It still makes me duck for cover especially after the Las Vegas shooting. That shooting and this scene have two important things in common: shooter(s) was/were in a vantage point high above the target and victims were defenseless.
Instead of yelling "GUN," she should have opened fire. Also, how is there a Secret Service sniper from, what it seems across the street, and doesn't see anything? It is television. The Secret Service looked pretty incompetent in this scene.
@@timothyfavasoli7224 Trying to look for and aim and kill or arrest the people involved is slow and ineffective. Their guns are going to go off at any second. Secret Service protocol is covering the protectee and pushing him inside the car.
that’s literally the most close minded thing i’ve ever heard. all crazy conservation and crazy democrat people are all the same. doesn’t matter the party. it’s close minded and not progressive at all. talking about wanting to be the party of the people but when it’s not the party you like you ignore them. that’s funny. i’m a Democrat and what you just said shows what is going wrong in America right now
One of the most frustrating moments in all of West Wing. Having to wait until the next season to answer the question, the last words you hear: "WHO'S BEEN HIT!?"
I've seen this show multiple times and know what's going to happen and who is going to be ok and who isn't and why... This is still one of the most absolutely chilling moments in the entire show.
Between the cinematography and the music it does a great job at building the suspense. Then the music stops when they open fire so all you hear are screams and gunshots. It cuts back and forth to different people giving a sense of the chaos, until fading to black with the only clear words being "who's been hit?" A brilliantly done scene.
One of the good moments comes after this. Hoynes is in the WH hosting some sort of winning team get-together, you hear the sirens roaring outside as all the motorcade heads towards the hospital, and then the door flies open and a team of Secret Service agents comes in, grabs Hoynes, and rushes him out. The look on Hoynes' face, as he realizes what's happening, is perfect.
Yes, that scene, and the scene where Donna and Mrs. Landingham see the breaking news on the TV, and the camera turns back to Mrs Landingham, and that sweet old lady is hauling ass back to her office.
@@stacymar684 and the one where Ron discovers Bartlett's gunshot wound and yells into the radio "GW! BLUE! BLUE! BLUE!" Then the reception lady at the hospital who's working the late night shift gets a call that the president's been shot and thinks it's a prank call until the motorcade pulls up outside.
@@spicetruckin Ah okay. When I first saw the scene I didn't understand why Bartlett didn't just tell anyone he'd been shot. Now I think it's because he was trying not to make himself the center of attention and have the agents focus on his daughter and the other victims. Man I'd give anything to go back and watch this show again.
When the Secret Service guy screams, "Who's been hit?! Who's been hit?!" I felt like I was waiting for updates on how a close friend was after such a tragedy. Then to find out that Josh, most innocent person on the main White House staff, was the one most wounded... It felt like watching a close friend die. That's how powerful this show is.
Look back at JFK Assasination Nobody was able to save JFK Look at Ronald Reagan he was shot walking to his limo by a crazy guy , Other Presidents came close but were never assasinated What is this world coming to
I was so mad the first time I saw this episode. I was a kid--10 or 11 years old--and I flipped out because i thought the shooters might have killed Zoe or Charlie or President Bartlett. THEN I found out Josh was shot--he was my 2nd favorite character at the time, and that was NOT a good day at my house.
The sound design amplifies the sounds of all shots to the same volume, making it impossible for the brain to fully understand what's happening, or where.
I’ve never seen two seconds of this tv until now . Wow! I think I will buy the whole series and find out what happens... Thank you Stephen Colbert does have time actors on your show just now ...... 10-10-2020
He is a very talented actor who can do a lot of roles well. He played the very liberal President Bartlet and also Confederate General Robert E Lee. In both cases he won critical acclaim.
The original whiz bang cliffhanger was “Who Shot JR?” on Dallas. The dramatic cliffhanger that was unintentionally funny was the wedding massacre on Dynasty.
Well there was the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Best of Both Worlds Part 1 when Riker ordered Worf to fire and kill the borgified Captain Picard
Seeing something like this and other shows/movies explain the importance of the Secret Service and the part they play and how difficult it is when they are in crowds like that. They have taken an oath to step in front of a bullet
It's explained in the next season when people criticized how it was handled that the president didn't want them hovering over him during crowds. The Secret Service and President relationship at least back then was... complicated. During a high-level threat (i.e: An assassination attempt) the Secret Service had higher say than the president. But when it came to events where it seemed a low threat, the president could ask for a lower detail so he could greet the crowd and Secret Service would constantly be in contact with each other and sweeping the crowds with one or two with the president in case there was a threat in the crowd. A shooting attempt from high up would've not been enough to save him from a bullet at that moment. Hence they shoving him into the limousine that's bulletproof as soon as the shots were fired. So they even explained it better than people thought they did after this episode as to why he got shot. And why they couldn't have stopped it even if they were trained to take a bullet.
