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I've been converting my friends to the love that is Josh & Donna, so I
put together this little write up...hopefully it will convince others to jump on
the shipper bandwagon...
Season 1: Donna wasn't
a regular but Aaron Sorkin (creator of 'The West Wing') wrote her into every
episode after Brad Whitford got on his knees and begged to keep her. :-)
There are a few moments that are worth noting...
- Episode 1 - The
Pilot
The very first Josh and Donna scene. Josh
did something stupid and word is that he's going to get fired for alienating
the religious right, but in comes Donna to talk to him. We not only get
a little J/D history lesson and learn her real name, but we get to hear her
tell Toby (The Communications Director) to "shut up" and how great
is that??TWW0101_01_Coffee
- Episode 5 - Crackpots &
These Women
TWW105_01_SeekToControl
- early morning Josh and Donna funny ...but then Josh gets a secret card
with directions on where to go in the event of a nuclear attack...and realizes
that it's just for him and not his assistant - so he goes to talk to Sam about
his card and his assistant, Cathy ... TWW105_02_YourCard In
an effort to sort out his emotions, Josh makes a visit to his shrink, Stanley,
and we first learn about the death of his sister. TWW105_04_Joanie At
the end of the day, there's no going back for Josh and his decision about the
card - TWW105_03_TheseWoman
- Episode 10 - In Excelsis
Deo
It's Christmas in the West Wing and Donna knows what she wants
- skis, gloves, boots, snow suit... no, she doesn't ski but she tells Josh she
wants to learn. He goes shopping with the President to a rare book store
and comes up with something better - at least for the fans. TWW110_01_TheBook
Season 2: Opens at the
moment we ended Season 1 - with shots being fired at the President as he leaves
an event. He is, of course, shoved into the limo and whisked away - but
the staff is left behind to find each other.
- Episode 1 - In The Shadow of Two
Gunman, pt 1
TWW201_01_Josh - is Toby
looking for and then finding an injured Josh TWW201_02_Donna - is Toby
telling Donna about Josh
- Episode 2 - In The Shadow of Two
Gunman, pt 2
While overlaying the drama of the President and Josh
- we see through flashbacks how the current staff came to work for
Bartlet... TWW202_01_DonnaHiresHerself
- This is Donna's flashback on how she joined the campaign. It's
important to note that in the script, the last scene has a note that says
"Donna holds the badge and smiles because it's the first piece of jewelry that
anyone has ever given her." TWW202_02_FatherDied -
Another flashback to Bartlets staff winning the Illinois Primary.
Bartlets first run at the Presidency was also a Santos-like longshot, so
there are a lot of parallels. This scene is important because of next
week's episode with Leo dying. The series up to this point has set up
that Josh looses people and feels responsible... His sister died in a
house fire when he was 5 and she was babysitting him. She tried to put
it out while he ran out. His father, an old friend of Leo's, was
fighting cancer and getting chemo, but died suddenly from a pulmonary
embolism the day of the primary. This is Donna breaking the news.
- Episode 9 -
Galileo
Josh has the task of deciding who will be on the
next postage stamp, which means that Donna has the job of telling him how all
of that works. But he's got another idea. TWW209_01_TheStamp
- Episode 11 - The Leadership
Breakfast
TWW211_01_BuildAFire -
has intermixed J/D doing the funny side of them...It was the entire teaser
(the 4min intro to each episode) and I included it because it never fails to
make me laugh. TWW211_02_KarenCahill
- this is the set up to the underwear scene - Sam, like everyone else, gets
flummoxed by Karen Cahill and asks Donna to help get word to her that he
really DID know what he was talking about. TWW211_03_Underwear -
Adorable...simply adorable.
- Episode 14 - The War at
Home
Donna's been acting funny and, as always, Josh seeks
Sams council and we get honest proof of something long suspected. TWW214_01_DateSabotage
- Episode 18 - 17
People
Easily the most defining JD moment up to this point. TWW0218_01_Flowers - Josh
sends Donna flowers for what she calls their "not" anniversary but it sets up
a heart to heart... TWW0218_02_RedLights -
Believe it or not, the context of this talk shows up at the end of Season 5...
3 years and shippers everywhere got it. It was GREAT.
Season 3 The President
Lied. Season 2 ended with the public acknowledgment that President
Bartlett withheld the information during the election that he has relapsing
remitting Multiple Sclerosis.
