Posse Comitatus
President Bartlet confronts the gut-wrenching choice to assassinate Qumari Defense Minister Abdul Shareef amid legal barriers and moral torment, while his staff battles for a pivotal welfare bill vote and reels from personal losses that shatter illusions of control.
Chaos erupts in the briefing room as C.J. juggles press jabs about a delayed presidential trip to New York for a marathon Shakespeare play, casually dropping the bombshell of a last-minute huddle with Qumari Defense Minister Abdul Shareef—unwittingly igniting the episode's molten core. Cut to the Situation Room, where Leo and Joint Chiefs corner Bartlet: Shareef bankrolls assassins targeting Americans, but Posse Comitatus chains the military, Executive Orders ban political hits, and U.S. soil shields him. Fitzwallace blueprints a shadow op—hijack Shareef's Gulfstream mid-flight, force-land in Bermuda, snipers waiting in the grass. Bartlet recoils, clutching a poisoned-gift pen recorder, his unease a live wire as he storms out, morality clashing against necessity's blade.
Parallel fires rage. Josh claws for welfare reform votes, trading marriage incentives and childcare billions with fence-sitters, Amy's principled rebellion forcing dirty deals like platform-chair bribes that sour victory's taste. Charlie hunts Delores Landingham's replacement, landing alpaca-farming ex-staffer Debbie Fiderer—stoned, sassy, fired once before for shielding him—her chaotic charm cracking Bartlet's resolve into reluctant pursuit. C.J. spars with Secret Service hunk Simon Donovan, their flirtation exploding in a New York alley kiss after his team nabs her stalker, only for fate to gun him down in a bodega shootout, bullets ripping through stolen tenderness as 'Hallelujah' wails.
New York pulses: motorcades snarl, Ritchie skips the play for Yankees baseball, Toby and Sam unleash traffic-jamming revenge, stranding the rival governor in gridlock retribution. Welfare squeaks through by eight, but Josh's guilt festers—he bought votes, betrayed ideals. Intermission shadows deepen Bartlet's torment; Leo presses with victim lists and monkish pleas: 'You won.' Bartlet snaps, 'Take him,' greenlighting snipers who drop Shareef and guards on Bermuda dirt, recorder salvaged as proof bleeds out.
Theater swells with 'Victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace,' Bartlet's silhouette looms behind curtains, peace a hollow echo. Ritchie confronts him post-bathroom cigarette—'Crime? Boy, I don't know' seals ass-kicking destiny. Simon's corpse sprawls amid bodega flowers, C.J. weeps in Times Square neon, Amy quits over welfare's compromises, Josh haunted by pragmatism's cost. Bartlet watches the stage, victory's chorus masking assassination's stain, reelection looming like war clouds over Qumar. Power demands descent into ordinary nations' league, morality's armor shatters under stakes' unyielding crush—extraordinary men forge peace through targeted savagery, personal griefs underscoring isolation's throne. Thematic thunder rolls: leadership's lone savagery, where winning means losing pieces of soul, legal fig leaves torn away by terror's blade, and even presidents bleed human.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The episode ignites in the chaotic Briefing Room as C.J. fields press questions about a delayed presidential trip to New York for a marathon Shakespeare play, casually dropping the bombshell of a last-minute meeting with Qumari Defense Minister Abdul Shareef, the inciting incident that plunges the White House into crisis. The narrative immediately shifts to the Situation Room, where Leo and the Joint Chiefs confront President Bartlet with an unconscionable choice: assassinate Shareef, a known financier of terror targeting Americans, who is currently on U.S. soil. Bartlet grapples with the legal shackles of Posse Comitatus and his own Executive Order banning political assassinations, recoiling from Fitzwallace's cold blueprint for a mid-flight interception and execution in Bermuda. His moral torment manifests as he drops a poisoned-gift pen recorder, a symbol of the dark path he might be forced to take. Simultaneously, Josh Lyman battles for crucial welfare reform votes, navigating principled objections from Amy Gardner and the dirty compromises required for legislative victory. Charlie Young embarks on a quixotic quest to replace Mrs. Landingham, encountering the eccentric, alpaca-farming Debbie Fiderer, whose chaotic charm offers a stark contrast to the White House's rigid world. C.J. Cregg's flirtation with Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan deepens, his protective instincts clashing with her independent spirit, hinting at a burgeoning personal connection amidst professional peril. Bartlet, in therapy, obliquely wrestles with the ethics of a 'crime' that might serve a greater good, his internal struggle mirroring the external pressures closing in. This act establishes the central conflict, introduces key character arcs, and sets a tone of escalating tension and moral ambiguity across both the geopolitical and domestic political landscapes, with the President's personal integrity hanging in the balance as he contemplates an extraordinary act of state-sanctioned violence.