The West Wing first seasons were untouchables. There were great moments even after Sorkin and Schlamme went away (the whole primary and Santos/Vinick election story arc was great), but this was TV at its finest. And they had to write 22+ episodes!
Not since FALCON CREST's 2nd and 3rd seasons has a season finale captured my attention like this episode of THE WEST WING did. Amazing writing, acting, and casting. Wonderful series. Great finale!
I’m currently watching west wing with my parents (I’m not saying my age but I’m still a kid lol so I’m not living on my own) and we got to the end of this episode and I had tears in my eyes and was like “DEAR GOD I SWEAR IF YOU TWO DONT LET US WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 2-“
I miss this incredibly good show! And I miss staying home in anticipation of the next episode with not having everything available at any moment. These days watching a show is like playing a game with cheat mode on
I love all the people in the comments who seem to have not watched the show. The entire point of the handguns was that it wasn't the type of gun you use if you're trying to kill the president. They wanted this to be something a group of teenage racist skinheads did. Maybe the intention was they didn't put a ton of thought into it. Maybe the idea was they grabbed what was easiest for them. In any way, the real point is this was not an attempt on the president. They wanted to kill, of all people, the black bodyman who was dating the president's daughter.
Mark Neuse Not really, Loading the "magazine" (the actual name of it by the way.) prior to the shooting doesn't mean it wasn't well planned. They might have just got the bullets, or in some regards they kept everything seperate in case they where caught. except for having a fully loaded weapon, they would have probably had the magazines, the actual pistols, and the bullets in separate places. Beyond that, yes it was probably not completely planned out. Their only goal was probably just to kill charlie an not much else.
Firan25 probably not planned out? i think that would be safe to say. trying to kill somebody who just happens to be standing by the president of the untied states, surrounded by an army of security, wasn`t the brightest plan ever devised. actually, in an otherwise wonderfully scripted show, this scene was very likely the most preposterous.
+smellykelley69 I have to disagree with the "preposterousness" of the scenario. We all know that white supremacists are not the brightest people in any room. In fact, in almost any room, they are, generally speaking, the dimmest, most easily dominated, feebleminded people. They are, almost by definition, idiots. I don't think they would put a lot of thought into this, and in 1999, it WAS easier to acquire pistols than rifles or rocket launchers, both of which are now easily acquired in 2016, thanks to Congress (particularly the controlling Republican Party) being owned by the NRA, and those few not owned by the NRA not being willing to stand up for fear of not being reelected.
That was the TENSEST hiatus and most anticipated season premiere of any show I've ever watched. They left you for months wondering "Who's been hit?!" and it was more powerful than the "Who shot J.R.?" line from Dallas.
Just noticed something in Toby for the first time. From where he's being bundled underfoot of the crowd to where he collects Josh's head as he falls. He's surprised but not shocked. It's like he knew this was gonna happen at some point. A President who pushes the ideas and language Toby writes for him draws a big target on the back of head. When he talks to Bartlett later, how he's got the wobbles and not sure he can come back from this. It's because he assumed the President was the target, because of what Bartlett and Ziegler stand for. He had made peace with the dangers of that. Then he finds out it was a lynching, just pure personal hatred. Thats the surprise.
It's incredible: this episode clinched the next five seasons for The West Wing, and set the arc for so many of the stories that would ultimately seal the fate of so many characters in this scene alone. They don't make TV like this, or like The Sopranos, anymore.
So they were aiming for Charlie. And the agent knocks him over, saving his life. But somehow Bartlett and Josh (nowhere close to Charlie) got hit. Kinda odd. Must be some seriously bad shots
Great show. Superb writing/acting/directing, etc... HOWEVER. While recognizing that this scene was crafted for dramatic effect on a TV series, in real life? Those assassins would NEVER (never, never, ever), have been able to occupy that building (or ANY building) with such a clear and easy shot at a president. The Secret Service clears an area of at least a half sq. mile before declaring it safe for any president to pass thru or occupy, 24 hrs before any event. That particular building would not only have been cleared of any people long before Bartlett had left the auditorium, it would've been occupied by SS snipers. The Secret Service DOES NOT PLAY when it comes to presidential safety. Too many bad memories.
The New Hampshire signatories to the Declaration of Independence were William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, and Josiah Bartlett. Josiah had 3 sons, so it is theoretically possible that he has living descendants with the same last name.
Fun fact: Aaron Sorkin wrote this scene specifically to let the entire cast know that nobody was immune to layoffs due to requests for a raise. Not one cast member bothered him after this if I'm not mistaken.
