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Noël

From West Wing Wiki

Season: 2
Episode: 10
Story By: Peter Parnell
Teleplay By: Aaron Sorkin
Directed By: Thomas Schlamme
Airdate: December 20, 2000
Guest Stars: Adam Arkin
Paxton Whitehead
Gregalan Williams
Gary Cervantes
Daniel von Bargen
Yo-Yo Ma


Christmas draws near as an increasingly unstable Josh (Bradley Whitford) begins exhibiting bizarre behaviour that has everyone concerned; behaviour that finally crosses the line when he explodes at the President (Martin Sheen) in the Oval Office. Josh is ordered by Leo (John Spencer) to consult with a doctor who specializes in analyzing trauma victims named Stanley Keyworth (Adam Arkin). What's particularly telling is Josh's identification with a dead fighter pilot who recently took his own life by deliberately crashing his jet -- a man who coincidentally shared his birthday and experienced emotional trauma after being shot down over Bosnia.

Elsewhere: the President wants to personally sign all of his Christmas cards -- which total hundreds of thousands; Sam (Rob Lowe) confronts a representative of the Energy Secretary who publicly advocates release of federal oil reserves; C.J. (Allison Janney) gets personally involved when a foreign White House tourist becomes extremely agitated at the sight of a painting donated by the French government.

As Josh confronts his trauma and his suicidal tendancies, he is shocked to learn that he has post-traumatic stress disorder, and that one of his triggers for attacks is music, which to his brain equals sirens. He and Donna (Janel Moloney) leave the White House and stop to listen to carolers. But Josh is not cured, and on his face we see fear and uncertainty at the sound of the music.

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Cast

[edit] Starring

[edit] Special Guest Star

[edit] Guest Starring

[edit] Special Appearance By

[edit] Co-Starring

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Goofs

[edit] Quotes

Josh Lyman: If this is because of what I said in there, I wasn't at my best...
Leo McGarry: Josh, I'm not sure you were fully conscious while you were saying it.
[Later, Leo tells Josh a story that comes round to this:]
Leo McGarry: "Long as I got a job, you got a job, you understand?
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Galileo The Leadership Breakfast