1st Season
1999-2000
#1 Pilot
#2 Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
#3 A Proportional Response
#4 Five Votes Down
#5 The Crackpots and These Women
#6 Mr. Willis of Ohio
#7 The State Dinner
#8 Enemies
 		#9 The Short List
#10 In Excelsis Deo
#11 Lord John Marbury
#12 He Shall, From Time to Time...
#13 Take Out the Trash Day
#14 Take this Sabbath Day
#15 Celestial Navigation
#16 20 Hours in L.A.
 		#17 The White House Pro-Am
#18 Six Meetings Before Lunch
#19 Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
#20 Mandatory Minimums
#21 Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
#22 What Kind of Day Has It Been?
Other Seasons
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

#1 Pilot: Aired Wednesday, September 22, 1999

President Bartlet, on vacation in Jackson Hole, rides a bicycle into a tree and sprains his ankle. Josh screws up by expressing some dubious opinions on a talk show, and not only puts his job on the line, but cause the Whitehouse to have a confrontation with the leaders of the Religious Right. Mandy comes to town to run Senator Lloyd Russell's presidential campaign. She's also dating Senator Russell, which is news to her ex, Josh. Sam spends the night with a woman he picks up in a bar, and when he accidentally switches pagers with her, he realizes that she works for an escort service. Leo is frustrated because the New York Times crossword got Khaddafi's name wrong. A number of refugees from Cuba have set sail for Miami.

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#2 Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: Aired Wednesday, September 29, 1999

Sam ignores warnings from co-workers and pursues a relationship with Laurie. C.J. involves herself in a dispute between the president and vice president. Donna is making bad bets for Josh in the football pool. Mandy loses Lloyd Russell, her only client, but then Bartlet hires her under Josh's protest.

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#3 A Proportional Response: Aired Wednesday, October 6, 1999

Charlie Young is hired as the president's new personal assistant even though he was only looking for a messenger job. There are some concerns about the appearance of a young black man waiting on the president, carrying his bag, opening doors, however Charlie is definitely the right guy for the job so cosmetic concerns are ignored. The president, nervous and in a bad mood, authorizes a proportional reponse to Syria. What he wants to do is lay waste to the country, but he listens to his advisors and instead just bombs four military locations. Leo has to calm Bartlet down before he bites everyone's head off. Sam's dalliances with a call-girl come back to bite him on the ass when not only does C.J. find out about it, but Danny Concannon does as well.

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#4 Five Votes Down: Aired Wednesday, October 13, 1999

The president's staff finds out that they have lost five crucial votes in Congress to pass a bill banning certain kinds of assault rifles. Josh plays hardball and gets back four votes. Leo tries hard not to, but ends up asking Vice President Hoynes to get them the fifth vote, and as expected, Hoynes takes much of the glory for the win. Leo's wife Jenny can't take being second priority in Leo's life to his job anymore, and after he forgets their anniversary, she leaves him. Leo attends a private AA meeting that Hoynes tells him about. Toby is in trouble because a technology stock he bought sky-rocketed in price after a speech given to a technology committee that Toby himself set up. The president mixes up his painkillers for his back.

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#5 The Crackpots and These Women: Aired Wednesday, October 20, 1999

Josh receives a special card with instructions of how to get to safety in case of a nuclear disaster, and quickly figures out that no one else has one except Leo and the president. This brings back his survivor guilt from when his older sister died in a house fire while babysitting him. Josh gives the card back at the end of the day so he can look his friends in the eye. Today is one of the days that Leo sets aside for anyone and everyone to get a few minutes with the White House staff to address their concerns. Although the staff considers it "crackpot day," Sam is left considering UFOs and C.J. gets a new appreciation for the trials and tribulations of wild wolves. Toby feels like no one is listening to him or appreciating him anymore, and then he finds out that he wasn't the president's first choice for Communications Director. Bartlet assures Toby that he's very glad that his original choice for the position turned it down. Bartlet's youngest daughter Zoey, on her way to Georgetown, comes to town and the president celebrates with chili and beer for the whole staff.

