In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I
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| “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I” | |
|---|---|
| The West Wing episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 23 |
| Written by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Directed by | Thomas Schlamme |
| Guest stars | Stockard Channing Timothy Busfield Tim Matheson Elisabeth Moss Michael O'Neill Jorja Fox Anna Deavere Smith Kathryn Joosten NiCole Robinson Daniel von Bargen Michael Bryan French Pamela Gordon Andy Umberger Jim Ortlieb Peter White Ernie Lively Jody Wood |
| Production no. | 226201 |
| Original airdate | October 4, 2000 |
| Season 2 episodes | |
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| List of The West Wing episodes | |
"In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I" is the 23rd episode of The West Wing and the first episode of the second season.
[edit] Synopsis
The Bartlet Administration is in chaos—an assassination attempt has left the White House (not to mention the country) reeling. Who was hit? Was anyone killed? Who did it? And why? As those questions are explored, the episode includes flashbacks detailing how the Administration came to be. To handle all the implications of the domestic and international crises, Vice President Hoynes takes the reins.
[edit] Plot
President Bartlet is rushed back towards the White House … but the limo has to turn around quickly when it's discovered he's been hit in the side. Back at the scene of the shooting, Toby discovers that Josh has been shot in the chest. He is rushed to GW along with the President. Mrs. Bartlet and most of the staff rush to the hospital. Abbey has to tell the anesthesiologist about the President's MS.
Meanwhile, Leo goes back to the West Wing and meets with the Vice President, the National Security Advisor Nancy McNally, and others in the Situation Room. Nancy warns Leo that she thinks the country may be under attack from foreign powers and that Iraq might be at the source. There is some confusion over who is in charge, since the President did not sign a letter transferring authority over to the Vice President before he went into surgery.
In a discussion about who is in charge, Nancy refers to the National Security Act of 1947, and in particular section 202, which may put the Secretary of Defense in charge. However, the episode fails to mention that section 202 was repealed in 1962.
While Bartlet undergoes minor surgery (the bullet "seems to have gone out of its way not to hit anything"), Josh remains in critical condition and must undergo major surgery.
Through the course of flashbacks, we see how Josh first came to be a member of Bartlet's election campaign. He is working for John Hoynes when Leo comes and convinces him to attend one of Bartlet's early speeches in New Hampshire. Josh believes it will be a waste of time. Along the way, he stops in New York to talk to Sam Seaborn, who is working at the law firm of Gage Whitney Pace, helping an oil company purchase old tankers. Josh asks him to come work for Hoynes; Sam turns him down, but says that if Bartlet turns out to be "the real thing" he'll come with Josh. Both men are clearly feeling unfulfilled in their careers.
Toby also remembers his early days with the campaign. On the night of the speech, Toby is drinking heavily, believing Leo is going to fire him that night. Instead, Leo fires the other, more cynical, senior members of the campaign staff but keeps the idealistic Toby.
Governor Bartlet is unsure if running for president is a good idea, despite his track record of never losing an election (although Leo points out that being elected to the House and then the governorship of a state that his family helped found is not all that impressive). Leo assures his old friend that he is the right man, and that "this is the time of Jed Bartlet."
Back in the hospital, Bartlet comes out of his successful surgery and visits Josh, who is still undergoing his own operation.
