"C.J., you fell into the pool there." Toby, 1998 Eight years later, and this happens.

In most TV shows, the characters never change who they are as a person. But with CJ, you can see the struggle she goes through to come to grips with who she has become over the course of 8 years - really good at the hardest job in the world, sacrificing personal relationships, wondering if she missed out despite all the good that she has done for the world. That makes her one of the more intriguing characters on the show. And that's really saying something.

This scene and the one after with Danny IS so epic. Toby speaks so softly so real so convincing in this scene those of us who watched this over and over countless times know the value of this scene..Without question one of my favorites.

I like Tobys "Wow, that might be the smartest thing." He sees he has been wrong about Santos.

i feel like cj and toby are soulmates. not necessarily as a couple, as colleagues, best friends, partners. they understand each other on a much deeper level than anyone else in the show does. they’ve confided in each other more and more over the years. they have a history. and they always seem to be there with each other at a life-altering moment.

@LuisMartinez-rw2lj

3 жыл бұрын

I always saw CJ and Toby as work siblings

@DennisMoore664

2 жыл бұрын

@@LuisMartinez-rw2lj That was one of the things about this show - they were all very much a family. One of the great choices that was made was to not have the characters getting romantically entangled with one another except for - well, I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the series yet.

@stephencronin1080

2 жыл бұрын

They're part of each other's karass

@BigTulsa

Жыл бұрын

Obviously they knew each other before the Barlet presidency as they depicted in some of the flashback sequences in Season 2. The one where she fell in the pool at her apartment complex in California kind of showed they were friends well before the worked in the West Wing.

@nibrasge6375

6 ай бұрын

Interchangeable Hero and Sidekick story!

I love how there was always a subtle humor in all conversations between Toby and C.J.

"you think I came here to take advantage of you before they cart you off to the big house" is one of my favorite deliveries in the whole show. They did Richard/Toby a great disservice with this insulting leak plot but every scene with Alison and Richard is so good that they sell the crap story.

Their friendship is brilliant. Great performances and writing.

West wing was one of my all time favorite shows

I always flash back to the moment Toby told CJ that he was responsible for the leak. The expression on her face of betrayal and incredulity. She didn't have to say a word. Alison is a top tier, criminally underused actress who's been on set and gone toe to toe with the best.

@heddalee

Жыл бұрын

The show she's on now is revoltingly stupid.

@kelqueen9998

5 ай бұрын

This is maybe my favorite Richard Schiff acting moment. "I did it." And then the close up of his face. He's a great face actor.

I always miss this show so much!! It was a great show!!

Not sure why but I teared up big time after seeing this scene.

@DennisMoore664

2 жыл бұрын

That's a good sign, my dude. It's means you're working correctly. This was a damn fine series.

Always great to see these actors go one and one together. Although the tension as to whether Toby was going to be pardoned was non existent as he was in the flash forward scene at the start of the season, where it was obvious he never went to prison

@Bazookatone1

3 күн бұрын

Not necessarily, he was never going to serve a long sentence nor would he have seved it in a high security prison, it would be plausible that he had done his stretch, been released on good behaviour and was now teaching at a nice mid tier college somewhere.

What a fabulous scene! I think this the last we see of toby and what a way to finish it. And poetic justice to how they show how they met - toby waiting for her at her house after she had just gotten fired and offering her the job of press secretary of the bartlet campaign

Such an honest conversation.

Maybe one of the greatest questions you can ask anyone you care about - "what do you want"

@Sparky1701

6 жыл бұрын

Unless you're a Shadow. I'd rather be asked, 'Who are you?'

@alexboyles7836

6 жыл бұрын

It’s also the hardest question to answer.

@HighMansx

2 жыл бұрын

@@Sparky1701 I didn't ask for your name, I asked -- who are you?

@BigTimeCharley1956

Жыл бұрын

@@Sparky1701 "a Shadow" - haha that's exactly what I thought.

This scene was so unbelievably sublime in how much subtext there was in the body language and eyes. That subtle tug at the belt when Toby approaches CJ after they stand up. It was sexual in the most unobvious way that I at first missed it.

@gbrown932

3 ай бұрын

Yeah they were never sexual.

Damn this was an amazing show!

Toby is still gorgeous

bookend this with the scene of Toby asking CJ to join the campaign

what happened with Toby broke my heart but was actually pretty great. its in character.

SPOILERS!!!!! I know Richard Schriff didnt like the way the producers handled his character at the end but I thought this scene was brilliantly written, produced and acted. It was a very human moment. the only thing I wished they would have done was showed Toby finding out about his pardon and breaking down and crying with relief. Maybe showing this after the final scene showing AF1 flying off towards tomorrow.

@daveinindy

5 жыл бұрын

It's what we wanted to see, some time, some how. But it was better having to imagine it. Plus, showing it after AF1 flying off towards tomorrow? ... why you (and I) weren't writers for this show.

@joemckim1183

4 жыл бұрын

I don't see Toby as the type to break down and crying. I could see him sitting down and taking a deep breath likes he's finally relieved but crying isn't in his nature.

@airdriver

3 жыл бұрын

Thats why it would have worked.

@dirdib69

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, he's always maintained that it didn't make sense for Toby to do what he did, and Schiff's only personal "canon" was that Toby was covering for someone - I figured it would be Andy.

@airdriver

Жыл бұрын

@@dirdib69 Andy leaked information about a secret military shuttle? Unless she was on the House Armed Services committee there was very little chance of her leaking anything because she probably didn’t know of it’s existence.

That was handy how there was a box for him to stand on right beside the door.

Beautiful scene...

