There are so many great episodes of The West Wing. Everyone has their personal favorites, but there’s little doubt that at least one of the Thanksgiving episodes will make everyone’s list. There’s just something about President Bartlet when the Thanksgiving vibes are in the air that makes those episodes shine just a little brighter. Of course we’re talking specifically about Season 2 Episode 8 “Shibboleth,” and Season 3 Episode 8 “The Indians in the Lobby.”

There’s a special kind of joy when President Bartlet is feeling particularly festive or happy. It’s akin to a kid at Christmas or a dog with a new toy. Think about the vibe of that 4th of July episode where he’s sharing “Jefferson Lives” with everyone, or Abby’s birthday, where he’s feeling extra playful and fun. He just has this twinkly light in his eyes that isn’t always there. Thanksgiving happens to be the one holiday that makes him especially excited to be the President. He gets to make proclamations and pardon turkeys and talk all about how grateful we should be to live in a free nation. It’s a special high for him, and that’s just a part of what makes the Thanksgiving episodes so great.

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Season 2, Episode 8 “Shibboleth” is one of the finest episodes of The West Wing there is, because while it’s still highlighting a political problem and presenting a presidential debacle Bartlet has to unwind, it’s also tugging firmly at your heartstrings, making you put yourself in these peoples’ place. You can feel the earnest affection President Bartlet has for these asylum-seekers, as he doesn’t want to play gatekeeper, but it is ultimately his responsibility to determine whether these people are genuinely scared for their lives, or are trying to manipulate the US government to allow them entry.

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And, as per usual, Bartlet finds a way, both for these people to feel safe in the world, and to not offend a world power like China. And that ability to compromise inspires the will to make wrongs right, it makes you want to take a little Thanksgiving spirit into the world and make it a better, safer place. It reminds the viewer how grateful Americans should be for the freedoms our Constitution allows, and how moments like Thanksgiving are great times to reflect on that gratitude and thankfulness.

In the midst of all the seriousness going on with the refugees, President Bartlet never loses sight of the extra special surprise he has in store for his right hand man. While trying to celebrate Thanksgiving, construct a safe narrative for these refugees to live under if they stay in America, and go about his normal presidential duties, he also has Charlie running all over creation looking for a replacement for an antique carving knife. This is where that extra special twinkle gleams shiny and bright.

Now, it isn’t until Charlie is a little annoyed and a lot fed up with the President that he even asks why he’s got him on a wild goose chase, but the mirth in Bartlet’s eye when he gets to present his right hand man with a most treasured gift is beyond what we normally get to see. It’s enough to make you think he was just going to keep the ruse going as long as he could, because the moment that arrives at the end is worth every second of the crazy gambit. Thanksgiving isn’t supposed to be about giving gifts, but, rather, giving thanks, and what better way to thank a person who works so hard for you day in and day out, than with a family heirloom that just so happens to also be a treasured piece of American history: a carving knife honed to perfection by a silversmith named Paul Revere.

And then there’s Season 3, Episode 8, “Indians in the Lobby” which starts with the President holding C.J. hostage while he vents about his Thanksgiving plans and tells her the best way to cook a turkey. We see him do this from time to time, especially with Josh, where he knows the staffer can’t leave until the President gives them permission to do so, so he takes advantage of the situation and uses his power to gain a captive audience. That’s just the beginning of the Thanksgiving antics, though, as he continues to pass on his turkey-cookery wisdom to every staffer who spends time with him that day, including Charlie, Leo, and Toby. That is, until Charlie gives him the best gift he’s received in a very long time.

President Bartlet is in the midst of waxing poetic about a national hotline for advice on cooking turkeys, when Charlie interrupts to tell him that there is, in fact, such a hotline. Although, rather than being a governmental service, it’s hosted by Butterball. The moment Bartlet learns that his dream has already come true is another one of those mirthful moments you watch The West Wing for. But even that isn’t the highlight of the episode, the part that will have your heart aching for justice.

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That comes from C.J., who spends the majority of this episode negotiating with two people who have decided to camp out in the lobby as a subtle, nonviolent protest to their treatment. These Native Americans are upset that their appointment has been postponed, but ultimately, their silent protest is a statement about their refusal to accept the status quo. Throughout the episode, C.J. is clued in to why they absolutely cannot acquiesce to reasonable requests. And with each detail she learns, she becomes softened to their plight. By the end of the episode, she not only allows them their moment in the spotlight, but makes a move to better their bargaining position.

The West Wing weaves a delicate balance of entertainment with politics and ethical dilemmas, and never as effectively as at Thanksgiving. While some people want to see Christmas or Halloween episodes, full of spirited fun and frivolity, there’s a special magic in these Thanksgiving episodes, and maybe that’s because they are such a rarity. Whatever reason, The West Wing did Thanksgiving better than anyone around, and gave us so much to be thankful for along the way.

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