"Previously on the West Wing" spoken by C.J.
As Bartlet's administration prepares to transition in the Santos Administration, C.J.. is faced with what to do with her future. Will is also in a position of uncertainty about what is to come.
Summary
The White House is in full transition mode, and the outgoing staff members are focusing on their futures. C.J. is barraged by headhunters, most of whom she blows off until mogul Franklin Hollis offers her $10 billion to fix infrastructure to fight AIDS in Africa. Will meets with the DCCC and begins trying to recruit candidates to run against a seemingly unbeatable Congressman from the Oregon 4th District.
Andrea drops by and asks C.J. about the possibility of Toby receiving a pardon from the President. C.J. promises only that she'll see what she can do. However, later, she sees that Toby is not on any list of persons who have applied for a pardon.
As the transition moves along, C.J. meets with Matt Santos and receives an offer she may not be able to refuse: Special Counselor to the President.
Meanwhile, Kate and Will discuss their own futures. To Kate's chagrin, the Santos administration gave the job of National Security Adviser to a man who dislikes her, essentially ensuring that she won't be offered a job. Will tells her about the Oregon 4th race, and she convinces him to run for the seat.
Danny Concannon takes C.J. out for a walk, where she reveals that she's been offered a job in the Santos administration — an offer she can't quite refuse. Danny realizes that she seems to have made up her mind about the offer without talking or considering him. The conversation takes a turn for the worse when she states they don't have that kind of relationship and then fails to reassure him she sees him in her future.
Back at the White House, Matt Santos shows up to discuss the budget with C.J. They discuss the gas tax that C.J. proposed, with Santos arguing that it should be pulled from the budget. Admiring C.J.'s competence, he once again tries to convince her to come work for him.
Later that night, C.J. pays a visit to Toby, who tells her that he believes he found a typo in the Constitution: a comma that changes the meaning of the Takings Clause. C.J. mentions that Andrea mentioned the idea of a Presidential pardon but Toby insists that he doesn't want one. C.J. mentions the job offers she's received and the personal dilemmas she's facing. Toby advises her to stop bouncing and decide what she wants to do.
After departing Toby's apartment, C.J. visits Danny and with some prodding, she admits she is bad at relationships, feeling she's missed her window to make anything work, and that she no longer wants to work at the White House. Instead, she opts to take Franklin Hollis up on his attractive offer and begin working on building a lasting relationship with Danny.
Cast
Starring
- Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
- Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
- Joshua Malina as Will Bailey
- Mary McCormack as Kate Harper
- Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
- with Jimmy Smits as Matthew Santos
Special Guest Star
Guest Starring
- Kathleen York as Andrea Wyatt
- NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper
- Karis Campbell as Ronna
- Vince Grant as Gil Siberly
- Scott Klace as Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep.
- Matt Malloy as Herb
- David Hornsby as Fred
- and Xander Berkeley as Franklin Hollis
Co-Starring
- Alexandra Ryan as Receptionist
Trivia
Toby tells C.J. that he thinks that he has found a typo in the Constitution, specifically in the Takings Clause. The passage he was referring to is as follows and the comma in question is bolded and bracketed:
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use[,] without just compensation."
He states that he is going to talk to Tom Merrill about it. Tom Merrill is a real person, who is a Professor at Columbia Law School and is a co-author of the book Property: Takings.
Goofs
C.J. and Danny are discussing schedules and C.J. says it is 6:45 am. She also says this craziness will all be over in two weeks so it must be around January 6. The sun is shining brightly in the windows, but in Washington, DC in early January the sun doesn't rise until approximately 7:25 am.
Quotes
C.J. Cregg: Is it on page 600?
Fred: No.
C.J. Cregg: Where is it?
Herb: There isn't any.
C.J. Cregg: What do you mean there isn't any?
Fred: There's no...
C.J. Cregg: The president said he wanted deficit reduction worked into this budget. I said it should be 50%. Was that not clear?
Herb: We thought it was along the lines of, "I'd like a pony".
Fred: Nobody actually expects to get the pony.
C.J. Cregg: I want the pony.
C.J. Cregg: You don't need a pardon, you need a frying pan to the side of the head!
References
"The West Wing" Institutional Memory (2006)
Tom Merrill
The Comma in the Takings Clause
Notes