By LTG
So it's another serious and emotionally gripping episode. If I'd realized that this show was a drama, I'm not sure I would have signed on to recap it. ["But you're stuck with it now. No backsies!" -- Wing Chun]
We open on John Hoynes, our favorite ex-Vice-President, in a televised interview with someone named Dianne. A subtitle tells us that it's Friday night. Hoynes is promoting his new book. We see Jed tying a bowtie and listening to the interview in the background. Jed seems to be having some difficulty with his tie. After fumbling for a few minutes, he gives up and walks away from the mirror.
Cut to Josh watching the interview. At first I thought he was in his office, but it's also possible that he's in his apartment. (Of course, these scenes are all set at night, so everyone has all his or her lights turned off. Because that's what people do.) We hear Dianne say that she hates to interrupt Hoynes, but that she has a question for him. I hate it when people say that they "hate to do" something and then go ahead and do it. Nobody's forcing you, Dianne. If you really hated it, you could just say no. In any case, Dianne asks Hoynes if he's saying "we're on the wrong track." Hoynes establishes that he thinks the present administration has done a fine job, and that he has "no ill will towards the President or Leo McGarry."
The interview audio recedes into the background (kind of like Bradley Whitford's hairline) as C.J., dressed in a fabulous dress, walks into Toby's office. I know that recappers might have given a detailed description of the dress, but I'm not that kind of gay man. Suffice it to say, C.J. looks amazing. She tells Toby that someone (I couldn't make out who) is in the East Room watching the run-through, and then asks Toby what he's reading. He holds up the volume in his hands, and we can see that it's Hoynes's book. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the title. C.J. asks Toby where he got it, and he tells her that Will had a copy. She's surprised to hear that Will gave it to Toby, but he tells her that he "borrowed" it. C.J. is "sure it's illuminating." When Toby asks her if she wants to know how many times she's mentioned, she just says "No," as she looks over at the Hoynes interview on a monitor. She's also not interested in hearing how many times Toby was mentioned, but when he asks her if she wants to know how many times Josh was mentioned, she looks at him and quietly asks, "How is Josh?" Although she may have been asking "Where is Josh," or even "What is Josh." It was nearly impossible to make out the first word of that sentence. In response to whatever question it was, Toby says, "Josh is...he'll be fine."
Jed is in the kitchen of the residence. Charlie enters, and Jed greets him: "Charles Young, look at that. Made the effort to come visit the old man." Charlie looks a bit perplexed and wants to know where Curtis is. Jed says, "Who?" and Charlie expositions that Curtis is Jed's new body man. Jed: "Nice fellow, Curtis, but he's no Charlie, Charlie. I gotta tell you, he's no good at tying a tie." And with that, Jed offers up the ends of his bowtie to Charlie's ministrations. Charlie points out that he can't tie a tie either, and Jed says, "That makes three of us."
Close-up on the book. The title, we can see, is Full Disclosure. Mysterious hands open up the book, and we see that it's a signed copy. The inscription reads, "Josh. Time to lead. John." We can still hear the interview going on in the background. The mysterious hands belong to Josh, and he looks pensive as he reads the inscription. There's also a vein in the middle of his forehead that looks as though it could blow at any minute. Of course, that might just be a result of his wearing what looks to be the highest, tightest collar since Calvin Coolidge.
C.J. is in her office doing something with her handbag. (Maybe she had to move the secret launch codes from one purse to another?) Margaret comes in to tell her that she has a call. C.J. asks Margaret to make sure she has Josh's notes from the day's summit meeting, and Margaret tells her that Donna already delivered them. C.J. asks Margaret who's on the phone. Margaret: "The Vice-President. The former Vice-President." C.J. has a slight look of alarm on her face when she hears that.
Abbey walks into the residence kitchen, asking what the delay is. Stockard Channing is a total knockout in this dress, with her hair up and a great flashy choker. I can't remember when I've seen her look better. (I know I talk about the women's clothes far more than the men's in this episode, but the men are all wearing tuxedoes and suits. Boooring.) As Abbey walks in, Jed thanks Charlie for his help, and Charlie walks out. Abbey helps Jed get into his jacket as he tells her that he couldn't tie his tie. Abbey: "Yeah, I know that. Can we go now?"
A final shot of the interview (on whose monitor, it's not quite clear). Hoynes is telling Dianne that he would like to return to public life: "I think I can make a contribution."
We see a street with some traffic on it, but not much. There's a restaurant or diner on the other side of the street with some neon in the window. This is clearly nowhere near the White House, although there are many other places in D.C. that it could be. Josh steps across the sidewalk, his back to the camera, and gets into a car. Hoynes is in the driver's seat. He thanks Josh for coming and asks him if he saw the interview. Josh lies (badly) that he didn't. He also says that he didn't look at the book. Hoynes starts to say something to Josh, and Josh interrupts him: "I have no idea why I'm here, Mr. Vice-President." Hoynes: "Yes, you do." Credits, sans Smits.
