Scissors

Abbey snatches these scissors from a backstage room table and slices through President Bartlet's lucky tie just before the debate. The blades shear the fabric cleanly, sparking chaos: Josh yanks off his own tie, Sam knots it on Bartlet, and Charlie assists amid two-minute warnings. Staff scramble while Bartlet laughs off the superstition, the tool clutched in Abbey's hand until discarded.

3 appearances

Purpose

Cut fabric, used to sever a tie

Significance

Breaks Bartlet's pre-debate superstition, humanizes his vulnerability, triggers frantic staff improvisation, and resets his focus on conviction over ritual as the high-stakes debate with Ritchie begins.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S4E6 · Game On

Scissors, Superstition, and the Two‑Minute Warning

Abbey produces the scissors and uses them as an intentional catalytic tool to sever Bartlet's tie, transforming an intimate domestic gesture into a dramatic intervention that forces psychological recalibration.

Before: On a backstage table and then in Abbey's hand, unused but accessible.

After: Handled briefly by Abbey; the scissors have cut the tie and are then discarded/held by her as staff rush onstage.

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S4E6 · Game On

Cutting the Tie — Breaking the Spell

Scissors are the instrument of disruption: Abbey grabs them from backstage and cleanly shears the tie, converting private superstition into a public, visible act that forces the administration to reframe readiness.

Before: Resting on a backstage table/available area; unused until Abbey grabs them.

After: Held briefly by Abbey after the cut, then effectively discarded as attention shifts to getting the President onstage.

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S4E6 · Game On

Abbey Cuts the Tie — Ritchie Sets the Frame

A pair of scissors is produced by Abbey and used to sever President Bartlet's 'lucky' tie. The scissors function as the inciting physical prop that converts private superstition into a public trigger for action.

Before: Resting on or near a backstage table (or in Abbey's possession shortly before use).

After: Held briefly by Abbey after the cut, then discarded or set down as staff rush the President to the stage.

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