@John James no, but they'd write them off with barely a passing reference (Mandy, Ainsley etc.) Except for Sam Seaborn, the core cast stayed the whole time, which doesn't happen in a real 8-year presidential administration.
@@milesconerly5818 Rob Lowe wasn't fired, though. He left, because the show stopped being about him. I think the congressional campaign was Lowe's final warning to get in line with the rest of the cast. He didn't and decided to leave, so they wrote Lowe off without a word of mention whether Sam won the election or not. I think Lowe has since regretted leaving as he showed up during the finale. He learned how to be part of an ensemble cast during his time working on Parks and Recreation.
Rob Lowe was featured less and less. The cast did a magazine cover without him, and they grouped together to go to Sorkin for raises without Lowe because he was no longer starring. They all got raises and that’s when Lowe left. He talks all about it in his book.
I have seen this at least 10 times. One thing that I always wonder about. Why were the assassins only just loading their guns as everyone was coming out? I assume it is shown for dramatic effect, but why would they wait until then? The would have had plenty of time to get that shit together.
That's all it is. Dramatic effect, you nailed it. Everybody else who's bitching about this like it's so unrealistic. Duh. It's a fictional TV show. This is why even reality shows are fake. Reality is usually kind of boring.
I know it’s for dramatic effect, but there is no way, NO WAY the gunmen wouldn’t have been spotted by the Secret Service prepping their firearms in the window. Also, the motorcade just wouldn’t have been that close to an uncleared building. I’m certain this has been raised, but I think it bears repeating.
3:12 Gina spots the shooter 3:13 first shot 3:14 Gina gets Charlie to the ground 3:17 Secret Service on the ground shoot back 3:22 Marksman shoots, hits window beside the shooters Then have to wait 4 months to find out what happened.......ah, the olden days.
I've missed those days when the show ended.The season in april or may and left us hanging until september or even october to find out what happened. And? We would hang on every little report about who was on set for the new season.Blah blah blah blah. And it was all network television for the most part. And? The west wing was one of the best shows ever. The acting was wonderful.The stories were great and festive.It had such wonderful humor. Especially josh and sam.
@hollywoodwerewolf She is seriously dense in that scene. Of course she's like that in all the episodes leading up to this as well. She obviously missed the memo that Gina isn't there to be her 24/7 gossip buddy. She's always like, "OMG Gina, you're so silly! OK, I'll walk over here, whatevs!"
@daytripper270 The following scene is from Season 2, Ep 01, and is called, ''In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part One.'' But there are even more scenes from when Josh is found, (w/paramedics treating him, etc,) in flashbacks during an episode called ''Noel,'' which is also in season 2. -Just fyi.
Because it wasn't one. They weren't aiming for the President. They were trying to kill Charlie because he was dating the President's daughter while black.
Well they want you to keep seeing the shooters to amp up the pressure, watching someone load a gun is a pretty clear message too. First you see the creep on the ground and the reaction of the secret service woman (something's up), then zoom in on the window. Then you see shady people inside. Then you see them loading the guns (So you 'know' they're about to shoot somebody) all of this is mixed in amongst footage of the main characters, one last look at the bad guys and then: action!
Mandy got shot and killed that night. The staff loved her so much that it was too painful for them even to mention it to each other for the rest of the series...
If I'd been watching the live i would have been so angry having to wait months. When i watched it in 2006 luckily my roommate had season 2 and i ran to his room to take his box set
Oh the advantages of having a box set and getting into the series ten years after everyone else! Although when I lent my friend the West Wing I did it season by season for this very reason.
I have never watched the show and I thought that was the case but I saw something in Rob Lowe's book in his pictures when he talked about his character it was a picture of him President Clinton and President Bartlett as well as "Sam Seaborn" and I thought that Sam Seaborn was George Stephanopolous' equivalent but the guy with him was a much older guy. Am I missing something? I am going to admit as I am typing this I am on the young end--I was just passing elementary school when Clinton = pres.
they hating the black kid so much they tried to kill him with 2 handguns and thought it would be a good opportunity while he was with the protected man on the planet....ummmmmm
@Parrotguy1999 I was thinking the same thing! I mean, would it have been that tough to bring along a simple hunting rifle? (Btw, watch again and you'll see they opened the window, but no matter.)
After many watching, this is the first time I specifically noticed that Charlie was the first one to be pushed down by the USSS. Foreshadowing, perhaps?
