The West Wing: 10 Greatest Ever Moments
3. Leo, Josh And A Man In A Hole - Noel
One of The West Wing’s great strengths is its ability to make you really care about its characters, and also firmly believe in just how much they all seem to care about each other. They are a close-knit team who make some of the most stressful jobs in the world look all the more appealing thanks to their camaraderie.
A prime example of how the staff all have each other’s backs came in the season 2 episode Noel, when Josh is convinced to speak to a therapist after visibly struggling in the aftermath of the shooting. Eventually, after a long day’s therapy, he is diagnosed with PTSD - a diagnosis which he understandably worries may affect his ability to do his job.
Ever since the show began, Leo filled the dual role of both workplace boss as well as an authoritative father figure to several of his staff, and Josh in particular represented this.
Their closeness makes it all the more touching therefore when Josh emerges from his lengthy appointment late in the evening and finds his boss waiting for him in the White House lobby. It’s a touching gesture in itself, but after telling Josh a poignant story about a man in a hole, “yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out”, it's Leo's closing comment, “as long as I got a job, you got a job, you understand?” that gives you a lump in the throat.