One of the funniest lines ever uttered in West Wing. "Well, I'm personal aide to the President. So, my supervisor's a little busy right now looking for a back door to this place to shove you out of"
@@Cha11engerDif this scene took place even 1 season later, Charlie would’ve actually told Jed “This guy wants to lodge a complaint against me. What do you think?”
I love the dialogue in this scene, and the amazing deadpan way Bartlet delivers it! “He’s a good man, a smart man, I think he’d make a very good corporate officer” “Why is he being fired sir?” “Gross incompetence, I’ll be right back”
Rewatching, I noticed how similar Charlie's dialogue is in some cases to Bartlet. And I don't think this is caused by the shared writing staff, I think the president rubs off on Charlie and in some cases vice versa... and it's also a clear sign that Charlie is meant for great things in the future (and admittedly in the present, too!). Ahh, I wish we could get a reboot. But then again, I might end up scorning that wish once I saw how it took shape!
In one of the later episodes, Bartlet is looking for a piece of land to build his Presidential Library on. Charlie tells him they can't use the first choice piece of land because there's a historic barn on it and there's a law in New Hampshire that such structures can't be removed unless destroyed by an act of God. Bartlet goes on a rant asking what kind of stupid hippie state governor signed that bill into law. Charlie says _nothing_ and his face barely twitches. Bartlet rolls his eyes and says "it was me, wasn't it?" "Yes, sir."
But probably a fairly accurate representation of how fast things have to move in a White House, and how many tasks the President has to sweep through, make a couple of statements, and sweep on.
There's something about the way he dips out of the shot after "Gotta go!" that makes me agree with you; the show could play serious as well as farcical, and this was one of the best examples, right up there with the Francis Scott Key key.
"...and you've forgotten that you're addressing a US ambassador!" Charlie had too much class to point out that the President was already referring to him in the past tense.
3:26 God I love this part right here. Bartlett is literally shifting the foundations of the government around one person at a time, and he's more annoyed that his bodyman has been hiding his past.
He's showing the soon to be former ambassador how much he cares about him vs Charlie, with Charlie clearly coming out the winner. The soon to be former ambassador is just a minor problem to be handled and moved on.
Honestly, what over 25 years after it started, I still think that The West Wing, is one of the best, if not the best TV shows ever made. The acting is outstanding from everyone in the cast, the direction, lighting etc is outstanding. But what stands out most, is the utterly sublime writing. I still to this day remember watching the first episode and thinking, this is good, this is interesting throughout the whole thing, till the very end when Martin Sheen walks on in the last 2 minutes and utterly stole the show and I was hooked right then and there.
If there is one problem with the show, it's that it presented a completely false image of how politicians and their staff work, especially in the White House. It's an image that TV shows and films have stuck with for a long time. There's wit, charm, moral complexity, comradeship. There is a high level of competence. This image appeals to the viewers for obvious reasons. The reality would likely be horrifying.
I always have to watch this 2x. Bartlett looks like he's having a ball. I'm sure Martin was thoroughly enjoying himself during this scene. Id give anything to see some bloopers! 😂
I was gonna rewatch the whole series again but when Harris lost, I lost hope in my country. We'll never get back to a time where a guy like Bartlett could be president ever again.
The fact that the guy is sputtering through denials and it's like, "buddy, we got like a half dozen intelligence agencies that can know your whereabouts at all times. You had an affair. Don't play dumb."
It goes beyond that, there are likely staff at those intelligence agencies secretly DEDICATED to figuring out who is having affairs because of how much an intelligence weak point it was during the Soviet era
3:31 West Wing S04E02, Bartlet to Debbie Fiderer: "My powers of deduction are not to be mocked." They keep mocking Bartlet, but he keeps turning out to be right.
Filing a complaint with the guy who's in the process of firing you. That's going to work out so well. Charlie stood there in the sure and firm conviction that he was bullet proof.