This is the worst assassination attempt I could imagine. They were never going to hit their target with a pistol at that range and they didn't. However, spray enough bullets at a crowd and you will hit people. The fact that those 3 random people were the President, a Deputy Chief of Staff and the head of the Secret Service detail would be an amazing piece of luck for most would be assassins. But these yokels were after the black guy
It's for effect. Remember in all things Hollywood...suspension of disbelief. Just like in SciFi we elect to forget that sounds does not travel in a vacuum, and that a magazine has limited rounds in it...unless you are Rambo.
I can't imagine having to wait 4+ months to see the next episode.
@Chris Thompson Glad I only knew it existed until after it was on Netflix!
It was terrible to have to wait! We take for granted our ability to watch when we want lol
Chris Thompson Fans of the show Dallas had to wait even longer to find out who shot JR.
@@betternamepending3991 Damn it's not on Netflix anymore?!
@@BlackBeanChicken it still is (:
“Who’s been hit? Who’s been hit??”
Well just hold on and wait several months and we’ll tell you!
I never forgot those lines, they even had it in the trailer for season 2.
I never watched the end of season 1 and I had to watch that episode.
What a cliffhanger!
"You'll have to wait until we've decided who's contracts to renew"
Even the writers didn't know
"Decisions are made by those who show up." Damn good quote.
Odd timing for this recommendation
Right?!
Not really ! Recommendations often come from current events, therefore, if you watched any news video about Trump, POOF ! Instant recommendation !
It's the 25 anniversary for the series, it's been on the feed for a couple of months.
The 25th anniversary of West Wing + the bimonthly assassination attempt on Trump, 2 algorithm points pushing this clip to recommendation
the way gina yells “GUN” still makes my heart stop every single time
It still makes me duck for cover especially after the Las Vegas shooting. That shooting and this scene have two important things in common: shooter(s) was/were in a vantage point high above the target and victims were defenseless.
Instead of yelling "GUN," she should have opened fire. Also, how is there a Secret Service sniper from, what it seems across the street, and doesn't see anything? It is television. The Secret Service looked pretty incompetent in this scene.
@@timothyfavasoli7224 Not true. Gina’s job was to get Zoe in the car.
@@timothyfavasoli7224 Trying to look for and aim and kill or arrest the people involved is slow and ineffective. Their guns are going to go off at any second. Secret Service protocol is covering the protectee and pushing him inside the car.
"Decisions are made by those who show up."
ered203 Yeah, but they're usually the wrong ones.
ered203 thats why we have to get out the vote in 2020
@@judyl5260
Vote Blue, No Matter Who!
that’s literally the most close minded thing i’ve ever heard. all crazy conservation and crazy democrat people are all the same. doesn’t matter the party. it’s close minded and not progressive at all. talking about wanting to be the party of the people but when it’s not the party you like you ignore them. that’s funny. i’m a Democrat and what you just said shows what is going wrong in America right now
@@judyl5260 It's more important than ever.
I’ve seen this episode probably over 10 times and it still never fails to give me chills
One of the most frustrating moments in all of West Wing. Having to wait until the next season to answer the question, the last words you hear: "WHO'S BEEN HIT!?"
Sometimes renewing contacts
I've seen this show multiple times and know what's going to happen and who is going to be ok and who isn't and why... This is still one of the most absolutely chilling moments in the entire show.
Between the cinematography and the music it does a great job at building the suspense. Then the music stops when they open fire so all you hear are screams and gunshots. It cuts back and forth to different people giving a sense of the chaos, until fading to black with the only clear words being "who's been hit?"
A brilliantly done scene.
One of the good moments comes after this. Hoynes is in the WH hosting some sort of winning team get-together, you hear the sirens roaring outside as all the motorcade heads towards the hospital, and then the door flies open and a team of Secret Service agents comes in, grabs Hoynes, and rushes him out. The look on Hoynes' face, as he realizes what's happening, is perfect.
Yes, that scene, and the scene where Donna and Mrs. Landingham see the breaking news on the TV, and the camera turns back to Mrs Landingham, and that sweet old lady is hauling ass back to her office.
@@stacymar684 and the one where Ron discovers Bartlett's gunshot wound and yells into the radio "GW! BLUE! BLUE! BLUE!" Then the reception lady at the hospital who's working the late night shift gets a call that the president's been shot and thinks it's a prank call until the motorcade pulls up outside.
@@woozy7405 that's a good scene. One small correction, she doesn't think it's a prank, she asks if it is a drill - like a routine test of procedures.
@@spicetruckin Ah okay. When I first saw the scene I didn't understand why Bartlett didn't just tell anyone he'd been shot. Now I think it's because he was trying not to make himself the center of attention and have the agents focus on his daughter and the other victims. Man I'd give anything to go back and watch this show again.
@@woozy7405 it's also possible due to the adrenaline he didn't even realize that he was hurt?
