If there's any place in this world where voting is essential, it's in the United States. We've seen what can happen when people vote for the wrong person, and how every single vote count in a big power like this. In 2020, the country had the biggest voter turnout of all time, and there's a reason why that election had that number. Because they'd finally realized how important that was. Before the election, HBO Max had put together the cast of "The West Wing" for a special that would support voting in the United States, and hopefully get more people out to say who they wanted to represent them for the next four years. That special was a reprise of an episode of the show that had also been about the importance of voting. Moreso, it was about the importance of elections in general, and how we choose the people that we want to be in power. I think a lot of people will watch the episode of "Hartsfield's Landing" and think about it as a good episode of this show. However, I think that's a mistake, as this may actually be one of the most important episodes of the show. Sure, it's a simple episode, but it's all rooted in the drama that has been setup between these characters and brings a big climax to the table and offers up some genuinely important lessons for not only the characters, but for the people watching the show and taking it all in, as well.
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.
