The West Wing
S1E10
· In Excelsis Deo

Toby Insists on a Stranger's Dignity

Toby, surrounded by Korean War books, frantically presses a phone contact to learn about Walter Hufnagle — a homeless Korean War veteran found dead on the Mall in Toby's coat. Heically trying to secure next-of-kin and a proper burial, Toby's moral urgency is punctured by Mandy's petty holiday-decor gripe about Santa hats and Dickensian costumes. Her question — why it matters to him if he doesn't know the man — forces Toby to admit, silently and brusquely, that the dead deserve dignity. The beat humanizes Toby, sharpens his ethical drive, and propels him from newsroom urgency into a personal quest that will collide with the administration's political priorities.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Toby is on the phone, visibly frustrated, trying to get information about Walter Hufnagle, a homeless Korean War veteran who died wearing his coat.

frustration to determination ["Toby's office"]

Mandy interrupts Toby to discuss trivial holiday decor clashes, which Toby dismisses as he remains focused on his call.

irritation to dismissal

Toby reveals to Mandy that Walter Hufnagle's death matters to him despite not knowing the man, hinting at his moral struggle.

defensiveness to resolve

Toby dismisses Mandy to refocus on his call, pulling the phone away in disgust as he processes the situation.

annoyance to disgust

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Madeline Hampton
primary

Mildly annoyed and focused on logistics; emotionally detached from Toby's distress and inclined to treat moments as management problems.

Enters with a knock, checks if Toby is busy, and raises a petty production complaint about holiday decorations (Santa hats vs. Dickensian costumes). She frames her gripe as an operational update, then leaves after being brusquely dismissed.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure holiday pageant aesthetics and production decisions are handled.
  • • Keep senior staff informed about visible details that affect public perception.
  • • Confirm Toby's availability for decisions or sign-off.
Active beliefs
  • • Public image and small details matter to the administration's standing.
  • • Operational problems should be surfaced quickly, even during crises.
  • • Personal or private moral agonies are secondary to visible administration functioning.
Character traits
optics-driven pragmatic about presentation dismissive of private grief blunt
Follow Madeline Hampton's journey
Toby Ziegler

Leaning against his desk among Korean War books, Toby is on the phone trying to confirm the dead veteran's identity …

Walter Hufnagle (deceased Korean War veteran)

Referenced by Toby as the deceased homeless Korean War veteran found on the Mall; not physically present but the conversation …

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Northwest Lobby Reception Desk Telephone (answered by Ginger — "In Excelsis Deo")

The telephone functions as the immediate instrument of Toby's moral triage: he uses it to demand and gather information about the deceased veteran, listens intently, temporarily removes it from his ear in disgust, and then returns to it — the device translating anonymous tragedy into actionable information.

Before: Off-screen call in progress; Toby already holding the …
After: Still in Toby's possession, used to continue the …
Before: Off-screen call in progress; Toby already holding the phone and speaking when the scene opens.
After: Still in Toby's possession, used to continue the inquiry and to momentarily puncture the conversation with Mandy's interruption.
Red Felt Santa Hats (Northwest Lobby pageant props)

A small pile of Santa hats is referenced by Mandy as a visual problem — their presence produces a petty aesthetic complaint that intrudes on and undercuts Toby's urgent phone call, serving narratively to contrast holiday frivolity with human neglect.

Before: Present as decorative props in or near the …
After: Unchanged physically (left where they were), but their …
Before: Present as decorative props in or near the office area, casually handled by staff prior to Mandy's comment.
After: Unchanged physically (left where they were), but their narrative function is elevated: they become a symbol of staff preoccupation with optics amid a moral crisis.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Toby Ziegler's West Wing Office

Toby's private West Wing office is the intimate stage for this exchange: lined with Korean War books and a small desk, it holds the physical traces of Toby's personal investment and becomes the site where institutional processes and private conscience collide as he pursues next-of-kin and burial arrangements.

Atmosphere Taut and private — a mix of urgent, moral gravity and the intrusive, pedestrian cheer …
Function Private workspace for triage and moral decision-making; the place where a personal mission is initiated …
Symbolism Represents moral solitude and the tension between individual conscience and a bureaucratic environment that often …
Access Informal restriction to staff and colleagues; entry is by knock (Mandy knocks), indicating semi-privacy.
Several Korean War books visible on the desk, signaling Toby's personal investment in the subject. A notepad and telephone in active use; Toby is physically leaning against the desk. Holiday decorations/props (Santa hats) are nearby, their cheer contrasting with the seriousness of the call.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 2
Character Continuity medium

"Toby's initial disinterest in holiday trivia transitions into his focused determination to honor Walter Hufnagle, showing his shift from detachment to deep moral engagement."

A Police Call Freezes Holiday Banter — They Want Toby
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
Character Continuity medium

"Toby's initial disinterest in holiday trivia transitions into his focused determination to honor Walter Hufnagle, showing his shift from detachment to deep moral engagement."

Flamingo: The Private Name in a Public House
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo
What this causes 1
Causal

"Toby's phone calls to gather information about Walter Hufnagle lead him to seek out Walter's brother under the Washington Bridge, driving the plot forward."

Toby Insists on Dignity for a Dead Marine
S1E10 · In Excelsis Deo

Key Dialogue

"TOBY: A homeless Korean War Vet died of exposure out on the mall last night. I don't know if his family's been contacted, I don't know... what kind of burial..."
"MANDY: How do you know him?"
"TOBY: I don't."