Essential West Wing Episodes
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- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweMoira KellyAllison JanneyThe West Wing staffers are introduced as each learns via phone or pager that the President was in a cycling accident. Josh faces the possible loss of his job after an on-air insult of a political opponent, which Toby tries to prevent by having Josh make a personal apology. Sam's fling the previous night with Laurie, who unbeknownst to Sam is a call girl, puts him in hot water, which he compounds when ineptly lecturing a class of 4th-graders about the White House and then asking their teacher which child is Leo's daughter. Leo must deal with the fallout from Josh's blunder, as well as 137 Cuban refugees who escaped on rafts and are seeking asylum. The president walks in during Josh's apology, recites the First Commandment, and lambastes three Christian pols for not denouncing a fringe group.
- DirectorMarc BucklandStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillAfter being offered "a proportional response" to the Syrian military's downing of a U.S. military plane on a medical mission (and carrying his newly named personal physician), the president demands an option that will have greater impact. Leo gradually must talk him down, while Bartlet snipes at everyone, including Abby. The president ultimately agrees to the initial option, but is not happy about it. Charlie Young is introduced as an applicant for a messenger job whom Josh decides to hire as President Bartlet's personal aide.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillAfter a speech touting the success of a gun control bill, the team learns they are actually five votes short. The fight to get them back puts a strain on Leo's marriage and Josh's relationship with numerous Senators. Toby finds out he may have accidentally participated in insider trading.
- DirectorBill D'EliaStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillWhen a Supreme Court justice retires, President Bartlet has a golden opportunity to impact the court's composition by nominating a favorite judge but when further study reveals the candidate's conflicting ideology, the President might change his mind and opt for another judge. In addition, a headline seeking congressman on the House Government Oversight Committee accuses the White House staff of substance abuse -- a dicey issue for one important member.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillWhen a homeless veteran dies on the National Mall and his body remains uncollected for hours, Toby becomes fixated on getting him a proper burial.
- DirectorArlene SanfordStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillWhen the President collapses on the eve of his State of the Union, it's diagnosed as the flu. But when the First Lady cancels a trip and rushes home to look after him, Leo suspects the first family is hiding something about Bartlett's medical condition.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillA drug dealer's appeal of the federal death penalty is rejected by the Supreme Court, which upholds the death sentence with execution scheduled for the following Monday. One of the defense lawyers on the case is Sam's old high school bully, and he appeals directly to Sam to involve the president. During a weekend in which he was supposed to be in a yacht race, Sam opts to stay at the W.H. and try to convince his fellow staffers and ultimately Bartlet that the president should commute the sentence. Meanwhile Josh, after a night of heavy drinking at a bachelor party, meets congressional campaign manager Joey Lucas while is hung over. She assails him for having the DNC cut off funding for her candidate, but the decision was deliberate, as the W.H. likes the conservative nutjob currently holding the Calif. seat. Opinions on the death penalty are exchanged throughout the weekend, including those of Quaker Joey Lucas and Toby's rabbi, and Bartlet winds up calling both the Pope and his old parish priest from N.H. for counsel.
- DirectorClark JohnsonStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillThe morning after Mendoza's confirmation, various staff members are brought back to earth by difficult meetings.
- DirectorLaura InnesStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillThe West Wing staff are feeling malaise as it seems they never get anything accomplished. Meanwhile, a leaked memo is a land mine that could embarrass the administration.
- DirectorDon ScardinoStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillThe staff waits for a poll to tell them if their new, activist policies are moving them in the right direction. C.J. feels like her opinions are being discounted.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweMoira KellyDulé HillA stealth fighter is shot down over Iraq, leading to Bartlet ordering a military rescue as Toby worries about his brother trapped on a space shuttle orbiting the Earth. CJ deals with the ramifications of misleading the press about the rescue as the staff prepares for a town hall meeting that night. The town hall meeting goes well until the President leaves...and shots ring out.
