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Season 2 of American television drama The West Wing aired on NBC. Season 2 saw the unexplained departure of Mandy Hampton and Donna Moss being made a main character in her stead, Janel Moloney becoming a main cast member.

Summary[]

In the wake of the shooting, both President Bartlet and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman have been hit. While the President is not seriously injured, Josh is critically wounded.

Josh survives, and the staff go on to face a myriad of challenges that include the President's hiring of a staunch Rebublican as an associate counsel, a trip to Portland, the discovery of Chinese refugees fleeing religious persecution, the loss of a costly Mars probe, Josh's post-traumatic stress disorder, and Bartlet's third State of the Union Address.

All of these challenges are rendered minor after the staff and the President are confronted with two serious events; the revelation of Bartlet's concealed serious illness to the public, and the death of one of their own. There is one question on everyone's lips; will Josiah Bartlet seek a second term?

Cast[]

Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn
Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg (21 episodes)
Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
Richard Schiff as Toby Ziegler
John Spencer as Leo McGarry
Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
and Martin Sheen as President Bartlet

Special Guest Stars

Stockard Channing as Abigail Bartlet (8 episodes)
Emily Procter as Ainsley Hayes (8 episodes)
Timothy Busfield as Danny Concannon (4 episodes)
Marlee Matlin as Joey Lucas (4 episodes)
Oliver Platt as Oliver Babish (3 episodes)
Tim Matheson as John Hoynes (2 episodes)
John Larroquette as Lionel Tribbey ("And It's Surely To Their Credit")
Adam Arkin as Dr. Stanley Keyworth ("Noël")
Felicity Huffman as Ann Stark ("The Leadership Breakfast")
Roger Rees as Lord John Marbury ("The Drop-In")
Mary Kay Place as Dr. Millicent Griffith ("Ellie")
Roma Maffia as Officer Rhonda Sachs ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY
Yo-Yo Ma ("Noël")

