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List of The West Wing episodes

*** Shopping-Tip: List of The West Wing episodes
List of episodes of the television series '''''The West Wing (TV series) The West Wing''''', with plot synopses. Plot synopses for each season are also included. (Notation: "Episode ''SEE''" means season ''S'', episode ''EE''.) Also, broadcast dates on future episodes are subject to change. {{spoiler-blank|Plot details from previous episodes of ''The West Wing'' follow. Plot details of future episodes are not discussed. Plot summaries as listed in TV Guide or other sources may appear as placeholders for future episodes, but do not constitute spoilers in the traditional sense.}}

Season One
The first season, which begins in the middle of Bartlet's first year in office, is loaded with images of a West Wing "stuck in neutral" and powerless to govern (thought by many to mimic President Bill Clinton Clinton's early days in office, when he was forced to compromise on campaign promises such as gays in the military). Several episodes (notably "Five Votes Down" and "Mr. Willis of Ohio") feature the White House desperately digging for a backdoor through which to pass a particular piece of legislation. This powerlessness ends in "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" when Leo and the president finally agree to fight any battle they believe to be important, even if they are not sure they can win. The season ends with a cliffhanger assassination attempt with an ominous call over a Secret Service radio: "Who's been hit?! Who's been hit?!"

Episodes
; Episode 101 – "Pilot" : In the series premiere, the staff is being called into work in the early hours of the morning to run damage control on two public relations issues. Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman has insulted millions of Christians by, after provocation from Christian-activist Mary Marsh, stating "Lady, the God you pray to is too busy being indicted for tax fraud." Meanwhile, the President has crashed his bicycle into a tree, much to the enjoyment of the press. Also, Sam unknowingly spends an evening with a call girl and then accidentally tells Chief of Staff Leo McGarry's daughter, Mallory, about it. ; Episode 102 – "Post hoc ergo propter hoc Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc" : Sam jeopardises his bright political future when he decides to pursue a relationship with a callgirl he recently met, while C.J. arbitrates a disagreement between the President and the Vice President, and the President hires a new White House physician. The White House hires Mandy as a political consultant, much to Josh's chagrin. ; Episode 103 – "A Proportional Response" : An angry President Bartlet seeks vengeance for downed jet which happened to carry his new physician among other passengers, while Charlie Young applies for a White House job, and C.J. talks reporter Danny Concannon out of writing a story about Sam's relationship with the callgirl. ; Episode 104 – "Five Votes Down" : The West Wing staff works around the clock to secure the five votes they need for the passage of a new Gun politics gun control bill, while the President unintentionally gets his back medications confused, and Leo's wife tells him that she is leaving him. ; Episode 105 – "The Crackpots and These Women" : The staff participates in "Big Block of Cheese Day", when they allow meetings with fringe special interest groups that normally cannot get attention from the White House. Josh is troubled by a special "nuclear attack" card he receives, the West Wing staff prepare for an important press conference, and President Bartlet tries to make chili for his youngest daughter Zoey. ; Episode 106 – "Mr. Willis of Ohio" : West Wing staffers court votes for a new census-taking methodology bill, the President's daughter Zoey has an unfortunate encounter in a Georgetown bar, and Leo tells the President that he's separated from his wife. ; Episode 107 – "The State Dinner" : The President tries to focus on key problems—a hostage standoff, a hurricane, and an impending truckers' union strike—all while trying to prepare for an important state dinner with the Indonesian President. ; Episode 108 – "Enemies" : C.J. tries to quash rumours that the President and Vice President got into an argument at a cabinet meeting, and Leo's daughter Mallory begins to date Sam, to Leo's dismay. ; Episode 109 – "The Short List" : President Bartlet considers candidates for an open seat on the Supreme Court of the United States Supreme Court, and a publicity-seeking Congressman accuses the West Wing staff of drug use. ; Episode 110 – "In Excelsis Deo" : Amid Christmas preparations, Toby looks into a homeless person's background, while Danny Concannon and C.J. discuss the possibility of a first date. ; Episode 111 – "Lord John Marbury" : As a border war between India and Pakistan poses the threat of a nuclear clash, a flamboyant British expert on the matter is summoned to the White House, while Charlie asks the President's permission to date his daughter Zoey. ; Episode 112 – "He Shall, From Time To Time..." : Crises abound as the President is found unconscious, the situation in India and Pakistan intensifies, and Leo faces scrutiny from the press about his previous drug and alcohol problems. The First Lady tells Leo that the President has relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. ; Episode 113 – "Take Out The Trash Day" : While Bartlet and his staff debate the best way to handle a controversial sex education study, a Congressional committee expands its efforts to expose and condemn Leo's past substance abuse. ; Episode 114 – "Take This Sabbath Day" : Bartlet spends the weekend deciding on whether or not to commute the death sentence of a man convicted of drug-related murders. Josh is introduced to Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin), who is deaf and trying to manage the campaign of Bill O'Dwyer in California. ; Episode 115 – "Celestial Navigation" : While Sam and Toby go to Connecticut to get the President's Supreme Court nominee out of jail, Josh tells a group about a typical day at the White House, which includes a clash between the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and a brash Republican congressman. ; Episode 116 – "20 Hours In L.A." : The President and his staff head to Los Angeles, California Los Angeles for a whirlwind visit and a celebrity fundraiser, and Bartlet meets his daughter Zoey's new United States Secret Service Secret Service agent. ; Episode 117 – "The White House Pro-Am" : The staffs of the President and First Lady clash, as do Presidential daughter Zoey and Presidential aide Charlie when she suggests they heed Secret Service warnings and not attend a party together. ; Episode 118 – "Six Meetings Before Lunch" : An arrest at a frat party attended by the President's daughter could prove explosive, as could the views of a controversial nominee for United States Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General. ; Episode 119 – "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet" : A damaging memo which is critical of the President is discovered, and Mandy wrote it when she was working for Lloyd Russell. ; Episode 120 – "Mandatory Minimums" : The President nominates controversial advocates of campaign finance reform to the Federal Election commission; pollsters Al Kiefer and Joey Lucas return. Toby spars with his ex-wife, Congresswoman Andrea Wyatt. ; Episode 121 – "Benjamin Disraeli Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics" : The staff anxiously await poll results while potential crises flare, including the possible revelation of Sam's call girl associate. ; Episode 122 – "What Kind of Day Has It Been?" : Bartlet hosts a town-hall meeting as the military races to recover a downed U.S. pilot before the Iraqis can capture him, and the Space Shuttle program space shuttle is plagued by mechanical problems. It is revealed that Toby's brother is on board. As Bartlet and his staff exit the town hall meeting, white supremacist assassins open fire on the crowd below. It is not revealed who is wounded or to what degree, providing the end-of-season cliffhanger.

Season Two
The second season, which encompasses the end of Bartlet's second year in office through the middle of the third, covers a wider legislative array than the first, with issues ranging from the rights of hate groups to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Bartlet and his staff are able to legislate this season both due to increased polling numbers (thought by the staff to be a temporary "bubble" due to the assassination attempt) and the new doctrine for legislating laid out last season in "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet." The driving plot point for several seasons to come is revealed to the Bartlet staff that the president was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis prior to the election and kept it from the public. Bartlet's personal secretary dies in the second-to-last episode, "18th and Potomac," and the last episode, "Two Cathedrals," is centered around her funeral and whether or not the president will run for re-election. He ends the season having announced his multiple sclerosis, just about to answer a reporter's question, "Mr. President, will you be seeking a second term?"