- 1999–200643mTV-149.4 (1.8K)TV EpisodeDirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyThe President is rushed to hospital following a shooting; staffers field questions on protection measures and executive authority. Flashbacks show how key staff members joined the Bartlet campaign.
- 1999–200641mTV-149.3 (1.6K)TV EpisodeDirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyA suspect in the presidential shooting is caught; staffers anxiously await news on Bartlet and Josh's injuries; flashbacks show how C.J. and Donna joined Bartlet's campaign.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyWith the midterm elections coming up, Toby looks for a way to stop hate groups; Charlie and Zoey decide whether to continue their relationship; President Bartlet discovers the egg cream and is concerned about an ultra-right-wing candidate running for school board in his old district in New Hampshire; and Sam is asked to put White House help behind an old friend running for Congress. This episode includes the President's confrontation with a right-wing radio talk show host using a famous list of modern applications of Biblical laws. Oh, yes, and psychics at Cal Tech and the Fermi National Accelerator Lab ...
- DirectorKen OlinStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyAfter a Republican commentator trounces Sam on television, President Bartlett decides to hire her over the objections of the staff. Josh and Toby mediate a conference between U.S. drug companies and an African President whose country is dying of AIDS.
- DirectorLaura InnesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyDozens of Chinese stowaways are discovered in a container ship in California; Toby looks to pick a fight over school prayer with a recess appointment; Thanksgiving at the White House sees C.J. in charge of turkeys and Charlie looking for the ultimate carving knife.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyJosh speaks to a psychiatrist about the events of the last three weeks: Toby hired musicians for the foyer, an Air Force pilot disobeyed orders, Yo-Yo Ma performed at the White House, and Josh managed to cut his hand quite badly.
- DirectorScott WinantStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyToby wants to use a bipartisan breakfast to discuss real issues instead of making it a staged event; Sam floats the idea of moving the press room across the street; Leo wants Josh to apologize to a columnist on his behalf; Leo and Toby realize they need to start thinking about reelection.
- 1999–200642mTV-148.2 (979)TV EpisodeDirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyWhile a live TV show is broadcast from the West Wing following the State of the Union, the staff must covertly deal with a hostage situation in Colombia. CJ learns that a special guest at the state of the union has a black mark on his record that could taint the administration. Ainsley Hayes is afraid to meet the President in person.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyPresident Bartlet is fighting a war on two fronts as he tries to rescue hostages in Colombia and deal with explaining to his wife why he's breaking his word to her by running for a 2nd term.
- DirectorBryan GordonStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyJosh finalizes a $6B health care plan that has strong support from both parties in both houses and appears to be a slam dunk for passage, but 78-year-old Senator Howard Stackhouse pulls a last-minute surprise--he wants money added for autism research or he'll filibuster. Thinking it's just a bluff, Josh blows off the senator, who then filibusters for more than eight hours while the WW staff waits desperately to begin their weekend with the episode unfolding as staffers write e-mails to their family members describing the evening's action. Elsewhere, Sam tries to eliminate various costly government documents, for which he's taken to task by a very young intern.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyFollowing the Vice-President's remarks to him, Toby realizes the truth behind the President's illness: multiple sclerosis. Toby, Leo, and Bartlet discuss the possible political implications of this if it goes public including possible jail time for the 17 people who now know about the illness. Meanwhile Sam, Josh, Donna and the rest of the staff, unaware of the illness, struggle with a speech the President is to give at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
- DirectorBill JohnsonStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyPresident Bartlett talks to the White House Counsel about the concealment of his MS. An enraged Toby has CJ grill the West Wing staff to find a leaker. Josh and Donna spar over a financial bailout of Mexico.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyWhite House Counsel Oliver Babbish interviews CJ once she learns of the President's condition. The First Lady learns she may be legally vulnerable. Donna frets over news of a falling satellite.
