Cheese Day," in which White House officials would be available to answer questions from ordinary Americans (albeit online instead of in person, as the "cheese day" meetings were on the show). This announcement was kicked off by a video, posted on the White House's official website, that featured "West Wing" stars Bradley Whitford and Joshua Malina and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. The first real Big Block of Cheese Day took place on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. On January 16, 2015, the White House announced that they would again be holding a Big Block of Cheese Day. This time, the video announcement (titled "Big Block of Cheese Day Is Back, and It's Feta Than Ever") featured White House Press secretary Josh Earnest and West Wing cast members Bradley Whitford, Joshua Malina, Mary McCormack, Dulé Hill, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, and Martin Sheen. The video described the event as "like Reddit, but without the weird stuff."
3. Toby mentions that C.J. once called him a paranoid nudnik. "Nudnik" is a real word. It is Yiddish and means "someone who is a boring pest".
4. In the last scene, when 'President Bartlet', referring to the space program says "with outstretched fingers we touched the face of God", he's paraphrasing the last line of the poem 'High Flight', by John Gillespie Magee, Jr., a favorite poem among aviators and astronauts. Ronald Reagan's speechwriter Peggy Noonan also famously paraphrased the line in Reagan's speech after the Challenger disaster.
5. This episode switches to a full orchestral version of the theme from the electronic orchestra version in earlier versions.
6. The ringer that President Bartlet brings in to the basketball game is played by Juwan Howard, who was a then-member of the Washington Wizards.
7. In one scene of this episode, Toby Ziegler talks to President Bartlet about "better angels." Martin Sheen, who plays Bartlet, was told something similar in the beginning of Apocalypse Now (1979).
8. This is the first time we see Zoey Bartlet (Elisabeth Moss).
9. In this episode, as the staff are gathering for the Big Block of Cheese meeting, Toby (Richard Schiff) and Sam (Rob Lowe) discuss the fact that this is a monthly event, but that a year has gone by and they've done it twice, which Sam replies something to the effect of "well we're a bit behind." This same episode, however, is the one in which Josh (Bradley Whitford) receives his instructions of where to go in case of a nuclear attack and realizes that his staff would not be joining him in the event of such an emergency. It is unlikely that a year would have gone by in the White House before the Deputy Chief of Staff would receive this information.
10. Zoey Bartlets Secret Service codename was "Bookbag". In Robert Altmans political mockumentary miniseries Tanner '88 the daughter of candidate Tanner is also called "Bookbag" by the Secret Service.
11. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).
12. 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.
13. In this episode, C.J (Allison Janney) mentions that Pluie the wolf might eat her cat. However, in the episode The West Wing: Dead Irish Writers (2002) in Season Three, she mentions she doesn't have a cat.
14. At the party POTUS (Martin Sheen) talks to Sam (Rob Lowe) about how his team beat Sam's team, but Sam did not appear to be involved in the basketball game at the beginning of the episode. Toby (Richard Schiff), Josh (Bradley Whitford), and Charlie (Dulé Hill) were, however, playing against the President and his ringer.
15. Mandy (Moira Kelly) tells Toby (Richard Schiff) that he wasn't the first choice for the job of communications director and Toby later confirms this with CJ. Given that CJ, as press secretary, answers to the communications director, it is highly unlikely that she would have been in on the decision process.
16. When President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is giving his toast at the end of the episode, the "ice" in his glass is not floating, which suggests the ice is a prop.
17. The Rodney Grant character, the ringer in the basketball game, says he played at Duke. In actuality, the actor, Juwon Howard, played at Michigan and was part of the Fab Five, who made the Final Four twice in 1992 and 1993.
18. Bartlet (Martin Sheen) mentions that his daughter will be starting at Georgetown University soon and "is scouting for off-campus housing". Georgetown requires all first- and second-year undergraduates to live on-campus, providing an exception only if the student is married, over the age of 21, has dependents, or is living with his/her parents. Although it is possible that they would make such an exception for a member of the first family.
19. The therapist Josh sees in this episode and the one he sees in season two, after the shooting, are both named Stanley.
20. This episode mentions David Rosen. Ironically David Rosen is a main character on the TV show Scandal played by Joshua Malina who before that plays Will Bailey on The West Wing starting in season 4.

