Mac-10 (Referenced Weapon)

The name 'Mac 90' appears only as spoken text: a terse, model-level label dropped into Josh's rapid list of weapons the proposed bill would ban. The script supplies no physical details—no size, finish, or condition—and no character handles or displays it. Instead the word slices through the hallway exchange, drawing sharp reactions: embarrassment on Congressman Wick's face, flustered murmurs from aides, and a camera-ready atmosphere for a staged photo op. The term functions as a verbal prop whose force depends entirely on citation and shared knowledge rather than material presence.

4 appearances

Purpose

A firearm model intended to inflict harm; within the processed material it functions as a named exemplar of weapons targeted by pending legislation.

Significance

Works as a rhetorical weapon: Josh uses the name to expose Wick's ignorance, sever his political bluff, and secure compliance for a photo-op-anchored vote. The invocation converts legislative specificity into personal humiliation and political leverage, making the word itself a decisive instrument in the scene's power play.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S1E4 · Five Votes Down

Josh Presses Wick — Priorities Over People

The 'Mac 90' is invoked verbally by Josh as a rapid, technical exemplar of weapons the bill addresses; it functions as a linguistic weapon to reveal Wick's ignorance and to puncture his credibility rather than as a physical prop.

Before: Not physically present; exists as a named line item in briefing materials and Josh's memory.

After: Still not physically present; its invocation has been used to shame the Congressman and thus gained rhetorical potency.

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S1E4 · Five Votes Down

Humiliation and the Chess‑and‑Brandy Bargain

Mac 90 is named by Josh as one of the banned weapons to test the congressman’s policy knowledge; its invocation functions as an intellectual test and a rhetorical blow, not as a physical prop.

Before: Not physically present; exists only as a line on briefing papers and in Josh’s speech.

After: Still unmanifested physically — remains a cited example that contributed to the Congressman’s exposure and embarrassment.

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S4E3 · College Kids

Bartlet Seizes Command — Domestic Standoff and Legal Reckoning

Mac-10 is listed among automatic weapons the occupants claim to have; it functions as an immediate tactical threat, shaping Bartlet's no-entry order and the urgency of involving operational leadership.

Before: Allegedly in the suspects' possession (as reported to deputies).

After: Recorded in the tactical report; contributes to decision to restrict entry without presidential authorization.

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S4E3 · College Kids

Manufactured Narrative and the Cost of Secrecy

The Mac-10 is listed by Casper as one of the automatic weapons the suspects claim to possess, heightening the perceived lethality of the standoff and justifying federal attention and presidential caution over raid timing.

Before: Allegedly inside the Johnson County house, in suspects' control.

After: Status unresolved in scene; remains a reported threat until local law enforcement secures or confirms possession.

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