- DirectorRobert BerlingerStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyWith hypothetical polling numbers showing them it will be political suicide, staffers prepare to announce the President's condition. As they do, a military crisis flares up in Haiti and Josh faces off against two senators who are against the Government's tobacco industry suit. But as badly as the day seems to be going, a tragedy will come from a car wreck at 18th and Potomac that will affect everything.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyAs the Haitian army continues their seizure of the American embassy there, Bartlet and the staff prepare for the announcement that Bartlet has M.S. and the President must decide whether or he will seek re-election. As the funeral for Mrs. Landingham takes place and the announcement draws nearer, Bartlet thinks back to his past in search of the answer to the question everyone is asking: Will he seek re-election?
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillThe staff is hunkered down in the Bartlets' hometown of Manchester, N.H., where they work with political consultants Bruno, Doug and Connie on the president's official announcement that he'll be seeking a second term; meanwhile, they all lament various W.H. events of the previous four weeks, including a huge strategic mistake by Josh, a pivotal FDA announcement scheduled for the same day as the president's speech, an ongoing battle between then president and first lady, and a major press room gaffe by C.J.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillWith the staff all bickering with one another in Manchester, especially adversarial speech writers Toby and Doug, who angrily disagree about whether Bartlet should make a public apology for lying about his MS, and with the president sniping at everyone, the second-term announcement speech is locked. Abby ultimately forgives the president for deciding to run again without discussing it with her, and he ultimately apologizes to the staff in private for keeping his condition from them, which they expect will soon lead to a whole slew of grand jury subpoenas.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneySpecial prosecutor Clem Rollins announces the grand jury subpoenas in the case of president's failure to disclose his MS to the public, and the list includes pretty much every West Wing staffer and Bartlet family member; Sam and Connie meet with an important Latino activist from Calif. who is considering supporting a primary challenger to Bartlet; C.J. convinces everyone that the special prosecutor is too reasonable, and that the W.H. needs a "better enemy" in the investigation, prompting the staff to provoke a Congressional inquiry.
- DirectorJon HutmanStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillWhen the military loses contact with a submarine in hostile waters, the President must choose between risking the lives of the crew and provoking North Korea. CJ relishes the Majority Leader's flubbing of an interview. Babbish informs Abby that she is the weak link in the President's legal defense.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillIn an episode dotted with flashbacks, Leo and his attorney Jordon Kendall (Joanna Gleason) face a Congressional inquiry into whether the president lied to the American people regarding his MS, but this particular day of hearings concerns itself more with Abby and her secretly medicating Jed, and later with Leo's having fallen off the wagon during the campaign (a politically motivated Republican rep on the committee witnessed Leo drunk in his room three days before the nomination); we see the meeting in which Leo talked N.H. Governor Bartlet into running for president, introducing his idea, "Bartlet for America", on a cocktail napkin, which the president later frames and returns to Leo as a gift in thanks for all he's done for the president over the years; Cliff Calley, Donna's boyfriend and special counsel to the judicial oversight committee, asks the committee chair to halt the inquiry before the rep can compel Leo to admit his personal transgression; Leo asks Jordon to Xmas Eve dinner.
- DirectorVincent MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyIn a private, late-night meeting, Cliff Calley informs Leo and Jordon he has negotiated a settlement in the Congressional witch hunt over Bartlet's MS: Bartlet can accept a joint congressional censure (House Concurrent Resolution 172, or H.Con. 172); Leo initially refuses to bring it to the president, insisting it will devastate the president and affect him for the rest of his life, but he does mull it over, and consults with Josh and repeatedly with Jordon about it; Josh begins his romantic pursuit of women's issues advocate Amy Gardner, but flubs it a couple of times while she continues dating other men.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyToby is concerned when President Bartlett forgoes an opportunity to speak out in favor of affirmative action during the Iowa caucuses and confronts the President on the real reasons underlying his Dr. Jekyl & Uncle Fluffy personality shifts. Meanwhile Josh makes plans for a vacation with Amy and then must cancel them.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyJosh covertly brings a psychiatrist to the white house to meet with the President who has been unable to sleep for five days.
- DirectorVincent MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyA small town in N.H. is the site of the first presidential primary vote, and the results from Hartsfield's Landing, announced at 12:07 a.m., will dominate the news all day until the final tally. Josh wants favorable press for the president, prompting him to ask Donna to persuade a local couple she knows to reconsider their vote. Elsewhere, Bartlet has just returned from India with a collection of antique chess sets he gives as gifts to the staff. He plays Toby while they discuss their recent blow-up, Bartlet's insomnia and Toby's fervent belief that the president's enormous intellectual gravitas is an asset, not a liability, to the campaign. He also plays Sam as they discuss a critical detente standoff between China and Taiwan. And Charlie and C.J. stand off in a series of pranks over a missing copy of the president's private schedule.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillA lavish W.H. party for Abbey's birthday the night before a N.H. medical board begins hearings on whether to suspend her license over her secret treatment of her husband's MS. Abbey returns to the residence with C.J. and Amy Gardener to get blitzed on wine and discuss her concerns about her medical career. Donna is restricted from joining the party because a decades-old cartography error puts her birthplace in Canada. Toby and U.K. Ambassador Lord John Marbury (Roger Rees) go to a nearby bar to share a bottle of very rare Scotch and to discuss a planned W.H. visit by an IRA political activist, which culminates in Marbury surprising Toby with his progressive vision. Later, Donna joins the women in the residence and makes an off-the-cuff remark that causes Abbey to rethink her stance on the issue of her license.
- DirectorJeremy KaganStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyOn a typical night in the west wing, Sam returns from a hockey game and Josh asks him to meet with V.P. Hoynes about saving an education bill. Back at the W.H., Josh, Toby, Leo, C.J., Larry and Ed all meet about the prospect of replacing Hoynes on the ticket in the next campaign. Bartlet helps Charlie do his federal taxes, and while both think Charlie should expect a refund, thanks to last year's so-called economic stimulus, he instead owes money to the IRS. A security emergency occurs when two trucks, one stolen and containing nuclear waste, crash in a tunnel in Idaho, threatening to explode and wipe out a nearby town. Donna asks Josh to ask the president for a special proclamation recognizing her favorite h.s. teacher. Bartlet can't oblige, but he comes up with a very uplifting consolation for Donna to let her teacher know how much she appreciated her. Episode title refers to James Bond's preference for "shaken, not stirred," which Bartlet insists results in a weak martini; this ties into Hoynes and Leo making the president aware that Hoynes is a recovering alcoholic, just as the w.w. staff is considering bumping him.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyA meeting with the new Russian president becomes politically dangerous when surveillance photos show Russia building a nuclear reactor in Iran. C.J. is assigned Secret Service protection after receiving death threats.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyThe President and Leo deal with reports of a planned terrorist attack, but more shocking is who is behind it. Sam receives an anonymous package with bad implications for the campaign. C.J. chafes under her Secret Service protection.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyBartlet and Leo debate on how to deal with the impending visit of the Qumari Defense Minister, whom U.S. intelligence officers have conclusively linked to terrorists. Sam dismisses an ingenious idea to trap Republican presidential opponent Robert Ritchie in an unsavory position over the Everglades, but comes around after talking to Toby. C.J. begins to develop a relationship with Secret Service agent assigned to her, Simon Donovan. Josh and Amy are locked into a battle over a welfare reform bill, which could end their relationship.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyBartlet, Leo, Sam, Toby, and C.J. travel to New York City for a Catholic fund raiser at a long Broadway play called "The War of the Roses". Josh steps up his efforts to beat his girlfriend, Amy, in their struggle over the welfare reform bill, which leads to her forced resignation. C.J. and Secret Service agent Simon Donavon have grown closer, but a tragic event cuts short their relationship. At the play, Bartlet comes face to face with Republican Presidential candidate Rob Ritchie and faces the decision of whether or not to assassinate the Qumari Defense Minister.