Written by Carol Flint
Directed by Richard Shiff
“There were SHOTS fired?”
“Yes. But there were geese sighted in the area.”
Thank you, to the people who gave us A Good Day: frankly, it was a beautiful, freaking awesome day! It was glorious storytelling, and my personal favourite episode of The West Wing this season — and that’s saying a lot, considering what we’ve already seen this season.
A Good Day…how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
(1) Jimmy Smits has his BEST EVER outing as Matt Santos, revealing the core of what his type of Presidency would be all about: compromise, cooperation, and a cunning manipulation of the rules, in order to do the right thing. His organization of the Democratic reps, hiding out in the VP’s office, was a classic farce, ripped right out of an episode of I Love Lucy…complete with Santos sitting on the sleeping Donna. The final trimphant march to vote is matched only by the quiet scene between Santos and the rookie congressman, debating the issue of stem cells.
(2) Let Bartlet be Bartlet indeed. He was certainly having a good day…romantically dancing with his wife, making peace with an old academic foe, and handling a press conference with what amounts to old school magic. Martin Sheen, ladies and gentleman…one of the best television actors of our generation.
(3) Toby and children. We should put Toby together with children more often. Especially if they’re smart, pushy, insightful…in other words, exactly like Toby.
(4) Cliff, learning the ropes of his new job. Cliff having a glorious rapprochement with Donna. Cliff and Josh, counterpoints in the same office…it’s all about Cliff. And lest we forget, his final (and very dry) comment to the Speaker at the end of the episode was delivered with just the right amount of panache.
(5) Margaret eating her lunch in front of a cranky Nobel laureate. Two scenes, but they’re screamingly funny.
(6) “We’re still the wild bunch! I just THREATENED the Canadian Ambassador!” The entire Canada/US border issue, with Kate caught in the middle, was gorgeously handled. It’s all about the stupidest possible conflict between the two most peaceful neighbours on the planet…and Kate slowly realizes just how ridiculous and surreal the situation becomes. For god’s sake, she threatened a man in a bow tie with a lisp! 
And watch her reaction to the military assessment of the Montana hunters vs. the Mounties and their armaments…
A Good Day is The West Wing in microcosm: funny, incisive, powerful, sweet, gorgeous. This is a glorious jewel, and something to treasure.
10
