The West Wing Weekly 4.07: "Election Night" Guest: Clark Gregg [Intro Music] JOSH: You're listening to the West Wing Weekly. Welcome back. I'm Joshua Malina. HRISHI: And I'm Hrishikesh Hirway. Today we're talking about episode 7 of season 4, "Election Night". JOSH: It was written by Aaron Sorkin, the story’s by David Gerken and David Handelman, David Handelman, a friend of mine, and it was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. Terrific director with whom I've worked on more than one occasion. It first aired, oh, all I wrote down was that it first aired, and you know what? I feel like that's good enough. [Hrishi laughing] JOSH: You don't care when it aired. It aired in 2002. HRISHI: No, I like knowing that it aired on November 6, 2002, which I think is a nice detail because it lines up with actual election week. JOSH: Indeed. HRISHI: Here's the synopsis from Warner Brothers. The official synopsis. I like this because of the way they talk about you. JOSH: Oh. HRISHI: Well, your character. "On election day Bartlet and his staff begin counting eXit poll votes across the country. In a conservative California congressional district the results have important implications for Sam and a maverick democratic campaign manager, Will Bailey." JOSH: I like the sound of that. HRISHI: "Meanwhile Donna meets an intriguing Navy Lt. Commander, Jack Reese, who has been transferred to the White House as Deputy Military Aide." JOSH: Played by Jack Nicholson impersonator, Christian Slater. Just kidding. If you're listening you're your own man and you're a terrific actor. [Hrishi laughing] HRISHI: When I was watching the episode I thought Christian Slater's voice reminds me of FiveThirtyEight Politics host, Jody Avirgan's voice. JOSH: Ok, maybe, well his eyebrows remind me of Jack Nicholson's. Actually his eyebrows don't remind me of Jack Nicholson's eyebrows. His eyebrows remind me of Jack Nicholson. It's an important distinction. [Hrishi laughing] HRISHI: Right. JOSH: Speaking of Jack Reese, and for those who are parched and need another shot at home, there is a character Captain Jack Ross in A Few Good Men and he's the Marine Judge Advocate assigned to the Washington Navy Yard, and he was played by our guest today in the Original Broadway production of A Few Good Men, Clark Gregg. HRISHI: What did you think of this episode? JOSH: I liked this episode. I mean, my first impression was the first scene, I guess that makes sense. I thought the cold open might be a dream sequence. Like a bad trip that Josh Lyman is having after maybe some Oysters Rockefeller that went bad or something, because, of course, it turns out to be a prank, a rather elaborate prank. And I like the way Lesli Linka Glatter decided to film it. At a certain point she's swooping, we've got a steady cam kind of going around and around giving us the sense of inner turmoil that Brad is in, or Josh Lyman is in, as he meets up with all these voters that seem to have incorrectly voted for the wrong person. It was well done. I guess I forget what a fan of pranking Aaron is. I don't know him in real life to have done much of it, but he writes a good prank. HRISHI: There are lots of pranks in The West Wing. JOSH: Yeah, they're very well thought out. I realized as I watched this episode I really should consult with him. I think I'm good at execution, and sometimes coming up with stuff, but he's like on another level. HRISHI: Yeah. JOSH: I think together we could do fiendish things. HRISHI: It makes me think, is there is anyone you would want as a blood enemy less than Aaron Sorkin? JOSH: Well, no. Given my career, no. HRISHI: Right. [both laughing] JOSH: I can't have him turn against me. What's your macro take on this episode. I'm guessing you didn't like it so much. HRISHI: Oh, I love this episode. JOSH: Oh, I sensed that from the way you asked me, I guess that I don't know you as well as I thought. HRISHI: I liked this episode. JOSH: Yeah, it's a good episode. HRISHI: I wonder if this will surprise you. My favorite parts of this episode are the scenes with Orlando, Anthony's friend. JOSH: Oh, yes, Omar Benson Miller as Orlando Skittles. It's a Ballers reunion. HRISHI: Pre-union. JOSH: It is a pre-union, very good. And of course, Richard Schiff, also on Ballers. HRISHI: EXactly. JOSH: So, it's a three way pre-union. HRISHI: A three pre-union. JOSH: Yes, yeah, of Ballers or