Bartlet Teases Leo with Plantagenet Self-Comparison
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Leo and President Bartlet discuss attending a charity event called 'War of the Roses' while walking down the hallway, highlighting the President's cultural interests and Leo's reluctance.
President Bartlet humorously asks Leo which Plantagenet he resembles, showcasing their camaraderie before entering the Situation Room.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
serious and urgent
delivers briefing on credible terror threat to US military installations from Bahji cell, confirms intelligence sources
- • inform the President of the escalating terror threat details
Buoyantly playful, wielding humor to ease tension and affirm camaraderie before crisis.
Striding down the hallway alongside Leo, Bartlet enthusiastically promotes the War of the Roses charity event's spectacle and fundraising potential for Catholic Charities, playfully querying which Plantagenet king Leo thinks he resembles right at the Situation Room door.
- • Overcome Leo's reluctance to commit to the lengthy charity event
- • Inject levity to humanize the moment prior to high-stakes briefing
- • The War of the Roses' grandeur justifies the time investment and will thrill attendees
- • Philanthropic support for Catholic Charities aligns with leadership duties
professional
recommends moving carriers and destroyers into harbor for water security
- • propose naval defensive measures against the threat
professional
confirms threat aligns with Kazakhstan advisors' intel and Russian prisoner verification in Chechnya
- • corroborate the terror threat intelligence
professional
greets the President, acknowledges orders and threat details, stands as he leaves
- • participate in the security briefing and receive presidential directives
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The initial briefing on the terrorist threat naturally progresses to the Coast Guard's interception of the ammonium nitrate plot."
Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: "They take all the Henrys. They do a thing, they call it War of the Roses. I'm told by those who saw it in London it's spectacular. Catholic charities bought out a Broadway theater. We're gonna go, we're gonna make some money.""
"LEO: "Everything was fine except the part where we go.""
"BARTLET: "Let me as you something, which Plantagenet do I most remind you of?" LEO: "You want to, please?""