Episodes
; Episode 201 – "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I" : The Bartlet Administration is in chaos—an assassination attempt has left the White House (not to mention the country) reeling. Who was hit? Was anyone killed? Who did it? And why? As those questions are explored, the episode includes flashbacks detailing how the Administration came to be. To handle all the implications of the domestic and international crises, Vice President Hoynes takes the reins. ; Episode 202 – "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II" : All the President's men and women scramble in the chaotic wake of an assassination attempt that leaves some victims fighting for their lives. Meanwhile, as a manhunt continues, the wounded drift in and out of surgery recalling how Bartlet's team came together during the dark months of his longshot primary campaign. Elsewhere, the press department is hounded by the media for details of the shooting while a military crisis looms in Iraq. ; Episode 203 – "The Midterms" : In the aftermath of the shooting, the Administration is polling at 81 percent. But those numbers are soft, Sam cautions, and no one disagrees. Moreover, they probably won't hold up for the midterm elections in 12 weeks, which mark two years in office for the administration. Still, Toby wants to use this honeymoon as leverage for a domestic-terrorism initiative. In fact, he's obsessed with it. The President also seems obsessed with thwarting an old foe who is running for a school-board seat in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Sam enlists an old law-school classmate to run for an open House seat. ; Episode 204 – "In This White House" : The West Wing gets a right winger as young Republican lawyer Ainsley Hayes signs on as Associate White House Counsel. She's offered the job at the insistence of the President, after he sees her demolish Sam on a TV talk show. Meanwhile, the President of an AIDS-ravaged African country visits the White House and spars with drug-company executives. ; Episode 205 – "And It's Surely To Their Credit" : Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) meets her new boss, White House counsel Lionel Tribbey, and receives her first assignment: clean up after two domestic-policy staffers who presented inaccurate testimony before a House committee. Meanwhile, Sam hits upon the idea of Josh suing the hate group whose members shot him; and C.J. stares down a soon-to-retire general who's planning to blast the Administration on TV talk shows. ; Episode 206 – "The Lame Duck Congress" : Josh, Toby and Sam want the President to consider calling a lame-duck session of Congress to try to pass a nuclear test-ban treaty, and C.J. leaks news of this to Danny—who initiated the story in the first place by asking if the White House was "considering" calling the session. Meanwhile, Donna goes on the warpath over carpal-tunnel syndrome; Sam and Ainsley (Emily Procter) teach each other a thing or two; and a Ukrainian reformer (Eugene Lazarev) shows up—drunk—at the White House, demanding to see the President. ; Episode 207 – "The Portland, Oregon Portland Trip" : The President is taking a Red-eye flight red-eye to Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon Ore., to deliver an education address, and Sam must go with him because he can't get the speech right. Toby must also go, to help Sam, and C.J. has to go, too, because she's being punished for making disparaging remarks about the President's alma mater, University of Notre Dame Notre Dame. Back at the White House, Josh spars with a gay Republican congressman over a bill on homosexual marriage, and Leo monitors a minor crisis in the Persian Gulf involving an oil tanker. ; Episode 208 – "Shibboleth" : A group of Chinese Christians who claim they're the victims of religious persecution are found trying to sneak into the United States, and President Bartlet must decide their fate. Meanwhile, C.J. is given the task of choosing which turkey the President will pardon, and Charlie races to find a suitable knife for the President's turkey-carving. Toby, Josh, and Sam finally invite C.J. to their Thanksgiving football party. ; Episode 209 – "Galileo Galilei Galileo" : Crises come in all shapes and sizes during one hectic day at the White House. The biggest fire to be put out is just that. It is in a Russian missile silo and the Russian government is covering it up ("Your paranoia was a lot sexier when you guys were Communists," Bartlet tells the ambassador). Other crises range from choosing who to put on a set of stamps to a news report that the President doesn't like green beans. But through it all, he's looking forward to a satellite hookup with schoolchildren during which they'll examine images from a Mars (planet) Martian probe. First, though, he wants C.J. to come up with a "broader theme" for the event. ; Episode 210 – "Noël" : It is the Christmas season at the White House but Josh is anything but merry. For one thing, the holiday music that Toby insists fill the halls sounds to Josh as though it belongs in a shopping mall. Beyond that, he's being rude to everyone, even raising his voice to the President, something that just isn't done. So Leo orders therapy. Meanwhile, C.J. takes interest when an elderly woman on a tour of the White House loses her composure at the sight of a painting. And the President decides that he wants to sign all his Christmas cards—well, maybe just 100,000 of them—personally. Cello Cellist Yo-Yo Ma makes a guest appearance. ; Episode 211 – "The Leadership Breakfast" : With Congress reconvening, the White House is planning a "leadership breakfast" to encourage bipartisan cooperation. But first, Toby must meet with Ann Stark, the United States Senate Majority Leader Senate Majority Leader's new chief of staff, to go over details—and there are plenty of devils in those details. Ann's boss, it appears, has Presidential ambitions. "They're coming after us," Toby tells Leo. Meanwhile, Sam wants to move the press corps to new quarters across the street; and Leo, Sam and Donna embarrass themselves (in turn) in front of an influential columnist. ; Episode 212 – "The Drop-In" : Leo tries to convince President Bartlet of the importance of supporting a missile defense plan, while John, Lord Marbury Lord John Marbury is appointed British ambassador to the United States. ; Episode 213 – "Bartlet's Third State of the Union" : The President addresses the nation, and a group of Drug Enforcement Administration DEA agents are taken hostage in Central America. Josh is stressed about polling numbers, but a power outage holds those numbers up for longer than expected, and Josh spends the time driving Joey and Donna nuts over it. An invited guest to the speech has a questionable background, which C.J. tries to deal with it. ; Episode 214 – "The War at Home" : The crisis over the missing DEA agents in Colombia intensifies, and the fallout from the State of the Union Address isn't so good, either. For starters, a liberal senator is upset about the speech's Social Security (United States) Social Security suggestions. It doesn't look like the flap over the brutality accusation against the police officer Bartlet cited in the speech is going to go away quickly. And Joey Lucas's polling numbers are discouraging. (Or are they?) Meanwhile, Abbey doesn't like the White House atmosphere. ; Episode 215 – "Ellie" : The President is put in a tricky spot when his Surgeon General of the United States Surgeon General publicly supports the legalization of marijuana, and his daughter makes a controversial comment to Danny Concannon. ; Episode 216 – "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail" : The staff again participates in "Big Block of Cheese Day". Toby is assigned to speak with a group of obnoxious young people protesting the World Trade Organization WTO; a friend of Donna's asks Sam to consider a pardon request for an alleged Cold War spy. Sam, meanwhile, comes to grip with the revelation of his father's infidelity. ; Episode 217 – "The Stackhouse Filibuster" : Staffers (most of whom have weekend plans) are blindsided when an elderly senator begins Friday-night filibuster on a bill they had thought was a done deal. Meanwhile, Toby is puzzled when the Vice President, normally a champion of the oil industry, volunteers to attack it for "price gouging". And C.J. fears that the ancient Egyptian cat goddess Bast (goddess) Bast has cursed her because she accidentally broke a Bast statuette that had been given to the President on a visit to Cairo. ; Episode 218 – "17 People" : Toby puts two and two together and finds out about the President's "thing"—his multiple sclerosis—in this episode. Toby is the 17th person to find out—but only the second to challenge him on it. And he does so forcefully. Also confronting Bartlet is a terrorist threat, and he must decide whether to beef up security at U.S. airports. Meanwhile, Josh and Donna bicker over their "anniversary"; Sam and Ainsley squabble over the Equal Rights Amendment ERA; and staffers struggle to punch up a speech the President is set to give at the White House Correspondents Dinner. ; Episode 219 – "Bad Moon Rising" : The President decides that he needs an opinion from White House Counsel Oliver Babish on whether his MS cover-up constituted a criminal conspiracy. Babish doesn't sugarcoat his answer. Meanwhile, an oil spill off the Delaware coast hits home to Sam; Josh must deal with a Mexico Mexican economic crisis; and Toby's on the rampage because of a press leak about a possible change in the President's position on school vouchers. ; Episode 220 – "The Fall's Gonna Kill You" : White House Counsel Oliver Babish menacingly questions C.J. and Abbey about the President's MS cover-up. And Josh enlists Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) to take a hush-hush poll on it. Meanwhile, new estimates project a smaller-than-expected budget surplus—and that cheers staffers; and a China Chinese satellite has fallen out of its orbit and is hurtling to earth at 2000 mph, and no one's concerned but Donna. ; Episode 221 – "18th and Potomac" : With disastrous hypothetical polling numbers from Joey Lucas in hand, staffers prepare to announce the President's condition. But first, both Sam and Oliver Babish question the First Lady about the matter. Meanwhile, a crisis erupts in Haiti; Josh deals with two Democratic senators who are less than enthusiastic about the Government's tobacco-industry suit; and male staffers can't help but give Mrs. Landingham car-buying advice. ; Episode 222 – "Two Cathedrals" : As it happens, a tropical storm is bearing down on Washington on the day the President is to disclose that he has MS and has been lying about it for eight years. Bartlet himself is distracted as he attends Mrs. Landingham's funeral, beset with memories of how they met. But the staffers are, as usual, all business as they deal with Congressional Democrats, party officials and network execs. They also must fashion two responses to the question that is certain to be asked first at his prime-time press conference: Will Bartlet seek reelection?

Season Three
The third season, which covers the administration's third and fourth years in office, starts off with Bartlet announcing his intention to run for reelection and is heavily devoted to the The West Wing (television)#2002 Presidential election upcoming presidential election. Other prominent plotlines include Congressional investigations into whether or not Bartlet commited electoral fraud by concealing his MS, a death threat against CJ and the ensuing relationship she develops with a Secret Service agent assigned to her, the Qumar Qumari defense minister Abdul Shareef plotting terrorist attacks against the US, and a troubling meeting between Toby and the president that leave Bartlet with a bout of insomnia in "Night Five." The season finale, "Posse Comitatus" closes several of these storylines as Bartlet meets his opponent in the elections and reaffirms his commitment to beat him. The episode ends with the president finally deciding to order Shareef's assassination (a questionably legal act) and CJ's agent getting killed just after the man threatening CJ was caught.

