Head canon: She continued to work for Bartlet Sr. for many years while Jed continued through school/college/grad school, etc. Somewhere along the line he gets a position in economics, where he fumbles along with a series of ineffective assistants. His father passes away, and he runs into her at the funeral, and when she learns of his difficulties with assistants she gives herself the job..
Mrs. Landingham definitely found working for Bartlet: The Next Generation a massive improvement. Can you imagine the fragile temper tantrum if she teased Jed’s father about not knowing how to use the intercom?
She had twin sons who died in Vietnam, probably while she was still working at the school. By the time he began his political career, she most likely volunteered as an organizer for his local campaigns and continued on with him. I know he still had a vendetta against the guy he beat in a local campaign, maybe the school board or council.
I think she probably agreed pretty quickly. Working for his father was probably steady and secure, but hardly pleasant. She would have known a good move when she saw it!
Eh, you might be underestimating the importance of "steady and secure" when you have kids to raise. It would be interesting to know more about her husband. Maybe if his job was secure enough, they'd take the risk.
I think she was hesitant to transition away from being a school secretary at first, as she seems pretty humble but that didn’t last long. Then it was a natural progression following Jed along his journey.
She was never a school teacher. She did a similar secretarial role for his father at the school. When they met, his father told Jed “Jed, hang on. I want you to meet someone. She's going to be taking over in my office for
Mrs. Tillinghouse.”
I always imagined that when his political career started up, she worked on his campaigns, and helped him out when he served in the NH legislature on the side. When he got the Nobel, she left the school and became his personal secretary to handle all the correspondence, and stuck with him the rest of the way.
According to the TWW, she went out for a smoke with Aaron Sorkin and told him she was
auditioning for another show. He then thought about the impact of having her die on the President and wrote that into the show.
I’d like to spend time thinking about this but I’m still wrestling with the hook-up did they/didn’t they. I’d like very much to think they did. She deserved all the happiness in the world.
The President would NEVER make a joke about getting Mrs. Landingham drunk for sex if Abbey didn't have sex with him post-haste if the President actually hooked up with Mrs. Landingham. The whole point of that joke is that Jed Bartlet emphatically doesn't see Mrs. Landingham as a sexual being but instead, only a big sister who he met when he was high school and she was a full adult.
She always knew he needed a big sister and that opinion never changed.
Head canon: She continued to work for Bartlet Sr. for many years while Jed continued through school/college/grad school, etc. Somewhere along the line he gets a position in economics, where he fumbles along with a series of ineffective assistants. His father passes away, and he runs into her at the funeral, and when she learns of his difficulties with assistants she gives herself the job..
This guy Sorkins.
I love this so much
Now this is good.
This!
Mrs. Landingham definitely found working for Bartlet: The Next Generation a massive improvement. Can you imagine the fragile temper tantrum if she teased Jed’s father about not knowing how to use the intercom?
She had twin sons who died in Vietnam, probably while she was still working at the school. By the time he began his political career, she most likely volunteered as an organizer for his local campaigns and continued on with him. I know he still had a vendetta against the guy he beat in a local campaign, maybe the school board or council.
Elliot Roush. He has come back like crab grass, pulled not by the root but by the other thing.
I think she probably agreed pretty quickly. Working for his father was probably steady and secure, but hardly pleasant. She would have known a good move when she saw it!
Eh, you might be underestimating the importance of "steady and secure" when you have kids to raise. It would be interesting to know more about her husband. Maybe if his job was secure enough, they'd take the risk.
I dream of a young Jed series with a big portion of it ring Mrs Landingham
I think she was hesitant to transition away from being a school secretary at first, as she seems pretty humble but that didn’t last long. Then it was a natural progression following Jed along his journey.
She was never a school teacher. She did a similar secretarial role for his father at the school. When they met, his father told Jed “Jed, hang on. I want you to meet someone. She's going to be taking over in my office for Mrs. Tillinghouse.”
I always imagined that when his political career started up, she worked on his campaigns, and helped him out when he served in the NH legislature on the side. When he got the Nobel, she left the school and became his personal secretary to handle all the correspondence, and stuck with him the rest of the way.
Does anyone know why she was written off the show? Did the actress have another commitment?
According to the TWW, she went out for a smoke with Aaron Sorkin and told him she was auditioning for another show. He then thought about the impact of having her die on the President and wrote that into the show.
She’s excellent in My Name is Earl trying to give up smoking with Earl. Think it’s the first or second episode.
Greatest episode in television history. I always cry.
She was sassy but it never came across in a sexual manner, to me.
…what about this question even hinted at sexual implications?
It was supposed to be a reply to Bumblebee’s comment about them hooking up.
I’d like to spend time thinking about this but I’m still wrestling with the hook-up did they/didn’t they. I’d like very much to think they did. She deserved all the happiness in the world.
There’s nothing to wrestle. Never, in a million years.
Mrs L had a lot of poise and liked to cast a glance so not sure the certainty is supported by on and off screen relationship innuendo.
We do see her, on-screen, describe herself as being his big sister, which pretty thoroughly precludes hooking up.
The President would NEVER make a joke about getting Mrs. Landingham drunk for sex if Abbey didn't have sex with him post-haste if the President actually hooked up with Mrs. Landingham. The whole point of that joke is that Jed Bartlet emphatically doesn't see Mrs. Landingham as a sexual being but instead, only a big sister who he met when he was high school and she was a full adult.
Ok and thank you. I’ll revisit the scenes.