Take this Sabbath Day
Encyclopedia
"Take This Sabbath Day" is the 14th episode of The West Wing
. The episode addresses the death penalty and the United States
government's custom of not scheduling executions between sundown Friday and sundown Sunday in order to avoid conducting an execution on either the Jewish
Shabbat
or Christian
Sabbath days. The episode also introduces the recurring character of Joey Lucas
.
) reaches out to Sam
for help, whom he knows because he "used to beat him up in high school." The case involves a drug dealer who killed two other dealers and is eligible for capital punishment under a new omnibus crime bill. The court renders its judgment on a Friday, and the execution is to take place at midnight on Monday. The convict's only hope is to have his sentence commuted by the President
.
Sam makes an effort to persuade Toby
to help convince the President to commute the sentence. He gives the convict's attorney the location of Toby's synagogue
and the rabbi
in turn delivers a sermon condemning vengeance. The issue is later laid before the President, who is conflicted. Press Secretary C. J.
and media consultant Mandy
discuss C.J.'s obligation to learn personal information about the prisoner to share with the press, and the fact that while neither personally has strong feelings on either side of the death-penalty debate, learning this personal information about the man who is to die makes the task more emotional.
Meanwhile, Josh
has a meeting with an irate campaign manager from California named Joey Lucas
(Marlee Matlin
), who proceeds to berate him for cutting her Congressional candidate's funding. Josh is taken aback by both Joey's brilliance and beauty, and surprised by the fact that she is also deaf. The President, walking the halls to think about the decision he faces, invites Joey to tour the White House with him and asks her opinion on the death penalty. As a Quaker
, she is opposed, and they discuss ancient Christian philosophers who have supported the penalty. Like Toby's rabbi, she believes these older doctrines are outweighed by modern knowledge. She also raises the subject of her candidate, but Bartlet tells her he considers the candidate inadequate, though he would like to be informed if she finds a more worthy politician for him to support.
Bartlet continues to agonize over the death penalty issue and asks for guidance. While he is personally opposed to the death penalty, he recognizes that most Americans support it and does not feel that his personal beliefs can legitimately overrule the wishes of the American public. He expresses concern that if he commutes the sentence due to his personal beliefs and his successor does not commute sentences, a violation of the Eighth Amendment
prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment
" will be created. Leo
advises the President that if such a precedent is his only obstacle, then for once, "let that be the next guy's problem." The President indicates to Leo that he will not commute the sentence. Although Sam is waiting in the outer office armed with arguments for commuting the sentence and insists he should be allowed to present them, Leo sends him away, declaring that he has known the President long enough to recognize when he has made a decision beyond persuasion.
Prior to Joey Lucas leaving Washington, Josh arranges to meet with her at her hotel, where he offers the President's apology for any rudeness during their encounter and his renewed offer to support a better candidate. She asks if he had offered any suggestions, to which Josh replied that the President believed Joey herself should run. The episode concludes with Bartlet discussing the matter with his boyhood parish priest (played by Karl Malden
, in his last screen acting role before his death), who upholds Catholic doctrine against the death penalty. After C.J. enters with confirmation that the execution has taken place, the priest prepares to administer to Bartlet the sacrament of confession
.
, Deuteronomy
5:1-22. It makes reference to the scene in which Sam explains to Leo, "We don't execute people between sundown Friday and sundown Sunday". The rabbi also notes that he had hoped his sermon might prompt Toby to "take this Sabbath day" to consider how to advise the president. On the DVD commentary track for this episode on The West Wing: Season 1, series creator Aaron Sorkin
notes that the writing staff had urged him to write an episode addressing the death penalty, but that he had not found any inspiration for a plot until he learned of the fact that the government avoided scheduling executions on the Sabbath.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
. The episode addresses the death penalty and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government's custom of not scheduling executions between sundown Friday and sundown Sunday in order to avoid conducting an execution on either the Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
or Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
Sabbath days. The episode also introduces the recurring character of Joey Lucas
Joey Lucas
Josephine "Joey" Lucas, is a fictional character on the television serial drama The West Wing, a California-based pollster and political operative played by Marlee Matlin...
.
Plot
After a death penalty appeal is rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, one of the defense attorneys (Noah EmmerichNoah Emmerich
Noah Nicholas Emmerich is an American film actor who first broke out in the film Beautiful Girls. He was later seen in movies like The Truman Show, Cop Land, Frequency, Love & Sex, Windtalkers, Miracle, Super 8 and Little Children.-Early life:Emmerich was born in New York City to a Jewish family,...