Episodes
; Episode 301 – "Manchester, Part I" : President Bartlet wastes no time making his intentions clear ("Yeah. And I'm gonna win.") as the third season begins. Not surprisingly, that is the first question at the press conference that follows his MS disclosure. His answer is a surprise to everybody who thought he would not run, from his staff to the Vice President to his wife. But everyone knows that his predicament will make the reelection campaign exceedingly difficult. Adding to Bartlet's problems is Abbey's reaction to his decision, not to mention Haiti's obstreperous dictator, who's giving United States National Security Advisor National Security Advisor Nancy McNally fits. Meanwhile, the White House press corps is making life particularly miserable for C.J. ; Episode 302 – "Manchester, Part II" : Nobody's in a good mood as the two-part third-season opener concludes. For starters, senior staffers are clashing with newly hired political operative Bruno, and his aides Connie and Doug. Josh is upset because Leo won't let him "wave off the Food and Drug Administration FDA" on Mifepristone RU-486. And C.J.'s concerned because the press senses that there might be a problem with the Bartlets' marriage. But at least there's good news from Haiti. ; Episode 303 – "Ways and Means" : The Special Prosecutor sets his probe in motion, but the White House is unhappy with him: he's not nasty enough. "We need a different enemy," C.J. tells Oliver Babish. Meanwhile, Sam and Bruno are concerned about the loyalty of a powerful California labor leader; Toby and Josh are preoccupied with a congressional battle over the estate tax; the governor of Wyoming is mad because the United States Department of the Interior Interior Department won't put out a Wildfire forest fire; and Ainsley fixes up Donna with a "hot guy", who happens to be a Republican. ; Episode 304 – "On the Day Before" : On a busy night at the White House, the President vetoes the estate-tax repeal (a first for him) and staffers scramble to counter the GOP's override threat. Meanwhile, Josh stares down a Democratic governor who's threatening to challenge Bartlet in the primaries; Charlie has been offered legal immunity in the MS matter and everyone urges him to take it; and C.J. has a difficult time with a local-TV reporter who isn't nearly as smart as she is aggressive. ; Episode 305 – "War Crimes" : The President asks the reluctant Vice President (Tim Matheson) to speak at an anti-gun rally in Texas after a church shooting but the uneasy allies have a starkly candid showdown while Donna goes before a Congressional committee investigating Bartlet's lack of disclosure—and she lies to her inquisitor. Elsewhere, Leo debates an old friend and United States Air Force Air Force officer about the United States' future stance regarding the War Crimes Tribunal; C.J. informs Toby that a reporter heard his comment that puts the President in an unfavorable light; and Sam tries to find common sense when a Congressman proposes legislation that would eliminate the penny. ; Episode 306 – "Gone Quiet" : When an American spy submarine suddenly goes silent in hostile North Korean waters, an angry President receives advice from the Assistant Secretary of State and must decide whether he should notify the enemy or attempt a risky, secret rescue—while his wife, Abigail, learns that her past malpractice suits might be Bartlet's Achilles heel in his criminal investigation, as she technically broke laws in three states. In other White House action, C.J. is ecstatic over a potential presidential candidate's indecisive public remarks; Toby meets with a representative from an appropriations committee who wants to funnel money away from Congress' controversial funding of avant-garde artists. ; Episode 307 – "The Indians in the Lobby" : It is the day before Thanksgiving and the President is talking turkey to whoever will listen (and everyone must). Meanwhile, two Native Americans in the United States Native Americans are encamped in the lobby. They've been stood up by the official who was supposed to meet with them and they aren't about to leave. And C.J. is told to make the problem go away. ; Episode 308 – "The Women of Qumar" : It is C.J. vs. the rest of the senior staff—and the President—over whether to make public the possibility of an outbreak of mad-cow disease. C.J. is also up in arms about arms sales to a Persian Gulf state known for its poor treatment of women. Meanwhile, Josh tangles with a women's-group lobbyist over wording in a treaty concerning prostitution; Toby meets with veterans upset about the content of a Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Attack on Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor exhibition; and Sam's concerned about a lawsuit against the President involving automobile seatbelts. ; Episode 309 – "Bartlet for America" : It is Dec. 23, but no one at the White House is feeling much in the Christmas spirit. Indeed, the most pressing holiday matter is a threat to firebomb black churches in Tennessee on Christmas Eve. As for Leo, he and his new $650-an-hour lawyer are on Capitol Hill, where he's about to testify before the House committee probing the MS matter. The ground to be covered: Bartlet's failure to disclose his condition during his Presidential campaign (the reasons for it are recounted in flashbacks). Also recounted is the story of how Vice President Hoynes joined the ticket. ; Episode 310 – "H. Con-172" : Leo defiantly rejects the Congressional Oversight Committee's offer of a public censure of Bartlet that would finally bring an end to the investigation into Bartlet's concealment of his illness and spare Leo of any possible personal repercussions. Meanwhile, Bartlet's staff reacts to an exposé published by a terminated White House photographer. Josh awkwardly schemes to socialize with a women's rights leader, Amy Gardner, whom he finds attractive. Also, Bartlet wants to frame a controversial 1709 map of Palestine (region) Palestine that Charlie gave him, but C.J., Toby, and Leo warn the president of the political implications, since the historical map excludes Israel. ; Episode 311 – "100,000 Airplanes" : While the White House staff works intensely on Bartlet's crucial State of the Union speech, Bartlet suddenly demands that a passage ambitiously promising a crusade to cure cancer within 10 years be included. Sam is interviewed for a ''Vanity Fair magazine Vanity Fair'' profile by Lisa Sherborne, who was once his fiancée. Attracted to a prominent women's rights leader, Amy Gardner, Josh tries to persuade her that her burgeoning romance with a Congressman is solely a result of political machinations. Pollster Joey Lucas studies the responses from focus groups to Bartlet's upcoming speech. ; Episode 312 – "The Two Bartlets" : Bartlet and his staff ponder whether or not to counter a fast-rising Republican presidential candidate's verbal assault on affirmative action. Josh must postpone his tropical vacation with women's rights advocate Amy Gardner in order to defuse a risky situation in Vieques, Puerto Rico Vieques, Puerto Rico, an area that serves as a United States Navy U.S. Navy firing range. As he prepares to remove protesters who have put themselves in harm's way on the island, Josh telephones his longtime friend—who is leading the group. Meanwhile, Sam meets with an eccentric politician, Robert Engle, who believes that Fort Knox#The U.S. Bullion Depository Ft. Knox is missing a fortune in gold bullion; C.J. defiantly debates Toby over the merits of affirmative action; and Donna asks Josh to intercede and relieve her of pending jury duty. ; Episode 313 – "Night Five" : Bartlet consults a psychiatrist, Dr. Stanley Keyworth, for a troubling sleep disorder and receives a sobering personal assessment. C.J. lobbies vigorously to help secure the release of a White House reporter who has been taken hostage while on assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Toby risks the wrath of his ex-wife, Congresswoman Andrea "Andy" Wyatt, by writing an inflammatory speech condemning Islamic fanaticism. Sam asks Republican lawyer Ainsley Hayes to review a proposed act that calls for payback of U.S. debt to the United Nations in exchange for special requests. Donna is stunned when she is offered a lucrative job outside the White House. ; Episode 314 – "Hartsfield's Landing" : Bartlet engages both Sam and Toby in intricate chess matches that mirror the wily game of brinksmanship that Bartlet is playing with the Chinese, who are conducting war games in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese threaten real war if Taiwan begins test firing its new U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot Patriot defense missiles. Meanwhile, Josh is nervous about the 42 votes in a remote New Hampshire town's election, which are counted immediately and always predict the winner of that state's primary. Mischievous C.J. tries to upset Charlie by hiding his copy of the President's top-secret daily schedule—prompting a spate of playful tricks. ; Episode 315 – "Dead Irish Writers" : As Abbey contemplates the likelihood that her medical license will be taken away the following day, she grumpily attends a big White House party for her birthday. Bartlet receives another visit from decorous British Ambassador Lord John Marbury, who argues against Bartlet's meeting with a murderous Irish terrorist. Meanwhile, Sam meets with Senator Enlow, who is blocking the funding of a controversial scientific project that would cost billions. Donna discovers that the national border near her Minnesota birthplace has been redrawn slightly—making her officially a Canada Canadian. Abbey, C.J. and several of the staff women mischievously hide in a closet to drink and gossip. ; Episode 316 – "The U.S. Poet Laureate" : Bartlet makes a disparaging comment about a potential Republican nominee after a television interview, not realizing that he is still being recorded (or did he realize it?). For days, C.J. must control the scandal, and Sam recalls Republican White House legal counsel Ainsley Hayes from vacation to help formulate the administration's official response. Meanwhile, Toby tries to dissuade the newly named U.S. poet laureate, Tabatha Fortis, from publicly objecting to the government's lack of support for a treaty on land mines. Bartlet ponders saving a failing computer company. And Josh is both repulsed and intrigued by the fact that there is a fan-based Web site devoted to him. ; Episode 317 – "Stirred" : When a large truck carrying uranium fuel rods crashes in a remote Idaho tunnel, Bartlet's staff prepares for a potential environmental—or terrorist—crisis. Meanwhile, Bartlet's stealthily composed electoral strategy may exclude Vice President John Hoynes from the next campaign. Secretly aware that his fate is in question, Hoynes ponders how to promote one of his favorite bills, one that would provide Internet access to low-income households. Also, Hoynes attends the same Alcoholics Anonymous meeting as Leo. Charlie regrets filing his tax return online, after heeding the meddling Bartlet's advice. At Donna's request, Josh seeks a presidential proclamation honoring the retirement of her favorite teacher, but the task proves more difficult than he first imagined. ; Episode 318 – "Enemies Foreign and Domestic" : As Sam finalizes the maddening details of Bartlet's upcoming summit with the Russian president, satellite photographs reveal an Iranian nuclear bomb facility built with Russian technology. The discovery could cause major problems with the leaders' meeting. Meanwhile, the outraged C.J. makes a harsh public statement about a group of schoolgirls in Saudi Arabia who were prevented by the religious police from escaping a burning building because they were not dressed properly. C.J. then receives a serious death threat, prompting Bartlet to assign Secret Service protection to her. Charlie seeks the source of a curious encoded letter addressed to Bartlet. And Toby ponders whether or not to allow a controversial Russian journalist, Ludmilla Koss, who has criticized the Russian president, to attend the summit. ; Episode 319 – "The Black Vera Wang" : While C.J. (code name: "Flamingo") gets used to being tailed by Special Agent Donovan, the President must deal with a terrorist threat on a military installation. Meanwhile, the networks are threatening to cut coverage of the upcoming conventions; Sam receives a copy of a TV commercial attacking the President; and Josh, back from the Helsinki summit, gives Donna a box of cured moose meat. It turns out to be even more unappetizing that it appears. ; Episode 320 – "We Killed Yamamoto Isoroku Yamamoto" : Bartlet agonizes over whether or not to forfeit the principle of diplomatic immunity for an important Middle Eastern official who is known to be plotting terrorism. However, Admiral Fitzwallace proposes another "option" to deal with the official. Josh debates with his lover, feminist activist Amy Gardner, over a key welfare reform bill. Meanwhile, Bartlet is advised not to attend a fundraiser for a politically sensitive cause. Sam must reject ecologically friendly legislation for the Everglades. C.J. gains new respect for her Secret Service bodyguard, Simon Donovan. And Donna travels to North Dakota to represent the Bartlet administration at a meeting to change the state's name. ; Episode 321 – "Posse Comitatus" : In the season finale, Bartlet makes a life-or-death decision regarding a foreign diplomat who is a known terrorist. He ponders the situation during a charity benefit performance of a Shakespeare play about another conflicted leader, Henry VI of England Henry VI. At the performance, Bartlet encounters Governor Robert Ritchie, his Republican rival in the upcoming presidential election. Meanwhile, Toby and Sam manipulate the press to discredit Ritchie. When Josh supports a key welfare reform bill that his lover, feminist activist Amy Gardner, opposes, their personal relationship is threatened. The flirtation between C.J. and her Secret Service bodyguard, Simon Donovan, is limited by their professional relationship. Later in the episode, Donovan accidentally walks into a convenience store robbery, arrests one thief and is then shot dead by a second who was hiding in the back. And as the search continues for a replacement for the deceased Mrs. Landingham, Charlie recommends Deborah Fiderer, a former White House secretary who was fired for hiring Charlie.