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#6 Mr. Willis of Ohio: Aired Wednesday, November 3, 1999

Toby and Mandy meet with three swing-vote congressmen in order to make sure that the new appropriations bill passes without an amendment making a sampling census illegal. Toby is refreshed by Mr. Willis, the eight-grade social studies teacher who is temporarily filling his late wife's seat and, free of political agendas, is swayed by Toby's argument. C.J. admits to Sam that she doesn't really understand the census and he teaches her about it. Bartlet finds out that his daughter Zoey was the target of a mentally unbalanced woman who made it onto White House grounds with a gun. Leo finally tells the president that he's getting a divorce, and Bartlet is disappointed, but finally offers Leo his support. Donna argues with Josh about getting her tax money back from a budget surplus. Josh takes Charlie out for a drink at the president's request, but the affair becomes a disaster when a whole bunch of people tag along, including Zoey who gets harassed at the bar. Josh points out to the president how Charlie fearlessly defended Zoey.

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#7 The State Dinner: Aired Wednesday, November 10, 1999

The White House holds a state dinner to honor the visiting president of Indonesia, a very dry, boring, short-winded man. Toby writes a toast for Bartlet that criticizes Indonesia and challenges the country to live up to its fledgling constitution. When Toby then asks an Indonesian senior aide to release a French protestor from jail, the senior aide tells him that he shouldn't insult the Indonesian president and then ask for a favor. Laurie shows up to the state dinner on the arm of a schmoozing fund-raiser and Sam, having to pretend that he doesn't know her, offers her $10,000 not to go home with the guy. Truck drivers are threatening to strike across the country if they can't come to some sort of agreement with their employers. Hurricane Sarah is about to hit Georgia, but suddenly changes course and traps a 12,000-man fleet out to sea. Danny flirts with C.J. Mandy gets involved when there is a stand-off between a house full of armed people in Idaho and federal agents. The president takes her advice and sends in an FBI negotiator, and both Mandy and the president are horrified when the negotiator ends up in critical condition with a gun-shot wound.

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#8 Enemies: Aired Wednesday, November 17, 1999

The whole staff is excited about the passing of a banking bill until they realize that a land use rider has been tacked on by some political rivals that provides for strip mining of Big Sky. Josh comes up with a clever plan of having the president sign the bill and then declare Big Sky a national park. Leo, after finding out that Mallory has asked Sam to the opera, sabotages Sam's night by giving him the silly task of writing a birthday message from the president to an assistant secretary of transportation. Sam and Toby use this birthday message to rediscover their lost talent. The president humiliates the vice president at a cabinet meeting and C.J. has to bargain with Danny Concannon when the news gets out. Danny keeps trying to get C.J. to go out on a date with him. Bartlet admits to Hoynes that he's still bitter about Hoynes making him beg during the campaign.

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#9 The Short List: Aired Wednesday, November 24, 1999

The president and his staff are excited when their first choice, Harrison, says that he will accept his nomination to the Supreme Court. However, when they unearth a paper that the justice wrote during his youth, they realize that he doesn't support a basic right to privacy. Bartlet follows the advice of the retiring Supreme Court justice, even though they don't get along, and takes another look at a more liberal judge, Roberto Mendoza, eventually deciding on him as the nominee. When a man named Peter Lillienfield publicly declares that 1 in 3 White House staffers use drugs, Leo admits to Josh his history of drug abuse, and they prepare for the news to be leaked.

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#10 In Excelsis Deo: Aired Wednesday, December 15, 1999

Toby arranges a funeral for a Korea veteran who died alone on a park bench from exposure. The beating death of a gay student in Minnesota has C.J. up in arms about hate crimes. Josh is desperate to do something to ward off Lillienfield's attack on Leo. He asks Sam for an introduction to Laurie to see if he can get any dirt on some Republican congressmen, even though Leo specifically tells him not to. All he accomplishes is pissing off Laurie and Leo both... and making Leo feel cared for. The president welcomes kids to the White House during the holiday season. C.J. is upset that her new Secret Service code name is Flamingo. C.J. agrees to go out on a date with Danny. Mrs. Landingham explains to Charlie that she gets down around the holidays because her twin sons were killed around Christmas in 1970 in Vietnam. Mrs. Landingham attends the funeral of Toby's homeless veteran. Mandy wants to cover Bartlet's Christmas shopping for PR purposes but he won't let her.

