Original Airdate: 10/03/01
A special episode of the Emmy Award-winning series, dealing with some of the questions and issues currently facing the world in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks on the United States. Note: The video below is only a preview. We will post the full episode once it is available online.
Original Airdate: 10/10/01
In the season premiere, flashbacks reveal how the President will officially announce his plans to run for re-election, which sends his staff into disarray as they work on the speech. But two problems dog them when Sam realizes that Bartlet never apologized for not disclosing his multiple sclerosis while C.J. makes a crucial gaffe during a press conference. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive has his own problems with wife Abbey who is still fuming that she was not consulted in his decision. Outside the Beltway, the President must decide if he should greenlight a military rescue of the besieged U.S. embassy in Haiti and chief counsel Babish informs Charlie to hire his own expensive lawyer before a special prosecutor begins looking into Bartlet’s possible concealment of his illness.
Original Airdate: 10/17/01
In the second part of the season premiere, flashbacks reveal the President as he refines his speech for a major re-election announcement while his staff works uneasily with a heavyweight political strategist over whether Bartlet should include a public apology in his remarks. Meanwhile, C.J. considers drastic action in the wake of her ill-timed statements during a crucial press conference. In addition, Bartlet tries to patch up a misunderstanding with his wife Abbey. The President must also decide if he will accede to the requests of a corrupt Haitian leader that could lead to peace. Chief counsel Babish shocks Charlie with the probable cost of hiring a fancy lawyer since a special prosecutor is preparing to ask him tough questions.
Original Airdate: 10/24/01
When a fearless special prosecutor begins investigating the President’s non-disclosure of his illness and issues subpoenas to the White House staff, C.J. cannily tries to light a backfire by dropping clues to the press that might ultimately force the replacement of the prosecutor with someone more favorable to the Administration. Elsewhere: a real forest fire rages in Wyoming but the governor is incensed when Bartlet backs the forestry experts who believe the fire should just burn itself out; the President is in a political bind as he decides whether or not to push for the repeal of the estate tax — or “the death tax,” as labeled by his savvy rivals, and a wary Donna goes out on a blind date with a charming Republican who might represent a conflict of interest.
Original Airdate: 10/31/01
As a State Department dinner nears, President Bartlet boldly vetoes the “death tax” bill but his staff must hustle when they are surprised to learn that the House of Representatives have enough votes to immediately override the veto. Meanwhile, as some important Democratic congressmen are holding out for some compromising political favors that incense Bartlet and Leo, Josh tries to smooth-talk a promising governor who is considering running against Bartlet. On the fringes, C.J. singles out an overmatched entertainment reporter for retribution and Charlie is strongly urged by his fellow White House teammates to ask for immunity in his upcoming testimony into the President’s non-disclosure of his illness.
Original Airdate: 11/07/01
The President asks the reluctant Vice President 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 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.
Original Airdate: 11/14/01
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. 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.
Original Airdate: 11/21/01
While President Bartlet frets about where to spend Thanksgiving — and how to best cook a gourmet turkey — C.J. powwows with two Native Americans who are camped in the lobby and promise to cause a media dustup if they can’t meet with a bigwig about receiving better public health projects on their reservation. Elsewhere, Josh pulls some political levers as he tries to gain the extradition of a teenaged boy who murdered his teacher and fled to Italy; Toby informs Bartlet of an inexpensive way to improve his polling numbers; and Sam questions a new poverty income index that could spell trouble for the President by classifying millions more people as poor virtually overnight.
Original Airdate: 11/28/01
At the First Lady’s urging, Josh meets with a powerful women’s caucus over the proposed language of a U.N. treaty banning prostitution while the President grapples with the possibility of a Mad Cow epidemic and ponders how much the public should know. Meanwhile, staffers are stunned at C.J.’s emotional outburst concerning the administration’s renewal of its air base lease in a Mideast country that abuses its women. Some World War II veterans come to the White House to protest a pending Pearl Harbor exhibit at the Smithsonian and Bartlet is sued by an angry woman who intends to raise a public fuss over his remarks regarding the hot-potato issue of a national seat belt law.
Original Airdate: 12/12/01
While the White House is festooned with Christmas finery, Leo fears the worst when he testifies in the Congressional investigation into the President’s possible lack of public disclosure about his illness while flashbacks reveal the background leading to Bartlet’s decision as governor to not come forward with the damaging information. In addition, the President personally investigates a series of church firebombings in the South after a two-year probe proves fruitless and threatens using troops to protect parishioners the next day on Christmas Eve.
Original Airdate: 01/09/02
A defiant Leo rejects the Congressional Oversight Committee’s offer of a presidential public censure that would finally end its investigation of Bartlet’s concealment of his illness — and spare Leo of any possible personal repercussions — while the staff reacts to an insider’s tell-all book published by a fired White House photographer. Meanwhile, a tongue-tied Josh hatches a shameless scheme to meet socially with an attractive women’s rights leader, and Bartlet wants to frame Charlie’s gift of a 1709 map of Palestine — one that excluded Israel at the time — but his staff warns him of its political implications.
Original Airdate: 01/16/02
While the staff furiously labors over the President’s crucial State of the Union speech, Bartlet suddenly demands to include a passage that ambitiously promises a crusade to cure cancer within 10 years while Sam is interviewed for a Vanity Fair profile by a woman, whom once was his fiancee. A lovestruck Josh brashly informs a prominent women’s rights leader that her budding romance with a Congressman is solely a product of political machinations. While pollster Joey Lucas studies the sampled responses to the Chief Executive’s speech.
