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Season: 3

Episode: 46

Title: Manchester (Part 1)

Aired: October 10, 2001

Written by: Aaron Sorkin

Directed by: Thomas Schlamme



In the Season 3 premiere, flashbacks reveal how President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) will officially announce his plans to run for re-election, which sends his staff into disarray as they work on the speech and clash with the newly hired campaign staff.

Everyone is tired after a few days of constant pressure. But it is C.J. (Allison Janney) who is dealing with the outside world through a persistently questioning press. She finally stumbles badly and like everyone else who heard her, she knows just how bad the stumble was. Soon it becomes clear that she is considering her options in continuing on with all this.

Sam (Rob Lowe) realizes that Bartlet never apologized for not disclosing his multiple sclerosis. Meanwhile, the President has his own problems with the First Lady (Stockard Channing), who is still fuming that she was not consulted in his decision to run again.

Outside the Beltway, the President must decide if he should greenlight a military rescue of the besieged U.S. embassy in Haiti, and White House Counsel Oliver Babish (Oliver Platt) advises Charlie (Dulé Hill) to hire his own expensive lawyer before a special prosecutor begins looking into Bartlet's possible concealment of his illness.



Quotes

Reporter: Can you tell us right now if you'll be seeking a second term?
Josiah Bartlet: Yeah. And I'm gonna win.

Jed had promised Abbey that he would not run for a second term because of his MS.
Abigail Bartlet: You missed it. It was incredible!
Jed: What?
Abbey: All over the news...
Jed: Abby?
Abbey: This crazy man got in front of millions of people and totally screwed his wife.
Jed: That's funny, because that's sort of what I did!

Toby Ziegler: (after Charlie beats him at a game of pool without Toby picking up his cue) Nice game. It was fun to watch.

Toby: C.J.?
C.J. Cregg: Yeah.
Toby: You wanna play some pool?
C.J.: I don't know how to play pool.
Toby: You wanna play for money?
C.J.: Sure.

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