The West Wing
S2E8
· Shibboleth

Bartlet's Dioscorea Deflection

As President Bartlet moves toward his Oval Office desk, Josh and Sam intercept him urgently. Josh probes, 'I'm assuming you've heard?' about the Chinese refugee crisis, but Bartlet sidesteps the gravity with a whimsical non sequitur: the Latin word for 'yam' is 'dioscorea.' This deflection reveals Bartlet's intellectual coping mechanism—using trivia to evade pressure—highlighting his wit, the aides' frustration, and the personal rapport strained by escalating diplomatic tensions. It serves as a tension-relieving beat, delaying confrontation while underscoring leadership's human frailties amid crisis.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Josh confronts Bartlet with urgent news, interrupting the President's movement towards his desk.

routine to tension ['Oval Office']

Bartlet deflects with an absurd botanical fact, demonstrating his characteristic avoidance tactic under pressure.

tension to absurdity

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Joshua Lyman
Deputy Chief of Staff
 primary

urgent

intercepting Bartlet urgently and asking if he has heard about the crisis

Goals in this moment
  • • brief President Bartlet on the Chinese refugee crisis
Character traits
proactive insightful combative frustrated strategic pragmatic resolute urgent decisive under pressure supportive authoritative concerned loyal empathetic protective politically calculating intense insistent anxious witty high‑strung / harried
Follow Joshua Lyman's journey
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet (President of the United States)
President of the United States
 primary

whimsical

walking toward his desk and deflecting Josh's question with trivia about the Latin word for 'yam'

Goals in this moment
  • • evade discussion of the refugee crisis using intellectual deflection
Character traits
politically pragmatic jocular policy‑driven paternal commands institutional authority relational — centers staff and family centralizing (commands staff attention and schedules) centralized authority figure strategically vital intelligent politically consequential (actions and associations create immediate risk) protocol-driven calculating principled in public rhetoric vulnerable emotionally forceful institutionally minded performative control of public optics candid principled politically vulnerable (per party strategists and press) strategic witty/jocular under pressure vulnerable-to-proxy-actions collegial poised decisive principled but electorally mindful resolute constitutional protective (paternal focus on family safety) deliberative ruthless burdened decisive when confronted with moral stakes authoritative/managerial paternal/protective regionally grounded politically strategic supportive traditional weary/resolute authoritative public-facing decisive in crisis loyal blunt protective politically consequential measured committed politically shrewd risk‑aware consequential self-aware witty institutional (symbolic center of staff effort) ceremonial
Follow Josiah Edward …'s journey
Sam Seaborn
Deputy Communications Director
 primary

Urgently determined, masking impatience with professional poise

Sam stands firmly alongside Josh directly in front of President Bartlet as he approaches the desk, physically intercepting to initiate an urgent briefing on the refugee crisis, his presence amplifying the aides' collective push for immediate attention.

Goals in this moment
  • • Intercept the President to ensure crisis briefing
  • • Collaborate with Josh to compel immediate engagement
Active beliefs
  • • The refugee crisis requires the President's prompt awareness
  • • Direct confrontation yields faster decision-making
Character traits
urgent loyal strategic
Follow Sam Seaborn's journey

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
NARRATIVELY_FOLLOWS medium

"Sam's request to discuss the refugee crisis with Bartlet sets up Josh's later urgent briefing in the Oval Office."

Sam Enlists Charlie for Urgent Refugee Alert Amid Knife Quest
S2E8 · Shibboleth

Key Dialogue

"JOSH: "I'm assuming you've heard?""
"BARTLET: "By the way, the Latin word for 'yam' is 'dioscorea.""