The West Wing
S2E22
· Two Cathedrals

Abbey's Cruel Updates Ignite Bartlet's Bitter Withdrawal

In the tense silence of the presidential limousine racing to Mrs. Landingham's funeral, Abbey gently delivers two devastating blows to the grief-stricken Bartlet: the young driver responsible for the secretary's death is released after minor injuries, facing only vehicular manslaughter charges; party elders like Frank Mitchell and Bill Carney are actively plotting to install Hoynes as successor if Bartlet steps aside. His absent acknowledgments give way to searing sarcasm—'The world'll rest easier'—before he abruptly shuts down, declaring 'We're here.' This intimate betrayal amplifies his isolation, fueling the divine rage erupting at the cathedral.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Abbey gently informs Bartlet about the release of the girl involved in Mrs. Landingham's accident, hinting at the impending manslaughter charges.

melancholy to tentative concern ['Presidential limousine']

Abbey reveals that party elders are pushing for Hoynes as a successor, testing Bartlet's resolve amidst the political fallout.

tentative concern to resigned acceptance ['Presidential limousine']

Bartlet responds with sardonic resignation ('The world'll rest easier'), signaling his internal conflict and emotional withdrawal.

resigned acceptance to stunned sadness ['Presidential limousine']

Bartlet tersely announces their arrival at the cathedral, cutting off further discussion and reinforcing his emotional isolation.

stunned sadness to abrupt finality ['Presidential limousine']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

7
John Hoynes
primary

Poised for leverage in Bartlet's vulnerability

Positioned by Abbey's relayed elder consensus as the anointed successor if Bartlet steps back with endorsement, offering Democrats a path to retain the White House amid unfolding crises.

Goals in this moment
  • • Claim presidency via party machinery
  • • Exploit MS revelation for handover
Active beliefs
  • • Scandal dooms Bartlet, elevates self
  • • Elder support guarantees viability
Character traits
opportunistic ambitious fundraising-strong
Follow John Hoynes's journey
Abigail Bartlet
primary

gentle, discouraged, stunned, sad

seated next to Bartlet, stares ahead then turns to gently inform him about the driver's release and charges, relays party elders' meetings and consensus on supporting Hoynes, reacts stunned and resigned to his sarcasm

Goals in this moment
  • • inform Bartlet about the driver's situation
  • • update him on political pressures from party elders
Character traits
supportive poised strategically vital
Follow Abigail Bartlet's journey
Unnamed Girl Driver
primary

Recovering physically but shadowed by legal peril

Invoked by Abbey as the young driver released from hospital after minor injuries (fractured wrist, stitches over eye; companions with scratches/bruises), now facing vehicular manslaughter charges for fatally crashing into Mrs. Landingham's car.

Goals in this moment
  • • Navigate manslaughter charges minimally
  • • Resume life post-accident
Active beliefs
  • • Injuries prove accident's scale was limited
  • • Legal system will treat youth leniently
Character traits
youthful negligent surviving
Follow Unnamed Girl …'s journey
Frank Mitchell
primary

Calculated urgency driving party preservation

Cited by Abbey alongside other elders as participating in all-morning meetings forging consensus to back Hoynes as presidential successor if Bartlet withdraws amid MS scandal.

Goals in this moment
  • • Engineer smooth Hoynes ascension
  • • Mitigate electoral fallout from scandal
Active beliefs
  • • Bartlet's withdrawal ensures Democratic survival
  • • Hoynes represents viable continuity
Character traits
strategic pragmatic influential
Follow Frank Mitchell's journey
Joanna
primary

Resolute in political calculus despite White House grief

Named by Abbey with Mitchell and Carney as party elder in all-morning meetings, contributing to consensus elevating Hoynes should Bartlet step aside for White House retention.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure party's institutional power
  • • Position Hoynes via elder coordination
Active beliefs
  • • Personal loyalty secondary to electoral math
  • • Succession plot shields against MS cover-up
Character traits
ambitious party-loyal machinelike
Follow Joanna's journey
Josiah Bartlet
primary

melancholy, bitter

seated in the back seat of the limousine, staring out the window preoccupied and melancholy, acknowledges Abbey absently, responds with sarcasm 'The world'll rest easier', then abruptly declares 'We're here'

Goals in this moment
  • • withdraw emotionally and shut down the conversation
Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey
Bill
primary

party elder mentioned as being in meetings all morning

Goals in this moment
  • • plot to install Hoynes as successor if Bartlet steps aside
Follow Bill's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Presidential Limousine

This armored, rolling enclave traps Bartlet and Abbey in back-seat intimacy during the funeral drive, where deafening silence amplifies Abbey's relayed blows about the driver's fate and party plotting, transforming transit into a pressure cooker of grief, sarcasm, and isolation that foreshadows Bartlet's defiant rage.

Atmosphere Deafening silence pierced by gentle throat-clearing and tentative revelations, heavy with unspoken sorrow and political …
Function Secure mobile sanctuary for raw spousal exchange en route to funeral
Symbolism Emblem of presidential confinement, where personal loss collides with institutional betrayal
Access Armored and restricted to President, First Lady, driver, and Secret Service
Back-seat leather cradling melancholy figures Window stares into blurring streets Soft throat-clearing in hushed confines

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
House Democrats

House Democrats' pragmatism infiltrates via Abbey's report of elder meetings (Mitchell, Joanna, Carney), crystallizing consensus that Bartlet's endorsement of Hoynes preserves White House control amid MS scandal's electoral peril, underscoring party machinery's survival instinct over loyalty.

Representation Through relayed elder consensus and all-morning strategic huddles
Power Dynamics Indirectly besieging presidency via spousal channel and succession pressure
Impact Exposes fracture between White House defiance and party realpolitik under crisis
Internal Dynamics Elders overriding individual seats for national ticket viability
Retain Democratic White House hold Neutralize scandal via orderly transition Elder coordination in closed-door meetings Consensus-building around successor Hoynes

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"Abbey: "You know, they released the girl from the hospital this morning." Bartlet: "The driver?" Abbey: "Yeah... It looks like they're gonna charge her with vehicular manslaughter.""
"Abbey: "The consensus seems to be that if you step back, and put your support behind Hoynes, there's a decent chance the Democrats can keep the White House." Bartlet: "The world'll rest easier.""
"Bartlet: "We're here.""