By LTG
Oh, here we are -- another season of The West Wing. What wacky adventures will John Wells bring us this year? Will it be tanks crashing into the White House? An outbreak of smallpox? A chemical spill? Or -- dare we dream it -- a killer helicopter? Oh, I'm so excited. I can't wait to find out.
Previously on The West Wing, Donna, Fitz, and two members of Congress were blown up while visiting Gaza. Fitz and the members of Congress died, while the injured Donna was rushed off to Germany for treatment. Leo and Jed argued (repeatedly) over the appropriate response. The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority publicly accepted a non-existent White House invitation to attend a summit with the Israelis. Josh flew off to Germany to see Donna, who was being operated on as he arrived at the hospital.
Out-of-focus shot of the back of a hearse. In a series of beautifully framed shots, we see a flag-draped coffin removed from the hearse and carried away by sailors in ceremonial uniforms. The sequence is really gorgeous -- soft focus, lovely light, close-ups from unusual angles. This is still one of the things you can routinely count on this show to get right.
Cut to an overhead shot of a presidential motorcade driving down the highway. When the camera slid across the sky at the beginning of this scene, I had a momentary chopper panic, but no helicopter made an appearance. We see Jed looking out the window in the back of his limo. Kate (still with the awful bangs) and Leo are telling Jed that the U.S. can't let itself be bullied into organizing a summit. Kate tells Jed that if they try to force the Israelis into hosting a summit, they may leak the fact that the U.S. never invited the Palestinian Chairman to a summit. Abbey: "And that's so bad? The Chairman wants a peace summit. Isn't that a start?" Leo tells Jed that they need to focus on military retaliation for the attack that killed Fitz, but Jed still wants to discuss the summit. Leo: "Tell Farad he can have his summit if it can double as his retirement party. I'll spring for the watch." Jed asks Kate what he'll need to get from Farad in order to bring the Israelis to the table, and she runs down a list of items (including, for example, arresting the leaders of Hamas) that sound pretty unlikely. Abbey: "Plus the watch?" Heh.
The motorcade arrives at the site of Fitz's funeral, and everyone exits the car. Charlie gets one of his few lines this episode, but it's drowned out by the sound of sirens and helicopters. Duck! Kate tells Jed that she feels that her counsel has gotten them into the mess they are in. Why? Did she tell Farad to pretend there was a summit? But Jed explains to her that she gets lots of counsel, and that what he decides to do with it is his business. As Jed walks away, Leo stares daggers at Kate. And my God, but she's tall. Have we seen her standing to C.J.?
The White House. C.J. and Carol engage in some classic, worthy-of-parody pedeconferencing. It feels like 1999 all over again. Carol is telling C.J. that the producers of 60 Minutes have one of the congressional widows on camera demanding that the President retaliate, and they want to know if the President will go on camera to respond. C.J.: "And what? Defend his tie-dyed hippy-dippy blowin' in the wind peacenik pipe dream while the grieving widow rends her garments?" Carol offers to try to get C.J. some time in the Office of O, but C.J. reminds her that Jed won't be back until after the funeral. Now Will is trailing along after C.J., telling her there is no way the Israeli government will sit down with Farad again. He points out that in the last negotiations, Israel offered Farad nearly everything he asked for and he still walked away from the deal. C.J.: "What do you want, Will?" Yes, what does he want? Will: "A president who's prepared to respond to the murder of two congressmen." Will points out that VPOTUS can't support POTUS if he does not respond to the attack, telling C.J. that the President "is going to have to bomb Palestinians."
Overhead shot of Fitz's coffin. The relatively small church is crowded, and Jed is at the podium, reading the Sermon on the Mount. Just as he reads "and blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God," we shoot to the opening credits.
And Mary McCormack (Kate) has been added to the credits. Her bangs, however, have not, and I can only hope that tonight's episode marks their last guest appearance.
