22. I would never let you not let me protect the President. And by the way, that’s the brand of courtesy that you have never extended me.”, Best Episode: And It’s Surely to Their Credit, Best Quote: “I said don’t say that. As psychologist to Josh and then the President, he had a great deal of warmth while maintaining a professional detachment. She’s part of Leo’s family – perhaps not quite a daughter, but at the very least a favorite niece. She ended up as his Executive Secretary (one of the most moving scenes in the series finale was Debbie’s advice to her) and - surprise! 24. Reporter Chris (Mindy Seeger, 34 episodes, 1999-2005) - She was around from the Pilot to the final season and she was one of the more assertive reporters. Noteworthy Episode: He may ultimately spend more time with the President, but there’s no question that “Noel” is his finest appearance on the show. I don’t know the words to my national anthem. The chief of staff assists the President of the United States in many duties, including as a formal member of the Cabinet and often sits with the President in the Situation Room. We would be … Probably her biggest appearance is when she’s giving a White House tour in “The Lame Duck Congress” and Toby interrupts her to tell everyone they’re going to die. But her integrity (not telling why she was fired) and her sass (“Does that come with tights and a cape?”) make her a perfect fit for Bartlet, even if she is a little strange. 5. Their commitment is true, they are righteous, and they are patriots. Noteworthy Episode: “In God We Trust,” which I think is where we see the most of her and where we see more of the different facets of her character. I don’t like the origin story of how she was written into the show, I don’t like her “fortune cookie” feminism, I don’t like how she’s not like other feminists (*sexy wink*), I don’t like how everything she does on the show is framed by her relationship with Josh, I don’t like how she makes asinine judgments about a cocktail waitress for bringing an extra olive to a guy she’s not even dating, and I don’t like how she’s just generally kind of an asshole. We’re huge fans of The West Wing, we’ve seen every episode at least twice, and quotes from the show often work their way into our everyday conversations. I never could get invested in whatever was going on with her and Sam, but her introduction on the show (and Sam’s subsequent humiliation) was pretty unforgettable. Toby, tell me: these people don’t vote, do they?”, Best Quote: “You kicked off your re-election campaign and I’m sitting here eating a sandwich ’cause we had a deal.”, Best Quote: (TIE) “I want to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy and I want to be able to celebrate with them in triumph. FBI Special Agent Michael Casper (Clark Gregg, 8 episodes, 2001-2004) - Like with Ron Butterfield, whenever Mike Casper is on screen I feel like everything’s going to be okay. Cregg, Sam Seaborn, Donna Moss, Charlie Young, and Toby Ziegler, all idealistic heroes from the mind of Aaron Sorkin, became passe, practically extinct, and nowhere to be found in Hollywood. The way he tries to get Vinick to flip on abortion, how gross he is about Helen Santos’s underwear picture … he just has very few likable moments. The West Wing: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability. His petulance at getting fired in Season 7 is understandable, but his entitlement and refusal to accept it (especially his insistence that only Santos has the authority to fire him) is much less endearing. Mallory O'Brien (Allison Smith, 11 episodes, 1999-2006) - Since we didn’t see Leo’s wife at all after she moved out of the house, Mallory was the symbol of Leo’s family and the toll his job took his personal relationships. They’re around and inside the inner circle for some fairly significant meetings (such as the meeting in “Stirred” about whether to replace Hoynes on the ticket in 2002), so they’re clearly trusted members of the staff, even though they’re mostly used as comic relief and no one can seem to remember which is which (hint: in the pic above, Ed is on the left, Larry the right). Education is everything. Because government should be a place where people come together and no one gets left behind. Noteworthy Episode: “Slow News Day,” where she helps Toby with his Social Security project and doesn’t fall for Donna’s quarter-hearted (at most) attempt to spy. Noteworthy Episode: “Opposition Research,” in which Josh may know the politics, but Ronna knows the Congressman. because that’s something that would definitely have changed the dynamic of the primary campaign. What about her conferring with Josh about whether or not she and Matt should remortgage their home to keep the campaign going through Texas? Steve Ryan is great, but I roll my eyes every time his character is on screen. Danny Concannon (Timothy Busfield, 28 episodes, 1999-2006) - Let’s forget about the love interest stuff for a second. It was a great idea to bring him back for the final season to help run Vinick’s campaign, especially as he knew Josh’s weak spots so well, and he never took politics (or political wins or losses) personally, which was nice. Obvious ones two ) the Hubbert Peak, ” where she helps navigate! 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