Fabula
S2E2 · In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part 2
S2E2
· In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part 2

Unsigned Transfer Letter and Forgery Farce

In Leo's office, Margaret reveals the President's failure to sign the routine power-transfer letter before anesthesia, exposing a glaring constitutional vulnerability amid the assassination crisis. Leo brushes it off, fixated on Josh's peril, but Margaret's gallows-humor offer to forge the signature—met with Leo's stunned 'coup d'etat' rebuke—crackles with dark levity, underscoring the team's improvised panic. C.J. bursts in, resisting morning-show duty due to emotional strain, pushing for Sam instead; she warns of imminent press scrutiny on the 3.5-hour power gap from reporter Danny. Leo seizes control, directing her to send Danny to him, pivoting from procedural chaos to narrative containment.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Margaret and Leo discuss the missing presidential power transfer letter, revealing a critical procedural oversight.

concern to resignation ["Leo's office"]

Margaret darkly jokes about forging the President's signature, highlighting the precarious constitutional situation.

tension to dark humor ["Leo's office"]

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

9
C.J. Cregg
White House Press Secretary
 primary

Emotionally frayed by Josh's peril, relieved by Leo's pragmatic pivot

Enters amid Margaret's retreat, confronts Leo on morning-show assignment citing emotional toll from Josh's wounding, reluctantly concedes but warns urgently of Danny's probing on 3.5-hour power gap, accepts reassignment of Sam and directive to send Danny with visible relief.

Goals in this moment
  • • Evade high-stakes public briefings amid personal strain
  • • Safeguard administration from press exploitation of procedural lapse
Active beliefs
  • • Her vulnerability compromises effective communication
  • • Unaddressed power gap amplifies media scrutiny exponentially
Character traits
distressed dutiful forthright strategic
Follow C.J. Cregg's journey
Leo Thomas McGarry (Chief of Staff)
White House Chief of Staff
 primary

Preoccupied anguish over Josh masking stern constitutional resolve

Sits in chair reviewing papers, dismisses unsigned letter concern to prioritize Josh's crisis, stares up in disbelief at Margaret's forgery pitch before delivering stunned 'coup d'etat' rebuke, probes her practice motives with sarcasm, then decisively reassigns Sam to morning shows and summons Danny for direct control.

Goals in this moment
  • • Uphold legal protocols against forgery temptation
  • • Contain press exposure of power vacuum through strategic redirects
Active beliefs
  • • Constitutional shortcuts like forgery invite disaster
  • • Projecting unified leadership averts public panic
Character traits
authoritative principled preoccupied decisive
Follow Leo Thomas …'s journey
Margaret Hooper
Personal Secretary to the White House Chief of Staff
 primary

Playfully provocative veiling procedural anxiety and crisis fatigue

Stands over seated Leo scrutinizing papers, initiates discussion on unsigned letter by questioning its lapse, boldly offers to forge President's signature with casual confidence, retreats hastily after sharp rebuke while quipping it was 'just for fun,' injecting levity into tension.

Goals in this moment
  • • Highlight and mitigate the unsigned letter vulnerability
  • • Defuse Leo's preoccupation with gallows humor
Active beliefs
  • • Her forgery skill could practically resolve the power gap
  • • Dark humor strengthens team bonds under pressure
Character traits
playful loyal resourceful irreverent
Follow Margaret Hooper's journey
Toby Ziegler
White House Communications Director
 primary

Steadily attentive amid escalating tensions

Enters Leo's office silently at discussion's tail end as C.J. receives directives on Danny, present but non-speaking observer to the unfolding crisis management.

Goals in this moment
  • • Assess leadership responses to power vacuum
  • • Align with emerging containment strategy
Active beliefs
  • • Leo's command restores order in chaos
  • • Silent entry preserves operational focus
Character traits
observant composed
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey
Danny Concannon
White House Correspondent
 primary

reporter pressing C.J. on 3.5-hour presidential power gap, directed to meet Leo

Character traits
probing principled determined confrontational tenacious persistent professional accusatory
Follow Danny Concannon's journey
John Hoynes
Vice President of the United States
 primary

intended recipient of executive powers via unsigned transfer letter

Character traits
Ambitious symbolically influential politically astute conflicted tense institutional collegial Formidable fundraiser ambitious pragmatic impatient discernibly reserved authoritative public-facing loyal Party-anointed schedule-driven essential skeptical Opportunistic persistent demanding accessible resilient ceremonial
Follow John Hoynes's journey
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet (President of the United States)
President of the United States
 primary

underwent general anesthesia without signing power transfer letter

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

assigned by Leo to do morning shows in place of C.J.

Character traits
wry principled resourceful partisan confident resolute amid grief collegial sly affable adaptable improvisational decisive authenticity-seeking pragmatic resilient emotionally perceptive fiercely loyal politically attuned
Follow Sam Seaborn's journey
White House Counsel
White House Counsel
 primary

hypothetically referenced as deeming forgery a coup d'etat

Character traits
confidential risk-conscious legally precise principled unyielding precautionary procedural authoritative discreet precedent-focused formally rigorous institutional constitutionally rigorous
Follow White House …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Unsigned Presidential Delegation Letter

Serves as explosive procedural fulcrum: Margaret reveals its unsigned state as critical lapse before President's anesthesia, proposes forgery to activate Hoynes' succession, rejected outright by Leo invoking Counsel's 'coup' verdict—narratively exposes White House fragility, fueling press vulnerability and staff improvisation in assassination shadow.

Before: Unsigned and overlooked on or near Leo's desk, …
After: Still unsigned, heightened as symbolic liability demanding containment
Before: Unsigned and overlooked on or near Leo's desk, inert amid papers
After: Still unsigned, heightened as symbolic liability demanding containment

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Causal

"The missing presidential power transfer letter leads to Leo and C.J. strategizing about press inquiries, revealing institutional cracks and personal distress."

Leo Reasserts Command: Redirects Press Duties, Summons Danny
S2E2 · In the Shadow of Two …
What this causes 1
Causal

"The missing presidential power transfer letter leads to Leo and C.J. strategizing about press inquiries, revealing institutional cracks and personal distress."

Leo Reasserts Command: Redirects Press Duties, Summons Danny
S2E2 · In the Shadow of Two …

Part of Larger Arcs

Institutional power vacuum crisis triggered by the unsigned 25th Amendment transfer letter, forcing Leo and team to improvise chain-of-command amid assassination aftermath.

Key Dialogue

"MARGARET: "I can sign the President's name. I have his signature down pretty good.""
"LEO: "On a document removing him from power and handing it to someone else." MARGARET: "Yeah! [on Leo's look of disbelief] Or... do you think the White House Counsel would say that was a bad idea." LEO: "I think the White House Counsel would say it was a coup d'etat!""
"C.J.: "The three and a half hours? I don't know how much longer I can dance around Danny, and it's going to be Danny times a hundred by lunchtime.""