Sam Restrains C.J.'s Vengeful Instincts Over Morgan Ross's Insult
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Sam compliments C.J. on her performance, then sets up the controversy surrounding the movie 'Prince of New York,' revealing its contentious themes.
C.J. and Sam dissect the fallout from the movie's producer's comments on Imus, where he criticized President Bartlet as 'cowardly' for not supporting the First Amendment.
C.J. vows to retaliate against Morgan Ross, showcasing her role as 'the enforcer,' while Sam attempts to de-escalate and schedule a meeting to resolve the issue.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Aggressively journalistic pursuit (as relayed).
Danny Concannon noted on phone seeking President's reaction to Eleanor Bartlet's public comment defending Millicent Griffith.
- • Extract White House response on family defiance
- • Presidential family statements demand official reaction
Boiling righteous fury laced with dark humor, masking exhaustion from serial crises.
C.J. strides hallways in motion with Sam, presses for movie details, ignites in fury upon learning of Ross's 'cowardly' jab at Bartlet, declares herself the 'enforcer' vowing to crush and humiliate him while pouring coffee with grim smile and evil chuckle, reluctantly yields to Sam's plan upon office arrival, then absorbs Carol's bombshell and picks up phone.
- • Grasp and counter the Prince of New York political trap
- • Exact retribution on Ross for personal attack on President
- • Align on press strategy despite instincts
- • Enforcer role demands aggressive defense of the President
- • Hollywood opportunists exploiting politics must be crushed publicly
Composed strategic restraint, projecting unflappable control to counter C.J.'s volatility.
Sam waits in the hallway to intercept C.J., opens with praise for her briefing performance, delivers a precise rundown of the Prince of New York controversy including Ross's Imus insult, repeatedly reins in her rage with clarifications and strategy reveal of an upcoming industry meeting, secures her press deflection commitment before exiting as Carol arrives.
- • Inform C.J. fully on the movie crisis origins
- • De-escalate her vengeful impulses toward controlled resolution
- • Enlist her in press stonewalling
- • Private diplomacy averts public scandals better than retaliation
- • Unity in senior staff preserves administration focus amid multi-front crises
Independent and firm in gatekeeping duties (as described).
Charlie referenced as rejecting studio's Prince of New York screening request on Bartlet's behalf, triggering Ross's Imus retaliation.
- • Protect President's schedule from controversial pitches
- • Screenings require presidential alignment only implicitly
Urgently professional, calibrated calm amid incoming familial-political bombshell.
Carol enters C.J.'s office threshold post-Sam exit, urgently flags the incoming Danny Concannon call, specifies it's about President's reaction to Eleanor Bartlet's comment on Millicent Griffith situation, withholds name teasingly before revealing under C.J.'s impatient gesture.
- • Promptly relay critical press inquiry to C.J.
- • Ensure seamless handoff of high-stakes call
- • Gatekeeping demands precision in crisis relay
- • C.J. as Press Secretary must field all Bartlet-related probes
Under fire but resolute (contextually implied).
Millicent Griffith referenced obliquely as core of 'the situation' Eleanor commented on, tying peripheral feud to central Surgeon General crisis.
- • Maintain stance on marijuana policy
- • Scientific truth overrides political expediency
Defiant antagonism, weaponizing resentment into public attack (as recounted).
Morgan Ross is dissected in dialogue as Prince of New York producer who, rebuffed on screening via Charlie, phones into Imus to blast Bartlet as cowardly for siding with censors, leveraging boycotts for free media and PR leverage.
- • Force White House screening via controversy
- • Generate buzz for film through political feud
- • Presidential rebuff justifies public retaliation
- • Cultural boycotts are exploitable PR gold
Bold public conviction clashing family loyalty (as exposed).
Eleanor Bartlet shockingly revealed via Carol as source of comment on Millicent Griffith situation, prompting Danny's call.
- • Publicly back Griffith against firing pressure
- • Father's principles demand defense of truth
mentioned as having rejected the screening via Charlie and being insulted as cowardly by Morgan Ross on Imus
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
C.J. pours the hot coffee mid-rant with a grim smile and evil chuckle during her vow to crush Ross, the steaming beverage serving as visceral prop amplifying her enforcer rage, bitterness mirroring political absurdities, and ritualistic fuel transitioning hallway clash to office pivot amid layered crises.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
West Wing hallway propels the high-velocity walk-and-talk as Sam ambushes C.J. post-briefing, their strides hammering linoleum through escalating revelations from movie spat to vengeful standoff, embodying nonstop crisis churn that funnels into her office for next detonation.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Family Values Leadership Council spotlighted in Sam's briefing as running congratulatory ads praising White House denunciation of Prince of New York, ironically fueling the controversy Ross exploits, underscoring absurd political crosswinds distracting from Surgeon General core.
Family and religious groups invoked as boycott orchestrators against Prince of New York's sex, violence, and blasphemy, catalyzing studio's screening push, Charlie's rebuff, and Ross's retaliatory Imus attack—peripheral cultural war injecting chaos into Bartlet team's bandwidth.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"SAM: Good job."
"C.J.: Morgan Ross called the President a coward? SAM: He called him cowardly. Which is different."
"C.J.: I'm gonna crush him, I'm gonna make him cry, and then I'm gonna tell his momma about it! SAM: You're not going to make him cry."