The West Wing
Object

Five Cartons of Harrison's Old Papers

A collection of archival cartons containing a variety of documents related to Harrison's past, utilized in discussions and investigations by White House staff.
8 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

8 moments
S1E9 · The Short List
Containment: C.J. Withholds; Toby Orders the Investigation

Five corrugated archival cartons arrive and are referenced as the immediate evidentiary resource — Sam tells the group they were just delivered, and Toby directs Sam to start reading them. They shift the conversation from speculation to document-based vetting.

Before: Delivered to the Communications Office/reception area; newly arrived, stacked and unopened.
After: Assigned to Sam for review; now the focal point of a documentary vetting process rather than idle paperwork.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Authority Over Principle

The five corrugated cartons of Harrison's old papers provide the immediate, material focal point for Toby's containment plan: Sam announces their delivery, and Toby assigns them as the urgent task that will generate facts. They shift the team from speculation to documentary vetting.

Before: Delivered to the communications suite and newly reported by Sam; unopened and unvetted, physically present somewhere in or near the office.
After: Reassigned to Sam for expedited reading; in process of being reviewed within the communications office/Sam's workspace.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Sam Jolted Awake by Urgent Anonymous Call

The five corrugated cartons of old papers are both set‑dressing and physical hazard: they frame Sam's exhausted diligence and serve as the obstacle he trips over when leaving in haste, turning archival backlog into comedic but telling physical resistance.

Before: Stacked around Sam's chair, holding archival papers and memos, undisturbed while he slept.
After: One carton is knocked or shifted when Sam trips; the stack is briefly disordered and its role as obstacle is confirmed.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Unsigned Note, Immediate Escalation

The Five Cartons (representing Harrison's papers) function narratively as the archival source material Sam has read and compared over three months. They are the implied evidentiary trail that allows Sam to attribute the unsigned Law Review note to Harrison, giving tactile weight to his claim even if the cartons are not explicitly handled in this short exchange.

Before: In communications/vetting possession or archival custody; pages and memoranda available for review by staff.
After: Remain in staff custody as the evidentiary basis for Sam's attribution; flagged as material requiring further scrutiny and potential use in briefing the President.
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S1E9 · The Short List
The Privacy Paper Crisis

A set of archival papers (represented in the scene by the memo Bartlet reads) functions as the catalytic evidence: it contains a clear sentence denying a constitutional right to privacy, which reframes the nomination from routine to explosive. The document propels lines of argument about authorship, culpability, and confirmation risk.

Before: Physically in the Oval Office environment and in staff hands—contained among collected papers or cartons and available to be read by the President.
After: Held and read by Bartlet, then left as the central piece of evidence for follow‑up vetting and confrontation; to be examined further by Sam, Toby, and staff in preparation for Harrison's interview.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Bartlet Demands Harrison First Thing — From Debate to Ordered Confrontation

A paper (drawn from the nominee's archival cartons) functions as the catalytic clue: Bartlet reads its key passage aloud, Sam treats it as incontrovertible evidence of a doctrinal position, and the document instantly reframes vetting as a crisis, forcing decisions about authorship, accountability, and next steps.

Before: In the Oval Office and in Bartlet's hands at the scene's start; pages are accessible and being read aloud.
After: Remains in the Oval Office in the President's possession or on a nearby surface; it has become formal evidence requiring immediate follow-up and will be used in morning confrontations.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Bartlet Presses Harrison — Admission and Escalation

The archival cartons are the implied source of the unsigned note and supporting pages Bartlet presents. In this moment their contents become evidence, physically moved from archive to confrontation and used to force Harrison's admission and prompt an institutional response.

Before: Stored as archival cartons in White House holdings or a nearby office, containing stacks of Harrison's old papers and memos.
After: Relevant pages have been removed and presented to Harrison; cartons remain in storage but are now subject to closer scrutiny and potential formal review.
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S1E9 · The Short List
Calling in the Inner Circle — Harrison Admits Authorship

Several papers — represented by the archival cartons of Harrison's old papers — are handed to Judge Harrison by Bartlet and include the unsigned note. The physical documents serve as the inciting evidence that triggers the admission and the subsequent decision to escalate the issue to senior staff.

Before: Contained among Harrison's papers, likely on the President's desk or in Bartlet's hands for review; part of the vetting materials brought into the meeting.
After: In Harrison's possession or still under examination on the desk after he looks them over and acknowledges authorship; they remain material evidence for the planned vetting.
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