Object

Breathalyzer

A handheld police breathalyzer used at Mendoza's arrest: compact plastic casing with a single‑use mouthpiece and a small digital readout (model unspecified). Officers present handle it as an evidentiary instrument; Mendoza refuses to provide a sample, and characters treat the device as a charged, humiliating instrument of state power. (Physical details beyond basic form are reasonable inferences from standard police units rather than explicit stage directions.)

3 appearances

Purpose

To collect a breath sample and estimate blood alcohol concentration for evidentiary use in a custodial arrest.

Significance

Serves as the episode's pivotal clue and moral fulcrum: the refusal to submit to the device crystallizes Mendoza's civil‑rights protest, transforms a personal indignity into a national confirmation crisis, and forces White House staff to weigh dignity against political expediency.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S1E15 · Celestial Navigation

Mendoza Arrest — A Racial Stop Becomes a White House Emergency

The Breathalyzer is referenced as the evidentiary instrument the nominee refused; its invocation functions narratively as proof and humiliation, and as the hinge that converts a traffic stop into a scandal. The refusal becomes a symbol of principle and a tactical obstacle for police procedure and press narrative.

Before: In the possession of arresting officers in Wesley as standard evidence during the roadside stop.

After: Remains with local authorities as the contested evidentiary device; its refusal becomes the talking point driving White House response.

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S1E15 · Celestial Navigation

Toby Forces a Field Rescue — Politics Becomes Personal

The breathalyzer functions as the narrative hinge for the scandal — Sam and C.J. discuss the nominee's refusal, and the device implies both evidence and humiliation. Its mention surfaces questions about intoxication, dignity, and possible racial profiling.

Before: In the possession of Wesley police as part of the arrest process; used (or requested) at the roadside and remains part of the local booking evidence.

After: Remains with local authorities as physical evidence; its refusal is cited as a public detail complicating the messaging and legal response.

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S1E15 · Celestial Navigation

Toby Breaks Through Mendoza's Moral Stand

The Breathalyzer is referenced as the specific instrument Mendoza refused; it operates narratively as both the immediate cause of confrontation (an alleged illegal search) and a charged symbol of state intrusion and racial humiliation.

Before: In officers' possession at the roadside stop as an evidentiary tool; Mendoza refused to submit to it.

After: Not administered; remains an unutilized instrument and a rhetorical pivot in Mendoza's claim of civil‑rights violation.

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