Character

Ben Zaharian

outspoken independent-minded pragmatic

Ben Zaharian ignites White House urgency when his off-script zeal fractures energy policy lines. At an NRDC Q&A probing North Slope drilling, he lunges past caution, endorsing the President's potential tap of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve—a rogue pivot that slams against administration messaging. Josh storms the lobby, breath ragged from brass blasts, thrusting the crisis at Toby; delegation rockets to Sam and C.J. as damage control coils tight. Zaharian's impulsive advocacy exposes fault lines in environmental discipline, thrusting staff into frantic containment amid holiday clamor.

2 appearances

Ben Zaharian's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

2 moments

S2E10 · Noel

Josh Snaps at Toby's Brass Quintet, Pivots to SPR Crisis

Inferred overzealous advocacy from prior event.

Referenced urgently by Josh and Toby as source of off-script SPR endorsement during NRDC Q&A, triggering delegation chain without physical presence.

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S2E10 · Noel

Toby Delegates SPR Controversy to Sam as Music Resumes

Unspecified (off-screen recklessness inferred)

Invoked by Josh and Toby as the source of controversy—not physically present but catalyst for the urgent alert and delegation via his reported NRDC Q&A endorsement of SPR tapping.

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Affiliation

NRDC