Swiss Diplomacy
President Bartlet races to authorize and protect a heart-and-lung transplant for the Ayatollah's teenage son, navigating a reluctant surgeon, Iranian hard-liners, and internal political fights that threaten the boy’s life and U.S. credibility.
A Swiss ambassador delivers an urgent, improbable request: the Ayatollah of Iran’s fifteen-year-old son needs a simultaneous heart-and-lung transplant, and the only viable donor organs and surgical know-how point to the United States. The White House moves from light post-election banter into crisis mode as staff scramble to assemble surgeons, secure a flight path for organs and patient, anticipate press fallout, and manage the political consequences.
Bartlet and Leo convene the Situation Room, where aides outline logistical realities: organs sit in Zurich, a U.N. cargo plane can move them, and the timeline compresses to hours. The National Security staff worries about leaks and the message the operation will send to Iranian reformists and hard-liners; Leo urges tying any goodwill to a demand that Iran halt Shehab missile tests. Bartlet rejects direct linkage—he insists the transfer wear the clear emblem of humanitarian care—and presses his team to shield the mission from transactional politics.
The script centers on a moral and practical bottleneck: the only thoracic surgeon willing and able to perform the complex procedure, Dr. Essan Mohebi, fled Iran after his father’s torture. Mohebi refuses to operate because he fears aiding a regime that tortures political opponents and endangering his family back in Iran. Bartlet brings Mohebi into the Oval Office, confronts him directly, and offers guarantees of protection and a moral argument: saving the boy could change hearts and provide cover for reformers at home. Bartlet names the surgeon’s father and asks him to look at the patient; that personal appeal persuades Mohebi to go to Baltimore and prepare to scrub in.
Alongside the international crisis, the West Wing handles intense domestic political maneuvering. Senator Triplehorn accuses the White House of manipulating the Democratic succession, threatening a nomination fight for John Hoynes. Josh and Leo race to defuse the impression that the White House is ‘‘freezing’’ the race for Hoynes by lining up precinct captains; Leo orders staff to tell Triplehorn the matter is done. Vice President Hoynes and Josh argue over the proper role of political organizing during a governing window; Hoynes defends his right to build a political future while Josh insists the administration needs stable two years to govern.
Communications and appointments play out as smaller but emotionally loaded subplots. Karen Kroft, a faithful backbencher who introduced an unpopular gas-tax bill for the administration, expects the National Parks directorship as reward; when staff discover the job has become Senate-confirmable and thus politically costly, Leo blocks the nomination to avoid a bruising confirmation fight. Toby must break the news and find consolation and alternate placements. Sam Seaborn arrives unexpectedly to the Oval; the White House and Sam accept his entry into an open primary as a de facto nomination, and Bartlet gives tactical and personal advice—run toward what you believe in and don’t waste the opportunity.
The episode juxtaposes high-stakes humanity and the quotidian grind of political life. Bartlet repeatedly refuses to treat the transplant as mere leverage; he insists on the symbolic force of an unmarked humanitarian mission and uses personal appeals rather than blunt threats. Leo and other aides weigh strategic trade-offs—linking concessions to missile testing, protecting staff from leaks, and managing the optics of appointments. Josh, Toby, C.J., and others negotiate influence, favors, and consequences in corridors and restaurants, where humor and exhaustion puncture the pressure.
The crisis resolves pragmatically: Mohebi agrees to travel; the White House readies protection and logistics; NSC principals plan to meet about accelerated Iranian missile testing; Leo reports the patient is in surgery. Politically, staffers patch rifts—Triplehorn receives calming cover, and the administration prepares for confirmation fights while safeguarding its legislative agenda. The episode ends on Bartlet’s private steadiness: he balances the symbolic weight of compassion with the mechanics of statecraft, demonstrating how presidential leadership must reach across moral complexity, medical urgency, and partisan friction to act in a single human life’s defense.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The episode commences with President Bartlet's characteristic post-election humor and banter with C.J. and Leo, reflecting the recent landslide victory and a period of anticipated legislative focus. This lighthearted mood abruptly shifts when Leo meets with the Swiss Ambassador, who relays an urgent and highly sensitive request from Tehran: the Ayatollah of Iran's fifteen-year-old son, suffering from a severe congenital heart condition, requires a simultaneous heart-and-lung transplant. The Ambassador explains that only the United States possesses the proven surgical expertise and procedures for such a complex operation, and a donor is already available in Zurich. Leo immediately grasps the immense political and logistical complexities, questioning the donor's origins and the Ayatollah's indirect communication through an NGO and brother-in-law. The scene establishes a stark contrast between domestic political celebration and an unfolding international humanitarian crisis, underscoring the immediate moral and strategic dilemmas the administration faces. The extreme urgency is emphasized by the U.N. cargo plane's imminent departure, demanding an immediate, high-stakes decision from Bartlet, who is still joking about renaming months. This rapid transition sets the tone for the episode's blend of high-level statecraft and personal stakes.
