In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part 2
After an assassination attempt leaves Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman critically wounded, his colleagues race to stabilize the White House, shape the story, and reckon with procedural failures — risking political chaos, personal rupture, and national unease.
A gunshot fractures the night and the White House's fragile normalcy. The episode opens with a skinhead watching breaking news in a roadside diner — a swastika etched on his hand, a cigarette crushed in eggs — and then collapsing under the floodlights of police and Secret Service. Reporters announce that Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman lies in surgery to repair a collapsed lung and a ruptured pulmonary artery; a bullet remains lodged in his thoracic region. That single violent event propels a pressure-cooker of crisis management, confessional flashbacks, and moral reckoning.
The story alternates between frantic present-day response and formative flashbacks from the Bartlet campaign three years earlier, stitching together how people came together and what they sacrificed. In the White House briefing room, C.J. Cregg holds tightly to the 7:30 a.m. podium, parrying reporters as she releases the name of an injured bystander (Stephanie Abbott) while deflecting every probing question about the suspect. Her public poise belies private shakiness: she cannot remember who pulled her down during the shooting, only that her necklace came off. Sam Seaborn sits in the hospital waiting room with the senior staff; fear and procedural confusion ripple through the team as they await updates on Josh and the President.
Officials capture a suspect — Carl Leroy — who implicates a group called West Virginia White Pride; two rooftop shooters used a 9mm Beretta and a .357 Desert Eagle, but the Secret Service's sharpshooters respond with specialized rifles (JARs). Ron Butterfield briefs the wounded President and his family; Charlie learns that the President may not have been the intended target, a revelation that momentarily disorients personal assumptions about motive. C.J. repeatedly returns to the podium to expand the record, pivoting from official ballistics to a wider indictment of gun violence — she lists names and statistics, driving the coverage away from rumor and toward context: dozens killed, hundreds assaulted. Her voice shapes the national frame.
Behind the public choreography, constitutional and bureaucratic alarms blare. Leo and Margaret discover that no letter transferring power to the Vice President was signed before the President entered anesthesia — "we blew that play," Leo admits. Margaret, with disarming candor, jokes that she can sign the President's name, and the conversation skitters between gallows humor and the reality that power temporarily went unassigned. Toby Ziegler confronts the moral weight of procedure: he confesses he wrote a memo, signed by the President, asking to discontinue tented exits; the open-air exits the President prefers now feed the scrutiny of the press. Ron refuses to make procedure public; he and Toby spar over blame and responsibility while their hands and emotions still bear the night's damage.
The episode layers intimate flashbacks that explain the people now scrambling: Sam arguing for safer tankers in a Midtown conference room, railing at cheap choices and environmental liability; Josh pacing in the rain outside a Manhattan pay phone, searching for law firm numbers and later appearing drenched and oddly prophetic at a client meeting; C.J.'s rocky transition from Beverly Hills PR — Roger Becker abuses her, Isobel fires her, and Leo/ Toby recruit her into a national campaign — scenes that demonstrate how these characters were forged by compromise, risk, and loyalty. We witness the origin of Donna Moss as Josh's indefatigable, overqualified assistant: she insists she can learn, she sells her car to follow the campaign, and quietly promises to be there. Those flashes bind the present trauma to past devotion.
Emotional pressure mounts in small, consequential gestures. Sam returns C.J.'s necklace — an intimate, grounding exchange — and admits to his fear; C.J. admits she, too, was afraid. Leo instructs Danny to ride to the hospital with him; Toby presses Ron to release his memo to clear the Secret Service of blame. Ron refuses, insisting the attack was "an act of madmen," not an equipment or protocol failure. Margaret's offhand offer to forge the President's signature encapsulates how close the institution teeters between improvisation and constitutional crisis.
The political apparatus strains but steadies. C.J. channels fury into a public moral argument about guns; Sam, C.J., Toby, Leo, and others absorb the practical tasks of who speaks, who signs, and who comforts. Charlie internalizes the revelation that Zoey and his relationship were not the motive; Bartlet, recovering, listens as Ron reports the weapons used and the casualty math. The team balances personal grief (Josh's severe injuries, the death of bystanders) with the imperative to maintain national calm.
In the closing arc, the story collapses into a single, human moment: Josh lies under anesthesia, and the flashbacks to campaign victory and quiet mentorship — Bartlet's surprising presence at the airport, the poignancy of Josh's father dying on the night of an Illinois primary win — fold into the operating room. Leo, Bartlet, and doctors stand over him. Bartlet leans in and asks what Josh murmured when he woke. "What's next?" Bartlet repeats, a question that converts disorder into resolve. Josh opens his eyes. The episode alights on that word — forward — and dissolves into end titles.
