Officer's Lighter (Situation Room — S01E03)

A small, pocket-sized handheld ignition device presented by an officer during a tense Situation Room deliberation. The lighter is compact and functional, passed across the table alongside a cigarette pack so the President can light a cigarette. It bears signs of routine use but appears reliable in operation; characters handle it briefly and with practical purpose, sliding it to President Bartlet to enable a swift, private gesture amid urgent military discussion.

1 appearances

Purpose

To generate a flame for lighting cigarettes (a portable ignition device).

Significance

Serves as a mundane ritual instrument that punctuates high-stakes deliberation: lighting the President's cigarette provides a fleeting, humanizing beat amid grief and decision-making, marking a small personal action within a moment of national consequence.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S1E3 · A Proportional Response

Reluctant Launch — Pericles One Authorized

A small officer's lighter is slid with the cigarette pack so the President can light a cigarette—a practical prop that facilitates the moment of private composure amid public crisis and underscores the human cost behind the decision.

Before: In an officer's pocket or hand, ready for use.

After: Used to light the President's cigarette then returned to officer custody; functionally unchanged but implicated in the intimate moment.

View full event