They were on the bang train years ago, this scene to me confirms it....but their friendship is so epic too as much as I ship them the anticipation and never ever is just as good 😅

CJ's so exhausted here - I really think if she'd accepted Santos' offer it would have damaged her health or even killed her.

@E.JayViera

Жыл бұрын

Just as Bartlett did with Leo. An interesting parallel.

@pbdye1607

9 ай бұрын

There's a very good reason that Presidential Chiefs of Staff have such a high turnover.

@kirkyearwood4350

8 ай бұрын

What role was she offered?

Pals being buds

The writers did this character a horrific wrong. And everyone, but them, knew it...

@almostfm

6 жыл бұрын

You mean Toby? The "secret military shuttle" arc was probably the worst in the entire run of the series, if for no other reason than the bad science.

@whipjenkins

6 жыл бұрын

no Sorkin,it wasn't the same show.

@hedlundable

6 жыл бұрын

Schiff hated it too.

@MrStGeorgeIllawarra

5 жыл бұрын

Meh. People do crazy things for their family.

@notoriouszig

3 жыл бұрын

NAILED IT. This is what I bring up when people act like the show didn't miss Sorkin.

they’ve explored each others bodies

Only 2 things bothered me in this show..Toby's betrayal and Jed turning on Leo.

@glennhoddle10

Жыл бұрын

Me 2. It was so out of character. Aaron Sorkin would never have written those story arcs. The show was still good but the scripts never hit the same lofty heights once Aaron left.

@larrysmith2638

2 ай бұрын

Jed didn't turn on Leo. Leo lost trust in Jed. I hated how they made Leo so hawkish during that brief period. Totally out of character.

Oh hell yeah. Absolutely yeah. But don't do it anyway

My point is if Toby wanted to betray the president he should have done that in season 2... He didn't.... I didn't like how he would have written him off

CJ is my dream girl

I wish they would continue with Matt santos as president

This show was perfect... Then they lost Sorkin and Lowe and completely FORGOT about Schiff. I never really clicked with the Will character and can't even remember the blonde's name (not Ainsley, the other one).

@sovak75

2 жыл бұрын

AnnaBeth was great.

@SotonCueMan

2 жыл бұрын

@@sovak75 I think he means Kate Harper.... I agree AnnaBeth was great! Especially her reaction when Leo hacked her email to leak the debate prep!

I've always thought CJ was the leak, and Toby took the blame for her.

@katetallentpcconsultant

Ай бұрын

Toby was the leak. I always thought the President told him. Just not to tell

@kevenpinder7025

Ай бұрын

Sloppy narrative. The single most perishable commodity in DC is secrets. In a year, or a month, or a week, the existence of the secret shuttle would leak from somewhere. A WH staffer, a Pentagon paper pusher, a disgruntled USAF senior sergeant or a janitor in some comm center. Once out, Bartlett's legacy implodes to 3 words, "Three Dead Astronauts." That could never be an acceptable outcome.

Honestly, the chemistry between these characters has been on point since day one. Why the writers didn't pair them up is beyond me. The show had its different fun relationships. Josh and Donna was the chaotic funny one, Will and Kate was the adorable one, and Toby and CJ would have been the serious one.

@jimreily7538

7 күн бұрын

Because it's not Friends. Or Days of Our Lives. A bunch of staffers who are also lovers, working together for the President? Gag.

Is it me, or does this scene imply that they had a friends with benefits relationship in the past?

@momcatwoo

Жыл бұрын

That’s what the actors agreed on.

Oh season 7, How you butchered my original cast.

@MatsThyWit

3 жыл бұрын

Eh. The original cast was kind of screwed by season 6. Season 7 only really butchered Toby. So much so that I don't think he even appeared in the final episode.

@vinylrecord68

3 жыл бұрын

@@MatsThyWit Just watched the show (for the first time), and you are correct. It was disappointing that only he was left out of the final episode.

@cherylb6755

3 жыл бұрын

Shubhika~ Yup. When I re-watch the series, I only go through Season 6.

What did Toby do? Was that pardon for him?

@angusperson4222

Жыл бұрын

Leaked the existence of a classified military space shuttle to the press in an effort to force the president to rescue some stranded astronauts using it.

@Steve_Hayden

Жыл бұрын

@@angusperson4222 thanks

@johnparker2957

Жыл бұрын

Rather he took the blame for the leak to protect his dying brother who was an astronaut and who was the one who leaked the story.

@Steve_Hayden

Жыл бұрын

@@johnparker2957 thank you

@flyboy152

Жыл бұрын

@@johnparker2957 When talking with Andy, Toby was quite vehement about denying it was his brother David. So, either he was lying to his ex, or he had some other source of info.

Reunite, not reunites.

The last two seasons of this show were so weak.

Hated CJ with Danny, he seems so little boyish. Not for her. Wish they hadn't killed of Simon Donovan.

@darlene8130

6 жыл бұрын

punknhead23 imo mark harmon is best in ncis. so i can't complain eventhough i agree he's best for CJ.

@punknhead23

6 жыл бұрын

Darlene would like to see Allison J. do a guest appearance in NCIS. Yes good Harmon got his own gig.

@JustinSIsTank

4 жыл бұрын

"The West Wing": CBS's great casting call.

@JohnLutherable

4 жыл бұрын

maybe Danny has a cannon in his pants as well

@joemckim1183

4 жыл бұрын

@@punknhead23 It's crazy that Harmon's performance on The West Wing is probably what earned him the role of NCIS. NCIS is still on the air all these years later.

Why, in movies and TV shows is there ALWAYS a parking space directly in front of where the actor needs to go?