Sit room. Hey, look, it's Terry O'Quinn as a general. I guess the Colonel got a promotion. General Locke is telling the room that there is no choice but to retaliate. Someone points out that while Nassam (the man responsible for the attack) is still in Gaza, he has been linked to a group ("the Martyrs" of mumble mumble) operating out of a camp in Syria. There seems to be strong evidence that the Martyrs provided the munitions and other support for the attack. General Locke proposes using cruise missiles to destroy the camp in Syria and two other camps in northern Iran. Kate points out that an attack would derail the summit, and pretty much everybody in the room -- other than Jed -- observes that the chances of there being a summit are pretty slim. But Jed has a different concern. He asks what evidence there is linking Iran to Nassam. One of the guys in the room -- let's call him, oh, I don't know, "Ronald Dumsfeld" -- says that if they take the opportunity to bomb the camps in Iran, they will find a way to link the attack in Gaza back to those camps. Jed: "Are you suggesting that we use the attack on our Congressional delegation as a pretext to attack another country we don't know to be responsible?" I know people thought this line was a little too on the spot, but with studies showing that a significant number of voters in the U.S. still don't understand that this is exactly what happened when the U.S. invaded Iraq, I don't mind someone yelling about it on my television. Jed proceeds to ream RD out for that idea, and as he leaves to meet with "the ambassador," he tells them he wants to see the evidence they have linking the attacks to Syria, "and if you come up with any credible verifiable evidence dragging Iran into this mess, I'll take a look at that too." And with a very vigorous coat flip, Jed storms out of the room.
Jed and Leo are walking from the sit room to the Oval Office. Jed tells Leo that he's "not bombing half the Middle East just to make us all feel better." When Leo tells him that they are all on his side, Jed expresses some doubt. Leo: "Sir, you can't delay any longer. There are no rabbits left in this hat." Jed: "I'm not prepared to accept that." Leo: "You're going to have to, sir." The implied ultimatum just hangs in the air between them. Jed points out that the ambassador is waiting for them. They head up the stairs. You know, if it's rabbits they need, I could run down to the pet store.
Dark hospital corridor. Hot Photographer tells Josh that it "looks like your boy has got himself in a bit of trouble." Josh points out that Jed has been "President Bartlet for six years now, and he hasn't been a boy for about fifty." Needless to say, HP thinks there is little chance that a summit will succeed. Josh and HP proceed to do everything to claim their territory except beat their chests and throw feces at each other. Is this really what straight men are like? If so, you can keep 'em. Suffice it to say that HP thinks the Israelis are oppressing the Palestinians, and Josh thinks the Israelis are engaged in righteous self-defense.
Oval office. Jed and Leo greet the Israeli ambassador. Hey, it's Admiral Nechayev. She's a real hard-ass. Ambassador Nechayev expresses her sympathy for the loss of Fitz: "All Israelis mourn his loss." I guess the two congressmen can just go to hell, huh? She tells Jed that Israel is not interested in participating in peace talks with Farad. She points out the hypocrisy of the U.S.'s pushing for regime change in other nations while simultaneously requiring Israel to negotiate with a dictator who has supported terrorism. Jed: "Israel was created to be a land free from oppression. Whether the land is rightly Palestinian, Israeli, Jordanian, or Judaean, the people who live in the territories are oppressed, by their own leadership, by the neglect of Arab neighbors, and yes, by Israel." Ambassador Nechayev is not convinced. Throughout this entire conversation, Leo sits off to the side, not saying a word, his eyes cast down.
C.J. is taking questions in the briefing room. The questions are coming fast and furious, and the overall impression we're supposed to pick up is that the leaders of both parties, as well as 82% of the public, support the immediate use of military force in retaliation for the Gaza attack. Reporters also point out that all the available evidence shows that the Israeli government is not interested in a summit.
Cut to Leo watching C.J.'s performance on a monitor in his office. Toby comes in and asks how C.J. is doing. Leo: "Okay, considering she's human chum." Toby tells Leo that he spoke with Josh, and that Donna is back in surgery for a pulmonary embolism. Leo calls for Margaret -- who is working a great new hairdo -- and asks her to try to reach Josh. Leo and Toby talk about the congressional widow who will be appearing on 60 Minutes, and Leo shoots down Toby's idea of trying to get the other widow to make an appearance for their side. Toby wonders what the President is trying to do by organizing a summit: "He's already got a Nobel prize. What's he need a second one for? Bookends?" I think they'd make better coasters. Margaret reappears to tell them that the Speaker has arrived, and that he has brought "half of Congress" with him.