Special Episode 1 – "Isaac and Ishmael"
:The main cast introduce the episode out of character by paying tribute to those affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks September 11 terrorist attacks and informing viewers about what to expect from the delayed premiere of the third season. The cast also makes it clear that this episode doesn't fall in the West Wing continuity. :In the episode, The White House is "crashed", leaving a group of teens stuck in the mess hall with Josh as other staffers -- and the President and First Lady -- drop in to join the discussion. Meanwhile, Leo and Ron confront a potential threat from within. The episode tackles issues of race and fear and vengence. The most notable moral of this episode is an analogy written on the board by Josh: "Radical Islamists are to Islam as the KKK is to Christianity"

Special Episode 2 – "Documentary Special"
:"The West Wing" blends drama with reality in this groundbreaking documentary episode that includes interviews with former Presidents and White House figures. Paying tribute to the real-life counterparts of the show's fictional Bartlet administration, the installment features U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, White House staffers David Gergen, Dee Dee Myers and Leon Panetta and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Highlights from the first three seasons of the show are interspersed throughout.

Season Four
The fourth season covers the end of Bartlet's fourth year and first term in office through the beginning of the first year of his second term. The season begins with the continuation of the election storyline with the president touring the nation and his staff trying to firm up presidential debates. Surprisingly the election is not used as a cliffhanger, but seen as a clear victory for Bartlet, the storyline ending less than halfway through the season in "Election Night." Other plots include Sam leaving the White House to run in a special election in California, Will Bailey taking Sam's position having come from the California campaign's staff, and Vice President Hoynes being forced into resignation after a sex scandal is uncovered. The fourth season ends with Bartlet's youngest daughter being taken hostage by Qumari forces that know the US was behind Shareef's assassination. Bartlet ends up invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution 25th Amendment in the final episode, Twenty Five." Since Hoynes had recently resigned, the presidency passes to the Republican Speaker of the House, Glenallen Walken.

Episodes
; Episode 401 – "20 Hours in America, Part I" : In this expanded "day-in-the-life" episode, it is an especially long day for Toby, Josh and Donna, who are stranded in Indiana when the Presidential motorcade leaves without them after a campaign speech. Back in the West Wing, Sam fills in for Josh as the President's "wide-angle lens," and the President interviews various secretarial candidates. Meanwhile, Abbey creates a firestorm when she calls herself "just a wife and mother"; the Qumaris are making noise about their missing Defense Minister; and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow keeps dropping. CJ asks a favor of Charlie, who politely refuses. ; Episode 402 – "20 Hours in America, Part II" : The President interviews feisty secretarial candidate Debbie Fiderer for a second time. Again, it doesn't go well. He's also rattled by the tumbling Dow, and takes it out in an odd way on an elderly White House visitor. CJ's press briefing takes an ominous turn as she relays details of a bombing at a college swim meet. Meanwhile, Fitz and Nancy McNally worry about what the Qumaris might know about the Shareef affair. A statement borne out of misdirected anger causes Charlie to make a stunning move and Toby, nearing the end of the daylong Indiana odyssey he's sharing with Josh and Donna, meets a man in a hotel bar who's visiting Notre Dame with his teenage daughter. He's worried about paying for college. "It should be a little easier," he tells Toby. "Just a little easier." ; Episode 403 – "College Kids" : Bartlet, concerned about potential liability in the Qumari matter, tells Leo to get him a lawyer. Leo tabs Jordan Kendall, who is understandably wary. And the campaign suffers a setback when a Federal judge rules that Presidential debates must be open to minor-party candidates. It is a ruling that might put Josh in a ticklish position personally, but he and Toby are on top of things professionally: they're back from their Indiana odyssey and with a new plan to help parents pay tuition bills. Meanwhile, Debbie Fiderer is having problems with her security check. ; Episode 404 – "The Red Mass" : Liberal third-party candidate Howard Stackhouse is becoming a thorn in Bartlet's side—and Amy Gardner is consulting for him. Elsewhere, the Ritchie camp wants as few debates as possible; Leo meets with the Israeli Foreign Minister about the Shareef matter; a government siege of a house occupied by domestic terrorists is compromised by a sick child in the house; and Josh makes Donna bone up on a self-help guru who has advised Gov. Ritchie. ; Episode 405 – "Debate Camp" : As the West Wingers prep for the presidential debates at a North Carolina conference center, a vexing question about a failed attorney-general nomination (amid charges of racial profiling) leads to flashbacks of the administration's first weeks in office. At that time, Toby's marriage to Rep. Andrea Wyatt was about to end, but now he wants a reconciliation with his ex-wife, and Sam and Charlie are helping him in the effort to win her back. Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force weighs in on the Qumari matter; and Joey Lucas reports that the president is likely to lose New Hampshire. ; Episode 406 – "Game On" : One day before a debate between Bartlet and his Republican rival, Governor Robert Ritchie (James Brolin), even skeptical Toby must admit that Bartlet is ready. After a debate rehearsal, Toby meets with his ex-wife, Congresswoman Andrea "Andy" Wyatt, who is advising on the campaign. Toby also tells C.J. that Albie Duncan, a rather old, slightly crazy Republican, will help Bartlet deal with the aftermath of the debate. Later, the staff joyously watches Bartlet trounce Ritchie in the debate. Meanwhile, Leo and attorney Jordon Kendall negotiate a peaceful settlement to the escalating Qumar-Israel conflict. And Sam attempts to persuade an idealistic campaign manager, Will Bailey, to remove a recently deceased Democratic candidate from the Congressional ballot in the Republican stronghold of Orange County, California Orange County, California. ; Episode 407 – "Election Night" : On Election Day, Bartlet and his staff begin counting exit poll votes across the country. In a conservative California congressional district, the results have important implications for Sam and a maverick Democratic campaign manager, Will Bailey. Meanwhile, Donna meets an intriguing Navy Lieutenant Commander, Jack Reese, who has been transferred to the White House as Deputy Military Aide. ; Episode 408 – "Process Stories" : It is election night, and Bartlet isn't the only winner. Horton Wilde won his House race in Orange County, California Orange County, Cal., which puts Sam in a delicate position, especially since someone leaked his promise to Wilde's widow. And Andy Wyatt won her House race in Maryland (with 85 percent of the vote), but Toby's still worried about how her pregnancy will play politically. Meanwhile, a coup is developing in Venezuela, and it is the first night in the situation room for Cdr. Jack Reese, the gallant Ritchie supporter who swapped votes with Donna. ; Episode 409 – "Switzerland Swiss Diplomacy" : The election's barely over but Hoynes is already maneuvering for the next one, and the United States Senate Minority Leader Senate minority leader, a likely candidate himself, is crying foul and threatening to thwart the president's legislative agenda. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old son of an Iranian leader needs a heart-lung transplant, and can get it only in the U.S. But the politics of it are as complicated as the surgery. And Toby tries to repay a Congresswoman who "walked a plank" for the president by proposing a gasoline-tax hike, and paid for it at the polls. ; Episode 410 – "Arctic Radar" : Sam heads out to California to begin his campaign, leaving Toby in need of speechwriting help. Sam's suggestion: Will Bailey. Meanwhile, a celebrated female fighter pilot is about to be dishonorably discharged after having been caught having an affair, and women's groups (not to mention the women in the White House men's lives) want the president to do something about it. And Donna asks Josh to find out if Cdr. Jack Reese likes her. ; Episode 411 – "Holy Night" : It is two days before Christmas and who should appear but reporter Danny Concannon! He's dressed as St. Nick, but isn't spreading good cheer. Also showing up at the White House is Toby's father (Toby isn't exactly pleased to see him); Bartlet's daughter Zoey, who's accompanied by her French boyfriend (Charlie isn't pleased to see him); and psychiatrist Stanley Keyworth, to whom Bartlet complains about concentration lapses. Meanwhile, the president decides to rip up the HHS budget just before it is due at the printer's. That'll mean a lot of work over the holidays. Also, both the President and Leo contemplate telling somebody else about the Shareef action. ; Episode 412 – "Guns Not Butter" : On the administration's agenda: a foreign-aid bill. However, Senate Republicans—and some Democrats—have other ideas. And it is up to Josh to get the vote to come out right. So he sends Donna in search of one freshman senator who doesn't seem to want to be found. Then there's the fence-sitter who'll vote the administration's way if it will agree to fund a medical study on the efficacy of prayer. Meanwhile, Danny Concannon is getting closer to the truth in the Sharif affair; and Charlie wants to help a female soldier whose family needs food stamps. ; Episode 413 – "The Long Goodbye" : C.J. goes home to Dayton, Ohio Dayton—and finds herself in the middle of an achingly sad family crisis—in this poignant change-of-pace episode. She's making the trip to speak at her 20th high-school reunion, but when she arrives at her father's house she discovers that his new wife (her old English teacher) has left him. That is troublesome enough, but the fact that her father has Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's makes it almost unbearably heartbreaking. C.J. does find a soulmate at Dayton's airport, though: a classmate named Marco, who was a punk rocker in high school and now repairs watches. ; Episode 414 – "Inauguration, Part I" : In the week before Bartlet'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 Theresa with first-strike capabilities.") Not surprisingly, this idea doesn't meet with universal approval, even in the West Wing. Meanwhile, Danny's digging on the Sharif matter is getting on C.J.'s nerves; and Charlie's having difficulty finding a Bible for Bartlet to use at the inauguration. ; Episode 415 – "Inauguration, Over There" : Will Bailey's work on the inaugural address makes quite an impression (as does the foreign-policy doctrine it espouses), and Danny Concannon's reporting makes quite a splash. Meanwhile, Charlie's luck in finding a Bible for Bartlet's swearing-in isn't improving. ; Episode 416 – "The California 47th" : While U.S. troops intervene in an African country's genocide, the President flies to California to campaign for Sam. Unfortunately for the White House (and Sam), Congressional Republicans have just announced a tax-cut proposal. The Administration's response: a plan that would raise taxes for the rich, which no one on the White House staff wants the President to talk about in Sam's affluent Orange County district. And that is just problem No. 1. As Bartlet puts it: "Every time we come to California we're absolutely The Beverly Hillbillies the Clampetts." ; Episode 417 – "Red Haven's on Fire" : The hostage crisis in Africa has cut short the president's California trip, though Toby remains in Orange County to manage Sam's faltering congressional campaign. Meanwhile, Josh stiffs the First Lady on a budget request involving immunization education, so she takes his advice and hires a "professional" chief of staff. And Will Bailey, under the gun to produce speeches fast on the White House tax proposal, is terrorizing the interns assigned to him. ; Episode 418 – "Privateers" : It is Amy's first day as Abbey's chief of staff and she has quite a challenge: get the President to veto his own foreign-aid bill (the Senate has inserted an antiabortion rider in it). In environmental news, a college friend of Toby's has an ethical problem involving the Environmental Protection Agency EPA; and a glacier in Alaska has melted, causing 14 flood deaths. And there's a social note: Zoey is to be installed into the Daughters of the American Revolution DAR at a White House fete. But Abbey's membership is being challenged because, it seems, her "qualifying" ancestor was a pirate ("a privateer, actually," as C.J. puts it). ; Episode 419 – "Angel Maintenance" : At the end of an 18-hour return trip home from Manila, just as Air Force One is about to begin its descent into Andrews Air Force Base, a cockpit indicator light leads the crew to believe that the landing gear might not be locked down and so the plane stays in the air while the problem can be looked at. Tensions in the plane and on the ground grow as people become more and more concerned that the plane may have been tampered with. ; Episode 420 – "Evidence of Things Not Seen" : Matthew Perry (actor) Matthew Perry shows a serious side as he begins a two-episode stint as a White House job-seeker. The ''Friends'' costar plays Joe Quincy, a lawyer applying for Ainsley Hayes' old job in the counsel's office. Joe couldn't have picked a more eventful day for his interview: A shooting in the press briefing room has led to a "lockdown," but he's already in the building, so his interview with Josh proceeds as scheduled. And it goes well enough, but Josh can't help thinking that something's not quite right about this guy. Meanwhile, poker night goes on despite the lockdown, but the president keeps getting interrupted; a spy plane has been lost over Russia. ; Episode 421 – "Life On Mars" : A seemingly benign press leak begins a journey that lasts for a day and a night and ends with the discovery of a scandal affecting the uppermost levels of the administration. What the staff doesn't yet know is this is merely the beginning of a chain reaction—and things are about to get considerably worse. Matthew Perry appears as Joe Quincy, a newly hired White House attorney who has the bad luck of finding the problem. ; Episode 422 – "Commencement" : The U.S. is in a heightened state of alert because suspected terrorists have gone missing. Meanwhile, Bartlet struggles with the message that he wants to convey to his youngest daughter, Zoey's, graduating class at Georgetown University. C.J. must stop reporter Danny Concanon from filing a story. And Charlie decides whether or not to keep a romantic promise he made to Zoey when they were dating. Taye Diggs appears as the new head of Zoey's Secret Service detail. ; Episode 423 – "Twenty Five" : As the series' fourth-season finale begins, Zoey has just been abducted from the nightclub in Georgetown where she and Jean-Paul had been celebrating her graduation. (Interestingly, in Season One, Episode 6, Bartlet fears the very scenario that ensued). The White House goes into crisis mode, fearing that the kidnapping is the work of terrorists. "Certainly it is easy to imagine how this escalates to a military situation," is the way one TV commentator puts it. And the Father-in-Chief fears he might do something impulsive. In other parental news, Andy has given birth to a boy and a girl. Typically, Toby's morose. The kidnapping compounds it, but, primarily, he's afraid he won't love his children "as much as other fathers love theirs." Realising that he cannot act as President due to his role being compromised by his love for Zoey, President Bartlet temporarily stands down from the Presidency, using the 25th Amendment. Due to the lack of a Vice-President, Speaker of the House Glenallen Walken becomes Acting President.