In the Situation Room before Bartlet's arrival, Leo McGarry fiercely challenges Admiral Fitzwallace on the Pentagon's failure to cancel President Bartlet's meeting with Abdul Shareef, uncovering it was intentionally preserved …
President Bartlet enters the Situation Room amid tension from Leo's prior clash with Fitzwallace. Military and intelligence officials brief him on legal constraints—presidential authority for covert actions but bans on …
In a tense culmination of the Situation Room briefing, an aide hands President Bartlet a pen concealing a recording device to plant on Shareef as a 'gift.' Bartlet quips darkly …
In a rare light-hearted interlude, Secret Service agent Simon Donovan banters affectionately with his Little Brother Anthony in the White House lobby, urging daily expressions of love for his mom …
In C.J.'s office, Simon discloses he's Anthony's Big Brother for three years, prompting her warm approval. She insists there's no need for him to join the New York trip since …
The pressure mounts across multiple fronts as the White House staff grapples with both political maneuvering and the looming specter of assassination. Sam and Toby engage in strategic skirmishes with a Congressman, revealing the political calculus behind the welfare bill and the need to counter Governor Ritchie's campaign tactics, as the rival candidate uses the President's New York trip for political gain. Josh, caught in the legislative trenches, makes difficult concessions, promising presidential calls and trading political favors to secure the necessary votes, signaling his descent into pragmatism for legislative victory. President Bartlet endures a tense, silent encounter with Abdul Shareef in the Oval Office, refusing to shake his hand and contemptuously discarding Shareef's gift, a visceral expression of his revulsion for the man he contemplates eliminating. This direct, yet non-violent, confrontation underscores Bartlet's internal conflict. The political game intensifies as Toby and Sam plot to leak damaging information about Florida's delegation, further isolating Ritchie and demonstrating the cutthroat nature of the campaign. Charlie's efforts to find a new assistant for Bartlet lead to a comically disastrous interview with the pill-popping, alpaca-farming Debbie Fiderer, yet Charlie's unwavering determination hints at her eventual success, providing moments of levity amidst the escalating tension. The act culminates in Leo and Fitzwallace notifying the 'gang of eight' about the intelligence finding, confirming Bartlet's intent to rescind his own Executive Order and the military's inability to act on U.S. soil, solidifying the extra-legal nature of the impending operation and pushing the Shareef plot closer to its inevitable, morally fraught execution. The President's path toward an unprecedented decision becomes increasingly clear, even as he struggles with its implications.
Amid bustling theater crowds and reporters, the camera reveals agents poring over maps in a security van as Ron decisively marks secure red exits, confirms site agents, and greenlights detection …
Amid heightened security outside the Broadway theater, Ron—coordinating agents on secure exits and deploying detection dogs—spots Simon and pulls him aside. He shares a promising lead in their investigation, promising …
New York City pulses with a mix of high-stakes politics and burgeoning personal drama, setting the stage for both intimate connections and strategic maneuvers. C.J. Cregg and Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan's simmering tension erupts in a deserted alleyway, their sharp-witted banter giving way to a raw, passionate kiss, a moment of unexpected tenderness amidst the city's chaos. The relief is palpable as Simon receives news that C.J.'s stalker has been apprehended, seemingly resolving a major threat and opening a door for their personal connection, promising a future that feels both earned and fragile. Meanwhile, the political battle for the welfare bill rages on. Sam and Toby discover Governor Ritchie's deliberate absence from the President's event, opting instead for a Yankees game to score political points, prompting them to orchestrate a retaliatory traffic jam to strand Ritchie, a masterful, if petty, act of political sabotage. Josh Lyman, despite securing the crucial votes for the welfare bill's passage, is left with a profound sense of guilt, having 'bought' the victory through a backroom deal that will cost Amy Gardner her job. The triumph of legislative success is immediately undercut by the moral compromises and personal sacrifices made, highlighting the ethical price of political success and the corrosive nature of pragmatism. This act delivers a peak in C.J.'s personal storyline, a tactical victory for the White House, and a growing sense of unease about the ethical price of political success, with the underlying tension of the Shareef plot still simmering beneath the surface.
In Josh's office, Toby phones in to confirm Josh's deal appointing Brenda as Platform Committee Chairman to clinch the welfare bill vote, probing if his own pressure or the President's …
In the wake of securing the welfare bill vote through a compromising deal, Josh's post-victory glow fades as guilt surfaces during a phone call with Toby, who probes the ethical …
Off-duty Secret Service agent Simon Donovan enters a nighttime convenience store cheerfully, grabbing a Milky Way bar and bantering lightly with the visibly shaken Korean grocer about buying a flower. …
Spotting the empty cash drawer and nervous grocer, Simon draws his concealed pistol, cocks it decisively, and confronts the suspicious fruit stand customer, identifying himself as Secret Service. He forces …
Triumphant after subduing the first robber, Simon activates his wrist mic to call for NYPD backup at the Korean grocery on 98th and Broadway, beginning to reassure the grocer. Suddenly, …
The episode hurtles towards its devastating climax, intertwining personal tragedy with the brutal demands of presidential power, leaving a trail of shattered illusions and profound moral compromises. Toby and Sam savor their tactical victory as Ritchie remains trapped in New York traffic, a fleeting moment of political satisfaction that quickly fades. Charlie reveals Debbie Fiderer's past loyalty to Bartlet, adding depth to her character and solidifying her place, a small human victory amidst the gathering storm. However, the fragile peace shatters as Secret Service Agent Simon Donovan, off-duty, bravely intervenes in a bodega robbery, disarming one suspect only to be gunned down by a second, hidden assailant. The melancholic strains of 'Hallelujah' underscore C.J.'s raw, public grief in Times Square, her newfound hope brutally extinguished, a stark reminder of the unpredictable violence that permeates their world. Amy Gardner confronts Josh about the welfare bill's moral compromises, resigning in protest, her ideals clashing with his pragmatic victory, a debate abruptly halted by the news of Simon's death, highlighting the personal cost of political expediency. In the theater hallway, Leo confronts Bartlet during intermission, pressing him to authorize Shareef's assassination. Bartlet wrestles with the profound moral implications, the 'league of ordinary nations' argument, but Leo's stark declaration, 'Because you won,' ultimately forces his hand. Bartlet's terse 'Take him' seals Shareef's fate, a decision made in the crucible of duty and loss. Later, Bartlet confronts Governor Ritchie, who dismisses 'Crime' with a glib 'Boy, I don't know,' a callousness that ignites Bartlet's fury and resolve: 'In the future, if you're wondering, 'Crime. Boy, I don't know' is when I decided to kick your ass,' a declaration of war on his political opponent. The assassination unfolds on a remote Bermuda landing strip, snipers executing Shareef and his bodyguards as the play's chorus sings of 'victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace,' the irony a bitter counterpoint to the brutal reality. Bartlet stands alone behind the curtain, a silhouette against the stage, the hollow echo of peace masking the brutal cost of his decision, his personal griefs and the weight of command underscoring his profound isolation, as the narrative concludes with the chilling realization that extraordinary men forge peace through targeted savagery, and even presidents bleed human.
In Amy's apartment, Josh confronts her about resigning after torpedoing a welfare bill deal out of rigid principle, exposing their irreconcilable divide: his pragmatic defense of Democratic unity and necessary …
Amid Josh and Amy's escalating argument over political compromises and the welfare bill, with Amy slamming the fridge in frustration, the living room phone rings, cutting through their ideological fury. …
Descending into the dimly lit theater mess at night, President Bartlet pauses past the men's bathroom and lights a cigarette—a rare, illicit personal ritual amid the crushing weight of authorizing …
In the theater mess, a casual encounter between President Bartlet and Governor Ritchie escalates from small talk about the play and Ritchie's traffic delay into raw confrontation. Bartlet reveals Secret …
In the remote Bermuda landing strip, a private plane touches down under night vision scrutiny. Unaware Qumari Defense Minister Abdul Shareef and his bodyguards disembark; snipers fire precise shots, dropping …
In the aftermath of the fatal shots at the remote landing strip, one sniper methodically extracts the pen recorder—previously handed to Shareef by Bartlet in discomfort—from the Defense Minister's lifeless …
In the Situation Room, Admiral Fitzwallace awaits confirmation as snipers at a remote landing strip fatally shoot Abdul Shareef and his bodyguards upon their plane's arrival. The sniper retrieves the …