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The West Wing, Season 6, Episode 16 (Patreon)

Published:
2025-03-06 02:16:24
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Drought Conditions

Files

Previews only

WW6 16

Comments

Yannick Denis-Trudel

LOVE this episode. And I never noticed the camera work specifically before... You guys are sooooo right! And this intertwined story between the campaign and the White House is going to be the norm for a while (not really a spoiler... you guys figured it out)... Sometimes more campaign, other more WH. I'm so happy to be in this swing of the series!

trenton gragg

The director of this episode, Alex Graves, directed 34 episodes of the west wing including season one episode “In Excelsis Deo” and six episodes of Game of Thrones for seasons three and four. Season 3 Now his Watch Has Ended Kissed by Fire Season 4 The Lion and the Rose Breaker of Chains The Mountain and the Viper The Children.

Peggy G

The next episode is probably in my top 10. I'll never understand the fans of the show who stop their rewatches at S4 when Sorkin left. The later seasons still have such great stuff.

Tim Carpenter

I really like the parallel between Toby's brother and Josh in Toby's mind in this episode. Toby sees them both as men who "just dropped everything and walked away." His brother left his family behind, and Josh left the White House and all his work unfinished. It also doesn't help that Toby sees Santos as an unwinning candidate, which would mean that Josh left for nothing (a feeling Toby probably also has about his brother).

Yannick Denis-Trudel

Now I'm so happy to be allowed to bring up one of the nicest piece of trivia about the soundtrack in this episode. The main song at the reception was the famous Take Five played by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It was composed by Paul Desmond (playing Alto Saxophone in the quartet), who upon his death in 1977 left the rights to royalties for all performances and compositions (hence including Take Five) to the American Red Cross. And BTW, Take Five is the biggest-selling jazz single of all time!

Martin Nicholls

It's definitely a good one, and fairly different for the show up to this point in structure and the way its shot, and I guess the story itself; I feel like I could make an argument that it's really the show finding its own voice post-Sorkin? The truth the whole rest of the season is absolutely loaded, I'm a big fan of the next episode but you could be forgiven for picking a favourite out of any of them.

Jeff
>>166863416

And Josh just watched "The Children" yesterday, so it was an Alex Graves week!

Cosmic Slice

So happy we got to this episode! There's some really good stuff coming as we head to finding out who the candidates will be. And you will find out who Vinnick's opposition is on the Republican side. Debora Cahn says that she directly ripped off Sorkin's "Noel" episode for Toby's cut in this episode.

Yannick Denis-Trudel
>>166864119

Gotta say I really like the next episode as well... Naq V'z Pnanqvna (erzrzore gur obeqre vffhr jvgu Xngr)! Vg'f rrevr ubj gur yngr riragf ner fb qvfgheovat jura V frr guvf rcvfbqr. Fbeel gb oevat guvf hc, ohg V'z fgvyy va fubpx. (ROT13)

Yannick Denis-Trudel
>>166863431

I sooo agree with you about the Sorkin fans that ended their watch at S4. I'm looking at you, Hrishikesh Hirway (co-host of The Wes Wing Weekly podcast) He had to force himself to go further than S4 for the good of his project. But he then enjoyed it, but still needed that push! I think the S5 The Supremes is one of my favorite of the "New Era", if not of the whole thing! I posted somewhere higher to another comment from Martin Nicholls in regards to next week's episode, but it's worth the repeat: I do like the next episode as well... Naq V'z Pnanqvna (erzrzore gur obeqre vffhr jvgu Xngr)! Vg'f rrevr ubj gur yngr riragf ner fb qvfgheovat jura V frr guvf rcvfbqr. Fbeel gb oevat guvf hc, ohg V'z fgvyy va fubpx. (ROT13)

Yannick Denis-Trudel
>>166863416

Alex Graves is a mastermind producer, and an elite director. Other shows he directed some episodes: The Diplomat Foundation The Boys Homeland GoT The Newsroom (and my vote to replace The West Wing rewatch after it's over!) The West Wing (34 episodes!) Sports Night Ally McBeal

Pam Nail

- I like this episode a lot. On my own personal ranking, it's #6 for the season and #40 in the series overall. It's directed by Alex Graves, who you can always count on for awesome camera moves and great lighting. And it's written by Deborah Cahn and Lauren Schmidt Hissrick, who are usually behind the episodes that have great stuff for the women to do. - Toby's line about his brother dropping everything and walking away is so heartbreaking and absolutely informs his fight with Josh, who he feels *also* just walked away. - "Is our relationship about to change?" Deborah Cahn, you TROLL.

Surya Gundavarapu

ROT13.5 for spoilers Tynq jr svanyyl ernpurq guvf rcvfbqr. V unir nyjnlf jbaqrerq vs guvf rcvfbqr vf gb frghc Gbol'f zvaqfrg sbe jung ur vf tbvat gb qb ng gur raq bs gur frnfba.