The one liners in this video are superb, as was the dialogue throughout this tv show…I loved tuning in to watch back in the day, before streaming platforms and binge watching a series became ‘a thing’. Delayed gratification week to week had its place!! 🐑🐑🇳🇿🇳🇿NZ
One of the things I dont see talked about w/ these scenes is how much Bartlet is running around. Sure we know he does it but unlike the senior staff, he is usually the one staying in the same place while they run around. Always loved these scenes ;)
He knows you're having an affair. He's being very nice to you. He's offering you a higher paying job. He's trying to defend you against public embarrassment. And you come back with, "I never voted for you"??? I get that Bartlet respects his wife, but if my friend's husband was cheating on her, I wouldn't be hiding it and offering the cheater more money...
No; he's trying to save HIMSELF embarrassment for having appointed him as ambassador. He's trying to protect the ambassador's wife. He's trying to avoid scandal in his administration and he's doing it by offering the ambassador a golden parachute so he can fire him without worrying about retribution.
@@retroguy9494 yeah I'm sure if Bartlett could protect himself and the wife any other way he would, I don't imagine he's at all happy about the ambassador profiting
I can STILL remember hearing President Bartlett telling Mr. Mitchell that he wanted him to hire a guy who was going to be fired for gross incompetence and then leaving the room for a few minutes while Mr. Mitchell digested what he just heard! 🤣 I remember laughing in shock as I shook my head thinking ....okay, President Bartlett had another bicycle accident and this time he banged his head rather than injuring his ankle! 😂
My favourite bit is before this, when the musical chairs are explained to Jed and he goes to suggest that they continue the process until he can retire
One of my favorite scenes! Give credit to all the actors, but especially Cochran … who with very few lines… still managed to convey a slimly, pompous, racist, ass….. haha. That’s good acting!
How many people got involved in politics because of this show? Miss the classy dialogue, miss the filler episodes, miss the corridor walk. Now I find out Lawrence O'Donnell was a writer for this show, I love it more.
The entire show was like this while Aaron Sorkin was writing. Once he was sacked (end of 4th season), the quality went downhill a bit, because very few people can write dialog the way Sorkin can. If I had one complaint, it was the Big Shakeup. Every season starts with the entire staff totally disorganized, out of sync, and a bit out of touch. As the season progresses, they get better and more organized, and they rise to the challenge(s) of that season. Then at the end of the season, some catastrophe happens-- someone dies, something major goes terribly wrong, and they start the next season totally disorganized. Done once or twice, it's brilliant. Barrett's conversation with God, or the scene where he walks into the room, totally soaked, and is asked "Mr. President!! Are you going to run again?", only to respond "Yes. And I'm going to win". These scenes were brilliant, and in my mind defined entire seasons. But they over did it, and by the last season, it seemed formulaic.
Charlie wasn't mocking him, he was being discreet as the President realised as soon as Cochran suggested Charlie had said something to do with him being fired. Charlie couldn't have said anything prior to the meeting as he knew that might look like he was trying to influence Mr President.
@@carlwaring That's right Homer. I'm so glad that my simple explanation has helped you to finally understand the political machinations at play in this scene. You know, if you were to try walking upright and with your back straight, there would be no need for you to drag your knuckles through the dirt.
Bartlet could care less about that guy. He was trying to save his OWN administration embarrassment by offering the guy a golden parachute which would more or less keep his mouth shut so there would be no fear of retribution and scandal.
*Please GOD* give me a President -- Democrat or not -- for which I can adjudge him/her{!} worthy of my political affections and _respect._ Jebadiah Bartlett will do fine.
I have not seen this show outside of a few clips. I can already tell every consecutive "yes sir" was filled with so much venom, it could kill an elephant in seconds. Or spawn several movie sequels that are just as unnecessary as the original.
@@stars9084 I got the vibe the club was segregated oh of course not officially but it seemed like one of those old fashion gentlemen clubs where you need an invitation to join and "coincidentally" no black person was ever invited to be a member kind of thing. Everyone knew it but no one said anything out loud. Maybe he resigned because someone said the quiet part out loud or so he could join the Bartlet Administration.
@@joec9693 Agree with you. Some of the comments on here would never come close to a fraction of Bartlett's powers of deduction. There most likely WAS an incident at the club re: segregation as the subject matter. And Charlie was privy to it, hence the ambassador remembered him. Visually at first, and due to the import of the situation, also recalled his name. No breaking of "reality" in this scene. Performed realistically and with perfection.