Fresh off a decisive re‑election, President Bartlet strolls into the Oval Office trading gleeful, self‑assured jabs with C.J. and Leo — a comic, domineering display that reasserts his mandate and …
Fresh off a triumphant, jokey post-election stroll, Bartlet's world abruptly tilts when Leo meets Ambassador Von Rutte with a covert plea from Tehran: the Ayatollah's teenage son needs a simultaneous …
In Josh's office a quick, efficient triage unfolds: Donna hands over messages while Toby bursts in with a political grenade — Triplehorn has told the AP Josh is to blame …
Toby bursts into Josh's office with two blows: Senator Triplehorn has publicly blamed Josh for scuttling a prescription-drug deal, creating immediate political heat; before Josh can react, Toby drops a …
In a brisk hallway beat Toby emerges from Communications with a small victory: Karen Kroft will be appointed National Parks Chairman — a tidy political reframing of her recent loss. …
In a brisk hallway exchange the administrative work of the White House shifts into a public-relations posture. Carol reads the President’s first three tea guests, Toby confirms the National Parks …
Act One delves into the initial domestic political fallout and the logistical scramble for the transplant. Josh Lyman contends with Senator Triplehorn's accusations that the White House is manipulating the Democratic succession for Vice President Hoynes, highlighting the perennial tension of early campaign maneuvering. Simultaneously, Toby Ziegler promises Karen Kroft, a loyal backbencher who lost her re-election after supporting an unpopular administration bill, the directorship of the National Parks Service as a reward. This promise, however, quickly becomes a potential political landmine. Meanwhile, Sam Seaborn, unexpectedly running for Congress, navigates the realities of his campaign, including the departure of his campaign manager, Will Bailey. The central international crisis progresses in the Situation Room, where Bartlet is briefed on the complex logistics of transporting organs from Zurich and the patient from Kandahar. Despite National Security concerns about leaks and the message sent to Iranian hardliners, Bartlet firmly rejects linking the humanitarian mission to political demands like halting missile tests. He insists on the transfer wearing 'the clear emblem of humanitarian care,' emphasizing the patient's youth and the moral imperative to save a life, thus escalating the mission's moral weight.
Outside the municipal building Sam fields reporters about his de facto nomination but deliberately punts operational questions to Will. Will steps forward, publicly naming an all‑star campaign slate—a performance of …
Outside the municipal building, Sam pulls Will aside after a public staffing roll call and discovers Will has quietly removed himself from the campaign’s day-to-day. Will frames the decision as …
Act Two intensifies both the domestic political struggles and the international crisis. Senator Triplehorn directly confronts Josh, accusing the White House of 'freezing' the Democratic primaries for Vice President Hoynes by locking up precinct captains, signaling an impending, bruising nomination fight. Concurrently, Leo discovers a critical problem with Karen Kroft's promised appointment: the National Parks directorship has unexpectedly become Senate-confirmable due to a retroactive clause in a recently signed bill. This renders the appointment politically costly and likely impossible, forcing Toby to find an alternative. On the international front, the news of the Ayatollah's son's transplant leaks to the press, prompting a bitter public denouncement from the Ayatollah himself, who frames it as an 'affront to Islam.' Bartlet, frustrated by the Ayatollah's hypocrisy, nevertheless reiterates his steadfast refusal to use the transplant as leverage for political concessions, such as halting Shehab missile tests. He insists on the mission remaining purely humanitarian, symbolized by a 'big damn red cross' on the plane, despite Leo's strategic suggestions. The tension mounts as the administration grapples with managing public perception, internal political maneuvering, and the ethical demands of the life-saving mission.
