Two Cathedrals

Template:Infobox The West Wing episode "Two Cathedrals" is the 44th episode, and second season finale of The West Wing.

Trivia

The song "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits is used in the closing sequence.

In his "Inside the Actors Studio" episode, Martin Sheen is told by the host, James Lipton, that this episode was the best hour of television ever made.

Eas In Crucem at the end of Bartlet's speech in the cathedral translates roughly from Latin to "Go to Hell."

About eleven minutes into the episode, Bartlet puts a pair of glasses into his left shirt pocket. Two very quick camera shots later, the glasses are in his right pocket.

To get from the White House to the State Department, the Presidential motorcade would come nowhere close to the National Cathedral. The State Department is approximate 6 blocks west of the White House while the National Cathedral is about 3.3 miles northwest.

Plot

As it happens, a tropical storm is bearing down on Washington on the day the President is to disclose that he has MS and has been lying about it for eight years. Bartlet himself is distracted as he attends Mrs. Landingham's funeral, beset with memories of how they met. But the staffers are, as usual, all business as they deal with Congressional Democrats, party officials and network execs. They also must fashion two responses to the question that is certain to be asked first at his prime-time press conference: Will Bartlet seek reelection?

Latin Translations

gratias tibi ago, domine. Thank you, Lord.

haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito? Am I to believe these things from a righteous god, a just god, a wise god?

cruciatus in crucem To hell with your punishments (literally "(put/send) punishments onto a cross")

tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci I was your servant, your messenger on the earth, I did my duty.

cruciatus in crucem (with a dismissive wave of the hand) eas in crucem The hell with your punishments! And to hell with you! (literally, "may you go to a cross")

Awards and Nominations

This episode won an Emmy in 2001 for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Series (Bill Johnson, A.C.E.).

Martin Sheen was nominated for the 2001 Emmy in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in this episode

Won 2001 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series along with several other episodes from the season

Nominated for 2002 Banff Rockie Award for Continuing Series

Nominated for 2001 DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Night

Won the 2002 Humanitas Prize in the 60 Minutes category

Nominated for 2002 WGA Award in the category of Episodic Drama

Allusions

Bartlet: "You can't conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God," says Graham Greene. This line is from Graham Greene's book Brighton Rock.

Toby: The last time they didn't know. The President taped an Easter message that looked like it was lit by Ed Wood! Ed Wood was a filmmaker heralded as "the worst of all time" for the complete lack of conventional filmmaking ability in his work

External link

• The West Wing Episode Guide