Five Votes Down (13 Oct. 1999)

When an admittedly weak gun-control bill the White House has been backing turns out to be five votes short of House passage, Josh makes deals and threats to several Democratic reps, while ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writers:

Aaron Sorkin (creator), Aaron Sorkin (teleplay),

Stars:

Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly, Dulé Hill

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Lowe	...	Sam Seaborn
Moira Kelly	...	Mandy Hampton
Dulé Hill	...	Charlie Young
Allison Janney	...	C.J. Cregg
Richard Schiff	...	Toby Ziegler
John Spencer	...	Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford	...	Josh Lyman
Martin Sheen	...	President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet
Michael McGuire	...	Congressman Cal Tillinghouse
Thom Barry	...	Congressman Mark Richardson
Janel Moloney	...	Donna Moss
Jay Underwood	...	Congressman Christopher Wick
Mark Blum	...	Rep. Katzenmoyer
Sara Botsford	...	Jenny McGarry
Jillian Armenante	...	Leela

Storyline

When an admittedly weak gun-control bill the White House has been backing turns out to be five votes short of House passage, Josh makes deals and threats to several Democratic reps, while Leo appeals to Hoynes for help. Elsewhere, while working the bill, Leo misses his anniversary, which he tries in vain to atone for, but eventually his wife Jenny decides to leave him.

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Plot Keywords:

gun control | government | speech writer | legislation | political dinner | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1999 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 18, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Wells Productions

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

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".

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Goofs

The steadicam and its operator David Chameides can be seen reflected in a pane of glass as Chameides passes Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford during the opening walk-and-talk scene.

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Quotes

Sam Seaborn: Where you going?
Josh Lyman: Where *you* going?
Sam Seaborn: I was following you.
Josh Lyman: I was following you.
[awkward pause]
Josh Lyman: All right... don't tell anyone this happened, okay?
Sam Seaborn: Yeah.

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Soundtracks

"West Wing Main Title"
(uncredited)
Written by W.G. Snuffy Walden
Performed by Pete Anthony

User Reviews

What he pays me for.

This episode endeared me more to the characters. I love how they fight so hard for a bill that they know isn't even what they really want, because they have to save face and get what they can. Just seems so fruitless, its hard not to feel for them. Then they don't even get to enjoy what little victory there would've been thanks to Hoynes(really speaks to how upset Leo was that he would still go to the VP's AA meeting after that). I swear, after five minutes in politics I wouldn't have a single strand of hair left to yank out in frustration. Just makes me wish they could get a real solid win. And as Josh said,

"Sam, LBJ never would've taken this kind of crap from Democrats in congress. He would've said, 'you're voting my way in exchange for which I might remember you name, pal'."

I wish the other dems. would just get behind their administration. They've made it clear that Bartlet does what he wants whether that goes against party politics or not, but he also always does what he thinks is right. That's better than a Pres. who does something he knows or feels is wrong just because it's what is expected from a democrat. As when Leo is telling Rev. Al in the first episode that Bartlet went around the country trying to convince teen girls not to get abortions, I strongly disagree with that, but I respect him for not acting like a machine that just spits out a leftist's agenda. Josh's meetings with Katzenmoyer and Wick were great though,

"President Bartlet's a good man. He's got a good heart. He doesn't hold a grudge...that's what he pays me for."

"You know, I realize as an adult not everyone shares my view of the world, and with an issue as hot as gun control I'm prepared to accept a lot of different points of view as being perfectly valid, but we can all get together on the grenade launcher! Right?"

Leo's personal stuff brought the episode down a little, just never cared for romantic relationships in my dramas, but the in office scenes were great. Coming off the excellence of A Proportional Response might have also taken some of the shine off this one, but there really are no bad episodes of Sorkin's West Wing.