Conference room. I think Margaret needs some remedial math, because there are hardly 218 members of the Congress there. Leo greets several members by name, and tells the one Democrat present that he's "surprised to see [her] running with this crowd." She claims that it's not a partisan issue, and the Speaker tells Leo that they thought a show of unity was important. The Speaker asks Leo and Toby if they've been listening to the radio, and they both try to make with the funny. Leo: "I've been a little busy." Toby: "Oldies radio? Traffic reports?" But it's clear that the Speaker is referring to talk radio, which is apparently in a frenzy over the idea of a peace summit. Just then, Jed walks in, and asks the Speaker if "these [are] the same right-wing turkey basters who said that I faked MS to get the sympathy vote in the last election?" "Turkey basters"? Turkey basters? Where did that come from? That's certainly not a New Hampshire thing, and I don't think it's a generational thing. Maybe John Wells accidentally dipped into his box of "lesbian insults" from the Romano days. The Speaker -- and his Democratic colleague -- point out that members of Congress died, and that they don't believe that a peace summit is the appropriate way to honor their memories. The Speaker tells Jed, "You have to go on national television, admit your mistake, and retract those invitations. You've insulted those men and their memories. You have to put this summit back in the cereal box it came in." Wait, does the cereal box also come with a turkey baster? Is this cereal called "Nutty Crunchy Peaceful Lesbian-Os"? Because I think that would sell pretty well in my neighborhood. Jed tells Leo that he's not there to play games, and starts to walk out. At the door, he tells the Speaker, "I am trying to find a way to make peace. And when I do, you can go on TV and explain why you were against it." Well, Jed, that's a nice line, assuming that you are able to succeed where countless others have failed. I don't think anyone could ever accuse this President of lacking self-confidence.
Ultra-dark hospital corridor. Is there a power shortage in Germany? Is the U.S. government so in debt that it can't afford to pay the electric bill for the hospital? A doctor (or nurse, who can tell in those scrubs) walks up to Josh and HP and tells them that a clot was discovered in Donna's right lung. Didn't we already learn this in the last episode? The doctor says, "She asked if she could see you for a moment before we put her under." HP says, "Me?," and the doc burst his bubble by telling them that it is actually Josh that Donna wants to see.
Josh -- wearing gown, mask, and little hat -- enters the operating room. And while I'm not a huge continuity freak, I have to point out that by the end of the last episode, this surgery had already begun. What's so upsetting is not that you would know that from the last season, or even from the repeat of the last episode they showed immediately before the season premiere, but that they included in the "previously"s the exact scene in which Josh sees the surgery in progress. I know that if you watch a John Wells show you frequently have to ignore your own memories, but should you really have to forget the things you saw in the same hour of television? In any case, Josh is leaning over Donna, who looks truly awful. She has a pad in her hand, and scribbles -- in perfect handwriting -- "nice hat." He tells her that the surgery is going to be a snap, and she writes "scared" on her pad. I'm usually immune to Bradley Whitford's charms, but the look in his eyes in this scene is enough to melt even my cold heart. He tells her that everything is going to be fine, and then has to leave the OR. Commercials.
General Locke is briefing Leo. He mentions potential strikes in Gaza, Syria, and Iran, and asks Leo to speak to Jed. The general leaves, and Kate comes in. She starts to apologize for initially pushing Jed to speak with moderate Palestinians and setting current events into motion. Just as Jed did earlier, Leo tells her that Jed makes his own decisions. As Kate starts to leave, Leo says, "He doesn't like chaos. We bomb some apartment building in Gaza or a camp in Syria, there'll be consequences, and we can't tell him what they're going to be. Will we get drawn into a war in the Middle East? Will suicide bombers be climbing onto busses in Passaic, New Jersey instead of Tel Aviv and Haifa?" Margaret tells Leo and Kate that they are wanted in the Oval Office. I know I said it before, but that hairstyle looks great on Margaret. On the way out of the room, Leo tells Kate, "The President is looking for answers and we don't have them."