I still wish politics worked the way it did on TWW, perhaps now more than ever. That show was the equivalent of porn fantasy for the political junky: it’s obviously fake, but even so it does manage to get the job done.
“Thanks for trying, here I am anyways” I love his quips 😂
'I never voted for you.' LOL Having held elected office myself, I've heard that more than once from people I had to work with!
No joke, as fine of a comeback anyone could ever dish out.
LOL. “Gotta go.”
And that dumb smirk on Cochran's face, as if he was delivering a deep, hurtful remark, makes Bartlet's retort all the sweeter! 🤣
This might seem a picayune point, but Sheen actually says "anyway," not "anyways." The character's articulateness was always an important trait.
One of the funniest lines ever uttered in West Wing.
"Well, I'm personal aide to the President. So, my supervisor's a little busy right now looking for a back door to this place to shove you out of"
best line I remember
"But I'll let him know you'd like to lodge a complaint." Best quip.
@@Cha11engerDif this scene took place even 1 season later, Charlie would’ve actually told Jed “This guy wants to lodge a complaint against me. What do you think?”
I did an honest-to-god spit take. That's so funny.
I love the dialogue in this scene, and the amazing deadpan way Bartlet delivers it!
“He’s a good man, a smart man, I think he’d make a very good corporate officer”
“Why is he being fired sir?”
“Gross incompetence, I’ll be right back”
Rewatching, I noticed how similar Charlie's dialogue is in some cases to Bartlet. And I don't think this is caused by the shared writing staff, I think the president rubs off on Charlie and in some cases vice versa... and it's also a clear sign that Charlie is meant for great things in the future (and admittedly in the present, too!). Ahh, I wish we could get a reboot. But then again, I might end up scorning that wish once I saw how it took shape!
@JB-xl2jc in my mind, given how connected Charlie is to his roots and neigbourhood, I can see him as Mayor of DC.
@@rudolphclancy8293 Federal judge, maybe even a Supreme Court justice one day
It's pretty disappointing that we never see how he convinces the guy that gross incompetence is nothing to worry about.
Hbydn y
Dule Hill manages to convey contempt, mischief, humour and contrition all through the same simple phase “ yes sir”. Tremendous
The original "I am Groot".
@@ajohnson153 Marvel and The West Wing, the crossover we never knew we needed! 😂
I will always love Burton Guster
You know that's right!
@@ajohnson153Pokémon did it first
The many ways to say "Yes Sir" Dulé Hill is a master.
In one of the later episodes, Bartlet is looking for a piece of land to build his Presidential Library on. Charlie tells him they can't use the first choice piece of land because there's a historic barn on it and there's a law in New Hampshire that such structures can't be removed unless destroyed by an act of God. Bartlet goes on a rant asking what kind of stupid hippie state governor signed that bill into law. Charlie says _nothing_ and his face barely twitches. Bartlet rolls his eyes and says "it was me, wasn't it?"
"Yes, sir."
I just love it when Jed is in a cheeky mood. He can rain fire down even he needs to but when the cheeky side comes out, it's always funny.
Martin Sheen ‘s acting and Aaron Sorkin’s writing = brilliant
Each "Yes, sir" line is so loaded with meaning. Brilliant.
There's something so Looney Tunes about President Bartlet in this scene, I always loved it when he was feeling his oats.
But probably a fairly accurate representation of how fast things have to move in a White House, and how many tasks the President has to sweep through, make a couple of statements, and sweep on.
Let Bartlet be Bartlet!
There's something about the way he dips out of the shot after "Gotta go!" that makes me agree with you; the show could play serious as well as farcical, and this was one of the best examples, right up there with the Francis Scott Key key.
“I need you to hire Ambassador Ken as a corporate officer” Why is he being fired?” “Gross incompetence” 😅🤣😂. POTUS knows his power
"...and you've forgotten that you're addressing a US ambassador!"
Charlie had too much class to point out that the President was already referring to him in the past tense.
