Object

Bartlet's Cheese from D'Astier Joke

A piece of cheese Bartlet singles out during a meeting with vice-presidential hopeful D'Astier. Bartlet jokes about it to test social radar, but D'Astier misses the sarcasm, stiffens in perceived insult, and fires back—prompting Bartlet to later recount the exchange in the Oval Office as proof of the candidate's gaffe-prone demeanor.

2 appearances

Significance

Clue exposing D'Astier's weak interpersonal instincts, underscoring Bartlet's demand for aides who grasp nuance amid high-stakes politics.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

Church, State and the Missing Secretary

Bartlet's anecdotal 'cheese' from the D'Astier dinner functions as a narrative prop to demonstrate candidate sensitivity and diplomatic tone; it explains why one candidate's correction signaled a poor cultural fit.

Before: Part of a recalled diplomatic meal at the Palais de l'Elysee—an actual piece of conversation and social ritual.

After: Remains a rhetorical device in the President's retelling, emblematic of a failed rapport and candidate unsuitability.

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S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

The President's Small-Scale Rage

Bartlet's anecdotal 'cheese' operates as a miniature diplomatic prop: the joke and subsequent offense exemplify a candidate's social reading (or lack of it) and justifies presidential discomfort with that candidate's suitability.

Before: Originally part of a past diplomatic dinner anecdote at the Élysée Palace; absent physically from the Oval Office but present as memory.

After: Referenced as evidence of social miscalibration; its narrative role shifts from culinary detail to litmus test for candidate rapport.

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