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"Two Cathedrals"
The West Wing episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 22
Directed byThomas Schlamme
Written byAaron Sorkin
Featured music"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits
Production code226222
Original air dateMay 16, 2001 (2001-05-16)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode and second season finale of The West Wing. It was first broadcast on May 16, 2001.

President Bartlet is beset by memories of Mrs. Landingham as her funeral approaches. Meanwhile, the staff deals with a crisis in Haiti and questions from congressional Democrats regarding Bartlet's health, following his disclosure that he has multiple sclerosis (MS). "Two Cathedrals" is widely considered to be one of the greatest episodes of The West Wing and one of the best episodes in television history.[1][2][3]

Synopsis

Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is talking to two Democrats who are convinced that the White House's cover-up of President Bartlet's multiple sclerosis will be a significant obstacle for Democrats in the House seeking re-election. They ask whether the President will seek re-election, but Leo only says that there will be a press conference that night, and that they should watch.

Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) is preparing the Mural Room for the President's statement when Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) asks if the President is ready, so soon after Mrs. Landingham's death in a car accident at the end of "18th and Potomac". Toby tells him that they have no choice and despite her funeral, they will be proceeding with the plan to publicly address Bartlet's MS. Toby is offered a 'lifeboat' by way of a job offer, but turns it down in a show of loyalty to the President. C. J. Cregg (Allison Janney) gathers reporters from several news agencies in her office to 'leak' information about the President's disease. Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) gives her a brief for a press briefing about an ongoing tobacco lawsuit, but she tells him that with the story the President is about to reveal, even news about an ongoing diplomatic situation in Haiti will be ignored by the press.

Throughout the day, Bartlet revisits his early memories of Mrs. Landingham (Kirsten Nelson) when she was a secretary at the school where he studied and where his father was headmaster.[4] In one flashback sequence, she pushes a young Bartlet (Jason Widener) to challenge his father about pay inequality between women and men working at the school.[5] Mrs. Landingham clearly sees something in Jed, "a boy king ... blessed with inspiration." She comments that if Bartlet won't say anything because he's afraid or can't be bothered, then she doesn't even want to know him. He then puts his hands in his pockets, looks away, and smiles, which Mrs. Landingham understands to mean that he has decided to act, and will talk to his father.

Bartlet and his staff attend Mrs. Landingham's funeral at the National Cathedral. Afterward, a grief-stricken Bartlet remains alone in the Cathedral, railing at God in both Latin, and English. He then lights a cigarette, drops it on the cathedral floor, and grinds it under his foot before angrily declaring that he will not run again: "You get Hoynes!".[6] Later, in the Oval Office, as a pre-season tropical storm rages outside, Bartlet has a vision of Mrs. Landingham (Kathryn Joosten), who tells him that if he isn't going to run because he thinks he won't win or because it will be too hard, she doesn't even want to know him.

Bartlet and his entourage then travel to the State Department to give a press conference on the disclosure of his MS. Shots of the motorcade driving in the rain are intercut with shots in the cathedral, where a janitor finds the extinguished cigarette. Beginning the press conference, Bartlet disregards advice to first call upon a handpicked reporter who will not ask about re-election, choosing instead one who immediately asks if he will seek a second term as President. Bartlet puts his hands in his pockets, looks away, and smiles, indicating his intention to seek re-election.[6]

Production

Writing

Aaron Sorkin was inspired to write the death of Mrs. Landingham into the show after Kathryn Joosten told him that she had auditioned for a role in a pilot episode for another series (CBS's Joan of Arcadia).[7] Sorkin explained how he opted to "embrace the problem rather than just sweeping it away", and find the drama in the opportunity:

"I decided in that moment that, by the end of the season, I wanted to push Bartlet to the place where he would renounce his faith in God—this very devout Catholic."[8]

Sorkin explained that the Latin monologue in the National Cathedral was written in the language in order to avoid censorship by network NBC.[9] NBC initially refused to allow a line where Mrs. Landingham describes the President's father as a "prick". Sorkin explained its use:

"It was the right word and the slightly startling nature of it was really what you needed."[10]

Casting

Casting director Kevin Scott described the process of casting the younger versions of Bartlet (Jason Widener) and Mrs. Landingham (Kirsten Nelson):

"We were looking for Martin Sheen at about 17 and Mrs. Landingham at about 22. That was not easy. It wasn't just about a look, but a quality that each actor has, I wanted to hire actors that would make you say, 'Wow! That is Kathryn Joosten at 22. That is Martin Sheen as a teenager."[11]

C.J. instructs the President to select medical correspondent Lawrence Altman of The New York Times for the first question, although he does not. While portrayed by an actor (Alfred Hurwitz), Altman is the name of the Times' medical correspondent, who for decades reported on the health of presidents and vice presidents.[12]

Lawrence O'Donnell, a writer and producer on The West Wing, was cast as Bartlet's father after impressing Sorkin and Schlamme during a read-through for the episode.[13] Jane Lynch appeared as a reporter in the White House Press Room.[14]

Filming locations

St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware served as young Bartlet's boarding school. It was also the shooting location of Dead Poets Society.[15]

During filming in the National Cathedral, Sheen as Bartlet stubbed out a cigarette on the floor, prompting the Cathedral to ban filming inside the building.[16][better source needed]

Music

"The reason I think the song worked so well in it, [is] the piece was about rising above something for self, and doing something for the collective, and in The West Wing there was always a battle going on between right and wrong."