Josh walks into the assistants' pit and says something in what's supposed to be Chinese to Donna. She's as unimpressed as I am, saying, "Whatever, you're early." Josh points out that it's dinnertime in Beijing. She asks him if he heard that Hoynes is doing Dianne Mathers "tomorrow night." And because they think we're idiots, the producers also put up a subtitle telling us that it is Thursday morning. That insult is followed by actual injury, as the subtitle tells us that it is "One Day Earlier." Well, the subtitle didn't cause the injury -- that was me, smacking my head on the coffee table. When I come to, I find that Josh is asking Donna to do little things in preparation for the China summit (like get him a converter for his electric shaver), while she wants to talk about Hoynes. Apparently, Hoynes has already called for Josh twice this morning. Josh continues to ignore everything she says about Hoynes, and tells her that he can't find his garment bag. Donna: "I think baggage claim is in the terminal over." Josh: "You used to love it when I couldn't dress myself without you." Donna: "I used to love peppermint ice cream too, but now those little pieces of candy, they get stuck in your teeth in a way I find irritating." By the way, Donna has lost the crutches completely, so I think we're supposed to realize that at least several weeks have passed since the last episode. If only they would give us some subtitles to help us determine exactly how much time has passed.
Toby and Kate are meeting with two Chinese diplomats to discuss the details of the summit. Kate's hair has finally reached the style that we've been seeing in the credits all season, so there is nothing left to mock. The Chinese diplomats are going into minute detail about the preparations. Toby is clearly impatient with the meeting, and keeps trying to agree to things to rush the conversation along. Kate barely says a word, and I really can't tell what she's supposed to be feeling in this scene. She keeps touching her face and staring down at the table -- I'm not sure if she's supposed to be bored or if she's in the early stages of heroin withdrawal. Just as the topic turns to the menu for one of the breakfast meetings, Toby sees C.J. almost walk into the room before noticing that it was occupied, and rudely excuses himself from the meeting.
C.J. is in the corridor when Charlie walks up to her and hands her a thick binder. She asks what it is and he tells her that it's the nuclear non-proliferation briefing packet. She's surprised to hear that he completed it so quickly, and he asks if he gets extra credit. C.J.: "You want a gold star?" Not to beat a dead horse, but I know plenty of forum posters who could find ways to reward Charlie's diligence. Charlie lets C.J. know that he'd be happy with another assignment. After he walks away, C.J. turns a corner (leading me to believe that she was trying to go through the conference room as a shortcut) and finds herself face-to-face with Toby. He tells her that the meeting has devolved to the point of planning the breakfast menu: "They're picking fortune cookies." C.J.: "I always thought fortune cookies were an American invention, like pizza and the Frisbee." And would you really serve fortune cookies at breakfast? Toby asks her to get him out of the meeting, and she tells him to take it up with Josh. She also calls him "Rocko." He argues that he doesn't report to Josh, but she reminds him that, as Chief of Staff, she has put Josh in charge of preparations for the summit, so he's really acting with her authority when he assigns Toby to handle these meetings. Except she uses a lot more words to say it, and she spits them out like a machine gun. Toby: "I can't believe you're making me go back in there." C.J.: "Uh uh uh uh. Not I. Josh. That's the beauty of it. See how this thing works?" And with that she leaves him to his breakfast planning.
Josh is meeting with some members of Congress to discuss the agenda for the summit. The primary issues that everyone seems concerned with have to do with trade, including a semi-conductor tariff, and shrimp. Josh tells them that they are planning to push on all of those issues, and everyone in the room seems happy. Except for one curmudgeon sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room. He interrupts the congratulatory handshakes to ask, "What about Taiwan?" He thinks that China will want to discuss U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and isn't reassured by Josh's comment that it's not on the agenda. If the Chinese diplomats are anything like the forum posters, I know that they'll never be able to stay on topic. Senator Curmudgeon is concerned that when the U.S. pushes China on weapons sales to Pakistan, China will push back on U.S. sales to Taiwan. Josh points out that China has already agreed to limit sales to Pakistan, and the Senator gives us a litany of agreements that China has already violated. One of the Congresswomen in the room (really, the only Congresswoman in the room) tells the Senator that she doesn't see what he's getting at, and he says that he's worried that Josh will give away the farm in exchange for a bunch of promises that will only be broken. Josh tells him that he'll keep that in mind, and then tries to soften the moment with some humor: "You know, the Democratic Party hasn't been overrun by a bunch of panda huggers." That joke gets the stone face it deserves.
Back in the planning meeting, the Chinese delegate is about to get to the last item on the agenda (the guest list for something or other) when his cell phone rings. He answers it as Toby tells Kate that he thought cell phones weren't supposed to work "in here." I'm assuming that he means the White House and not the conference room. The delegate speaks on his phone (in Chinese, natch), and when he hangs up, he and his colleague stand up, gather their papers, and leave without saying a word to Toby or Kate.
C.J.'s office. C.J. is asking Josh how it went, and he tells her that it was fine. She intuits that Hunt (previously known as "Senator Curmudgeon") gave him a hard time. He doesn't seem too fazed by it, and thanks C.J. for letting him carry the ball on the summit planning. As she sits behind an enormous stack of briefing files on her desk, she tells him that it's just one less thing for her to worry about. Just then, Carol comes in and tells them that there was a press question about a flag Jed received from the Taiwanese delegation at the National Prayer Breakfast that morning. Apparently, it was a green flag. Josh immediately asks her if she's joking. She tells him that she's not, and that it was a green flag with a red flower on it. Josh's response: "No, no, nonono." C.J. says Josh's name, and he tells her that the Chinese are going to freak out. Carol plays the audience and says that she thought the Taiwanese flag was red and blue. (I mean, she plays the smarter portion of the audience. You know, the TWoP-reading portion.) He expositions that there is no Taiwanese flag, but that the flag of the Republic of China is red and blue and is used in Taiwan. The green flag is the original flag of the Taiwan independence movement. The writers again express their disdain for the audience by having C.J. ask if the independence movement is the movement that would like Taiwan to be independent of China. Josh confirms this, sputters some more about how upset the Chinese government will be over the symbolism of Jed accepting the flag, and then quietly says, "I sound a little hysterical." C.J.: "Just a touch." Josh thinks they can solve the problem by returning the flag before anyone knows that Jed accepted it. At this moment, Toby enters the room. Josh is surprised to see him, since Toby's supposed to be meeting with the Chinese protocol people. But Toby tells Josh about their sudden departure. Apparently, Kate understood enough of what the delegate said on his phone to know that it was something about a flag. C.J., sounding surprisingly like Leo, immediately bellows for Margaret.
Debbie is in the Oval with Jed. She hands him something to sign so that his 25th amendment letter can be retrieved from his personal archives. Jed: "They want me to step down again?" She tells him that it's being loaned out for an exhibit at the National Constitution Center. Jed: "I solve Middle East peace, fix Social Security, and they want the piece of paper I used to remove myself from office." Debbie points out that it's the National Constitution Center. Jed grumbles that the Smithsonian hasn't come calling. Debbie: "I'm sure they'll take a greater interest in you once you're dead." I always hope for Debbie to have a little more involvement in some actual plot, but as long as she continues to cut down Jed's ginormous ego, I won't complain too much. She also gives Jed the bios for the Medal of Arts winners for tomorrow night's gala. So tomorrow night -- that would be Saturday, right? (I've grown so dependent on subtitles I can't figure these things out for myself anymore). Oh no, wait, it must Friday. Debbie's heard a rumor that there's going to be a surprise musical guest at the gala: "I always loved Jerry Garcia." Jed: "If I'm not mistaken, he's unavailable." Debbie: "Hence the surprise."
C.J. and Kate enter the office. Kate asks Jed if he received a flag at the prayer breakfast. He recites a partial list of the gifts he received that morning. Kate is completely unamused, and she describes the flag to him. (The flower, by the way, is a chrysanthemum.) Jed tells them that he gave everything to his new body man, whose name he once again forgets. (Or, since this happening before the pre-credits scene, maybe we should drop the "once again" part.) Charlie is also in the room, and he tells C.J. that Curtis should have turned everything over to the Gifts Unit. At the Gifts Unit, "it's got to be tagged, catalogued, photographed, and appraised. It could be decades before you see that thing again." C.J. wants it sooner, so Charlie heads down to the Gifts Unit to retrieve the flag. Jed asks Kate and C.J. how serious the problem is. Kate thinks that China will want the flag returned publicly. She also thinks that they'll want a statement that the U.S. does not support Taiwanese independence, "and maybe tattoo 'There's only one China' on all our foreheads." Jed's not too keen on the tattoo idea. Kate heads out. Jed puts on his jacket, and he doesn't actually do a coat-flip. It's more of a sideways coat swing. I've been wondering if that was a deliberate attempt to let us see some of the symptoms of his MS episode. (Which is certainly how I've been taking his unfocused speech and mannerisms this week.) If so, nice work, Mr. Sheen. C.J. asks Jed if he wants to consult with the Secretary of State. He's not sure why he would. C.J.: "I just thought, if you were reconsidering our policy on Taiwan..." Jed doesn't know why C.J. would think that, and she points out that engaging in politics through a non-accidental accident is his style. But Jed insists that he just did not notice the flag in the midst of everything else he received. He asks her if they're done, and then leaves the office. It must suck to be Jed's Secretary of State -- ignored, excluded from major negotiations, and generally out of the loop. Kind of like being Colin Powell. Commercials.
And now, the highlight of the episode. Charlie walks down into the bowels of the White House. Based on all the gifts sitting around, I assume this is the Gifts Unit. There's no one behind the counter, so Charlie says "Hello?," and then rings a small bell that's on the counter. This isn't your typical hotel bell, by the way -- it looks more like a replica of the Liberty Bell. Someone comes to the desk and says, "May I help you?" in plummy British tones that sent shivers down my back. It's Bernard! Charlie seems less excited. He asks Bernard where Rose is. Bernard: "Rose, in what I assume was a clerical error of some kind, was promoted." Charlie then asks Bernard if he was transferred to the Gifts Unit. I would think the fact that he is standing behind the counter might be a clue there, Mr. Young. Bernard agrees with me: "Apparently, I am the new Rose." Oh, Bernard, you are a rose. Charlie asks about the flag, and Bernard is (of course) full of information about it. He states that this is the actual hand-sewn flag that was entered in a contest and selected by the Taiwan Independence Movement in 1994, adding that "the color scheme seems more reminiscent of the Taipei Holiday Inn, circa 1970." When Charlie tells Bernard that Jed needs the flag back, he simply says, "Oh, I'm afraid not." Bernard explains that pursuant to Article 5, section 7342(c) of the United States Code, any gift accepted by the President is deemed to have been accepted on behalf of the American people and becomes the property of those people. (I would like to point out that I have not received my share of any gifts received by any president I can recall. I want my commemorative ashtray, dammit!) Bernard's summary of the law is generally correct, if incomplete. (You can check out the statute yourself, if you'd like.) Charlie tells Bernard that he needs the flag. Bernard: "You're not suggesting I break the law?" Charlie: "No." Bernard: "Well then, I suppose we're in a bit of a pickle."
