Fabula
S3E5 · War Crimes
S3E5
· War Crimes

C.J. Banters with Fiji 'God' Will on Toby Updates and True Loyalties

In the Press Room, C.J. updates reporter Will on impending Toby scoop details, then playfully probes rumors of his mythic deification by Fiji's Bau tribe as their 'Supporter of the World' and god of harvest and death—earned via Palm Pilot wizardry. He vividly warns her against visiting, lest she face ritual garroting. Noting General Adamley's meeting with Leo, she seriously questions if his prior quip about the White House being temporary was genuine, drawing his firm reassurance of commitment. This light-hearted yet probing exchange builds their rapport, humanizes high-stakes tensions, and reaffirms alliances amid leak scandals and press scrutiny.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

5

C.J. seeks out Will for updates on Toby's discussions, hinting at ongoing political maneuvering.

neutral anticipation to curiosity

C.J. probes Will about his god-like status among the Bau tribe of Fiji, revealing his strategic use of technology to gain divine recognition.

light curiosity to amusement ['Fiji']

Will warns C.J. about the potential fatal consequences of her visiting Fiji, reinforcing his mythic stature.

humor to sober caution ['Fiji']

C.J. questions Will about his previous jokes regarding his White House assignment, subtly testing his loyalty and seriousness about his role.

casual inquiry to probing

Will reassures C.J. about his commitment to his reporting role, deflecting deeper concerns about his loyalty.

probing to resolution

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4

Playfully boastful and animated, turning reassuringly sincere

Will greets C.J., recounts his Bau tribe deification via Palm Pilot weather predictions elevating him to god of harvest and death, warns graphically of her ritual garroting fate, inquires about Adamley's presence and purpose, reassures his White House comment was a joke.

Goals in this moment
  • Entertain and bond with C.J. through exotic anecdote
  • Affirm ongoing commitment to White House reporting
Active beliefs
  • Exotic stories strengthen professional rapport
  • Casual quips need clarification to maintain trust
Character traits
amused vivid storyteller reassuring engaged
Follow Will Sawyer's journey

Occupied with meetings (inferred)

Toby referenced by C.J. as currently talking to people, subject of the impending scoop update she's promising Will, tying into leak tensions.

Goals in this moment
  • Handle internal discussions amid scandal
  • Provide info for controlled press narrative
Active beliefs
  • Strategic talks control leak fallout
  • Staff unity prevents further disclosures
Character traits
influential newsworthy
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

Focused on diplomacy (inferred)

Leo referenced as meeting with Adamley, confirmed by C.J., underscoring his role in high-level crisis management.

Goals in this moment
  • Navigate military pushback on tribunal
  • Maintain administration unity
Active beliefs
  • Personal diplomacy bridges divides
  • Leadership absorbs external pressures
Character traits
authoritative central coordinator
Follow Leo McGarry's journey

Engaged in meeting (inferred)

Adamley noted by Will as present and meeting with Leo, inquired about by Will sparking C.J.'s confirmation, linking to broader military-White House tensions.

Goals in this moment
  • Discuss tribunal issues with Chief of Staff
  • Influence administration on war crimes stance
Active beliefs
  • Direct talks resolve strategic rifts
  • Military concerns demand presidential attention
Character traits
high-profile visitor
Follow Alan Adamley's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Bau Tribe Boar Tripe Garrote

Will vividly describes Bau tribe's ritual garroting using boar tripe after painting victim black like a warrior; weapon in warning tale, injecting primal threat into banter to underscore Fiji's dangers and punctuate rapport-building.

Before: Tribal ritual tool in Fiji
After: Referenced in anecdote, unchanged
Before: Tribal ritual tool in Fiji
After: Referenced in anecdote, unchanged
Will's Palm Pilot

Will recounts using his Palm Pilot to dazzle Bau tribe with 'gods writing' and weather predictions, elevating him to deity status; serves as narrative prop in banter, symbolizing tech as divine power bridging worlds and lightening leak-era mood.

Before: In Will's possession post-Fiji
After: Referenced, unchanged
Before: In Will's possession post-Fiji
After: Referenced, unchanged
C.J.'s Quacking Palm Pilot

C.J. jokingly proposes bringing her quacking Palm Pilot (called 'laptop') to Fiji for email alerts, mirroring Will's tech-god tale; heightens playful absurdity, humanizing her amid press pressures and paralleling his sorcery.

Before: In C.J.'s possession
After: In C.J.'s possession, referenced
Before: In C.J.'s possession
After: In C.J.'s possession, referenced

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Fiji

Fiji invoked as exotic, perilous homeland of Bau tribe where Will gained godhood; backdrop for banter transforms distant paradise into cautionary tale, contrasting Press Room mundanity with primal rituals amid White House crises.

Atmosphere Evoked as humid, taboo-laden, savagely ritualistic
Function Anecdotal setting for rapport-building humor and warning
Symbolism Represents outsider peril and fleeting divinity in power games
Access Dangerous for tall outsiders like C.J., ritual death for trespassers
Sacrificial rites Tribal feasts and combat ornamentation

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

2
Bau Tribe

Bau tribe central to Will's recounted deification and C.J.'s teased visit; their Palm Pilot awe and garroting customs fuel banter, injecting tribal exoticism into press dynamics, highlighting cultural clashes paralleling White House fractures.

Representation Through Will's eyewitness anecdote and rituals described
Power Dynamics Absolute lethal authority over outsiders, deifying or sacrificing intruders
Impact Underscores primal loyalty tests mirroring staff leak probes
Internal Dynamics Rigid customs blending harvest reverence with death rites
Enforce sacred rituals on witnesses Elevate tech-savvy outsiders to gods if proven Ritual violence and deification Weather prophecy validation
Bartlet Administration (Executive Office of the President)

White House framed as temporary 'beat' in Will's prior quip, probed by C.J. for sincerity; meeting of Adamley-Leo referenced, tying event to institutional tensions over leaks, tribunals, loyalty amid reelection.

Representation Via staff interactions and referenced high-level meetings
Power Dynamics Exercising narrative control through C.J.'s scoops and loyalty vetting
Impact Reaffirms unity facade amid internal fractures
Internal Dynamics Leak probes strain staff-reporter relations
Contain leak damage via controlled reporting Secure reporter allegiance during scandals Press briefings and personal reassurances High-level access as incentive

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

"C.J.: "Hey, are you a king?" WILL: "No." C.J.: "Somebody said you were hanging out with some tribe, and they made you a king." WILL: "I'm a god.""
"WILL: "They would paint your face and [points] other body parts black so as to resemble a warrior ornamented for feast or combat. Then you would be garroted by a length of boar tripe." C.J.: "Yeah. No, good safety tip.""
"C.J.: "About being assigned to the White House until you could get a real reporting job." WILL: "Yeah." C.J.: "Was it a joke?" WILL: "Yeah.""