Isaac and Ishmael

The episode opens with the cast of The West Wing, including Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, John Spencer, Dulé Hill, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Stockard Channing, and Janel Moloney, directly addressing the audience. They explain that this is a special, non-canonical episode dedicated to the victims and heroes of 9/11, with all profits going to relief funds. They emphasize its unique nature as a 'story-telling aberration' before previewing the upcoming third season's usual storylines. This meta-introduction immediately establishes the episode's somber tone and its purpose as a tribute. The narrative then plunges into an FBI field office in Burlington, Vermont, where Agent Greg initiates a search for 'Yaarun Nabi,' a Persian name meaning 'friend of the prophet.' The search yields several dangerous aliases, including 'Raqim Ali,' triggering an urgent, high-level alert. Simultaneously, in the White House, Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman prepares to leave for the day, only for Donna Moss to remind him of his commitment to speak to a group of high school students from Presidential Classroom. As Josh reluctantly heads to the northwest lobby, a Code Black is declared, sealing the White House in an immediate, ironclad lockdown. Secret Service agents swarm the building, instructing everyone to 'Stay where you are.' Josh, caught off guard, gathers the bewildered students, confirming they are 'with him' as the executive mansion becomes an unexpected, high-stakes prison.

Donna ushers the nervous high school students into the White House Mess, a makeshift sanctuary during the escalating crisis. Josh, pacing like a caged animal, attempts to explain the 'crash' – a security breach sealing the building – but his own anxiety bleeds through. He orders Donna to contact Leo's office, desperate for information. A sharp-witted student, Billy Fernandez, challenges Josh, asserting the Legislative Branch's constitutional superiority over the Executive. Josh, adopting a menacing smirk, renames him 'Fred' and playfully warns him, establishing a dynamic of intellectual sparring. Girl 1, cutting through the political jargon, directly asks, 'What's the deal with everybody trying to kill you?' This raw question prompts Josh to reveal his personal scars: the Rosslyn shooting and his mother's emergency box filled with survival gear and sentimental items, including a signed Joe Pepitone cap. He then makes a fierce vow, declaring, 'We're not leaving till we do' (win big), revealing a deep-seated commitment to his work despite the personal cost. The students press further on the 'why us?' question, leading Josh to the dry-erase board. He scrawls a provocative analogy: 'Islamic extremist is to Islamic as 'blank' is to Christianity,' then fills the blank with 'KKK,' forcefully distinguishing radical groups from the millions of patriotic Muslims serving the country. He details the absurdities of extremist interpretations of Islamic law, contrasting them with America's pluralistic society, where diverse faiths, freedoms, and expressions thrive. As Josh leaves to gather 'smarter' colleagues, the scene shifts abruptly to a darkened Old Executive Office Building room where Secret Service agents, led by Ron Butterfield, burst in, guns drawn, on a startled Raqim Ali, initiating his apprehension.

Leo McGarry receives a chilling briefing from Ron Butterfield: Khuram Sharif, arrested for an attempted bombing, has named 'Yaarun Nabi' as a co-conspirator, whose alias, Raqim Ali, works within the White House. The revelation hangs heavy, confirming Leo's grim premonition that it was 'only a matter of time.' The interrogation of Raqim Ali begins in a darkened office, focusing on his MIT degree in Applied Mathematics and his seemingly incongruous job as a White House staffer secretary, raising suspicions about his true intentions. Back in the White House Mess, Toby Ziegler, Deputy Communications Director, joins the students, initially bantering darkly about 'killing them all' except for essential elements like the Yankees and good steak. He then shifts to a more serious tone, providing a stark political analogy for Islamic extremism: the Taliban to the Nazis, Afghanistan to Poland, and its citizens to Jews in concentration camps. Toby emphasizes that 'bad people can't be recognized on sight,' challenging simplistic profiling. Sam Seaborn, Deputy Communications Director, arrives, delving into the historical roots of terrorism, recounting the 11th-century 'Assassins' cult, fueled by hashish and promises of paradise for murderous acts. Sam then powerfully asserts terrorism's '100% failure rate,' citing examples like the IRA and the Weathermen, contrasting their futility with the triumphs of non-violent movements like Gandhi's and the Civil Rights Movement. He starkly reminds the students that societies like Israel live daily with the threat of random bombings. Meanwhile, Leo intensifies his interrogation of Ali, probing him about a 'wire' found in his backpack, his father's contribution to the 'Holy Land Defender,' and a past protest. Ali's anger flares as his father is implicated, leading Leo to deliver a cutting, prejudiced remark: 'Well, that's the price you pay' for looking like them, exposing a raw nerve of suspicion and racial profiling.