Josh is in Toby's office. The Chinese Ambassador has arrived, and Toby and Josh are preparing to meet with him and acknowledge fault for having accepted the flag. And then Toby looks over Josh's shoulder and says his name to get his attention. Josh turns around, and they see a long line of what appears to be Chinese men (and only men) walking the conference room. Josh says that it's the entire Chinese delegation, and asks Toby whether this came up in the protocol meeting. Toby says that he was "in and out. I couldn't stomach any more haggling over the nine-meat soup." Josh repeats the name of the soup, and Toby tells him it was on the menu for one of the dinners. Josh: "Beef, chicken, pork..." Toby: "You don't want to go there."
In the conference room, Josh and Toby sit on one side of the table while what appears to be approximately fifteen members of the Chinese delegation sit and stand on the other side of the table. Toby opens by once again conveying an apology on behalf of Jed. The Ambassador says that he doesn't want to waste time on such misunderstandings, and gives them a copy of the statement of the Chinese government, which has already been released to the press. (In a subtle comic bit, the Ambassador does not slide the statement across the table. Instead, the aide sitting to him hands it to another aide, who then carries it around the end of the table and puts it down in between Josh and Toby.) The statement apparently refers to the U.S. meddling in the internal affairs of China. The Ambassador states (and doesn't ask) that the White House will return the flag. Once again, Josh tries to make a joke, saying that they'll return it as soon as they can find it. And once again, he gets no laughs. The Ambassador tells them that the Premier does not want to let the incident disrupt the summit, and that he hopes the White House will understand that they need to make a few modifications to the plan. The protocol aide tells Josh and Toby that they want to hold the welcome reception outdoors, and that they would like to move it from the Great Hall to the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Toby has clearly been paying some attention to the summit preparations, because he notes that the Gate of Heavenly Peace is in Tiananmen Square. Josh, in an incredulous tone, asks, "You want to welcome the President of the United States in Tiananmen Square?" The Ambassador sounds all naïve as he asks if there's a problem with that.
Close-up on several paper flags attached to tiny little flagpoles, which are in turn attached to little blocks of wood. Represented are the flags of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, the Taiwan Independence Movement, and a couple of other Taiwanese political parties. C.J. and Kate are sitting at C.J.'s desk, eating Chinese food(!) out of take-out cartons, while Kate explains (again!) the difference between the various flags. C.J. seems particularly confused by the distinction between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China, and I simply refuse to believe that the person who was Leo's only candidate to become Chief of Staff would be so ignorant. Of course, the real explanation is that the writers think that the audience is that ignorant. (Have you noticed that I'm angry about this?) The point of this conversation is to explain (again!) that China would become quite angry if Taiwan changed its flag. China might even declare war. At the end of the little flag exhibit, C.J. wonders why Kate has the flags. "I play a lot of Risk." That was surely a jest. I can't imagine that Kate would have enough friends to get a good game of Risk going.
Josh comes in to let C.J. know that the Chinese delegation wants to eliminate much of the discussion of trade so that the summit can focus on the U.S. role in Taiwan, and that they want to greet the President in Tiananmen Square. After a bit of ranting, Josh notices that Kate and C.J. are eating Chinese. Kate offers him some lo mein. I think that after you've put the chopsticks in your mouth and then put them back in the take-out carton, it's kind of gross to offer that food to someone else. It's like double dipping. Toby enters and tells the assembled crowd that Senator Hunt has asked for floor time to introduce a resolution asking Jed to display the Taiwan independence flag in the lobby of the State Department. This concerns everyone, not just because it might make the Chinese angry, but also because it might encourage the Taiwan Independence Movement to take concrete steps towards their goal. Which is what? Yes, that's right, independence from China. I'm glad you've been paying attention. C.J. thinks they need to shut Hunt down, and asks Josh what he wants to do. Josh: "Hang him by his thumbs and beat him with a pogo stick." C.J. actually wants a serious answer, however, so Josh suggests sending Toby and Kate to the Chinese embassy first thing in the morning to explain that Hunt is a loose cannon and that the flag will be returned by the end of the day. C.J. tells Josh that he will have to go see Hunt, and he grudgingly agrees. Josh and Kate both leave, and C.J. and Toby discuss how bad it will be for Jed to be seen in Tiananmen Square with the Chinese leader. She tells him to figure out how to make it work, just in case it can't be avoided. Toby: "So I'm working for you now, again?" She exclaims his name in frustration, and he walks out of the office.
