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Episodes, Season 3

The Black Vera Wang

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"Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Sam

The President (Martin Sheen) and his staff scramble to head off a predicted terrorist attack over a broad area while C.J. (Allison Janney) chafes under the protective collar provided by handsome but capable Secret Service agent Simon Donovan (Mark Harmon).

Sam (Rob Lowe) receives a video tape inside an unsealed envelope with no return address. It turns out to be an opposition TV ad that is devastatingly critical of Bartlet and his hiding of his MS. Although Bruno (Ron Silver) and the others tell him to forget about it, Sam opts to take the tape to a friend on the Ritchie campaign. This friend then turns around and leaks the tape to the press, along with a description of his conversation with Sam. Sam has basically given the Ritchie campaign free advertising of a negative ad.

Also, Toby (Richard Schiff) plays hardball with network executives over future political convention TV coverage, with the execs wanting to cut coverage of the conventions and debates down to a bare minimum.

Finally, Josh (Bradley Whitford) gives Donna (Janel Maloney) a box of cured moose meat from his recent trip to Helsinki with the President, which turns out to cause more headaches than it should.

SummaryEdit

OpeningEdit

The President and staff return from the summit in Finland.  Sam is coming in only to check mail and messages, when Ginger gives him an unmarked envelope.  In it is a videotape.  C.J. and Agent Donovan are arguing about her protection - she wants to drive herself home - Agent Donovan says he can't allow that - and he shows her that he has her sparkplug to prove it.  Sam arrives to show C.J. the tape he received - it's an opposition spot aimed at the President - but Sam doesn't know who sent it.

Act I - MondayEdit

Josh arrives in the office and Donna greets him - he has returned from the summit with a case of moose meat for her.  In a basement meeting room, the Senior Staff are meeting with Bruno about the opposition spot that was sent to Sam.  Bruno says this is normal - every campaign has an ad they keep in the drawer but let the opposition know it exists in case they get hit first.  Sam wants to meet with the Ritchie campaign manager - everyone, including Bruno, thinks it is a very bad idea.

Toby goes to a meeting with network representatives about how the convention will be run and broadcast.  The networks only want to air one hour of coverage for each convention.

Leo and the President arrive in the Situation Room and are informed there is a credible threat that a military target will be attacked in the next 48 hours.  The President orders precautionary steps to protect the possible targets and demands constant updates.

Act II - TuesdayEdit

C.J. arrives in the office and she tells Simon Donovan that she is planning to go shopping at lunchtime - he tells her how it will go.  They are developing a rapport.  Carol talks to C.J. about the wires - while C.J. also questions her about the interaction she had with Simon.

Josh arrives for the day and is greeted by a White House protocol office staffer, who tells Josh the moose meat that he brought back (and gave to Donna) has shown up on eBay.  He tells Martha he will look into it right away.  He finds Donna and asks her what happened.  Donna tells Josh that she gave it to an intern - Josh tells her to fire the intern.

Sam arrives and gets his messages from Ginger - one of them is from Kevin Kahn, the Ritchie campaign manager that Sam had wanted to talk to about the tape.  They agree to meet for lunch.

Leo arrives in the Situation Room - they have learned the list of targets now includes two US targets, Dover AFB and Fort Myer - both of which are close to the White House.  The President arrives in the Oval Office and Leo tells him about the new targets.  Leo tells the President that he may be called upon to order the shooting down of an aircraft and that he needs to be prepared to go to the bunker if necessary.

Act IIIEdit

C.J. is shopping with her niece and Agent Donovan.  C.J. goes in to try on a dress and Hogan asks Donovan about what he looks for.  He shows her - and they both notice a man in a coat, inside, in May.  They continue to talk while C.J. is changing. 

Bruno arrives to talk with Leo about campaign issues - Leo says he will talk to the President about some of them.  Bruno has also given a gift to Margaret - he has always teased her, thinking he can't remember her name - he gives her a necklace with her name.

Sam and Kevin Kahn are having lunch - Sam gives him the tape, telling him they don't want it.  Kevin says he will get to the bottom of it.  Donna comes to Josh's office to tell him that she can't fire the intern, he agrees.  Toby is meeting with Bruno about the meeting that he had with the media directors - in the course of the conversation, Toby realizes there is no chance they all agreed to stonewall the White House.

The President arrives in the Oval Office and is informed that a suspected terrorist has been located in Bethesda (a Maryland suburb close to DC) and they raided a home and found extensive drawings of federal facilities.  The President asks about Abdul Shareef, who is supposed to be helping with intelligence - they tell the President he is not.  The President thanks everyone, they leave, leaving Leo with the President.  He tells Leo he's not going to the bunker.

Act IVEdit

Donna comes to the White House Mess and finds Bruce, the White House Intern, who put the moose meat on eBay.  She tells him that he is not going to be fired - but he is being transferred out of the West Wing - and he owes her for the meat, as she is the one who bought it off eBay.