Michael Bennett

The camera work is pretty great in this episode. Alex Graves directed, and he's been with the show since the first season. It was a different take on the usual walk-and-talk, this time the camera would walk out of one scene into another room where a totally different scene was happening, rather than following one character around the halls. And all the revolving motions kinda makes the episode feel like a dance -- which is topped off at the end with Take Five. I don't know what I can say about Toby in this episode other than another amazing performance by Richard Schiff. "Yeah, well, no" is something I often say when I'm incredibly frustrated. Hopefully not frustrated enough to throw stuff at my friends. I really enjoy the shifting focus of this season, some episodes focusing entirely on the primaries, some on the White House, some splitting the time, and some like this where the worlds collide. And your predictions are really fun though of course I can't comment. :)

Béatrice

I felt so much for Toby this episode. Even if I agree he maybe didn't go about everything in the best way, his frustration was understandable. I will say I agree with him that democrats running to the middle and trying to out-conservative republicans does not work. Now, take this with a grain of salt, as I'm canadian. Although being your neighbor does make one care quite a bit about your politics.

Laura Room

The scene with Toby and CJ is so beautiful. They really do have a special relationship.

Brian Harris

“Can this be one of those nights where we get sloshed and forget we work together?” I remember the first time I saw this, that line made my eyebrows jump. And I’ve never seen CJ and Toby’s relationship the same way since.

Cristy

Great episode! That Senator Rafferty reveal at the end is so good. “Nobody turns us down…we’re like the mob but less violent.” Lol, CJ. I'm excited to have Cliff in the West Wing and he’s arrogant too, just like Josh. I think the camera work is great throughout until the scene at the party when I get dizzy from all the excessive spinning around, lol. The next two episodes are so good, I can't wait!

Weird Magic

Convinced my 17yr old stepson to start watching, we're mid-season 1 - I think he likes it so far but I gotta say - as someone that doesn't drink the Sorkin Kool-Aid - watching S1 and S6 simultaneously I'll give the nod to S6. Maybe it's because Mandy is still here.....#mandycatchingstrays Originally airing on February 23, 2005, 'Drought Conditions' is Episode 16 of Season 6 of The West Wing. It is the 127th episode overall and has an IMDB rating of 8.0, placing it as the #10 ranked episode of this season and #72 out of all the episodes shown so far.

Alex Lee

This episode reminds me of some of the old Sorkin episodes, where they would build you up with some comedy in CJ and the stain, only to absolutely punch you in the gut later in the episode!

Youtalkingtome
>>166866762

Appreciate the kind words! Alex Graves is great. I'm really enjoying his work on GOT as well. Never once have I swung on a friend when I was upset. To see Josh and Toby stoop like that, it's just tragic

Youtalkingtome
>>166866446

It absolutely informed that fight and I hated that it came to that. I can't wait for the next scene between the two men

Youtalkingtome
>>166864119

I feel like by the time we're done with the show, this season might be in my top 3...so far I go 2, 4, 6, 3, 1, 5

Youtalkingtome
>>166863824

Isn't that just heartbreaking. He's arguably the most complex character on the show. I hope he is able to find some peace by the end of the show

Youtalkingtome
>>166863292

Every single episode has been enjoyable. I'm glad I bought this season when MAX took it off briefly. I will be rewatching it

Surya Gundavarapu
>>166869918

Interesting though. But, I have always seen CJ and Toby's relationship the same way since Season 2 premiere when they introduced how the band got together. I dont think they ever did the deed. They have that mutual respect but the sexual tension was there even then.

Brian Harris
>>166869918

Oh I definitely think they did. Ever since that episode, in my mind it’s one of those complicated more-than-friendship, less-than-something-else situations that gets reconsummated every few months whenever they’re both not seeing anyone else, which is often, because they don’t have jobs that make a personal life feasible. I wonder if maybe they dated briefly a long time ago, and that’s how Toby knew her before the campaign. It actually makes a lot of sense if you go back and watch the show again. They’ve always sort of quietly, subtly understood each other in a way the others don’t. I don’t know if a quasi-romantic context was always the canonical reason and it just never made it to screen until now, or if it was something the writers noticed in Janney and Schiff’s dynamic that they decided to capitalize on, but I find it really fascinating that they chose to bring it out in THIS episode. It explains why nobody could have that conversation with Toby except for her.

Cactus
>>166866762

As Toby and Josh's argument heats up, the change in the camera to chaos is such a contrast to the rest of the episode and sucks the air out of the room for me. I, appropriately, find the whole scene so stressful.

Balazs Foldes

I just ADMIRE all the work in this episode. Top quality writing: the Rafferty misdirect, the reveals about Toby's brother, connecting themes (Josh/David dropping things and leaving)... awesome. Acting, goes without saying. And this was not routine acting for any of them! The Toby-Josh fight, the CJ-Toby sit down and consolation... very much NOT scenes these actors are used to in this show. Directing, also brilliant. Camera work, you already talked about it. It's all great, and pretty much unusuals. A daring bet from the crew and cast, and so worth it. Like all the intertwining plots. Also like how they managed to merge the campaign plotline and the White House plotline together. Masterful, interesting, unexpected, but still very believable. Indeed, I can imagine the campaigners becoming bit of pariahs within the administration. So well done.

The Inedible Mattman!

That must be one of the best pieces of acting I've ever seen from Richard Schiff. He nailed that scene, him and CJ talking about his brother. I'm always blown away when I see it! Masterclass.

D Gyre

There are so many great performances, great characters in this show. I love it so much. But Toby is my favorite, even with as incredibly good as Allison Janney is, and of course Martin Sheen, and hell, everyone. But Toby is my favorite character, and this is Richard Schiff's greatest role in my opinion. Because of episodes like this.

Devon Cooper

Have been waiting for this one😉 In my top ten