Mr. Willis of Ohio

1. Mr. Willis has replaced his deceased wife in Congress as part of a real life practice called widow's succession. Although rare in modern times, this has occurred regularly in the early 20th century. In all these cases the widows were female however.
2. The Strawberry does not actually have its seeds on the outside. It in fact has many tiny fruits that each contain their own seeds.
3. The US House of Representatives has no such condition where a seat is filled. If a member dies, their seat, and thus vote, is left empty until a special election can be held to fill their seat.
4. On the podcast West Wing Weekly, actor Richard Schiff (Toby) said the on-set TV in the final scene of this episode was blank, so he had nothing to react to. When Toby is watching with admiration as Mr. Willis cast his only vote, Schiff said he was actually imagining what it would be like to have sex with Allison Janney.
5. Two actors playing the minor roles of Frat Boys in the episode, Blake Shields and Eric Balfour, went on to have starring roles in television programs.
6. President Bartlet (Martin Sheen)'s reference to a "malted" [milkshake] is compared to the Thornton Wilder play Our Town, set in 1900-13. Bartlett mentions that he once played the Stage Manager (the lead role) in a production.
7. There are more than 3 words that begin with the letters "DW," including the words Dwine and Dweeb.
8. In a Congressional roll call, the names are given in alphabetical order and those after Willis (Al Fann) are mentioned. The name "Wyatt" isn't called, however, even through Andi is a member of Congress.
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Toby (Richard Schiff).
10. The Secret Service would never let the President's daughter out of their sight.
11. Charlie (Dulé Hill) tells one of the men in the bar that, to buy 19-year-old Zoey a drink, "you'd have to take her to Maryland". The legal drinking age in Maryland has been 21 since 1982.
12. Eric Balfour was uncredited despite his prominent role as the third abrasive Frat Boy.
13. The home of Susan B. Anthony is in Rochester, New York.
14. Bradley James was again credited as an unnamed Secret Service Agent despite his character being identified as Donnie in later episodes.
15. In the House of Representatives, a "teller vote" where all names are called would last for hours and is therefore almost never takes place after the vote for Speaker on the first day of a new Congress. A modern Roll Call involves all 435 members voting electronically and simultaneously in a 15-min window or 5-min series. This is done so that Toby (Richard Schiff) can spend the closing moments of the episode in front of the TV in order to hear Mr. Willis (Al Fann)' vote read out loud.
16. Nobody is ever "appointed" to fill a seat in the House of Representatives, as is depicted in this episode. A special election is us called for normally when a vacancy opens up.
17. In the first season episode "Mr. Willis of Ohio", the President yells at his daughter Zoe about her being careless and what the dangers to her could be. His off the cuff description of her abduction (at a club in the bathroom, Secret Service agents being shot in the head) is very close to the events that would take place at the end of season four when Zoe is abducted from a bathroom in a club and one of the Secret Service agents is shot in the head.
18. The President (Martin Sheen) yells at his daughter Zoey (Elisabeth Moss) about her being careless and what the dangers to her could be. His off the cuff description of her abduction (at a club in the bathroom, Secret Service agents being shot in the head) is very close to the events that would take place at the end of season four when Zoey is abducted. This speech, wherein President Bartlet references his and the Secret Service's worry over his getting shot, could also be a foreshadowing of the end of season 1, where a shootout occurs during which he is shot.

The State Dinner

1. Stockard Channing had only just met Martin Sheen and established that their two characters had three daughters when she shot her first scene with him.
2. "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.
3. CJ is asked and has told the Press that the First Lady will be wearing a "Gabriel Sanchez freshwater pearl necklace with tourmaline beads" and "will be carrying a Christina Bomba silk pleated organdy drawstring evening bag". Abbey Bartlet, when seen is neither carrying an evening bag (and most-likely would not, there would be no need), and is never wearing a necklace.
4. When they realise the Hurricane is heading out to sea Leo (John Spencer) refers to the fleet as a "Battle Carrier Group". Properly it is a Carrier Battle Group. In addition, they also refer to two battleships in the fleet when in actuality they have been retired since 1992.
5. Laurie ("Brittany") (Lisa Edelstein) would not have been able to attend a state dinner without a background check being run.
6. When the hurricane changes direction, the carrier group gets caught in it. This would never happen, as a carrier group can quite easily outpace a hurricane.
7. This was the first episode to show First Lady Abbey Bartlet (Stockard Channing) on-screen.
8. The Idaho incident Mandy consults with is a reference to the hostage situation/shootout with the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge.
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J. (Allison Janney).
10. President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) threatens the striking truck workers that he would nationalize the trucking industry to avert the strike, using the precedent that Harry S. Truman did it in 1952 to avert the coal mines. Truman actually seized the steel mills and his seizure was ruled unconstitutional in the Supreme court case Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer. It is mentioned that the action was overturned in the episode.
11. Minaldi (Nelson Mashita) claims there is no such language as "Indonesian", but this isn't the case. While it is true that most Indonesians speak a local language as their first language, nearly all of them do speak Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), a standard register of Malay, and a senior politician like Siguto would definitely be fluent in it.
12. Ariono Suriawinata is credited by his character's title "President of Indonesia" although he is identified in dialogue as Rahm Siguto.
13. Bradley James, J.P. Stevenson, and Colin K. Gray are credited by their character's jobs although they are named later.
14. The hurricane is incorrectly referred to as a "Class 4". Strength of hurricanes are designated by "Category", not "Class". Therefore, the hurricane should have been referred to as a "Category 4" storm.
15. Leo (John Spencer) mispronounces "Norfolk" several times during the episode. The "L" is silent.
16. This is not the first time that Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and Lisa Edelstein (Laurie) have shared the small screen. They both starred in Relativity (1996) an ABC series that was canceled the year before.
17. It is later revealed in the Season 2 episode "The West Wing: Two Cathedrals (2001)" that the tender ship USS Hickory- that the President (Martin Sheen) talked to at the end of this episode- was sunk in the hurricane, presumably with all hands lost.

