Narrative Web
S3E12
· The Two Bartlets

Charlie Overcomes Bartlet's Refusal to Admit Toby

In the Outer Oval Office at night, loyal aide Charlie Young approaches the Oval door where Toby anxiously waits. He interrupts President Bartlet to ask if he'll see Toby, met with a curt 'No.' Acknowledging with 'Yes, sir,' Charlie retreats momentarily, but Bartlet immediately calls him back, relenting with 'Send him in.' Toby enters. This terse exchange highlights Charlie's persistent loyalty as intermediary, piercing Bartlet's reluctance amid Iowa caucus tensions, serving as a pivotal setup for the explosive confrontation that unearths suppressed rage and trauma.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Charlie attempts to get Bartlet's attention to see Toby, but Bartlet initially refuses before relenting.

hesitation to acquiescence ['Outer Oval Office', 'Oval Office']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4
Charlie Young
Presidential Personal Aide
 primary

Calmly dutiful, masking the weight of high-stakes intermediation

Charlie approaches the Oval Office door where Toby waits by the desk, speaks off-screen to interrupt President Bartlet, relays Toby's request for audience, acknowledges refusal with 'Yes, sir' and walks back briefly, then returns on summons to facilitate Toby's entry into the Oval.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure permission for Toby to meet the President
  • • Execute President's directives with precise deference
Active beliefs
  • • Loyal service demands unwavering responsiveness to commands
  • • Toby's persistence warrants persistent relay despite initial refusal
Character traits
dutiful efficient loyal composed
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet (President of the United States)
President of the United States
 primary

frustrated

initially refuses to see Toby off-screen, relents and calls Charlie back, converses with Toby about Ritchie and campaign, stands to pour and offer bourbon then refill his own, defends his approach, erupts in anger over personal probing, sits deep in thought amid ticking clock

Goals in this moment
  • • initially avoid meeting Toby
  • • express concerns about Ritchie while resisting aggressive strategy
Character traits
politically pragmatic jocular policy‑driven paternal commands institutional authority relational — centers staff and family centralizing (commands staff attention and schedules) centralized authority figure strategically vital intelligent politically consequential (actions and associations create immediate risk) protocol-driven calculating principled in public rhetoric vulnerable emotionally forceful institutionally minded performative control of public optics candid principled politically vulnerable (per party strategists and press) strategic witty/jocular under pressure vulnerable-to-proxy-actions collegial poised decisive principled but electorally mindful resolute constitutional protective (paternal focus on family safety) deliberative ruthless burdened decisive when confronted with moral stakes authoritative/managerial paternal/protective regionally grounded politically strategic supportive traditional weary/resolute authoritative public-facing decisive in crisis loyal blunt protective politically consequential measured committed politically shrewd risk‑aware consequential self-aware witty institutional (symbolic center of staff effort) ceremonial
Follow Josiah Edward …'s journey
Toby Ziegler
White House Communications Director
 primary

Determined tension laced with urgent resolve

Toby waits anxiously yet resolutely by the desk in the Outer Oval Office, his presence a silent pressure amid the night's tension, and strides into the Oval Office immediately upon Charlie securing permission, poised for the confrontation ahead.

Goals in this moment
  • • Gain immediate access to President for critical campaign reckoning
  • • Force Bartlet to confront strategic evasions against Ritchie
Active beliefs
  • • Bartlet's reluctance is temporary fatigue, not dismissal
  • • Direct intervention is essential to unleash his true intellectual fire
Character traits
determined patient intense strategic
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 6
Character Continuity

"Toby's criticism of Bartlet's vague speech evolves into his full confrontation about Bartlet's 'dual identity,' reinforcing his role as the truth-teller who exposes the President's contradictions."

Toby Unearths C.J.'s Affirmative Action Family Trauma
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Character Continuity

"Toby's criticism of Bartlet's vague speech evolves into his full confrontation about Bartlet's 'dual identity,' reinforcing his role as the truth-teller who exposes the President's contradictions."

Toby Confronts Bartlet Over Evasive Affirmative Action Draft
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Escalation

"Bartlet's resistance to confronting Ritchie escalates into Toby's explosive revelation about Bartlet's abusive father, showing how political evasion stems from personal trauma."

Toby Presses Cautious Bartlet to Counter Ritchie Aggressively
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Escalation

"Bartlet's resistance to confronting Ritchie escalates into Toby's explosive revelation about Bartlet's abusive father, showing how political evasion stems from personal trauma."

Iowa Caucuses Launch Amid Toby's Ritchie Response Push
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Escalation

"Bartlet's resistance to confronting Ritchie escalates into Toby's explosive revelation about Bartlet's abusive father, showing how political evasion stems from personal trauma."

Bartlet Ends Aid Meeting, Deflects Toby's Ritchie Push
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets
Temporal medium

"Bartlet's evasive Iowa press conference immediately precedes Toby's Oval Office confrontation, creating a narrative chain of political avoidance leading to personal explosion."

Toby's Cringe at Bartlet's Evasive Presser
S3E12 · The Two Bartlets

Key Dialogue

"Charlie: "Can you see Toby?""
"Bartlet [O.S.]: "No.""
"Bartlet [O.S.]: "Send him in.""