When the Secret Service guy screams, "Who's been hit?! Who's been hit?!" I felt like I was waiting for updates on how a close friend was after such a tragedy. Then to find out that Josh, most innocent person on the main White House staff, was the one most wounded... It felt like watching a close friend die. That's how powerful this show is.
Sooo true but I gotta say Sam is like the nicest tho
Look back at JFK Assasination Nobody was able to save JFK Look at Ronald Reagan he was shot walking to his limo by a crazy guy , Other Presidents came close but were never assasinated What is this world coming to
@@binx414 I’m
I was so mad the first time I saw this episode. I was a kid--10 or 11 years old--and I flipped out because i thought the shooters might have killed Zoe or Charlie or President Bartlett.
THEN I found out Josh was shot--he was my 2nd favorite character at the time, and that was NOT a good day at my house.
Yeah...but I think Donna is more innocent than anyone
Jesus Christ, this scene pumps the adrenaline more than almost any action film I’ve ever seen.
The sound design amplifies the sounds of all shots to the same volume, making it impossible for the brain to fully understand what's happening, or where.
I’ve never seen two seconds of this tv until now .
Wow! I think I will buy the whole series and find out what happens... Thank you Stephen Colbert does have time actors on your show just now ......
10-10-2020
Martin Sheen is the most presidential TV president ever.
Ro Ban except for trump
Exla T
I didn't know there was a movie. I thought there was only the series.
I don't click on random links.
I think Keifer Sutherland does a pretty good job.
martinscottf17@gmail.com YEP
Michael Douglas was a good one too.
That was such a good season finale.
I'd say one of the best in television history.
How is Martin Sheen so freaking presidential?
He also played Chief of Staff or something like that to Michael Douglas character in the American President
Take away the writers and he isn't.
He is a very talented actor who can do a lot of roles well. He played the very liberal President Bartlet and also Confederate General Robert E Lee. In both cases he won critical acclaim.
It's the hair. He has great presidential hair.
Because it's not real.
Never have I seen a more dramatic season finale!!
I agree! But the final of the season 2 is, for me, more moving
Watersmith53 Kate died at the end of the season 2 :)
David, I agree
The original whiz bang cliffhanger was “Who Shot JR?” on Dallas. The dramatic cliffhanger that was unintentionally funny was the wedding massacre on Dynasty.
Well there was the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Best of Both Worlds Part 1 when Riker ordered Worf to fire and kill the borgified Captain Picard
No way the Secret Service would leave a location with an wide open view like that unsecured, right?
And the shooters loading mags now? And using handguns at that range?
Seeing something like this and other shows/movies explain the importance of the Secret Service and the part they play and how difficult it is when they are in crowds like that. They have taken an oath to step in front of a bullet
lol its not even a movie
It's explained in the next season when people criticized how it was handled that the president didn't want them hovering over him during crowds.
The Secret Service and President relationship at least back then was... complicated. During a high-level threat (i.e: An assassination attempt) the Secret Service had higher say than the president. But when it came to events where it seemed a low threat, the president could ask for a lower detail so he could greet the crowd and Secret Service would constantly be in contact with each other and sweeping the crowds with one or two with the president in case there was a threat in the crowd.
A shooting attempt from high up would've not been enough to save him from a bullet at that moment. Hence they shoving him into the limousine that's bulletproof as soon as the shots were fired.
So they even explained it better than people thought they did after this episode as to why he got shot. And why they couldn't have stopped it even if they were trained to take a bullet.
So glad I can watch it all on Netflix instead of having giant cliff-hangers!!!
Nooo kidding! I remember the night I thought "Oh I'm at the last episode of season 1! Well, that'll be a good place to call it a night..." :|
Not on Canadian Netflix.
Not on Indian Netflix 😕
Bartlet 2020. I'm in.
Totally
2024
No matter how many times I see this, I still get shaken up and cry.
USSS really messed up by leaving those windows / vantage points unsecured.
"who's been hit?"
+Jonah Loeb Goosebumps....every time.
The West Wing first seasons were untouchables. There were great moments even after Sorkin and Schlamme went away (the whole primary and Santos/Vinick election story arc was great), but this was TV at its finest. And they had to write 22+ episodes!
Seen every episode and yes I agree
Not since FALCON CREST's 2nd and 3rd seasons has a season finale captured my attention like this episode of THE WEST WING did. Amazing writing, acting, and casting. Wonderful series. Great finale!
Even though it's just TV, this is sad to watch. No president, regardless of party, should have to endure something like this.
+John Curzio Jefferson Davis, maybe.
+louthegiantcookie It's funny cuz it's true!
