Here Today

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"Here Today" is episode 137 of The West Wing.

[edit] Plot

Immediately after Toby tells C.J. that he was responsbile for leaking information about the military's top-secret space shuttle, C.J. contacts the White House Counsel's Office (WHCO). Toby tries to explain himself to C.J. but she painfully tells him she can't discuss the matter any further with him. An Associate Counsel comes to the office and Toby tells him the same thing he told C.J. The AC then has Toby come with him to a room that's cleared of junior staffers and wait for him to return with White House Counsel Oliver Babish. Toby contacts his attorney, Alana Waterman, and she arrives while he's being asked questions by the AC. Once Oliver Babish shows up and kindly but relentlessly grills Toby about the leak, Toby is initially willing to incriminate himself but after Waterman tells him he can either listen to her counsel to keep his mouth shut or watch as she quits as his lawyer, he keeps his mouth shut. Toby says repeatedly that he knew the information he leaked was classified and that he did not leak it at anyone's behest, nor did he work with anyone in the White House to leak the data. While Toby is being interviewed and his office is locked down and all of his materials sorted and taken away by the WHCO staff, C.J. makes a phone call to Leo McGarry but he is not available and she doesn't leave him a message. C.J. tells Oliver Babish this after the interview and he is relieved she didn't reach Leo, but warns her she'd better have a good explanation for what she planned to tell him. She asks what his recommendation in re: Toby is, and he bluntly says "The same as yours". They go to the Oval Office and President Bartlet is stunned yet not very surprised. Oliver Babish says he shouldn't meet with Toby but the President says he has to do it himself. Toby does come to see the President (minus his attorney); the President angrily apologizes in advance for his remarks, then tears into Toby for thinking he's better than everyone else and that he seemed to be heading all along for this kind of crash and burn. Toby has a resignation letter, and the President snaps "That's the third one, right?" (reflecting the letter he wrote in Slow News Day and one other one that was not seen) and then says "Tear it up". He tells Toby he can't accept it, he has to fire him--with cause. Toby accepts this and turns to leave. The President then says "Toby?" and when he turns around makes this statement: "When you leave here today, there will be people, maybe a great many of them, who will view you as some kind of hero. I just don't want you for one second to think I'll be one of them." Toby's face flashes anger but he leaves the Oval Office for the last time without a word. C.J. goes to visit Will Bailey in the Vice President's office and tells him he's been drafted to serve as the new White House Communications Director. Will expresses pain and surprise that Toby's being fired for leaking the data, despite their turbulent relationship. C.J. nearly breaks down in tears before pulling herself together and going back to the White House. As Toby gives up his credentials, Oliver Babish sympathetically notes the President's anger and then says Toby should be thanked for his years of service. Secret Service Agents escort Toby from the White House forever as the episode ends.

In other storylines:

• Kate Harper gives intelligence analyst Mr. Frost an ultimatum about never going near senior White House officials again, then goes over his theory that Al-Qaeda was behind the assassination of the President of Kazakhstan. Kate then comes up with new theory that the killing was organized by Russian security forces after China and Kazakhstan reached a strategic defense-energy partnership that would threaten Russian interests. She spends the rest of the episode trying to figure out what will happen next in Kazakhstan and what the effects could be for the region and the world.
• Lou Thornton confronts Josh about the Santos campaign's stagnant poll numbers and comes up with a long list of campaign workers she says need to be fired and replaced with more experienced operatives. Josh blanches at the inclusion of Ned Collins on the list, as Ned was one of the only two staffers who was with Josh and Santos at the very beginning in New Hampshire. Josh brings the list to Matt Santos who says, to his wife's dismay, to make the changes. Josh lets Ned know, and the staffer takes his firing very badly.
• President Bartlet returns from the Palestinian Chairman's funeral and laments the uselessness of his Vice Presidents. He and First Lady Abby then find out their daughter Ellie is engaged to a scientist who specializes in fruit fly eggs. They're then stunned when Ellie discreetly lets them know that a near-term wedding is the right idea because in a few months...people are going to notice that she's pregnant.

[edit] External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide