Hoynes' Dark Deflection
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Danny confronts Hoynes about the cabinet meeting, pressing for details on the rumored conflict.
Hoynes responds with aggression, using dark humor to intimidate Danny and deny the allegations.
Danny insinuates he has inside information, forcing Hoynes to double down on his denials.
Hoynes shuts down the conversation and exits with staff, refusing further engagement.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Neutral, performing routine reporter protocol; not the central aggressor in the exchange but present to witness the interaction.
An unnamed White House reporter offers a brief, procedural acknowledgment ('Thank you, sir.') after Hoynes' anecdote, marking the momentary de-escalation of the opening remarks before Danny pushes a follow-up.
- • Maintain professional floor decorum during a hallway scrum
- • Capture soundbites and signals from Hoynes' remarks
- • Stay in position to follow up if the exchange opens up further
- • Short, non-confrontational prompts keep access intact
- • The Vice President's remarks may yield usable copy without prolonged confrontation
Surface breezy and amused; underneath, defensive and calculation-driven — using levity to mask concern about exposure.
Hoynes dominates the exchange: he fields reporters with a rehearsed anecdote, deflects a direct question from Danny with mockery and gallows humor, issues categorical denials, and then disengages physically by walking away with his staff.
- • Deflect reporter scrutiny away from the cabinet meeting and any potential impropriety
- • Control public perception by appearing unconcerned and authoritative
- • End the exchange quickly to avoid further questioning or escalation
- • Public confidence can be preserved by controlling optics and tone
- • A dismissive, humorous response will delegitimize persistent inquiry
- • The immediate risk is reputational rather than legal, and can be managed by performance
Pragmatic and alert — focused on preserving Hoynes' schedule and shielding him from escalating press engagement.
Stevie is present as part of Hoynes' staff: moves to shepherd Hoynes away, accepts the cue to end the interaction, and enforces the physical exit when Hoynes says 'Let's go.'
- • Control proximity and access to the Vice President
- • Remove Hoynes from an increasingly risky or uncomfortable exchange
- • Minimize any optics that could produce a damaging soundbite
- • Proximity management reduces political risk
- • Immediate extraction is preferable to prolonged press confrontation
Frustrated and slightly cornered — earnest in pursuit of information, taken aback by the turn to menace and trivialization.
Danny presses for a substantive answer about the cabinet meeting; he attempts professional, measured questions but is repeatedly shut down, left visibly rebuffed by Hoynes' joke and denials.
- • Obtain confirmation or detail about what happened at the cabinet meeting
- • Hold the administration accountable by getting on-the-record statements
- • Protect reporting integrity — push past dodge tactics to get facts
- • The public has a right to know what occurred at the cabinet meeting
- • Hoynes may be obfuscating or withholding information
- • Pressure from reporters can force a more candid response
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Toby's Single Stock Holding (represented in dialogue as 'the stock' of the tiny start-up) is used illustratively: Hoynes cites its temporary spike and Nasdaq placement to lend factual color to his dismissal, converting a complex technological phenomenon into a simple cautionary tale about the Internet's volatility.
The Online Hoax Headline functions as Hoynes' rhetorical prop: he invokes a fictionalized website post to trivialize the significance of rapid Internet-driven market anomalies, using it to pivot the conversation away from the Cabinet leak and to mock the idea that media cycles should automatically be trusted.
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
"DANNY: Mr. Vice President..."
"HOYNES: Well, you know, now that you talk about it, I've been having this recurring dream about killing you."
"HOYNES: Nothing happened."