C.J. and Simon's Intimate Rosslyn Revelation
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. dismisses Jamie to have a private moment with Simon, creating an intimate space for their conversation.
C.J. confronts Simon about his cryptic conversation with Hogan, pressing for transparency.
Simon reveals his connection to the Rosslyn shooting, deepening the personal stakes of his protection detail.
C.J. expresses gratitude, creating a moment of sincere connection between them before parting.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Neutral as familial reference point
Referenced by C.J. in her direct question to Simon about their earlier cryptic conversation regarding her prom gown hunt, serving as catalyst for Simon's Rosslyn revelation without physical presence.
- • N/A (not actively pursuing)
- • N/A (not actively influencing)
grateful and understanding
dismisses Jamie for privacy, confronts Simon about his earlier cryptic conversation with Hogan, thanks him sincerely for his service, and departs the office
- • gain clarity on Simon's cryptic discussion with her niece Hogan
- • express genuine appreciation for Simon's service
N/A (historical reference)
Referenced by Simon as 'Eagle,' the protectee on whose Rosslyn detail he served, invoked to explain his protective intensity without physical presence in the scene.
- • N/A (not actively pursuing)
- • N/A (not actively influencing)
Steadfastly neutral and professionally composed under pressure
Waits vigilantly by C.J.'s office door in the corridor, speaks coded position report 'Dawson, 8:09. I've got Flamingo' into phone, then immediately complies with C.J.'s request for privacy by stepping aside with 'Yes ma'am,' facilitating the private exchange.
- • Report C.J.'s (Flamingo) secure status via protocol
- • Yield to principal's privacy request without hesitation
- • Coded check-ins maintain unbroken security chain
- • Subordinate to protectee's directives in non-threat moments
Hesitant vulnerability cracking professional armor, swiftly igniting into raw, protective rage at the personal threat
Enters C.J.'s office privately after dismissal of Jamie, hesitantly reveals his service on Eagle's Rosslyn protection detail in response to her query about Hogan, accepts her thanks with surprise, bids her good night politely, then sits at her computer to vigilantly check email, reads the Vera Wang death threat, and violently slams his fist on the desk in reaction.
- • Clarify his cryptic conversation with Hogan to build trust with C.J.
- • Monitor C.J.'s communications for stalker threats to ensure her safety
- • Past Rosslyn trauma demands unyielding protection protocols
- • Stalker's intimate knowledge via email signals imminent lethal danger
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Jamie grips and speaks into the Secret Service phone at the office door, delivering the coded relay 'Dawson, 8:09. I've got Flamingo' to confirm C.J.'s secure position, embodying relentless surveillance protocol that frames the private exchange and underscores the omnipresent threat vigilance.
Simon accesses C.J.'s computer to scrutinize her inbox, spots and clicks the 'Vera Wang' subject line revealing the stalker's mocking praise for the gown laced with 'you're going to be dead soon,' weaponizing the dress purchase into a personalized death vow that detonates his fury, escalating the episode's stalker peril.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Simon explicitly names Rosslyn as the site of the assassination attempt where he protected Eagle (Bartlet), its traumatic ghosts invoked to humanize his rigid protocols and parallel the current stalker's threat, deepening character stakes through shared national memory of violence.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Simon's disabling of C.J.'s Mustang establishes his overprotective nature, which culminates in his rage upon discovering the death threat."
"Simon's disabling of C.J.'s Mustang establishes his overprotective nature, which culminates in his rage upon discovering the death threat."
"Bruno's thoughtful gift to Margaret and Simon's revelation of his past trauma both reveal hidden depths beneath professional exteriors."
"Bruno's thoughtful gift to Margaret and Simon's revelation of his past trauma both reveal hidden depths beneath professional exteriors."
"C.J.'s involvement in selecting a gown for her niece's prom contrasts with the deadly threat targeting her in her own elegant attire."
"C.J.'s self-consciousness about aging while shopping for her niece's prom dress contrasts with the deadly threat targeting her in the same elegant attire."
"C.J.'s self-consciousness about aging while shopping for her niece's prom dress contrasts with the deadly threat targeting her in the same elegant attire."
Themes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"C.J.: "What were you and Hogan talking about that you would tell me later?""
"SIMON: "I was on Eagle's protection detail in Rosslyn.""
"C.J.: "Thank you." / SIMON: "I'm sorry?" / C.J.: "I just said \"thank you\".""