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyAfter Bartlet gives a campaign speech at an Indiana farm, Josh, Toby and Donna are left behind by the presidential motorcade and must work their way across the state with the help of the farmer's daughter and, later, a teenage campaign volunteer, enduring many setbacks along the way. Josh and Toby obsess and bicker over how best to play the president's intellectualism, viewed by many as snobbery, against Republican opponent Robert Ritchie's "regular guy" persona, while Donna must keep them on track and communicate with the real Americans they encounter along the way. Back at the W.H., the president deals with a terrorist attack at an Iowa college swim meet, meets with Leo, Nancy and Fitzwallace to discuss how to handle the prospect of the U.S. and/or Israel being accused of a conspiracy in the assassination of Qumari defense minister Abdul Shareef, and interviews secretarial candidates, including a second round with Debbie Fiderer; the wandering party finally arrive at a city with an airport (presumably South Bend) and stop briefly at a nearby hotel, where they learn about the Iowa attack and Donna chastises the two men for caring only about the campaign and not the people it affects; later in the hotel bar, Josh and Toby meet a man trying to figure out how to pay his daughter's tuition to Notre Dame, and he inspires them to initiate new tax policy.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillDonna teaches Toby and Josh an important lesson as their trek homeward continues; Sam staffs the President in Josh's absence and welcomes an old friend home; Bartlet hires a secretary and C.J. finds a Big Brother for Anthony; the situation in Qumar continues to escalate; Bartlet gets spooked by a photo op as the Dow continues its dive; and a pipe bomb kills 44 students at a Midwest university swim meet.
- DirectorParis BarclayStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneySequestered in North Carolina to prepare for the one and only debate between Bartlet and opponent Robert Richie, the staff and several consultants (incl. Andrea Wyatt and Joey Lucas) flash back to the days just before and after the president's first inauguration, which were marked by an ill-advised choice for attorney general and ongoing concerns about fertility for then-married Toby and Andrea. In the present, Sam plays Richie in mock debates and raises Bartlet's ire, while Leo and the joint chiefs try to convince the president not to treat increasingly aggressive Qu'mar, whose defense minister Bartlet ordered assassinated (late last season), with kid gloves, and the staff keeps pestering Toby about his on-again, off-again relationship with Andrea, until he makes a startling revelation.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillToby falls prey to a practical joke by the rest of the staff, after which everyone but Leo takes off for the debate in San Diego. Sam makes a side trip to Newport Beach to explain to the congressional campaign manager of the late Horton Wilde why the campaign has to fold even though Wilde is still on the ballot; what Sam doesn't expect is a stalwart named Will Bailey who, determined to keep the ideas of the campaign alive, continues to hold campaign events and do door-to-door canvassing. In San Diego, a nervous w.w. staff readies itself to spin for the president, but when Bartlet and Richie go head to head in a unique debate format, Bartlet tears Richie apart on states' rights, education, taxes, etc., by being precisely the intellectual snob everyone had accused him of being and using it to his own advantage. Back in DC, Leo and Jordon Kendall meet with the Qu'mari ambassador to the U.N., and Leo warns Qu'mar to back off its campaign to charge Israel with the assassination of Defense Minister Abdul Shareef. After the debate, Sam returns to Newport to meet once more with Will at a bar, during which Sam makes a surprising offer.
- DirectorLesli Linka GlatterStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillAs results come in across the country, Sam is focused on a single congressional election that will determine his own future. After realizing she accidentally voted for the Republican nominee, Donna tries to find a Ritchie supporter who will "swap votes" with her. The President tries to hide a recurrence of his M.S.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillSam finds himself in a tricky position after the election in Orange County takes an unexpected turn. Toby and his ex-wife also find themselves in a delicate position, but decidedly one of their own making. And CJ tracks down the self aggrandizing source of some Process Stories.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyToby's estranged father appears in his office a couple of nights before Christmas. Leo and Jed find themselves trying to fix problems as well as their consciences.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyC.J. takes a short trip to her home in Dayton to check on her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, and to give a speech at her high school reunion; at the Dayton airport, she meets an old high school acquaintance and they have a quick fling.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyIt is the day of Bartlet's second inauguration and yet the celebrations stutter as the staff are stunned by a betrayal in their midst.
