C.J. Presses Toby on Leak, Elicits Cryptic 'Big Potatoes' Warning
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. delivers a passionate monologue about the nature of leaks in government, trying to downplay the incident, but Toby's distracted demeanor raises her suspicions.
Toby admits he knew the leak wasn't a big deal all along, prompting C.J. to question what's really bothering him.
Toby cryptically refers to 'big potatoes' coming, hinting at the looming MS scandal, while C.J. grows increasingly concerned about his evasiveness.
C.J. directly accuses Toby of lying, but he deflects with forced gratitude, leaving her deeply unsettled as she exits.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Determined concern escalating to sharply accusatory frustration
Striding in determinedly, C.J. dismisses Sam and slams the door, reassures Toby the leak is contained with emails to 1,100 staffers and a presidentially approved clarification, confronts his overreaction sharply post-silence, accuses him of lying with concerned intensity, stares unconvinced silently, then exits without reply.
- • Reassure Toby and quell his overreaction
- • Uncover the true source of his distraction and unease
- • Routine leaks are manageable White House realities
- • Toby's evasion signals deeper administration threats
neutral and deferential
Sam, seated on the sofa with the oil spill report, rises promptly at C.J.'s determined request to excuse himself, exiting silently as she slams the door, transitioning the space to her private confrontation with Toby.
- • Yield the room to C.J. without resistance
- • Avoid interrupting senior staff tension
- • C.J.'s authority supersedes his presence here
- • Discretion preserves team harmony amid crises
Feigned reassurance masking profound anxiety over impending MS scandal
Seated wearily in a chair, Toby admits distraction from Sam's report, rises to stand behind his desk during a heavy silence, delivers the 'small potatoes' dismissal and haunting 'big potatoes' warning quietly without meeting C.J.'s gaze, shifts weight uncomfortably, denies lying with throat-clearing, watches her leave, and sighs alone.
- • Deflect C.J.'s probe into his distraction
- • Gauge team's readiness for major crises without revealing secrets
- • Current leak is trivial compared to perjury threats
- • Loyalty demands protecting Bartlet at personal cost
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Sam grips and reads the Kensington Indio Oil Spill Report on the sofa, detailing catastrophic environmental and economic devastation, which Toby distractedly ignores; its urgency underscores Toby's mental absence as C.J. interrupts, symbolizing layered crises eclipsing the minor leak and fueling subtextual MS tensions.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The White House looms as the leak's origin and battleground for message discipline, with C.J. invoking her blanket email to 1,100 staffers and presidential clarification to safeguard negotiations, framing Toby's 'small potatoes' dismissal against inevitable betrayals in this 'company town' rife with junior staff indiscretions.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"CJ's suspicion about Toby's distraction during the leak investigation foreshadows his deeper concern about the MS scandal, revealed later."
"CJ's suspicion about Toby's distraction during the leak investigation foreshadows his deeper concern about the MS scandal, revealed later."
"Bartlet's 'vicious circle' metaphor about property taxes echoes Toby's 'big potatoes' comment, both hinting at larger, unresolved issues (MS scandal) beneath surface conversations."
"Bartlet's 'vicious circle' metaphor about property taxes echoes Toby's 'big potatoes' comment, both hinting at larger, unresolved issues (MS scandal) beneath surface conversations."
Key Dialogue
"TOBY: This is small potatoes. I want to know, when the big potatoes come, are we up for it?"
"C.J.: Big potatoes? Toby, we ran for election. We lived through Leo and booze, Sam and prostitutes, India and Pakistan, Columbia and a failed rescue mission. Are there bigger potatoes someplace?"
"C.J.: Why are you lying to me? TOBY: I'm not."