Office of O. Jed has assembled most of his senior staff, plus Will. I know people were wondering why the Vice-President's chief of communications ["is he? I thought he was Bingo Bob's chief of staff" -- Wing Chun] was in a high-level meeting with the President, but isn't it clear? He must be the new chief resident. Everything makes sense if you put yourself in the proper John Wells frame of mind. Jed is telling them that he wants to hear any idea they have, no matter how stupid or outrageous. Speaking of stupid, he tells the assembled group that he'd "build a mosque out of Jell-O" if he thought it would help. Toby tries to shift the conversation back to military retaliation, and C.J. asks if the FBI is any closer to tracking down Nassam, but Jed doesn't want to hear it. He wants ideas on how to get Farad and the Israelis into the same room. Leo just looks miserable. C.J. throws out the first idea, and the conversation slowly picks up steam. We cut to a ridiculous spinning overhead shot of the Oval Office (which is looking pretty round in this shot), and the soundtrack cuts in and out of various conversations to show us how time is passing. I'm wondering why they didn't just throw a clock face onto the screen and speed up the hour hand to show us the passing time. It would have been no less cheesy, and I wouldn't be nauseated from watching it so many times. It's like staring into an open washing machine.
Once we leave the rinse cycle and things calm down, Kate tells us that she has a really stupid idea. She proposes that they forget everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours and hold Farad to his earlier promise to arrest the people responsible for the Gaza bombing. If he wants a summit, that's the price he'll have to pay, regardless of the fact that Israeli tanks currently surround his headquarters. When someone points out that Farad has no electricity and a dead cell-phone battery, Kate suggests that someone from the U.S. consulate drop a fresh phone off for him to use. She even offers to lend him her own. Toby and Will think the idea is stupid, but Kate and C.J. counter each of their arguments. They suggest that Farad be required to turn the responsible terrorist over to the U.S., rather than trying him in a Palestinian court. If he refuses, the U.S. ends up looking reasonable, and if he agrees, then he's made a serious good-faith effort that could be convincing to the Israelis. Leo just looks sick at the thought of this. Jed eventually asks if it will work. Toby: "No." Will: "No." Kate: "Maybe." C.J.: "Maybe." Leo says nothing, until Jed slightly nods his head, at which time Leo says that somebody should get Farad a phone and tell him to expect a phone call from the President. As she leaves the room, Kate once again tries to make sure Leo is not upset with her meddling, and he cuts her off and tells her to coordinate with State. Kate, stop apologizing. And lose the bangs.
After everyone else leaves the Oval Office, Leo tells Jed that Congress is drafting a resolution demanding that military action be taken. He goes on to say that the Lincoln battle group will be in position to hit Gaza and Syria the morning, and he recommends that Iran be included in the strikes. Jed is furious that General Locke went ahead with the planning, but Leo argues that they were only trying to anticipate Jed's orders, since he will obviously have to order some kind of military action. Leo tells Jed that everyone around him thinks that he is going the wrong way. Jed responds that killing Palestinians will not make Americans any safer, and will only lead to further cycles of terrorist attack and response. Most of all, Jed is concerned that the U.S. is being goaded into overreacting. At this point, Jed and Leo are really yelling at each other. Jed: "Tell me how this ends, Leo! You want me to start something that may have serious repercussions on American foreign policy for decades, but you don't know how it ends!" Leo: "We don't always know how it ends! The Lincoln will be in position in a few hours, and you are going to have to give the go-ahead for the bombings." There's a pause, and then Jed raises his head and asks "or what?" Leo looks like he's been punched in the gut. He tells Leo to let him know when Chairman Farad calls -- he's going to the residence.
The residence. Jed's sitting in a dark room, with just one light on, as Abbey enters the room. She sits in a chair on the opposite side of the room. They're both dressed for bed. They actually have a conversation in which he expresses some doubt, and she just listens, without pushing him one way or the other. This is definitely the most loving we've seen their relationship in a long time. He talks about how easy it would be to do what everyone wants. She asks him if easy is really what he wants. Jed: "I want Fitz to walk through my door tomorrow and give me a hard time about the Celtics." Abbey: "You think they got a chance this year?" Jed: "They still need a big man and a reliable point guard, but they might make a run for it." Abbey: "For a moment there, I was worried."
