For a long time, it seemed like this show was in a black hole that it would take a very powerful tractor beam to get it out of. I continue to think that Sorkin's last year was definitely his worst and the year where the show started to go downhill in terms of uninteresting storylines. However, in the last two years of John Wells' tenure as showrunner, he's managed to give the show new life by infusing it with a new structure that has given it a bit more to stand for, with Matt Santos in many ways being the new lead of this show. It feels like a presidential transition in the show's way, despite the fact that he's still nine points down in the presidential race. This episode, though, was firmly rooted in the original characters and focused on them while only giving a few scenes to the Santos storyline. It deals with the outcome of Toby's revelation in the previous episode and everything that goes down in the White House after the leak has finally been revealed. This episode may be one of the most personal ones that the show has ever had, which it needed to be after finding out that a character that we have loved has committed a criminal act. This is a powerful hour of television that calls for the best in everyone who is participating, especially from Richard Schiff who once again provides a masterclass in acting on this show with every scene that he appears in.
The opening of the episode is particularly powerful in the immediate aftermath of the revelation, with an obvious rift between Toby and C. J. already starting to form. There were few words spoken between them but it was obvious that a lot needed to be said and will probably be said in upcoming episodes. The solemn nature goes into the rest of the episode and leaves the audience in for a very powerful hour of television that will seem like nothing on the front, but has a lot of depth and tension underneath that the fans will definitely be feeling.
And the fact that this is happening to a character that we love and care of is what makes this a personal episode. Wells puts the focus on the fact that everyone can have a lapse of judgment if they think that it'll ultimately save people. This entire thing has put Bartlet's presidency in great risk and will probably be a rift between Bartlet and Toby's relationship forever, but it was done in the belief that it would save some lives. So where do we actually draw the line and will we as fans be able to see Toby's side.
And talking about Bartlet and Toby, it's difficult not to mention the incredible trust there's been between the two, but also the amount of tension. They've never really seen eye-to-eye, but they've always been able to work out their differences. That final scene in the Oval Office was a truly heartbreaking one and it put a lot of emphasis on that relationship between the two. It shouldn't surprise anyone that it would be hard to watch, but it was nonetheless, and I'm not sure that this relationship will ever be mended, even though I hold out hope that it will.
I've never missed an opportunity to praise Richard Schiff's acting on this show. In a lot of scenes, he seems very subdued and then he can burst out into a tantrum and win an Emmy. However, this episode featured him at his most subdued. Even when he isn't saying anything, he's a threat to be the best actor in the episode, and he's acting opposite giants in this one. I love him and his character so much and I hope that this isn't the last we'll see of Toby and Schiff, so hopefully they'll be brought back before the finale.
"Here Today" shows what this show can do at its best, even in a period where it zigzags in quality and has some bad moments. It was personal and raw, and it was everything that I hoped it would be after that incredible revelation last episode, garnished with some great performances from everyone involved.
