The West Wing
S3E14
· Hartsfield's Landing

Charlie's Dead-End Plea to Donna for Missing Schedule

In the bustling White House lobby amid the Taiwan Strait crisis, a frantic Charlie intercepts Donna, who's emerging from voter outreach efforts in Hartsfield's Landing. Desperate for the President's private schedule—stamped D12 and vital for coordination—he probes if she's seen it. Donna, focused on her own political battles, curtly denies knowledge and exits abruptly. Charlie thanks her anyway and pushes forward, exposing staff silos, guarded information flows, and internal disarray that amplifies the episode's escalating chaos as a setup for his next confrontations.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Charlie approaches Donna, inquiring about the President's private schedule.

neutral to curiosity

Donna denies having seen the schedule, prompting Charlie to specify its stamp.

curiosity to insistence

Donna reaffirms her ignorance of the schedule's whereabouts, leading Charlie to depart.

insistence to resignation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Charlie Young
primary

Anxiously determined, feigning composure amid rising frustration

Approaches Donna swiftly from behind in the lobby bustle, initiates conversation with her name, politely but urgently inquires about the missing D12-stamped President's private schedule, persists with details after initial denial, thanks her courteously post-refusal, then immediately heads through the doors she exited, embodying relentless pursuit.

Goals in this moment
  • • Locate the critical missing D12 schedule copy
  • • Verify if Donna encountered it during her movements
Active beliefs
  • • The D12 schedule is essential for Oval Office coordination and leak prevention
  • • Donna's recent path through the White House makes her a plausible lead
Character traits
persistent dutiful polite under pressure anxious enforcer
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Donnatella Moss
primary

Distracted and impatient, prioritizing her own political fires

Emerges into the lobby preoccupied from Hartsfield's Landing voter efforts, responds minimally to Charlie's approach with 'Yeah' and hesitant 'I don't think so,' firmly denies seeing the D12 schedule, then abruptly leaves through nearby doors without further engagement.

Goals in this moment
  • • Dismiss inquiry quickly to resume Hartsfield's Landing salvage
  • • Avoid entanglement in Oval schedule protocols
Active beliefs
  • • She hasn't encountered Charlie's missing schedule amid her duties
  • • Her voter outreach demands precedence over internal hunts
Character traits
preoccupied curt loyal but compartmentalized task-focused
Follow Donnatella Moss's journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
White House Portico

The grand Northwest Lobby acts as a frantic crossroads for White House staff amid Taiwan Strait tensions, where Charlie intercepts Donna post her regional political skirmishes; its columns and doors frame a swift, tense exchange that exposes communication silos, with continuous action underscoring the building chaos of guarded schedules and crisis whispers.

Atmosphere Bustling and chaotic, thick with urgent staff movements and unspoken crisis pressure
Function staff intersection point for opportunistic intercepts
Symbolism Embodiment of White House internal fragmentation amid external geopolitical storm
Access Primarily senior staff and aides, with fluid but protocol-bound movement
Arched doorways facilitating quick exits and entries Humid air heavy with frantic pulses and historical stone resonance

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"CHARLIE: "You haven't by any chance seen my copy of the President's private schedule, have you?""
"DONNA: "I don't think so." CHARLIE: "It's stamped D12." DONNA: "I haven't seen it.""