”Wingin It: The West Wing Podcast” – Andrea Howat

Matt Santos is the best Mommy we've ever had, and we've got no problem with it. And let's give two cheers for Janeane Garofalo in her first West Wing episode! From electoral math to moments of 50 Shades of Gray, we're here to talk about it all. 

It's the beginning of the end! We're not emotional about it... (okay, yes we are.)

Only one more season to go, and we're getting emotional! But we're also emotional because NASA has a leak and Matt Santos gives the perfect speech. Do you have feelings about this episode too? We thought so. Join us as we discuss, "2162 Votes."

**SPOILER ALERT** “It’s all downhill from here” or is it? In this episode we discuss the consistently inconsistent relationships on The West Wing (and Dule’s upcoming wedding in real life!). And we start mourning the Toby storyline we all hate. Tell us all your thoughts on, "Things Fall Apart."

Well, whaddya know, it's The Vinick Show. Surely we're still rooting for Matt Santos but we'll take any episode that gives us a hearty dose of Bartlet being the leader we know and love. Vinick fields questions on his personal religious beliefs and he ends up discussing them with President Bartlet, over multiple tubs of ice cream. It's truly delightful. Join us as we recap this gem of an episode, "In God We Trust."

"Ninety Miles Away... From The West Wing You Know and Love." Is this our LEAST favorite episode of The West Wing?! Would you rather watch this episode or "The Long Goodbye?" Why doesn't it work? Will we ever stop asking questions? Please, give us your two cents on this peculiar episode, "Ninety Miles Away." 

Lo and behold! It's yet another Season 6 favorite! We go from being a scrappy (nearly broke) insurgency to the winner of the Democratic primary in California! Donna Moss wins our MVP for this one, and if you listen to our recap (or if you've seen the episode), you'll know why. Join us as we recap, "La Palabra."

We've got a cloak and dagger operation surrounding a crucial stem cell vote. Kate Harper is having trouble with Canadians, and Toby takes a meeting with some future leaders who give him a run for his money. Join Andrea & guest host Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) as they discuss all the major plot points, as well as the origins of spaghetti squash, 'Home Improvement' & 'Titanic' guest stars, and Celine Dion. 

TOBY'S CRYING. CJ'S CRYING. WE'RE CRYING. (sigh) Okay, everyone's back at The White House, at long last. Toby & Josh get in a physical brawl. Josh & Donna are in a closet. Charlie almost sets up Kate Harper with her ex-husband. Annabeth has an (odd/sweet?) moment with Will, and Will ends up taking five with Kate. There's so much to unpack. Join us as we recap the glory of, "Drought Conditions." 

We're in New Hampshire! Team Santos is trying to change up the debate format (and get into the debate to begin with). There's an ad with chicken suits that we love, and more Amy Gardner problems. Do we come up with an idea for a West Wing theme park? Yes. Do we love this episode? Also yes. Join us as we discuss all things, "Freedonia." 

Oh hey! Remember when The West Wing had a Valentine's Day episode? We didn't either. But here it is! Valentine's Day at The White House. CJ has to decide whether to wake up a sleeping Bartlet, Toby has a meeting with Miss World, Abby's mad (again), Christopher Lloyd guest stars, and we've got Lord John Marbury for MVP! And somehow it's a musical episode. Join us (and the music of Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Hanson, Stevie Wonder, En Vogue, & Madonna) as we recap, "The Wake Up Call."

Everyone's in Iowa, and Josh & Donna at the hotel with the Ryan Adams song playing is all we can focus on right now. Not really... but sort of. We'll discuss it all in our recap of one of our favorite re-watchable episodes, "King Corn."

Leo's back in The White House! Abbey's headed to NASCAR, and Will finally reveals a few misgivings about backing Bob Russell for President. The real question is, how do you measure a year? In daylights? In sunsets? In... well, we'll talk about it all in our recap of, "365 Days." 

Everyone's in New Hampshire! Josh & Donna have their first post-schism run-in. Liz Bartlet is there! Joey Lucas is there too! And Josh & Santos finally have "the talk." We'll talk about it all (except the following) in our recap of, "Opposition Research." *Post Script: this is the first episode of TWW in which John Spencer does not appear.*

Who wants to recap an episode written by Bradley Whitford? (You can't see it but we're both raising our hands.) Matt Santos officially decides to run for President, Donna gets a new job, and the whole country's buzzing with questions about CJ's sexuality. There's all that and more as we dive in to our recap of, "Faith Based Initiative."  

