Watch and Talk

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We watch an episode of The West Wing and discuss it, at length. We analyze the show as drama, historical time capsule, and use it as a lens to view our current world. Sometimes it's funny too.

Watch and Talk: A Podcast About The West Wing


    • Sep 2, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 25m AVG DURATION
    • 48 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Watch and Talk

    S03E04 – Infinite Taxation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2018 108:10


    We talk ballets, Ms. Landingham's up close magic skills, and give Doug a new nickname.

    S03E03 – Country Fashions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2018 93:19


    We talk snakes, the the validity of unnamed sources, and ship Sam and Connie.

    S03E02 – The Wet Timeline

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2018 90:12


    We talk political apologies, presidential marriages, and mall culture.

    S03E01 – Secret Peanut Butter

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2018 106:13


    S02E22 – Sassy Little Ghost

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2018 97:00


    We talk presidential event staging, question the President's decision making apparatus, and debate the use of that Dire Straits song.

    S02E21 – Sometimes You Can't Haggle

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2017 114:48


    We watch season 2, episode 21 of The West Wing (“18th and Potomac”).We talk presidential scandals, Eric gets a lesson in negotiating, and we deal with this episode’s shocking ending.Links:New Zodiac Sign – OphiuchusKenny ThurmanTrump Dentures?Melania’s Christmas WishRob Lowe Sex TapeBig Old DoinksGood Guy discountFlynn Inaguration TextsMammy YokumConfusing Mammy Yokum CartoonYoung Lady Old Lady Illusion

    S02E20 – 100 Years of Time Travel Gas

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2017 113:57


    We talk fictional and real tax plans, have major issues with Sam, and Eric confesses to a crippling addiction.

    S02E19 – Attention Gathering Device

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2017 98:37


    We watch season 2, episode 19 of The West Wing ("Bad Moon Rising").We talk litigation strategy, plan a vacation in international waters, and eat some expired space food.Links• Cornel West Reader• ERA Ratification• 280• Oil Tanker Sizes• Astronaut Ice Cream 

    S02E18 – Extremely Online

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2017 87:38


    We talk the ERA, presidential clapbacks, and how much of Eric's life is informed by throwaway lines in this episode.

    S02E17 – The Big Ugly

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2017 87:34


    We talk the filibuster, standing desks, and shirt tucks.

    S02E16 – Dead Red Redemption

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2017 109:33


    We talk about anarchy, map projections, and Don Henley.

    S02E15 – Gut Dominance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2017 96:16


    We talk drug policy, that Allman Brothers reference, and examine this epiosde's erotic undertones.

    S02E14 – Leather Babby

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2017 92:00


    We talk the drug war, the viability of third party candidates, and breakfast.

    S02E13 – A Reverse Roast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2017 78:59


    We talk ways to make the SoTU more exciting, school uniforms, and attempt to decipher a particularly inscrutable Sorkin-ism.

    S02E12 – Born to Be a Regular

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2017 84:47


    We talk comic strips, pie vs. cake, and Elise gives a few extremely accurate and true history lessons.

    S02E11 – I Smell Everything

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2017 97:06


    We talk pizza bites, our animal crushes, and wonder if propaganda is always bad.

    S02E10 – Put the Machine in Charge

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2017 97:14


    We talk acronyms, strategic reserves of all types, and are fascinated by the autopen.

    S02E09 – It Means Tough Noogies

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2017 108:14


    We talk green beans, accidental cousin dating, and introduce Detective Harry Covert.

    S02E08 – A Disguise for the Good Meat

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2017 94:37


    We talk about how much Elise spends on knives, piece together this eps extremely subtle Thanksgiving parable, and learn some new words.

    S02E07 – Status Quo Forever

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2017 94:03


    We talk the education system, returning things, and come up with a hip new name for Ainsley's office.

    S02E06 – What Separates Us From the Dolphins

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2017 89:28


    Elise is sick, so it's a boys-only episode. We talk about the objective value of ducks (lame, regular, or otherwise), Brayden preaches the virtues of preventative RSI health, and we discuss the merits of technocracy vs. direct democracy.

    S02E05 – A Bottle Full of Lies

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2016 90:43


    We talk about proper fry saucing technique, struggle with the old-timey references in this episode, and Brayden sings a lot.

    S02E04 – Radical Turkey

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2016 91:38


    We talk liberal smugness, medical and agricultural patents, and Elise outs herself as a Norman Borlaug fangirl.

    S02E03 – All Sorts of Food Magic

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2016 95:25


    We try to make sense of the new world we live in, discuss the efficacy of John Oliver style monologues, and Eric has a special treat for the gang.