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#11 Lord John Marbury: Aired Wednesday, January 5, 2000

India invades Pakistan, and Bartlet calls his old friend Lord John Marbury to come from England and consult on the situation. Leo thinks Marbury is insane. C.J. is kept out of the loop at first because Toby is concerned that she won't be able to lie to the press and she understandably resents it. Mandy wants to work for a Republican and tries to get Sam to broach the idea to Toby and Josh. Charlie asks the president's permission to date his daughter after Zoey asks him out. Josh is subpoenaed by Claypoole who has Leo's records from rehab and the staff prepares for the info to get to a reporter.

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#12 He Shall, From Time to Time...: Aired Wednesday, January 12, 2000

As everyone is preparing for the State of the Union, Bartlet collapses in his office. He is diagnosed with the flu, but when Leo sees Abbey overreacting he gets her to admit that the President actually has Multiple Sclerosis. Leo does a pre-emptive press conference before the news of his status a recovering alcoholic and drug addict hits the stands. Mallory gives Sam a kiss of thank-you for the moving statement of support that Sam writes to show the President's support for Leo, even though Leo ordered Sam not to. Lord John Marbury gives Bartlet good advice in defusing the situation between India and Pakistan. C.J. shares a kiss with Danny. Toby does a last minute and daring re-write about the status of big government in the State of the Union. When the president gives the address, the Secretary of Agriculture, who is in the line of succession, is kept out of the Capitol Building in case it should explode.

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#13 Take Out the Trash Day: Aired Wednesday, January 26, 2000

The president and his staff contend with a controversial sex education study at the same time a new hate crimes bill is to be signed. Josh and Sam face a subcommittee.

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#14 Take this Sabbath Day: Aired Wednesday, February 9, 2000

Josh goes to a bachelor party on a Friday night and is in sad shape for his Saturday meeting with an adamant and forceful campaign manager, Joey Lucas. Josh's first surprise is that Joey is female, closely followed by the fact that she's deaf. Josh and the President agree that they like Joey's style, but they just don't like her candidate. Sam is approached by an old classmate who is the public defender for a convicted murderer set for execution at the end of the weekend. Sam tries to get the President to stay the man's execution. Bartlet is tortured by the decision, and asks advice from everyone around him, but finally he decides that he really can't stay the execution just because the idea of legally killing someone gives him the willies.

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#15 Celestial Navigation: Aired Wednesday, February 16, 2000

Josh is invited to speak at a lecture series. He tells the story of how a number of disasters ensued when a Cabinet Secretary called a Republican congressman racist, the president answered a question he shouldn't have, and Josh himself ran a press briefing when C.J. had emergency root canal surgery. Meanwhile, Toby and Sam navigate the highways of Connecticut in order to bail potential Supreme Court Justice Roberto Mendoza out of jail when he is incorrectly imprisoned for drunk driving.

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#16 20 Hours in L.A.: Aired Wednesday, February 23, 2000

The president and most of his staff goes to California for some meetings and a fund raiser being held by a movie executive named Ted Marcus. Ted threatens to cancel the fund-raiser if the president doesn't publicly come out against a recently introduced bill banning gays in the military. The president manages to convince Ted that the bill really isn't going anywhere, and his publicly acknowledging it will only give it more power. Leo stays behind in D.C. to convince the vice-president to break a senate 50/50 tie on an ethanol tax. Vice president Hoynes doesn't want to vote against the president, but can't in good conscious vote with him since he's been voting against this same tax for many years. The president decides to let go of some of the senators that he convinced to come to his side of the issue so that he'll break the tie, even though he loses, so that the vice-president isn't put in this difficult position. Bartlet admits to Hoynes that he admires his convictions. Josh acknowledges his crush on Joey, but finds out she's sleeping with the annoying Al Kiefer. The president hears arguments for an ammendment banning flag-burning, and can't understand why everyone is so concerned about this. Charlie is still dating Zoey. Zoey has a new secret service agent of her own and tries hard to have a nice normal visit in California even though her father thwarts her.