3:26 God I love this part right here. Bartlett is literally shifting the foundations of the government around one person at a time, and he's more annoyed that his bodyman has been hiding his past.
He's showing the soon to be former ambassador how much he cares about him vs Charlie, with Charlie clearly coming out the winner. The soon to be former ambassador is just a minor problem to be handled and moved on.
Honestly, what over 25 years after it started, I still think that The West Wing, is one of the best, if not the best TV shows ever made. The acting is outstanding from everyone in the cast, the direction, lighting etc is outstanding. But what stands out most, is the utterly sublime writing.
I still to this day remember watching the first episode and thinking, this is good, this is interesting throughout the whole thing, till the very end when Martin Sheen walks on in the last 2 minutes and utterly stole the show and I was hooked right then and there.
If there is one problem with the show, it's that it presented a completely false image of how politicians and their staff work, especially in the White House. It's an image that TV shows and films have stuck with for a long time. There's wit, charm, moral complexity, comradeship. There is a high level of competence.
This image appeals to the viewers for obvious reasons. The reality would likely be horrifying.
@@Cailus3542 VEEP is likely far more accurate.
"I think he'll make a very good corporate officer..."
"Why's he being fired?"
"Gross incompetence."
I've never seen this show but it looks like a wonderful piece of fantasy. A US president who is witty and intelligent... that would be a thing.
So THAT'S how they put people on board of directors. Explains a lot.
Can't stop thinking in Boeing right now
Yes, it does.
An over-abundance of sociopaths are in senior mgt positions.
I always have to watch this 2x. Bartlett looks like he's having a ball. I'm sure Martin was thoroughly enjoying himself during this scene. Id give anything to see some bloopers! 😂
Anyone else trolling Jed Bartlett for comfort/peace of mind so close to the election? I love this series.
Me.
Yes!😊😊
My entire family has been binging this series. We all need a reminder of times when there was controversy but people could remain civil.
I was gonna rewatch the whole series again but when Harris lost, I lost hope in my country. We'll never get back to a time where a guy like Bartlett could be president ever again.
@oogrooq 😔 Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven't been able to watch the clips that come up on my feed. Hang in there.
One of many great scenes.
It's almost time to watch this series again.
The fact that the guy is sputtering through denials and it's like, "buddy, we got like a half dozen intelligence agencies that can know your whereabouts at all times. You had an affair. Don't play dumb."
It goes beyond that, there are likely staff at those intelligence agencies secretly DEDICATED to figuring out who is having affairs because of how much an intelligence weak point it was during the Soviet era
3:31 West Wing S04E02, Bartlet to Debbie Fiderer: "My powers of deduction are not to be mocked."
They keep mocking Bartlet, but he keeps turning out to be right.
Yea...smart people like Bartlet DO tend to be right!
The pettiness of powerful people. So authentic.
Filing a complaint with the guy who's in the process of firing you. That's going to work out so well. Charlie stood there in the sure and firm conviction that he was bullet proof.
Then he starts in about his past ... when clearly that past hasn't changed much lol.
Charlie and his two word dialogue spoke volumes 😂
Timing in comedy is everything and this was so incredibly well written - well done to all.
The one liners in this video are superb, as was the dialogue throughout this tv show…I loved tuning in to watch back in the day, before streaming platforms and binge watching a series became ‘a thing’. Delayed gratification week to week had its place!! 🐑🐑🇳🇿🇳🇿NZ
One of the things I dont see talked about w/ these scenes is how much Bartlet is running around. Sure we know he does it but unlike the senior staff, he is usually the one staying in the same place while they run around. Always loved these scenes ;)
One of the best series...EVER!!!
This is why in my opinion it’s the greatest series ever
He knows you're having an affair.
He's being very nice to you.
He's offering you a higher paying job.
He's trying to defend you against public embarrassment.
And you come back with, "I never voted for you"???
I get that Bartlet respects his wife, but if my friend's husband was cheating on her, I wouldn't be hiding it and offering the cheater more money...
No; he's trying to save HIMSELF embarrassment for having appointed him as ambassador. He's trying to protect the ambassador's wife. He's trying to avoid scandal in his administration and he's doing it by offering the ambassador a golden parachute so he can fire him without worrying about retribution.
