"Can we clear up a few things about my level of interest in the
revolving door of local gomers that you see in the free time that you
create by not working very hard at your job?" ~Josh
While there are no clear cut relationships on West Wing (save for Jed/Abbey and Charlie/Zoey) there are plenty of pairings that not only define friendsips, but leave the viewers yearning for more. Here you can take a look at the close bonds of best friends, and those couples that might be something more.
Pick a relationship: Josh and Donna/CJ and Josh/Sam and Ainsley/POTUS and FLOTUS/CJ and Toby/ Bartlet and Leo/Bartlet and Charlie/CJ and Danny
Intro: Many people consider this to be the most intriguing relationship on the show, comparing them to Mulder and Scully. Well, the old Mulder and Scully, not the grossly out-of-character jerks on the show now. But, I digress. Aaron Sorkin is hinting at a relationship, and the shippers run around frantically gobbling up any scene they can.
Beginnings: The beginning of Josh and Donna's relationship is shown in a flashback during "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II" (Season 2, Episode 2) The Bartlet campaign is in New Hampshire, and Donna.. well... Donna hires herself. Josh finds her answering his phone in his cubicle, and upon questioning why shes there, he finds out that she dropped out of college to pay for her boyfriends medical school, and then proceeded to dump the boyfriend. She feels that she can be of some help to Josh. Josh proceeded to let her answer the phones, and the rest they say, is history. Its a very cute scene... words don't do it justice.
Important Moments and Quotes:
"In Exclesis Deo" (Season 1, Episode 10) To put it simply, Josh is forced to go with the President to a rare book store, and buys Donna a Christmas present.
Donna: Heimlich Beckengruber on The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing.
Josh: It's got a molted calf cover and original drab boards.
Donna: I don't know what to say.
Josh: I wrote a note inside. ::Donna starts to read, gets tears in her eyes:: Donna, don't get emotional. Donna, don't get.. let's try and maintain some kind of professionalism here..
Donna: Ya' see!? You spend most of our time being, you know, you. Then you write something like this to me. ::hugs Josh:: Thank you.
Josh: I meant it.
A big WW mystery has been what Josh actually wrote to Donna in the book.
"Noel" (Season 2, Episode 10) In this episode, Josh confronts his PTSD after smashing his hand through a window. Donna is the one who realizes something is wrong, and accompanies him to the hospital on Christmas Eve. (Again, this does the episode absolutely NO justice. Its much more powerful than these three sentences.)
Josh: "Victory is mine! Victory is mine! Great day in the morning, people, Victory is mine! I drink from the keg of glory! Donna, bring me the finest bagels and muffins in the land."
Donna: "This is going to be an unbearable day."
~"Post Hoc Ergo Procter Hoc"(Season 1, Episode 2)
Josh: "I'm just sayin', if you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for a beer."
Donna: "If you were in an accident I wouldn't stop for red lights."
~"17 People"(Season 2, Episode 18)
Joey Lucas, to Josh: "If you polled a hundred Donnas and asked them if they think we should go out, you'd get a high positive response. But the poll wouldn't tell you it's because she likes you and she knows it's beginning to show and she needs to cover herself with misdirection."
~"The War at Home"(Season 2, episode 14)
Donna: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Josh. You know what that means? It means you should take this time to gather rosebuds 'cause later on you might not be able to.
Josh: Interpreting the classics with poet laureate Donnatella Moss.
~"20 Hours in LA" (Season 1, Episode 16)
Continuing the lecture on relationships and friendships, we move onto:
Intro: Most Wingnuts view this as a friendship, a very good friendship, and nothing more. Some, like yours truly, believe they should get together. Either way, these two are fun.
Beginnings: Not much is known about how CJ and Josh met, although it is hinted that they met during the campaign. ("In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Parts I and II" Season 2, Episodes 1-2) During this time, they became close, and pretty much consider each other as best friends.
Important moments and quotes:
Josh: "You know what, C.J., I think I'm the best judge of what I mean, you paranoid Berkely shiksa feminista! (beat) Well that was way too far."
C.J.: "No, no. Well, I've got a staff meeting to go to and so do you, you elitest Harvard fascist missed-the-Dean's-list-two-semesters-in-a-row yankee jackass!!"
Josh: Feel better getting that off your chest there, C.J.?"
