The West Wing
S2E14
· The War At Home

Mark's VO Tallies Bartlet's SOTU Word Count

The episode fades in on the exterior of the White House at night, establishing the story's tense epicenter. Reporter Mark's voiceover delivers the exact word count of President Bartlet's freshly concluded State of the Union address—8,756 words—anchoring the narrative in its immediate aftermath. This precise detail highlights Bartlet's rhetorical mastery and exhaustive preparation, starkly contrasting the chaotic moral fallout from the impending raid disaster, while priming the audience for the high-stakes crisis in the war on drugs.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Mark's voiceover sets the stage with a precise count of the State of the Union's word length, grounding the scene in the aftermath of a significant political event.

neutral to informative

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Mark Gottfried
primary

Professional detachment laced with subtle awe at the address's scale

Delivers authoritative voiceover narration layered over the establishing exterior shot of the White House at night, precisely citing the 8,756-word count of President Bartlet's State of the Union address to anchor the audience in its immediate historic aftermath.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ground viewers in the precise scale of Bartlet's rhetorical triumph
  • • Transition smoothly from SOTU euphoria to emerging crisis tension
Active beliefs
  • • Exact details like word counts validate political reporting's credibility
  • • Bartlet's exhaustive oratory exemplifies presidential mastery
Character traits
journalistic precision electric immediacy relentless professionalism
Follow Mark Gottfried's journey
Josiah Bartlet
primary

State of the Union address freshly concluded and tallied at 8,756 words in Mark's voiceover

Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
White House Mess

Functions as the episode's opening establishing shot under night skies, its unyielding illuminated stone facade pulsing with institutional power and isolation; it visually frames Mark Gottfried's voiceover, slashing post-SOTU triumph into the gathering dread of raid catastrophe and drug war futility.

Atmosphere Tense nocturnal hush, starry voids amplifying presidential pressure
Function Visual anchor establishing the story's high-stakes epicenter
Symbolism Embodies raw power's moral abyss, contrasting rhetorical victory with looming tragedy
Illuminated facade looming massively Nighttime exterior under 'EXT. THE WHITE HOUSE - NIGHT'

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"MARK (VO): "Tonight's State of the Union took 8,756 words...""