Recurring cast

NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper (17 episodes)
Kathryn Joosten as Dolores Landingham (10 episodes)
Gregalan Williams as Robbie Mosley (5 episodes)
Guest Starring
Anna Deavere Smith as Nancy McNally (4 episodes)
Elisabeth Moss as Zoey Bartlet (3 episodes)
Ted McGinley as Mark Gottfried (3 episodes)
Bill O'Brien as Kenny Thurman (3 episodes)
Glenn Morshower as Mike Chysler (3 episodes)
Michael O'Neill as Ron Butterfield (2 episodes)
Peter White as Jack Gage (2 episodes)
Ernie Lively as Mr. Loch (2 episodes)
Jody Wood as Mr. Cameron (2 episodes)
Corbin Bernsen as Congressman Henry Shallick (2 episodes)
Renée Estevez as Nancy (2 episodes)
Tony Plana as Mickey Troop (2 episodes)
Richard Riehle as Jack Sloan (2 episodes)
Jorja Fox as Gina Toscano ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Daniel von Bargen as General Jack Shannon ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Michael Bryan French as Hospital Administrator Lewis ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Pamela Gordon as Tracy ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Andy Umberger as Cal Mathis ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Jim Ortlieb as Dr. Benjamin Keller ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (1)")
Grace Zabriskie as Isobel ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (2)")
Allen Garfield as Roger Becker ("In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen (2)")
Claire Yarlett as Dr. Jenna Jacobs ("The Midterms")
Rebecca Creskoff as Sarah Jordan ("The Midterms")
Jamie Denton as Tom Jordan ("The Midterms")
Alfonso Freeman as Andrew Macintosh ("The Midterms")
Zakes Mokae as President Nimbala ("In This White House")
Michael Chinyamurindi as President Nimbala's Interpreter ("In This White House")
Michael Cavanaugh as Pharmaceutical Company Executive ("In This White House")
Len Cariou as Alan Damson ("In This White House")
Sam Jaeger as Bill Kelley ("In This White House")
Brigid Brannagh as Harriet ("In This White House")
Tom Gallop as Bruce ("In This White House")
Daniel Roebuck as Lieutenant Buckley ("And It's Surely To Their Credit")
Tom Bower as General Ed Barrie ("And It's Surely To Their Credit")
Paul Perri as Steve Joyce ("And It's Surely To Their Credit")
Steven Flynn as Mark Brookline ("And It's Surely To Their Credit")
Eugene Lazarev as Vasily Konanov ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Mike Starr as Tony Marino ("The Lame Duck Congress")
David Kaufman as Bob Fowler ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Richard Tanner as Joe Fox ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Tegan West as Peter ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Brian Stepanek as Senator's Aide #2 ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Wayne Wilderson as Senator's Aide #3 ("The Lame Duck Congress")
Charley Lang as Matt Skinner ("The Portland Trip")
David Graf as Colonel Mark Chase ("The Portland Trip")
NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper ("The Portland Trip")
Michael Tomlinson as Congressman ("The Portland Trip")
Gregg Daniel as Steve Adamley ("The Portland Trip")
F. William Parker as Reverend Al Caldwell ("Shibboleth")
Annie Corley as Mary Marsh ("Shibboleth")
Deborah Hedwall as Josephine McGarry ("Shibboleth")
Sam Anderson as John La Salle ("Shibboleth")
Henry O as Jhin Wei ("Shibboleth")
Allison Smith as Mallory O'Brien ("Galileo")
Troy Ruptash as Scott Tate ("Galileo")
John Carroll Lynch as Jack Reese ("Galileo")
Charlotte Cornwell as Nadia Kozlowski ("Galileo")
Colm Feore as Tad Whitney ("Galileo")
Paxton Whitehead as Bernard Thatch ("Noël")
Gary Cervantes as Bobby ("Noël")
Daniel von Bargen as Ken Shannon ("Noël")
David Graf as Colonel Mark Chase ("The Drop-In")
Robert Clotworthy as Tom ("The Drop-In")
and Rocky Carroll as Corey Sykes ("The Drop-In")
Barbara Eve Harris as Gretchen Tyler ("Bartlet's Third State of the Union")
Adam Alexi-Malle as Translator ("The War At Home")
Ed Begley, Jr. as Sen. Seth Gillette ("The War At Home")
Kathleen York as Andy Wyatt ("Ellie")
Nina Siemaszko as Ellie Bartlet ("Ellie")
Robert Knepper as Morgan Ross ("Ellie")
Paul Eiding as Labor Leader ("Ellie")
John Capodice as Lenny ("Ellie")
Ned Schmidtke as Industry Leader #1 ("Ellie")
Jolie Jenkins as Stephanie Gault ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
Clark Gregg as Special Agent Michael Casper ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
John Billingsley as Dr. John Fallow ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
Jordan Baker as Dr. Cynthia Sayles ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
Brent Hinkley as Professor Donald Huke ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
Christopher Neiman as OMB Staffer ("Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail")
George Coe as Senator Stackhouse ("The Stackhouse Filibuster")
Cara DeLizia as Winifred Hooper ("The Stackhouse Filibuster")
Jacqueline Kim as First Lieutenant Emily Lowenbrau ("Bad Moon Rising")
Robert Curtis Brown as Jamie Hotchkiss ("Bad Moon Rising")
Scott Lawrence as Congressional Staffer ("Bad Moon Rising")
Michael Mantell as Congressional Staffer ("Bad Moon Rising")
Eric Stonestreet as Staffer #1 ("Bad Moon Rising")
Scott Atkinson as Staffer #2 ("Bad Moon Rising")
Jossie Harris Thacker as Staffer #3 ("Bad Moon Rising")
Lee Wilkof as Martin Connelly ("The Fall's Gonna Kill You")
Rosalind Chao as Jane Gentry ("The Fall's Gonna Kill You")
Spencer Garrett as Richard Will ("The Fall's Gonna Kill You")
Douglas Roberts as Congressional Aide Henry ("The Fall's Gonna Kill You")
Lucia Vincent as Congressional Aide Helen ("The Fall's Gonna Kill You")
John Rubinstein as Andy Ritter ("18th and Potomac")
Peter Michael Goetz as Paul Hacket ("18th and Potomac")
Richard McGonagle as Warren ("18th and Potomac")
Robert Walden as Rossiter ("18th and Potomac")
Victor McCay as Jake Dandridge ("18th and Potomac")
Kirsten Nelson as Young Dolores Landingham ("Two Cathedrals")
Jason Widener as Young Josiah Bartlet ("Two Cathedrals")
Don McManus as Greg Summerhays ("Two Cathedrals")
Lawrence O'Donnell as Dr. Bartlet ("Two Cathedrals")
John Bennett Perry as Bill Wakefield ("Two Cathedrals")
Fred Ornstein as Congressman Harryn Wade ("Two Cathedrals")
Bill Gratton as Advisor #1 ("Two Cathedrals")