C.J. enters Toby's office and tosses him the last two packets of peanut butter crackers from the vending machine: "It was that or an old egg salad sandwich." We all know what that can lead to. Toby is experiencing peanut butter cracker lockjaw, and C.J. throws him a bottle of water, telling him he'll need it, or "maybe a fire hose." Toby: "Or the local reservoir." C.J. wonders "why can't I just sit on my patio, barbecue some chicken, and drink my Diet Dr Pepper in peace?" Wait, what kind of soda was that, C.J.? Diet Dr Pepper? Okay, just checking. She asks Toby if he ever looks around and thinks that if they are in charge, the country is in a hell of a lot of trouble. Toby: "Until I spend time with the other guys." Will sticks his head in and tells them that Farad is on the phone and the President is talking to him. Again, if you're wondering what Will is doing in the middle of all of this, just remember: chief resident.
Office of O. Jed is sitting at his desk, talking into a speakerphone. Kate, Leo, and some military types are standing in the office as Toby, C.J., and Will walk in. Jed is talking to Farad, telling him that Palestinian security forces have to turn Nassam over to the U.S. Throughout this scene, Kate is writing notes on a pad to hand to Jed, while Will, Toby, and Leo make rude remarks in the background, and the director constantly gives us intense close-ups of...the speakerphone. It's very riveting. When Farad suggests trying Nassam in a Palestinian court, Toby says that "a Palestinian court is three guys with guns and a Magic Eight-Ball." Hey Toby, you ever use a speakerphone? He can hear you. In response to a note from Kate, Jed suggests that a Palestinian court could extradite Nassam to the U.S. There's an intense close-up on the phone. The light is green! It looks like he's on line 2! Will he hang up? Oh no, don't hang up! I'm sorry, I just thought I would try to simulate the same feeling of tension generated by these speakerphone close-ups. Did it work? If you're not feeling any tension, then it worked, because a close-up shot of a telephone is about as exciting as you would imagine. Even if the phone was made by the lovely folks at Nortel! ["Wooo! Canada." -- Wing Chun] Kate, reaching for a pen to write another note, knocks over Jed's cup of coffee. Jed leaps up to avoid the spill, and C.J. starts mopping it up. Kate hands the note to Jed, who passes it on to Leo. Jed tells Farad that if he detains Nassam and turns him over to the U.S. secretly, they will act as though the FBI captured him themselves. This seems to be something Farad can live with, as he agrees to take it up with his government and give it serious consideration. With one last close-up on the phone, Jed hangs up. Wait, when did he learn to work the speakerphone? Isn't that the reason he had to hire Debbie? After the call is over, people in the room start wondering whether the call was a success. Will suggests that when Farad promised to speak to members of his government, "he was talking about two sock puppets and a Beanie Baby." Kate and Will start arguing about whether Farad might follow through, and Kate asks Will if he's suggesting that all Palestinians are terrorists. Will: "If the kafiyeh fits..." First of all, Will, the suggestion that all Palestinians are terrorists or support terrorism is absurd. Second of all, a kafiyeh is more or less a hat. It's not a shoe. Unless you were already talking about some article of clothing other than shoes, you should really strive for a parallel construction, mister speechwriter. So your offensive metaphor should have been "if the sandal fits..." Dumb-ass. Leo ends the argument and sends everyone home. Leo tells Jed that the Lincoln battle group is almost in position, but Jed tells him that the step is to wait. Commercials.
Darkened hospital corridor. HP wonders why Josh came running halfway around the world to be at Donna's bedside. Josh explains that they work together, and HP wonders if Donna is a dalliance from the past or a love that was sadly unconsummated. Wow, HP is pretty perceptive. I'd start to call him Perceptive Photographer, but that could get awkward. Besides, I don't think he's going to be around much longer. HP starts to tell Josh a story about a girl he dated when he was seventeen, and how she wrote to him every day when HP was away at university. HP has just uttered the words "I took her for granted" when a doctor walks up to give them an update on Donna. Well, really he's just there to give Josh an update -- even her doctors know that Donna belongs with Josh. The bullet point on Donna is that she is out of surgery, is still unconscious, and may have suffered brain damage.
Morning in the Office of O. Leo is giving Jed an update on Donna, and Jed asks Charlie to get Donna's parents. Dulé Hill gets his second line of the evening when he says "yes sir." Gee, John Wells really knows how to use his actors. Leo is reminding Jed that it's been over seven hours since they spoke with Farad, and that the Lincoln battle group is ready to go. Just then, the White House FBI liaison enters the room to tell the President that the Palestinian Authority contacted FBI agents in Gaza, and that the Palestinian Authority security forces have Nassam in custody and want to turn him over to the FBI.
