Review of Manchester Part 2
Written by Toniann
For me, the flashback method of this episode, like last week's was confusing. Maybe I'm just busy jotting down notes or something, but much of the time I'm saying to myself, "Okay, is this a couple weeks ago or now?"
Let me just say that I have a thing about snakes, and I would have been
distracted too. I was pretty tickled, though, at the way CJ and Josh were
nervously trying to edge away from it.
Anyone know what that piece of classical music playing in the president's
bedroom was, at the beginning?
CJ, part one: Frankly, I thought Leo was ridiculously harsh with her. For
one thing, he, the First Lady, and Bartlet himself were rather unrealistic
about the press perception of the Bartlet marriage. This part of their life
is personal and doesn't belong to the press? A la Andrew Shepard in The
American President, I think they need to wake up and realize that the press
has a way of deciding such things for themselves. CJ wasn't trying to be a
marriage counselor; she was trying to present an image. Misdirected anger,
I thought.
CJ, part two: Interesting, I thought, how Nancy (NSA) was quick to defend
CJ, and how Sam was quick to apologize to Leo for defending her (slightly
disappointed in Sam for that, but oh well). The president stayed out of it
and let Leo "run the show" on that one, too. But even the Abby seemed
pissed at CJ-- and I thought we'd established that they were closer than
that. Hmmm.
CJ, part three: (can you tell I'm a CJ fan?) To jump to the end, though,
I loved, loved, loved CJ and Bartlet's scene together at the end. I loved
how she offered her resignation and he didn't argue at first, hurt and mad.
I loved how he launched into a speech about America's problems, as he's
been doing so often these past couple of weeks, and how CJ shut him down on
it, the way no one else has. Not that the things he's saying aren't
important, but I think he's beginning to use that litany as a way to avoid
the less noble, more unpleasant problems with this campaign. I loved that
he admitted how unexpected and hard some of this has been for him. And I
loved that he said he needed her. Thank goodness.
I liked the way this episode basically tore the staff apart and then set
about putting them back together again. Sam voicing his desire for an
apology to Toby, then clamming up about it with Connie. Toby refusing to
tell Doug just how angry he is, too loyal to go down that path. I still
think it's a long road to hoe, but I think the pieces of them will come
back together again. If the scenes for next week are any indication, after
all, there's nothing like facing a Grand Jury to unify everyone against a
common enemy.
Look at the way, after all, that both Sam and Josh are kicking
themselves, saying "I could have fixed this" or "We could have gotten this
done". I think they're all feeling much of the same things and for awhile,
it was tearing them apart. I have a feeling, though, that it'll end up
bringing them together.
Best funny moment of the episode: Margaret reminding Leo that he's not
allowed to make his own appointments. "Do we need to go over the rules
again?" "Get out." "I'll jot that down."
On the other hand, Best one-liner that caused me to laugh out loud:
Toby's "I'm from the United States and suck my..." Toby!
I really liked the scene where Josh told Donna why he's freaking out, and
about how he mishandled tobacco. In lieu of what happened last year
("Noel"), it's good that Josh is talking about it-- and I think it's pretty
natural that the person he'd turn to would be Donna.
The First Lady telling Bartlet that he probably has her vote was
priceless, and her delivery was yet another example of why having Stockard
Channing on the show full-time is a tremendous gain.
"It could be worse. I could have been an astronaut."
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