Object

Joshua Lyman's White Bow Tie (State Dinner)

Used actively during formal events in a ceremonial context.

5 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

72‑Hour Emergency: Votes Flip, Plan Formed

The white bow tie appears as a casually adjusted prop—tension between ceremonial duty and immediate crisis—referenced in Josh and others' dishabille and Toby's joke about his pocket change.

Before: Properly worn as part of black‑tie attire.

After: Untied or loosened; left symbolically undone as business supersedes ceremony.

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S1E4 · Five Votes Down

No Hoynes — The 72‑Hour Pitch and Leo's Exit

The white bow tie is referenced implicitly as part of the formal attire being loosened; it emphasizes the dissonance between the night's ceremony and the subsequent crisis work.

Before: Worn as part of black‑tie attire.

After: Untied and loosened on the table or around Josh's collar.

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S1E7 · The State Dinner

Improvised Translation: The Indonesian Toast Crisis

Josh's white bow tie is physically tied by Donna and functions as a small, intimate ceremonial prop that anchors the scene's collision of formality and crisis; Donna adjusts and whispers an apology while managing logistics, using the tie moment to keep ritual intact amid chaos.

Before: Neatly arranged, in Donna's hands while she ties it on Josh's collar in Josh's office.

After: Properly tied and worn by Josh as he moves into the hallway; remains a symbol of attempted ceremony despite the emergent crisis.

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S1E7 · The State Dinner

Tuxedos, Evasions and a Human Plea

Josh's white bow tie is physically adjusted by Donna, functioning as both prop and comic grounding: its tying bookends the scene's shift from ceremony to crisis and underscores the tension between appearance and emergency.

Before: Neatly placed and being tied by Donna as part of Josh's tuxedo preparations.

After: Still tied and worn but carries the residue of the scene's stress; its ceremonial function now sits beside unresolved emergencies.

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S1E7 · The State Dinner

Charlie’s Hurricane Panic: Family Missing as Storm Nears

Josh's white bow tie is being tied by Donna at the start of the scene; it becomes a tactile marker of interrupted ceremony when Donna continues arranging it even as she moves into crisis mode and whispers consolation to Josh.

Before: Held and being adjusted by Donna while Josh stands in a tux, part of the ceremonial dressing routine.

After: Still being arranged/adjusted; remains in Donna's hands as she makes the phone call and whispers 'I'm sorry', symbolically blending care and duty.

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