    S02E02 – The Butterverse

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2016 73:18


    We talk questionable wrist wear, search for clues in The Great Necklace Caper, and discover the origin of President Dad.

    S02E01 – Big Milk

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2016 70:11


    We talk about how Nancy McNally may be responsible for the Iraq War and explain the 25th Amendment in easy to understand terms.

    S01E22 – They Should've Killed Off Mandy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2016 71:29


    We talk how this episode's clever plot structure, do some impressions of the cast, and tally up the "previously on"'s for this season.

    S01E21 – Statistics Validated Us

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2016 70:51


    We discuss the use of ambassadorships as political chits, question the efficacy of a military tradition, and argue the finer points of raspberries and zerbits.

    S01E20 – Whatever Happened to Vanilla?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2016 86:59


    We talk about drug reform policy, ponder a moral dilemma of being a sign interpreter, and implore everyone to respect the pie.

    S01E19 – Ants in the Pants is Real

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2016


    We talk about putting our faith in weather forecasts, Brayden's breaks down his current sandwich regimen, and Eric has issues with the White House's email problems.

    S01E18 – Grifter Territory

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2016 73:31


    We talk about school vouchers, take Toby to task for being bearonormative, and compare the fashions of the 90s to the early-00s.

    S01E17 – My Business Hair

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2016 72:49


    We talk about the cross-partisan politics of free trade, our power moves at work, and the cookies Brayden's grandma used to make.

    S01E16 – One Tall Drink of Yogurt

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2016 74:32


    We talk about the law and politics of flag burning, pick our ideal activities for an afternoon with the president, and call out a case of Bob Balaban typecasting.

    S01E15 – Four Piece Suit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2016 61:24


    We talk about continuity issues in this episode, ask why there isn't an article on "root canal", and question the nature of reality.

    S01E14 – A First Class Snack

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2016 81:51


    We talk the politics of the death penalty, strippers, and proper work attire.

    S01E13 – An Annoying Ghost

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2016 81:48


    We talk about the grammar error in the episode's title, suspect a fake British accent, and criticize Josh's hamburger order.

    S01E12 – A Fish Itch

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2016 77:32


    We talk about our places in the presidential line of succession, Elise's first experience chatting to strangers/aliens on AOL, and everyone in the White House is super horny.

    S01E11 – Eat Your Cookie

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2016 85:49


    We talk about the finer points of subpoenas, Elise shows off her pronunciation skills, and the audience picks Jason's Secret Service code name.

    S01E10 – An Extra Layer of Arbitrariness

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2016 87:00


    We talk about the pros and cons of thought crime, wearing clothes people died in, and notice Toby is acting suspicious.

    S01E09 – Snacks to Buy Your Lady To Get Her in the Mood

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2016 80:57


    We talk about the balance between politics and ideology when picking a supreme court nominees, that time a ceiling fell on Brayden, and learn a very interesting fact about William Taft.

    S01E08 – Did You Ever Do a Shoeshine?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2016 67:51


    This week we lay down some ground rules for inter-office romances, Eric wonders why nobody cares about the environment, and we say hi to "real Sam".

    S01E07 – Sweet Clavicle Action

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2016 77:23


    In this episode: the exciting conclusion of the tale of The Gipper, Eric asks Elise and Jason a tough question, and Jason learns a new word.

    S01E06 – Louisiana Onesie-Twosies

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2016 74:14


    Jason proclaims his love for forms, we research the history of "The Gipper", and confess the embarrassing drink preferences of our youths.

    S01E05 – Learning Yiddish with Eric

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2016 68:08


    We struggle with the name of this episode on multiple levels, give Charlie and Zoey their couple name, and Mandy does "the bad thing".

    S01E04 - I Wanna See a Hot Dog

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2016 65:25


    We debate the proper container for eating Chinese food out of, the ethics of fruit baskets, and agree that Toby _totally_ did a felony.

    S01E03 - Misty LaGuardia

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2016 68:14


    We struggle with certain Sorkin character names, discover the cushiest job in the military, and realize that it's hard out here for a POTUS.

    S01E02 – Chekhov's Baby Photo

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2016 55:43


    We debate the difference between a hooker and a call girl, come up with our Secret Service code names, then get creeped out by Sam.

    S01E01 - Exposition Dump

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2016 58:14


    We discuss the ethics of being rude to flight attendants (and crossword puzzle editors), whether it's sexist to dislike Mandy, and come up with headlines from The West Wing.

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