Tomorrow

From West Wing Wiki

Santos and his staff prepare for the inauguration as Bartlet and his team look back on their years in the White House. ^[1]

Contents 1 Summary 2 Cast 2.1 Starring 2.2 Guest Starring 2.3 Co-Starring 3 Trivia 4 Goofs 5 Quotes 6 References 6.1 Notes

[edit] Summary

The show opens with showing everyone the morning of the Inauguration: a beautiful tribute to the city, then on to each character, the President Elect Matthew Santos, Josh and Donna, C.J. and Will. Finally, we come to President Bartlet. He is looking out the window as he and Abby have a conversation about why the Inauguration takes place in January. The conversation is passionless, as Bartlet realizes that his time has passed. Abbey tells him quietly: “You did a lot of good, Jed. A lot of good." ^[2]

While the President Elect and his wife are preparing for the Inauguration, C.J. is greeted by Charlie upon her arrival to the White House that there are ice storm warnings for parts of New England, and that the pardon attorney is waiting for the presidential pardons. When they reach her office, Will is there, advising about the weather in New England, and they discuss some housekeeping issues, the final briefing, the pardons and the tradition of the Press Secretary’s Flack Jacket. The Chief Usher arrives, detailing how the Bartlet’s possessions will be removed from the White House during the Inauguration.

The Santos’ are being briefed on the Inauguration schedule and protocol, including how the President Elect will be sharing a limo with President Bartlet and that well after the ceremony that they will be attending a total nine Inauguration Balls. Helen voices her displeasure at all the pomp and circumstance, but her husband playfully reminds her that it is an adventure. Once this conversation has been completed, they are headed to a church service to being the Inauguration festivities.

Meanwhile, Margaret and C.J. are talking about final issues and the fact that they will have to vacate their parking spaces by two pm. Will has given one of his final briefings and is disappointed that it went so well. He discussed the pardons (specifically “Granny Pot”) and the fact that there was a train derailment due to weather in New England. Charlie interrupts with the final copies of the pardons that await signatures. Apparently, President Bartlet placed a call and added a name to the list: Toby Ziegler. C.J. tells Will that he may get his chance for “a final pasting on national television” ^[2] after all.

President Bartlet arrives in the Oval Office for his last few hours of work. Purposefully, the only issue of concern is the train derailment. Deputy NSA Advisor Kate Harper has arrived to brief on the situation: apparently because of the train’s location, the two state governors are debating who should send out the National Guard. President Bartlet has Debbie get both of the governors on the line and after a random selection tells one of them to send out the National Guard. Situation resolved: the room empties with the exception of C.J., timidly offering the pardons. The President tells her that he hasn’t decided on anything yet. "I'm sure you'll do whatever you think is best. Toby's is the last one in the folder." ^[2] she says and is dismissed.

Later that morning, C.J. meets with Mallory, and Mallory has a gift for President Bartlet. C.J. is surprised that Mallory is giving the gift to her for delivery, offering to let Mallory deliver it herself. Mallory is unwilling to do so, stating that the gift is “sentimental” and indicating that the loss of her father after these last few weeks is still fresh on her mind.

Meanwhile, President Bartlet is subconsciously dragging out the morning. He has less than an hour, as Debbie reminds him, before he has to get ready to go to the Inauguration himself. He has signed most of the pardons, except one, (Toby’s) that is purposely on the far corner of his desk. Debbie comes to collect the signed pardons. She asks about the last one, and he indicates that he hasn’t decided yet. Debbie reminds him that he needs to write his note for the President Elect, another tradition much like the Press Secretary’s.

Back in C.J.’s office, Will asks about the pardons: one in particular. She is honest in her response to Will, she doesn’t know if it will be signed or not. Josh drops in for a visit, and the question about the Flack Jacket note comes up. Will admits writer’s block and Josh tells him that it's not critical, as long as it's humorous. Will leaves Josh and C.J. and she questions his early arrival. Josh didn’t attend the church services. Josh makes a final attempt to have C.J. stay on as a Senior Advisor to President Santos, and she declines, citing that Danny is waiting for her. Josh is understandably nervous about becoming White House Chief of Staff, but C.J. alleviates his fear. In the meantime, President Bartlet is on a walking tour of the White House, thanking all the staff and making small talk.

The church service is at an end, and the Santos’ are on their way to collect the Bartlets for the Inauguration ceremony. By now, President Bartlet is in his office, putting the finishing touches on his note to future President Santos. He announces to Debbie that he’s finished, and she asks him pointedly about the remaining pardon. He makes an excuse that he still has time when C.J. arrives with Mallory’s gift. He laments that Mallory didn’t come visit him and deliver this himself as he accepts the gift. Debbie, in an effort to keep him on schedule takes the present away and reminds him that he needs to get changed for the Inauguration. When C.J. and Debbie leave the office, President Bartlet signs Toby’s pardon and takes it with him as he leaves to deliver it to Debbie.

The President and the First Lady emerge from the Residence for the last time. She chastises him for being late; he argues that they are not late because the Santos’ are not even there yet. She then tells them that Santos’ are late. Then begins a conversation where she states her concern that he might have "re-entry issues in returning to live among us mere mortals." ^[2] The Bartlet daughters are going to be at the farm when they get there later this evening, and when he balks her point is made.

Before the ceremony begins, Margaret comes to C.J. with a folder telling her that it needs to get to the pardon attorney. C.J. looks at the document inside for confirmation: it is Toby’s. Despite herself, she is pleased. In the course of the ceremony, the staffers pack the last of their offices, watch snippets of the Inauguration and watch the mementos of the Bartlet era replaced with the beginnings of the Santos era.

