- Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin & Patrick Caddell, Story by Patrick Caddell & Lawrence O'Donnell Jr, Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan
- Takes Place: Early January (In the next episode #12 as State of the Union Address approaches, there is talk that the situation in this episode took place 10 days before)
- Broadcast: January 5, 2000
- Queries: Why did the President call the last book in the Bible "Revelations" when it is really "Revelation"?
- India is attacking Pakistan. The President is called to the Situation Room:
- "All I'm trying to do right now, I'm trying to avoid eye contact with the CIA director."
"We dropped the ball," the CIA director admits.
"Pick it up again, would you?"
- When told that the UN is trying to get the sides talking, Toby says, sarcastically:
- "Well, I feel better already."
- Leo and the President brief the senior staff, except for C.J., who walks in on their meeting and asks what's happening. Leo tells her everything is fine, then he tells the others:
- "We're just breaking up.... I'll brief her in the morning."
- This is the White House, however, and there is rarely only one crisis at a time. Josh has also been subpoenaed to testify in a deposition on the investigation he did about drug use in the White House [#9]
- "You should take a lawyer."
"I am a lawyer."
"You should take a real lawyer."
- When Leo hears that Josh didn't take a lawyer:
- "Josh said he didn't need a lawyer"
"Oh good, I like the sound of this."
- C.J. looked misinformed when she makes fun of a reporter who asks her about a rumor that India had attacked Pakistan. Later she is furious with Leo for not having been informed of the situation:
- "You told me the lid was on."
"You're going to have to expect that sometimes."
- Things continue to go from bad to worse in the attempt to convince two nuclear powers to back away from what could be a disastrous war.
- "That's the truly terrifying part."
"Good, cause we were waiting for a truly terrifying part."
- Although it is Leo who made the decision not to tell C.J., it is Toby who takes responsibility for it. He goes to her to apologize, but she is in no mood to accept an apology. She feels that this has affected her relationship with the press corps:
- "They don't know me, I'm from nowhere. I was just starting to get credible. I was just starting to get their respect. Do you know how long it's going to take me to get it back?. . . . 'Don't ask C.J., she doesn't know anything'. . . ."
"There is a concern that you're too friendly with the press."
"Really."
"We know that it is important that you have a friendly relationship. . . ."
"It's important to all of us."
"I don't disagree."
"Does this have anything to do with Danny Concannon?"
"People see you with Danny."
"This is outrageous."
"It is just this one time and if we erred it was on the side of. . . ."
"You sent me in there uninformed so that I would lie to the press."
"We sent you in there uninformed 'cause we thought there was a chance you couldn't."
- Meanwhile, Zoey has asked Charlie out. When Charlie asks his boss, the President, if he would mind if he went on a date with his daughter, Bartlet makes it clear that he would not be happy about anyone dating his daughter:
- "I should have locked her in a dungeon."
"I don't think you have one, sir."
"I could have built one."
- Things are not going well in the diplomacy department of the White House, either:
- "Well, this just keeps getting better and better," the President says after one session and just before another. "I'll take the Indian ambassador in the Oval Office," he tells Charlie. "And then if you could just ask the Secret Service to step in and kill me please."
"Yes, sir."
- The depositions are also not going well. The first one went so badly that Josh took Sam on the second. Asking the questions is Claypool, an enemy of the whole Bartlet administration and he attacks Leo for past drug and alcohol abuses:
- "I would think you would be concerned about your own reputations. And the notion of you standing up for a man so egregiously unqualified. . . ." He isn't allowed to finish the sentence as Josh grabs him by the lapels and pushes him back. Sam calls Josh's name and rushes forward as Josh gets his anger under control and steps away from this guy. But Sam is also extremely angry and as they leave, he tells Claypool, "You're a cheap hack and if you come after Leo, I'm going to bust you like a piñata."
- The President decides to call on an India expert, Lord Marbury. Leo thinks his Lordship is a little too "colorful" with his drinking and womanizing. (Maybe, Marbury reminds Leo a bit too much of himself when he was drinking --- and he has too many reminders of his own past mistakes with substances that cloud the judgment.) The President, though, is glad when Marbury is announced:
- "Is he here? Send him in."
"Oh, God, help me, please, " Leo says dramatically.
"John."
"Mr. President."
"How was your flight?"
"Intoxicating."
"So, I see," Leo interjects.
"Allow me to present myself: I'm Lord John Marbury, I was summoned by your President."
"Yes, we've met 10 or 12 times. I'm Leo McGarry."
"Oh. I thought you were the butler."
"No, I'm the White House Chief of Staff."
"Nonetheless, would you have something with which to light my cigarette?"
"Oh, I'm afraid we don't allow smoking in this part of the world."
"Really."
"Yes, sir. . . "
"It's your Lordship, as a matter of fact, but it really couldn't make the least difference. . . ."
"What is your take on the on the situation?" Lord Marbury asks the President.
"The world is coming apart at the seams."
"Well, then thank God you sent for me," he says as he pushes his coat at Leo.
"Yes," Leo says without any enthusiasm after glancing at the President and then accepting the situation.
- On another front, Toby is still trying to apologize to C.J.:
- "I feel I didn't have the opportunity to properly articulate my argument."
"Either I'm a trusted member of the communications staff or I'm not, Toby. What was your argument?"
"That was my argument."
"That wasn't your argument."
"That was my argument a little while ago when I was arguing in my head."
"Are you apologizing?"
"Yes," C.J. waits for him to go on but Toby isn't very good at the apology thing.
"Whose idea was it?"
"Mine," Toby says, although, as we know it was Leo's.
"You were the one who said India's invaded Pakistan. Let's not tell C.J."
"I didn't say it like that."
"How did you say it?"
"I said it nicer."
- But Leo's having his own problems with Lord Marbury:
- "I don't even think the accent's real," he tells the President.
"I'm going to ask him to stay a little bit and help us out."
"For how long?"
"You two are going to become good friends."
"He thinks I'm the butler."
"For the first couple of weeks, so did I."
- And then there is Leo's drug problem which Josh tells Leo is about to be made public:
- "Does your family know?"
"Yes."
"'Cause if they don't...."
"They know."
"The President?"
"Yes."
"Then we're here for whatever you need. We just wanted you to know that." Leo then takes the others into the Oval Office to tell the President that his past drug/alcohol problems will soon be made public.
"Mr. President, before Lord Fauntleroy. . ."
"Lord Marbury."
"Whatever. Before he comes back in the room I wanted to let you know. . . . the story will probably come out soon."
"How're you doing?"
"Fine." Leo says though the slight negative shake of the head before he speaks belies his statement.
"Don't you ever forget the battles you have fought and won."
"Yes, sir, Mr. President." At this point Lord Marbury returns.
"John, I was hoping you'd stick around a few days and help us out."
"A few days, a few months. However long it takes is as long as I will serve."
"Well, let's play it by ear," Leo says with deep resignation. It is bad enough that his treatment is about to come out. On top of that he has to deal with Marbury.
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For anyone interested in guest stars of this episode, let us recommend the West Wing Episode Guide.
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#11 "Lord John Marbury"
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