Throughout, the episode interrogates duty under fire: the staff's procedural missteps, the Secret Service's taciturn defense of practice, the team's willingness to improvise when institutions fail. The flashbacks provide a counterpoint of origin stories: ambition, sacrifice, and the small mercies that bind a governing team. The episode ends not with tidy answers but with a raw, forward-tilted energy — leadership damaged but not defeated, a wounded deputy asking, as Bartlet echoes, "What's next?"
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The episode rips open with a chilling tableau: a skinhead, swastika etched on his hand, watches news of Josh Lyman's critical condition in a roadside diner. The reporter's voice details a collapsed lung and a bullet lodged in his thoracic region, painting a grim picture of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff's fight for life. The camera lingers on the skinhead's hand as he crushes a cigarette into his eggs, an act of casual malice. His outward calm shatters as a helicopter spotlight spears him in the night, police cruisers swarm, and Secret Service agents descend, guns drawn. The bewildered man, still with an unlit cigarette, is forced to the ground, surrounded by overwhelming force. This immediate, visceral sequence thrusts the audience into the heart of the crisis, establishing the violent aftermath and the swift capture of a suspect, Carl Leroy, linking the attack to a white supremacist group, West Virginia White Pride. The scene instantly ignites the narrative, setting a tone of urgent threat and the relentless pursuit of justice, even as the full scope of the attack remains shrouded in mystery.
In the White House briefing room, Press Secretary C.J. Cregg tightly controls the narrative during a high-stakes press conference, confirming a suspect's custody but refusing operational details to safeguard the …
Under relentless reporter pressure in the White House briefing room, C.J. deploys biting sarcasm to deflect demands for suspect details, then reluctantly discloses bystander Stephanie Abbott's name, hometown, and thigh …
C.J.'s voiceover on TV delivers a stark public update from outside the waiting room: Josh requires surgery to repair a collapsed lung and ruptured pulmonary artery, with no news for …
In the fraught G.W. waiting room following C.J.'s televised update, Sam urgently presses First Lady Abbey on whether President Bartlet knows of the suspect's arrest, exposing the team's procedural paranoia …
In the strained G.W. waiting room, after Sam and Toby depart for an urgent call, Abbey compassionately urges Donna to freshen up amid the vigil for Josh. Donna refuses, probing …
The White House plunges into the chaotic aftermath. C.J. Cregg, poised at the 7:30 a.m. press conference, parries a barrage of questions, deflecting inquiries about the suspect while releasing the name of an injured bystander, Stephanie Abbott. Her public composure barely masks a private tremor, as flashbulbs trigger a subtle flinch. In the hospital waiting room, a palpable fear grips the senior staff—Toby, Donna, Abbey, Charlie, and Sam—as C.J.'s televised updates confirm Josh's precarious state. The institutional cracks begin to show: C.J. urgently dispatches Sam to investigate a critical, unsigned letter transferring presidential power, while Toby and Sam clash over the "tent" — the President's preference for open-air exits now under scrutiny. This procedural failure, born from a presidential directive, hints at deeper vulnerabilities. The narrative then plunges into a flashback, three years earlier, revealing Sam Seaborn's fierce moral integrity. As a corporate lawyer, he passionately argues against purchasing unsafe oil tankers, risking his career to champion ethical responsibility over profit. His powerful, almost prophetic stand foreshadows his unwavering commitment to principle. Just as his defiance reaches its peak, a drenched and enigmatic Josh Lyman appears at the conference room window, a silent harbinger of a new path. Sam, compelled by Josh's presence, abandons his lucrative career for the unknown, shouting "New Hampshire!" as he walks away, signaling the birth of a profound alliance forged in shared conviction and the nascent stirrings of the Bartlet campaign.