Enemies

1. This episode marks the one and only time we have seen the Cabinet Room throughout the duration of the series. The room is not to be mistaken with the Roosevelt Room that the West Wing staff use to hold their own meetings in the show. This can be seen by the different colored chairs used in the Cabinet Room scene. And note that the President (Martin Sheen)'s chair beside Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) as he is seated is also raised slightly higher than the rest, this is in fact how the President's chair in the actual Cabinets Room is.
2. This was the first of only three episodes to have not been written or co-written by Aaron Sorkin during his tenure as executive producer, the others being season four's · "The West Wing: Swiss Diplomacy (2002)" and "The West Wing: The Long Goodbye (2003)"
3. The Antiquities Act is an actual law officially named The Antiquities Act of 1906. It was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt and empowers the President to restrict the use of Federally owned land. However, the Antiquities Act only allows the President to create National Monuments, rather than National Parks, as suggested in this episode.
4. In the opening scene President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) lists of places he's visited to Josh (Bradley Whitford). One of them is "Badlands." Martin Sheen starred in a movie called Badlands (1973) in 1973 with Sissy Spacek.
5. Although Roger Tribbey has been the only named Secretary of Agriculture, in this episode the Secretary is played by someone other than Harry Groener, who is seen later in season 1.
6. Shirley Scott was credited as playing a Court Stenographer but her character actually minuted a cabinet meeting and was identified in dialogue as Mildred.
7. While Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) is writing a birthday "message" the black cap behind him changes from an ATF hat in one scene to a DEA hat in another scene.
8. Colin K. Gray was credited as playing a reporter, his character is identified as Bruce in later episodes.
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Donna (Janel Moloney).
10. Bartlet (Martin Sheen) says of Cabinet meetings that he finds them to be a waste of time, but that Leo (John Spencer) "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.
11. This episode was a 2001 WGA Award Nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Television Writing for Episodic Drama.
12. The baseball cap on the display case behind Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe)'s desk changes from one bearing the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agency (ATF) logo to one bearing the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) logo between Mallory (Allison Smith) storming out to confront her father and returning later to ask Sam out for coffee and dessert.
13. China is in fact known for its romantic songs despite Sam Seaborne's sarcastic comment on the matter.
14. At one point in Act two, John Hoynes (Tim Matheson) tells CJ (Allison Janney)"Whatever regard you may hold for me personally, you are addressing the office of the Vice President." This is a reference to the fact that at one point during the campaign while he was still married to his first wife he seduced CJ into having a one-night stand with him, which CJ greatly regrets. This is revealed during the season 5 episode Full Disclosure.

The Short List

1. During Congressman Lillienfield's press conference, he mentions some names of former White House staffers. One name included was Rumsfeld, who had staffed for Presidents Nixon and Ford prior to this episode. He was later named to the cabinet, again, under President George W. Bush.
2. Ken Howard plays Judge Peyton Cabot Harrison III, a candidate for the nomination to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who believes that there is no right to privacy contained in the constitution because it wasn't specifically enumerated. In 1776 (1972) he played Thomas Jefferson who later commented to James Madison (who was concerned that if specific rights were listed, others would be construed not to exist) that "[h]alf a loaf is better than no bread. If we cannot secure all of our rights, let us secure what we can."
3. Josh refers to Leo as being Boston Irish Catholic but in every episode after this one it says he's from Chicago.
4. This is the first appearance of Gail, C.J. (Allison Janney)'s goldfish.
5. The quote "If we list the set of rights, some fools in the future are going to claim that people are entitled only to those rights enumerated and no others" attributed to the 1787 Georgia delegation is fictional.
6. Ken Howard plays Judge Peyton Cabot Harrison III, a candidate for the nomination to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who believes that there is no right to privacy contained in the constitution because it wasn't specifically enumerated. In 1776 (1972) he played Thomas Jefferson who later commented to James Madison (who was concerned that if specific rights where listed, others would be construed not to exist) that "[h]alf a loaf is better than no bread. If we cannot secure all of our rights, let us secure what we can.")
7. CJ (Allison Janney) refers to reporter Katie Witt (Kris Murphy) as Kris which is her real name.
8. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J. (Allison Janney).
9. There are actually 3,300 full-time staff on the White House payroll, not 1,300 as CJ (Allison Janney)says.
10. Diana Morgan & Charles Noland were credited as playing unnamed reporters. Their characters were identified by name in later episodes.
11. Toby (Richard Schiff) notes that Peyton Harrison (Ken Howard) is 55 but says he wants to know about any girls whom the Judge stood up for dinner in 1953. When he was just eight years old.
12. When Danny (Timothy Busfield) gives CJ (Allison Janney) the goldfish, while the camera is behind CJ, her bra strap is visible on the zoomed in shots and hidden on the zoomed out shots.
13. At the beginning of the episode, when Josh (Bradley Whitford) is walking with Donna (Janel Moloney), she is on the right side 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.
14. In the pre-credits sequence, as Josh (Bradley Whitford) walks out of his office to go to the Oval Office, he asks Donna (Janel Moloney) to ring Sam (Rob Lowe), Toby (Richard Schiff), Leo (John Spencer) and the President (Martin Sheen) and tell them he's coming. However, Donna gets up from her desk and, with the exception of a few seconds while the camera pans back to Josh and C.J. (Allison Janney), walks alongside Josh all the way to the Oval Office. Although Donna doesn't have the time to make phone calls and set up the meeting, Sam and Toby - and seemingly Leo and Bartlet - have heard the news and are expecting Josh.

