The West Wing
S2E19
· Bad Moon Rising

Coded Urgent Summons Pulls Leo from Babish Clash

Amid Oliver Babish's mounting frustration with President Bartlet's technically legal but fraud-suggesting MS concealment, an aide interrupts their tense standoff in the Counsel's office. Delivering Margaret's message that Charlie Young urgently needs Leo, the aide invokes the cryptic code 'an old friend from home' after Leo's initial rebuff. Leo abruptly exits, halting the debate and pivoting to the next crisis—Charlie's impending revelation of Abbey's perjury—highlighting the White House's relentless crisis churn and Leo's prioritization of loyalty amid legal peril.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

An aide interrupts with an urgent message for Leo about Charlie Young, hinting at a critical development.

tension to urgency

Leo abruptly leaves to attend to Charlie's urgent matter, signaling a shift in priorities.

urgency to action

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

5
Margaret Hooper
primary

Urgently concerned via proxy

Invoked by aide as originator of urgent call relaying Charlie's desperate need for Leo, her efficiency threading crisis through White House corridors unseen.

Goals in this moment
  • • Alert Leo to Charlie's breakthrough
  • • Propel response chain amid legal deadlock
Active beliefs
  • • Coded phrases ensure priority handling
  • • Perjury threads demand swift containment
Character traits
efficient alert
Follow Margaret Hooper's journey
Charlie Young
primary

Horrified and duty-bound remotely

Named in aide's message as urgently seeking Leo, his offscreen horror over Zoey's form catalyzing the coded interruption that derails the counsel standoff.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure Leo for perjury revelation
  • • Unleash conspiracy's next fracture
Active beliefs
  • • Medical form mandates full disclosure
  • • Silence risks total unraveling
Character traits
dutiful alarmed
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Abigail Bartlet
primary

Pissed and incredulous at perceived willful blindness

Delivers final scorching rebuke on President's fraud-suggesting MS maneuvers, then curtly invites interrupting aide inside, his probe halted mid-fray as Leo bolts.

Goals in this moment
  • • Hammer home fraud implications to force reckoning
  • • Push Leo toward candid legal assessment
Active beliefs
  • • Perfect legality masks deliberate deception
  • • Loyalty cannot excuse conspiracy risks
Character traits
frustrated incisive unyielding
Follow Abigail Bartlet's journey
White House Aide
primary

Calmly professional under pressure

Knocks decisively, enters the charged office, relays Margaret's message about Charlie's need for Leo, persists with cryptic code phrase to override initial rebuff.

Goals in this moment
  • • Deliver time-sensitive relay without delay
  • • Invoke code to compel Leo's immediate action
Active beliefs
  • • Urgent codes bypass all barriers
  • • Chain of command routes crises efficiently
Character traits
professional persistent discreet
Follow White House …'s journey
Oliver Babish
primary

pissed

Debating intensely with Leo about the President's MS concealment, accusing it of suggesting intent to perpetrate fraud despite technical legality.

Goals in this moment
  • • Convince Leo of the fraud implications of the President's actions
  • • Express deep concern and reluctance about continuing involvement
Character traits
methodical relentless incisive professional unflappable
Follow Oliver Babish's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
White House Counsel's Office

Hosts Oliver and Leo's raw legal showdown on MS fraud optics, pierced by aide's knock and entry, transforming private accusation chamber into nexus of interrupted probes and cascading crises, door serving as crisis portal.

Atmosphere Thick with pissy tension and accusation, ruptured by urgent knock into pivot-point limbo.
Function Arena for confidential counsel grilling disrupted by hierarchy's relay.
Symbolism Embodiment of unraveling loyalty amid perjury's grindstone.
Access Senior staff only, pierced by authorized aide.
Echoing door knock amid verbal barrage Intimate confines amplifying standoff intensity

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"AIDE: "Excuse me. Mr. McGarry, Margaret just called to say that Charlie Young needs to speak with you.""
"LEO: "I can't right now. It'll have to wait.""
"AIDE: "She said to mention something about an old friend from home.""
"LEO: "I'll be right back.""