Noël (The West Wing)

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“Noël”
The West Wing episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 32
Guest stars	Adam Arkin Paxton Whitehead Gregalan Williams Gary Cervantes Daniel von Bargen Yo-Yo Ma
Written by	Aaron Sorkin (teleplay) Peter Parnell (story)
Directed by	Thomas Schlamme
Production no.	226210
Original airdate
Season 2 episodes
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II The Midterms In This White House And It's Surely To Their Credit The Lame Duck Congress The Portland Trip Shibboleth Galileo Noël The Leadership Breakfast The Drop-In Bartlet's Third State of the Union The War at Home Ellie Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail The Stackhouse Filibuster 17 People Bad Moon Rising The Fall's Gonna Kill You 18th and Potomac Two Cathedrals
List of The West Wing episodes

"Noël" is the 32nd episode of The West Wing.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Plot
2 Trivia
3 Quotes
4 External link

[edit] Plot

It is the Christmas season at the White House but Josh is anything but merry. For one thing, the holiday music that Toby insists fill the halls sounds to Josh as though it belongs in a shopping mall. Beyond that, he's being rude to everyone, even raising his voice to the President, something that just isn't done. So Leo orders therapy as it would appear Josh is suffering from the effects of being shot. Meanwhile, C.J. takes interest when an elderly woman on a tour of the White House loses her composure at the sight of a painting. And the President decides that he wants to sign all his Christmas cards—well, maybe just 100,000 of them—personally. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma makes a guest appearance.

[edit] Trivia

While filming the episode, the 2000 Election was taking place and cast and crew were gravitating to watch. Bradley Whitford, a campaigner for the Democratic candidate, commented 'I'd worked hard on the campaign and was very anxious. Thank God it's an episode where I'm supposed to be emotionally discombobulated.

[edit] Quotes

Bernard: The President, on a visit to the gallery, and possessing even less taste in fine art that you have in accessories, announced he liked the painting. The French government offered it as a gift to the White House. I suppose in retribution for EuroDisney. So here it hangs, like a gym sock on a shower rod.

Josh: Donna!
Donna: I have the personnel file for the pilot.
Josh: How did you know I was going to ask you for that?
Donna: I'm tuned to you.
Josh: Seriously.
Donna: I anticipate your every need.
Josh: Yeah, but to be walking by with the guy's personnel file?
Donna: They called me ten minutes ago, Josh--don't be a yutz.

Josh: I can hear the damn sirens all over the building

Leo: How'd it go?
Josh: Did you wait around for me? (beat) He thinks I may have an eating disorder.
Leo: Josh--
Josh: And a fear of rectangles. That's not weird, is it? (beat) I didn't cut my hand on a glass. I broke a window in my apartment.
Leo: This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey, can you help me out?" The doctor writes him a prescription, throws it down the hole, and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole--can you help me out?" The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole, and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey Joe, it's me--can you help me out?" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are you stupid? Now we're both down here!" And the friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out." As long as I got a job, you got a job--you understand?