- 1999–200643mTV-148.3 (744)TV EpisodeDirectorLesli Linka GlatterStarsRob LoweStockard ChanningDulé HillWill struggles to find the words when the Inauguration speech seems to avoid current heart breaking issues.
- DirectorVincent MisianoStarsRob LoweDulé HillAllison JanneyThe president, first lady and w.w. staff travel to Orange County, Calif., to campaign for Sam's bid to win the 47th District congressional seat -- the Nov. winner in the heavily Republican district was, amazingly, a liberal Democrat who, more amazingly, had died a few weeks prior. The president orders Toby to fire Sam's campaign manager, a staunch realist, and take over the campaign with a more idealistic approach. Some conservative voters approach Andrea Wyatt in a bar and give her grief about her out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and Toby and Charlie step in forcefully, landing them in jail. Donna talks, on behalf of Sam's campaign, with a state labor leader who turns out to be a Communist.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaThe President, C.J. Cregg, Will Bailey, and others are returning from a long flight overseas. As Air Force One is about to land, the indicator light for the nose wheel fails to come on, prompting pilot Colonel Jessie Weiskopf to call off the landing, and notify the President of the possibility of terrorism. The White House Press Corps is on board, therefore CJ and Will must keep the story under wraps, due to it being a world market event. This becomes a challenge when a F-15 Eagle jet is sent to inspect the nose wheel on AFO. Meanwhile on the ground, Josh is working with Congressman Tom Landis (R-MD) on legislation to Clean-up Chesapeake Bay, which angers Congressional Democrats. Toby meets with Congressman Mark Richardson (D-NY) who has introduced legislation to reinstate the draft, furthermore Toby notifies the Congressman a soldier from his constituency was killed in action in Equatorial Kundu. Donna works with members of the 1st Airlift Squadron, 89th Airlift Wing to learn about "Angel Maintenance," in order to brief CJ, when she returns. Angel is the code word for the President's plane.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaTrying to participate in a late-night staff poker game proves difficult as news arrives that an unmanned U.S. spy plane has crashed in a remote part of Russia, and Bartlet and Leo have to deal with an incensed Russian President Chagorin and convince him via phone to let the military go in and recover the plane; C.J. obsesses over the fact that on the exact moment of the spring equinox (today), you can stand an egg on end; Toby and Will have a card-flipping contest in the press room, during which someone from the street fires several bullets into the room; Debbie must "crash" the West Wing for the first time when the bullets fly; at the same time, Josh is interviewing associate counsel applicant Joe Quincy, and there's something about the well-qualified lawyer that bothers Josh, which he deduces during the lock down.
- DirectorJohn David ColesStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaOn his first day on the job, the new deputy counsel uncovers a trail of clues to a scandal that will end one person's career.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyThe assassination of Shareef threatens to become public, the president speaks at Zoe's graduation, and the unthinkable happens.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyIn the wake of his daughter's kidnapping, Bartlet must make a decision between being a father and being President.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneySeven hours have passed since Zoey's kidnapping and and the Republicans are in charge of the White House. Rifts are appearing in the leadership of both parties further complicated by the arrival of a ransom note demanding the release of terrorists.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyZoey Barlet has been held for over a day. An international crisis looms that could have serious repercussions for the administration, let alone the hostage.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyWith Bartlet back in the Oval Office, and back in his wife's bad books, the hunt for a Vice President begins.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyDeputy counsel Joe Quincy is quietly enlisted by Toby to approach the ailing Chief Justice about possible retirement. With Josh still incapable of lobbying effectively, Leo brings in help to hammer out the budget, but success looks a long way off with a hostile Speaker making negotiations tricky.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyPresident Bartlet refuses to let Speaker of the House Haffley hold him hostage on the budget and allows the government to be shut down.