C.J.: "I'm a whole new woman."
~"A Proportional Response" (Season 1, Episode 3)
Josh: "C.J., an NSC staffer gave me a card with instructions on it for what I'm supposed to do in event of a nuclear attack. They want me up in the plane or down in a bunker. They don't want you or Sam or Toby for that matter. I didn't want to be friends with you and have you not know."
C.J.: "Josh have you been upset about this?"
Josh: "Yes."
C.J.: "You're very sweet sometimes, you really are."
~"The Crackpots and These Women" (Season 1, Episode 5)
Josh: "What the hell happened?"
CJ: "I had woot canaww."
Josh: "What happened to your cheeks?"
CJ: "I had woot canaww."
Josh: "Why are you talking like that?"
CJ: "I had woot canaww!"
Josh: "Yeah, I heard you the first time, I was just amusing myself." ~Celestial Navigation (Season 1, Episode 15)
Josh: "You're a class act."
CJ: "Why were you holding women's underwear before?"
Josh: "Never really needed a reason to..."
~"The Leadership Breakfast" (Season 2, Episode 11)
Intro: The newest pairing on the show, Sam and Ainsley are constantly fighting. But inbetween that fighting there are moments of love. Yes, love. Just because she's a Republican doesn't mean they can't get together.
Beginnings: Sam and Ainsley's first meeting was in "In This White House" (Season 2, Episode 4) They were appearing on the TV show Capital Beat, a political mumbo-jumbo talk show. Sam had been on the show many times before, and "they wouldn't keep sending him back if he wasn't wiping the floor with whoever sat in that chair." Enter Ainsley, stage left. The topic? Education. Sam makes a point about textbooks in Kirkwood, Oregon, and Ainsley smacks him down hard, ending with the fact that Kirkwood is in California, not Oregon. In one of the funniest openings of the show, Sam says "Please, oh please let them not be watching." Cut to Josh running towards Toby's office. "Toby come quick! Sam's getting his ass kicked by a girl!" Toby runs out, yelling "Ginger, get the popcorn!" Cue the theme music.
Important Moments and Quotes:
"And It's Surely to Their Credit" (Season 2, Episode 5)- It's Ainsley's first day on the job, and she is sent to talk to two Republicans on the Hill. The meeting doesn't go well, and they send dead flowers to her office, with a notecard reading "Bitch." Sam sees this, and goes to the Hill in a rage. "When I write things, I sign my name. ::picks up a notepad and scribbles, turns it around:: 'Youre Fired. S. Seaborn.'" Later, the whole gang is in Ainsley's office, ready to meet and greet her.
Sam: "You reversed my position."
Ainsley: "It's shorter."
Sam: "It is shorter, and you reversed my position."
Ainsley: "Your position was wrong."
~The Lame Duck Congress (Season 2, Episode 6)
Sam: "I flat-out guarantee you that if men were biologically responsible for procreation, there'd be paid family leave in every Fortune 500."
Ainsley: "Sam, if men were biologically responsible for procreation, they'd fall down and die at the first sonogram."
~17 People (Season 2, Episode 18)
Intro: What can I say? POTUS and FLOTUS, The President and The First Lady, Jed and Abbey. These two have been through a lot, including 3 children, a campaign, an assassination attempt, and now the MS announcement.
Beginnings: Well, gee.. They're married. I guess in this case, it's more like "Where are they going now?" And I really can't say.
Important Moments and Quotes:
FLOTUS: "Blood Pressure 120/80."
POTUS: "Who cares??? It's been 14 weeks!! Do these curtains close?"
FLOTUS: "Not here, Jed!"
POTUS: "Yes, yes. You're right..... WHERE?"
FLOTUS: "How about our bedroom?"
POTUS: "New Hampshire is an hour and a half away by plane; I don't think I have that kind of time."
FLOTUS: "How about our bedroom in the residence?"
POTUS: "Yes!!! We have a bedroom right here in the building. That was so smart!"
FLOTUS: "Yes."
POTUS: "Let's go!"
FLOTUS: "Jed!!"
POTUS: "What?"
FLOTUS: "Korea? Plutonium?"
POTUS: "Oh God..... I hate plutonium!"
~"And It's Surely to Their Credit" (Season 2, Episode 5)
Bartlet: I could jump you right now.