In Excelsis Deo

1. In the first season episode "In Excelsis Deo", after reading through the script, the Pentagon was very touched by the handling of the story line dealing with the death of a homeless veteran of the Korean conflict. In fact, they were so impressed that they gave the show access to film at Arlington National Cemetery, (ANC is administered by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington). The Department of Defense then supplied the Marine Honor Guard and chaplain, and set up the whole funeral. During the funeral scene, all persons in uniform are members of the U.S. Armed Forces, performing their actual roles in a military funeral. Richard Schiff, (Toby Zeigler) has said that it was such a powerful and moving story, that after every take, he broke down and cried.
2. After Aaron Sorkin and Rick Cleveland won an Emmy for writing the episode "In Excelsis Deo," only Sorkin spoke at the awards ceremony. Cleveland published an article in Writers Guild Magazine expressing his disappointment at not being allowed to speak because the homeless veteran aspect of the episode's plot was based on Cleveland's own father, who was a veteran who died a homeless alcoholic. Sorkin (writing under the user name "Benjamin," his real-life middle name) posted on the TV message board mightybigtv.com (later renamed televisionwithoutpity.com) that he had written most of the episode and had only given Cleveland a co-writing credit as a courtesy because Cleveland had worked on a previous draft that, according to Sorkin, bore no resemblance to the final shooting script. Sorkin also said that this was true of almost all of the The West Wing (1999) scripts written up to that point (mid-2001), that he was the true and only writer of nearly all West Wing episodes, and the rest of the writing staff only helped him with research and "kick[ing] ideas around" - so he gave "them each a Story by credit on a rotating basis...by way of a gratuity." This internet posting attracted a great deal of mainstream press attention, which lead Sorkin to post again, this time retracting his claim of exclusive writing credit. The "LemonLymon.com" subplot in the season 3 episode "The U.S. Poet Laureate" (in which Josh posts on a website dedicated to his fans and sees it come back to haunt him) is based on this series of events.
3. The story line for Lowell Lydell was taken from real life. A gay college student named Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, was beaten, pistol whipped and hung on a fence post and left overnight. He died and the country cried out for more Hate Crime Legislation. (See also the The Laramie Project (2002))
4. The decorations in C.J.'s goldfish bowl change depending on the theme of the episode. For example, in the first season's Christmas episode "In Excelsis Deo", the bowl contains a Christmas tree. In "He Shall, From Time to Time", which features the State of the Union, the bowl contains a podium and two flags. In the season finale "What Kind of Day Has it Been", in which a subplot concerns trouble aboard the space shuttle, a shuttle appears in the bowl.
5. This episode reveals that C.J.'s Secret Service codename is Flamingo and Sam's is Princeton. Despite the implication that codenames change regularly, C.J.'s remained Flamingo throughout the entire series.
6. A stuffed penguin is on a table during a scene in which Charlie and Ms Landingham are discussing why Ms Landingham is depressed over Christmas. This is the same penguin called "Hugsy" that Joey from "Friends" gives away to Rachael's daughter Emma.
7. The fourth man in the funeral scene at Arlington Cemetery was John C. Metzler Jr., then-superintendant of Arlington National Cemetary, portraying himself.
8. During the funeral only four people are shown. There should be at least one more. The Arlington Ladies are a group of volunteers dedicated to ensuring that no deceased member of the United States Military is buried alone. Each branch of the military has its own group that represents them.
9. Bartlet (Martin Sheen) says, "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.
10. Margaret (NiCole Robinson) refers to "Elizabeth" as being Leo (John Spencer)'s sister, but the Season 2 episode Shibboleth introduces the character of Josephine McGarry (Deborah Hedwall) as his sister.
11. It appears that Josh (Bradley Whitford) and Sam (Rob Lowe) visit Laurie (Lisa Edelstein) in a very nice house, different than the apartment where she and Sam first appeared in the pilot episode.
12. When Toby (Richard Schiff) speaks to the President (Martin Sheen) about the funeral for the veteran, he claims that the veteran "passed away last night", but he says this on Christmas Eve, meaning the veteran actually died the night before.
13. In the scene where Toby (Richard Schiff) meets the police officer near the Korean War Memorial, there are leaves on the trees even though the episode is supposed to take place in December.
14. President Bartlett and Leo McGarry visit a second-hand bookshop. The President picks up an English translation of The Fables of Phaedrus, the origins of which, as he notes, were written in iambic verse. McGarry then retorts: "Nothing says Christmas like animal fables in iambic verse." Surprisingly, this line is not in iambic verse but in a different metrical verse, called dactylic meter. An example of dactylic meter from Longfellow's Evangeline: "This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks." An example of iambic verse is "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" (Shakespeare). (Examples taken from Wikipedia) Using iambic verse, Leo could have said "To catch the Christmas spirit in a fable tale!"
15. The teaser aired was the 28th take of that scene.
16. In the scene where Josh (Bradley Whitford) gives Donna (Janel Moloney) her Christmas gift (a book), there is a moment where the focus is on Josh's back and you can see the microphone receiver clip on his belt.
17. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).
18. Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) & Lisa Edelstein (Laurie) also worked together on Relativity (1996) as Barry Roth & Rhonda Roth respectively.

