Fiderer's Stoned Interview Debacle and Charlie's Loyal Pivot
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Deborah Fiderer, a casual and seemingly unprepared candidate, arrives for her interview, immediately setting a tone of disarray and unprofessionalism as she maneuvers through staffers.
Fiderer's unconventional background as an alpaca farmer and casino worker clashes with Bartlet's serious expectations, leading to immediate disapproval from the President.
Bartlet confronts Charlie about the unsuitable candidate, expressing his frustration and hinting at bypassing Charlie's judgment for future hires.
Charlie takes responsibility for the mishap, showing determination to correct his mistake by offering Fiderer another chance, despite her obvious shortcomings.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Relaxed haze of intoxication masking mild bemusement at the unfolding debacle
Ms. Fiderer enters casually, drinks from her water bottle, stands before Bartlet's desk revealing her alpaca farmer and casino dealer past with eye-rolls and hazy candor, exits compliantly, then banters stoned with Charlie about second chances while they prepare to leave.
- • Undergo the presidential interview authentically
- • Gauge potential for continued opportunity post-failure
- • Honesty about her quirky background serves her best
- • White House hiring allows for second chances despite eccentricities
Professionally neutral amid brewing Oval tension
Nancy signals Fiderer to enter Oval, then escorts group of staffers out in synchronized march, facilitating the interview transition with precise gatekeeping.
- • Manage Outer Oval traffic for seamless interview access
- • Clear space for Bartlet's private evaluation
- • Protocol demands orderly flow around presidential sanctum
- • Her orchestration sustains operational continuity
Worried deference shifting to apologetic resolve amid presidential ire
Charlie greets and reassures Fiderer upon arrival, introduces her to Bartlet, re-enters post-dismissal to absorb blame, confesses her stoned state awareness shortfall, vows relentless interviews, and calls a cab while shaking his head in determination.
- • Secure Fiderer a viable shot at the secretary role
- • Shield his recruitment failure from derailing Bartlet's needs
- • Fiderer's qualifications outweigh her eccentric presentation
- • Unwavering persistence honors Landingham's legacy and his duty
Frustrated fury boiling from replacement pressures and Landingham's irreplaceable void
Bartlet signs papers at desk during botched interview, queries Fiderer's resume with mounting disbelief at alpaca and casino revelations, dismisses her politely then erupts at Charlie over the 'joke' hire unfit for Landingham's shoes, declares Personnel Office intervention, and storms to portico.
- • Vet a competent secretary successor swiftly
- • Reprimand Charlie to enforce hiring standards amid crisis
- • Landingham's role demands elite professionalism, not eccentrics
- • Personnel Office resources trump personal aide failures
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Camera pans from the bold 'PRIVATE, OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT' sign beside Oval doorway as Fiderer enters Outer Oval, underscoring restricted sanctum's authority and heightening stakes of her intrusion into elite hiring ritual amid Landingham's void.
Fiderer rummages purse for her bottle of water, declines Charlie's offer, drinks deeply signaling casual unpreparedness and stoned nonchalance that clashes with Oval decorum, subtly foreshadowing interview derailment.
Bartlet slashes signatures across papers at desk throughout Fiderer's interview, multitasking presidential duties against her resume bombshells, embodying relentless operational grind clashing with personal hiring meltdown.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Bartlet rushes out to the sunlit portico in blistering aftermath of interview fury, providing brief open-air vent for presidential temper before New York obligations, contrasting confined Oval tensions with diurnal reprieve.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Bartlet invokes White House Office of Presidential Personnel as fallback fix for Charlie's failed recruit, highlighting its elite hiring machinery—credentials like Fiderer's past ties—to bypass aide inadequacies in urgent secretary void.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Charlie's persistence in hiring Debbie Fiderer despite her unconventional background showcases his loyalty and determination."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: "I saw your resume, so we don't need to talk about that. What have you been doing recently?" MS. FIDERER: "I'm an alpaca farmer.""
"BARTLET: "She was an alpaca farmer who needed two tries to get her own name.""
"CHARLIE: "Before your next job interview with the President, I'm gonna remind you that you probably don't want to be stoned." MS. FIDERER: "There's gonna be a second interview?""