Abbey: I could kill you right now.
Bartlet: My thing's more fun.
~"He Shall, From Time to Time.." (Season 1, Episode 12)
Abbey: We had a deal!
Bartlet: Right now...
Abbey: You made a promise. We made a deal!
Bartlet: Abbey.
Abbey: When did you decide you were going to run for a second term?
Bartlet: That's not what tonight's...
Abbey: That's ALL that tonight's speech was about. [long pause] You kicked off your reelection campaign and I'm sitting here eating a sandwich cause we had a deal!
Bartlet: That was three years ago.
Abbey [nods]: Yeah.
~"Bartlet's Third State of the Union" (Season 2, Episode 13)
Abbey: We had a deal!
Bartlet: Yes -we had a deal.
Abbey: . . .Yes Jed. Look at me! Do you get that you have M.S.?
Bartlet: Abbey--
Abbey: Do you get that your own immune system is shredding your brain --and I can't tell you why? Do you have any idea how good a doctor I am and that I can't tell you why?
Bartlet: I've had one episode in two years.
Abbey: Yes. But relapsing-remitting M.S. can turn into secondary progressive M.S. -oftentimes ten years after the initial diagnosis-which is exactly where we'll be in two years. Do you know what that's going to look like when it happens?
Bartlet: I know what it's going to --
Abbey: Fatigue. . .an inability to get through the day.
Bartlet: Look--
Abbey: Memory lapses, loss of cognitive function, failure to reason, failure to think clearly-and I can't tell you if it's going to happen. I don't know if it's going to get better I don't know if it's going to get worse. But we had a deal. And that deal is how you justified keeping it a secret from the world. It's how you justified it to God. It's how you justified it to me.
~"The War at Home" (Season 2, Episode 14)
CJ: Why did you go to Notre Dame?
Bartlet: I wanted to become a Priest.
CJ: Really?
Bartlet: Yeah.
CJ: What happened?
Bartlet: I met Abbey.
~"The Portland Trip" (Season 2, Episode 6)
Intro: According to your all-knowing professor, this is the strangest faction of Wingnuts. The people who want to see CJ and Toby together are just WEIRD. But, to each person their own... and I guess I can see where they're coming from. Anyways, moving on.
Beginnings: It was Toby that got CJ to work for Bartlet's Administration in the first place. We see this in "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II" (Season 2, Episode 2). CJ has just gotten fired from her job in LA, and Toby is at her house waiting for her. After falling in the pool, CJ is asked by Toby to join the campaign as Press Secretary. She agrees, and they go off to New Hampshire.
Important Moments and Quotes:
CJ: "You so wanna make out with me right now."
Toby: "When don't I?"
~"Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" (Season 2, Episode 16)
Toby: C.J., no leaks. If the name of this nominee is leaked out before I want it to be leaked out, I'm gonna blame you, and you're gonna find that unpleasant.
C.J.: I got to tell you something, Toby. You're hot when you're like this.
~"The Short List" (Season 1, Episode 9)
CJ: "Avert your eyes!"
Toby: "What?"
CJ: "I'm climbing out of the pool, my clothes will be clingy, avert your eyes!"
Toby: "CJ, I really didn't come here..."
CJ: "Avert your eyes!!"
Toby: "Ok."
~"In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II" (Season 2, Episode 2)
Intro: These two are more than colleagues, they are best friends. Besides, Leo just about runs the damn country anyways.
Beginnings- Well this is simple. These two have been friends for over 40 years, and it was Leo that convinced Bartlet to run for office in the first place. In return, Leo was appointed Chief of Staff.
Important Moments and Quotes:
Bartlet: You got a best friend?
Tribbey: Yes, sir.
Bartlet: Is he smarter than you?
Tribbey: Yes, sir.
Bartlet: Do you trust him with your life?
Tribbey: Yes, sir.
Bartlet: That's your Chief of Staff.
~"He Shall, From Time to Time.." (Season 1, Episode 12)
Leo: Because I'm tired of it year after year after year after year having to chose between the lesser of who cares? Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly look at it. They say a good man can't get elected President. I don't believe that, do you?
Bartlet: And you think I'm that man.
Leo: Yes.
Bartlet: Does it matter that I'm not as sure?
Leo: Nah. Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you. Put it another way, fake it till you make it. You did good tonight.
