51 yea votes is what we see on the screen before a drop of wine is swallowed

Che siamo ripetitive non è di certo una novità, che siamo fissate pure, che poi abbiamo ormai un solo argomento in ogni occasione pubblica o privata neanche a dirlo. Quindi a questo punto non vedo perché farsi degli scrupoli a citare per l’ennessima volta la stessa serie, la stessa scena, la stessa massima di vita. Ora io non so voi cosa facevate ieri sera mentre voto dopo voto la riforma sanitaria di Obama è riusciva infine a passare. Io pensavo a lui e a questa scena qui.

The West Wing
“Six meeting before lunch”

TEASER

FADE IN: INT. THE MURAL ROOM – NIGHT
Bonnie is holding a champagne bottle, and a lot of other staffers are gathered around
a T.V. listening to Mendoza’s confirmation vote.

T.V. [VO]
Senator Crossfield.

CROSSFIELD [VO]
Yea.

T.V. [VO]
Senator Crossfield votes yea.

BONNIE
Congratulations everybody. Congratulations. Line up. Only one drink per person. Who’s
driving?

People come to her with glasses. Crystal. Toby walks in.

TOBY
Put it down! Put it down! Put it down!

BONNIE
Toby…

TOBY
No champagne.

BONNIE
We’re just getting ready to…

TOBY
Put it down. Everyone in this room let me have your attention, please. The law of our
land mandates that Presidential appointees be confirmed by a majority of the Senate.
A majority being half plus one for a total of what, Ginger?

GINGER
51.

TOBY
51 yea votes is what we see on the screen before a drop of wine is swallowed. Because
there’s a little thing called what, Bonnie?

BONNIE
Tempting fate?

TOBY
“Tempting fate” is what it’s called. In the three months this man has been on my radar screen, I have aged 48 years. This is my day of jubilee and I will not have it screwed up by what, Bonnie?

BONNIE
By tempting fate.

TOBY
By tempting fate! These things take patience. These things take skill. These things take luck. In the 15 months we’ve been in office, what kind of luck have we had, Ginger?

GINGER
Bad luck.

TOBY
What kind of luck?

GINGER
Very bad luck.

TOBY
We’ve had very bad luck. Where’s Josh?

Josh, Donna and Mallory walk into THE MURAL ROOM. Toby is tense watching T.V.
The staffers are sitting around. No longer in the party mood, just in wait.

JOSH
Toby!

TOBY
Joshua.

JOSH
How about some champagne?

CROWD
No

JOSH
What the hell?

TOBY
Ginger?

GINGER
Tempting fate.

JOSH
Okay. [to Donna] Go grab Leo.

DONNA
It’s distinctive penmanship style, Josh.

JOSH
Go.

DONNA
Not unlike Salvador Dali.

JOSH
Please get Leo.

[…]

Leo and Margaret walk inside THE MURAL ROOM. The crowd is yelling to a “nay” vote for Mendoza on the television.

CROWD
Boo!

JOSH
Loser!

Margaret hurries to sit with a friend. Mallory hugs Leo at the door. The next vote is a “yea.”

CROWD
Yeah!

SAM
[walks in] Toby!

TOBY
Not yet.

SAM
Our day of jubilee.

TOBY
Not yet.

Mallory was standing behind him, and pops him on the shoulder.

MALLORY
Sam.

SAM
[spins around] It’s my day of jubilee.

MALLORY
I despise you and everything you stand for.

SAM
All right, the day was a little bit better a few seconds ago, but that’s all right.

MALLORY
How could you write that position paper?

SAM
Which position paper?

MALLORY
Don’t play dumb with me.

SAM
No, honestly I am dumb. Most of the time I’m playing smart.

MALLORY
Sam, the position paper…

SAM
Mallory, you can’t be thinking about ruining my day of jubilee by yelling at me about
school vouchers.

MALLORY
I was strongly considering it, yes.

SAM
Mallory…

JOSH
50! Here we go, baby!

LEO
Sam. Toby. You’re about to put a guy on the Supreme Court.

The crowd is silent.

T.V. [VO]
Senator Rindell.

RINDELL [VO]
Yea.

Massive cheering. Even Toby, who was holding a bottle of champagne in his lap, smiles
and puts up his hands in victory.

SAM
Toby? How about now?

Toby opens the bottle, the champagne foams up and all over his lap as he stands.

SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES.
END TEASER