*Donald Trump has been announced the official Republican nominee*
Well, maybe one should.
NSA get off my dick, it was a joke ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I agree. I also think that these involved should have there rights taken away and treated like crap.
IOW, you're no better than the people you dislike.
Of course the Flentl at the end, just to tease you at a season finale, is "Who's been hit? Who's been hit???"
Deep cut
Perhaps the greatest season finale in the history of television.
The iconic quote about everyone being equal. Yeah, right. As long as you're the right colour, the right religion and have the right bank balance.
I’m currently watching west wing with my parents (I’m not saying my age but I’m still a kid lol so I’m not living on my own) and we got to the end of this episode and I had tears in my eyes and was like “DEAR GOD I SWEAR IF YOU TWO DONT LET US WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 2-“
I miss this incredibly good show! And I miss staying home in anticipation of the next episode with not having everything available at any moment. These days watching a show is like playing a game with cheat mode on
I love all the people in the comments who seem to have not watched the show. The entire point of the handguns was that it wasn't the type of gun you use if you're trying to kill the president. They wanted this to be something a group of teenage racist skinheads did. Maybe the intention was they didn't put a ton of thought into it. Maybe the idea was they grabbed what was easiest for them. In any way, the real point is this was not an attempt on the president. They wanted to kill, of all people, the black bodyman who was dating the president's daughter.
Loading the clip seconds before they were going to fire didn't seem very well planned.
Mark Neuse Not really, Loading the "magazine" (the actual name of it by the way.) prior to the shooting doesn't mean it wasn't well planned. They might have just got the bullets, or in some regards they kept everything seperate in case they where caught. except for having a fully loaded weapon, they would have probably had the magazines, the actual pistols, and the bullets in separate places. Beyond that, yes it was probably not completely planned out. Their only goal was probably just to kill charlie an not much else.
Firan25 You are forgetting one point, you're watching a tv show. They load the 'magazine' because of the way it looks and the sound it makes.
Firan25 probably not planned out? i think that would be safe to say. trying to kill somebody who just happens to be standing by the president of the untied states, surrounded by an army of security, wasn`t the brightest plan ever devised. actually, in an otherwise wonderfully scripted show, this scene was very likely the most preposterous.
+smellykelley69 I have to disagree with the "preposterousness" of the scenario. We all know that white supremacists are not the brightest people in any room. In fact, in almost any room, they are, generally speaking, the dimmest, most easily dominated, feebleminded people. They are, almost by definition, idiots. I don't think they would put a lot of thought into this, and in 1999, it WAS easier to acquire pistols than rifles or rocket launchers, both of which are now easily acquired in 2016, thanks to Congress (particularly the controlling Republican Party) being owned by the NRA, and those few not owned by the NRA not being willing to stand up for fear of not being reelected.
Good thing they got CJ down, easiest thing to hit until Santos comes along in S6.
This is a great show...
hey
Every time I see it, it’s still send shivers at my spine
That was the TENSEST hiatus and most anticipated season premiere of any show I've ever watched. They left you for months wondering "Who's been hit?!" and it was more powerful than the "Who shot J.R.?" line from Dallas.
every time i was this episode and hear ‘who’s been hit’ i get goosebumps and tear up its..powerful
“Decisions are made by those who show up”. Brilliant.
Just noticed something in Toby for the first time. From where he's being bundled underfoot of the crowd to where he collects Josh's head as he falls. He's surprised but not shocked. It's like he knew this was gonna happen at some point. A President who pushes the ideas and language Toby writes for him draws a big target on the back of head. When he talks to Bartlett later, how he's got the wobbles and not sure he can come back from this. It's because he assumed the President was the target, because of what Bartlett and Ziegler stand for. He had made peace with the dangers of that. Then he finds out it was a lynching, just pure personal hatred. Thats the surprise.
The mother of all cliffhangers...
Disappeared after the first season of The West Wing and was never mentioned again.
The West Wing presidential staff.
Josh was the heart
Toby the soul
Sam the brains
CJ the voice
It's incredible: this episode clinched the next five seasons for The West Wing, and set the arc for so many of the stories that would ultimately seal the fate of so many characters in this scene alone. They don't make TV like this, or like The Sopranos, anymore.
Life imitates art, and art imitates life
I can’t believe they didn’t use this as an excuse to kill off Mandy! 😂
Damn I'm glad I am watching this show for the first time now. If I had to wait 3 months after that cliffhanger, man.
Full episodes, has been on my Christmas List long & long . Lol .grateful for clips . Blame it on the Bosa Nova .. 😊
So they were aiming for Charlie. And the agent knocks him over, saving his life. But somehow Bartlett and Josh (nowhere close to Charlie) got hit.
