Bartlet's Game Tie

President Bartlet's necktie embodies a staff superstition born from a past mishap where he set fire to a tie and Josh Lyman lent his replacement, turning it into a victory talisman. Charlie corners Donna on Air Force One, clutching a near-replica and pleading to uphold the ritual for luck. Backstage, Abbey snatches scissors and slices the fabric clean off Bartlet's neck to shatter his pre-debate anxiety; Josh yanks off his own tie as substitute while Sam knots it in frantic haste amid countdown warnings. The cut remnant drops away, discarded amid the scramble.

5 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments

S4E6 · Game On

Quiet Resolve on the Shore

Sam removes and gives his tie to Will in a compact, intimate gesture that converts abstract support into a tactile pledge. The tie operates narratively as a token of solidarity and a small ritual that seals Sam's commitment to Will and the campaign's cause in a moment of uncertainty.

Before: In Sam's possession, worn as a piece of clothing around his neck and serving as ordinary professional attire.

After: In Will's possession (handed from Sam), functioning as a token of solidarity and support.

View full event

S4E6 · Game On

Charlie Fights to Preserve the 'Game Tie'

Charlie holds up a near-replica of President Bartlet's 'game tie'—a physical focal point of the dispute. The tie functions narratively as a talisman, a container of superstition, and the immediate trigger for the argument about luck versus preparation.

Before: Worn by the Deputy Labor Secretary on Air Force One; intact and indistinguishable at a glance from the original 'game tie'.

After: In Charlie's hand in the hallway, publicly displayed as evidence; its ownership and fate remain contested but physically unchanged by the exchange.

View full event

S4E6 · Game On

Scissors, Superstition, and the Two‑Minute Warning

Bartlet's 'lucky' tie is the symbolic fulcrum of the scene: Abbey severs it, triggering embarrassment and a frantic replacement ritual that dramatizes the psychological stakes behind small superstitions.

Before: Worn by Bartlet around his neck, cherished as a good-luck talisman.

After: Cut off and held briefly by Abbey, then discarded as the physical talisman is removed from play.

View full event

S4E6 · Game On

Cutting the Tie — Breaking the Spell

Bartlet's 'lucky' tie functions as the narrative catalyst: Abbey cuts it off to forcibly end the President's reliance on ritual. The removal triggers the frantic attempt to replace the talisman and propels the team into action.

Before: On President Bartlet's neck; treated as a talisman charged with 'juice' and psychological readiness.

After: Severed and discarded; the remnant falls away, and the ritual's physical token no longer exists.

View full event

S4E6 · Game On

Abbey Cuts the Tie — Ritchie Sets the Frame

Bartlet's 'lucky' tie is the symbolic catalyst—worn around his neck, it is suddenly cut, its removal shatters the ritual that had been channeling the President's pre-performance anxiety and forces immediate, tangible action.

Before: Worn by President Bartlet as a beloved, superstitious talisman.

After: Cut off and discarded; its power neutralized by Abbey's action.

View full event