Jed's Big Sister | The West Wing

[@paulshawley6490]

This actress totally captured how a young Mrs Landingham would speak. Bravo.

[@unfgreen]

Kirsten Nelson

[@McRocket]

Probably because the showrunner/director told the actress how to speak that way.

[@paulshawley6490]

@@McRocket 'telling' and 'doing' are two different things. Give her credit for her craft.

[@2013jpm]

@@McRocket - unnecessarily dickish

[@McRocket]

@paulshawley6490 Fine. But you should give credit to the showrunner/director for properly instructing this actor exactly how to play the character in question. And for writing the lines in the first place. Should you not? You ignorant masses know little/nothing of the creative process. You simply see the actor play a part. And assume they were practically 100% responsible for it. TV/film actors are staggeringly overrated (not stage actors, though). They are told where to stand, how to move, what to say, told EXACTLY how to say it AND are given take after take after take to try and get it right. Yet, they get most of the credit when they deserve little of it. Every actor in The West Wing could have been replaced before it began, and the show would have been every bit as great as it was. Why? Because Aaron Sorkin was the showrunner. And because of the people in his crew. Every actor was completely replaceable - some moreso than others, granted. And I guarantee you there are hundreds of actresses who could have performed this role every bit as good as this actress played it. ☮

[@cwildeman]

Obviously OG Mrs Landingham is top-notch, and definitely one of my favourites, but Young Mrs Landingham absolutely lives up to it. Perfectly cast, and perfectly performed.

[@Pww642]

This one gets me choked up every single time. Her performance is absolutely sublime. Probably my favorite scene from TWW.

[@runyon888]

Must agree cheerfully. But wiping my eyes, because beautifully done wisdom and love.

[@andyh4518]

Reporter: Mr. President, when did you decide to run for reelection? Jed: It was after I had a good conversation with my dead personal secretary. Reporter: We've got some followup questions....

[@bkzone8]

It was when I had a conversation with my dead personal secretary/ big sister...

[@ben86jones82]

Brilliant

[@johneisner4581]

Well written, well acted. Not enough shows like this currently or ever. I miss President Bartlet.

[@Jurgan6]

I like how he says “I’m never been the most popular guy” and they just roll with it. Feels real.

[@blondehog7856]

It’s passé to say at this point but this really is the best episode of TV of all time for my money.

[@leisastalnaker3790]

One of the best episodes of a series ever on TV.

[@vdavis4785]

The episode where Toby arranges for a homeless veteran to be buried at Arlington is up there as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZClg5dnm8qaeNk

[@TesborneTheory]

We are long overdue for a long Mrs Landingham compilation ❤

[@JaneenMintch]

Agree, she was GREAT!

[@daviddempsey8721]

Poignant…She was a precious jewel. This brought a pang to my throat. This show was so great… especially in contrast to the incoming sh1t show. To see where Jed’s people came from is appreciated.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

This scene was soo beautiful.😊

[@titus2120]

Every good man should have a woman like her in their lives…

[@Strathclydegamer]

That little smile between them before “I have M.S” is so touching, in a generally beautiful scene already.

[@VeniVidiVid]

I strongly disagreed with all of the politics in this show, and none of that mattered. It was well written, well directed, and well acted. Such a pleasure to watch.

[@jimhall3032]

I wish that show went on forever.

[@runyon888]

The wisdom and magic and American pride and enormity of our problems, all woven into this brilliantly done series, has given me a new and higher regard for one thousand of the geniuses, from secretly enlightened janitors to canny Presidents, who among all the golem paper-pushers probably do the actual work of running the country in Washington D.C. My patriotic love for President Jed was hard-earned, by fantastic writing, directing, producing, and most of all, performances by some of our best actors. I have never caught anyone acting EVER, except when they're skilfully acting as if they're acting, which they also do perfectly. My favorite character? Just found this series here on YT a year ago; give me five years to decide. Good to see Alan Alda in this role. Perfect casting for Jed. Sets and lighting put me in the White House every time. I love this show.

