In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part I
After an assassination attempt leaves President Bartlet gravely wounded, his inner circle—Leo, Abbey, C.J., and senior staff—scramble to stabilize him, preserve continuity of government, and hunt the shooters before national chaos erupts.
Gunfire rips through a public appearance in Rosslyn and propels the West Wing into immediate, brutal motion. Minutes after the shots, limousines roar across the George Washington Bridge: Bartlet gasps blood into his hands, Ron Butterfield shows a bloody, bandaged palm, and Zoey vomits from shock in the car behind them. Ron orders the limo to swing around and drive the President to George Washington Hospital. Nurses and trauma teams pivot on a red phone; Dr. Keller calls for a crash cart and an ultrasound. Bartlet arrives with an entry-and-exit abdominal wound; Dr. Keller reassures him that an exit wound and stable vitals are promising even as Bartlet insists, half-joking, on speaking to Leo before anesthesia. Leo arrives, exchanges a brief, intimate kiss on Bartlet’s cheek, and braces to run the executive response.
The hospital becomes a pressure cooker of medical triage and command decisions. Zoey whispers to her father while nurses fumble; Abbey presses for details. C.J. staggers through a chaotic press briefing, dazed and evasive when questioned about security procedures and the missing canopy used in previous administrations. On the scene, Gina Toscano reports, "Two shooters in that window...but there was a signal," confirming a coordinated attack; Tommy Cho demands perimeter closures and Coast Guard patrols. Airports and Union Station close, a massive manhunt for an alleged third accomplice ignites, and the AP claims two bodies were removed from the building.
The wound profile sharpens the stakes: Josh Lyman, wounded at the event, arrives at Trauma One with a collapsed lung and a lacerated pulmonary artery. He fights consciousness, whispering "Senator..." and "I shouldn't be at this meeting," as surgeons and nurses work to re-expand his lung and repair the artery. The surgical team warns the staff that Josh’s procedure could take 12–14 hours. In the operating room, time stretches; Josh’s colleagues hover helplessly as monitors slip into slow motion and voices fragment into whispered, overlapping fragments about Social Security and the Senator's campaign—an evocative cut from crisis to memory.
The Situation Room pivots to national security decisions even as the President lies under anesthesia. Leo and the Vice President, John Hoynes, chair a tense meeting with National Security Advisor Nancy McNally and military officers. Nancy presses vertically: KH-10 satellite images show a Republican Guard buildup and a recent shoot-down of an F-117—evidence, she argues, that a broader, possibly coordinated international threat exists. Leo urges restraint, quipping that the Iraqi Republican Guard "can't find their car keys in 36 hours," while Nancy warns "we may not have 36 hours." Hoynes threatens to federalize state National Guards and demands swift arrests of the signal man; Leo and Nancy spar over whether to raise DEFCON. Legal ambiguity compounds the operational crisis: without a signed letter or invocation of the 25th Amendment, the Vice President's authority during the President's anesthesia remains murky. Toby hunts down Section 202 of the National Security Act of 1947 and the counsel's office scrambles to define the chain of command.
Personal immediacy punctures policy. Abbey, frantic and direct, asks about Josh; Dr. Keller reports the bullet "lacerated his pulmonary artery" and that primary repair is necessary. Bartlet, lucid enough to joke and order the cabinet and Security Council, asks Leo to suspend stock trading and calls for the Cabinet to assemble. In the recovery room, Bartlet pleads to see Josh; despite Abbey’s cautions, doctors allow a brief visit, underscoring the human toll beneath the constitutional and military maneuvers.
Flashbacks to three years earlier stage the show's politics and relationships: Leo cajoles Josh to come to Nashua to hear Jed Bartlet speak; scenes in a Senate conference room and a VFW hall reveal the threads that bind the staff—ambition, loyalty, and ideological friction. These memories underscore what the present jeopardizes: careers, campaigns, and the fragile architecture of trust. Hoynes’ earlier campaign meeting with Josh (where Hoynes calls Social Security the "black hole of national politics") and Bartlet’s grassroots VFW exchanges show how present leadership emerged from ordinary political argument and personal persuasion—things now suddenly at risk.
By episode’s end, the crisis achieves a tense, unresolved balance. The President is rushed into surgery and appears likely to survive; Bartlet is sedated but requests Leo speak to Abbey and the staff; Leo and the senior team juggle military posturing and legal ambiguity while the city and transportation hubs lock down. Josh lies in an operating room with surgeons fighting to repair a pulmonary artery; his fate hangs in the balance. C.J. fields agitated reporters about identity of shooters, the 25th Amendment, and security lapses while staffers—Sam, Toby, Donna, Charlie—rotate between prayer, procedural tasks, and stunned silence. The episode closes with Bartlet and Leo peering through the operating-room window at Josh’s surgery, the public and private crises braided together: the President’s survival, the Vice President’s authority, the search for conspirators, and the personal costs to a White House that must continue to govern even as its own heart bleeds.