-
Episode 1 - Isaac &
IshmaelNot so much about Josh and Donna, but another insight to
Josh as he tells a group of high school students about his mother and the box
she has him keep in case of emergencies. TWW301_01_TheBox
-
Episode 4 - Ways & Means Its time for
government to investigate the lies and Donna's been working on her filing
system all night when Josh finds her. TWW304_01_WhiteCollarCrimeBoy
-
Episode 5 - War Crimes
Its Donna's turn to testify but there's a problem. When asked one
particular question, she lies. Already a big problem, it gets bigger
when one of the lawyers, whom she had a brief fling, tells her that
he knows she lied. Whats worse than lying under oath? Having to
tell Josh. TWW305_01_TheLie
Josh is mad, but never mad enough to not help her. He comes up with
a way around it thats probably less than legal, but will get Donna out of her
situation. TWW305_02_JoshsFix
Season 4 After spending most of
Season 3 having to watch Josh date Amy Gardner (ick ick), Donna finally gets a
boyfriend...a Navy Commander named Jack Reese (played by Christian Slater).
The relationship lasts from Episode 8 until 14, with Josh growing more and
more obvious to everyone but Donna about his growing jealousy. Jack gets
new orders, transferring him out of the White House which leads to...
- Episode 10 - Holy Night
It's Christmas
Eve and Josh has a one track mind about Donnas holiday plans. TWW410_01_TheInn
The President has plans too, to completely rewrite the Federal Budget
before it goes to print in 7 days and Josh is going to need Donna's
help. TWW410_02_DonnaStays
It's not looking good for Donna leaving for the Inn, but she's only
dwelling on something Josh said earlier. TWW410_03_WhatDidYouMean
Much to Josh's disappointment, Leo tells him he's off the hook and that
he's sent Donna on her way to meet Jack. TWW410_04_GetItTogether
- Episode 11 - Guns Not Butter
 Josh
takes funding for 'remote prayer' to the President in a last ditch effort to
get a bill passed. Donna consoles him with a story about 'Fish
hooks McCarthy' and how remote prayer might have benefitted him. TWW411_01_Fishhooks
- Episode 15 - The
Inauguration
TWW415_01_Snowballs
-There's a bad quote given to a reporter that ends up getting printed.
Donna claims it was her and decides to not go to Bartlets second Inauguration
out of shame. Josh never believes it was Donna and, while talking to
reporter Danny (played by Timothy Busfield), he realizes he has proof it
wasn't her and goes to confront her... with his posse: Toby, Danny, Charlie,
and Will.
- Episode 21 - Commencement
TWW421_01_GetJosh - Donna
has a beer induced discussion with Amy Gardner, who Josh dated in Season 3 and
who reappears in Season 4, episode 18 working for the First Lady. Donna's
contempt for all things Amy isn't very easily hidden, much like Josh's was for
Jack Reese
Season 5 This was a tough
season. Josh fell out of grace a bit with his job early on and Donna
wanted more responsibilities, but she was the one thing constant for
him. She pulled him out of every funk from party turning Congressmen
to a total shutdown of the federal government. We were rewarded at
the end of a tough season with Episodes 21 and 22 - Gaza and Memorial
Day.
In episode 19 Josh gives Donna the chance to grow in her job - he
sends her on CODEL (Congressional Delegation) to Gaza to listen to the
peace talks and brief him and Toby about it. Also going on the CODEL is
Andi, Toby's ex wife and mother of his twins. The beginning of Episode 21 will
change them both forever, when the CODEL becomes a terrorist target and one of
the cars is blown up...the one carrying Donna.
- Episode 21 - Gaza
The teaser
is the explosion and when the episode starts we see Josh on an airplane
reading email on his computer - obviously detached... then we go to the White
House, going back in time to an hour prior to the explosion so we can see them
finding out. TWW521_01_TheCodel
Clips
I didn't do between those previous scenes and the next one
are: * Josh on the phone using "I work at the WHITE HOUSE
and I'm trying to get information on Donnatella Moss!" on several
occasions. * Toby getting calls from the Democratic party
about who should fill the dead Congressmen's spots and Toby telling Will that
they are calling him instead of Josh because they thought Josh would be too
upset about Donna being in the car (even though Toby's ex was almost 'nearly'
blown up). * Josh calling Donna's parents and telling her
mom that's all the information he has right now but that he "didn't want you
and Mr. Moss to have to worry" that he wanted them to at least know
*something*. * Then Josh walking to this next scene with
everyone falling in behind him and asking how Donna is and that all he knows
is that she's in serious condition with bleeding issues. Which leads us
to... TWW521_02_KillThem - Josh
has a nutty and Leo calls him on it.
Throughout the episode and up this
next scene, we've seen Josh on the plane to Germany reading emails that Donna
had sent him and seeing Gaza through her eyes and voice in the emails she
sent. But now Josh is in Germany and we're back to the present: TWW521_03_Germany -
introducing Dr. No Biggie and an introspective Josh.
- Episode 22 - Memorial Day
TWW522_01_DonnaWakes -
Donna wakes up and Josh is right there. TWW522_02_UhOh - Josh
realizes that Donna's got a new Gomer (what he frequently calls anyone she
dates) TWW522_03_ColinJosh -
Jason Issacs is yummy and it's fun watching Josh's reaction to him with
Donna TWW522_04_NickDanger -
a continuation of the previous clip, but pieced together so we see what the
note says translated. Josh talks to Kate (the deputy National Security
Advisor) while Donna listens in and comments. TWW522_05_Complications
-The end of the episode had 2 parts of Josh after his secret meeting
following the previous clip. I put both sections together into this
clip. Special notes to take... * once again he's
throwing around The White House to get what he wants because he really has no
claim to Donna other than being her friend and boss * Josh
runs right through a door with a big red sign that says "DO NOT ENTER" -
effectively not stopping for a red light. ;-) * Donna is
facing the exact same condition that killed his father.
That was our
season cliffhanger...can you believe it?????
Season 6 What we all hoped
would be the start of major JD goodness and it sure started out that way.
- Episode 1 - NSF Thurmont
NSF
Thurmont is the military name for Camp David where Bartlet is going to have
his peace talks. While the staff prepares to head there, Josh is still
in Germany...
TWW601_01_Scared - Colin
and Josh wait and Donna wants to see Josh. Important here is that she
knows what's happening and, having been there, knows it's what killed his
father...plus Josh gets 'queasie' but nothing is going to stop him from
walking into that O.R. to see Donna. TWW601_02_WeWorkTogether
- even Colin has figured out what Josh is still trying to misdirect back to
'we work together'...but that's pushed aside by Colin's 'Lessons in Love' and
another complication for Donna. TWW601_03_Still Here -
Donna wakes up and fangirls everywhere scream...
The next episode had
Josh returning to The White House saying Donna "kicked him out" but that her
mom was there - as was Colin...and a couple of eps after Donna comes home and
back to work...but that's where the problems start. Donna is more sure
than ever that she wants more and uses her job as the driving force, but
logically it's because she can't say - put me in a new job so I can date Josh.
He, on unsteady footing, goes back to trying to
be 'them' - but the dynamic has changed. They both know it, but neither
knows what to do. Midway through the season, Donna quits and then Josh
quits and they both go to work for opposing candidates for the Democratic
ticket.
Josh picks a one term congressman from Texas - Donna works for
VP Russell (who Josh HATES). They run into each other on the campaign
trail but neither knows what to do. We end Season 6 with the Democratic
National Convention where Santos wins, Russell loses, and the only time we see
J/D in the same room is at the end when he brings her a beer.
All Josh & Donna clips from Season 6 are
available on the Season 6 highlight
page
Season 7
We open with Donna looking for a job with
Josh and he shuts her down...which was a big OUCH moment but garnished 'If you
don't think I don't miss you everyday..." from Josh. Donna is gone for
like 6 episodes when Lou hires her without telling Josh. :-) all those
clips are on my Season 7 West Wing page
So that
pretty much catches you up... Once Donna got back with the campaign and Josh got
used to her being there, you saw him leaning more and more on her because he
trusted her and knew she'd get it done...whatever he needed. One episode
in season 7 you should probably see is 'The Wedding' where the
Democratic party wants Santos to replace Josh as campaign manager because of an
unexpected rise in Illinois polling numbers...they think he screwed up by not
seeing it before it happened. They are ONLY two people who go out of their
way to find Josh to see how he is... Leo and Donna... and Sunday he's going to
lose Leo. :-(
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