In the tense hospital room, C.J. presses Toby via phone about media questions on the President's open-air exit from the tent, urging a 'no comment' from the Secret Service to …
In the fraught hospital room, C.J. updates Toby on relentless media queries about the 'tent'—probing the President's unprotected open-air exit—and expresses discomfort if the White House issues a no comment …
In a tense Gage Whitney conference room three years earlier, lawyers pitch acquiring cheap, 20-year-old single-hulled tankers registered in Libya and Panama to dodge U.S. regulations and limit liability. Sam …
As they exit the conference room, Sam persists in advocating for safer ships, citing a no-penalty clause. In the hallway, Gage demands what he's doing, erupting with 'Are you trying …
In a tense corporate conference room, Sam Seaborn launches a desperate, principled final pitch to skeptical clients, urging them to invest $11 million more in safer oil tankers rather than …
In a high-stakes corporate meeting, Sam passionately urges clients to invest $11 million in safer oil tankers, citing disasters like the Exxon Valdez to blend ethics with economics. A soaked …
The crisis deepens, exposing personal vulnerabilities and constitutional anxieties. C.J. grapples with a fragmented memory of the shooting, unable to recall who pulled her to safety, her lost necklace a tangible symbol of her trauma. She deflects media requests for interviews, her private distress clashing with public expectation. Danny Concannon, relentless, presses C.J. for answers about the three-and-a-half hours the President spent under anesthesia without a formal transfer of power, highlighting a gaping constitutional void. The narrative then shifts to C.J.'s origin story, three years prior, in the superficial world of Beverly Hills public relations. She confronts a demanding client, Roger Becker, with brutal honesty about his studio's "bad movies," leading to her abrupt firing by Isobel. Stripped of her high-paying, unfulfilling career, C.J. finds herself at a crossroads. Toby Ziegler, appearing unannounced in her backyard, recruits her for the Bartlet campaign, offering a stark contrast: a massive pay cut for a cause that demands her integrity and intellect. Despite her initial skepticism and the daunting challenge of a national campaign, Toby's belief in her, and the promise of working for a "good man" like Jed Bartlet, ignites a spark. Back in the present, the President's hospital room offers a moment of chilling clarity. Ron Butterfield briefs Bartlet, Abbey, and Zoey on the weapons used, but the true shock arrives when Charlie Young learns the President was not the intended target. This revelation shatters Charlie's personal assumptions, momentarily disorienting his understanding of the attack's motive and the nature of the threat, adding a layer of unsettling complexity to the unfolding drama.
C.J. enters her backyard, startled to discover Toby lounging by the pool; in her shock, she slips and plunges in fully clothed. Surfacing sputtering, she demands he avert his eyes …
Fresh from her comedic pool plunge, C.J.—still dripping and vulnerable post-firing—faces Toby's earnest recruitment pitch for Bartlet's campaign as Press Secretary. Toby touts Bartlet's admiration for her Emily's List work, …
The White House grapples with the fallout of institutional oversight and the profound personal costs of public service. Leo McGarry and Margaret confront the alarming reality that no letter formally transferring presidential power to the Vice President was signed before Bartlet's surgery. Margaret's darkly humorous suggestion of forging the President's signature underscores the precariousness of the situation, teetering between constitutional crisis and desperate improvisation. Leo, burdened by the procedural lapse, takes responsibility for C.J.'s morning show appearance, while Toby, wracked with guilt over his memo requesting open-air exits, resolves to confront Ron Butterfield, determined to shield the Secret Service from blame. The narrative then sweeps back three years to the nascent Bartlet campaign headquarters in New Hampshire, a whirlwind of ambition and strategic calculation. C.J., Sam, Toby, Josh, and Leo meticulously plot their audacious path to the presidency, focusing on a long-shot strategy to win the Illinois primary. This scene reveals the intellectual firepower and collaborative spirit that forged the team. Amidst this strategic intensity, Donna Moss emerges. She appears unannounced in Josh's office, a persistent, overqualified college dropout from Wisconsin, insisting on volunteering. Her backstory—leaving school to support a medical student boyfriend who subsequently broke up with her—reveals a woman seeking purpose and a new beginning. Despite Josh's initial skepticism and his reluctance to "carry" anyone, Donna's unwavering determination to prove her value, even offering to sell her car to follow the campaign, wins him over. He hands her his White House badge, a symbolic gesture of trust and acceptance. The act culminates in a poignant return to the present: Donna, badge in hand, stands outside Josh's operating room, her tear-filled eyes reflecting the deep loyalty and personal investment that binds her to his fate, a silent testament to their shared journey from campaign hopefuls to the heart of the White House.
