notabadday:

The West Wing characters: Toby Ziegler
“At a time when the public is rightly concerned about the impact of sex and violence on TV, this administration is going to protect The Muppets!”

My feelings about Toby are probably the most complicated of any of the characters, if not simply because Toby himself is the most complicated. I would argue that while Donna went on to thrive in the aftermath of Sorkin’s departure, Toby became significantly weaker. Both Sorkin and Schiff created Toby with the art of subtlety. I think on a superficial level, Toby is “sad”. But, I think that in the latter years of the series, the complexity of his personality is lessened to merely that. I would argue that, while he has a very melancholic presence, his intellect, his acerbic wit and his loyalty come to endear him to viewers as the first season progresses and the character develops. He was always incredibly well served with dialogue that made him one of the most compelling characters in a debate situation.

I really rooted for Toby. Richard’s approach was so different to any of the other performances within the cast, in that every detail was there but it was precise and intricate. His humor and happier moments are just as reserved as his sadness, and they are distinguished from each other in fine ways. I just adore Toby, in the way that Richard performs him. He provided the eldest brother dynamic to Josh, CJ, Sam and Will. He was so determined in his political views, to a point past anyone else, I believe. He held strong. I guess, that’s the reason I dismiss the leak storyline, because I don’t believe it to be in his nature. He was always so loyal - to the President, to CJ, to Josh, to Sam, to Leo. I found myself incredibly upset when Toby reacted to what he viewed as acts of disloyalty (by Josh in season 6 with the Santos campaign, and Will’s departure to work for the VP). I think that was always what cut the deepest with Toby: a matter of loyalty. I guess that’s why what would usually be funny, a fight between two grown men, actually came off as really upsetting when it came to the fallout with Josh.

In the early seasons, though, Toby wasn’t as dark and morose as he might appear on first glance. He joined in with the White House silliness - Shibboleth, In This White House (“Ginger, get the popcorn!”) and watching The Jackal in Six Meetings Before Lunch all come to mind. I also loved the playful dynamic he had with CJ (Somebody’s Going to Emergency, Somebody’s Going to Jail, In The Shadow of Two Gunmen Part 2) that provided a healthy contrast to his natural disposition most of the time.