The show comes to a close showing everyone’s transition: the mass arrival of the new staff, the exodus of the old. C.J. leaves from the front gate of the White House, and as she is walking, a tourist asks her if she works at the White House. She tells him simply no, and he comments that it must be something to work there. Charlie, Will and Kate leave at once, wondering what it is that they could do at two in the afternoon with no prospects of work in the near future. They decide to go to the movies.

Finally, we see Jed and Abbey on the plane. He is reminded of the gift from Mallory, and opens it to discover that it is a framed napkin, with the simple phase from Leo that started Jed on this journey: Bartlet For America. As the plane carries them home, Abbey asks Jed what it is that he’s thinking about. He replies with one word: “Tomorrow.”

[edit] Cast

[edit] Starring

• Stockard Channing as Abbey Bartlet
• Kristin Chenoweth as Annabeth Schott
• Dulé Hill as Charlie Young
• Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg
• Joshua Malina as Will Bailey
• Mary McCormack as Kate Harper
• Janel Moloney as Donna Moss
• Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman
• Jimmy Smits as President-Elect Matthew Santos
• Martin Sheen as President Bartlet
• Teri Polo as Helen Santos

[edit] Guest Starring

• Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn
• Keb' Mo' as Himself
• John Getz as Congressman Seldner

[edit] Co-Starring

• Lily Tomlin as Deborah Fiderer
• Michael O'Neill as Secret Service Agent Ron Butterfield
• Allison Smith as Mallory O'Brien
• NiCole Robinson as Margaret Hooper
• Renée Estevez as Nancy
• Matthew Del Negro as Bram Howard
• Karis Campbell as Ronna
• Michael Ahl as Secret Service
• Catherine Aselford as Bonnie Kilmer
• John Balma as Cartwright
• Chris Bloch as Man
• Jerry Cerwonka as Cardinal Doherty
• William Duffy as Larry
• Van Epperson as Curtis Shaeffer - Chief Usher
• Melissa Fitzgerald as Carole Fitzpatrick
• Kia Glover as Steward
• Kamal Jones as Congressional Staffer
• Marco Antonio Martinez as Agent Darryl
• James R. McMann as Inauguration Guest
• Charles Noland as Steve
• Ann Ryerson as Chief Justice
• Peter James Smith as Ed
• Kim Webster as Ginger
• Nora Paradiso as Inaugural Guest (uncredited)
• Aaron Sorkin as Man in Crowd (uncredited)
• Schuster Vance as Senator Wirth (uncredited)

[edit] Trivia

President Bartlet does a final walk through the West Wing thanking all his staff. Durring this, he stops and speaks with Nancy and asks about her mother. "Tell her I'm looking forward to seeing her again soon. Will you Please?" he says to her. Nancy is played by Renée Estevez, Martin Sheen's Daughter.

The series creator, Aaron Sorkin is one of the distinguished guests at the Inauguration. In addtion, Nora Paradiso and Schuster Vance provide cameos.

Glenn Close did not reprise her role as Evelyn Baker Lang for the Inauguration scene. The Chief Justice is played by actress Ann Ryerson.

In order to be considered for a Presidential Pardon, there is a five year waiting period, documentation that must be filed with the Office of the Pardon Attorney, and an FBI investigation that must take place before a pardon can be considered by the President. There is precedent that former Presidents have circumvented the standard pardon process. This would make Toby Ziegler’s pardon historical, like the pardon of former President Richard Nixon. (Nixon did not go though the documented process either.) ^[3]

[edit] Goofs

When the President and Abbey discuss who picked January 20th as the date of the inauguration, he wrongly blames the founding fathers. Originally, the drafters of the Constitution chose March 4th. It was changed to January 20th by the 22nd Amendment which was ratified January 23, 1933.

[edit] Quotes

Deborah Fiderer: Good morning Mr. President.
President Bartlet: Morning.
Deborah Fiderer: How are you feeling this morning?
President Bartlet: Unemployed.
Deborah Fiderer: A lot of that going around the building.

Deborah Fiderer: You do realize you turn into a pumpkin at noon?

Margaret: ...and they've asked that we vacate our parking spots by 2pm.
C.J.: Not a problem I walked today.
Margaret: Really?
C.J.: Yes, I often walk.
Margaret: You do?
C.J.: Sometimes I walk. I'm going to walk a lot when I get back to California.
Margaret: Los Angeles being a pedestrian nirvana.

Charlie: What about see a movie?
Will: It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.
Charlie: You got anything better to do?
Kate: No, I guess, we don’t.
Will: Is there a movie theater around here?
Charlie: I have no idea.

Deborah Fiderer: (briefing Ronna on her duties) Your most important job is keeping track of who's going in and out of the oval office. The first thing you'll need to do is establish who'll have walk-in privileges. Usually it's just the First Lady and the Chief of Staff. At some point the President is going to ask you to take away his wife's walk-in privileges... don't do it. No matter how much he begs.

Abbey Bartlet: What are you thinking about?
President Josiah Bartlet: Tomorrow.

[edit] References

"The West Wing" Tomorrow (2006)
The West Wing: Tomorrow

[edit] Notes

1. ↑ http://www.nbc.com/The_West_Wing/episode_guide/158.shtml The West Wing Episode Guide
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/articles/content/a11985/ Television Without Pity: Tomorrow
3. ↑ http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/pardons3.htm Jurist Leagal Intelligence

Previous episode:	Season 7	Next episode:
Institutional Memory		No following episode