Bartlet Probes CJ's Briefing Readiness; Leo Pitches Nancy
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Leo follows Bartlet to the portico, indicating a private conversation is about to take place.
Bartlet inquires about C.J.'s ability to brief, showing his concern for her and the press.
Leo deflects Bartlet's concern by suggesting Nancy can brief instead, asserting control over the situation.
Bartlet responds with a skeptical 'Yeah?', indicating his doubt about Leo's decision.
Leo reassures Bartlet again, attempting to ease his doubts and maintain control.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Wryly confident masking re-election anxieties and staff doubts
Bartlet stands in the Oval Office, delivering a sarcastic quip rejecting State’s praise for France, then leads Leo to the portico to probe C.J.’s briefing readiness with skeptical intonation, revealing underlying concerns over staff reliability.
- • Evaluate C.J.’s recovery timeline for press duties
- • Test Leo’s assessment of alternative staff competence
- • C.J. remains sidelined by recent struggles
- • Unreliable staff risks campaign momentum
Implied steady professionalism
Nancy is proposed by Leo as an immediate, capable substitute for C.J. in press briefings, positioning her as a pragmatic solution to staffing gaps.
- • Assume press duties effectively
- • Support crisis communications seamlessly
- • Expertise transcends typical roles
- • Geopolitical wins bolster briefing authority
Steadfast calm projecting unwavering confidence
Leo enters the Oval Office to praise Bartlet’s performance, follows him to the portico, deflects C.J. concerns by nominating Nancy for briefing, and reassures with repeated affirmation of Bartlet’s strong showing.
- • Shield C.J. from premature return pressure
- • Bolster Bartlet’s morale amid staff uncertainties
- • Nancy provides reliable press alternative
- • Bartlet’s leadership remains unassailable
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The French Government is the target of State’s proposed praise for crisis aid, rejected by Bartlet’s surrender jab—framing them as tentative allies whose contributions merit skepticism in the narrative of U.S.-led geopolitical triumphs.
The State Department is cited by Bartlet as the source of a diplomatic memo urging praise for French Haiti aid, swiftly dismissed with sarcasm—underscoring tensions between bureaucratic protocol and presidential prerogative in post-crisis foreign policy signaling.
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
Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: "When do you think C.J. can brief?""
"LEO: "Nancy can brief.""
"BARTLET: "Yeah?""
"LEO: "Don't worry about it. You did well.""