What about the unaired West Wing Halloween episode? Was Arnold Vinick ever supposed to win? Do you think Aaron Sorkin would ever write a reboot? What was John Spencer like? Listen in as Andrea is joined by Eli Attie (@EliAttie), producer & writer from The West Wing (and so much more.) **Be advised, this does contain spoilers!**

The China summit. Bartlet can't move. An asteroid heading toward earth. Donna's quitting. Is this really Armageddon? Possibly. But no, it's "Impact Winter." And we have feelings about it.

It's the Penn & Teller "did they just burn a flag in The White House?" episode! President Bartlet is experiencing dramatic effects of his M.S. while on his flight to China, and Donna is sassing her boss a bridge too far (in our opinion). Andrea is joined today by Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) and special guest TELLER! (Or are we? Did we make him disappear?) Join us as we discuss, "In the Room." #WeDidntStartTheFire

We've got Sam Cooke, James Taylor, and much ado about a flag. The bloom is off the rose between Josh & Donna, and big things are happening with President Bartlet's M.S.  Among this is one of our favorite Charlie storylines. We'll talk about it in our recap of, "A Change Is Gonna Come."

As 2016 comes to a close, Andrea & Sallie reflect on all of the West Wing events that unfolded this year, in this "best of" episode. 

In this episode, Josh uses the majority of his mental faculties to argue with Matt Santos and the remaining neurons to antagonize Donna like he's a sixth grade boy. Toby & CJ are still trying to navigate her shift to Chief of Staff and the vacancy she left, and Leo's still looking as dapper as ever. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "The Dover Test." 

Josh drives an SUV into a Prius during a debate over fuel efficiency standards (whoops). Toby gets a lesson in likability from Annabeth (it's the best). CJ gets a lesson both in chess & her responsibilities as Chief of Staff, and Charlie asks out Zoey (again). If you know a better name for Charlie+Zoey than "Choey," please write to us. We'll discuss that, our idea for a new dating site for Chess fans, and more in our recap of "The Hubbert Peak."

It's CJ's first day as Chief of Staff - and Toby filling in as Press Secretary! What more could you need?! And in this episode we meet Annabeth Schott (Kristin Chenoweth) & Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits), so you can finally stop wondering who those people are on The West Wing cover on Netflix. Throw in a prank from our favorite Senior Staff boys and a delightful dose of Margaret, and you've got yourself a winning episode, folks. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "Lift Off."

This is easily the best episode of Season 6 thus far. What other show can still "bring the funny" (Josh & CJ have a healthy-eating challenge a la "The Office") while a major character undergoes heart bypass surgery? And without Leo at the helm, our favorite White House staffers are playing a patchwork game of telephone, which lends itself to even more perfectly timed comedy. We freely admit we don't entirely understand what happened with Josh and the pizzas (or with CJ + Greg Brock never getting together) but we know we liked it all. Everything's about to change with a new Chief of Staff about to jump off the metaphorical cliff, and we want to know your thoughts on all of it. Join us! 

Be advised: this episode contains a major spoiler since it relates to a real life West Wing event. It can be hard to watch at times, but being that this is our first episode post-election (in real life), we're turning to The West Wing to make it through.

We are on lockdown, people! This is not a drill. If "Hell is other people," it's getting (emotionally) fiery in The West Wing. CJ truth bombs Donna. Charlie, Debbie, & President Bartlet get to wear cool track suits. Leo & Abbey go head-to-head. Josh Lyman & Kate Harper play a game of "Who knows more?" while Toby & Will spend some quality time reunited in Sam's office. Oh, and there's a potential plague on the loose. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "No Exit."

We've got Abbott & Costello references in the same breath as Shakespeare references, we've got Kate Harper (!), a farewell to Intern Ryan, Donna struggling to find satisfaction in her work & Josh struggling to save jobs (and his integrity) after a huge trade deal, and CJ playing a game of musical chairs in the briefing room. This episode also has Richard Schiff in the director's chair! Want to talk about, "Talking Points?" Good. Us too.

With Andrea out on tour this week, Sallie and guest podcaster Abby go behind the scenes of this behind-the-scenes episode! Loved by some and hated by many, we breakdown the good and bad of this documentary-style, CJ-loving episode.