The script propels forward with clipped, urgent exchanges—Ron’s panicked commands, Gina’s terse field reports, Dr. Keller’s clinical calls, and Bartlet’s human cracks of humor—keeping the moral and constitutional dilemmas tethered to bodily reality. It ends on a taut, open question: medical machines blink and staff pray; the country braces, and the Bartlet team stands between triage and statecraft, uncertain which will demand more.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The narrative plunges into immediate chaos as President Bartlet, bleeding from a gunshot wound, demands transport to George Washington Hospital, not the White House. His daughter, Zoey, vomits from shock, while Secret Service agent Ron Butterfield reveals his own bloody, shattered hand. Simultaneously, C.J. stumbles through the Rosslyn crime scene, dazed and disoriented, as Gina Toscano confirms a coordinated attack with a "signal" man, triggering a massive manhunt and city-wide lockdown. The true horror escalates when Toby discovers Josh Lyman, slumped against a ledge, gasping for air, his shirt soaked in blood from a severe chest wound. At the hospital, Bartlet, lucid but in pain, orders Leo to suspend stock trading and assemble the Cabinet, even as Abbey reveals his hidden MS to Dr. Lee, adding a layer of personal vulnerability to the constitutional crisis. Josh, meanwhile, fights for consciousness, his whispered words about a "Senator" and a "meeting" dissolving into a flashback. Three years earlier, a disillusioned Josh clashes with Senator Hoynes over political expediency versus principle, culminating in Leo McGarry's calculated recruitment of Josh to hear an unknown Jed Bartlet speak in Nashua, a pivotal moment that foreshadows the deep personal and political bonds now under threat. This act establishes the immediate, life-threatening stakes for both the President and his senior staff, intertwining their present trauma with the foundational moments of their political alliance.
In the siren-filled Newseum parking lot swarming with police, agents, and paramedics, medics assess C.J. for a scalp laceration from her fall during the assassination attempt. Disoriented yet stoic, she …
Amid post-assassination chaos, sharp-eyed Secret Service agent Gina Toscano brushes past Sam and urgently briefs ID agent Tommy Cho on the coordinated attack: two shooters neutralized from the rooftop, but …
In the chaotic Newseum parking lot swarming with sirens, police, and medics, Toby desperately searches for Josh, confirming with Charlie he didn't evacuate with Leo. Spotting Josh hidden behind a …
In the quiet hospital lobby before the crisis erupts, Nurse 1st greets Nurse 2nd and nods toward the waiting area, alerting her to the return of Cynthia, a familiar pregnant …
Following Cynthia's escort from the waiting area, Nurse 1st reaches the reception desk and unloads to Nurse 3rd about the pregnant patient's incessant visits—twice weekly for three weeks—complaining she can't …
In the quiet hospital lobby, amid routine patient triage, Nurse 1st hangs up after a silent ER phone call, then immediately answers the insistent red 'Station One' wall phone—a priority …
The narrative shifts, grounding the crisis in the present while deepening character backstories through another flashback. Sam Seaborn, three years prior, navigates the morally ambiguous waters of corporate law, protecting oil companies from liability, a stark contrast to his current role. Josh Lyman, seeking to recruit Sam for the Hoynes campaign, finds his friend skeptical of political expediency, hinting at a yearning for "the real thing." This past exchange sharply contrasts with the present, as Sam, jolted back to the grim reality of the hospital, learns the President will survive, but Josh's condition is dire: a lacerated pulmonary artery demanding a 12-14 hour primary repair, his life hanging by a thread. The crisis expands beyond personal injury into national security as Leo, Vice President Hoynes, and National Security Advisor Nancy McNally convene in the Situation Room. Nancy, citing KH-10 satellite images of Iraqi Republican Guard movements and an F-117 shootdown, urgently advocates for raising DEFCON, fearing a coordinated international attack. Leo, however, downplays the threat, and Hoynes, while threatening to federalize National Guards for the manhunt, ultimately defers to Leo's caution regarding the international situation. The act culminates in Donna Moss's arrival at the hospital, her initial relief for the President shattering into profound shock and grief upon learning of Josh's critical condition, leaving her stunned and helpless as the medical team confirms the agonizingly long wait for any news. This act intensifies the personal toll and introduces the complex geopolitical pressures threatening to engulf the nation, all while highlighting the moral compromises and aspirations that defined the staff's past.