Episodes[]

# EPISODE AIRDATE WRITTEN BY
1 In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Part I) 4 OCTOBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
201samcj
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 long-shot primary campaign.
2 In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Part II) 4 OCTOBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
202
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 long-shot primary campaign.
3 The Midterms 18 OCTOBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
203
As one of the President's staff recovers from bullet wounds, the rest of the team pushes on to the "mid-term" congressional elections in November -- but as C.J. deflects press requests on how the assassination attempt has affected the mood in the White House, she knows that nearly everyone bears psychological scars in its aftermath.
4 In This White House 25 OCTOBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
204
When a confident Sam is outmatched by a novice Republican advisor on a political point-counterpoint television program, an impressed President Bartlet offers to hire her as assistant White House counsel despite her party affiliation-- a bold move that sends shock waves through the resentful staff.
5 And It's Surely to Their Credit 1 NOVEMBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
Kevin FallsLaura Glasser
205
President Bartlet's controversial -- and conservative -- new choice for associate White House counsel has rough sledding on her first day when she suffers the wrath of her hostile boss (Emmy-winning guest star John Larroquette, "Night Court," "The Practice"), gets a chilly reception from her co-workers and is humiliated by two other staffers.
6 The Lame Duck Congress 8 NOVEMBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.
206guys
A wily President Bartlet considers the extraordinary option of recalling the Senate from a winter holiday to push through a ratification of a new nuclear test-ban treaty -- despite the lame-duck status of many Senators who will not return in the next session -- while the drunken Ukrainian leader (guest star Eugene Lazarev) thunders through the White House demanding to see the President.
7 The Portland Trip 15 NOVEMBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
Paul Redford
207
While President Bartlet and some of the staff are en route overnight to Portland for a major education speech, Leo remains behind to monitor a tense situation in the Persian Gulf when a foreign tanker is suspected of smuggling contraband oil and fires on U.S. Navy helicopters sent to investigate.
8 Shibboleth 22 NOVEMBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
Patrick H. Caddell
208
As Thanksgiving nears, President Bartlet has his own hot-potato issue when a boatload of persecuted Chinese evangelical Christians arrives in California seeking asylum, while a perplexed C.J. must choose between two turkeys for the Presidential pardon ceremony -- with the other destined for the chopping block.
9 Galileo 29 NOVEMBER 2000 Kevin Falls & Aaron Sorkin
209
President Bartlet prepares to address thousands of elementary students nationwide as a NASA space probe descends on Mars, but a host of thorny problems suddenly land on his doorstep, including a fire in a Russian nuclear missile silo and a last-minute loss of communication with the Mars spacecraft.
10 Noël 20 DECEMBER 2000 Aaron Sorkin
Peter Parnell
210
Christmas draws near as Josh is ordered by Leo to consult with a doctor who specializes in analyzing trauma victims. Elsewhere: the President wants to personally sign all of his Christmas cards; Sam confronts a representative of the Energy Secretary who publicly advocates release of federal oil reserves.
11 The Leadership Breakfast 10 JANUARY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Paul Redford
211
As a bi-partisan friendship breakfast with members of Congress nears, President Bartlet's staff vigorously debates the merits of including a patient's bill of rights and minimum wage increase among the incendiary topics while C.J. jousts with the new chief of staff of the House Majority leader (guest star Felicity Huffman) over the press conference's agenda and location.
12 The Drop-In 24 JANUARY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.
212