"I love her. I love her mind. I love her shoes." This is the Season Five episode we've all been waiting for, right? Right. When a Supreme Court Justice dies suddenly, it's all hands on deck to find a suitable replacement. Intrigue, humor, and guest stars abound in this classic West Wing episode. Join us as we discuss all things, "The Supremes" (finally). 

“Somebody’s out for blood, and they’re targeting Ellie Bartlet.” That pretty much sums it up! Oh, except for one more thing: The Muppets!!

Hoynes is about to release a tell-all book, which has our favorite White House staffers on high alert. Meanwhile, Intern Ryan pulls a ballsy stunt in a meeting with the Base Closing Commission, Toby has a meeting about Chinese bras, and CJ is MVP... of everything, always. We'll chat about it all in our recap of, "Full Disclosure." 

In August 2016, Andrea had the opportunity to sit down with Richard Schiff in Los Angeles to hear his thoughts on Aaron Sorkin's Masterclass, Toby + CJ's relationship (including for whom the flashback pool scene was originally written), his feelings on "the leak" storyline, and much more. Thank you @Richard_Schiff for such a revelatory & thoughtful interview. **Be advised, this does contain major spoilers!**

Josh gets embarrassed by his intern, CJ - not to be mocked - goes on the Taylor Reid show with both wings flapping, President Bartlet & Leo have a bit of a role reversal, and John Spencer gets an EMMY nomination. Let's flashback to, "An Khe" and talk all about it.

It's a slow news day, so naturally Toby thinks he can find a way to save social security. Let's see what happens!

Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) & Andrea discuss one of the best episodes from Season 5. The discussion may be slightly more PG-13 than usual, but you'll hear 'Hamilton' & 'Bring It On' references. (You could skip it but we don't recommend it.) Plus, we really want to market-test our Political Malls idea with you. We'll talk about the Charlie & Ms. Anders "would've been" ‘ship, a pregnant Joey Lucas, and lots of Donna admiration in our recap of, "The Benign Prerogative."

It's our 100th episode! And Toby gets drunks on a plane! We'll chat about what works & what didn't in our recap of, "The Stormy Present." 

It's Christmas at The White House again! Pull up a chair and call your favorite chinless Swede, and we'll talk about our favorite father of daughters. #PresidentBartlet

Well, the government is shut down during a budget stalemate. This is the episode where Bartlet & Josh get their groove back! Oh and we meet "Rina" for the first time, and we want to hear your opinions. Other than that, here's a rare "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" moment in Season 5. Enjoy it!

Budget negotiations have Josh on the sidelines and Donna in the room. Meanwhile, after a Supreme Court Justice collapses, The Bartlet Administration has to find a way to ask the ailing Judge to step down. Lots of musical references adorn, "Separation of Powers," aka our last appearance from Matthew Perry. Love it or leave it, let's talk about it.

Did Dulé Hill really just teach Sallie her first tap step? Yes. Did we talk about his favorite West Wing episodes, find out which actor is most like their character, and what HE thought of Jean Paul? Also yes. We loved getting to catch up with Dulé for a few minutes at the ATX Festival in Austin, TX and learning what he considers the secret to his success. **Be advised, this does contain spoilers!**

At the West Wing reunion at the ATX Festival in Austin, TX, Andrea & Sallie had the privilege to sit down with Melissa Fitzgerald (@MaffyFitz).  Woven throughout Melissa's story are inspiring examples of ways her fellow West Wing cast-mates have supported her pursuits throughout the years. Listen in to hear more about her current role with Justice for Vets (www.justiceforvets.org) and the good work they're doing, as well as behind the scenes stories - from her thoughts on CJ's suitors to getting to read for Stockard Channing. **Be advised, this interview does contain spoilers.**

At The West Wing reunion at the ATX Festival in Austin, TX, Andrea & Sallie were delighted to sit down with Richard Schiff. Listen in as they discuss his approach to acting, which moments were pivotal to the formation of the character of "Toby," and how he gambled his way to Los Angeles. Other highlights include an appearance from Denis Leary, Toby's infamous pink Spaulding ball, the search for a long lost scene partner, and his thoughts on his new role playing a Trump-like character. Enjoy this conversation with @Richard_Schiff.