Will enters Josh's office just as Josh is putting on his coat to leave, and asks how the China preparations are going. Josh gives him a noncommittal answer, and Will moves on to his real agenda, which is to ask about the photo op that Jed is having the day, in which he will hand over the 25th Amendment letter to representatives of the National Constitution Center. Bingo Bob would like to be part of the photo op. Josh is surprised, since everything related to the letter happened before Russell was Veep. Josh also tries to foist Will onto Toby, who is conveniently passing by. Will explains to Toby what he wants, and Toby gives him a flat "no." By this time, the trio has walked into the Communications office. Toby thinks Russell just wants to "horn in on Baker's photo op with the President." Apparently, Governor Baker (who is the governor of Pennsylvania, and not California, as I had originally thought) will be at that photo op, since he is a trustee of the National Constitution Center (located, appropriately, in Pennsylvania). But Will thinks Baker is just trying to make it seem as though Jed is supporting Baker in his run for the Democratic nomination. They enter Toby's office, and Josh says, "Finns to the left, Finns to the right. Baker and Hoynes." Will is pretty dismissive of Hoynes, merely saying that his appearance on the Dianne Mathers show will be "interesting." Will points out to Toby that the President assured Bingo Bob that he would have Jed's support, and Toby offers to arrange another photo op for Russell: "The hog lots bill is in conference." Will starts to argue, but then gives up and leaves the room. Josh is surprised that Will seemed so uninterested in Hoynes. Toby agrees with Josh, pointing out that Hoynes has been all over the news, and that Toby has "been getting calls." Josh: "Yeah, he called me a couple of times." Toby: "He? I was talking about reporters. Hoynes called you?" Josh reassures Toby that he didn't call Hoynes back, because Josh isn't interested "in anything having to do with John Hoynes." I've been accused of seeing too much HoYay when it comes to Josh, but I swear that he sounded just like a jilted lover when he said that line.
C.J. enters the Office of O to find Jed still there, sitting in the darkened room with a single lamp lit. She tells him that she thinks they should call the American Institute in Taiwan (which is the closest thing the U.S. has to an embassy there) to ensure that they understand that the U.S. is not changing its position. He tells her to make the call, and as she's leaving, says, "I've always wondered why the let me pick these guys every year." She doesn't know what he's talking about. He's referring to the honorees for the National Medal of Arts: "I enjoy a good cantata, and Turner's landscapes send me over the moon, but what the hell do I know about art?" C.J. thinks that since Jed is the "popularly elected representative of the American people," his taste must count for something. Thinking back to any of our presidents over the last hundred years or so, I shudder at the thought. Jed seems to agree, saying that "nobody told them I was going to be Art Critic-in-Chief." He asks C.J. whether the voters "really knew what they were getting when they pulled the lever." She tells him that she does, in a slightly hesitant way. He wishes her a good night, and she leaves the room. C.J.'s interaction with Jed in this episode has been oddly deferential -- almost tender.
Josh is paying a nighttime visit to Senator Hunt. (Not like that -- even my mind isn't that dirty.) (By the way, they gave us an establishing shot of the Capitol, for those in the audience too stupid to know where a senator might work.) Josh points out that when Taiwan's president wanted to fly the same green and red flag six months earlier, "Taiwan's democratically-elected parliament passed a law to stop him." They have a miniature debate about the status of Taiwan. In short, Hunt thinks that Taiwan should possess actual independence, and that the U.S. should stop standing in the way of that. Josh thinks that the people of Taiwan are happy, wealthy, and free, and that the lack of formal independence is unimportant when they possess de facto independence. Senator Hunt gets the cheesiest line of the episode: "When Patrick Henry said 'Give me liberty or give me death,' do you think he meant except for Wednesdays and Sundays?" They talk a bit more, and then Hunt leaves the office. You know, people on this show are always walking out of their own offices and leaving other people, including political enemies, standing there, free to rifle through their files. It seems a little sloppy to me. But maybe a good dramatic exit is worth more than privacy. Commercials.
Friday morning. Thanks, subtitles! I don't know what I'd do without you. We see Bernard in his little basement office. He's listening to some Gilbert and Sullivan (or so I'm told by usually reliable sources on the forums). For some reason, Bernard gets up from his desk, turns down the music, and walks out to the counter in the Gifts Unit. I didn't hear the bell ring, and he was facing in the opposite direction, so I have no idea how Bernard knew Charlie was there. He greets Charlie (calling him, of course, "Charles"). As Charlie starts to read something to Bernard from a legal-looking book in his hand, Bernard asks, "Did you pick out that tie, or is it government-issue?" Charlie tells him that his sister gave him the tie. Bernard: "The things we put up with for family." Charlie's not too thrown by this, and he gets back to his law book, explaining that according the Foreign Decorations and Gifts Act, the President has the option of buying back any gift accepted on behalf of the U.S. Bernard is not amused: "Must we suffer through another round of capture-the-flag?" Charlie says that Jed wants to buy back the flag. Bernard explains that a commercial appraisal would be required, and when Charlie asks him for a ballpark estimate, Bernard muses for a bit before declaring that the flag is likely worth $20,000 to $30,000. Now it's Charlie's turn to be unamused.
C.J. and Josh run into each other while arriving at work. She asks how the meeting with Hunt went, and he tells her that Hunt is still going to speak at one o'clock, but that Josh can arrange a procedural roadblock that will keep the floor of the Senate tied up until they can return the flag to the Chinese, making the resolution moot. However, Josh thinks they should actually let Hunt speak, pointing out that the resolution will never pass, and that Jed will never have to acknowledge it: "I'm not suggesting a re-tooling of the Monroe Doctrine, but we let Hunt speak. Let someone make the principled argument." What the fuck? The Monroe Doctrine? Is Taiwan suddenly part of the western hemisphere? I don't care how tired Josh is, or how little experience he has in international relations, he should still know what the fucking Monroe Doctrine is. This weird comment slides right by C.J., and she tells Josh that if Kate and Toby don't object, they can raise the idea with Jed.