Bartlet: Yeah.
Leo: This is the time of Jed Bartlet, old friend. You're gonna open your mouth and lift houses off the ground. Whole houses, clear off the ground...
~"In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I" (Season 2, Episode 1)
Leo: Jed, of all the things you could've kept from me...
Bartlet: You haven't called me "Jed" since I was elected.
Leo: Why didn't you tell me?
Bartlet: Cause I wanted to be the president.
Leo: That wouldn't have stopped me from getting you here. And I could've been a friend.
Bartlet: You've been a friend.
Leo: But when it was time to really--
Bartlet: I know.
Leo: When I was lying on my face in the motel parking lot, you were the one I called.
Bartlet: When you stood up there today, I was so proud. I wanted to be with you.
~"He Shall, From Time to Time.." (Season 1, Episode 12)
Bartlet: Did you have a drink yesterday?
Leo: No sir.
Bartlet: Are you gonna have one today?
Leo: No sir.
Bartlet: That's all you ever have to say to me.
Leo: You know it's gonna make things very hard for a while.
Bartlet: You fought in a war, got me elected, and you run the country. I think we all owe you one, don't you?
~"The Short List" (Season 1, Episode 9)
Intro:These two have a relationship that has many levels to it. Charlie is not only the President's body man, but also somewhat of a surrogate son. Also, to complicate matters even more, Charlie is going out Zoey, the President's daughter.
Beginnings: Charlie was hired by Josh in "A Proportional Response" (Season 1, Episode 3) after he applied for a messenger job. Despite a rocky initial meeting with the President (He was having a bit of a day.) Charlie agreed to help them out and has been by Bartlet's side ever since.
Important Moments and Quotes:
Charlie: Mr. President- You said you read the
phoenix report-
Bartlet: What!?
Charlie:You said you read the phoenix report in your private study last night sir.
Bartlet: What of it? Who is this?
Mrs. Landingham: Have a steward go the presidents study, have him look under the papers on the coffee table.
Josh: Mr. President, this is Charles Young-
Bartlet: I dont have anytime for
new people now!
~"A Proportional Response" (Season 1, Episode 3)
Bartlet: Excuse me Charlie, can I see you inside please? Cmon, its okay. Im Jed Bartlet.
Charlie: Im Charles Young.
Bartlet: But you prefer Charlie, right? Listen, Leo McGarry filled me in on the situation with your mother, Im so very sorry. I hope you dont mind but I took the liberty of calling Tom Connolly, the FBI Director. We had the computer spit out some quick information, you're mother was killed by a Western .38 Revolver firing KTWs, or what are known as Cop Killer bullets, now we have not had a whole lot of success banning that weapon
and those bullets off the streets, but were planning on taking a big whack at it when Congress gets back from recess. So, what do you say, you wanna come help us out?
Charlie: Yes sir, I do.
~"A Proportional Response" (Season 1, Episode 3)
Charlie: Mr. President.
Bartlet: What you got, Charles?
Charlie: A winner, Mr. President. The 1985 Kimono Yomada made in Japan with the best materials available.
Bartlet: Lighter weight blade.
Charlie: Which facilitates cutting and reduces user fatigue.
Bartlet: I once test-drove the Komin Yomada.
Charlie: And?
Bartlet: Not wild about it--How about this?
Charlie: Okay, Mr. President. I say this with all possible respect, but each of these knives cut, you know, meat. Why is it important?
Bartlet: Because it's something we pass on. Something with a history so we can say, "My father gave this to me. His father gave it to him, and now I'm giving it to you."
Charlie: Well, okay sir, but if that's true, then why don't you already have one?
Bartlet: I do have one.
Charlie: Why do you need a new one?
Bartlet: I'm giving mine away.
Charlie: To who?
Bartlet: Whom.
Charlie: To whom?
Bartlet: Funny you should ask. Charlie, my father gave this to me, and his father gave it to him, and now I'm giving it to you. Take a look. The fully tapered bolster allows for sharpening the entire edge of the blade.
Charlie: It says, "P.R."I thought I knew all, but I don't recognize the manufacturer.
Bartlet: Yeah. This was made for my family by a Boston silversmith named Paul Revere.
C.J.: Mr. President?
Bartlet: I'm proud of you, Charlie.
Charlie: Thank you, sir. Five minutes in the Rose Garden.