Kinda odd. Must be some seriously bad shots
Looks like they were spraying and praying they hit something
Great show. Superb writing/acting/directing, etc... HOWEVER. While recognizing that this scene was crafted for dramatic effect on a TV series, in real life? Those assassins would NEVER (never, never, ever), have been able to occupy that building (or ANY building) with such a clear and easy shot at a president. The Secret Service clears an area of at least a half sq. mile before declaring it safe for any president to pass thru or occupy, 24 hrs before any event. That particular building would not only have been cleared of any people long before Bartlett had left the auditorium, it would've been occupied by SS snipers. The Secret Service DOES NOT PLAY when it comes to presidential safety. Too many bad memories.
That may be however it can be done if you are willing to sacrifice your own life.
The New Hampshire signatories to the Declaration of Independence were William Whipple, Matthew Thornton, and Josiah Bartlett. Josiah had 3 sons, so it is theoretically possible that he has living descendants with the same last name.
The funny thing is, in this show's universe, the Bartlet family dropped the second "T" somewhere along the way.
I still cry in the aftermath of this episode when we see Josh has been shot in the chest.
Had to be done, just in case Martin Sheen asked for a raise :D
lol
In truth, if Martin Sheen asked for a giant sack of money for every scene he is in, they would have given it to him.
Not far from the truth. The entire cast lobbied for a raise and Sorkin wrote the scene to keep them in line.
Fun fact: Aaron Sorkin wrote this scene specifically to let the entire cast know that nobody was immune to layoffs due to requests for a raise. Not one cast member bothered him after this if I'm not mistaken.
Except Rob Lowe, and look how that turned out.
@John James no, but they'd write them off with barely a passing reference (Mandy, Ainsley etc.) Except for Sam Seaborn, the core cast stayed the whole time, which doesn't happen in a real 8-year presidential administration.
@@milesconerly5818 Rob Lowe wasn't fired, though. He left, because the show stopped being about him. I think the congressional campaign was Lowe's final warning to get in line with the rest of the cast.
He didn't and decided to leave, so they wrote Lowe off without a word of mention whether Sam won the election or not. I think Lowe has since regretted leaving as he showed up during the finale. He learned how to be part of an ensemble cast during his time working on Parks and Recreation.
@@partyguy101ify that was the point of my reference. Rob Lowe walked due to salary and screen time disputes.
Rob Lowe was featured less and less. The cast did a magazine cover without him, and they grouped together to go to Sorkin for raises without Lowe because he was no longer starring. They all got raises and that’s when Lowe left. He talks all about it in his book.
I have seen this at least 10 times. One thing that I always wonder about. Why were the assassins only just loading their guns as everyone was coming out? I assume it is shown for dramatic effect, but why would they wait until then? The would have had plenty of time to get that shit together.
@Bob Costello Dramatic effect, I’m sure. They realistically would’ve been ready.
That's all it is. Dramatic effect, you nailed it. Everybody else who's bitching about this like it's so unrealistic. Duh. It's a fictional TV show. This is why even reality shows are fake. Reality is usually kind of boring.
I know it’s for dramatic effect, but there is no way, NO WAY the gunmen wouldn’t have been spotted by the Secret Service prepping their firearms in the window. Also, the motorcade just wouldn’t have been that close to an uncleared building. I’m certain this has been raised, but I think it bears repeating.
"We hold these troops to be self evident that all men are created equal"
AND WHEN I MEET THOMAS JEFFERSON-
TRUTHS....
I remember this! it was so hard to wait to see what had happened! I miss this show!
...Of all the weapons the assassins decide to use...why a goddamn Desert eagle??
It adds dank effects.
One Deag
It's cause they weren't trying to kill the president. They were just some racist morons trying to kill Charlie.
must be quite easy to get handload armor piercing rounds for that thou?
Michael they probably didn't ignore, and thats why the secret service snipers were on an adjacent rooftop
3:12 Gina spots the shooter
3:13 first shot
3:14 Gina gets Charlie to the ground
3:17 Secret Service on the ground shoot back
3:22 Marksman shoots, hits window beside the shooters
Then have to wait 4 months to find out what happened.......ah, the olden days.
Simon Donovan don't fuck around.
That was a common thing in TV shows to have long cliffhangers.
I've missed those days when the show ended.The season in april or may and left us hanging until september or even october to find out what happened. And?
We would hang on every little report about who was on set for the new season.Blah blah blah blah. And it was all network television for the most part. And?
The west wing was one of the best shows ever. The acting was wonderful.The stories were great and festive.It had such wonderful humor. Especially josh and sam.
probably too difficult to smuggle in. Bringing a rifle to a high school woud raise some eyebrows.