Zoey enters the bustling trauma room, her face frozen in fear at the sight of her agonized father surrounded by nurses. President Bartlet, masking severe pain with wry humor, downplays …
Leo storms into the trauma room, prompting a brief, tense exchange before Zoey exits for privacy. Despite excruciating pain, President Bartlet demands a casualty report—shooters dead, injuries en route, C.J. …
In the trauma room, after Zoey's tearful exit and issuing orders for government continuity, a gravely wounded President Bartlet turns to Leo McGarry for a private moment. Confirming the shooters' …
In the frenetic G.W. hospital hallway, Leo corners Secret Service agent Gina, urgently probing for intel on the assassination attempt: a mysterious ground signal without description, nationwide lockdowns of airports …
As Leo wraps a tense interrogation of Gina on the security breach, sirens herald paramedics wheeling in Josh on a gurney with a severe left-side gunshot wound—no exit, collapsing lung. …
The immediate aftermath of the shooting continues to ripple through Washington, exposing vulnerabilities and constitutional ambiguities. C.J. Cregg, visibly dazed and emotionally fractured, navigates a chaotic press briefing, deflecting relentless questions about the 25th Amendment, the identity of the shooters, and critical security lapses, including the absence of a protective canopy. Her evasiveness and evident distress underscore the administration's precarious position and her own personal trauma. Danny Concannon, a persistent reporter, corners C.J., pressing her on the chain of command given the President's anesthesia and the lack of a signed letter invoking the 25th Amendment. His questions highlight the legal quicksand the White House now stands upon. In Leo's office, Leo, Nancy McNally, and Toby Ziegler grapple with the constitutional crisis: the Vice President's limited authority without a specific presidential directive, and the ambiguous language of the National Security Act of 1947 regarding the "principal assistant" to the President. Toby, recognizing the urgency, departs to research the legal precedents. The emotional toll of the crisis is briefly acknowledged when Toby offers a comforting hug to Ginger, who is visibly shaken. The narrative then shifts to a poignant flashback three years earlier, finding Toby Ziegler in a Nashua bar, heavily intoxicated and profoundly cynical. He confesses his long history of political losses and his expectation of being fired, revealing the deep-seated disillusionment and professional struggles that preceded his involvement with Bartlet, painting a picture of a man on the brink before finding his purpose. This act intensifies the political and legal uncertainty, showcases the personal strain on key staff, and provides a crucial glimpse into Toby's past struggles, enriching his present commitment.
On a bustling Manhattan street post-hot dog, Josh confesses he forgot to call Sam because he blanked on his firm Gage Whitney's name, stunning Sam who recites its prestige—the second-largest …
On a bustling Manhattan street, Sam, unsettled by Josh's uncharacteristic memory lapse about his prestigious law firm, pivots sharply to interrogate Josh's sudden appearance in town. Josh deflects with a …
Sam barrels into G.W. Hospital in raw panic over the assassination crisis, slamming into a nurse and mumbling frantic apologies that expose his unraveling composure. Cut to a doctor briefing …
In the tense hospital waiting area, a doctor approaches Abbey, assuring her that President Bartlet's laparoscopy revealed no organ damage or significant blood loss—he'll recover, visitable in two hours. Abbey's …
Amid palpable anxiety—exemplified by Sam's frantic collision with a nurse—a doctor assures Abbey of President Bartlet's full recovery, detailing minimal blood loss and no organ damage from laparoscopy, but reveals …
Leo enters the Situation Room with Jack, urgently confirming President Bartlet's two-hour surgery timeline and General Fitzwallace's four-hour return from Manila to ensure military continuity. As Nancy McNally and Vice …
Exhausted from travel, National Security Advisor Nancy McNally enters the Situation Room in a rumpled yellow suit, casually requesting fresh clothes before seamlessly inserting her expertise into the crisis. She …
Vice President Hoynes enters the Situation Room, pausing hesitantly at the head of the table as staff snap to attention. He waves them down, sits aside deferentially, then demands intel …
In the tense Situation Room, National Security Advisor Nancy McNally, fresh from analyzing KH-10 satellite images, warns of a Republican Guard buildup along the Tigris and Euphrates, moving south amid …
In the tense hospital waiting room, the doctor interrupts the anxious staff—Sam, Toby, C.J., Charlie—to warn that Josh's surgery will span 12-14 grueling hours with no updates until morning, urging …
Donna rushes into the hospital waiting room, frantic for news on President Bartlet, her relief palpable at C.J.'s reassurance he's fine. Toby delivers the gut-wrenching truth: Josh was shot in …
Amid post-shooting hallway chaos, a shaken C.J. mutters frustrations about unanswered press questions to her assistant Carol. Carol spots a fresh scratch on C.J.'s neck, prompting C.J. to confess she …