[@tonycantu3491]

Secretly enlightened janitors like in Good Will Hunting.

[@genegottloeb7281]

Truly, a Great Man, that knew his importance to give back to the World. Not Flaunt his Wealth

[@googoo-gjoob]

The *GREATEST* show in the _History_ of television.

[@soccerlsc11]

Without a doubt!!

[@vargavision]

We still have people like this in our communities.

[@benjaminperez7328]

But not in our politics or government.

[@andrewknox4684]

Man, I miss this series!! The writing and acting is absolute brilliance!!!

[@safebox36]

I lost my grandfather in January and my father in September. I told the latter at his grave on Christmas Eve how I've been getting on with a job hunt since his death, even in death I lied to him and said I was doing fine 😅. You do what you can to cope after a loss. So that if you have the chance to see them again you can show what you've done in their memory.

[@ukstd1]

No-one who writes like that is going to be out of work for long. All the best to you.

[@kerriethompson2073]

I know how you feel. I lost my mom in 2020 and at the time I was unemployed myself. I tired to let her know I was doing fine, but she knew the truth. Fast forward to the present and I’ve been employed two years to the best employer I’ve ever had, and I got to travel to Italy. My dreams are finally coming true, and it kills me that I can’t share them with her. In a way I know she’s with me and she’s proud of me. That’s what you have to tell yourself to the people we love that have passed on. Best of luck to you.

[@karenwagner6880]

Just finished What’s Next - a wonderful read for “Wingnuts” like me!

[@mattlantzy5093]

Top 5 episode of the series

[@scotsam7590]

The got the perfect younger Mrs. Lanningham!

[@derektrebejoa.6381]

One of the greatest episodes oat

[@carlwaring]

Never mind the acting, that's one hell of a 'storm' well created behind them!

[@dr.debbiewilliams]

I really love this show.

[@VisitorAtHome]

When she asks "What are you afraid of?" and you realise that he's afraid of his father hitting him again. If she had known, there's no way Mrs. Landingham would've pushed as hard as she did.

[@henniebogan1966]

Amazing scene!

[@Haydn-ps5rl]

Solid performance UTP ❤💙

[@lionsjourney29]

If you are not acting on this because our principles do not match I can respect that…. But if fear, or lack of interest is holding you back. Then our friendship is not that important.

[@TheStuport]

I miss my sister everyday...but especially around the holidays because she, my Twin Brother and I had December birthdays like Jesus and more importantly, she turned out to be a pretty swell Mrs. Landeingham in her own right when she danced through her life too! ❤

[@McRocket]

Great scene, imo. ☮

[@michaelflyfisher5092]

just OMG!

[@joannejohnson7006]

We are accountable to our ancestors they have a way of alerting us to our purpose

[@genegottloeb7281]

But, not Judged by who our Ancestor's were. That is why America is so Great. Please, let's not blow it Peace, and Health

[@williamfleckles]

The last scene of this episode has Jed presiding over a press conference (over the objections of his staff). He has been told to acknowledge a certain member of the press who will ask him a safe, non-controversial question. He ignores this advice and calls on a different, more aggressive member of the press corps. Sure enough, she asks him if he is going to run for reelection or step aside. Jed shoves his hands in his pocket, turns slightly to the side and smiles....fade to black.

[@charlessteinman2523]

Why haven't we built a world like that world? We're pathetic. -C

[@gu9838]

a shame we may never see presidents like this anytime soon

[@amedeolupi7932]

Thus began my crush on Chief Karen Vick

[@christopherlyons5900]

That's the way to talk. As if the opinions of others matter as much as your own, but you still want to make a case for yours. And you do so with respect, but no tolerance for sloppy thought processes, or moral cop-outs. What we think matters, how we act on it ten times more. And we are never all going to agree. About anything. Which is why we need Democracy. And people to defend it against fools and frauds. Of which there are always many.