In Leo's office, Margaret reveals the President's failure to sign the routine power-transfer letter before anesthesia, exposing a glaring constitutional vulnerability amid the assassination crisis. Leo brushes it off, fixated …
As Margaret exits amid gallows humor over the missing transfer letter, a visibly strained C.J. bursts in, confronting Leo over his order for her morning show appearances, her reluctance rooted …
In a tense walk-and-talk, Leo informs Toby that C.J. refuses the morning shows, underscoring her reluctance to front the administration amid intensifying media scrutiny over the assassination attempt. Toby reveals …
In a brisk hallway walk-and-talk, Leo reveals C.J.'s refusal to face morning show questions about the President's unprotected open-air exit—a vulnerability tied to Toby's own memo that may have doomed …
In a flashback to the frenetic Bartlet campaign HQ, C.J. critiques a live TV misstep where Bartlet missed his cue. Toby pitches abandoning a likely third-place NH finish for an …
After Governor Bartlet dismisses the South Carolina pivot strategy and exits abruptly, Josh approaches Leo with wry sarcasm about the candidate's lack of warmth. Leo defends Bartlet, noting he's 'very …
Emotional and political pressures converge, driving characters toward resolution and resilience. C.J. confronts Sam, revealing her fragmented memory of the shooting and admitting her fear. Sam, in turn, returns her lost necklace, confessing he pulled her to safety and acknowledging his own terror, a raw moment of shared vulnerability that deepens their bond. C.J. then reclaims her public voice, pivoting her press briefing from the immediate attack to a powerful, moral indictment of gun violence, listing names and statistics, thus shaping the national narrative with profound impact. Simultaneously, Toby, consumed by guilt over his memo on presidential exits, confronts Ron Butterfield, seeking to publicly absolve the Secret Service. Ron, however, steadfastly refuses, asserting the attack was an "act of madmen," not a failure of procedure, and praising the agents' swift, heroic response. His stoic defense of duty highlights the unwavering commitment of the Secret Service. Leo, recognizing Danny's persistent inquiries about the transfer of power, invites him to the hospital, a subtle acknowledgment of the constitutional lapse and a gesture of trust. The narrative’s emotional core then ignites in a flashback to the Illinois primary victory, a pivotal moment for the Bartlet campaign. Amidst the jubilant celebrations, Donna delivers the devastating news of Josh’s father’s death. Bartlet, despite his gruff exterior and the demands of his victory speech, seeks out a stunned Josh at the airport. In a deeply personal and tender exchange, Bartlet offers profound comfort and acknowledges Josh’s immense sacrifice and value, cementing their bond beyond professional roles. This moment of intimate mentorship reveals the true character of the President. The episode culminates back in the present, as Josh, emerging from anesthesia, murmurs, "What's next?" Bartlet, leaning in, echoes the question, transforming the chaos and trauma into a powerful declaration of resolve and forward momentum. The final image of Bartlet placing a hand on Josh’s head, as Josh opens his eyes, signifies not an end to the struggle, but a collective commitment to face the future, wounded but undefeated.
In a hushed White House hallway, Sam returns C.J.'s necklace, quietly confessing he pulled her to safety during the chaos, unlocking her fragmented memories and raw admission of fear— a …
Tormented by self-recrimination over a memo he authored critiquing Secret Service protocols for presidential incapacity, Toby corners Ron Butterfield, demanding its release to expose procedural flaws amid the assassination crisis. …
Amid the White House crisis following the assassination attempt and a revealed constitutional lapse in power transfer protocols, Chief of Staff Leo McGarry quietly pulls reporter Danny Concannon aside. He …
Intercut with a flashback to the Illinois primary—where Donna urgently informs President Bartlet of Josh's father's sudden death, spurring Bartlet to seek his grieving protégé—a tender present-day hospital scene unfolds. …
C.J. pulls Sam from his office for a tense hallway walk, updating him on Josh's surgery before confessing her debilitating memory gaps from the shooting—explaining her dodged morning shows and …
In the hallway outside Sam's office, C.J. and Sam conclude their vulnerable exchange: he returns her necklace with self-deprecating humor masking relief, and they mutually confess their terror from the …
Outside the hospital, Toby intercepts Ron during a security sweep, noting his bandaged hand and expressing guilt over authoring the memo that eliminated the President's protective canopy, which he urges …
Outside GW Hospital, Toby intercepts Ron Butterfield during a security sweep, confessing he authored the memo altering the President's open-air exit protocol and urging its release to absolve the Secret …
In the White House briefing room, C.J. delivers a televised press briefing, first detailing the Secret Service's .357 Sig Sauer pistols and .726 JAR rifles used in the assassination attempt. …
In the press room's back, Leo watches C.J.'s televised briefing—detailing Secret Service weapons before pivoting to stark gun violence statistics, reframing the crisis nationally. He signals Margaret to draw reporter …
Sam and Leo buzz with cautious excitement over strong Illinois exit polls from Stark County, Rock Island, DeWitt, and Cumberland, with undecideds swinging decisively—Leo exclaims 'That's the Money!' Josh, shouting …
President Bartlet storms into the hotel suite, erupting in fury over Sam's generic victory speech draft—lashing out at its impersonal tone and accusing the team of 'handling' him like amateurs. …
As tension lingers from Bartlet's earlier outburst, Sam, Toby, and C.J. watch intently by the TV. The reporter declares Bartlet the winner with just 17% of precincts reporting, igniting explosive …
Amid the euphoric celebration of Bartlet's Illinois primary victory—cheers, hugs, and Kool & the Gang blasting—Donna approaches Josh apprehensively as he dances with joy, urging her to join. She cuts …
In a poignant flashback, Governor Bartlet ambushes Josh at the Chicago airport post-Illinois primary victory, revealing his father's death from a pulmonary embolism during chemotherapy. Bartlet probes their shared history, …
In this poignant flashback pivot, after comforting the grieving Josh—whose father has just died—Governor Bartlet turns to Leo McGarry, affirming Josh's resilience. With steely resolve, he states 'I'm ready,' eliciting …