Lord John Marbury (The West Wing)
Encyclopedia
"Lord John Marbury" is the 11th episode of The West Wing
. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
was quoted in Time magazine as saying this episode had one of the best expositions on foreign policy she'd seen on TV.
border powderkeg becomes more explosive when the India
n army invades Pakistan
i-held territory, making the threat of a nuclear confrontation frighteningly real to President Bartlet, who calls in Lord John Marbury
, an eccentric British diplomat with ties to both warring nations—and a weakness for booze and women. An angry Josh is subpoenaed to testify as the investigation into substance abuse among White House staffers grinds on towards its inevitable target: chief of staff Leo McGarry. Mandy floats a trial balloon among the staff to test their reaction to her notion of representing a liberal Republican. The President is surprised when Charlie asks him if he can date his daughter Zoey, but eventually consents.
; the diplomatic representative of one Commonwealth nation to another is called "High Commissioner
", not "Ambassador".
During the opening sequence the Indian naval force is described as 'two CVEs, and four destroyers'
Throughout the remainder of the show, these numbers are reversed. In addition, a "CVE" is the US Navy designation for an escort carrier from the WWII era. India has only had 2 aircraft carriers in service, the INS Vikrant
(in service 1957-1997) and the INS Viraat
(in service 1987–present), neither of them being escort carriers.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
was quoted in Time magazine as saying this episode had one of the best expositions on foreign policy she'd seen on TV.
Plot
The KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
border powderkeg becomes more explosive when the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n army invades Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i-held territory, making the threat of a nuclear confrontation frighteningly real to President Bartlet, who calls in Lord John Marbury
Lord John Marbury
Lord John Marbury is a recurring fictional character on the television show The West Wing, played by Roger Rees. The character appeared in five episodes, first as an informal aide to President Josiah Bartlet during a foreign relations crisis, and later within the show as the United Kingdom's...
, an eccentric British diplomat with ties to both warring nations—and a weakness for booze and women. An angry Josh is subpoenaed to testify as the investigation into substance abuse among White House staffers grinds on towards its inevitable target: chief of staff Leo McGarry. Mandy floats a trial balloon among the staff to test their reaction to her notion of representing a liberal Republican. The President is surprised when Charlie asks him if he can date his daughter Zoey, but eventually consents.
General and continuity errors
Marbury is described as "former British Ambassador to India" but should be called the "former British High Commissioner to India", as both India and the United Kingdom are members of the Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
; the diplomatic representative of one Commonwealth nation to another is called "High Commissioner
High Commissioner (Commonwealth)
In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
", not "Ambassador".
During the opening sequence the Indian naval force is described as 'two CVEs, and four destroyers'
Throughout the remainder of the show, these numbers are reversed. In addition, a "CVE" is the US Navy designation for an escort carrier from the WWII era. India has only had 2 aircraft carriers in service, the INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....
(in service 1957-1997) and the INS Viraat
INS Viraat
INS Viraat is a Centaur class aircraft carrier currently in service with the Indian Navy. INS Viraat is the flagship of the Indian Navy, the oldest carrier in service and one of two aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean Region.The Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy's...
(in service 1987–present), neither of them being escort carriers.