- DirectorJulie HébertStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaToby awakens at 3 a.m. with an idea of how to save the social security program for future generations, leading him to meet in secret with the president and volunteer to "touch the third rail" of American politics. Toby meets with influential Republican senator Gaines about putting aside partisanship in the interest of preserving the critical safety net, and he gets a favorable response, but someone who saw them together leaks the meeting to the press. Toby also gets Dem. senator Brainerd on board with assurances that both sides need to compromise and that the Republican agreed. Elsewhere, Josh tries to help boost the new v.p.'s profile and bland image by having him comically attack the same senator for his weak fundraising efforts. By day's end, both Gaines and Brainerd have publicly withdrawn from Toby's previously secret plan and publicly refused to consider the compromises they'd initially offered. The president angrily orders Toby to fix what he's broken, in response to which Toby submits his resignation letter to Leo. Toby finally sits down with Josh, who is livid at having been kept out of the loop on the s.s. matter, and they discuss the president's legacy and the greater issue of making a lasting impact for the American people, after which Josh recommends turning to Dem. senator Turner to reignite the agreement, leading to a bipartisan negotiation and the White House's realization that the good of the people has to trump any presidential legacy.
- DirectorLesli Linka GlatterStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaPress leaks lead to the revelation that former VP John Hoynes is about to release a tell-all book about the administration.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaA Supreme Court Justice dies, forcing the administration's hand on picking a desirable replacement who can be confirmed by a hostile Congress.
- DirectorRichard SchiffStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaThe president and staff are about to head for Brussels to sign an international free trade deal that Josh has just spent a lot of time and effort negotiating, to nearly everyone's satisfaction; at the 11th hour, the CEO of an IBM-like company tells Josh that the first effect of the new agreement, of which his company is a huge beneficiary, will be the immediate transfer of 17,000 programming jobs to India; the head of the communications workers' union, which is representing the affected programmers, brings one of the programmers to Josh's office, and they refuse to leave, leading Josh to question the underlying adverse effects of the trade deal. Throughout the episode, Ryan tries to make Josh care that he's completing his internship that day, while Donna pesters Josh to bring her on the Brussels trip in an effort to make her a more active player in west wing activities, eventually leading to a trade-off that will mean even bigger things for Donna in the long run.
- DirectorJulie HébertStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyWhen a bio-hazard alarm goes off in the White House, the staff are locked down where they are - forcing them to have conversations they would have otherwise avoided.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsDulé HillAllison JanneyJoshua MalinaA fact finding codel to the Middle East is torn apart by an explosion. Key members of the administration and their loved ones are caught in the mess. The President is forced to consider retaliatory military action in the unstable area, with possible repercussions that could last decades.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyThe President finds himself at odds with Leo, and the entire country, on his position regarding retaliation for the bombing in Gaza.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyJosh maintains a vigil beside Donna's bed in hospital, and needles Colin over his background and relationship with Donna. President Bartlet is determined to reject the unanimous demands of Congress, the American public, and his entire staff to retaliate for the roadside bombing. Leo tries to find a way to talk the President around while Kate tries various long-shot attempts at getting the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate at Camp David.
- DirectorAlex GravesStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyJosh returns from Germany in time to voice concerns about Leo; the Israelis and Palenstinians meet at Camp David with little chance of an agreement; the President and Leo's differences over the Middle East crisis reach a breaking point.
- DirectorChristopher MisianoStarsStockard ChanningDulé HillAllison JanneyLeo is found in the woods and rushed to the hospital; the staff struggle to hold the peace deal together without a Chief of Staff; the President neglects his duties out of loyalty and guilt towards Leo; Donna arrives back in the USA.