Mr. Willis of Ohio

I watched one of my absolute favorite episodes of The West Wing tonight. It’s an early episode, probably from earlier in the first season, the title is the same as that of this post. It’s my favorite episode for many reasons:

  • Mr. Willis, the eighth grade social studies teacher, who is there to vote for his wide that recently passed away.
  • The inane trivia from from the President.
  • Mallory and Zoey bulling the boys into taking them (and teasing them when they get there) to the bar in Georgetown.
  • All the census information.
  • Charlie defending Zoey at the bar when the boys start to harass her at the bar.
  • The explanation of the extra money in the budget.
  • The President’s speech to Zoey as he’s yelling at her.


    It’s the last one that really made it for me. I remember the speech the first time I heard it, it really stuck with me. The President says to Zoey something like: I worry the Secret Service but you totally terrify them, if you get kidnapped they don’t have a President any more, they have an insane father. He then goes on to describe the way in which it would happen in incredible detail. I had no four years later how much they would use the detail from his description when Zoey gets kidnapped, from the flashing lights, to the noisy bar, to the dead agent(s) and the insane father. It takes foreshadowing to a new level, I wonder if they even knew they were going to do it so close to what they wrote way back when.

  • 2 responses to “Mr. Willis of Ohio

    1. The early shows were the best. Two words: Aaron Sorkin

    2. I have to agree with Dave here – the early shows definitely were the best.

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