In the tense hospital hallway amid post-assassination chaos, Danny intercepts a visibly shaken C.J., urgently pressing her on the chain of command while President Bartlet remains under anesthesia, invoking the …
In Leo's office, amid the assassination crisis, Leo resists Nancy's push to elevate DEFCON levels, warning it could panic the world, while she insists on readiness given evidence of a …
In Leo's office, the DEFCON debate pivots to a shocking revelation: the Vice President cannot order military alerts like DEFCON 4 without a signed presidential letter delegating power during anesthesia, …
In the heated Situation Room debate over constitutional ambiguities, Toby reacts with incredulity to the revelation that President Bartlet must sign a letter delegating authority to VP Hoynes amid his …
The final act masterfully interweaves past and present, revealing the ideological bedrock of the Bartlet administration and the profound personal cost of its present crisis. Three years prior, at a VFW Hall in Nashua, Jed Bartlet delivers a captivating, principled speech, openly admitting he "screwed" dairy farmers by voting against a compact, but passionately defending his stance on behalf of impoverished children. Josh Lyman, witnessing this raw integrity, is visibly stunned and deeply impressed, finding the "real thing" he sought. Immediately following, Leo McGarry, with ruthless conviction, fires most of Bartlet's existing campaign staff, retaining only Toby Ziegler. Bartlet confronts Leo, questioning his drastic actions, but Leo, with unwavering resolve, articulates his profound belief in Bartlet as the good man capable of leading the country, inspiring him with a vision of a campaign that will "lift houses off the ground." This pivotal conversation solidifies their partnership and the moral core of the nascent administration. Back in the present, a recovering Bartlet, against medical advice, insists on seeing Josh. Accompanied by Leo, he slowly walks through the hospital, as news reports detail the national lockdown, the ongoing manhunt, heightened military alerts, and a public vigil outside the hospital—a nation holding its breath. The camera pans across Sam, Toby, and C.J., each isolated in their offices, grappling with the weight of the moment. Ron and Gina stand guard, while Mrs. Landingham comforts a devastated Donna. The episode culminates with Bartlet and Leo peering through a window into Josh's operating room, watching the surgeons fight for his life. Their faces etched with profound concern, they stand together, the personal anguish for their friend inextricably linked to the national crisis they must navigate, leaving the audience with a powerful, unresolved image of leadership under fire and loyalty tested.
In a tense hallway exchange amid post-assassination chaos, multitasking Toby instructs visibly injured C.J.—noticing her neck scratch—to delay persistent reporter Danny with Counsel's guidance while prioritizing key queries. C.J. relays …
Entering the Communications Office amid the assassination crisis, Toby spots Ginger frozen by her desk, hands trembling after glimpsing the horror on TV. In a rare paternal pivot from his …
In the gloomy confines of a daytime bar, a visibly drunk and disheveled Toby Ziegler slumps at the counter amid the White House crisis. When the bartender offers another round, …
In a flashback three years earlier at Hank's Tavern in Nashua, NH, a visibly drunk Toby Ziegler, smoking a cigar, chats with a woman at the bar. He casually promotes …
In a VFW Hall flashback, Bartlet engagingly explains economic models' imprecision to the audience, humanizing complex policy. Staffer Cal Mathis relentlessly pressures Toby over Bartlet's New England Dairy Compact stance, …
In a charged VFW hall moment, a dairy farmer confronts Governor Bartlet over his congressional vote against the New England Dairy Farming Compact, decrying personal financial harm after loyal support. …
In a tense post-speech campaign meeting, staffers Cal and Jerry urge President Bartlet to avoid naming his opponent publicly to prevent free advertising or appearing forgetful. Bartlet sharply dismisses their …
In the tense aftermath of Bartlet's stormy exit from a chaotic post-speech meeting, Leo seizes control, dismissing staff concerns about the Governor's performance. He abruptly fires Jerry, Cal, Mack, and …
President Bartlet, frail but resolute, walks slowly down the G.W. Hospital hallway with Leo, symbolizing leadership's endurance amid crisis. A swelling musical score overlays urgent news reports voicing uncertainty over …
Intercut with urgent news reports detailing the manhunt, airport closures, military alerts, and Ron Butterfield's injury, Sam stares blankly at his desk in his office, Toby covers his face with …
Over Bartlet and Leo slowly walking a hospital hallway, a pulsing montage intercuts urgent news VO: uncertainty on presidential authority transfer amid anesthesia, massive public vigils, shell-shocked staff (Sam fixated …
As a montage of urgent news reports details the nationwide manhunt, airport closures, military alerts, and Ron Butterfield's injury, the scene arrives at George Washington Hospital. Stoic Secret Service agents …