Toby exits an elevator and runs down the hall until he runs into Leo and Charlie. The Congressional resolution passed, asserting that the President has both the "authority and the imperative" to take action. Charlie is there, and he doesn't think that sounds too bad. Toby tells him, "It's the Oxford Debating Society's way of telling the President to get off his ass and do something, you feckless wimp." I know that Toby was not just calling Charlie a feckless wimp. He can call Jed that all he wants, but he'd better not mess with Charlie. Jed joins their little pedeconferencing coffee klatch, and they inform him of the results. Coat flip #2! As they enter Debbie's office (sans Debbie), they run into Kate. Jed asks her how his tie is, and she tells him she would have gone with the blue. Mr. President, please don't take fashion tips from anyone with those bangs. Jed asks Charlie to get the Prime Minister on the phone, and sends Kate in to the Oval Office, telling her to look unhappy. He also sends Toby off to call members of Congress. When Leo moves to follow Jed into the Office of O., Jed tells him, "Leo, head down to the sit room and tell the generals to keep their pistols in their pockets for the time being. You don't believe in this, Leo, and they're not gonna to want to do it. I can't have them picking up any signals from you that we disagree." And then it happens -- the door slams in Leo's face three times. One slam or one music cue would not have been enough. They had to repeat the slam three times. I suspect they would have put in some more slams if every person in the audience hadn't simultaneously screamed out, "We get it!"
Darkened hospital. I'm serious, is this the wing of the hospital where they treat people with acute sensitivity to light? HP is sitting to Donna's bed, dozing off, while Josh talks to Toby on his cell phone. They are running down the list of Democrats who voted for the resolution. It's only after they discuss Congress that Toby gets around to asking how Donna is. Dick. Josh tells him that they won't know for a while, and Toby passes this info on to C.J., who has just walked into his office. A nurse gestures toward the "no cell phones" sign and tells him to turn off his phone. Her exact words are "Turn it off now, sir." I think I love her.
Oval Office. Jed is on the phone with the Israeli Prime Minister, and Kate and Ambassador Nechayev are in the office. Jed is telling the PM that the Palestinians have Nassam in custody and are prepared to turn him over to the U.S., but the PM points out that Nassam has made and broken other promises in the past. Jed claims that Farad is demonstrating good faith and a willingness to address the peace process. Speakerphone close-up! The PM is silent. Jed tells him that the occupation of the West Bank is undermining Israel's legitimacy. Oooh, speakerphone close-up from behind. Such daring directorial decisions. We cut to yet another shot of the speakerphone as the PM tells Jed that Farad is not truly willing to give up his claim to all of historic Palestine. In response to Jed's claim that Israel cannot go on oppressing other peoples, the PM points out that Israel's Arab citizens enjoy greater political and social freedom than in any other country in the Middle East. Kate jumps in at this point to note that Farad knows that the security fence is nearly complete. Jed promises the PM that if both parties attend a summit and Farad rejects an agreement, the U.S. will support Israel's actions to defend itself, including the construction of the security fence. After a moment of silence, Jed gets personal: "Eli, why not sit down and talk again?" The PM agrees that he will raise the offer with his cabinet after Nassam has been turned over to the U.S. With a super-close-up shot of the hold button, Jed hangs up the phone. Ambassador Nechayev leaves, and Jed whispers to Kate, "I think we got ourselves a ballgame."
Helicopter alert! Hit the deck! Toby and Kate are walking out to Marine One. He asks her if she's been to NSF Thurmont (the official name of Camp David) before, and she says no. He asks her if she's flown in Marine One before, and she says no. He asks her if she likes helicopters, and she says, "No, not really. I get a little airsick." Toby: "In that case, you're sitting with Will." And that make sense, because Will is the chief resident, so he can provide her with some medical care if she becomes ill. Toby is so considerate. Jed is talking to Leo, telling him to stay behind and keep an eye on things. Jed: "You still think this is a mistake." Leo: "Yes sir, I do." Jed tells him that when the Palestinian delegation has landed at Andrews, Leo can give General Locke the go to hit the camp in Syria. But he doesn't think the intelligence supports an attack on Iran. The President boards Marine One, and it takes off. I've seen the promos for week, so I know that it won't crash on top of Leo. Yet. Commercials.