Bruno comes to see C.J., media is reporting that Sam is advising the President to sign a clean campaign pledge and the tape is also now "out there."  Bruno walks off to find Sam.  Toby goes back to meet with the media directors - telling them they will cover all of the conventions - because they don't own the airwaves and if they don't the Justice Department will investigate all of them.

Bruno arrives in Sam's office and tells him about what has happened.  Sam maintains that it's not a problem, Bruno calls him out to the bullpen where every news station is covering the tape and playing it "for free."  Bruno tells Sam he got played.  Sam goes to meet with Kahn and argues with him over Kahn leaking the tape to the media.

Leo and Fitzwallace come to see the President to tell him they have arrested the missing terrorist in California - as he was planning an attack on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.  The President asks again about Shareef - Fitzwallace tells him they are beginning to believe that Shareef may be a terrorist.  The President reminds Leo and Fitzwallace that Shareef is supposed to visit the White House in ten days and they better get confirmation of this.

C.J. and Donovan return to the White House and C.J. asks him what he and Hogan were talking about.  He tells C.J. that he was part of the President's detail in Rosslyn - she tells him thank you.  She leaves with the other agent and he checks her email - there is another one from the stalker - he saw them at the store and threatens to kill C.J. soon.

Trivia/GoofsEdit

  • When Leo tells the President about how the Secret Service will make the President go to the bunker - "your feet may touch the ground once or twice, but I doubt it" - was related in a similar fashion by Vice President Cheney on the day of the September 11 attacks.
  • C.J. Cregg wrongly refers to Finland as a Scandinavian country. Scandinavia consists of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, which all consists of landmasses linked to the Scandinavian mountain-chain. But this is a common mistake.  
  • Leo McGarry wrongly refers to Fort Myer as being in Maryland. It is actually in Virginia. 
  • While there is a Barneys store in DC, which is located in Georgetown, the shopping scene was filmed at the Barneys in Beverly Hills.
  • C.J. says that she is five-eleven exactly. Allison Janney is actually six feet tall.
  • Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why" plays in the mall.
  • Bruno Gianelli says "All warfare is based on deception," a famous quote by Sun Tzu.

QuotesEdit

C.J. Cregg: Are you gonna let me drive myself home?
Simon Donovan: No. [holding up something] I've got your spark plug. Is that what you meant?
C.J. Cregg: You've got my spark plug?
Simon Donovan: And your battery. Fuel pump, starter relay, timing belt, the ignition fuse. And well also the engine, I guess.
C.J. Cregg: Did you leave me anything?
Simon Donovan: Wiper fluid. You can clean your windshield. No, actually, you need the battery.
C.J. Cregg: Yeah.


Toby Ziegler: Look this is obviously a--do not eat the fruit--this is obviously a, a negotiating position for you, so what is it you need? You want us to vote a member of the Rules Committee out of the convention every night or something? The secretary should eat a jellyfish?
Media Director: You know what sir, don't talk to me like I'm other people. The four of us are news directors and there isn't a day that one of us isn't begging the person we work for to let us for the love of Jesus Christ do the news. Is the Republican nominee Rob Ritchie? Yes. Is his running mate Jeff Hesten? Yes. And that question, as impossible as it may be to believe becomes even less suspenseful when talking about the Democratic ticket. And will there be anything of any force or consequence in the platform? No. Will there be a floor fight over it? What does it matter? And you're getting huffed because the four of us are questioning the wisdom of presenting a four-day infomercial, in primetime, under network news, simulcast? We'll show the acceptance speeches. And the balloons. The balloons aren't news but it's nice television.


Simon Donovan: Look this way. Now look this way. Now look this way. Now look this way. Now look at me. What did you see?
Hogan Cregg: Uh... over here there was a mother with two kids. Over here there was a man in a coat, and I can't remember what else. And over here was the check out counter and there were some people over there and I can't remember what else.
Simon Donovan: Anything bother you?
Hogan Cregg: No.
Simon Donovan: What about the guy in the coat?
Hogan Cregg: What about him?
Simon Donovan: It's May. Why is he wearing a coat?
Hogan Cregg: I don't know.
Simon Donovan: I don't know either. But until one of us leaves this store I'm always going to know where he is.


President Bartlet: I'm not going to the bunker. There are going to be people who aren't going to the bunker, and when I get out I'm not going to be able to tell them what to do anymore and I like doing that. Let's get Abby to New Hampshire but I'm not going to the bunker. And if you say I have to I'm walking across the alley with the Chief Justice and I'm handing John Hoynes my resignation. And as soon as he's sworn in I'm telling him to appoint me his Vice President because I'm not going to the bunker. If the agent's come, the agents come but tell Ron he'd better bring more than a couple of guys.

Cast Edit

StarringEdit

Special Guest StarsEdit

Guest StarringEdit

Co-StarringEdit

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