Lord John Marbury

1. Erick Avari, who plays the Pakistani ambassador, is Indian, while Iqbal Theba, who plays the Indian ambassador, is actually from Pakistan.
2. '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 (Martin Sheen) refers to it in the plural-- a biblically literate President ought to know this.
3. Britain doesn't have ambassadors to India and Pakistan: as part of the Commonwealth of Nations it has High Commissioners.
4. 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".
5. C.J. (Allison Janney)'s fish bowl decorations are plastic soldiers and tanks.
6. Director of Central Intelligence informs the President (Martin Sheen) that the "KH Superplatform" has been ordered into a stationary orbit over the northern subcontinent. There is only one stationary orbit, the GEO or Geosynchrous Stationary orbit with a semimajoral axis of about 42 000 km directly above the equator. The satellite can be parked at a specific longitude and can generally not be moved from that position. Satellite tasking is not done lightly and takes time as it uses on-board consumables. Photo-surveillance satellites are generally placed in elliptic LEO (Low Earth Orbit) (orbiting 150 - 500 km above the surface) at high inclinations (around 90 degrees) thus almost polar orbits. GEO is a circular orbit. Thus it is impossible to have live coverage of an area for long time. In order to obtain photographic surveillance on short notice reconnaissance aircraft are employed (if possible).
7. Erick Avari plays the Pakistani ambassador and Iqbal Theba plays the Indian ambassador in this story about a war between India and Pakistan. In real life, Avari is Indian (born in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India) and Theba is Pakistani (born in Karachi, Pakistan).
8. In the beginning of the episode, the intelligence officers notes that India is moving 2 C.V.E.'s and 4 destroyers. During the Situation Room scene, it is reported that India is moving 4 C.V.E.'s and 2 destroyers.
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Charlie (Dulé Hill).
10. If, as CJ (Allison Janney) says on the phone, his Lordship is a hereditary Earl, then he is *not* Lord John Marbury (Roger Rees) 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.
11. When the NRO officers review the satellite photos, the Indian naval task force consists of two CVEs and four destroyers. When Fitz (John Amos) briefs Jed (Martin Sheen), he says there are two destroyers and four CVEs.

He Shall, from Time to Time...

1. This episode marks the first, and one of the only, times in which Leo refers to Bartlet as "Jed"
2. In this episode, the decorations in CJ's fishbowl are a presidential podium and American flags, appropriate for the State of the Union.
3. The Agriculture Secretary is being made the designated survivor. This later leads into a long-running joke throughout the series on the likelihood of the Agriculture Secretary of the day becoming President through the presidential line of succession.
4. The soap opera that Bartlet watches while laid up in bed with the flu is NBC's Passions (1999).
5. The title of this episode comes from Article II Section III of the U.S. Constitution, which calls for the state of the union.
6. The show that Bartlet describes having watched is most likely The Jerry Springer Show, which was at the height of its popularity at the time this episode aired.
7. CJ (Allison Janney) Fish Bowl decoration: A podium and two flags (as a reference to the state of the union address.)
8. At the end of the episode, Bartlet (Martin Sheen) gives some advice to Tribbey (Harry Groener) as to what to do if there was an attack and he were to ascend to President including taking us to DEFCON 4. DEFCON 4 is the second lowest state of readiness, he probably meant DEFCON 2 (the 9/11 attacks resulted in DEFCON 3 and the Cuban Missile Crisis was DEFCON 2).
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Mandy (Moira Kelly).
10. Leo McGarry (John Spencer) refers to the G-7, but between 1997 and 2014 (with this episode airing in 2000) the group was called the G-8 as the Russian federation was a member.
11. Bartlet (Martin Sheen) promises Tribbey (Harry Groener) 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 mistake as the Surgeon General is not part of the Presidential Line of Succession and as such cannot assume Presidential powers.
12. Abbey (Stockard Channing) 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.
13. Secretary of Agriculture Roger Tribbey (Harry Groener) appears again in the Season four finale episode The West Wing: Twenty Five (2003), when the Cabinet is deciding whether or not President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) should be removed from office following Zoey Bartlet (Elisabeth Moss)'s kidnapping.