) reaches out to Sam
Sam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
for help, whom he knows because he "used to beat him up in high school." The case involves a drug dealer who killed two other dealers and is eligible for capital punishment under a new omnibus crime bill. The court renders its judgment on a Friday, and the execution is to take place at midnight on Monday. The convict's only hope is to have his sentence commuted by the President
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
.
Sam makes an effort to persuade Toby
Toby Ziegler
Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler is played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director.-Creation and development:...
to help convince the President to commute the sentence. He gives the convict's attorney the location of Toby's synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and the rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in turn delivers a sermon condemning vengeance. The issue is later laid before the President, who is conflicted. Press Secretary C. J.
C. J. Cregg
Claudia Jean "C. J." Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet...
and media consultant Mandy
Mandy Hampton
Dr. Madeline 'Mandy' Hampton is a fictional character played by Moira Kelly on the American serial drama television series The West Wing. She was White House media consultant during the first season of the show, and the former girlfriend of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, with whom...
discuss C.J.'s obligation to learn personal information about the prisoner to share with the press, and the fact that while neither personally has strong feelings on either side of the death-penalty debate, learning this personal information about the man who is to die makes the task more emotional.
Meanwhile, Josh
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
has a meeting with an irate campaign manager from California named Joey Lucas
Joey Lucas
Josephine "Joey" Lucas, is a fictional character on the television serial drama The West Wing, a California-based pollster and political operative played by Marlee Matlin...
(Marlee Matlin
Marlee Matlin
Marlee Bethany Matlin is an American actress. She is the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for Children of a Lesser God. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy...
), who proceeds to berate him for cutting her Congressional candidate's funding. Josh is taken aback by both Joey's brilliance and beauty, and surprised by the fact that she is also deaf. The President, walking the halls to think about the decision he faces, invites Joey to tour the White House with him and asks her opinion on the death penalty. As a Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, she is opposed, and they discuss ancient Christian philosophers who have supported the penalty. Like Toby's rabbi, she believes these older doctrines are outweighed by modern knowledge. She also raises the subject of her candidate, but Bartlet tells her he considers the candidate inadequate, though he would like to be informed if she finds a more worthy politician for him to support.
Bartlet continues to agonize over the death penalty issue and asks for guidance. While he is personally opposed to the death penalty, he recognizes that most Americans support it and does not feel that his personal beliefs can legitimately overrule the wishes of the American public. He expresses concern that if he commutes the sentence due to his personal beliefs and his successor does not commute sentences, a violation of the Eighth Amendment
Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishments. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this amendment's Cruel and Unusual...
prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
" will be created. Leo
Leo McGarry
Leo Thomas McGarry is a fictional character played by John Spencer on the television serial drama The West Wing. The role earned Spencer the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. McGarry's character, the former United States Secretary of Labor, begins the series as the White...
advises the President that if such a precedent is his only obstacle, then for once, "let that be the next guy's problem." The President indicates to Leo that he will not commute the sentence. Although Sam is waiting in the outer office armed with arguments for commuting the sentence and insists he should be allowed to present them, Leo sends him away, declaring that he has known the President long enough to recognize when he has made a decision beyond persuasion.
Prior to Joey Lucas leaving Washington, Josh arranges to meet with her at her hotel, where he offers the President's apology for any rudeness during their encounter and his renewed offer to support a better candidate. She asks if he had offered any suggestions, to which Josh replied that the President believed Joey herself should run. The episode concludes with Bartlet discussing the matter with his boyhood parish priest (played by Karl Malden
Karl Malden
Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
, in his last screen acting role before his death), who upholds Catholic doctrine against the death penalty. After C.J. enters with confirmation that the execution has taken place, the priest prepares to administer to Bartlet the sacrament of confession
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...
.
Title
The title of the episode is a reference to the bible, in which God instructs, "Observe/Safeguard the Sabbath day," in the Ten CommandmentsTen Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
5:1-22. It makes reference to the scene in which Sam explains to Leo, "We don't execute people between sundown Friday and sundown Sunday". The rabbi also notes that he had hoped his sermon might prompt Toby to "take this Sabbath day" to consider how to advise the president. On the DVD commentary track for this episode on The West Wing: Season 1, series creator Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
notes that the writing staff had urged him to write an episode addressing the death penalty, but that he had not found any inspiration for a plot until he learned of the fact that the government avoided scheduling executions on the Sabbath.
Trivia
- This was the last television or film performance of Hollywood veteran Karl MaldenKarl MaldenKarl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...
. - Donna's reason for being late to bring Josh his clothes was that she had trouble on Dupont CircleDupont CircleDupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
, something that was also joked about in Sorkin's film The American President.