It's season five and the visigoths have laid siege to The Mural Room! John Goodman is at the helm and everyone's on edge (including us). Join Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) & Andrea as they kick off Season 5 with discussions of Macbeth/bagels and lighting design ("Purple is not a requirement for nighttime.") It's the post-Sorkin era, and we're going for it.

Toby & Andy share some earth-shattering moments; Donna gets truthed by Amy Gardner; and "Book Bag" has been taken & there's a dead agent on the scene! Gahhhh! Andrea & Sarah (@sarahsj) are here to dish about it all. Let's dive in. 

Matthew Perry is back and John Hoynes is out the door! And there might be life on Mars but let's not talk about it. In other news, Andrea & Sarah discuss being NASA nerds & finding West Wing soulmates. I know.... you're welcome. Join us as we recap all things pertaining to, "Life On Mars."

Shots are fired and hey! It's lockdown on poker night. Who lost an unmanned spy plane over Russia? And who has 500 million dollars and no conscience? More importantly, which FRIENDS cast member guest stars as the male version of Ainsley Hayes? Andrea and Sarah (@sarahsj) are here to chat about it all. It's the vernal equinox! Grab an egg and let's go! 

In this episode, Andrea is rejoined by Sarah Johnson (@sarahsj) to discuss the episode, "Angel Maintenance." And if you think they don't talk about the hit song by Sarah McLachlan, think again. Not the most overwhelming of West Wing episodes but there are moments of glory while aloft on Air Force One. Join us as we discuss all things, "Angel Maintenance."

"I'm Marion Cotesworth-Haye!" Oh man... this episode... CJ has a laughing fit, Amy Gardner gets hazed on her first day as Mrs. Bartlet's Chief of Staff, and Charlie (pause for swooning) disagrees, respectfully.  

**Brief spoiler alert in this episode.** Let's just all agree to call this "The California 47th: Part II" and also agree that Sam Seaborn isn't actually leaving... Not that we're in denial... If you've never had someone to talk with about your feelings about Sam leaving, walk right this way.

Our favorite West Wingers delay announcing their new tax plan and instead take a trip out to California to support Sam's campaign. But whaddya know, Sam goes ahead and announces Bartlet's tax plan early, to his own detriment, because he's a team player and everyone is amazing. Other delightful facets of this episode: Will struggles to piece together the speechwriting staff, Leo makes sure the world continues turning, Toby and Charlie end up in jail, and Donna has a meeting with a communist. 

So, we decided to skip one of our least favorite episodes ("The Long Goodbye", S4E13), and instead we opted to do a double episode about one of our favorite episodes! Inaugural balls, snowballs, the list of things we love about these episodes is much longer than this episode can contain. AND it's our one year podcast anniversary! Thank you all for listening. We hope you enjoy this recap of, "Inauguration: Parts I & II."

If you can't recall from the title what happens in this episode, you're not alone. We're currently taking suggestions for alternative episode names for this one. Suffice it to say, there's a goat and a vote. Hey, there's an idea... We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "Guns Not Butter." 

Yet another of our favorite West Wing episodes. If you're a Josh & Donna fan, you'll know exactly why. We get a special visit from Santa which delights CJ at first but leaves the Bartlet inner circle on alert. In all cases, "it's not what it looks like" means "it's EXACTLY what it looks like." Stanley's here, Toby's dad is here, The Whiffenpoofs are here. Join us for our gush-fest about all* things, "Holy Night." (*except for a particular member of french royalty.)

Sam acts at matchmaker for Toby, at least as far as speech-writing is concerned ("He's one of us."). A female pilot caught in an affair is causing a "womens issue" for The Bartlet Administration (and most of its male staffers). And Donna asks Josh to put in a good word for her with Jack Reese (so you KNOW that's going to go well.) Join us for a recap of one of Andrea's favorite episodes, "Arctic Radar." 

A 15 year old son of the Ayatollah is in desperate need of a heart & lung transplant and it needs to happen on American soil. While President Bartlet works to secure the boy a plane with "a big red cross" on it, Toby works to find a job for a deserving Bartlet supporter & Josh has a run-in with our *favorite* VP, John Hoynes. And perhaps more important, Sallie & I decide we need podcast mascots named Mr. Finch & Mrs. Wilberforce. If you'll join us for our recap of, "Swiss Diplomacy," you'll understand why. 