@@retroguy9494 yeah I'm sure if Bartlett could protect himself and the wife any other way he would, I don't imagine he's at all happy about the ambassador profiting
It's to save her face. Public job can entail public humiliation
@@ohpurpled Well, it was more the love affair itslef that Bartlet disliked rather than the ambassador profiting.
I can STILL remember hearing President Bartlett telling Mr. Mitchell that he wanted him to hire a guy who was going to be fired for gross incompetence and then leaving the room for a few minutes while Mr. Mitchell digested what he just heard! 🤣 I remember laughing in shock as I shook my head thinking ....okay, President Bartlett had another bicycle accident and this time he banged his head rather than injuring his ankle! 😂
BRAVO, is one of the dozens of well-written, well-crafted scenes/dialog with twist.
Simply gold, this scene.
Ken Cochran : "....and you've forgotten that you're addressing a US ambassador!"
Charlie : Dude, keep up.
The writing and actual dialog are what really made WW what it is.
"Gross incompetence."
This hits hard today of all days - 5 Nov 2024 😢
My favourite bit is before this, when the musical chairs are explained to Jed and he goes to suggest that they continue the process until he can retire
Greatest writing on TV.
This is almost like the Marx Brothers. Marvelous.
TRENCHANT, PIQUANT & HILARIOUS
One of my favorite scenes! Give credit to all the actors, but especially Cochran … who with very few lines… still managed to convey a slimly, pompous, racist, ass….. haha. That’s good acting!
Best TV series!!!
Gawd such a great show!!!!!
One of my favorite scenes
one of my favorite scenes
The writing for this entire show was fantastic, I miss it.
great show
How many people got involved in politics because of this show?
Miss the classy dialogue, miss the filler episodes, miss the corridor walk.
Now I find out Lawrence O'Donnell was a writer for this show, I love it more.
so well crafted, i’ve never actually watched this show before… i hope this is a good indication of the pacing of the show, it seems great
it is. lots of stuff like this. The first five or six episodes take a little time to get into the swing.
@@BeLikeGumby OH NO!!! I was hooked into WW by the third episode "a proportional response", our introduction to Mr. Young!!!
The first four seasons are must watch imho.
The entire show was like this while Aaron Sorkin was writing. Once he was sacked (end of 4th season), the quality went downhill a bit, because very few people can write dialog the way Sorkin can. If I had one complaint, it was the Big Shakeup. Every season starts with the entire staff totally disorganized, out of sync, and a bit out of touch. As the season progresses, they get better and more organized, and they rise to the challenge(s) of that season. Then at the end of the season, some catastrophe happens-- someone dies, something major goes terribly wrong, and they start the next season totally disorganized. Done once or twice, it's brilliant. Barrett's conversation with God, or the scene where he walks into the room, totally soaked, and is asked "Mr. President!! Are you going to run again?", only to respond "Yes. And I'm going to win". These scenes were brilliant, and in my mind defined entire seasons. But they over did it, and by the last season, it seemed formulaic.
@@switchboard98 Did they really have to kill off Capt. Montgomery, though? /sigh
This is my president.
There’s no words to describe how much I miss this show.
"thanks for trying." bwahahahahahaha
such excellent writing... no wonder the show won so many awards. miss all the interesting characters and a kick-ass liberal like Jeb Bartlett
Aaron Sorkin is a genius writer!
Yay
Editor did not remove all the best bits from these scenes.
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Best. Line. Ever.
So many great scenes in this series, but this one ranks near the top.
Charlie wasn't mocking him, he was being discreet as the President realised as soon as Cochran suggested Charlie had said something to do with him being fired. Charlie couldn't have said anything prior to the meeting as he knew that might look like he was trying to influence Mr President.
Well duh!
@@carlwaring That's right Homer. I'm so glad that my simple explanation has helped you to finally understand the political machinations at play in this scene.
You know, if you were to try walking upright and with your back straight, there would be no need for you to drag your knuckles through the dirt.
@@KebabMusicLtd You were stating the blindingly obvious; hence my comment 🤦♂🤣
OMG what a CLASSIC scene!
