Plot

In the week before Bartlet

Josiah Bartlet

Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...

's second inauguration, an escalating genocide in a remote African country prompts him to consider "a new doctrine for the use of force." (Toby terms it "Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...

 with first-strike capabilities.") Not surprisingly, this idea doesn't meet with universal approval, even in the West Wing. Meanwhile, Danny

Danny Concannon

Daniel "Danny" Concannon is a fictional White House correspondent for the Washington Post played by Timothy Busfield on the television serial drama The West Wing. Danny first appeared in the third episode of Season 1, "A Proportional Response," where he mentioned that he had been a White House...

's digging on the Shareef

Abdul ibn Shareef

Abdul Ibn Shareef, former defense minister of Qumar, is a fictional character played by Al No'mani on the television serial drama The West Wing.-Character history:...

 matter is getting on C.J.

C. J. Cregg

Claudia Jean "C. J." Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet...

's nerves; and Charlie

Charlie Young

Charles 'Charlie' Young is a fictional character played by Dulé Hill on the television serial drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he is the Personal Aide to President Josiah Bartlet.-Creation and development:...

's having difficulty finding a Bible for Bartlet to use at the inauguration.

A subplot in this episode involves reports of strange behavior of the Chief Justice (who is neither explicitly named nor shown in this episode). The Chief Justice wrote at least two opinions partially in verse (a cinquain

Cinquain

Cinquain is a class of poetic forms that employ a 5-line pattern. Earlier used to describe any five-line form, it now refers to one of several forms that are defined by specific rules and guidelines.-Crapsey cinquain:...

) and is rumored to have called for the use of powdered wigs for the Justices. This subplot is followed up later in the 5th season when Chief Justice Ashland was introduced and shown to be slowly going senile, eventually leading to his stepping down in favor of Evelyn Baker Lang in "The Supremes

The Supremes (The West Wing)

"The Supremes" is episode 105 of The West Wing and the 17th of the fifth season. The episode centers on the appointment of a new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.-Plot:Owen Brady, the conservative anchor of the Supreme Court, has died...

."

Errors

When the President is practicing his speech in the briefing room, the word "obliged" is misspelled as "abliged" on the teleprompter screen.

External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide