Leo Deflects Secrets with Bartlet Banter Before Oath
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Jordan presses Leo for answers as he prepares to take the oath, increasing tension about his hidden vulnerabilities.
Leo cryptically references 'a family thing' before solemnly swearing to tell the truth, foreshadowing personal stakes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Blunt and resolute, blending ruthless loyalty demands with warm camaraderie.
President Bartlet calls Leo from the White House, bluntly ordering perjury if needed to shield himself, endorses Josh's actions, and engages in lighthearted banter about Jordan's appearance and Christmas Eve to underscore personal support before hanging up.
- • Secure Leo's commitment to protect the presidency at all costs
- • Bolster Leo's morale through personal reassurance
- • Institutional survival trumps individual ethics in crisis
- • Personal bonds like those with Leo enable bold directives
Concerned and frustrated, sensing Leo's evasion but constrained by the formal setting.
Jordan initially blocks incoming calls to shield Leo, reluctantly describes her outfit when Leo relays Bartlet's query, and repeatedly presses Leo post-call for clarity on the tense exchange, showing persistent concern amid the impending testimony.
- • Protect Leo from distractions during testimony prep
- • Uncover the source of his evident distress
- • Transparency with allies is essential for effective legal defense
- • Leo's health vulnerabilities require vigilant oversight
Urgent and dutiful, focused on relaying high-priority information.
Margaret briefly enters the hearing room to urgently interrupt Jordan and inform Leo of the President's incoming call, overriding the no-calls directive and facilitating the critical communication.
- • Ensure Leo receives the President's call immediately
- • Navigate the high-stakes hearing environment efficiently
- • Presidential communications supersede all other protocols
- • Leo's needs as Chief of Staff demand swift action
Tense and conflicted, masking vulnerability with screwball levity while steeling for testimony.
Leo receives the President's call at the witness stand, acknowledges the perjury directive with a humorous deflection about global intelligence agencies, banters lightly about Jordan's outfit and Christmas plans to ease tension, brushes off Jordan's probing as a 'family thing,' and then rises to swear the ceremonial oath before the committee.
- • Absorb and comply with Bartlet's directive to protect the presidency
- • Deflect personal scrutiny from Jordan to maintain composure before oath
- • Unwavering loyalty to Bartlet overrides personal risk
- • Private 'family' struggles like relapse must remain shielded from public view
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Leo's Written Oath lies prominently before him at the witness stand; the Chairman directs him to swear by it, and Leo recites the vow of truthfulness aloud, symbolically amplifying the irony as it precedes testimony fraught with potential deception ordered by Bartlet.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The House Hearing Room hosts the tense pre-testimony moment where Margaret interrupts, Leo takes the pivotal phone call at the witness stand, banters amid scrutiny, and swears the oath, its formal atmosphere underscoring the collision of private loyalties and public accountability.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee exerts formal authority through the Chairman's instruction for Leo to rise and swear the oath, framing the event as the gateway to probing the MS disclosure scandal and testing executive loyalty under oath.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Bartlet's order for Leo to protect him at all costs parallels his later gift of the napkin, both emphasizing loyalty and sacrifice."
Key Dialogue
"BARTLET: ([on phone]) Listen, I don't care that much about your ass but if you need to perjure yourself to protect me you're going to damn well do it."
"LEO: ([to Jordan]) It ain't nothing but a family thing."
"LEO: [to Committee] I solemnly swear that the testimony today will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God."