Object
Josh Lyman's Office Desk Telephone (corded, with hold LED)
A weighted, corded desk telephone: matte-black plastic base, coiled handset cord, tactile push-buttons and a slightly polished receiver mouthpiece from frequent handling. It sits within arm’s reach on Josh’s office desk; the handset’s ring and the gesture of seizing it immediately sharpen emotion and redirect action — Sam lunges for the receiver in a flash of outrage while colleagues physically restrain him, the phone serving as both conduit and fuse for escalating conflict.
28 appearances
Purpose
To place and receive urgent voice calls for staff coordination, political routing, and immediate operational or crisis communication within Josh Lyman’s office.
Significance
Acts as the tangible pivot that converts private moral fury into potential public retaliation: the phone functions as the instrument Sam reaches for to retaliate against Onorato’s threat, and its seizure precipitates physical restraint, containment of scandal, and a tightened political standoff that propels the episode’s conflict.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used