Margaret is walking around her office filing things and singing. Badly. And while I think that everyone was supposed to recognize the song, I had no idea what she was singing. At first I thought it was "Karma Chameleon." Wouldn't it be cool if Boy George made an appearance on the show? No? Eh, you're probably right. C.J. walks up behind Margaret, asks her if she's excited about the Medal of the Arts ceremony, and then tells her, "It's supposed to be a surprise musical guest." Margaret realizes that she might give away the secret with the singing and dancing. C.J. confirms that Governor Baker just arrived to meet with Jed, and asks Margaret to keep track of a couple of other things for her. They both head down the hall, and Margaret asks C.J., "Do you have a favorite? Song?" C.J. doesn't. Margaret does, however. "I've always liked 'Jelly Man Kelly.'" This still gave me no clue who the musical guest was. However, I did laugh as Margaret started talking through the lyrics. "He's the one who likes jelly the most. He likes it on toast. Then there's Jenny Mulhenny..." 'Cause I love some music with absolutely bizarre lyrics as well. (I mean, "some days you eat the bear"? What does that really mean?) C.J. cuts her off before we get any more. Margaret: "Right. Mum's the word."
Jed is meeting with Governor Baker in the Oval. Baker is played by Ed O'Neill -- I know he's a serious actor and all, but it's hard for me to see him without picturing him sitting on a sofa with his hand shoved into his pants. So Governor Bundy he shall be. Jed shows Governor Bundy the letter, and tells him that he's going to hold onto the one that reinstated him in office. Bundy promises that the museum will take care of the letter. They chitchat a bit, and then Jed asks the Governor how his numbers are looking in Iowa. Governor Bundy modestly says that he hasn't declared, but when Jed pressures him, he says that his numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire look pretty good. Just then Bingo Bob walks into the office, greeting Jed and Governor Bundy with a hearty "Gentlemen!" How the hell did he get past Debbie? And where's our pal Curtis? Will is a few steps behind the Veep. Jed: "Bob, I didn't know you were joining us." Bob says that he had to be there for such a historic moment, and Jed points out that "the historic moment happened a couple of years ago." Governor Bundy calls Jed over and starts to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. Well, really he's just blowing smoke up Jed's ass, saying that the focus of the event is supposed to be on Jed's nobility in invoking the 25th Amendment. Jed cuts him off and asks Bundy if he will be in the photos. Bundy notes that he is a trustee of the museum, and Jed tells him that he doesn't think anybody will mind if Russell is in the photos as well: "After all, he's sort of a trustee of this office."
Josh is walking down the hall when he sees Will standing outside the Office of O. Will tells him that he's "hoping to absorb some wisdom. Osmosis." Josh knows at once that Will sent Bingo Bob in to crash the photo op, and he actually praises the maneuver. He goes on to ask Will why he's not concerned about Hoynes. Will says that even with Hoynes's name recognition, their polling still puts Hoynes ten points behind Russell in New Hampshire: "He resigned in a sex scandal. There's no way to comes back from that."
Donna walks into Margaret's office to drop off some documents for C.J. She coyly asks, "So, you know who's coming tonight." Margaret is beaming as she says, "It's a surprise." She is just giddy at having this secret. After the tiniest bit of prodding from Donna, she says, through a clenched smile, "Jelly Man Kelly." Except she barely moves her lips, so it sounds more like "jelly van telly." Donna doesn't get it, and she is just about to ask Margaret to repeat herself slowly when C.J. walks up and asks if Donna has brought the trade agenda for the summit. She asks Donna to also bring her a copy of anything Josh has on Taiwan. Donna asks C.J. if there's an issue: "I know it's Josh, so there's always an issue. 'Cause he's been working really hard on this." C.J. tells her that she just wants to stay in the loop, and Donna reassures C.J. that Josh "has everything under control." Just then, they notice news coverage of a pro-independence rally in Taiwan, in which hundreds or thousands of protesters are waving the green and red flag. The news coverage specifically mentions that Jed accepted the flag at the breakfast. C.J. immediately tells Margaret to get Kate and the head of the CIA.
Back in the Oval, the photo op is just wrapping up. Jed is saying goodbye to Governor Bundy, and Bingo Bob is sliding out of the room when Jed calls him back. Bob starts to butter him up, but Jed cuts him off: "Don't do that again. I want to be very clear: I'm not choosing sides. Not him, not you." Russell looks nonplussed, but any reaction is cut off when C.J. enters the room. She tells Jed about the demonstrations, which were organized by the independence movement. But she notes that some prominent members of the majority party where there, including the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs. Just then, Kate walks into the office. I love how everyone can just saunter into the Oval Office without anyone's asking if Jed would like to see them. It must be nice to work in such an open environment. C.J. asks Kate how the meeting with the Chinese went, and she responds, "Things didn't start off all that well. They went downhill from there." She also tells them that the People's Liberation Army has deployed a submarine into the Taiwan Strait in response to the demonstrations. She tells Jed that she thinks they're just showing their teeth. Jed: "I get distracted for five minutes at breakfast and China's deploying teeth." Jed is looking fairly red as he reacts to the news. He tells Kate that he wants her to get to Taipei immediately: "Tell President Chen I'm not going to war over a flag. At least not today." Then he tells C.J. that he wants to get Beijing on the phone, and that the two of them will settle the problem immediately.