Take Out the Trash Day

1. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act dealt with in this episode is a reference to the real-life "Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act." The real act was named after Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student who in 1998 was beaten and murdered because of his homosexuality (and whose story was the basis for the character of Lowell Lydell, whose homophobic murder figures in several The West Wing (1999) episodes); and James Byrd, Jr, who in 1998 was dragged behind a Jasper, Texas, pickup truck and murdered because he was black. The real bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009, almost ten years after this episode first aired.
2. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).
3. This episode holds special meaning for John SpencerJohn Spencer, who plays Leo McGarry. Spencer himself was a recovering alcoholic.
4. This episode features both Dakin Matthews and Liza Weil, who also starred together in Gilmore Girls (2000).
5. Cast member Dulé Hill (Charlie Young) does not appear in this episode.
6. The Georgetown Hoya is the real name of the student newspaper of Georgetown University.
7. The hate crime and subsequent legislation referred to in this episode is a reference to the real world murder of Matthew Shepard.
8. Leo (John Spencer) tells Karen Larson (Liza Weil) that he hasn't had a drink or a pill in 6 1/2 years, but it is later revealed during the season 3 episode The West Wing: Bartlet for America (2001) that he suffered a minor relapse during the final days of the first campaign after accepting a drink offered by some high level donors whose support he was courting.
9. When talking to Karen Larson (Liza Weil), Leo (John Spencer) claims to not have had a drink in six and a half years. This is not true, as we later learn that he relapsed on the night of the debate during the first campaign.

Take This Sabbath Day

1. This was Karl Malden's final acting role before his death on July 1, 2009.
2. In the DVD commentary, it is mentioned that Allison Janney was very sick during the shooting of this episode and had trouble getting through one scene. Luckily her character was supposed to be very upset in that episode.
3. The small bible used by Karl Malden's character is the same one he used in On the Waterfront (1954).
4. The execution around which this episode revolves is for a crime that was tried in Michigan. While Michigan was the first English-speaking government in the world to abolish the death penalty (in 1846), some executions have taken place there in federal prisons for federal crimes. The last one was in 1938.
5. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the anti-capital punishment sermon delivered by Toby's rabbi specifically to sway Toby's opinion on the subject was actually written by Steven Leder, a rabbi at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. Leder, who performed showrunner Aaron Sorkin's wedding, was asked to write the sermon by Sorkin just for the episode.
6. This is one of the few episodes of the series that does not feature a "Previously on The West Wing" montage before the teaser.
7. Sam tells Charlie that the US is among five nations who execute people under 18 years old. In 2005, the United States Supreme Court outlawed execution of minors convicted of capital crimes through the case Roper v Simmons.
8. Richard Schiff (Richard Schiff) argued to Sorkin (Aaron Sorkin) and Lawrence O'Donnell. that Charlie Young (Dulé Hill) should not rollback his statement that he himself would kill his mother's murderer, as Schiff found the notion of revenge interesting in the exploration of that character.
9. The small bible used by Karl Malden's character is the same one he used in On the Waterfront (1954).
10. Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) states she is running a campaign against a conservative Republican who supports "amending the Bill of Rights to prohibit burning an American flag." The Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the Constitution. He can support amending the Constitution but not the Bill of Rights. We should keep in mind, however, that the purpose of such an amendment is to alter the breadth of the first amendment.
11. This episode was a 2001 WGA Award Winner and a 2000 Award Winner of the Humanitas Prize in the 60 Minute category.
12. This is the first episode to introduce the character of Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin), who became a recurring character through all seven seasons of the show.
13. Kenny (Bill O'Brien)'s last name is revealed as Thurman in this episode. Later in the show, before the president (Martin Sheen)'s MS goes public, the president asks how many people know Kenny's last name.
14. During Toby (Richard Schiff)'s discussion with his Rabbi (David Proval), the Rabbi's arm position over the back of the pew changes repeatedly.
15. Martin Sheen had been a guest star on Karl Malden's series The Streets of San Francisco.
16. 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.
17. At the end of the episode Father Tom (Karl Malden) says that Jed (Martin Sheen) was sent "a priest, a rabbi and a Quaker", however he has not met Toby (Richard Schiff), nor Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin), so could not know that Jed had spoken to people of two other faiths before talking to him. Although, it is possible he could have been briefed on the situation out of scene.

Celestial Navigation

1. Sam and Toby walk into a Connecticut police station to spring their Supreme Court nominee. When they introduce themselves as presidential aides, the duty officers don't believe them until the senior man recognizes Toby from a picture, with the President in the Oval Office, that appeared in that day's paper. Three seasons later, in the Christmas episode "Holy Night", we see Toby's father, Julie Ziegler, admiring the same front page that has found its way into a frame and onto the wall in Toby's office.
2. The exterior of the police station in "Celestial Navigation" is the show's post-production office.
3. This is the first episode of the series to contain flashbacks.
4. In the scene where Josh leaves the lecture hall to talk to Toby (Richard Schiff) and Sam (Rob Lowe), this was filmed in the atrium of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
5. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J. (Allison Janney).
6. Polaris, the North Star, is far from the brightest star in the night sky, It is actually a magnitude 2.02 star, and is the 48th brightest star in the night sky. It forms the left end of the handle of the Little Dipper constellation.
7. The exterior of the police station in is the show's post-production office.

