What Kind of Day Has It Been

"What Kind of Day Has It Been"
The West Wing episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 22
Directed by	Thomas Schlamme
Written by	Aaron Sorkin
Production code	225921
Original air date	May 17, 2000
Guest appearance(s)
Timothy Busfield Jorja Fox Janel Moloney Elisabeth Moss Suzy Nakamura Michael O'Neill John Amos Tim Matheson
Season 1 episodes
September 22, 1999 – May 17, 2000 "Pilot" "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" "A Proportional Response" "Five Votes Down" "The Crackpots and These Women" "Mr. Willis of Ohio" "The State Dinner" "Enemies" "The Short List" "In Excelsis Deo" "Lord John Marbury" "He Shall, from Time to Time..." "Take out the Trash Day" "Take This Sabbath Day" "Celestial Navigation" "20 Hours in L.A." "The White House Pro-Am" "Six Meetings Before Lunch" "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" "Mandatory Minimums" "Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics" "What Kind of Day Has It Been"
List of The West Wing episodes

Timothy Busfield
Jorja Fox
Janel Moloney
Elisabeth Moss
Suzy Nakamura
Michael O'Neill
John Amos
Tim Matheson

"What Kind of Day Has It Been" is the 22nd episode of The West Wing, the season finale of the show's first season. It originally aired on NBC May 17, 2000. Events circle around the attempted rescue of a US fighter pilot in Iraq, and the president taking part in a town hall meeting in Rosslyn, Virginia. The episode was written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Thomas Schlamme. "What Kind of Day Has It Been" is also the name of the first season finales of both the series Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as the series finale of The Newsroom, all of which were created by Aaron Sorkin. It was also a quote by Leo in the fourth season episode "Commencement" in the situation room. Sorkin claimed that he took the phrase from Robert Whitehead, lead producer of Sorkin's A Few Good Men, who used to start meetings at the end of rehearsal days by asking this question.

"What Kind of Day Has it Been" begins with the president attending a town hall meeting in Rosslyn, Virginia. As the entourage exits the building, Secret Service Agent Gina Toscano seems to sense danger from the window of an overlooking building. The story is then told in retrospect, going back to the start of the day, with President Bartlet preparing for the town hall question and answer session that evening. Meanwhile, the Secret Service are becoming increasingly concerned about threats on the life of the President's youngest daughter, Zoey, and her black boyfriend, the President's personal aide, Charlie, from White Supremacist groups. In addition to this, the military are performing a delicate rescue mission of an American pilot, stranded in Iraq, with Iraqi security forces trying to find him.