"Thanks for trying, but here I am anyway"
Sometimes I remember what a good show this was.
Gives the guy a job after keeping his marriage intact, and stopping his affair from going public. Yet is still rude. lol.
Bartlet could care less about that guy. He was trying to save his OWN administration embarrassment by offering the guy a golden parachute which would more or less keep his mouth shut so there would be no fear of retribution and scandal.
No people skills. Plus arrogant and ungrateful. 💡
Brilliant.
Gotta Go! 😂😂😂
I miss this show, since so many shows are getting reboots I'd love a reboot of the west wing
NO, no reboot of the West Wing!!! Perfection cannot be duplicated.
Agree, if Trump gets elected. I’ll need at alternate world. Time for Sam to be President.
This was very nice.
One of the best bits! 😂
Ugh what a great show
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. -- Groucho Marx
i'll let him know you'd like to lodge a complaint.
Just damn!
Wish I found out what happened at the Gramacy club
The sheer lunacy of seeing a Trump ad when I clicked this...
*Please GOD* give me a President -- Democrat or not -- for which I can adjudge him/her{!} worthy of my political affections and _respect._ Jebadiah Bartlett will do fine.
Josiah, actually
I have not seen this show outside of a few clips. I can already tell every consecutive "yes sir" was filled with so much venom, it could kill an elephant in seconds.
Or spawn several movie sequels that are just as unnecessary as the original.
did he think he was gonna hurt the presidents feelings dude should have kept that confession to himself
Should of been on second thought we won’t feel sting of your newspaper article so bad
🎤🎤🎤
Dule Hill worked so much magic through the stupidest plotlines. It got better as it went on, though.
Loved that show.
I just wish Sorkjn actually believed in the stuff he wrote.
No way he remembers Charlie's name.
It always sounded to me like there was some kind of particular incident at the club which was why the Ambassador remembered Charlie
yeah, sometimes they broke reality. He should have just referred to him as the waiter at the club..
@@stars9084 I got the vibe the club was segregated oh of course not officially but it seemed like one of those old fashion gentlemen clubs where you need an invitation to join and "coincidentally" no black person was ever invited to be a member kind of thing. Everyone knew it but no one said anything out loud. Maybe he resigned because someone said the quiet part out loud or so he could join the Bartlet Administration.
Depends how many times he was served. Some waiters are memorable, especially if you see them regularly.
@@joec9693 Agree with you. Some of the comments on here would never come close to a fraction of Bartlett's powers of deduction. There most likely WAS an incident at the club re: segregation as the subject matter. And Charlie was privy to it, hence the ambassador remembered him. Visually at first, and due to the import of the situation, also recalled his name. No breaking of "reality" in this scene. Performed realistically and with perfection.
Snappy writing or what?
Hope so a mock up is what actors do.
I wonder how other presidents might pronounce‘Yosemite’…
Need u to hire a guy why is he being fired gross incompetence 😂
We don't shows like this on TV anymore is a travesty.
Affairs of States
Trump could NEVER be able to do something like that…!!!
Ivtrally lijed tfst show
I'm trying to understand why Charlie disliked this ambassador so much was it that he was treated like crap at the club where he was a waiter at?
Charlie could work there as a server but he couldn't be a member because membership was whites only.
because muh heckin racism
haha
I still wish politics worked the way it did on TWW, perhaps now more than ever. That show was the equivalent of porn fantasy for the political junky: it’s obviously fake, but even so it does manage to get the job done.
Q: Why are there so many movies and TV shows about successful Democrat presidents?
A: Because it's fiction.
Karen dude.
Couldn't they afford the lighting bill in the White House?
The first season was so good.
And then the rest of the series happened.
Why is he being fired?
Gross Incompetence.
Lmao that line always kills me.
What a tedious midwit show.
What a tedious midwit comment.
So Charlie was ok working as a waiter in an exclusive club? 🤔
Probably because he needed to take care of his sister.
He was an orphan with a sister to take care of Lets see how you do in those circumstances.
Waaay too many "sirs".
It was such a great show until it went too far left.
The fact you believe that just shows how far right you are.