Fabula
S3E9 · Bartlet for America (Restructured)
S3E9
· Bartlet for America (Restructured)

Josh's Regretful Call: Reporting Critical Failure to Leo

In his office, Josh anxiously watches the congressional hearing on TV, where figures mill tensely in the room scrutinizing Leo. He dials Leo's cell, sighing deeply as he waits for connection, his face betraying mounting dread. Finally reaching him, Josh's voice cracks with defeat: he confesses failing a vital objective—likely his secret intervention via Cindy to aid Leo amid the MS probe and relapse threats. This terse beat escalates White House vulnerability, marking a turning point of dashed hopes and heightened stakes.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Josh attempts to contact Leo via phone, showing visible tension as he waits for an answer while watching the hearing room activity on TV.

tension to anticipation ["Josh's office with TV displaying hearing …

Josh informs Leo that he failed to achieve a critical objective, his tone laden with regret.

anticipation to disappointment

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Shanahan
primary

Focused intensity under scrutiny, absorbing the blow of failure with stoic resolve masking internal strain.

Leo answers his cell phone remotely from the hearing, receiving Josh's direct address and confession of failure, positioned as the silent but pivotal recipient amid his own high-stakes testimony.

Goals in this moment
  • • Gauge the damage from Josh's report to recalibrate testimony strategy
  • • Maintain operational continuity despite the setback
Active beliefs
  • • Josh's efforts, even failed, reflect unbreakable staff devotion
  • • Political survival demands swift adaptation to internal vulnerabilities
Character traits
resilient authoritative loyal
Follow Shanahan's journey
Joshua Lyman
primary

Deeply anxious dread escalating to defeated resignation, voice cracking under personal and professional failure.

Josh intently watches the TV feed of the hearing room's tense activity, grabs the phone to dial Leo's cell, sighs deeply in mounting frustration while awaiting connection, and delivers a terse confession of failure, his posture and tone radiating defeat.

Goals in this moment
  • • Urgently inform Leo of the failed intervention to allow real-time adjustment
  • • Seek implicit reassurance or direction amid the spiraling crisis
Active beliefs
  • • Honest confession strengthens team loyalty despite bad news
  • • His failure directly endangers Leo and the administration's cover
Character traits
anxious loyal self-critical
Follow Joshua Lyman's journey
Leo McGarry
primary
Character traits
stoic assertive resolute loyal compassionate
Follow Leo McGarry's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Leo's Office Television (Crisis Media Broadcast)

Positioned next to Josh's desk, the television broadcasts live the hearing room's milling figures and tense conversations, immersing Josh in the remote crisis and fueling his anxiety; it functions as a relentless visual harbinger of scrutiny, bridging the physical gap between offices and amplifying the event's dread-filled momentum.

Before: Powered on, tuned to hearing coverage in Josh's …
After: Still on, continuing to display hearing proceedings
Before: Powered on, tuned to hearing coverage in Josh's office
After: Still on, continuing to display hearing proceedings

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
House Hearing Room

The House Hearing Room appears vividly on Josh's TV screen, with people milling and talking tensely, serving as the off-site epicenter of Leo's ordeal; it underscores the event's stakes by visually embodying institutional pressure, drawing Josh's gaze and intensifying his remote anguish over Leo's exposure.

Atmosphere Charged with tense milling and murmured conversations under scrutiny.
Function Remote stage for ongoing congressional interrogation observed via broadcast.
Symbolism Microcosm of political accountability and vulnerability closing in.
Access Public hearing accessible to press and officials, but witness stand isolates Leo.
Sunlit panels casting solemn glow (contextual from entity desc.) Figures milling and talking tensely

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"Josh: "Leo... I couldn't make it happen.""