Original Airdate: 01/30/02
While the President and his staff ponder whether to counter a verbal assault on affirmative action by a fast-rising Republican presidential candidate, Josh must postpone his tropical vacation with a women’s rights advocate to defuse a risky powderkeg on an island that serves as the Navy’s firing range. When Josh rolls up his sleeves to remove protesters who have planted themselves in harm’s way on the Puerto Rican island, he makes his first call to the cell phone of an old friend who’s leading the group. Meanwhile, Sam meets with an eccentric politician who believes that Ft. Knox is missing a fortune in gold bullion; a defiant C.J. debates with Toby over the merits of affirmative action; and Donna asks Josh to intercede and relieve her of pending jury duty.
Original Airdate: 02/06/02
President Bartlet consults a psychiatrist for a troubling sleep disorder — and gets a sobering personal assessment — while C.J. lobbies hard to help secure the release of a White House reporter who’s been taken hostage on assignment in the Congo. Elsewhere: Toby knows he will be visited by his irate ex-wife when he writes an inflammatory speech that condemns Islam for fanaticism; Sam asks Republican lawyer Ainsley Hayes to review a proposed act that calls for payment of U.S. back dues to the United Nations in exchange for special requests; Donna is stunned when she is offered a prestigious and well-paid new job outside the White House.
Original Airdate: 02/27/02
The President engages both Sam and Toby in intricate chess matches that underscore the wily game of brinkmanship Bartlet is playing with the Chinese who threaten to turn their war games in the Taiwan Strait into the real thing if Taiwan begins test-firing their new U.S. Patriot defense missiles. Meanwhile, Josh is edgy about every vote out of the 42 cast in a remote New Hampshire burg that are counted immediately and always predict the winner of the day’s crucial state primary. Elsewhere, a mischievous C.J. tries to upset Charlie by not accounting for her copy of the President’s top-secret daily schedule — prompting a war of mischievous games and tricks.
Original Airdate: 03/06/02
Many issues are in play during a White House party to celebrate the argumentative First Lady’s birthday as she contemplates the likely loss of her medical license the next day while the President is visited by proper British Ambassador Marbury who argues against Bartlet’s meeting with a murderous Irish terrorist. In other rooms, Sam meets with a Senator who is blocking funding a controversial superconductor that would cost billions; Donna discovers that she’s really Canadian — and technically not an American; Abbey, C.J. and several of the women mischievously steal away in a closet to drink, dish and diss.
Original Airdate: 03/27/02
When the President is overheard making a disparaging comment on an open-mike about the potential Republican nominee, C.J. does damage control for days after while Toby tries to finesse the newly named poet laureate from speaking out against the United States’ lack of support for a land-mines treaty. Elsewhere, Sam recalls Republican White House legal counsel Ainsley Hayes from vacation to help spin the administration’s response to Bartlet’s gaffe; Josh is both repulsed and intrigued by the fact that he has his own fan-based Web site — LemonLyman.com.
Original Airdate: 04/03/02
The President’s staff reacts to the crash of a heavy rig bearing uranium fuel rods in a remote Idaho tunnel that could pose an environmental — or terrorist — crisis, while in another room, electoral strategy is stealthily mapped out that could include jettisoning Vice President Hoynes from the next ticket. Meanwhile, the unwitting Veep ponders how to keep a favorite bill intact that would provide Internet access for the poor; earlier, Hoynes finds himself in the same meeting with Leo for Alcoholics Anonymous. In addition: Charlie regrets getting advice from a meddling Bartlet for filing his tax forms online; Donna’s request to Josh for a presidential proclamation honoring the retirement of her favorite teacher might prove more difficult than first imagined.
Original Airdate: 05/01/02
As Sam works out the President’s final maddening details of an important upcoming summit with the Russian president, satellite photos reveal an Iranian nuclear bomb facility built with Russian technology — a revelation that could torpedo the leaders’ meeting. Elsewhere, C.J. makes a harsh public statement about the deaths of Saudi young girls, prompting a serious death threat from a stalker that forces Bartlet to assign her Secret Service protection. In addition, Charlie seeks to find the source of a curious encoded letter addressed to the President; Toby considers issuing a press pass to a Russian journalist who’s been unfairly critical of her country’s leader.
Original Airdate: 05/08/02
The President and his staff scramble to head off a predicted terrorist attack over a broad area while C.J. chafes under the protective collar provided by a handsome but capable Secret Service agent. Also, Toby plays hardball with network executives over future political convention TV coverage.
Original Airdate: 05/15/02
The President is torn over forfeiting the principle of diplomatic immunity for an important Middle Eastern official known to be plotting terrorism while Josh duels with his feminist activist/lover over a key welfare reform bill. Elsewhere: Bartlet is advised not to attend a politically sensitive fundraiser; a chastened Sam nixes ecology-friendly legislation for the Everglades; C.J. gains new respect for her Secret Service bodyguard; Donna is dispatched to North Dakota to represent the administration at a meeting to change the state’s name.
Original Airdate: 05/22/02
In the season finale, President Bartlet encounters Ritchie — his Republican presidential rival — when they attend a Broadway play while the President faces a terrorist threat after he discovers that a high-ranking Middle Eastern official has been supporting terrorism. When Josh supports a key welfare reform bill that his feminist activist/lover Amy opposes, it threatens their personal relationship. Elsewhere, the flirtation between C.J. and her Secret Service bodyguard is limited by the boundaries of their professional relationship and the search continues for a replacement for Mrs. Landingham.
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