The West Wing
S2E1
· In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part I Flashback

Leo Ambush-Recruits Josh with a Discreet Walk Invite

In the Senate offices amid Josh Lyman's growing disillusionment with Hoynes' campaign, Leo McGarry makes an unannounced entrance, catching Josh off-guard while flying under the radar. They briefly acknowledge Hoynes' absence for a doomed procedural vote on nuclear waste. Leo pivots, admitting he's there specifically for Josh, and proposes a private walk— a classic maneuver signaling urgent, confidential recruitment to Bartlet's principled team. This turning-point beat excavates Josh's deeper conflicts, setting up his defection and illuminating Leo's masterful, personal poaching amid factional tensions.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Leo McGarry arrives unexpectedly to meet Josh, signaling a shift from casual office wandering to a focused interaction.

casual to intrigued ['Senate Building Offices']

Leo reveals his visit is specifically for Josh, heightening the scene's intrigue and setting up a private conversation.

intrigued to curiosity

Leo suggests taking a walk, indicating a move towards a more private and significant discussion away from the office setting.

curiosity to anticipation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

1
John Hoynes
primary

absent from the offices, having gone down for the 404 vote

Goals in this moment
  • • attend the procedural vote on the nuclear waste resolution
Character traits
accessible schedule-driven public-facing pragmatic ceremonial institutional discernibly reserved symbolically influential
Follow John Hoynes's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

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Senate Building Conference Room

The Senate building offices provide a serendipitously empty stage for Leo's covert approach, with Josh wandering freely amid the post-meeting void created by the vote; this neutral political hive buzzes with latent power dynamics, enabling whispered recruitment that exploits the absence of oversight to pivot Josh toward Bartlet's team.

Atmosphere Quiet and deserted, heavy with unspoken tensions from prior debates
Function Neutral ground for unannounced, low-profile recruitment
Symbolism Corridors of shifting allegiances in the machinery of power
Access Limited to Senate staff; temporarily vacated due to ongoing vote
Interior office space with wandering room Hushed post-meeting stillness

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"LEO: "I hope you don't mind I didn't make an appointment. I'm trying to fly under the radar a little.""
"LEO: "Actually, I came to see you.""
"LEO: "You mind if we take a walk?""