Season Five
The fifth season opens with US forces successfully rescuing Zoey Bartlet (the president's daughter) from her abductors. Bartlet takes the presidency back from Walken, but is forced back into a Season One level of powerlessness. He comes to terms with his actions at the end of Season Three leading to his daughter's kidnapping, a powerful new Republican Speaker of the House (Walken had to resign in order to assume the presidency) who forces Bartlet into several decisions he didn't want including the nomination of a less-than-stellar Democrat, "Bingo Bob" Russell, for Vice President. This conflict with the new Speaker comes to a head in "Shutdown," when the Speaker tries to force Bartlet into cutting federal spending more than had been agreed to and Bartlet refuses to sign the budget (forcing the federal government into a shutdown). Bartlet regains some minor power, cutting a deal to get a liberal Chief Justice of the United States, and season five ends with a bombing in Gaza Strip Gaza leading Bartlet to push for Israeli peace talks and Josh to come closer to Donna. The fifth season begins toward the end of Bartlet's first year of his second term (fifth year overall) in office. By the end of the season, however, significantly over a year has elapsed.

Episodes
; Episode 501 – "7A WF 83429" : As the fifth season opens, it is seven hours after Zoey Bartlet's kidnapping and the President has temporarily relinquished his office to Republican Speaker of the United States House of Representatives House Speaker Glenallen Walken, who reviews military options upon receiving a ransom note demanding the release of Pakistani terrorists and a pullout of U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia and Qumar. Meanwhile, Danny Concannon tells C.J. he's going to post his story on the Shareef assassination; and the Democratic congressional leadership is unhappy with Bartlet's handover (as is Josh). Also unhappy with the President is his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, who has arrived at the White House with her husband and two children. ; Episode 502 – "The Dogs of War" : As the Zoey Bartlet kidnapping crisis enters its second day, Acting President Walken bombs terrorist training camps in Qumar. Meanwhile, Josh is certain that Walken's aides are plotting to ram their conservative agenda through Congress. Josh must also contend with an unwanted new intern, a freshly minted Harvard University Harvard grad from an established political family named Ryan Pierce. And Will and Toby struggle to write two speeches for Bartlet to deliver once the crisis is resolved. ; Episode 503 – "Thomas Jefferson Jefferson Lives" : With Bartlet back in the Oval Office attention is turned to the choice for a new vice president. The ideal choice: Secretary of State Lewis Berryhill, but the new house speaker has his own ideas. Gary Cole joins the cast as "Bingo Bob" Russell, a folksy Colorado representative who's on a short list (not the president's). Upstairs at the White House, meanwhile, the residence is not a happy home in the wake of Zoey's kidnapping. Says Abbey: "I blame Jed." ; Episode 504 – "Han" : A renowned North Korean pianist is greeted at the White House for a solo performance, but the formalities change when the musician slips a message to the President stating that he wants to defect. Despite C.J.'s passionate argument, others counsel Bartlet that granting the defection would endanger crucial ongoing negotiations with the nation. Also, members of the staff work hard to get the President's new choice for Vice President, Colorado Congressman Robert Russell, unanimously approved by both houses of Congress—but there's one holdout whose "nay" vote could embarrass everyone. ; Episode 505 – "Constituency of One" : After Josh is hailed as the "101st Senator" in a newspaper profile, he clashes with conservative Senator Carrick, a Democrat from Idaho. Carrick withholds his approval of a backlog of military promotions so he can secure an expensive but faulty missile launcher to be built in his home state. Will gets a flattering offer from the newly approved Vice President, Robert Russell, while C.J. runs afoul of Leo's temper when she deviates from the administration's scripted line regarding an Environmental Protection Agency report on coal-based energy. Likewise, Amy earns the President's wrath when she aggressively pushes for funding of the first lady's agenda on violence prevention. Meanwhile, Toby creates a message calendar to maintain focus during Bartlet's second term. ; Episode 506 – "Disaster Relief" : A national emergency is declared by Bartlet in light of a killer tornado in Oklahoma that then preoccupies him. He flies there to lend his support. But his compassion overrules good judgment, and Bartlet stays longer than planned. Meanwhile, Leo worries about several crises in the capital that need the president's immediate attention. Josh fears the worst after a political miscalculation costs the Democrats dearly. And Donna becomes concerned about Josh's welfare after he becomes Washington's latest target of scorn. ; Episode 507 – "Separation of Powers" : Matthew Perry returns as deputy counsel Joe Quincy, a former clerk to the Chief Justice of the United States, who's tabbed by Toby to try to persuade the aging jurist to retire following a collapse. Meanwhile, Josh is on the sidelines as budget negotiations with Congressional Republican leaders reach a critical stage; and C.J.'s worried about Zoey's impending TV interview. ; Episode 508 – "Government shutdown Shutdown" : A disastrous fiscal crisis looms when the federal government is shut down after the President and the powerful Republican Speaker of the House disagree over an extra two percent in budget reductions that would trim many of Bartlet's key social programs. Opinion polls reveal that the public blames the Democrats for the impasse. As Leo, Josh and Toby send the staff home, the trio remains uneasy as the President refuses to compromise—until he hatches a bold plan to personally and publicly challenge the Republicans in the halls of the Capitol. Meanwhile, Abbey suddenly reappears from her self-imposed exile for a State dinner that she might have to cook herself. ; Episode 509 – "Abu el Banat" : As the entire Bartlet clan gathers for the White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony (though Ellie's late, as usual), Christian missionaries are arrested in Sudan for proselytizing. Meanwhile, the DEA has suspended the license of a doctor who assisted with the suicide of a terminally ill patient in Oregon (where it is legal), and Bartlet's attorney general is siding with the DEA; and Bartlet's son-in-law, Doug Westin, has decided to run for Congress. He won't get White House backing. ; Episode 510 – "The Stormy Present" : When a former President of the United States dies, the two remaining ex-Presidents fly on Air Force One with Bartlet to attend the funeral. Onboard, Bartlet's two historic guests partake in a lively debate about their administrations. Their past mistakes haunt the current administration including a recent event—protestors have surrounded a Saudi Oil headquarters, taking 200 hostages, including 50 Americans. Meanwhile, C.J. investigates government experiments on mind control. Leo discovers his ex-wife is engaged to be married. And Josh referees a debate concerning an original copy of the United States Bill of Rights Bill of Rights. ; Episode 511 – "The Benign Prerogative" : Toby finishes the State of the Union Address a few weeks early, and a pregnant Joey Lucas polls responses to the speech from everyday people. Charlie is intrigued by Meeshell Anders, an aspiring female journalist with a secret. Abbey pressures her husband to pardon a Native American tribal leader convicted of killing two FBI agents in North Dakota. Bartlet opposes minimums and guidelines for prison sentences and pardons over 30 inmates. And Toby hires a new assistant, Rena. ; Episode 512 – "Slow News Day" : Toby convinces Bartlet to secretly sanction his solo attempt to make history by reforming Social Security, but Toby's efforts to recruit a Republican senator and a Democratic cohort are publicly divulged—forcing the administration to back down while Josh and Leo are left clueless and furious. Meanwhile, an equally unaware C.J. parries with a reporter who is ready to print all the backstage details. ; Episode 513 – "The Warfare of Genghis Khan" : When the flash of a secret nuclear detonation is detected over the Indian Ocean, Bartlet calls upon his people to investigate which nation now has the atomic bomb—and since conventional thinking favors Iran, Bartlet orders bombers into the air to destroy that nation's most likely uranium-enriched targets. Meanwhile, Josh chides NASA personnel on the future of space exploration—until he is introduced to an attractive female administrator. C.J. fumes when a combative television talk-show host, Taylor Reid, denigrates her on the air, and Will discloses to Vice President Russell that Russell is considered a buffoon by the White House staff. However, it is Russell whose smarts come to keep the President from bombing the wrong country. In light of the international situation, Toby wonders why they don't utilize the U.N. in times like this. ; Episode 514 – "An Khe" : When five crew members of an E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft are shot down by North Korean jets near the hostile country, President Bartlet dispatches a Navy U.S. Navy SEALs SEAL team to retrieve them—prompting Leo to recall his own harrowing experience when he was downed as a F-105 Thunderchief pilot over North Vietnam. Leo's good friend and fellow flyer saved Leo's life and now is in trouble for allegedly paying bribes to defense contractors to obtain military contracts. Meanwhile, C.J. accepts the challenge of dueling on live television with an opinionated, conservative talk show host, Taylor Reid. Josh fumes when he briefs the President about a contested tax cut for stay-at-home mothers and is undercut by brash, young intern Ryan. And the commander in chief balks at posing for his official portrait. ; Episode 515 – "Full Disclosure" : John Hoynes is back in the news—in a magazine article in which he says that Bartlet and Leo tried to talk him out of resigning once his sex scandal was about to break. The White House contemplates how to respond to allegations that misquote Bartlet and Leo, characterizing them as simply wanting to help him "beat the rap". This is political dynamite, and C.J. learns of it from pugnacious cable talker Taylor Reid—on Reid's live show. Meanwhile, Toby spars with union representatives over Chinese List of international trade topics trade policy; Josh reluctantly leaves a meeting on military-base closings to the tender mercies of Ryan Pierce; and the mayor of Washington, D.C., decides that he wants a Education voucher school-voucher pilot program that congressional Republicans are trying to force on him. ; Episode 516 – "Galileo Galilei#Church controversy Eppur Si Muove" : Bartlet becomes furious when a rival conservative congresswoman tries to end funding for a controversial National Institutes of Health medical study by exposing the fact that Bartlet's daughter Ellie is working at the institute as a scientist. As Toby searches for the internal White House leak that led to Ellie's press scrutiny, Josh tries to convince an old college friend to remain in contention as a judge on the 6th Circuit Federal Court—even though his confirmation has been blocked for the past 12 months. Meanwhile, C.J. urges Abbey to increase her public profile as the First Lady and a working doctor. Part of C.J.'s plan includes educating children about medicine via a public service announcement with Abbey and characters from the children's show ''Sesame Street'', Big Bird, Elmo, Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas Rosita and Zoe (Sesame Street) Zoe. ; Episode 517 – "The Supremes" : Glenn Close plays a federal judge whom Josh is pushing for the Supreme Court. Trouble is, she's too liberal to be confirmed (and she has a skeleton in her closet that can be described as poetically just). Meanwhile, Andy Wyatt is joining a congressional fact-finding mission to the Middle East that troubles the White House. Other guests include Milo O'Shea (as the Chief Justice) and Robert Picardo (another prospective nominee). ; Episode 518 – "Access" : Producing a program on past and present White House press secretaries, a television documentary crew follows C.J. around to film a "typical" day. But the presence of outsiders adds stress when a crisis involving a terrorist shootout with the FBI has a smiling C.J. trying to keep the story a secret. Meanwhile, C.J. supervises her team in preparation for a formal papal visit with Bartlet and dodges difficult questions about the imminent future of the current FBI director. ; Episode 519 – "Talking Points" : On the eve of the President's controversial trade summit meeting in Brussels, Josh is troubled when he learns that Bartlet will reverse his position about sacrificing American jobs to foreign lands. C.J. is frustrated with a new Federal Communications Commission ruling allowing multimedia companies increased ownership of TV stations. Meanwhile, the administration tries to downplay job-loss statistics, and Donna tells Josh about her dissatisfaction with her limited role on his staff. In the midst of it all, Bartlet meets Kate Harper, the brash, new deputy national security advisor. ; Episode 520 – "No Exit" : Resentments fester when the White House is locked down after a suspicious substance is found in the air near the Oval Office. Staffers must remain where they are—and with whomever they're with. This is particularly bad news for Toby and Will, whose already-unraveling relationship is spiraling downward ever faster in the wake of a Russell speech (written by Will) that Toby feels undercut Bartlet. Meanwhile, C.J. has some career advice for Donna; Leo and Abbey spar over health issues, personal and political; and Josh gets to know new National Security Council NSC staffer Kate Harper. And it is off to the showers for the President, Charlie and Debbie Fiderer, on the orders of no-nonsense guys in HAZMAT suits. ; Episode 521 – "Gaza strip Gaza" : A fact-finding tour to the hotly disputed Gaza Strip includes Donna, Admiral Fitzwallace and a few members of congress as they sort through the thicket of rival issues between the Palestinians and Israelis—but the killing fields soon claim some of the delegation when a deadly bomb shatters their vehicle and has the President considering targets for military action. In flashbacks, Donna is attracted to a dashing British photojournalist who opens her eyes to his graphic world of recording mankind's most heinous acts of violence. ; Episode 522 – "Memorial Day" : In the season finale, Gaza slayings of key U.S. officials might drag the fuming President into an unending cycle of violence. In the season finale, events in the tinderbox Gaza Strip spin out of control after the murders of high-ranking U.S. officials as the angry President weighs appropriate military action—even as Israel launches its own strikes and surrounds the Palestinian chairman, prompting more retaliatory terrorism. The dangers are compounded when Bartlet suddenly cannot communicate with the chairman and a strange undertow of intrigue finds a wary Josh meeting with a mysterious foreign operative while tending to Donna in Germany. Meanwhile, Bartlet dons a bulletproof vest and practices his sluggish fastball when he's called to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a game in Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore.

