Object

Zoey Bartlet's 'Grasshopper' panic alarm fob (Georgetown Bar)

A palm‑sized, easily concealable single‑button alarm fob nicknamed "Grasshopper." Constructed of lightweight plastic with a prominent central button and a short cord or keyring, the device tucks into a pocket or clutch. Zoey slips it to Josh in a furtive, intimate gesture; characters handle it with quiet urgency when her safety becomes threatened.

2 appearances

Purpose

A personal emergency alarm / panic button used to summon protective detail or alert security personnel when the carrier feels threatened.

Significance

Functions as a trust token and tangible marker of vulnerability between Zoey and staff; its transfer catalyzes the bar confrontation, underscores team loyalty, and raises ongoing security stakes for the First Daughter.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E6 · Mr. Willis of Ohio

Panic Button and the Stand

Zoey discreetly hands Josh her palm-sized panic button (the 'Grasshopper') so it won't spoil her outfit; Josh carries it to the bar and later tosses it in the air after agents extract Zoey, making the device both a literal safety tool and a symbol of the private cost of her public role.

Before: In Zoey's possession, tucked away to avoid showing on her outfit (in her clutch/pocket).

After: In Josh's hand; briefly tossed in the air after the incident, still functional and retained by staff.

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S1E6 · Mr. Willis of Ohio

Bar Confrontation — Charlie Protects Zoey

Zoey gives her palm-sized panic button to Josh before going to the bar because it 'ruins the line' of her outfit. Josh picks up the device when the confrontation escalates, carries it toward the bar, and at the scene's end theatrically tosses it into the air — a small physical reminder of the proximity of federal protection and the fragility of her normalcy.

Before: In Zoey's possession (held briefly in hand or stowed in her clutch/pocket while she walks to the bar).

After: In Josh's possession and tossed into the air; functionally in staff hands and signaling the incident's resolution, remaining with staff rather than with Zoey.

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