Bartlet:Yeah.
~"Shibboleth" (Season 2, Episode 7)
Intro: This is a relationship that's not really a relationship, and yet it could be considered a relationship. Confused yet? Good, so are we.
Beginnings: Danny first appeared in "A Proportional Response," (Season 1, Episode 3) and was flirting with CJ soon after that. She finally agreed to go to a "business dinner" with him, and there was a period of time where she would randomly grab him and kiss him. However in early Season 2, CJ broke off any kiss-and-run relations, due to the conflicting jobs they have.
Important Moments and Quotes:
CJ: When you flirt with me are you doing it to get a story?
Danny: No.
CJ: Then why are you doing it?
Danny: I'm doing it to flirt with you.
~"The State Dinner" (Season 1, Episode 7)
CJ: Hey, Fish boy. Answer me this, and when you do bear in mind there's a
lot riding on it.
Danny: On what?
CJ: Your answer.
Danny: What's riding on it?
CJ: A date with me.
Danny: Fire.
CJ: Don't you think imposing additional penalties for hate-motivated crimes is a powerful statement by society against tolerance?
Danny: No. A crime is a crime. One murder isn't any better or worse than another.
CJ: Boy, was that the wrong answer.
Danny: Punishing people for their beliefs is, the beginning of the end. Once more you agree with me.
CJ: I don't agree with you.
Danny: Ok.
CJ: Take me out tonight and convince me.
Danny: Excuse me?
CJ: You hear me.
Danny: I didn't, 'cause there was.....I was distracted by a thing.
CJ: I'm not gonna' say it again.
Danny: Ok, then I'm gonna' assume that you asked me out.
CJ: I didn't ask you out. You asked me out about forty-nine times and I'm saying yes to one of them.
Danny: Ok.
CJ: You understand we're having dinner right?
Danny: I understand.
CJ: We're not having a fling.
Danny: I understand.
CJ: This is a business dinner, in fact bring your notebook.
~"In Exclesis Deo" (Season 1, Episode 10)
CJ: So... you have asked me out many times. I have said no.
Danny: You said yes once.
CJ: That was a business dinner.
Danny: Okay.
CJ: Nonetheless, I do seem to have a preoccupation, um, sort of girlish, I suppose, thing, which, um... and please don't be in any way mislead by anything... in fact, let me put it this way...
Danny: CJ, I'm gonna write about the speech tonight. My paper's gonna want to, you know, see it. Is there any way we can move this along?
CJ: I thought what I'd do is kiss you, you know, on the mouth, then I'd just get past it... I'd just get past it, and I'll be able to give my work the kind of concentration it really deserves.
Danny: Okay.
CJ: How's right here?
Danny: That's fine.
CJ: Be careful of the fish.
Danny: Sure
CJ: No, I'm saying cause if you rock against the...
(Danny grabs CJ and kisses her.)
Danny: How's that?
CJ: Oh, good.
Danny: Past it?
CJ: Yeah.
Danny: Good.
CJ: Okay, I got to go now. (CJ takes Gail with her. She heads out.)
Danny: CJ?
CJ: Yeah?
Danny: Taking that fish with you?
CJ: No. (She puts the fishbowl back on the table and heads out. She bumps into the door.)
Danny: Walked into that door there.
CJ: Yes.
~"He Shall, From Time to Time.." (Season 1, Episode 12)
Danny: You know, eventually you're gonna have to go on a date with me; you can't just keep grabbing me and kissing me.
CJ: I didn't grab you...
Danny: Well, you can, like I'll mind or anything...
CJ: I didn't grab you; you grabbed me!
Danny: First time. Second, third and fourth times you grabbed me.
CJ: That's because...
Danny: All week long, just randomly grabbing me and kissing me. Like I said, I applaud the spirit, but I think there's, there's better things ahead. As I'm sure you're about to read.
~"Take out the Trash Day" (Season 1, Episode 13)
CJ: What makes you think I'll like you now?
Danny: I don't know. But as long as you keep grabbing me and kissing me what the hell do I care?
CJ: Good point.
~"Take out the Trash Day" (Season 1, Episode 13)
Danny: I don't have a problem with a reporter dating the Press Secretary.
CJ: Well I do, so...
~"The Lame Duck Congress" (Season 1, Episode 6)
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