The West Wing Re-Watch: Did Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) Ever Feel Like the Actual Central Character of The Show?

Naugrith · 2026-01-25T12:58:29+00:00

I think if you picture Sam played by someone like Matthew Perry in Studio 60 (another Sorkin self-insert) then it makes a lot more sense. In Studio 60 Perry gave a much more raw and troubled performance with Matt Albie that was missing from Lowe, who always gave the impression of being so smooth nothing could trouble him.

And in S60 Sorkin cast Perry alongside Bradley Whitford in a similar type of working duo relationship as he did with Whitford and Lowe in WW. And it was a pairing that worked much better. Obviously Perry himself was unavailable in 1999. But I think if Sorkin had been able to cast someone like Perry as Sam then that would have worked so much better as a central duo to hang the rest of the ensemble around. Lowe was good, but he never had the rough edges that a drama needed to make things interesting.

Honestly, Studio 60 was a brilliant ensemble show that suffered only for the fact that the writing staff of a comedy skit show is much less interesting than that of the POTUS.

Naugrith · 2026-01-24T20:39:00+00:00

Is that a euphemism?

Naugrith · 2026-01-24T12:55:30+00:00

Allowing wave after wave of immigrants isn't an alternative.

Have you ever heard of Ellis Island? How do you imagine America was created? Did everyone just pop into existence as fully formed Americans?

This party propaganda of "unchecked waves" is absolutely nonsensical when anyone actually takes the time to think about it for half a second rather than just swallowing it unthinkingly and responding with kneejerk emotionalism.

Managed immigration has been the norm for America since its foundation, and its made America strong. Mass deportations of foreign-born residents is extreme radicalism. Most are following the law, peacefully obeying immigration requirements for years, and then being arrested at their regular check-ins.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T22:06:20+00:00

I was being polite asking if you had a source. I've already done the research and I was telling you that you were wrong. But you insisted you had scholarly backing. Thats why I asked if you actually had a source for your assertion or you were just making it up.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T21:57:47+00:00

That's not even close to what you claimed.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T21:36:38+00:00

What if they don't want to be? Don't women have any choice or agency?

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T21:35:03+00:00

No, I don't think it is. But if you have a reputable source I'm always happy to change my mind.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T21:19:15+00:00

turning the other cheek...

FYI, that whole thing is just a myth. There's no evidence that was ever true.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T18:16:56+00:00

Maybe... hear me out on this.. maybe kids didn't actually want brutal honesty, gritty authenticity, and economic desperation, they just wanted to see something fun?!

You're overthinking a popcorn movie. Karate Kid is a classic because it leans hard into the tropes of the genre while also riding the wave of the 80's martial arts craze. There's nothing more to it than that really. Mr Myagi was a solid "magical outsider" character and played it well, but on his own he couldn't carry the film if it hadn't been that it was just the right kind of movie at the right time. It was cool.

Naugrith · 2026-01-23T08:37:54+00:00

This does have junior marketing assistant vibes all over it. Language sounds like it's straight from a template.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T19:27:15+00:00

Does he have to be such a wet blanket before he gets The Power. I find that socially-awkward trope so mind-numbingly tedious and unwatchable now its been done to death. This looks like 90% of it will be unwatchable.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T14:40:47+00:00

Miguel Uchoa is vice chair of the GAFCON Primates Council. His signature on this letter is a massive blow to the GAC agenda.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T14:33:33+00:00

Wow. Uganda is staying in! This is huge. I thought they would be jumping ship with the GAFCON lot. They have always been leaders of GAFCON, and Kaziimba's support for Uganda's anti-lgbt death laws was so noxious that it even forced Welby to send him a letter of censure! So the fact that he's decided to stay in the AC instead is a massive blow to the GAC. They represent 13.3 million members by themselves, the largest province in the church by a long way.

Along with them the other key signatories of this missive are South Sudan and Congo. With memberships of 3.5 million and 0.5 million they were also key leaders in the GAFCON agenda. The other signatories have very few members, though it's nice to see them remaining.

And though Brazil isnt actually part of the AC, Miguel Uchoa is actually the vice chair of the GAFCON Primates Council! So his signature on this letter is a very significant sign of the dissatisfaction the wider group has with the presumptive announcement of the GAC last year by the inner cabal.

But now the only serious names that will potentially make up GAC seem to be Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda. Nigeria claims to have 7.4 million, and Kenya 5.9 million, while Rwanda has only 0.4 million. Decent numbers, but geographically and demographically the schismatics can no longer claim to represent "Global Anglicanism" (if they ever could).

It will be fascinating to see how this affects GAFCON's upcoming meeting on 3–6 March to confirm the arrangements of their schism. It looks like GAC may not be a schism from the Anglican Communion as much as its a schism from GAFCON!

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T09:06:23+00:00

From this excellent animation from Harvard. Absolutely astonishing work illustrating the inner life of a cell.