Josh is watching the news coverage in his office when C.J. walks in. She tells him she needs him to put his delaying tactic into place to keep Senator Hunt off the floor. Josh is surprised at the change, and wants to discuss it with the President. C.J.: "It's already been discussed. Submarines trump symbolism. I had to make a call." Josh agrees, and asks her if there's anything else. She tells him that they're going to accept the welcome in Tiananmen Square, and are trying to get the Chinese to go along with the original agenda. There won't be any public discussion of Taiwan. Josh points out that they're "gonna need to deal with the fallout from the welcome at Tiananmen." C.J. agrees with a quiet "yeah" and then takes two steps toward Josh. We can't see her face, but it must be communicating something, because Josh says, "You put Toby on it?" C.J. did, and she also tells him that Jed wants her to accompany him on the summit. Which, Josh realizes, means that he will be staying behind. C.J. tells Josh that with things in crisis, they would just feel better if she were in charge. He immediately starts to speak in that way you do when you've gotten really bad news but you have to agree with the logic behind it: "Sure, I'll start pulling together the briefing packets for you. Come on, you're going, you need Toby to deal with the press. Somebody's got to man the fort here. I'm fine staying. You're his guy. You're in the room, in the chair. He needs you, that's how it was with Leo, that's how it's supposed to be." The words cannot convey how powerful this scene was. Bradley Whitford is amazing in this scene. It's one of the most restrained performances I've seen on this show, and it communicates volumes about the heartbreak he is feeling. During his speech, we periodically cut back to C.J.'s face. She doesn't speak, but you can also see the regret she feels at having to do this to a friend. Once he finishes, I think she almost starts to say that she's sorry, but she just thanks Josh instead, and walks out of the room.
C.J. walks back into her office and leans on the desk with frustration. We hear Leo's voice say, "Awfully dark in here." I'm glad somebody on the show noticed. John Spencer gives one of his radiant smiles, and C.J. greets him with a hug. He asks her if it was "always so gloomy in here." C.J.: "Not when you were here." She tells him that she keeps getting pressured to redecorate, but that she hasn't had the time. They sit down to lunch at the small table in the front of the office. It's set pretty formally, with a candle and a pink (I think -- it is dark in there) rose for C.J. Leo tells her that she looks good in the office: "Comfortable." She tells him that she's not feeling so comfortable today, and he tells her that things will be fine. Once they give the flag back, the Chinese will calm down. C.J.'s worried that they are letting China push them around "on Taiwan, on North Korea, on trade, on human rights." Leo points out that the human-rights situation in China is better than it was ten years ago, and that if things continue as they have been, it will get even better in the future: "I lived through the first Cold War. One was enough, thank you. I'll take blue jeans, even low riders, and Starbucks, over fighters and submarines any day." Throughout this speech, Leo is fiddling with things on the table. He takes two forks and intertwines their tines. Then he takes Kate's miniature Taiwan independence flag and sticks it through the interlocked tines. He balances the whole contraption on the edge of a wine glass, with the tiny flagpole as the balancing point. Then he lights a match and lights one end of the flagpole on fire. The flagpole burns up, but the fire stops at the point on which the entire thing is balanced, and it stays balanced on the edge of the wine glass. He points to the glowing ember where the fire extinguished itself and tells C.J., "That's you. That's your job." She looks at him and says, "You really got a lot of time on your hand now, huh." Leo: "You have no idea. But once in a while, on certain days when they take down the flag out that window at sunset, you know you did something, and that ain't all bad." C.J. gives him a small smile. Man, two excellent scenes in a row. What the hell can I make fun of? Commercials.
C.J. and Toby are walking through the communications office, reviewing the proposed draft of Jed's opening remarks for the summit. She approves them, and tells him to send them to the Chinese Ambassador. She then runs into Charlie and asks him, "Where's my flag?" He tells her that he's working on it, and starts to explain about the appraisal: "Charlie, I need that flag. I mean, I need it now. I know it seemed like a little thing yesterday, but that was yesterday. Now it's a big deal, and I need you to take care of it, and if you can't take care of it, I need to put someone else on it who can." Charlie tells her that he'll get it.
Charlie is in the Gifts Unit with a short man carrying a stack of books. It's dark, so it's difficult to see the books clearly, but they look to me like case reporters -- that is, compilations of the published opinions of federal courts. Charlie rings the bell, and Bernard comes to the desk. Charlie greets him in this deep, affected voice -- it's a pretty good imitation of Bernard himself. Bernard asks Charlie, "Didn't they teach you that surrender is the better part of valor?" Charlie introduces Bernard to his companion, Richard Squire. Bernard: "And aren't you a frumpy little man." I didn't like that line. Bernard is very rude, but I don't think he would ever be so directly rude. Charlie introduces Squire as being from the Counsel's office, and tells Bernard how very smart he is: "I believe he's memorized the U.S. Code." Squire: "I get a little tripped up by Title 14." Bernard gives him a supercilious look and says, "Do you?" as though he could recite every line himself. By the way, I call utter bullshit on the memorization part. The U.S. Code is massive, filling up dozens of volumes, and it changes every time a new law is enacted. Even if you could memorize it, nobody would want to because you would still constantly have to consult it to keep up with the changes. Charlie tells Bernard that, according to Squire, the President cannot accept a gift from a foreign government if doing so would adversely affect U.S. foreign relations. Squire cites some State Department regulation to Bernard, referring him to section B. Bernard: "I wasn't aware of a section B." Faced with the knowledge of his own imperfection, Bernard capitulates and goes to get the flag.