Let's just call this one "mojo interruptus." We pick up in this episode right where "Election Night" left off. Aside from Sam dealing with whether or not to keep his promise to run in the special election in the California 47th, and Leo getting briefed on a coup d'etat in Venezuela, pretty much everyone else is celebrating the Bartlet victory. Or trying to...

You *could* skip this episode but do you really want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing? We don't recommend it. It's election night! Join us. 

There are few things more delightful than seeing Bartlet artfully manuveur the debate... except Sallie and I can't seem to agree on the whole Abbey-cutting-Jed's-tie moment. Not uncommon for The West Wing but this episode boasts guest stars galore including our first episode with Josh Malina! Do you have opinions on that? We do too! Join us as we recap, "Game On." 

Things you'll like about this episode: flashbacks to the Bartlet administration's first few days in office, Donna pulling a prank on Josh, and #TeamToby. 

Things you need to know about this episode: it's not as good as the episodes before or after it BUT it's still better than most other episodes of television (because it's The West Wing). Sen. Howard Stackhouse is posing a potential conflict to the President Bartlet's campaign strategy. Charlie's mentoring his Little Brother. There's a lot of back-and-forth on debates. Amy Gardner makes balloon animals. Everybody's going to church. And Sam gets wind of some strange circumstances brewing in the California 47th district... Yeah. We know. We'll talk about it all in our recap of, "Red Mass."

Leo calls upon his favorite lawyer to help navigate the murky waters of international law; Debbie's still trying to find her footing as the new Executive Secretary; Josh & Toby decide to spearhead an initiative to make college tuition tax deductible; and CJ (and The Barenaked Ladies) wants you to Rock the Vote. And, basically, you should do whatever CJ says. Join us as we chat about all that and more as we recap, "College Kids." 

It's 20 Hours in America! Toby, Josh, & Donna get left behind in Indiana while on the campaign trail, and it's a bit like "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles" to get back to The White House. CJ looks for a big brother for Anthony while Charlie works to secure a new executive secretary to replace Mrs. Landingham. Sam's called in to staff the president in a new role, and Leo and Bartlet try to make a plan for their next move with regards to Qumar. Lots to cover here. Join us to talk about the highs and lows in, "20 Hours in America."

Desperate times call for desperate measures, as Abdul Shareef is about to find out. As those bad things are happening, *other* bad things are happening while our favorite White House staffers are in NYC. Throw in some Jeff Buckley music and we pretty much can't stop crying. Join us for the sobfest over the perfectly executed but ever so devastating episode that is, "Posse Comitatus." 

President Bartlet is still trying to figure out what to do about Abdul Shareef. CJ & Simon spend some time shooting a few rounds together. Donna goes to North Dakota. And then there's Amy Gardner & the stew... Lots to talk about here. Join us as we discuss, "We Killed Yamamoto." 

Somehow this became somewhat of a girly episode on the commentary front - and not because the episode is named after a Vera Wang dress. Simon Donovan is still on the scene to protect CJ, but when Sam sets out to protect the President from the opposition party, he walks straight into a trap. Also, Donna had to buy some expensive moose meat. There's more where that came from. Join us as we recap all things in, "The Black Vera Wang."

Charlie tracks down a mysterous letter to the President, CJ gets a death threat, & Toby has nothing to do! We want to hear your answers to the Question Of The Week in this one. Lots to discuss in this our recap of, "Enemies Foreign and Domestic."

It's the special episode on The West Wing (S3E19) so we decided to do a special Wingin' It episode too! Spoilers abound as we answer fan emails, voicemails, & queries. It's a good time- possibly the best episode we've ever done with just the two of us - but we're biased. Moreover, we decide we're going to tour the podcast internationally in 2016 to visit our international listeners (not really serious). But if you find us on your doorstep, you already know the password. #Shibboleth

"The name's Hoynes. John Hoynes." In an unexpected turn of events, the VP proves likable in this episode. It's true. Also, President Bartlet does Charlie's taxes & makes a surprising phone call to Donna's former teacher. We're feeling stirred ourselves. Join us as we recap all things, "Stirred." 

Did President Bartlet really just call Gov. Richie stupid on TV? Did he mean to do it or not? Will the U.S. poet laureate speak out at a ceremony in her honor? Will she go out with Toby? These are all valid questions. Let's talk about them! Join us for the recap of, "The U.S. Poet Laureate."