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#17 The White House Pro-Am: Aired Wednesday, March 22, 2000

The president and his wife clash over her championing anti-child labor efforts and letting the press know that she supports a certain person for a recently opened position. Zoey and Charlie's relationship suffers when white supremecists not only send death threats but have a convention nearby in Virginia.

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#18 Six Meetings Before Lunch: Aired Wednesday, April 5, 2000

Mandy asks Josh for help getting a new panda bear from china for the National Zoo. Josh, saddled with talking to the White House's nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights regarding slave reparations, tells her to talk to Toby. Supreme Court nominee Mendoza finally goes through, and Toby is in an usually good mood... until Mandy comes to him talking about pandas. Sam argues with Mallory about school vouchers even though he'd rather be dating her. Mallory is surprised to find out he was just arguing a position, not actually something he believes in. Zoey attends a party with a friend who has been accused of dealing drugs and C.J. must smooth things over without getting the President riled up. The Secret Service deals with more and more death threats against Zoey and Charlie.

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#19 Let Bartlet Be Bartlet: Aired Wednesday, April 26, 2000

Everyone in the White House is frustrated, feeling like they've gotten too "middle-of-the-road" since the president was elected. Bartlet wants Josh to investigate nominating two people to the Federal Elections Committee that are in favor of campaign finance reform. Josh is frustrated when the party leaders react violently to the idea and threaten revenge beyond just not confirming the nominees. Sam has a useless meeting with military leaders regarding policies about gays in the military, and receives some unexpected support from Admiral Fitzwallace. C.J. is horrified when Danny gets ahold of a paper that Mandy wrote when she was working for Russell outlining Bartlet's weaknesses and how he could be defeated. Leo finally points out to the president that they're not going after any battles, and Bartlet and Leo take the leashes off the staff and start by moving forward with their own nominees to the FEC. Margaret's forwarding of an email brings down the whole system.

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#20 Mandatory Minimums: Aired Wednesday, May 3, 2000

President Bartlet's naming of two Democrats to the Federal Election Commission meets with negative reaction, especially from the Senate Majority Leader. The president brings in pollster Al Kiefer to consult on the White House's position on drugs. The president brings in Joey Lucas to do some work at the White House and Josh revisits his crush when he finds out that she's no longer sleeping with Kiefer. Toby has a meeting with with his ex-wife, a Congresswoman, and is convinced by her that mandatory minimums are racist. Mandy and Danny are shunned after the release of her memo.

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#21 Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics: Aired Wednesday, May 10, 2000

Sam knows he shouldn't go to Laurie's graduation from law school, so instead he arranges to meet up with her later to give her a present. A London newspaper snaps a picture of them together, and Sam is surprised when the White House, including Toby, C.J. and the president himself, stand behind him. C.J. manages to defuse the situation before it hits the public. C.J. is concerned that she hasn't been doing her job well, and is determined that the current public opinion poll will give Bartlet a higher approval rating. Everyone else, including Joey Lucas and Bartlet himself, thinks that he'll hold steady. C.J. is pleased when the results turn out to be even higher than she predicted. Josh continues to spar with Joey Lucas. In scheming to get more people on his side on the Federal Election Commission, the president pulls off a huge ambassador shuffle so that he can promote a current member of the FEC to Ambassador to Micronesia. The Ambassador to Bulgaria gets fired and thinks that his past with Charlie, when Charlie was a waiter at an exclusive club, has something to do with it, but Charlie purposely keeps his past with the Ambassador a secret from the president.

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#22 What Kind of Day Has It Been?: Aired Wednesday, May 17, 2000

After a tense day, the U.S. military locates a pilot whose plane crashed in the Iraqi desert. Danny is upset with C.J. when she lies to the press about the rescue mission so as to hide it from Iraqi intelligence. An orbiting space shuttle, carrying Toby's brother, is in danger when the cargo doors won't close. Josh meets with Vice President Hoynes and gets him back on board with the president. After a successful performance by the president at a "town meeting," gunfire breaks out.

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Other Seasons
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7