Counting Eggs, Managing Mandy, and Josh at the F.E.C.
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Donna informs C.J. about the quantity of wooden eggs and other eggs for an event, transitioning to mention Mandy waiting in C.J.'s office.
C.J. asks Donna about Josh's current task, learning he's working on F.E.C. commissioners, and requests to see him.
C.J. updates Carol on the egg situation, clarifying about the regular eggs after Donna's departure.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Responsive and pragmatic — focused on cataloguing facts rather than interpreting them emotionally.
Stationed at her desk; responds to C.J.'s restatement of the wooden‑egg count, confirms the 7,500 additional eggs are 'regular' and acknowledges the instruction without fanfare.
- • Record and confirm logistical details accurately for event preparation.
- • Support C.J.'s rapid decision‑making by providing concise confirmation.
- • Avoid introducing confusion by clarifying ambiguous language.
- • Clear terminology prevents mistakes during event staging.
- • Aide bandwidth is best used to confirm facts quickly for senior staff.
- • Obedient responsiveness sustains staff efficiency under pressure.
Pragmatic and mildly brisk — controlled professionalism masking a need to reassert oversight and maintain smooth optics.
Emerges from the briefing room, immediately triages information: confirms logistical numbers, asks after Josh's whereabouts, directs Donna to summon him, and conducts a quick on‑the‑spot verification with Carol about the eggs.
- • Ensure event logistics (egg counts) are accurate to prevent public embarrassment.
- • Reestablish contact with Josh to coordinate political response and gather him for a meeting.
- • Maintain operational control and immediate situational awareness in the face of overlapping personnel and PR risks.
- • Small logistical errors can become public embarrassments and must be prevented.
- • Staff should be kept informed and summoned efficiently when their political expertise is needed.
- • Clear, immediate confirmation from subordinates prevents mistakes and preserves credibility.
Matter‑of‑fact and composed; conversational tone hides brisk operational focus and readiness to move into action.
Follows C.J. out of the briefing room, rattles off precise egg counts, reports that Mandy is waiting in C.J.'s office, answers C.J.'s request to notify Josh and then departs to execute those tasks.
- • Convey necessary logistical and personnel information quickly and accurately.
- • Execute C.J.'s request to contact Josh and manage access to C.J.'s office.
- • Keep the operation running smoothly by resolving small problems before they escalate.
- • Timely, blunt information is the fastest way to fix logistical and personnel issues.
- • She is responsible for translating senior staff needs into immediate action.
- • Keeping principals shielded from friction requires quick, practical interventions.
Not physically present in the scene but reported to be occupied with F.E.C. commissioners; his unavailability is a plot cue …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The wooden eggs are referenced as primary event props: Donna specifies there will be 25,000 wooden eggs in addition to 7,500 'other' eggs. Their mention establishes the scale of the event and provides the concrete detail C.J. needs to orient the staff amid simultaneous personnel issues.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The briefing room is the origin point of the action — C.J. exits it into the hallway — anchoring the event in the immediate aftermath of a public-facing moment and reminding the audience that logistics and political messaging occur right next to press activity.
The narrow West Wing hallway is the scene's operational artery: staff move between formal public performance (the briefing room) and private offices. It concentrates rapid, transactional exchanges where logistical details and political problems meet, enabling quick, managerial interventions.
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
"DONNA: There will be 25,000 wooden eggs in addition to the 7,500 other eggs."
"C.J.: What are the other eggs made out of? DONNA: Ah... the other eggs are... C.J.: They're actually eggs. DONNA: Yeah. Mandy's in your office."
"C.J.: What is Josh doing? DONNA: F.E.C. commissioners. C.J.: Would you tell him when he has a free moment I'd like to see him?"