Bartlet Declares War on Ritchie Over Simon's Death
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Governor Ritchie encounters Bartlet, initiating a conversation that quickly turns from casual to confrontational.
Bartlet informs Ritchie about the death of C.J.'s Secret Service agent, shifting the conversation's tone to somber.
Ritchie's dismissive response to the agent's death ('Crime. Boy, I don't know') triggers Bartlet's declaration of political war.
Bartlet delivers his iconic line, marking the moment he decides to aggressively challenge Ritchie in the upcoming election.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Quietly amused vigilance
Spots Bartlet furtively lighting his cigarette in the dim mess, her piercing gaze prompting his sheepish smiling admission of 'Caught me,' briefly humanizing the president before Ritchie's arrival shifts focus.
- • Monitor staff area discreetly
- • Acknowledge president's rare vulnerability
- • Leadership frailties are human and fleeting
- • White House vigilance includes personal moments
Unstated, implied as pivotal neutral arbiter
Recommended by Bartlet as key figure Ritchie should consult immediately to defuse church insult backlash, positioning the Cardinal as off-screen ecclesiastical mediator in this political aside.
- • Preserve church-political harmony
- • Advise on faith sensitivities
- • Faith leaders bridge partisan divides
- • Timely intervention averts scandals
Irritated restraint erupting into righteous fury tempered by steely resolve
Descends stairs lighting cigarette, sheepishly acknowledges female employee's gaze with a smile, engages Ritchie in small talk then confronts on church slight and Simon's death, sits for tense exchange, sighs deeply, rises decisively to deliver war declaration before ascending stairs.
- • Mitigate Ritchie's church gaffe through Cardinal counsel
- • Channel grief over Simon's death into political dominance vow
- • Expose Ritchie's intellectual disengagement
- • True leadership demands deep engagement, not folksy detachment
- • Personal tragedy like Simon's death demands fierce retaliation
Posthumously mourned, fueling others' rage
Invoked by Bartlet as the heroic Secret Service agent killed protecting C.J. during an armed robbery after detaining a suspect; his Rosslyn history and loyalty underscore the personal loss igniting Bartlet's confrontation with Ritchie.
- • Protect C.J. from threats (pre-death)
- • Embody Secret Service valor
- • Duty overrides personal safety
- • Justice demands intervention in crime
Feigned casualness masking defensive smugness
Exits men's bathroom washing hands (shadow visible), approaches Bartlet casually greeting him, discusses play enjoyment and Yankee game traffic delay, defends church remark and populist image, dismisses agent's death glibly, counters with elitist barbs, smiles smugly as Bartlet departs.
- • Deflect church controversy lightly
- • Repel elitism accusations by flipping narrative on Bartlet
- • Populist authenticity trumps intellectualism
- • Crime is mundane, unworthy of presidential obsession
mentioned as target of threats protected by Simon Donovan whose death triggers confrontation
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Bartlet lights the cigarette upon descending stairs, its defiant glow piercing the dim mess and drawing the female employee's gaze; this illicit prop symbolizes his private vulnerability and stress relief, humanizing him instants before the explosive confrontation with Ritchie erupts.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Serves as backstage neutral ground where Bartlet lights his cigarette and collides unexpectedly with Ritchie, transitioning from solitary indulgence through polite banter to seated fury over Simon's death; dim lighting and stairs amplify isolation turning intimate and charged.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Ritchie invokes the New York Yankees as emblem of 'ordinary Americans' entertainment via his pre-play attendance and traffic excuse; Bartlet counters with their center fielder's classical pursuits, weaponizing the team to dismantle Ritchie's anti-elitist populism in their verbal sparring.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Ritchie's casual dismissal of Simon's death emotionally echoes Bartlet's earlier moral struggles, intensifying his resolve."
"Bartlet's internal conflict about crime and morality is mirrored in his confrontation with Ritchie over the dismissive comment about Simon's death."
"Ritchie's casual dismissal of Simon's death emotionally echoes Bartlet's earlier moral struggles, intensifying his resolve."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"RITCHIE: "Oh. Crime. Boy, I don't know.""
"BARTLET: "We should have a great debate, Rob. We owe it to everyone.""
"BARTLET: "In the future, if you're wondering, \"Crime. Boy, I don't know\" is when I decided to kick your ass.""