Leo tries to convince an unenthusiastic President Bartlet about the merits of an expensive and errant missile defense system while the chief executive ponders the political benefits of chiding hard-core environmentalists over the actions of eco-terrorists when he addresses their convention.
13 Bartlet's Third State of the Union 7 FEBRUARY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Allison Abner &
Dee Dee Myers
213
There's electricity in the air as the President addresses the Congress for his third State of the Union address -- which was intricately composed by Toby -- and while Josh anxiously tracks public response via a phone poll, a crisis looms when five American drug agents are taken hostage by Colombian rebels.
14 The War at Home 14 FEBRUARY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
214
After his State of the Union speech, Bartlet boldly greenlights a daring military mission to rescue five federal drug agents taken hostage by Colombian terrorist commandos -- until complications arise -- while Toby is confronted by an angry, liberal Senator (guest star Ed Begley, Jr., "St. Elsewhere") who threatens to launch a third-party run for President.
15 Ellie 21 FEBRUARY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Kevin Falls & Laura Glasser
215
As the President wings back from a Tokyo trade summit, a firestorm of controversy awaits him when Surgeon General Griffith (guest star Mary Kay Place, "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman") hints that marijuana should be decriminalized -- but Bartlet is even more incensed over his middle daughter Ellie's (guest star Nina Siemaszko) public assurances that her father would never fire Griffith.
16 Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail 28 FEBRUARY 2001 Paul Redford &
Aaron Sorkin
216
While a contemptuous Toby is assigned to meet with a noisy, unruly mob protesting the World Trade Organization, Donna asks Sam to consider fronting an executive pardon for the grandfather of her friend (guest star Jolie Jenkris) who was imprisoned for espionage in the 1940s.
17 The Stackhouse Filibuster 14 MARCH 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Pete McCabe
217
The President's staff waits impatiently for an elderly but stubborn Senator (guest star George Coe) to yield the floor as he stages a marathon filibuster hoping to stave off a vote on Bartlet's Family Wellness Act bill while Toby is leery of the Vice President's (guest star Tim Matheson) sudden interest in supporting another bill tightening fuel-emission standards.
18 17 People 4 APRIL 2001 Aaron Sorkin
218bartlet
After a foreign terrorist is caught at the border with explosives, Bartlet ponders the impact of ordering a heightened security alert for the nation's airports while an exasperated Toby is shocked to learn of the President's secret affliction with multiple sclerosis -- and he details its political and legal ramifications.
19 Bad Moon Rising 25 APRIL 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Felicia Willson
219babish
The President's vaunted administration could be brought down by the tiniest oversight as Bartlet secretly summons chief counsel Barash (guest star Oliver Platt, "Bulworth) to discuss how his failure to divulge his multiple sclerosis condition could be a criminal violation of full disclosure -- which would give his enemies enough ammo to destroy him.
20 The Fall's Gonna Kill You 2 MAY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Patrick Caddell
220
Sam is happy to learn of a lowered surplus estimate that will reinforce the administration's case for a revised tax cut and Josh seeks more funds to support the overwhelmed Justice Department in its prosecution of tobacco companies.
21 18th and Potomac 9 MAY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
Lawrence O'Donnell Jr.
221
The newly elected president of Haiti flees for his life and asks for sanctuary in the U.S. embassy -- which would place the compound under army attack. Elsewhere, a frustrated Josh needs more money from a Senate committee to continue the Justice Department's case against Big Tobacco companies.
22 Two Cathedrals 16 MAY 2001 Aaron Sorkin
222
The Haitian army besieges the American Embassy there and Bartlet continues his campaign to sufficiently fund the Justice Department's case against Big Tobacco. Additionally, Toby gets a surprising job offer and the President gets some sage advice from an unexpected corner.


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