Season Six
The sixth season starts with the president negotiating an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, Leo having a heart attack and leaving the staff, and the president trying to fund peacekeepers for the accord. The later parts of the season center heavily around the The West Wing (television)#2006 presidential election 2006 presidential election (in which Bartlet cannot run). Josh leaves with Matt Santos Santos, a Congressman from Texas who had planned to leave Congress before Josh convinced him to run for President, on the campaign trail while Donna leaves with Vice President Russell's campaign staff (further fraying Josh and Donna's relationship). Leo returns near the end of the season to refocus the Bartlet administration (in a similar style to Season One's "Let Bartlet Be Bartlet") in "365 Days." Russell is the consistent leader for the Democratic nomination with former Vice President Hoynes a close second and Santos a distant third. After another sex scandal, Hoynes is forced into the third position, and Santos ends up winning a closely contested Convention (and announces Leo as his running mate). The final episode also features a leak from the White House about a classified military space shuttle to the press (similar to the Plame affair in reality) which is heavily investigated in Season Seven.

Episodes
; Episode 601 – "N.S.F. Thurmont" : The world watches the aftermath of the Gaza attack on U.S. officials. The President learns that 82% of the American people, almost all of Congress, Vice President Bob Russell, Secretary of Defense Miles Hutchinson, the Joint Chiefs, and all of his staff besides C.J. Cregg and Kate Harper want him to launch retaliatory military strikes ''immediately''. Meanwhile, he tries to arrange peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians at Naval Support Facility Thurmont, commonly known as Camp David, the President of the United States President's retreat in Maryland. Finally, he strikes one of three suggested targets and readies for peace talks. : ''Broadcast October 20, 2004'' ; Episode 602 – "The Birnam Wood" : Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at Camp David result in a momentous peace accord. President Bartlet fires White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry, who was strongly against the talks. Moments later, Leo suffers a massive heart attack. ("The Birnam Wood" is believed to be a reference to the warning given to Macbeth in the William Shakespeare Shakespeare play of the same name, in which he is warned that "Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until / Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him.") : ''Broadcast October 27, 2004'' ; Episode 603 – "Third-Day Story" : The senior staff clash with Congressional leaders on how to fund U.S. peacekeepers destined for the Middle East following the peace accord signed by Israel and the Palestinians. As Leo McGarry recovers from his heart attack, the Cabinet secretaries and senior staff members continually make missteps without a Chief of Staff. Bartlet eventually asks C.J. to become the new Chief of Staff. : ''Broadcast November 3, 2004'' ; Episode 604 – "Liftoff" : C.J. Cregg begins her tenure as White House Chief of Staff, as Toby and Donna begin searching for a new Press Secretary. The Republic of Georgia offers to give the United States its stockpile of weapons-grade uranium. Josh meets with Representative Matthew Santos of Texas, who is retiring from Congress despite having only recently been elected to his seat. Santos will become a recurring character this season, as he begins a campaign for the Presidency. : ''Broadcast November 10, 2004'' ; Episode 605 – "The Hubbert Peak" : Josh crashes an SUV into a hybrid vehicle, causing a public relations disaster. He meets with environmental supporters who berate the White House for doing too little to beef up laws in this area, including raising fuel emissions standards; Josh points out that they have had seven years of a hostile Congress. : ''Broadcast November 17, 2004.'' ; Episode 606 – "The Dover Test" : Santos gets friendly with Republicans over a Patients' Bill of Rights, and the first American soldier dies in the Gaza peacekeeping mission. : ''Broadcast November 24, 2004.''' ; Episode 607 – "A Change Is Gonna Come" : While preparing the upcoming China summit, the Chinese are insulted by President Bartlet's acceptance of a Taiwanese independence movement flag at a prayer breakfast. Meanwhile, former Vice-President John Hoynes asks Josh to run his presidential campaign, : ''Broadcast December 1, 2004.'' ; Episode 608 – "In the Room" : At Zoey Bartlet's birthday party, magicians Penn and Teller appear to burn an American flag in the White House, prompting a publicity nightmare. Aboard Air Force One, Bartlet is stricken by a paralyzing MS episode, while Josh is approached to run the Vice President's presidential campaign. : ''Broadcast December 8, 2004.'' ; Episode 609 – "Impact Winter" : In China, an impaired Bartlet is having trouble sitting through meetings following his MS attack. In Washington, a NASA functionary warns that an asteroid could strike Earth, while Josh wonders who should be the next guy to occupy the Oval Office and puts off a talk with Donna about her future. : ''Broadcast December 15, 2004.'' ; Episode 610 – "Faith Based Initiative" : A senator attaches a rider to the federal budget bill that would ban gay marriage, almost daring the President to veto it. The Internet is rampant with a story that questions CJ's sexual orientation, and it is only fueled further when the White House refuses to dignify the allegations by putting out a statement. Donna joins the Vice President's campaign staff and heads for New Hampshire, while Santos decides that he will run for president if Josh will run his campaign. : ''Broadcast January 5, 2005.'' ; Episode 611 – "Opposition Research" : Santos starts up his presidential campaign in New Hampshire, where he and Josh immediately disagree on campaign philosophy, and Josh has a reunion with Russell campaign staffer Donna. : ''Broadcast January 12, 2005.'' ; Episode 612 – "365 Days" : On the day after Bartlet gives his last State of the Union address, Leo returns to the West Wing figuring out what to do during the remaining 365 days of Barlet's term. : ''Broadcast January 19, 2005.'' ; Episode 613 – "King Corn" : The presidential candidates journey to Iowa, where Democrats Russell and Santos, and Republican Vinick, are all told by their handlers that when they appear before the corn growers association they must support subsidies for ethanol as fuel, regardless of their true feelings. : ''Broadcast January 26, 2005.'' ; Episode 614 – "Wake Up Call" : When a British passenger aircraft is accidentally shot down over Iran, causing an international crisis, C.J. battles with the First Lady over the how much to let Bartlett's MS affect his schedule; Toby and constitutional scholar Lawrence Lessig work with Belarus Belarusian diplomats on a new constitution. : ''Broadcast February 9, 2005.'' ; Episode 615 – "Freedonia" : It is five days before the New Hampshire primary, and Josh is desperately trying to find a "silver bullet" that will get his candidate into the local debate between front-runners Russell and Hoynes. Then, Josh and Santos's disagreements over how to run the campaign come to a head when Santos hires Josh's ex-girlfriend Amy Gardner to help him prepare for the debate. : ''Broadcast February 16, 2005.'' ; Episode 616 – "Drought Conditions" : Senator Rafferty, a new presidential candidate garnered much media attention with a ground-breaking speech about health care. But her words contain interesting echoes of President Bartlet's original health plan known only to White House insiders. Meanwhile, Toby is more than usually morose after the death of his brother while C.J. is having problems dealing with lobbyist Clifford Calley. : ''Broadcast February 23, 2005.'' ; Episode 617 – "A Good Day" : Congressman Santos masterminds a plot to pass the president's stem cell bill while the Republicans aren't looking. A group of middle school children who are part of the Future Leaders for Democracy visit the White House and seek out Toby to discuss the voting age. Kate has to deal with an impending invasion of Canada. : ''Broadcast March 2, 2005.'' ; Episode 618 – "La Palabra" : As Super Tuesday apporaches, the three Democratic nominees battle it out to win California as the state legislature passes a contorversial anti-immigrant bill. : ''Broadcast March 9, 2005.'' ; Episode 619 – "Ninety Miles Away" : When speculations fly surrounding the nexus between communist Cuba and the democratic United States, President Bartlet is propelled into a dubious conundrum--that is, to continue secret talks with Cuba's ailing dictator and lift an antiquated embargo or to yield to bi-partisan political fallout and reaffirm 40-year-old sanctions. Meanwhile, Leo and Kate learn that they have more in common than politics when a distant memory of corrupted elections and bar room antics reveal a more intimate connection. : ''Broadcast March 16, 2005.'' ; Episode 620 – "In God We Trust" : Senator Vinick wins the Republican nomination for presidency and begins working on his campaign. He gets political advice from Bruno about choosing a vice president and how to deal with the latest controversy of Vinick's church attendance, or lack thereof. Meanwhile the Democrats are stuck in a three-way race for enough delegates to win the Democratic nominations; Russell barely leads Santos and Hoynes is a distant third. Bartlet tries to show unity in the party by wrangling the candidates. : ''Broadcast March 23, 2005.'' ; Episode 621 – "Things Fall Apart" : The clear organization of the Republican Convention is making the Democrats look in disarray as the three candidates continue to battle for a clear Democratic Presidential nominee. Bartlet asks Leo to take control and organize the Democratic Convention. Meanwhile, the International Space Station has a leak and is losing oxygen which jeopardizes the lives of the three astronauts aboard and morality and mortality are examined. : ''Broadcast March 30, 2005.'' ; Episode 622 – "2,162 Votes" : It's the Democratic National Convention and the race to become the Democratic Presidential candidate has narrowed to three candidates: Russell, Santos, and Hoynes, with a fourth, Baker, being nominated from the floor. Also, Bartlet must wrestle with the decision to launch the super-secret defense shuttle to rescue the astronauts trapped at the space station and risk national security or let them die. : ''Broadcast April 6, 2005.''

Season Seven
The seventh and final season is currently being broadcast in the United States and mainly follows Santos on the campaign trail and the aftermath of the shuttle leak investigation. The Bartlet administration's last year in office is featured, but not prominently. Toby admits to leaking the story and is forced to leave the staff. Also, C.J.'s tenure as Chief of Staff becomes more stressful as she deals with the war between Russia and People's Republic of China China over Kazakhstan. The presidential race tightens up when Vinick makes a number of mistakes on the campaign trail. As Bartlet prepares to send troops over to Kazakhstan, the candidates realize that they are in for more than they bargained for.

