Obviously there's one story that's gonna be dominating the news around the world for the next few days. And it would be easy to think that President Bartlet, Joshua Lyman, and Stephanie Abbott were the only people who were victims of a gun crime last night. They weren't.... There were 36 homicides last night, 480 sexual assaults, 3,411 robberies, 3,685 aggravated assaults, all at gun point. And if anyone thinks those crimes could have been prevented if the victims themselves had been carrying guns, I'd only remind you that the President of the United States was shot last night while surrounded by the best trained guards in the history of the world.
Josh continues to fight for survival as the FBI apprehends an accomplice to the shooting -- who explains that Charlie Young was the target. CJ watches Sam on the morning shows and recalls exactly what happened during the shooting after hours of confusion. Toby struggles with his guilt over having drafted the memo that ended the use of a canopy for the President's outdoor appearances. More nostalgic flashbacks: Toby's trip to Los Angeles to offer a newly fired CJ a job; Donna's brash arrival in Manchester as Josh's self-appointed assistant; the staffers' innovative strategies to position Bartlet for a win; and the sudden death of Josh's father, which prompted Jed Bartlet's realization that he appreciates these people working for him, and that he's ready to really run for President.
2001 Emmy Award Nominee:
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)
Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing for a Series