Lord John Marbury's Coat

A personal visitor outercoat carried by Lord John Marbury when he arrives in the Oval Office (episode: "Lord John Marbury"). The coat is handed to Leo McGarry on arrival and briefly passes between characters in the doorway choreography; it functions as a deliberate prop that punctuates the shift from formal diplomacy to Marbury's unorthodox intervention. Script gives no precise fabric or color; inferred as a well-made, tailored coat matching Marbury's flamboyant, old‑world manner.

3 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S1E11 · Lord John Marbury

Diplomatic Defiance and the Call for Unconventional Help

Lord John Marbury physically removes and hands his outercoat to Leo as he enters, using the coat as a performative prop that marks his arrival and shifts the room from formal protocol to personal theater.

Before: In Marbury's possession, worn as part of his disheveled entrance.

After: In Leo McGarry's hands (having been handed off at the threshold), temporarily set aside in the Oval as Marbury engages the President.

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S1E11 · Lord John Marbury

Lord Marbury's Theatrical Arrival

Marbury removes and ceremonially hands his personal outercoat to Leo immediately upon entering; the coat functions as a prop that punctuates his arrival, forces physical contact with Leo, and marks a shifting of tone from protocol to Marbury's performed intimacy with the President.

Before: Worn by Lord John Marbury as he stands in the doorway upon entering the Oval Office.

After: In Leo McGarry's possession, held at the doorway as Marbury proceeds into the room; the coat now physically links Marbury and White House staff and underscores the visitor's imposition.

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S1E11 · Lord John Marbury

Josh Returns — From Friction to Emergency Briefing

A coat functions as the small, tactile pivot in the beat: Donna takes Josh's coat as a caring, grounding gesture while he delivers his curt admission. The coat visually and physically signals a shift from public corridor to private interior (coat-off, move inside) and underscores the intimacy of the moment amid professional crisis.

Before: Worn by Josh as he arrives in the hallway.

After: Removed from Josh and in Donna's possession as they move toward Josh's office.

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