Plot

The episode begins and ends with the resignation of John Hoynes

John Hoynes

John Hoynes is a fictional character played by Tim Matheson on the American television series The West Wing. Hoynes is Vice President of the United States during the first four seasons of the show....

. A grim-faced president receives the news in the opening scene: the rest of the episode relates how this happened.

C.J. Cregg is faced with a couple of press leaks that on the surface look relatively innocuous, one of them involving the alleged discovery of "fossilized water molecules in a meteorite

Meteorite

A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...

 from Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

." But Associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy (Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry (actor)

Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...

), on his first day at work, draws a connection that will have critical implications for the administration. Recorded phone calls from the White House finally reveal that Hoynes has conducted a very indiscreet affair with an author who is now poised to publish her memoirs based upon information she received from him.

Meanwhile Will Bailey

Will Bailey

William "Will" Bailey, is a fictional character played by Joshua Malina on the television serial drama The West Wing, holding various posts in the White House Office of Communications, Office of the Vice President and a backbencher Congressman .-Character biography:Will grew up in Belgium, as his...

, with the help of his seriously depleted writing staff, is trying to counter a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 attack ad

Attack ad

In political campaigns, an attack ad is an advertisement whose message is meant as a personal attack against another candidate or political party...

.

External links

• The West Wing episode guide