The West Wing
S3E1
· Manchester Part I

Toby Warns C.J. of Leaked Secret Plans Over Pool

In a dimly lit New Hampshire bar, amid a casual pool game masking high-stakes tension, Toby pointedly reveals Leo confided in him about C.J.'s covert plans, his intense gaze and cryptic hints underscoring his sharp awareness. C.J. deflects with cool nonchalance, cheekily hand-rolling balls into pockets while claiming strategic wisdom, their unresolved standoff amplifying fractures in their alliance and foreshadowing her looming press blunder amid re-election intrigue.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

5

Toby takes a shot on the pool table and drops a cryptic hint about Leo talking to him, creating tension.

casual to tense ['bar in New Hampshire']

C.J. responds with nonchalant indifference, forcing Toby to repeat himself and escalate the confrontation.

indifference to curiosity

Toby locks eyes with C.J., pressing the issue with deliberate intensity.

curiosity to confrontation

C.J. deflects with strategic pool play while Toby drops the bombshell that he knows her plans.

deflection to revelation

The scene ends with C.J. physically manipulating the game while maintaining eye contact, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

revelation to stalemate

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Leo McGarry
primary

Neutral authority (inferred from reference)

Leo is invoked repeatedly by Toby as the source who confided C.J.'s covert plans, positioning him as the unseen bridge fueling this tense exchange without physical presence.

Goals in this moment
  • • Contain C.J.'s plans through Toby as proxy
  • • Reinforce staff hierarchy amid crises
Active beliefs
  • • C.J.'s actions need oversight for campaign protection
  • • Direct intervention via Toby prevents escalation
Character traits
loyal discreet authoritative
Follow Leo McGarry's journey
Toby Ziegler
primary

Intensely probing with controlled aggression

Toby takes deliberate shots on the pool table, pauses strategically, locks eyes pointedly with C.J., and repeatedly presses that Leo confided her plans to him, directly confronting her intentions amid the game's facade.

Goals in this moment
  • • Expose and challenge C.J.'s secret plans
  • • Gauge her reaction to Leo's breach of confidence
Active beliefs
  • • C.J.'s covert actions risk the campaign's unity
  • • Leo's warning demands immediate staff realignment
Character traits
persistent intense calculating blunt
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
New Hampshire Bar Pool Table

The pool table anchors the casual pretense of their encounter, with Toby lining up and taking shots to punctuate his revelations, while C.J. subverts the game by hand-rolling balls into pockets—symbolizing her cheeky defiance and turning recreation into a battleground for subtext-laden confrontation.

Before: Fully set up with balls racked or scattered …
After: Several balls pocketed manually by C.J., game disrupted …
Before: Fully set up with balls racked or scattered on green felt surface in dimly lit bar.
After: Several balls pocketed manually by C.J., game disrupted into informal cheating, table still central.

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

"TOBY: "Leo talked to me, you know.""
"TOBY: "Leo talked to me. I know what you're thinking about doing.""
"C.J.: "Strategically, I felt that was the wise thing to do.""