The White House Mess becomes a crucible of debate as C.J. Cregg, Press Secretary, passionately advocates for robust intelligence gathering, including human spies, Arabic language training, phone tapping, and even 'busboys with silencers,' asserting the necessity of Draconian measures in times of crisis. Billy Fernandez counters her with Benjamin Franklin's timeless warning about sacrificing essential liberty for temporary safety. Toby challenges C.J. on the historical failures of such measures, like the blacklist, sparking a sharp exchange on civil liberties versus national security. Charlie Young, President Bartlet's personal aide, offers a profound perspective, drawing a parallel between the allure of dignity and belonging offered by inner-city gangs in impoverished areas and the similar pull of terrorist groups. He highlights how both provide a sense of pride where conventional society fails. The dramatic tension peaks with the unexpected arrival of President Bartlet and First Lady Abbey Bartlet. Bartlet, with his characteristic gravitas, confronts a student's naive question about the nobility of martyrdom, unequivocally condemning it as 'sick, twisted, brutal, dumb-ass murder.' He champions heroes who 'live for' their country, not die for it. Simultaneously, the interrogation of Raqim Ali intensifies, focusing on his past protest against U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and a bomb threat at his high school. Leo McGarry's prejudice surfaces explicitly with his cutting 'I can't imagine why' when Ali mentions Arab-Americans being first suspected. The climax of Ali's ordeal arrives when a Secret Service agent bursts in with critical news: the *real* Yaarun Nabi alias has been located in Germany, unequivocally clearing Raqim Ali. Ali, though free, confronts Leo about the Rosslyn shooting, reminding him that the white shooters targeted diversity, a direct indictment of Leo's earlier profiling.

With Raqim Ali cleared, the immediate threat dissipates, but the lingering shadow of prejudice remains. Leo McGarry sits motionless, haunted by his earlier, biased remarks to Ali and the painful memory of the Rosslyn shooting, where white supremacists targeted diversity. In the White House Mess, Abbey Bartlet takes center stage, weaving the ancient narrative of Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham, whose descendants became Jews and Arabs. She emphasizes the crucial detail that, in the end, 'the two sons came together to bury their father,' offering a powerful metaphor for reconciliation and shared humanity. Josh, ever the pragmatist, interjects with a touch of humor, reminding everyone of the story's ancient origins. As the lockdown officially clears, Abbey departs, leaving Josh to deliver his final, poignant message to the students. He rejects the death penalty as too simple, instead proposing a chilling, empathetic 'punishment' for terrorists: forcing them to watch home movies of their victims' joyous life events, followed by nightly physical retribution. More importantly, he urges the students to embrace pluralism, declaring it the ultimate weapon against extremism: 'You want to get these people? Keep accepting more than one idea. Makes 'em absolutely crazy.' As the students file out, Josh offers a quiet, meaningful encouragement to Billy Fernandez: 'Just keep doing what you're doing,' acknowledging his sharp intellect and questioning spirit. The narrative then returns to Ali's office where Leo, stiff and uncomfortable, offers a raw, halting apology for his earlier 'price you pay' comment and his crack about Muslim women driving. He struggles to articulate his remorse, attributing his behavior to the heightened stress. As Ali listens quietly, Leo's final, soft words – 'Way to be back at your desk' – resonate with a profound, hard-won understanding. The episode concludes with Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth,' its lyrics underscoring the themes of vigilance, conflict, and the imperative to 'look what's going down,' cementing the episode's message of confronting fear with pluralism and choosing heroes who live for peace.