We're in the woods, and someone with very well-toned arms is running down a trail. It's Will! The arms are pale, but well-toned. Wow, who would have thunk it. His phone rings. It's C.J., asking if they had s'mores and strategic planning the night before. He calls it "missiles and marshmallows." That sounds like a game we used to play in the Boy Scouts. But I don't think we can talk about that here. She's calling to let him know that the Palestinians are wheels-up. Just then, another helicopter buzzes over Will's head. I'd yell "duck," but I wouldn't be too sad if he bites it.
C.J. and Carol are walking into C.J.'s office. Carol asks C.J. if they had the s'mores yet. C.J.: "That's a great way to stop the summit before it starts -- feed them food the consistency of industrial sealant." I once had a boyfriend with a marshmallow phobia. You could not even bring them into the house. I still feel a little bit guilty when I enjoy some Ben & Jerry's Phish Food. Carol tells C.J. that Leo is looking for her -- C.J. tells Carol to try to get hold of him at Camp David, and Carol tells her he's actually in his office. It's hard for me to believe that C.J. would not know the general location of the Chief of Staff of the White House.
C.J. enters Leo's office, telling him that she thought he went up yesterday with the President. He tells her he doesn't want any press at Camp David. C.J.: "We're not going to the Cozy Inn?" According to the Googling monkeys in the forums, that's the actual name of the place where the press is traditionally lodged during events at Camp David. There won't even be any pool coverage of the summit. The idea is to prevent either side from negotiating in the press. Margaret enters to tell Leo that he's needed elsewhere, and he tells C.J. that there will be an announcement in a couple of hours.
Camp David grounds. Will goes running by Kate, who asks him how far he ran. Only five miles, he says. She offers to buy him a carton of Luckys so he can stay in bed time. She knocks on the door of a cabin and Toby answers, looking pretty scruffy. Kate: "So much for permanent press." She tells him that the prep group is about to start up.
Swimming pool. Jed is swimming laps. The man does not breathe very often. Charlie interrupts him to tell him, "They're on their way."
Debbie is in the conference room, measuring the distance between the edge of the table and the top of the folder placed before each seat. I'd make some kind of joke about the hard twelve-inch long rod she's holding in her hand, but I'm afraid the queer gods would strike me down if I made that kind of joke about Lily Tomlin. Debbie finds one folder that is a full inch too low and gives her assistant the glare of death over the top of her glasses. The assistant scurries over to adjust the folder.
Presidential kitchen. Abbey asks Jed, who is putting on his tie ["he has to wear a tie? He's at camp!" -- Wing Chun], whether they came to consensus. He tells her that the only point they agreed on was that Toby would "give half his salary for a piece of asphalt he could use to pummel the State Department." Charlie tells them that the Israelis just cleared the airspace. I hope you enjoyed these lines, Charlie. They may have to last you a few episodes.
Helicopter landing. Oh, I'm tired of that joke already. Jed and Abbey greet the Israeli PM, his wife, Ambassador Nechayev, and the Defense Minister.
Leo and General Locke are in the sit room, going over the final plans for the attack. Bombs will be dropping in nine minutes.
Back to Camp David. The Palestinians arrive in limos. Jed and Abbey greet the Palestinian PM and Chairman Farad.
Sit room. Leo gives the final go the General Locke, who orders bombing to commence. Locke tells Leo, "If you don't mind me saying so sir, I hope the President knows how lucky he is to have you."
Camp David conference room. Jed welcomes the attendees, who applaud.
Hospital. Josh is sitting to Donna's bed. She wakes up and whispers his name several times. The look in his eyes is heartbreaking. Apparently, the sun has finally come up in Germany, because there is this gorgeous yellow light washing over one side of Donna's face. Considering how horrible she looks, she looks pretty great. Josh tells her that her mother is there, but that she went to get some food. We had better meet Donna's mother week, is all I'm saying. Josh just leans over her and tells Donna that he's still there, and the camera slowly pulls back from them as he pulls her blanket up for her.