Fabula
S2E22 · Two Cathedrals
S2E22
· Two Cathedrals Flashback

Young Jed Debates Chapel Inclusivity and Exposes Fatherly Estrangement

In a tense school office confrontation, young Jed Bartlet challenges Mrs. Landingham's assertion that the required chapel service is non-denominational, arguing its Christian prayers exclude Jews and Catholics, igniting a sharp theological debate. She pivots to probe his volunteer work despite privilege and his formal 'sir' to his headmaster father, eliciting Jed's defensive revelations of family distance and discomfort. This flashback unveils Jed's early vulnerabilities, moral stirrings, and Mrs. Landingham's pivotal role as provocateur, echoing Bartlet's present grief and character formation.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Young Jed Bartlet challenges Mrs. Landingham on the inclusivity of the school's non-denominational service, sparking a theological debate about Catholic versus Protestant practices.

casual to contentious

Mrs. Landingham turns the tables, questioning Jed's motivations for working at the school and his relationship with his father, probing his personal boundaries and upbringing.

defensive to introspective

Mrs. Landingham's persistent questioning about Jed's formal address of his father reveals the underlying power dynamics and emotional distance in their family relationship, leaving her visibly puzzled.

curious to mystified

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

1
Dolores Landingham
primary

Confidently assertive in faith defense, lightly amused by debate, genuinely mystified by familial detachment

Typing at desk before standing firmly to retrieve binder amid escalating debate; counters Jed's theological challenges with poised assertions, then pivots to personal probes on his volunteer work and paternal formality; walks with him into hallway, amused yet demure, ending mystified as she walks away.

Goals in this moment
  • • Defend the chapel service's non-denominational nature
  • • Uncover Jed's personal motivations and family dynamics
Active beliefs
  • • Required chapel is inclusively non-denominational within Christian bounds
  • • Family bonds demand informal intimacy regardless of professional roles
Character traits
principled inquisitive firm amused demure mystified
Follow Dolores Landingham's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Young Jed Bartlet's Suit Jacket

Young Jed flips the suit jacket over his head with back turned at scene outset, the fabric snapping into place as transformative prop signaling shift from casual to confrontational posture; it embodies enforced propriety weaponized in rebellion, punctuating the debate's ignition amid office tension and marking his bold entry into moral sparring.

Before: Draped or held loosely, off-body in office space
After: Worn clamped on shoulders, transforming slouch to resolve …
Before: Draped or held loosely, off-body in office space
After: Worn clamped on shoulders, transforming slouch to resolve as he engages
Young Mrs. Landingham's School Binder

Mrs. Landingham stands and wrenches the binder from desk-side cabinet with creaking urgency as chapel debate intensifies, wielding it as authoritative prop to bolster her firmer theological rebuttal; vinyl heft symbolizes institutional mandates, steeling her challenge while bridging to personal inquiry on Jed's life.

Before: Stored in desk-side cabinet, untouched amid typing
After: Gripped firmly in hand, pages fanned subtly as …
Before: Stored in desk-side cabinet, untouched amid typing
After: Gripped firmly in hand, pages fanned subtly as debate prop during stand-off

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Adjacent Office

Young Jed briefly shoulders into this cramped adjacent office to screech open the metal file cabinet and claw free a folder amid dust cloud and mildew scent, interrupting the main office debate's rhythm; it serves as hurried document vault, fueling the confrontation's evidentiary pivot while shadows underscore brewing familial showdown next door.

Atmosphere Stifling and cluttered with faded secrets, dust-laden air thick with accusation
Function storage area for retrieving debate-adjacent documents
Symbolism Repository of institutional records mirroring unspoken family sins
Access Incidental access for staff like Jed during urgent retrieval
Screeching metal file cabinet Erupting dust with mildew and ink scents Afternoon light slicing through half-drawn blinds

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"JED: "It wasn't a non-denominational service." MRS. LANDINGHAM: "Of course it was.""
"JED: "'Our Father' is not non-denominational." MRS. LANDINGHAM: "([firmer]) It was a non-denominational service.""
"MRS. LANDINGHAM: "Why do you call your father 'sir'?" JED: "My father's the Headmaster.""