History Recap / TheWestWingS02E15Ellie

* PunnyName: One of the organizations that comes out in support of Dr. Griffith's stance on marijuana is named "[[AltumVidetur E Cannabis Unum]]".

* AuthorCatchphrase / SelfPlagiarism: In their first scene together, Ellie tells President Bartlet she doesn't know how to make him happy. [[MeaningfulEcho At the end of the episode]], [[WellDoneSonGuy when they've reconciled somewhat]], he tells her, "[[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day.]]" Creator/AaronSorkin used that same line in the first season finale of ''Series/SportsNight''.

* {{Hypocrite}}: When Sam gets into an argument with the film producer who accused Bartlet of denouncing his movie, he points out that a whole load of medical experts claim that watching violent movies has negative effects on kids and that the White House intends to listen to medical facts from the experts. The film producer in turn points out that the White House is clearly intending to fire the Surgeon-General for offering a politically inconvenient opinion on the benefits of marijuana despite it being medical facts from an expert. While Sam brushes off the point and and the White House ultimately doesn't go through with it, [[StrawmanHasAPoint he's not entirely wrong to note the dissonance.]]

* ShrinkingViolet: Ellie is clearly the shy child of the Bartlet family; the entire senior staff is surprised to learn that it's her who talked to the press rather than Zoey, she's nervous as a mouse in the President's office (although the telling-off she's anticipating from her father can't help much) and she's clearly intimidated by her outgoing, confident and powerful father in a way that her sisters aren't.

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Sam gets into an argument with the film producer who accused Bartlet of denouncing his movie, he points out that a whole load of medical experts claim that watching violent movies has negative effects on kids and that the White House intends to listen to medical facts from the experts. The film producer points out that [[{{Hypocrite}} the White House is clearly intending to fire the Surgeon-General for offering a politically inconvenient opinion on the benefits of marijuana despite it being medical facts from an expert]]. While Sam brushes off the point and and the White House ultimately doesn't go through with it, he's not wrong to note the dissonance.

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Sam gets into an argument with the film producer who accused Bartlet of denouncing his movie, he points out that a whole load of medical experts claim that watching violent movies has negative effects on kids and that the White House intends to listen to medical facts from the experts. The film producer points out that [[{{Hypocrite}} the White House is clearly intending to fire the Surgeon-General for offering a politically inconvenient opinion on the benefits of marijuana despite it being medical facts from an expert]].

* RunningGag: "[[Music/TheAllmanBrothersBand?" "Keep reading."

* AuthorCatchphrase / SelfPlagiarism: In their first scene together, Ellie tells President Bartlet she doesn't know how to make him happy. [[MeaningfulEcho At the end of the episode]], [[WellDoneSonGuy when they've reconciled somewhat]], he tells her, "[[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day.]]" AaronSorkin used that same line in the first season finale of ''Series/SportsNight''.

* RunningGag: "The [[TheAllmanBrothersBand Allman Brothers]]?" "Keep reading."

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Sam gets into an argument with the film producer who accused Bartlet of denouncing his movie, he points out that a whole load of medical experts claim that watching violent movies has negative effects on kids and that the White House intends to listen to medical facts from the experts. The film producer points out that [[{{Hypocrite}} the White House is clearly going to fire the Surgeon-General for offering a politically inconvenient opinion on the benefits of marijuana despite it being medical facts from an expert]].

* TheUnfavourite: Ellie, at least according to her (and Dr. Griffith), though Bartlet vehemently denies it.

Sam finds out the Family Values Leadership Council has taken out an ad congratulating those who denounced the movie ''Prince of New York'', and one of the people they congratulate is President Bartlet. Turns out the producer offered to screen it at the White House, Charlie decided President Bartlet would rather watch something else (''Film/DialMForMurder''), and the producer went on Radio/DonImus' show and said President Bartlet was siding with censors. When the producer comes to the White House for a conference on violence and the media, Sam tells him what really happened, and tells the producer in no uncertain terms not to do that to President Bartlet again.

* DawsonCasting: Nina Siemaszko is 30, six years older than Ellie is supposed to be.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[Series/MySoCalledLife Camille Cherski]] is Dr. Griffith.

* ProductionPosse: Nina Siemaszko previously appeared as Beth, Sydney Ellen Wade's sister, in ''Film/TheAmericanPresident'', and Holly, a nanny, on an episode of ''Series/SportsNight''.

-->'''Dr. Griffith:''' [[SureWhyNot Let me tell you something, I'm not 100% sure we've ruled that out.]]

* EurekaMoment: Toby finds out from reading in the paper he's on the benefit committee for the Child Leukemia Foundation. Turns out Andy gave them a press release submitting his name without asking him first, and she jokes, "I find that when I skip over the first step and move right to the second step, it becomes a lot harder for people to say no." As soon as Toby hears that, he figures out the best way to get Senator Gillette to serve on the Blue Ribbon Commission is to put out a press release saying he's accepted already.

-->'''President Bartlet:''' I've got to hand it to you guys; you've pulled off a political first. You've managed to win me the support of the Christian Right and the Creator/CheechAndChong Fan Club in the same day.

-->'''Sam:''' It [[the note Sam wrote]] says that we should stand by the Surgeon General.

-->'''Charlie:''' It's an updated version of [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky]]'s ''Literature/TheIdiot'', which tells the story of a Christ-like epileptic young man who embodies goodness, but encounters sex, crime, and family dysfunction.

Sam finds out the Family Values Leadership Council has taken out an ad congratulating those who denounced the movie ''Prince of New York'', and one of the people they denounce is President Bartlet. Turns out the producer offered to screen it at the White House, Charlie decided President Bartlet would rather watch something else (''Film/DialMForMurder''), and the producer went on Radio/DonImus' show and said President Bartlet was siding with censors. When the producer comes to the White House for a conference on violence and the media, Sam tells him what really happened, and tells the producer in no uncertain terms not to do that to President Bartlet again.

* AuthorCatchphrase:
* ContinuityNod:
* DawsonCasting:
* EurekaMoment:
* HeyItsThatGuy:
* ProductionPosse:

* WithFriendsLikeThese:

** Also, C.J. threatening to quit.

Sam finds out the Family Values Leadership Council has taken out an ad congratulating those who denounced the movie ''Prince of New York'', and one of the people they denounce is President Bartlet. Turns out the producer offered to screen it at the White House, Charlie decided President Bartlet would rather watch something else (''Film/DialMForMurder''), and the producer went on Radio/DonImus' show and said President Bartlet was siding with censors. When the producer comes to the White House for a conference on violence and the media, Sam tells him what really happened, and tells the producer in no uncertain terms not to do that to President Bartlet again.