In a brisk hallway beat Leo corrects Margaret for saying "recession," insisting the staff call it a "robust economy" — a small but telling demonstration of his obsession with framing …
In a brisk hallway exchange Leo drops a legal/legislative bomb: the recently signed parks bill contains retroactive language that makes the National Parks directorship Senate‑confirmable, killing the promised appointment for …
Bartlet closes a light, affectionate staff meeting—trading jokes with Charlie and defusing tension with humor—before abruptly shifting to a crisis: reporters are carrying word that the Ayatollah's son is en …
After light Oval Office banter, a Reuters leak reveals the Ayatollah's teenage son is en route to the U.S. for a heart-and-lung transplant and Tehran publicly denounces the mission. Leo …
In a brisk hallway exchange Josh reveals that Senator Triplehorn is accusing him of secretly working for Vice President Hoynes. Donna deflects with a domestic-sounding lead — Trish Rackley has …
In a brisk hallway sequence Josh moves from hallway gossip to political triage. Donna’s petty intelligence about the Rackleys escalates into a potential patronage scandal, then Josh and Toby confront …
Act Three intensifies the core challenge of the international crisis: securing a surgeon for the Ayatollah's son. Leo and his team identify Dr. Essan Mohebi as the sole thoracic surgeon capable of performing the highly specialized heart-and-lung transplant. However, Mohebi's personal history presents a profound moral obstacle: he fled Iran in 1980 after the fundamentalist regime tortured and killed his father, making him deeply unwilling to aid the son of the very system that caused his family such suffering. This personal vendetta creates a critical bottleneck for the entire mission. President Bartlet's wife, Dr. Abbey Bartlet, a physician herself, is consulted and offers a firm ethical perspective, arguing that a doctor has an inherent obligation to treat a patient, regardless of political context or personal feelings. She references the historical case of Samuel Mudd to underscore the legal and moral imperative. This conversation directly informs Bartlet's impending confrontation with Mohebi. Concurrently, the domestic political drama continues as Josh confronts Vice President Hoynes about his premature campaigning for the presidency. Hoynes staunchly defends his right to build a political future, rejecting Josh's appeals for a stable two-year governing window and subtly accusing Josh of political 'zealotry.' This act is defined by the critical, seemingly insurmountable obstacle of Mohebi's refusal and the escalating internal political friction.
Light, sardonic banter between Leo and Toby about patronage slots sharpens into a moral and political demand: Toby presses Leo to defend Karen Kroft — their loyal backbencher — against …
A tonal pivot: Leo and Toby's clipped, political banter about patronage and the need for a 'deep bench'—a small fight over who owes whom—gets interrupted. Margaret summons Leo to the …
A routine, intimate exchange in the President's bedroom — Abbey asking for lists, playful banter with Charlie, and household teasing — is abruptly converted into a national moral dilemma when …
In the President's bedroom Bartlet's light domestic banter abruptly pivots into a high-stakes moral standoff: the only surgeon capable of a life-saving transplant for the Ayatollah's son refuses to operate. …
A seemingly casual visit between Josh and Vice President Hoynes escalates into a sharp confrontation about priorities. Hoynes opens with genial banter about vacations, but Josh abruptly calls him out …
A seemingly cordial visit between Josh and Vice President Hoynes shatters into a terse confrontation about timing, loyalty, and ambition. Josh demands Hoynes stop quietly laying groundwork for a presidential …
Act Four presents the climax and immediate aftermath of the core conflicts. President Bartlet directly confronts Dr. Essan Mohebi in the Oval Office, using the boy's rapidly deteriorating medical condition and a powerful appeal to Mohebi's father's legacy as a science teacher to persuade the reluctant surgeon. Bartlet offers guarantees of protection for Mohebi's family and frames the act as a catalyst for positive change in Iran. Mohebi, moved by the personal appeal and the boy's urgency, agrees to perform the surgery. In the domestic sphere, Leo takes charge of the Hoynes situation, assuring Josh that the 'freezing' of precinct captains is 'done,' indicating direct presidential intervention. Toby Ziegler, taking personal responsibility, delivers the difficult news to Karen Kroft that she cannot have the National Parks directorship, acknowledging his role in her political sacrifice. The episode concludes with Sam Seaborn meeting Bartlet, who offers poignant, personal advice for his congressional campaign: to run towards his beliefs and not waste the opportunity. Leo then informs Bartlet that the surgery has begun, but also delivers the sobering news that Iran will accelerate its missile tests, highlighting the complex, often contradictory nature of statecraft. Bartlet's quiet, steady resolve underscores the episode's theme of balancing humanitarian ideals with political realities.
Sam slips back into the West Wing at night, greeted by Bonnie’s warm, perfunctory congratulations. Without small talk he cuts to the only question that matters: is the President still …
Sam enters the Northwest Lobby, is greeted and congratulated by Bonnie, then retreats briefly into his office. He removes his coat and pauses, surveying the room — a small, private …
Sam Seaborn comes to the Oval seeking counsel as his congressional campaign crystallizes; President Bartlet, with a mix of affection and severity, effectively anoints him the Democratic nominee and charges …
In the Oval late at night Bartlet gives Sam a terse, parent-to-protégé charge — acknowledges him as the de facto nominee, presses him to run toward his convictions, and delivers …