Episodes
; Episode 701 – "The Ticket" : The season opener starts with a scene from three years in the future; a reunion of several main characters at the opening of Bartlet's Presidential library. The show then returns to the main timeline with the Santos/McGarry campaign getting off to a rough start with tensions between Santos and Leo and between the campaign and the White House, despite poll numbers which show the campaign doing better than expected. C.J. is questioned by the White House counsel as to her involvement with the leak about a secret military space shuttle. : ''Broadcast September 25, 2005'' ; Episode 702 – "The Mommy Problem" : The Santos campaign takes a media hit on security issues because of the Bartlet administration's handling of the leak investigation. A White House reporter, Greg Brock, is sent to jail for failing to disclose his sources, and Josh clashes both with the White House and with a new communications director (Janeane Garofalo). The campaign debates whether Santos should respond to a summons to a weekend of military reserve training. : ''Broadcast October 2, 2005'' ; Episode 703 – "Message of the Week" : The episode follows the ups and downs of the Vinick campaign as Santos gains momentum on national security, then loses momentum as Vinick presses him on immigration issues, although this prompts the resignation of a top Vinick aide. The religious right tries to corner Vinick into promising to appoint pro-life judges, although Vinick's deception to appease them backfires. : ''Broadcast October 9, 2005'' ; Episode 704 – "Mr. Frost" : The Santos campaign's "education week" is derailed by a controversy over teaching intelligent design, however, the Santos campaign turns the issue around, playing off Vinick's vulnerability as a pro-choice Republican on religious issues. In the White House, subpoena subpoenas are being handed down, and Palestinian Chairman Farad is assassinated. As Bartlet is determined to attend the funeral despite security concerns, CJ is hounded by a lone intelligence agent who believes Farad's death was part of a larger conspiracy. In the closing moments of the episode (similar to "18th and Potomac") Toby reveals to CJ that he was responsible for the security leak. : ''Broadcast October 16, 2005'' ; Episode 705 – "Here Today" : C.J. deals with the immediate reprecussions of Toby's confession, and White House Counsel Oliver Babish questions Toby until his lawyer intervenes. President Bartlet's daughter and her fiance visit with the news that she is pregnant. Josh struggles with the necessity to "clean house" on the Santos campaign, firing dozens of inexperienced staffers, including one close to the candidate. Kate Harper tangles with both the National Security Council and intelligence agent Frost as tensions rise between Russia and China. The president fires Toby and addresses the nation as Toby is led from the White House. : ''Broadcast October 23, 2005'' ; Episode 706 – "The Al Smith Dinner" : An ad by a 527 group attacking Santos for his pro-choice stand has both campaigns up in arms, trying to avoid the campaign going negative or diving into the abortion issue -- a touchy subject for both candidates: Vinick because his pro-choice position risks alienating the religious right, Santos because it risks alienating pro-choice moderates, including a major pro-choice interest group who are considering endorsing Vinick. Back at the White House, Will struggles with dealing with the press as the new Communications Director, settling into Toby's old office, and Josh struggles with Lou Thornton's decision to bring Donna into the campaign as a spokesperson. In the final moments, as both candidates wait backstage at the Al Smith Dinner, Santos and Vinick agree to an unexpected deal: a live debate the following week. : ''Broadcast October 30, 2005'' ; Episode 707 – "The Debate" : Candidates Matthew Santos and Arnold Vinick debate live in a forum moderated by Forrest Sawyer. During Vinick's opening statement, he proposes dropping the negotiated rules and having a freer debate format. During the hour-long debate (originally broadcast live in two tapings for East and West Coast audiences), the two candidates cover topics ranging from immigration to job creation to health care to African debt relief . : ''Broadcast November 6, 2005'' ; Episode 708 – "Undecideds" : Santos must face the challenge of visiting an African-American family in Los Angeles whose child was shot by a Latino police officer. CJ must manage a crisis between China and Kazakhstan. : ''Broadcast December 4, 2005'' ; Episode 709 – "The Wedding" : Wedding plans for the Bartlet's daughter move foward as Josh tries to pay for a windfall in the polls with a dwindling campaign warchest. Meanwhile the president must balance his daughter's most important day with a potential war between two nuclear powers. Democratic Party leaders want Leo to be campaign manager rather than Josh, but Josh has the trust of Santos and Leo. : ''Broadcast December 11, 2005'' ; Episode 710 – "Running Mates" : At the beginning of the episode, Martin Sheen directly addresses the viewers out of character to pay tribute to co-star John Spencer (actor) John Spencer, who played Leo and had recently died when this episode was originally broadcast. : In the episode, Leo does poorly in Vice Presidential debate practice, and Lou and Josh are nervous. Will and Kate set up a date, which turned out to be watching the VP debate in Will's office. Santos takes time off of the campaign trail to visit his family, amid a flurry of media coverage. Josh calls Toby, who is currently between arraignments, about the VP debate. : ''Broadcast January 8, 2006'' ; Episode 711 – "Internal Displacement" : C.J. realizes that she barely has any time left in office and decides to try and solve the (real world) crisis in Darfur, Sudan along with the (fictional) crisis between Russia and China over Kazakhstan. Adding more to her stress level, the President's son-in-law, Doug Westin, is rumored to be having an affair with his kids' nanny; Danny makes his first appearance (outside of the season opener flash forward) since the fifth season to go on a date with C.J. : ''Broadcast January 15, 2006'' ; Episode 712 – "Duck and Cover" : Elections are underway in Kazakhstan, but Russia and China both on the brink of going to war in Central Asia over oil are the least of Bartlett and C.J.'s concerns as they face a nuclear reactor in California on the verge of a meltdown. While agonizing over the decisions over whether to evacuate nearby citizens and to release radioactive steam into the atmosphere, the Santos and Vinick campaigns stare each other down, trying to avoid being the first to turn the crisis into a political issue -- all the more complex as decades ago, Vinick lobbied for the plant's construction. When the news comes out, the election becomes, in Josh's words, "too close to call." : ''Broadcast January 22, 2006 '' ; Episode 713 – "The Cold" :When new polling puts Santos and Vinick neck-to-neck nationwide, the Santos campaign staff are elated -- Josh and Donna so much so that they end up sharing a kiss, which forces them to confront their feelings for each other. Vinick, on the other hand, has a cold, and is feeling pressure from the Republican National Committee RNC to make a rightward turn in his campaign and play to the Republican base. This makes Bruno nervous, as he's afraid he's going to be fired. And at the White House, President Bartlet summons both candidates to the White House so he can advise them that he's ordering thousands of U.S. troops into Kazakhstan. But before he meets with either Presidential candidate, he meets with Leo McGarry, who he has also called to the White House. Bartlet's meeting with Leo is more personal as he shares his concerns about the consequences of his decisions with Leo back in his old role as the President's closest confidante. This scene would be John Spencer's last appearance. : ''Broadcast March 12, 2006'' ; Episode 714 – "Two Weeks Out" :With the election two weeks out and both candidates polling even in California, both the Santos and Vinick campaigns scramble to the state to try and gain free media from public events. Vinick, whose hand is broken by constant handshakes, catches a break when Bruno discovers Santos' briefcase in a holding room. Vinick and Bruno must make a difficult decision; Do they open the case and use its contents against the owner or take the high road and give it back to Santos? In the briefcase: evidence which suggests that the Congressman may be supporting an illegitimate child. Vinick asks to meet with Santos where the Congressman denies the allegation, stating that he was making up for the mistakes of his brother. : ''Broadcast March 19, 2006'' ; Episode 715 – "Welcome to Wherever You Are" :It's 5 days 'til the election -- Halloween -- and the Santos campaign's stress level rises as they kick off a whirlwind tour of battleground states, with Jon Bon Jovi along for the ride.[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117935783?] Among the crises of the day: Helen Santos makes provocative statements about ex-felons voting, Donna can't work out a sketch for the Tonight Show, Santos is irked that his security briefings are cut short, and Josh is recieving campaign tips from Toby -- who is himself facing a federal prosecutor that threatens new indictments which could derail the Santos campaign. Toby gets a brief respite from visits to the prosecutor's office to see his kids (Molly and Huck) and his ex-wife, Andi, who urges Toby to blame his late brother for the sake of their children. : ''Broadcast March 26, 2006'' ; Episode 716 – "Election Day" :The episode opens late at night on the day before election day. Josh finally relaxes long enough to see various campaign staff Casual sex hooking up and he and Donna sleep together -- twice. Election day brings stress in both campaigns, Josh is convinced he is finding problems in exit poll data while the Vinick campaign worries the data shows them losing in key places. West Virginia is unexpectedly called for Vinick and the traditionally Republican South Carolina is called for Santos. The episode closes with Annabeth finding Leo in his room, her screaming for help, and Secret Service agents closing in calling over their radio, "He's down, he's down!" : ''Broadcast April 2, 2006'' ; Episode 717 – "Election Day II" : ''to be broadcast April 9, 2006'' ; Episode 718 – "Requiem" : ''to be broadcast April 16, 2006'' ; Episode 719 – "Transition" : ''to be broadcast April 23, 2006'' ; Episode 720 - "The Last Hurrah" : ''to be broadcast April 30, 2006'' ; Episode 721 - "Institutional Memory" : ''to be broadcast May 7, 2006'' ; Episode 722 – "Tomorrow" (Series Finale) : ''to be broadcast May 14, 2006'' : ''(Will follow an hour-long retrospective episode)''

External links

- The West Wing Episode Guide
- Bartlet4America.org Episode Guide
- The West Wing Unofficial Continuity Guide Episode Guide
- Political-Affairs.net Complete transcripts of every Josh & Donna scene throughout the entire series Category:Lists of television series episodes West Wing Category:The West Wing (TV series) ja:ザ・ホワイト�ウス�エピソード一覧

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