Jordan Corners Leo on Withheld Secrets
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Jordan Kendall pressures Leo to enter the hearing room, while Leo deflects with nervous humor about breakfast and tomato juice.
Leo rattles off the mounting crises (church threats, National Guard deployment) to justify delaying the hearing, exposing his stress through over-enumeration.
Jordan interrogates Leo about unshared information regarding the hearing, with Leo cryptically admitting 'There's lots of things I haven't told you.'
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Determined resolve masking worry for Leo's secrets
Jordan firmly presses Leo to enter the hearing despite his breakfast dodge and crisis dump, deftly handles press intrusion by questioning his Grammy quip, and sharply interrogates if he's hiding testimony details, refusing to yield.
- • Force Leo into the hearing prepared and honest
- • Uncover any withheld information endangering them
- • Transparency strengthens their defense
- • Leo's evasion signals deeper risks
Professionally focused and unobtrusive
Margaret briefly interrupts earlier to signal the incoming Josh call via cellphone, facilitating the communication chain that feeds into Leo's crisis preoccupation during his stall with Jordan.
- • Ensure seamless communication for Leo
- • Manage interruptions without disrupting flow
- • Timely relays prevent larger disruptions
- • Loyalty means anticipating Leo's needs
Defensive bravado veiling profound anxiety and vulnerability over hidden relapse
Leo sits at the witness table, stalling Jordan's insistence by proposing breakfast, rattling off crises to justify delay, quipping sarcastically to encroaching press about a Grammy win, and evasively admitting untold details about his testimony, revealing cracks in his composure.
- • Delay entering the hearing to compose himself
- • Deflect Jordan's probing to protect his secret
- • Crises demand his attention over personal testimony
- • Vulnerability must remain concealed to maintain control
Calmly dutiful amid escalating threats
Mike Casper, having just briefed Leo on the seven church threats, ATF support, and governor briefing immediately prior, is invoked in Leo's stalling rationale as the source of crisis intel, underscoring Leo's divided duties without further direct presence.
- • Coordinate crisis response effectively
- • Support White House by liaising with Josh
- • Federal resources can contain the arson crisis
- • Clear communication strengthens inter-agency efforts
Concerned persistence tinged with frustration
Josh, fresh off a tense phone call offering testimony strategy and anecdote, is rebuffed by Leo who then pivots to stalling Jordan, with Josh's crisis updates implicitly fueling Leo's justification for delay.
- • Assist Leo by neutralizing hearing threats
- • Monitor Tennessee crisis remotely
- • Proactive fixes mitigate Leo's vulnerabilities
- • Shared guilt binds them to mutual aid
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The House Hearing Room frames Leo's tense pre-testimony stall at the witness table, where ticking clock amplifies pressure, press swarm the periphery, and Jordan confronts him directly, turning the formal space into a crucible of personal evasion and relational strain amid national crises.
Tennessee Church Sites are invoked by Leo as the epicenter of seven new arson threats across five counties, pulling his focus from the hearing and symbolizing the broader national crisis that justifies his procrastination, heightening the event's stakes through distant tragedy.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Press physically closes in on Leo and Jordan outside the hearing room, prompting Leo's deflecting Grammy quip, amplifying scrutiny and forcing a public-facing moment that underscores the event's exposure risks.
ATF is referenced via Mike's prior briefing as dispatching a team to Tennessee church sites, bolstering federal response to the seven new threats Leo cites to stall, underscoring inter-agency mobilization that distracts from his testimony.
Tennessee National Guard is flagged by Leo as a potential federalization target amid church threats and governor briefing, weaponized in his delay tactic to emphasize crisis overload, highlighting tensions between state and federal authority.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Leo assigning Mike to assist Josh directly leads to Josh pressuring Mike about the church arson investigations."
"Leo assigning Mike to assist Josh directly leads to Josh pressuring Mike about the church arson investigations."
"Leo assigning Mike to assist Josh directly leads to Josh pressuring Mike about the church arson investigations."
"Leo's tension at the hearing table contrasts with his emotional breakdown when gifted the 'Bartlet for America' napkin, showing his internal struggle and loyalty."
"Josh's 'compulsive fixing' behavior is acknowledged by both Leo and Bartlet, highlighting Josh's consistent character trait."
"Josh's 'compulsive fixing' behavior is acknowledged by both Leo and Bartlet, highlighting Josh's consistent character trait."
"Josh's 'compulsive fixing' behavior is acknowledged by both Leo and Bartlet, highlighting Josh's consistent character trait."
"Leo's cryptic admission about unshared information escalates to Jordan demanding full disclosure about his relapse."
Key Dialogue
"JORDAN: They're waiting for us, Leo. LEO: Yeah, they really can. Seven new threats on black churches; the Governor's coming up; we might have to federalize the Tennessee National Guard; and that's just the stuff I know about that's going to happen, and here I am today."
"LEO: Did I win a Grammy for something? JORDAN: Were you nominated? LEO: No. JORDAN: That's ridiculous. LEO: Well, those things are so political."
"JORDAN: Leo, is there something you haven't told me? LEO: There's lots of things I haven't told you, Jordan. JORDAN: About today."