Celestial Navigation
Encyclopedia
"Celestial Navigation" is the 15th episode of The West Wing
.
and Toby
have to go to Connecticut
to get the President
's Supreme Court nominee, Roberto Mendoza, out of jail after he is wrongfully arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Matters are complicated by Sam's less-than-stellar sense of direction in driving himself and Toby there, Mendoza's refusal to bite his tongue on policy matters that then cause headaches for the Bartlet administration, and the shame and humiliation felt by Mendoza when he refused a breathalyzer and was arrested in front of his wife and young son. Mendoza wants to speak out about the fact that he was unfairly targeted because of his race, and is willing to spend the night in jail in order to underscore the point. Toby tells Mendoza if he refuses to leave jail with him, his nomination is finished, and then tells the cops pointedly that they have apologies to make.
Josh
relates this and other stories during a speech to a group of university students about a typical day at the White House. His other stories include a clash between Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Deborah O'Leary and an abrasive Republican Congressman, an emergency root canal for C.J. Cregg, and a gaffed press conference by Josh himself. (Josh, covering for a post-root-canal C.J., manages to completely bungle the daily press briefing: in a span of a few minutes, he comes up with a (non-existent) secret plan to fight inflation, calls the White House press corps
stupid, and lets them know that the President has started smoking cigarettes again.) The President returns from a trip to let Josh know that under no circumstances will he ever do a press briefing again. Despite the gaffes, everything works out in the end.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
.
Plot
SamSam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
and Toby
Toby Ziegler
Tobias Zachary 'Toby' Ziegler is played by Richard Schiff on the television serial drama The West Wing. For most of the series' duration he is White House Communications Director.-Creation and development:...
have to go to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to get the President
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
's Supreme Court nominee, Roberto Mendoza, out of jail after he is wrongfully arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Matters are complicated by Sam's less-than-stellar sense of direction in driving himself and Toby there, Mendoza's refusal to bite his tongue on policy matters that then cause headaches for the Bartlet administration, and the shame and humiliation felt by Mendoza when he refused a breathalyzer and was arrested in front of his wife and young son. Mendoza wants to speak out about the fact that he was unfairly targeted because of his race, and is willing to spend the night in jail in order to underscore the point. Toby tells Mendoza if he refuses to leave jail with him, his nomination is finished, and then tells the cops pointedly that they have apologies to make.
Josh
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
relates this and other stories during a speech to a group of university students about a typical day at the White House. His other stories include a clash between Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing...
Deborah O'Leary and an abrasive Republican Congressman, an emergency root canal for C.J. Cregg, and a gaffed press conference by Josh himself. (Josh, covering for a post-root-canal C.J., manages to completely bungle the daily press briefing: in a span of a few minutes, he comes up with a (non-existent) secret plan to fight inflation, calls the White House press corps
White House Press Corps
The White House Press Corps is the group of journalists or correspondents usually stationed at the White House in Washington, D.C. to cover the president of the United States, White House events and news briefings. Their offices are located in the West Wing....
stupid, and lets them know that the President has started smoking cigarettes again.) The President returns from a trip to let Josh know that under no circumstances will he ever do a press briefing again. Despite the gaffes, everything works out in the end.
Emmy Awards
Won:- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (recipient: Allison JanneyAllison JanneyAllison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.- Personal life :...
) (submitted along with "Lies, Damn Lies and StatisticsLies, Damn Lies and Statistics"Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics" is the 21st episode of The West Wing. The title comes from a quote of uncertain origins, frequently attributed to British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and later popularized in America by author Mark Twain: "The remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply...
").