Ballser as the correct plural. [Hrishi laughing] JOSH: I enjoy the show Ballers very much and I was delighted to see them together again having never been before. HRISHI: Together again, for the first time. JOSH: Right. HRISHI: Which reminds me of the speech that the president gives. The moment when he goes off the prompter, towards the end. JOSH: Yes. HRISHI: He basically says, "Together again for the first time." He says: [West Wing Episode 4.07 excerpt] PRESIDENT BARTLET: To ensure that the promise of this Country is the birthright of all the people. We've achieved so much together. Always believing, always knowing, that AmeriCa could be made new again. And so it was and so it will be again. God bless you all! [end eXcerpt] JOSH: So you're saying he's talking about Ballers. [Hrishi laughing] HRISHI: Right. He was talking about Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, and Omar Benson Miller... JOSH: As Orlando Skittles. Orlando at one point refers to Charlie as "boss" which I thought was prescient because, in fact, Mr. Siefert, Dulé's character in Ballers, is Charles Greane's boss. HRISHI: You're not ever gonna get off this Ballers thing. JOSH: I'm just trying to drum up business for Ballers. And I like saying "Ballers." HRISHI: Elizabeth Warren did a shout out to Ballers. Did you see that? JOSH: No. HRISHI: It was pretty funny. Yeah, where she said that Ballers was her favorite TV show. [both laughing] JOSH: Where? In what context? HRISHI: On her Facebook page she wrote: "I stand with the Writers Guild of America for fair pay and decent healthcare because it's the right thing to do and because Bruce and I can't wait for the neXt season of Ballers to start." [Josh laughing] JOSH: That's funny! HRISHI: Yeah. JOSH: I like it. HRISHI: That was real. JOSH: I like very much Brad’s pratfall as he smashes into, or walks into, Orlando, it made me laugh. Out loud. [West Wing Episode 4.07 excerpt] CHARLIE: Alright we're gonna have to wait until the seCret serviCe....(smashing) ORLANDO: Whoa, sorry man that wasn't Cool. [end eXcerpt] HRISHI: Did you see that Brad was called Brad Whitfield in the... JOSH: Ah, I can't believe that I didn't amplify that. I love that we have, among our legions of fans are people that are looking to just tee up for me any opportunity to mock Brad. They may be providing him with opportunities to come at me as well, I don't know. They may be working both sides. But, yeah, I had several people point that out to me on Twitter like "Any Comment?". I thought it best to let it speak for itself that, Yes, he was on the red carpet somewhere identified as Brad Whitfield. [Hrishi laughing] HRISHI: Brad's pratfall is so… so this is one of the reason why all of the scenes with Orlando and Anthony are, I don't know, there's something so pure about them. I really love them. They're so sweet and Josh's fall to the ground is great and his reaction as he recovers, but then this line, their eXchange where he says: [West Wing Episode 4.07 excerpt] JOSH: You should play football. ORLANDO: Hey man, I'm trying you know, but I had an open Pabst, and that's the way that goes. JOSH: Yeah. [end eXcerpt] [both laughing] HRISHI: And Josh just says "yeah". JOSH: Yeah. [both laughing] HRISHI: I love that part. I also love when Donna calls Josh "Pumpkin Patch". [West Wing Episode 4.07 excerpt] DONNA: Pumpkin patCh, is there anything I Can do to get you to go to the movies for eight hours? [end eXcerpt] JOSH: Cute. HRISHI: It's really cute. You know who else is cute? Josh Malina! JOSH: Am I cute in this episode? HRISHI: These last two episodes, every time you've come on screen I say "Look at that cutie! Who's that cutie?" [Josh laughing] JOSH: Awwww HRISHI: I watched this episode, as I sometimes do, with the closed captioning on. Just so I can anticipate things that you might say. JOSH: Yes, I do. Always. HRISHI: And there are a couple of things that changed for me because of that. One was that I realized was a word that had kinda slipped by me before stood out this time because I don't know this word. JOSH: Really? HRISHI: Yeah. The president says: [West Wing Episode 4.07 excerpt] PRESIDENT BARTLET: I gotta get baCk. You Can hoCkle Abbey for awhile. [end eXcerpt] HRISHI: I've seen this episode of course many times, but that word had never jumped out at me before the way that it did this time because I don't know what that word is.