 — W. G. Snuffy Walden[17]

The episode featured the song "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits. The show's composer W. G. Snuffy Walden explained that Sorkin had specified the use of the song: "There was no question that this song was going to end the show which is really quite rare."[17] Sorkin, however, explained in 2017 that he initially had some reservations about the use of the track:

Driving around in my car trying to work on the episode was really the first time I listened to the words and thought 'this is too good to be true. This is gonna really work well.' And on the one hand I felt like, 'am I handing off the end of the second season of The West Wing to Dire Straits and then saying you guys take it away?' And then I thought, or rationalized, no, that this was all gonna be OK.

— Aaron Sorkin, speaking to The West Wing Weekly about "Two Cathedrals"[8]

Reception

Critical reception

'"Two Cathedrals" is widely regarded as one of The West Wing's best episodes.

  • On Martin Sheen's Inside the Actors Studio episode, host James Lipton remarked that "Two Cathedrals" was "one of the best episodes in the history of American television".[2]
  • In 2009, Entertainment Weekly put the episode on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, hailing it as "the show at its most brilliantly dramatic".[3]
  • In 2009, TV Guide ranked "Two Cathedrals" #40 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[18]
  • In 2018, for its 65th anniversary, TV Guide picked it as the ninth-best episode of the 21st century.[19]

Awards

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
2001 Directors Guild of America Awards[20] Outstanding Directing – Drama Series Thomas Schlamme Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards[21] Best Episodic Drama Aaron Sorkin Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards[22] Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Martin Sheen Nominated
Creative Arts Emmy Award[23][24] Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series Bill Johnson Won
2002 Banff Rockie Award Continuing Series Episode Nominated
Humanitas Prize[25] 60-minute Aaron Sorkin Won (tied)

References

  1. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (May 21, 2014). "10 episodes that show The West Wing was drama first, politics second". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved March 21, 2017. 'Two Cathedrals' is widely held to be one of the show's greatest hours, [...]
  2. ^ a b Weiss, Dov (2017). Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-8122-4835-7. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Lynette; Rottenberg, Josh; Schwartz, Missy; Slezak, Michael; Snierson, Dan; Stack, Tim; Stroup, Kate; Tucker, Ken; Vary, Adam B.; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Ward, Kate (December 4, 2009). "100 greatest movies, TV shows, and more". EW.com. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  4. ^ Challen, Paul (2001). Inside the West Wing: An Unauthorized Look at Television's Smartest Show. p. 78. ISBN 1-55022-468-9. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  5. ^ Owen, Rob (May 16, 2001). "'West Wing' wraps season with dark but moving finale". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b Elber, Lynn (19 May 2001). "For non-Latin speakers, a 'West Wing' translation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  7. ^ Jicha, Tom (July 26, 2001). "West Wing aide did herself in". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. ^ a b "2.22: Two Cathedrals (Part II, with Aaron Sorkin and Kirstin Nelson)". The West Wing Weekly. March 21, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  9. ^ McCabe, Janet (2012). "Politics of quality primetime TV: Network politics and broadcasting context". The West Wing. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 16. ISBN 0814334369.
  10. ^ Rutenberg, Jim (September 2, 2001). "As cable applies pressure, network TV spouts expletives". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  11. ^ Gillespie, Bonnie (November 1, 2001). "Assembling ensembles: From The West Wing to Citizen Baines, CD Kevin Scott has become proficient at identifying that indefinable "it"". Back Stage West.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link]
  12. ^ Altman, Lawrence K. (October 9, 2001). "The doctor's world – very real questions for fictional president". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  13. ^ "The West Wing Weekly 2.22: "Two Cathedrals" (Part 1, with Mary Graham and Lawrence O'Donnell)". The West Wing Weekly. March 14, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  14. ^ Wood, Jennifer M. (October 24, 2014). "35 People you might not realize appeared on The West Wing". Mental Floss. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  15. ^ Potts, Kim (September 2, 2010). "Famous Movie Locations: St. Andrew's School From 'Dead Poets Society' (Middletown, DE)". Moviefone. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  16. ^ "Cathedral Staff Ban Filming After Sheen Smoking Gaffe". Contactmusic.com. May 30, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Brothers in Arms: the sound of The West Wing". BBC Radio 4. BBC Online. September 18, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time: #40-21". TV Guide. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  19. ^ Roush, Matt (April 2–15, 2018). "65 Best Episodes of the 21st Century". TV Guide.
  20. ^ "Honoring Outstanding Directorial Achievement for 2001". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Nominees for 54th Annual WGA Awards". upi.com. January 16, 2002. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  22. ^ "The West Wing". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  23. ^ "Winners at the 53rd Annual Emmys". The Washington Post. November 4, 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  24. ^ Ankeney, Jay (October 17, 2001a). "Bill Johnson's Presidential Editing". TV Technology. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  25. ^ Brownfield, Paul (June 26, 2002). "'Iris' and 'West Wing' Win Humanitas Prizes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
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