Joshua Lyman's internal moral and psychological struggle: survivor guilt, trauma recall (Joanie/house fire) and the ethical dilemma of accepting institutional privileged protection (the NSC green evacuation card) versus remaining openly with his staff.
Joshua Lyman's internal moral and psychological struggle: survivor guilt, trauma recall (Joanie/house fire) and the ethical dilemma of accepting institutional privileged protection (the NSC green evacuation card) versus remaining openly with his staff.
Events in This Arc
A breezy corridor exchange peels back into something sharper: Donna's affectionate, controlling banter with Josh establishes their intimacy and his performative flippancy. The mood pivots when she produces Leo's note …
Alone in his office with Schubert's 'Ave Maria' playing, Josh confronts a concrete symbol of institutional panic: an N.S.C. evacuation card handed to him but not to others. C.J. tries …
In the Residence at night, after lighthearted conversation and a family-style toast, Josh produces the green evacuation card he's been carrying and refuses it publicly. Faced with the symbolic offer …