[@NoGoodNames20]

I honestly don’t think you can truly decide what the greatest tv episode of all time is. But any conversation about the subject that doesn’t include this episode is automatically fraudulent

[@swainscheps]

Mrs Landingham of New Hampshire who - for reasons science can’t explain - went from a mildly Oklahoma accent in her 30’s to an increasingly thick Chicago accent in her 60’s…having lived in neither location.

[@ianboyle1026]

Accents can change over time simply through re-location. I worked with an English woman once who from her rather clipped accent I took to be from somewhere around Kent. I learned that she actually hailed from Devon, but had spent ten years in New Zealand, where her long, drawn-out west-country vowels had gradually succumbed to the influence of the extremely short vowels of the NZ accent, resulting in a sort of compromise between the two.

[@robertbowles7037]

I watch it and pretend its real

[@TomorowGames]

I did not like this scene. A woman telling a kid to tell his father to ask for a raise. It’s like basically using him. Fight your own battles.

[@JustMe-jc2ft]

You're young. That's your fault. But you'll soon enough be seeing her method with new eyes.

[@ianboyle1026]

It's not nearly as simple as that. This is a feminist activist in a hyper-male work environment, at a time of virtually unquestioned patriarchal values, urging the "kid" (whom she sees as having enormous potential, way more than his father) to campaign for ALL the women on staff to get the pay equity they deserve. If she tries to take the headmaster on herself -- to "fight her own battles" -- she'll just get fired and nothing will be achieved. So she recruits an ally. As for him being a "kid", he's clearly mature beyond his years, and it's not as if she's taking advantage of him.

[@TomorowGames]

@@JustMe-jc2ft If being in my thirties is young, well I'm glad. Her method is what manipulators do, build emotional attachment, then persuade/coerce them. She herself said you need a big sister - built that family attachment then tried to get something out of him.

[@TomorowGames]

@@ianboyle1026 Yeah well if you see further episodes, you see that young jed bartlett got in trouble from his father. She put him directly in the line of fire. It's one thing to guide him to her principles/ideology while he is young and persuade him what is right/wrong vs telling him to go fight his dad to give some employee a raise.

[@ianboyle1026]

@@TomorowGames Yes I know the outcome, and that was something she presumably didn't foresee. But he doesn't seem to have regretted doing it. He (a) learned an important truth about his father (he was a pr*ck); and (b) developed into an activist himself who sticks to his goals in the face of consequences. And the idea that she was "telling him to go fight his dad to give some employee a raise" seriously skews her intent -- it was about a principle, and about giving a *specific class* of employees *equity* , not "some employee a raise". I don't know why you keep arguing as if it was all about her.

[@TheMrfrankclark]

Pompous and overdone

[@cameltanker1286]

Know what's funny? All of those stats that Sorkin threw out there were the results of the policies made by Josiah Bartlet's political party.

[@brunowhitehead8105]

More like Ronald Reagan

[@lancer525]

Know what's really funny? That lie you just told to yourself so that you can try to continue to feel better than everyone else. Tell us, how do you think the leopards are enjoying the taste of your face?

[@casmatt99]

Dude capitalism isn't the result of one party or another

[@cameltanker1286]

@@lancer525 I do feel better than everyone else. No need for lies there. As to the leopards, meat is meat. That being said, I am not being devoured by any fauna of flora at this particular point in time.

[@cz2165]

You are misguided and /or misinformed or just please malevolent .

[@Mark-ke1rj]

God she was so annoying.

[@TheBroz]

No, she wasn’t. At all.

[@MetaMantiss]

Are you lost?

[@casmatt99]

Dumb troll is dumb

[@taylorcostello7913]

If Bartlet was willing to not seek reelection because of her death, and the fact that her position wasn't filled for more than a year, it proves how wrong you are.

[@Mark-ke1rj]

@@taylorcostello7913 that doesn't prove ANYTHING. She was annoying! And her death didn't stop him from doing a damn thing! He even broke his promise to his wife when he sought re-election!