The State Dinner
Encyclopedia
"The State Dinner" is the 7th episode of The West Wing
. It is the first time that First Lady Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing
) appears.
with the Indonesia
n President. While the dinner is going on, Toby and Josh attempt to work out a deal with one of the Indonesian President's aides to release a friend of Toby's from custody, a French national who was working for democratic reforms. The Indonesian President's aide is angry and insulted because Toby's welcoming speech was critical of Indonesian non-democracy, and tells Toby to go to hell. Mandy Hampton argues for a negotiating stance in the hostage standoff in Idaho, because she thinks the FBI entrapped the white separatist suspects on gun charges before it began, but the negotiating plan has devastating results. Leo tries to bridge the labor-management differences with the truckers, which center around a "two-tiered" plan that withholds pay and benefits from truckers who end up working nearly full-time hours at a significant deficit to their colleagues. The two sides make no headway, but President Bartlet has some choice words that might change their tune.
The hurricane is bearing down on Georgia
, and Josh helps Charlie get his relatives out of harm's way, but then changes course and is going to slam into the USS John F. Kennedy
carrier group, with about 12,000 men aboard, that was recalled from a port for protective reasons only to end up in a catastrophic situation. Sam is hurt personally when his friend Laurie "Brittany" Rollins (Lisa Edelstein
), a call girl, turns up at the reception on the arm of Carl Everett, a huge Democratic Party backer. He ends up offering her $10,000 not to go home with Everett, but she does not accept. President Bartlet ends the busy day by talking to a young sailor who is in the middle of the hurricane.
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...
. It is the first time that First Lady Abigail Bartlet (Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing
Stockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
) appears.
Plot
The President tries to focus on key problems—a hostage standoff, a hurricane, and an impending truckers' union strike—all while trying to prepare for an important state dinnerState dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
with the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n President. While the dinner is going on, Toby and Josh attempt to work out a deal with one of the Indonesian President's aides to release a friend of Toby's from custody, a French national who was working for democratic reforms. The Indonesian President's aide is angry and insulted because Toby's welcoming speech was critical of Indonesian non-democracy, and tells Toby to go to hell. Mandy Hampton argues for a negotiating stance in the hostage standoff in Idaho, because she thinks the FBI entrapped the white separatist suspects on gun charges before it began, but the negotiating plan has devastating results. Leo tries to bridge the labor-management differences with the truckers, which center around a "two-tiered" plan that withholds pay and benefits from truckers who end up working nearly full-time hours at a significant deficit to their colleagues. The two sides make no headway, but President Bartlet has some choice words that might change their tune.
The hurricane is bearing down on Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Josh helps Charlie get his relatives out of harm's way, but then changes course and is going to slam into the USS John F. Kennedy
USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)
USS John F. Kennedy is a John F. Kennedy class aircraft carrier, the last conventionally powered carrier built for the United States Navy. The ship is named after the 35th President of the United States, John F...
carrier group, with about 12,000 men aboard, that was recalled from a port for protective reasons only to end up in a catastrophic situation. Sam is hurt personally when his friend Laurie "Brittany" Rollins (Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the television drama House.-Early life and education:...
), a call girl, turns up at the reception on the arm of Carl Everett, a huge Democratic Party backer. He ends up offering her $10,000 not to go home with Everett, but she does not accept. President Bartlet ends the busy day by talking to a young sailor who is in the middle of the hurricane.
Emmy Awards
Nominated:- Outstanding Costumes for a Series (nominees: Lyn Elizabeth Paolo, Alice Daniels)
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (nominee: Stockard ChanningStockard ChanningStockard Channing is an American stage, film and television actress. She is known for her portrayal of First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series The West Wing; for playing Betty Rizzo in the film Grease; and for her role as Ouisa Kittredge in the play Six Degrees of Separation and its...
) (submitted along with He Shall, from Time to Time...He Shall, from Time To Time..."He Shall, from Time to Time…" is the 12th episode of The West Wing.The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was pleased with the portrayal of a major character, which showed that multiple sclerosis is not fatal and that Bartlet uses modern medicine to treat it.-Plot:During the preparations for...
)