The West Wing
S3E14
· Hartsfield's Landing

C.J.'s Encyclopedic Music Trivia Quiz with Carol

In a bustling White House corridor amid the Taiwan Strait crisis, C.J. playfully quizzes assistant Carol on songwriters Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Norworth, revealing her vast trivia knowledge: they penned 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' without ever attending a baseball game, and 'Shine On, Harvest Moon.' Carol's witty deflection underscores their affectionate camaraderie, injecting levity and human warmth into the high-stakes tension, while foreshadowing C.J.'s upcoming security friction.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

C.J. quizzes Carol on music trivia, displaying her encyclopedic knowledge and the camaraderie between them.

casual to intrigued

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
C.J. Cregg
primary

amused

walks with Carol quizzing her on songwriters Albert Von Tilzer and 'Shine On, Harvest Moon', heads to her office, notices Charlie's boxes, requests President's private schedule, banters and signs it out on clipboard

Goals in this moment
  • • demonstrate trivia knowledge to Carol
  • • obtain another copy of President's private schedule
  • • tease Charlie during prank war banter
Character traits
resilient strategic poised terse dutiful
Follow C.J. Cregg's journey
Charlie Young
primary

Determined assurance masking leak-induced anxiety

Charlie approaches head-on lugging stacked chess set boxes, firmly enforces schedule sign-out protocol with clipboard handover despite C.J.'s Press Secretary status, parries her jabs with confident retorts on leaks and his personal life, upholding Oval Office guardianship.

Goals in this moment
  • • Distribute chess sets per presidential directive
  • • Prevent further schedule leaks via strict logging
Active beliefs
  • • No exceptions protect the President's privacy
  • • Firm boundaries earn respect even from superiors
Character traits
Protocol-rigid Sarcastic under pressure Confident enforcer
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Carol
primary

Amused surprise laced with affectionate exasperation

Carol strides alongside C.J. in the corridor, firing back quick trivia queries on Von Tilzer while admitting ignorance on their fame, her retort slicing through the bustle before peeling off in another direction, embodying efficient aide poise amid staff churn.

Goals in this moment
  • • Engage in light banter to match C.J.'s energy
  • • Fulfill aide duties by staying in sync during transit
Active beliefs
  • • Trivia bonds build team rapport under pressure
  • • C.J.'s knowledge commands respect and quick replies
Character traits
Quick-witted Loyal and responsive Playfully evasive
Follow Carol's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Charlie's Presidential Schedule Sign-Out Clipboard

Charlie thrusts forward his presidential schedule sign-out clipboard, its log sheet capturing C.J.'s reluctant signature amid banter on leaks, enforcing unyielding protocol that halts her access until compliance—narrative pivot from levity to bureaucratic tension, embodying leak-crackdown rigor.

Before: Held by Charlie, ready for enforcement
After: Returned to Charlie's possession after C.J. signs, log …
Before: Held by Charlie, ready for enforcement
After: Returned to Charlie's possession after C.J. signs, log updated
Gift Wrapped Package

Charlie bears a precarious pile of these exquisite sandalwood and boxwood chess sets from India's Prime Minister as he navigates the corridor, drawing C.J.'s immediate notice and query, symbolizing diplomatic gifts amid crisis diversion while underscoring his dutiful transport role in White House logistics.

Before: Stacked in Charlie's arms, en route for distribution
After: Still carried by Charlie post-interaction, undelivered
Before: Stacked in Charlie's arms, en route for distribution
After: Still carried by Charlie post-interaction, undelivered

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Press Room Hallway

The Press Room looms as invoked specter in Charlie's leak rationale, its thrice-breached secrecy justifying clipboard clampdown—fuels the event's core conflict, contrasting corridor levity with porous briefing room vulnerabilities that demand Oval lockdown.

Atmosphere Implied as chaotic sieve of shouted probes
Function Catalyzing off-site security breach justification
Symbolism Harbors institutional leaks eroding inner sanctum trust
Access Press-accessible but schedule-prohibited zone
Phantom echoes of reporter barrages Aura of repeated confidentiality failures
White House Portico

The columned Northwest Lobby pulses as a frantic transit artery where C.J. and Carol's trivia sparks then collides with Charlie's box-laden advance, channeling staff banter and protocol standoff amid Taiwan shadows—history's resilient arches frame unraveling frenzy, amplifying coordination sparks.

Atmosphere Humming with urgent foot traffic and witty verbal volleys
Function Conduit for staff intersections and procedural halts
Symbolism Embodies White House's layered chaos beneath historic poise
Access Restricted to cleared staff, protocol-enforced flow
Echoing footsteps and box-shifting scuffles Arched shadows cloaking hurried exchanges

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Part of Larger Arcs

Escalating prank war between Charlie Young and C.J. Cregg over a leaked presidential schedule and stolen ID culminates in a White House security lockdown, diverting focus from the Taiwan crisis.

Key Dialogue

"CAROL: "Albert VonTilzer?""
"C.J.: "Ironically, neither of them had ever been to a major league baseball game when they wrote that song. The other song they were famous for was?""
"CAROL: "I didn't even know they were famous for that one.""
"C.J.: "Shine on Harvest Moon"."