@hollywoodwerewolf She is seriously dense in that scene. Of course she's like that in all the episodes leading up to this as well. She obviously missed the memo that Gina isn't there to be her 24/7 gossip buddy. She's always like, "OMG Gina, you're so silly! OK, I'll walk over here, whatevs!"
Yeah you would think Zoey Bartlett is 15 instead of 19 at times.
Welp... here we are.
@daytripper270
The following scene is from Season 2, Ep 01, and is called, ''In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part One.''
But there are even more scenes from when Josh is found, (w/paramedics treating him, etc,) in flashbacks during an episode called ''Noel,'' which is also in season 2. -Just fyi.
the assassin looks like Oswald
Wow. That assassination attempt was what we refer to in the business as "half-assed."
Because it wasn't one. They weren't aiming for the President. They were trying to kill Charlie because he was dating the President's daughter while black.
"Decisions are made by those who show up." Word.
I can’t tell if Jorja Fox leaving for CSI despite playing a excellent secret service agent on this show was a good idea or not.
Very intense.......................
I still wonder how they were able to find the guy at the restaurant.
Snipers went on a vacation, apparently
It was a hell of a cliffhanger...everyone rallied around the TV to see who got hit!
3:20 and in that moment josh knew shit had happend
Well they want you to keep seeing the shooters to amp up the pressure, watching someone load a gun is a pretty clear message too.
First you see the creep on the ground and the reaction of the secret service woman (something's up), then zoom in on the window. Then you see shady people inside. Then you see them loading the guns (So you 'know' they're about to shoot somebody) all of this is mixed in amongst footage of the main characters, one last look at the bad guys and then: action!
Mandy got shot and killed that night. The staff loved her so much that it was too painful for them even to mention it to each other for the rest of the series...
Mandy decided it wasn't worth getting shot at to put up with Josh's crap. She took a job in New York.
@@Wednesdaywoe1975 where’d you hear this?
If I'd been watching the live i would have been so angry having to wait months. When i watched it in 2006 luckily my roommate had season 2 and i ran to his room to take his box set
Oh the advantages of having a box set and getting into the series ten years after everyone else! Although when I lent my friend the West Wing I did it season by season for this very reason.
Great Show every role was well casted. Even the bad guys.
I have never watched the show and I thought that was the case but I saw something in Rob Lowe's book in his pictures when he talked about his character it was a picture of him President Clinton and President Bartlett as well as "Sam Seaborn" and I thought that Sam Seaborn was George Stephanopolous' equivalent but the guy with him was a much older guy. Am I missing something? I am going to admit as I am typing this I am on the young end--I was just passing elementary school when Clinton = pres.
they hating the black kid so much they tried to kill him with 2 handguns and thought it would be a good opportunity while he was with the protected man on the planet....ummmmmm
I can't imagine what it is like to be in a position where people are willing to die in my place. Taking a bullet for another person.
If they would only make TV like this again.
The score in this clip is great
Doesn't Zoey know that Gina's on the job???
@Parrotguy1999 I was thinking the same thing! I mean, would it have been that tough to bring along a simple hunting rifle? (Btw, watch again and you'll see they opened the window, but no matter.)
"You were right."
"What?"
"It _doesn't_ go away."
Paying this off literally 19 episodes later still gives me chills.
Alternate timeline Les Claypool at 2:25
After many watching, this is the first time I specifically noticed that Charlie was the first one to be pushed down by the USSS. Foreshadowing, perhaps?
This is the worst assassination attempt I could imagine. They were never going to hit their target with a pistol at that range and they didn't. However, spray enough bullets at a crowd and you will hit people. The fact that those 3 random people were the President, a Deputy Chief of Staff and the head of the Secret Service detail would be an amazing piece of luck for most would be assassins. But these yokels were after the black guy
Proves a major failure of the secret service that all buildings/windows in which where the President would be near WAS NOT SECURED
Saw this and thought "... I don't recall making this comment... ah."
Uh... USSS did not have control of that building? And if so...counter snipers didn’t spot them?
Maybe you should take another look at the name of this episode...
That's one sick looking SOB!
those guys sure got a lot of shots off for having snipers firing right at them.
Damn that kid looked like Timothy McVeigh
It's for effect. Remember in all things Hollywood...suspension of disbelief. Just like in SciFi we elect to forget that sounds does not travel in a vacuum, and that a magazine has limited rounds in it...unless you are Rambo.
That music is so tense.
I recall Simon Donovan telling C.J. that he was there, and that he took out one of the gunmen. But I didn't see him.
@Donald Newton Of course Gibbs took out at least one of them!
I was amazed that John Malcavich didn't make it out alive.