A small town in N.H. is the site of the first presidential primary vote, and the results from Hartsfield's Landing, announced at 12:07 a.m., will dominate the news all day until the final ta... Read allA small town in N.H. is the site of the first presidential primary vote, and the results from Hartsfield's Landing, announced at 12:07 a.m., will dominate the news all day until the final tally. Josh wants favorable press for the president, prompting him to ask Donna to persuade ... Read allA small town in N.H. is the site of the first presidential primary vote, and the results from Hartsfield's Landing, announced at 12:07 a.m., will dominate the news all day until the final tally. Josh wants favorable press for the president, prompting him to ask Donna to persuade a local couple she knows to reconsider their vote. Elsewhere, Bartlet has just returned fr... Read all
- Robbie Mosley
- (as Gregalan Williams)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the run-up to the 2020 presidential election (and also during a global pandemic), many members of the West Wing cast reunited in person to perform a staged reading of the episode "Hartsfield's Landing" as a benefit for When We All Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that aims to increase voter participation and close the race and age gap in elections. West Wing regulars reprising their roles included Dulé Hill (Charlie Young), Allison Janney (C. J. Cregg), Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn), Janel Moloney (Donna Moss), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), Martin Sheen (President Bartlet), and Bradley Whitford (Joshua Lyman). Because John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry on the series, died in 2005, Sterling K. Brown stepped into his role. The benefit also featured interstitial guest appearances from When We All Vote co-founders Lin-Manuel Miranda (a West WIng superfan) and Michelle Obama.
- GoofsIn the opening scene, Bartlet tells the reporters, "Chess was invented in India, around 600 A.D., a giant chessboard was constructed at Fatehpur Sikri, which was the capital at the time." It is not clear whether Bartlet is saying that chess was invented in India in 600 A.D. or that the chessboard was constructed at Fatehpur Sikri in 600 A.D., but in either case he's wrong. Chess was indeed invented in India, but it is believed to have been several centuries earlier, around the 3rd century A.D. Also, Fatehpur Sikri was not around in 600 A.D.; it was built as the capital for the Mughal Empire by the emperor Akbar in the 16th century.
- Quotes
Toby Ziegler: You're a good father, you don't have to act like it. You're the President, you don't have to act like it. You're a good man, you don't have to act like it. You're not just folks, you're not plain-spoken. Do not - do not - do not act like it!
President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: I don't want to be killed.
Toby Ziegler: Then make this election about smart, and not. Make it about engaged, and not. Qualified, and not. Make it about a heavyweight. You're a heavyweight. And you've been holding me up for too many rounds.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2002)
The whole episode is framed in the way of the classic power struggle between opposite sides. Not only is there a recurring chess game going all through it all, but there's a significant conflict in Taiwan that puts them on the warpath with China, which then puts the U. S. in a conflict with China. Then, there are all the personal conflicts, including a very hilarious prank war between C. J. and Charlie that never gets tiresome, despite the ridiculous lengths that it gets to towards the end. There's so much drama on display, and it's all interesting and stuff for serious thought.
The main focus of this episode is a small town in New Hampshire that has managed to predict the winner of the presidential elections for many years, and of course, that prompts the staff to try and courage them to vote for their candidate. But as the episode goes along, the idea of a free and fair election is what comes to the table, and the characters learn throughout that it's not their job to tell people who to vote for. I think that lesson stuck with the characters in a very deep way, but also got to the audience.
I loved the idea of the chess game. I'm a chess fan myself, but to use it as a symbolic image of a power struggle was the best move, they could have made. Bartlet is very proficient in the game and keeps playing around with his opponents, but he's actually trying to teach them strategy and the importance of waiting for the right moment and thinking all the opportunities through. Again, important lessons for everyone to take away. Not just the character. This episode is an hour of important learning through the medium of television and the game of chess.
It also brings the standing conflict between Bartlet and Toby to the forefront. I've always loved their dynamic, but they've definitely come to a point where they're not the best of friends. However, this episode really showed that mutual respect between them, despite their obvious differences. And the performances also showcased that. Richard Schiff and Martin Sheen may be the best actors on this show, and that's apparent in the scenes they share with each other. They bring the best out and I think this show would earn something if they allowed them on screen together a little more often.
"Hartsfield's Landing" is a more important episode than people give it credit for and it can actually teach you some very important life lessons throughout. It's a great display of a power struggle that's shown in various forms, but brought home through a very important game of chess between the show's two most fascinating characters.
- lassegalsgaard
- Jul 5, 2022
- Permalink