Twenty Five (The West Wing)
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| “Twenty Five” | |
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| The West Wing episode | |
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 88 |
| Written by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Directed by | Christopher Misiano |
| Guest stars | Mary-Louise Parker John Amos Taye Diggs Michael O'Neill Anna Deavere Smith Clark Gregg Harry Groener NiCole Robinson Trent Ford Alan Dale Vernee Watson-Johnson J. Patrick McCormack John Goodman (uncredited) |
| Production no. | 175323 |
| Original airdate | May 14, 2003 |
| Season 4 episodes | |
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| List of The West Wing episodes | |
"Twenty Five" is episode 88 of The West Wing.
The season four finale to The West Wing centers around the graduation of President Bartlet's youngest daughter, Zoey. In the post-graduation parties, and unwittingly under the influence of GHB, Zoey is kidnapped, resulting in a massive manhunt. Her father, under a huge amount of pressure feels he is unable to continue in his role as Commander-in-Chief and invokes the Twenty-fifth amendment. Toby rushes back from seeing his twins saying the President must do as much, how he would wreak havoc if anything happened to his kids "…and I've only known them for 45 minutes…" Leo reassures him that the President has invoked the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
With the office of Vice-President vacant, after John Hoynes's resignation over a sex scandal, the Amendment requires that, following the line of succession, Speaker of the House, Glen Allen Walken, a prominent Republican politician, take over the presidency.
[edit] Mistakes
This episode makes several key mistakes. The first and second take place when President Bartlet speaks with the Cabinet members. The first is that the 25th Amendment only allows the President to temporarily turn power over to the Vice President. It is the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 that would then give the power over to the Speaker of the House. The second mistake is that, assuming the Cabinet departments are the same as they are in real life, there is no one Secretary of Health and Education, but rather a Secretary of Health and Human Services and a Secretary of Education. The third mistake takes place when Speaker Walken is sworn in. The President swears in with his left hand on the Bible and his right hand raised, which is the reverse of how the justice requests Walken to do. Furthermore, neither the 25th Amendment nor the Presidential Succession Act require the Acting President to take the oath of office, and, as of 2008 no one acting as President under these provisions has done so.
[edit] Production
The episode marks the departure of creator/writer/producer Aaron Sorkin and producer/director Thomas Schlamme who left after overruns with budgets, script deadlines and conflicts with the NBC president, Jeff Zucker. The scenario occurring, the first-daughter abducted during a night out with friends, was vividly described in the first season episode "Mr. Willis of Ohio," when, after a minor run in at a bar, Zoey is scolded by her father.
The episode's director, Christopher Misiano won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2003 for this episode. The episode was also nominated for, but did not win, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series at the Emmys that year.
Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen's son has an uncredited cameo as the young Jed Bartlet in news footage shown in the White House, along with Renee Estevez as young Zoey Bartlet.
