Bartlet for America

Bartlet to everyone else: Mentioning their work/career life and congratulating them

Bartlet to C.J.: “We need a picture of the baby!”

C.J.'s career isn't the focus in the Season 7 opener, but it's better interpreted as a reflection of her closeness to Bartlet than sexism. Bartlet greets C.J first and greets her warmly, commenting on her tan in the context that he and Abbey were going to invite C.J. to the farm, but that they should go to see her instead. She's the only one with whom this kind of continuing personal connection is overtly displayed.

The comment about the picture of the baby isn't actually addressed to C.J. at all: it's addressed primarily to Danny. C.J has already stepped back and Bartlet's gaze has already shifted to Danny when it's said. That C.J. is the mother is implied by their physical positioning and glances, but it's not stated explicitly. And it's obvious Bartlet already knows about the baby because they've been emailing. Abbey also wants a photo of the baby for the fridge, not just to see it, which is grandparent-behavior, not coworker-behavior.

Given C.J.'s season 7 plotlines, and given how much her career and possibilities post-Bartlet Admin are discussed in the rest of the season, this keeps a little mystery as to what she chooses professionally (why is she back to California?), but it also emphasizes her personal connection to Bartlet. He's not congratulating her on work because he probably has already done so recently.

Bartlet talks about work/career things with Kate, Will, and Toby. The first two he wasn't ever as close to, so this is probably the first time he's seen them in a much longer period, possibly since the inauguration. A book and getting elected are big things, and the fact that he addresses those implies he hasn't seen them or talked to them since they happened. It's also implied by his interaction with Toby that he hasn't seen him in a long time, which isn't a surprise given what happens in the season. Hence why his interaction with Toby is less personal and more guarded. That guardedness in contrast to C.J. and Danny should be a big question mark on first watch because without the events of season 7 you'd think Bartlet would display a little bit more closeness.

If you watch the scene, Charlie's dialogue reinforces this dichotomy. Bartlet doesn't congratulate Charlie on anything either; he asks him if he read Kate's book, then Charlie mentions something Bartlet has done. This once again suggests he doesn't need to congratulate him on anything because he's seen him or talked to him relatively recently, though it's not as obvious as his talk with C.J. Otherwise we'd have probably had something on Charlie's schooling. Reading a book is a much smaller thing, and given Bartlet's response around Jakarta, he probably only just got back from there.

Zoey: Dad I can’t find mom anywhere.

Jed: I got this.

Jed: Abbey Bartlet is descended from a pirate.

Abbey: Privateer.

"Are we really going to do this every year?" "For I am a man of occasion." "I started working for you in February, this is April, and you're an idiot."

So I've been thinking I should try and post more meta about The West Wing, be the change I want to see in the world, etc., and because season 1 is my favourite season (and of course, the season with the "most" CJDanny in it, RIP), I thought I'd start here.

So of course, this season is Danny at his most persistent - asking CJ to dinner (Enemies, The Short List), asking CJ to watch sports together (The Short List) - but of course every time, because of who they are, she tells him no, and he gives in.

He makes his feelings clear, CJ tells him that (irregardless of feelings), it's not happening, the episode ends, the cycle repeats in the next.

However.

Interestingly, all of the forward momentum in their relationship in season 1 is driven by CJ. Danny leaves the door open on his feelings for her, lets her know he's interested, but beyond asking her out (and exiting stage left when she says "no"), leaves it alone.

But CJ.

CJ is the one to actually ask him out, and no, despite what the lady doth protest, she is not in fact taking him up on his offer, she's asking him out. "Take me out tonight and convince me" is pretty cut and dry (this is in In Excelsis Deo). She'll later call this a business dinner. But she very much asks him out. And they do, in fact, go out on their first in-canon date, on Christmas Eve.

And then, two episodes later, in He Shall, From Time to Time, CJ is again the one to initiate the next step. She frames it as "getting past it," and of course Danny is technically the one to actually, quote "grab and kiss" her, but CJ is the one who says "Hey. I want to kiss you."

She takes the next step. She sets up that scene, because she tells him what she wants and goes for it.

And then she keeps doing it, as in "second, third, and fourth times, [CJ] grabbed [Danny]" (Take Out the Trash Day).

So while Danny is very clear about his feelings, and how he'd like to pursue them, in season 1, he also waits and lets CJ actually take the lead physically. She asks him out. She tells hims he wants to kiss him.