S2E18
· 17 People

Toby Corners Leo on Hoynes Ticket Rumors

In the late-night shadows of the White House at 11:35 P.M., Toby Ziegler ambushes Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, probing rumors that President Bartlet intends to drop Vice President Hoynes from the 2002 ticket. Leo stonewalls with curt deflections, refusing to confirm or deny, amplifying Toby's paranoia about internal betrayals. This tense standoff excavates the administration's fractures, serving as a pivotal setup that escalates Toby's obsession toward the shattering MS revelation.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Toby probes Leo McGarry in the dim hours, seeking confirmation of rumors about Hoynes being replaced on the 2002 ticket, but Leo stonewalls.

curiosity to frustration ['dim office']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3

Perceived as smugly opportunistic from afar

Hoynes is centrally invoked in Toby's accusations as the ambitious VP rumored to be dropped from the 2002 ticket, his off-screen maneuvers fueling the confrontation's paranoia.

Goals in this moment
  • Position himself advantageously for 2002 presidential contention
  • Exploit perceived Bartlet vulnerabilities like re-election doubts
Active beliefs
  • His polling and speeches position him above Bartlet
  • Bartlet's hidden weaknesses open paths to power
Character traits
ambitious calculating egomaniacal
Follow John Hoynes's journey

Paranoid urgency laced with righteous indignation

Toby ambushes Leo in the darkened exterior, aggressively thrusting forward suspicions and probing rumors of Bartlet dropping Hoynes from the 2002 ticket, his intensity palpable as paranoia drives relentless questioning.

Goals in this moment
  • Confirm or debunk rumors of dumping Hoynes from the ticket
  • Force transparency on potential internal betrayals
Active beliefs
  • Hoynes' actions signal a direct challenge to Bartlet's re-election
  • Administration leaders are concealing fractures from key staff
Character traits
paranoid obsessive confrontational loyal
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

rumored to intend dropping Vice President Hoynes from the 2002 ticket

Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Hoynes' Semiconductor Policy Speech

Toby thrusts the damning pages of Hoynes' Semiconductor Policy Speech into the night air during his ambush on Leo, using them as incriminating evidence to decode Hoynes' Nashua speech and paired stops as veiled bids for the 2002 ticket, amplifying suspicions of betrayal.

Before: In Toby's possession, obsessively analyzed and annotated
After: Waved emphatically by Toby, still clutched amid the …
Before: In Toby's possession, obsessively analyzed and annotated
After: Waved emphatically by Toby, still clutched amid the confrontation

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 7
Causal medium

"Toby's ambush of Leo and decoding of Hoynes' speech lead to his realization about Hoynes' political positioning."

Toby's Ball-Smashing Obsession with Hoynes' Polls
S2E18 · 17 People
Causal medium

"Toby's ambush of Leo and decoding of Hoynes' speech lead to his realization about Hoynes' political positioning."

Toby Ambush-Decodes Hoynes' Succession Maneuver
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"The sound of Toby's rubber ball hitting the wall symbolizes his unresolved tension and obsession, which escalates as he decodes Hoynes' political moves."

Toby's Obsessive Ball Ritual and Leo Confrontation
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"The sound of Toby's rubber ball hitting the wall symbolizes his unresolved tension and obsession, which escalates as he decodes Hoynes' political moves."

Toby's Obsessive Nights Propel Suspicion Toward Leo
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"Toby's voice-over questioning the historical precedent of a Vice President challenging a sitting President parallels his decoding of Hoynes' political moves."

Toby's VO Questions Historic VP Challenge Precedent
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"Toby's voice-over questioning the historical precedent of a Vice President challenging a sitting President parallels his decoding of Hoynes' political moves."

Toby Ambushes Leo Over Hoynes' Suspicious Polling
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"The sound of Toby's rubber ball hitting the wall symbolizes his unresolved tension and obsession, which escalates as he decodes Hoynes' political moves."

Toby Presses Leo on Rumors of Dropping Hoynes
S2E18 · 17 People
What this causes 3
Causal medium

"Toby's ambush of Leo and decoding of Hoynes' speech lead to his realization about Hoynes' political positioning."

Toby's Ball-Smashing Obsession with Hoynes' Polls
S2E18 · 17 People
Causal medium

"Toby's ambush of Leo and decoding of Hoynes' speech lead to his realization about Hoynes' political positioning."

Toby Ambush-Decodes Hoynes' Succession Maneuver
S2E18 · 17 People
Thematic Parallel

"Toby's realization about Hoynes' political moves parallels Bartlet's grappling with immediate crisis and terror threats."

Leo Breaks Through: Bartlet Agrees to Reveal MS to Toby
S2E18 · 17 People