20 Hours in L.A.

1. During a party Donna walks away from Josh to "Go stalk Matthew Perry ". Matthew Perry goes on to appear in episode 20 of season 4. He also appears in Aaron Sorkin's later TV show 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' with Bradley Whitford who plays Josh Lyman.
2. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Leo (John Spencer).
3. 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.
4. In this episode Jorja Fox appears as Zoey (Elisabeth Moss)'s Secret Service agent, although her name is mispelled on the credits she is listed as Jorjan Fox.
5. While Josh (Bradley Whitford) is talking to Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) with Kenny (Bill O'Brien), Kenny says what Joey is signing a few signs before she even signed the word he said.
6. When Donna (Janel Moloney) and Josh (Bradley Whitford) are checking in to the hotel, Josh has trouble opening his door with his key card. Years later, in the episode "The West Wing: King Corn (2005)", 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.
7. At the party, Donna (Janel Moloney) is transfixed by the celebrities. When Josh (Bradley Whitford) takes away her champagne and tells her to calm down - she says that she sees Matthew Perry and walks away. Perry will join the cast of the West Wing toward the end of the fourth season.

The White House Pro-Am

1. Moira Kelly (Mandy Hampton) does not appear in this episode.
2. When Toby is sitting in his office being informed from Sam that he (Sam) is going to the gym during lunch and then subsequently when Toby is talking and walking with Josh, he's is continuously eating out of a box of "Official White House M&M's". We know these exist from an episode aired later in the series.
3. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Charlie (Dulé Hill).

Six Meetings Before Lunch

1. Aaron Sorkin found Allison Janney lip syncing to Ronny Jordan's The Jackal in her trailer, and wrote it into the episode. Janey was initially doing it too well, and was told to make it more awkward.
2. Referenced in this episode, General Sherman's "Special Order Number 15" was issued on January 16th, 1865, providing 40-acre parcels of land and mules to freed slaves. However, President Andrew Johnson effectively revoked the orders four months later, not four years later as the episode mentions, with the "Amnesty Proclamation" on May 29, 1865.
3. This is the episode where C. J. Cregg lip-syncs to "The Jackal", a song from the Ronny Jordan album, The Quiet Revolution.
4. Mandy (Moira Kelly) and Toby (Richard Schiff) both vow to get revenge on Josh after he set the two up to have a meeting about the panda bear. However, no such retribution has ever taken place on screen.
5. Sam (Rob Lowe)'s middle name is Norman.
6. The staff making a big deal about C.J. (Allison Janney) singing "The Jackal" is similar to another of Aaron Sorkin show's episode plot. In the Sports Night (1998) episode "Sports Night: Dear Louise (1998)" the staff of the show makes a big deal about Dana (Felicity Huffman) drinking Margaritas and singing "Boogie Shoes."
7. President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) tells Charlie (Dulé Hill) that George Washington copied down the rules of civility at age 14. However, George Washington was only 13 when, in 1745, he jotted down a lengthy set of social rules in his school workbook.
8. Michael O'Neill is uncredited as Secret Service Agent Ron Butterfield.
9. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J. (Allison Janney)

Let Bartlet Be Bartlet

1. The book Josh Lyman carries with him during the first half of the episode is "A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government" (1999), by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, journalist, and historian Garry Wills.
2. Since Mandy (Moira Kelly)'s memo is a work product of her contract with Russell, it would be owned by him, and therefore she could not legally show it to the Bartlet administration. (She could, however, create a new memo for them which said essentially the same thing.)
3. Sam (Rob Lowe) says that he got the weather update from a Coast Guard First Lieutenant, but there is no such rank. The Coast Guard follows Navy ranks which would be either a Lieutenant or a Lieutenant Junior Grade.
4. In one scene, Josh (Bradley Whitford) is seen carrying a copy of A Necessary Evil, a book on the history of distrust in the American Government. According to a review for the book, "In A Necessary Evil, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills shows that distrust of government is embedded deep in the American psyche. From the revolt of the colonies against king and parliament to present-day tax revolts, militia movements, and debates about term limits, Wills shows that American antigovernment sentiment is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our history. By debunking some of our fondest myths about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and the taming of the frontier, Wills shows us how our tendency to hold our elected government in disdain is misguided.". Based on the "errand" that Josh is running during this episode, the book is well-placed and timely.
5. In one scene, Josh (Bradley Whitford) is seen carrying a copy of A Necessary Evil, a book on the history of distrust in the American Government. According to the description on the amazon.com page for the book, "In A Necessary Evil, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Garry Wills shows that distrust of government is embedded deep in the American psyche. From the revolt of the colonies against king and parliament to present-day tax revolts, militia movements, and debates about term limits, Wills shows that American antigovernment sentiment is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our history. By debunking some of our fondest myths about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and the taming of the frontier, Wills shows us how our tendency to hold our elected government in disdain is misguided.". Based on the "errand" that Josh is running during this episode, the book is well-placed and timely.
6. Sam (Rob Lowe) attempts to assure Toby (Richard Schiff) that it will not rain before President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) gives his speech based on a report he received from First Lieutenant Emily Lowenbrau (Jacqueline Kim) of the US Coast Guard. Although "First Lieutenant" is not a Coast Guard rank, it is in fact a billet and position title, held by the officer in command of the deck department.
7. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).