Marines in dress uniforms carry the flag, folded into a triangle, through the corridors of the White House. Charlie is following them. Josh watches the procession go by and calls the flag a "cheesy piece of fabric." Donna walks up behind him, and just as he turns around, she passes to the rear of him. He bellows her name, and she is now right behind him, exactly where he was looking one second before. She gives him one of the China briefing books and tells him that he has more phone messages from the law firm of "Hoynes, Hoynes, & Hoynes." She also has his garment bag for him. "Where'd you find it?" Donna: "You left it a luggage repair shop after the G-8 six weeks ago." Josh: "So you don't take care of me?" He notices something else in her hands and asks what it is. She tells him that it's a gift, and that she opened it. "You unwrapped my gift?" Donna: "Who knows, it could have been a bomb." Instead, it's something potentially worse -- Hoynes's book. Donna asks Josh if he wants to know how many times he's mentioned in it. He guesses three, but she tells him it's actually thirty-nine.
Leo enters the Oval and asks Jed if he's working hard. Jed looks up and takes a couple of seconds before saying Leo's name. Debbie (who must have been on a break when all those other people wandered in) tells Leo that Jed is ornery today, and also tells Jed that her guess for the special musical guest is Liberace. Jed didn't know that Leo would be visiting, and Leo tells him that he'd just wanted to stop by and "check in on [Jed's] new boss." Leo asks about the chess, and Jed accuses him of a "put-up job." Jed grumbles about nearly starting World War III. He's afraid that he'll be remembered as the president who "couldn't liberate a flag from his own basement." Leo accuses Jed of engaging in a put-up job himself: "You knew, when you took the flag, the flap it would cause." Jed doesn't respond, and then excuses himself to "put on the penguin suit." He says Leo's name, and gives him a hug. He asks Leo when he'll return. Leo: "I've been here an hour and already I feel like I need another thirty days at Sierra Tucson." I didn't understand that line. Sierra Tucson is a drug and alcohol treatment facility. Is Leo saying that being in the White House makes him feel like hitting the bottle? It's a mystery. As Leo starts to walk out, Jed calls to him, but when Leo turns back, Jed tells him it's nothing.
And now we're back at the beginning. Hoynes is being interviewed by Dianne Mathers. Jed is unable to tie his tie. Josh is watching the interview. This time, we see the very end of the interview, and Hoynes's wife is in the studio and walks over to him after the cameras stop rolling. They chat about the interview, and he tells her that he has "a call to make, and a meeting, but it won't take too long." He doesn't kiss her as he walks away, and I almost think I saw a flicker of doubt pass across her face.
National Arts Medal ceremony. Jed is on a small stage in the East Room, Abbey by his side. He gives a small speech and announces that the Medal is being given posthumously to Sam Cooke. Jed announces that the surprise guest is James Taylor. Taylor comes onto stage to applause, and begins singing Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come": "I was born by the river, in a little tent." The song continues in the background throughout the remainder of the episode. We see C.J. get her call from Hoynes, and Josh reading the inscription in the book. "It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die." Josh goes on to look at the index, and sees the long list of references to him. (Including one labeled, "Family vacation with.") "It's been a long time coming, but I know, a change is gonna come, my brother." C.J. is now at the back of the East Room. She tells Toby that Hoynes called her and told her to look in the index of the book. Toby tells her that she's not in it, and she lets out a relieved "yeah." She gives him a small smile, and they toast.
Once again we see Josh get into the car with Hoynes. "There were times that I thought, that I wouldn't last too long, somehow I may just about carry on." This time we see the rest of the conversation. Hoynes gives Josh a heartfelt speech about all the mistakes he's made, but "when I look around and see Bingo Bob Russell and Eric [Bundy], I see plenty of reasons to stay sober." He tells Josh that he's a better person and will be a better candidate than he was the last time he ran for president. Josh: "You lost that race." Hoynes: "I lost that race when I lost you." Josh just looks at him. "It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die."
Abbey and Jed are in the audience listening to the song. Abbey is sitting on Jed's right side, and he has both of his hands grasped around one of hers. She leans over and whispers, "You're friendly tonight." Jed: "Just 'cause I can't keep my hands off you." She looks at him and asks, "What is it?" At first he shakes his head, but then he leans over and tells her that he didn't see the flag and couldn't tie his tie. "I haven't been able to focus, or see out of my right eye, since early yesterday morning. I didn't see the flag." At first, Abbey looks off into the middle distance, but as he finishes, she turns to look at him closely. He turns his head forward however, and leans back a little. They both look near tears. "I said, 'Brother could you help me please.' Thought I ought to talk to my own mother. I said, 'Mama, I'm down on my knee.'"
Hoynes's car. He's telling Josh that "seven years of following is enough. It's time to start leading. You're never gonna be Leo McGarry to Jed Bartlet, but you can be Leo to me. I'm running for president. I want you with me. I want you to run my campaign." Fade to black. "A change is gonna come. Yes, a change is gonna come."
There were lots of things to complain about in this episode, but I feel like many of our characters got more development in the last twenty minutes of this episode than they did in the entirety of Season 5. I hope the coming episodes don't leave me as emotionally drained as this one did, but I have to say, I'm looking forward to them.