A renowned North Korean pianist is greeted in the White House for a solo performance but the formalities hit a sour note when he slips a message to the President stating that he wants to defect -- and despite C.J.'s passionate argument, others counsel Bartlet that doing so would endanger crucial ongoing negotiations with the nation. Also on the front burner, is the backstage campaign to get the President's choice for Vice President unanimously approved by both houses of Congress -- but there's one holdout whose nay vote could embarrass everyone. In addition, Toby and Will get playful while composing a speech and Donna takes her Midwestern aunt and uncle for a tour.
Summary
Cast
Starring
- Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
- Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
- Joshua Malina as Will Bailey
- Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
- Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
- John Spencer as Leo McGarry
- Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
- and Martin Sheen as President Jed Bartlet
Special Guest Stars
Guest Starring
- Ron Canada as Ted Barrow
- Christopher Cousins as Congressman Thiele
- Tony Lee as Jai Yung Ahn
- NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper
- Benjamin Brown as Mike Wayne
Co-Starring
- Kim Webster as Ginger
- William Duffy as Larry
- Peter James Smith as Ed
- Kris Murphy as Katie Witt
- Randolph Brooks as Arthur Leeds
- Nathan LeGrand as Commerce Secretary
- Ron Marasco as OMB Director
- Byron Chung as N. Korean Handler
- Tom Yi as Translator
- Sean Smith as Immigration
- Ben Siegler as George
- Mary Linda Phillips as Aunt Barbara
- Gil Glasgow as Uncle Ted
Trivia
The piano piece played at the end of the episode is Frederic Chopin's "Revolutionary" Etude, Opus 10 No. 12 in C Minor, a prime recording of which is by Maurizio Pollini. [1]
Goofs
Quotes
CJ Cregg: If we don't allow this defection, if we blithely exploit this young man's ignorance, then I don't know who we are anymore.
Toby: Here's what it should be. In a triumph of the midlling, a nod to mediocrity, and with gorge rising, it gives me great nausea to announce Robert Russell-Bingo Bob himself- as your new Vice President.
Will: This lapdog of mining interests is as dull as he is unremarkable.
Toby: As lacklustre as he is soporific...
Will: Good.
Toby: This reversion to the mean...
Will: This rebuke to the exemplary...
Toby: Gives hope to the mmollions unfavored by the exceptional...
Will: Yes.
Toby: The Vice Presidency, being famously once described as not being worth a warm bucket of spit; let's now hock a big loogie for Bob Russell. Not the worst. Not the best. Just what we're stuck with.
Will: Amen.
References
"The West Wing" Han (2003)
The West Wing: Han