Mandatory Minimums

1. The last Congressman on Leo McGarry's list at the outdoor restaurant is "Sugarbaker", a reference to Suzanne Sugarbaker of "Designing Women" and its spin-off "Women of the House" where the character was elected to Congress.
2. One of the congressmen on Leo's list is Stackhouse who will be the subject of an episode in Season 2 when he filibusters Congress
3. Although it is well established that Toby (Richard Schiff) is no longer married, he can clearly be seen wearing a wedding band. (Richard Schiff said he purposely wore a wedding band even though Toby was divorced. This was his way of showing that the character wasn't ready to accept being divorced.)
4. Leo (John Spencer) holds a breakfast meeting with senior staff at the Iron Gate Inn, as seen on the menus used in the scene. Although there is no "Iron Gate Inn" in Washington, DC, there is an "Iron Gate Restaurant" on N St NW, which has an outdoor patio similar to the fictional restaurant used in the scene. Directly across the street from the real Iron Gate Restaurant is the Tabbard Inn, which also features a visually similar outdoor patio eating area. It is very likely that the producers came up with the "Iron Gate Inn" name by merging these two restaurant names.
5. The episode opens with the President giving a speech at the "Sheraton Centre Hotel" in Washington DC but there is no such hotel.
6. C.J. (Allison Janney) was actually correct to say that the President was under no legal obligation to appoint a Democrat and a Republican. Though 2 U.S.C. § 437c(a)(1)-which has since been editorially reclassified as §30106 of Title 52, Voting and Elections-does state that no more than three members of the FEC may be affiliated with the same political party, it does not require that all the members be either Republicans or Democrats. President Bartlet could have legally appointed someone affiliated with a third party to either or both of the open seats.
7. When Toby (Richard Schiff) is walking back to his office from the press room with his ex-wife, the ex-wife's tag and chain keeps changing through the entire sequence. Sometimes it's over her jacket and the tag's just hanging or it's under the jacket and the tag is sitting just inside her jacket.
8. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).
9. At the party, Donna (Janel Moloney) runs off when she sees Matthew Perry. Matthew Perry later guest starred as Joe Quincy, whom Donna was very attracted to.

Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

1. CJ (Allison Janney)'s fish bowl decoration is a telephone.
2. The full saying referenced in the title of the episode is "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies, and statistics." The phrase was made popular in the United States by Mark Twain, among others.
3. Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe ) mentions watching people sculling on the Potomac. Rob Lowe starred in Oxford Blues (1984). Sculling was a major activity of his character in that movie.
4. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Charlie (Dulé Hill).

What Kind of Day Has It Been

1. The last episode of the first season of all three of Aaron Sorkin's TV shows (The West Wing (1999), Sports Night (1998), and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006), as well as the series finale of The Newsroom (2012) is entitled "What Kind of Day Has It Been?"
2. During the taping of the final scene, Jorja Fox's foot was run over by one of the limousines. She continued working on the scene until Aaron Sorkin was informed by the driver of the car that her foot had been run over. She was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken foot before returning to work. According to Sorkin, Fox apologized and said that it was her fault for missing her mark.
3. In this episode Charlie tells Josh 'you're right, it doesn't go away'. This is not explained in the episode. It references episode 3, the one where they first hire Charlie. At the end of that episode, Charlie tells Josh (as the President is about to address the nation) 'I've never felt like this before'. Josh replies 'It doesn't go away'. The statement by Charlie in this episode is a direct reply to this.
4. The Space Shuttle Columbia, which Toby (Richard Schiff)'s brother is on and has technical difficulties in the episode, would go on to disintegrate upon re-entry on February 1st, 2003, killing all seven crew members on board.
5. Martin Sheen is seen drinking out of a University of Dayton Flyers coffee mug. Sheen grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He has said that he failed his entrance exam there so he could pursue acting. He likes to give shout outs to his hometown from time to time.
6. You clearly see a secret service agent grab CJ (Allison Janney) and push her down in one shot. In the next scene, you see Sam (Rob Lowe) taking her down, not the secret service agent.
7. Jed (Martin Sheen) and Fitz (John Amos) discuss how the eagle in the great seal faces the arrows during times of war, which conflicts with Harry S. Truman's 1945 Executive Order 9646 that the eagle must always face the olive branch.
8. CJ (Allison Janney)'s fish bowl decoration: The Space Shuttle, (one of the subplots of the episode is a problem on the shuttle mission Toby (Richard Schiff)'s brother is on).
9. President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) mentions the 1972 Presidential Election, which means the change in election years must have happened sometime after this.
10. "Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam (Rob Lowe).
11. Aaron Sorkin took the title for this episode from the Sports Night (1998) season one finale, Sports Night: What Kind of Day Has It Been? (1999), he also later used it as the title for the finales of Studio 60 and The Newsroom.
12. The title of this episode, "What Kind of Day Has It Been?" is also uttered by Leo (John Spencer) in the episode "Commencement."
13. 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.
14. Last appearance of Moira Kelly's character Mandy before she disappears from the show. No mention of her character is made beginning from this point until the end of the series.
15. This episode talks about complications on board the space shuttle Columbia. Three years after this episode the actual space shuttle Columbia would tragically disintegrate on its 28th mission during re-entry on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
16. This is the last we see Mandy Hampton (Moira Kelly) during the prep with the President. She never appears or is even mentioned again.