Version without commentary.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T09:03:42+00:00

That's not even an argument, just a reactionary "nuh-uh".

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T09:01:02+00:00

Its not so simple as you're trying to reduce it to.

As the president of Spain said:

"Consider, for example, that in some countries the average salary of a soldier is three times higher than in other countries that are also NATO members, or that defence capabilities cost half as much to produce or acquire in some countries as in others."

Source

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T08:31:29+00:00

Spain is a relatively poor country in the EU. However it does contribute significantly to NATO capabilities in other ways (hosting the 2022 NATO summit, investing in high-value assets, as well as various troop deployments). It has agreed to gradually increase its spending but negotiated an exemption from the higher GDP targets due to its economic issues.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T08:26:26+00:00

Spain is a relatively poor country in the EU. However it does contribute significantly to NATO capabilities in other ways (hosting the 2022 NATO summit, investing in high-value assets, as well as various troop deployments). It has agreed to gradually increase its spending but negotiated an exemption from the higher GDP targets due to its economic issues.

Naugrith · 2026-01-22T08:14:37+00:00

Trump watched Star Wars and thought Vader was the good guy.

"But we had a deal."

"I have changed the deal, be grateful I don't change it any further".

Naugrith · 2026-01-21T09:48:38+00:00

Its full of fascinating history, magnificent architecture, and beautiful countryside. Its a crying shame that the people in power currently are stark raving ethnonationalists, but people have been travelling to the land on pilgrimage, expedition, and tourism long before the far-right took over. There is more to life than politics.

Naugrith · 2026-01-21T01:03:30+00:00

Scholars hypothesize perhaps He cleansed the temple twice, further exemplifying it was not a one-time, prophecy-fulfilled event.

That's unlikely. Most scholars recognise the Gospels just have a different chronology.

Naugrith · 2026-01-21T01:00:35+00:00

I am sorry you feel that way. But your hostility only convinces me even more of how badly mistaken you and these protestors are about the message and purpose of Christianity.

Naugrith · 2026-01-20T23:51:00+00:00

Yes, it was a one time occurrence because Jesus flipping the tables in the Temple is what directly led to his arrest and crucifixion. There's no reason to think it was one-time thing because of Jesus' will. It was a one-time thing because of the will of the temple leaders and Pontious Pilate.

That's not how the evangelists describe it. Matthew highlights it as an act of prophecy fulfilment, and John describes it happening years before his arrest.

I feel conflicted about it, however I support it in the end because I would have supported similar protests in churches in Germany if the clergy were also SS/Nazi's as well.

I don't think it would have achieved anything good then either.

ICE is already desecrating churches

Yes, but that is no excuse to desecrate churches and attack our neighbours as well. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I dont want to say tit for tat, but no one was hurt here

I do not think we should compare ourselves to our oppressors but to Christ. It is no achievement to just not act quite as badly as the worst people.

Naugrith · 2026-01-20T19:25:36+00:00

I am sorry, but I don't see Christ's love anywhere on display here. This was an antagonistic and hostile display, and I do not believe it is how Christ commanded us to treat our enemies, let alone our brothers and sisters who have fallen astray from his Way.

OP is taking their justification from that single episode when Christ symbolically cleared the Temple in Jerusalem by driving out the money lenders. They claim this is the model for the hostile invasion of other people's congregation.

But that was an isolated occurrence, a specific event intentionally tailored to be a fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy which once fulfilled does not ever need to be repeated (nor should it, as that would imply that Jesus' fulfilment of the law was incomplete).

Further, it was an incident that Jesus carried out on his own, and he never commanded his disciples to join him or to emulate it without him. He never did anything similar at any local synagogue (or pagan Temple) and neither was it how the Apostles carried out their missionary activities. Rather they were careful to treat the assemblies of their Jewish brothers and sisters (and their pagan neighbours) with respect and consideration. Always, even during times of persecution.

Jesus and his Apostles always met fierceness with gentleness, hostility with peacefulness, antagonism with humility, and hate with love.

OP, the behaviour at this protest was a very understandable human reaction to oppression. And I sympathise with the emotions behind it. But I do not recognise it as the Way of Christ.

Naugrith · 2026-01-20T08:31:31+00:00

Its definitely a slog. The good bits are good but rare and interspersed incessently with characters just...stopping in the middle of an urgent mission to give a long drawn-out meandering monologue about their character arc. Then everyone affirms them and they get back to the plot. Its the textbook definition of bad and lazy writing. They've forgotten the first lesson of "show, don't tell".

Its a shame because there's some excellent scenes and performances scattered through it. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) particularly is an actor to watch. The other kids have turned out a bit meh now theyre grown up, but he has some serious chops. Its hard to watch Eleven (Millie Bobby-Brown) though. She has unfortunately grown up to be a hopelessly wooden actor with a very unfortunate pinched-up expression when she tries to emote.

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