Translation of Zoey's Ransom Note

Leo hands President Bartlet this second piece of paper alongside a faxed Polaroid of Zoey in the Oval Office. The document delivers the English version of the kidnappers' demands: release of named prisoners and full U.S. withdrawal from Qumar. Bartlet grips it amid clashing advisors—Fitzwallace pushes strikes, Nancy warns of backlash—as the text confirms GHB drugging and deliberate abduction, sharpening the room's tension into crisis.

2 appearances

Purpose

Conveys kidnappers' specific demands in English for White House decision-making.

Significance

Transforms Zoey's disappearance into proven kidnapping; echoes Bahji rhetoric and forces Bartlet to order 5th Fleet deployment, escalating personal stakes to geopolitical brinkmanship.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Ransom Fax — Zoey Held; Bartlet Orders the 5th Fleet

The translated ransom note is presented alongside the photograph; it articulates political demands (prisoner releases, U.S. withdrawal from Qumar) that convert the incident into a geopolitical ultimatum.

Before: Translated by analysts/linguists and prepared for briefing.

After: Placed before the President and circulated in the room as the operative demand driving options assessment.

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S4E23 · Twenty-Five

Bartlet Sends the 5th Fleet — A Calibrated Escalation

The translated ransom note accompanies the photograph, spelling out political demands (prisoner releases and U.S. withdrawal from Qumar) and framing the abduction as a geopolitical lever.

Before: Printed/translated by analysts or staff and delivered with the fax to the Oval Office.

After: Read aloud by the President and becomes the central policy prompt driving the fleet order and debate.

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