The West Wing - Secret Service Nightmare Scenario

[TheDoomArt]

The funny thing is this is literally exactly what happens.

[Ovrkyl]

The interesting thing is that this "nightmare scenario" played out almost EXACTLY the same way later on in the series (ending of season 4/beginning of season 5). Zoe was kidnapped out of a nightclub, Secret Service guards were killed, she was being held in a trailer (I think) in the middle of nowhere, and Bartlet was put in a compromising position where he had to relinquish his presidency to avoid a conflict of interest.

[downtonabbeyfreak]

@Ovrkyl bartlett says in that episode to Leo that he described once a nightmare situation to Zoe and scared her, then he says 'this is that nightmare'

[timmyhkvt]

@Ovrkyl I haven't seen the episodes (and I intend to, once I can purchase the series), but it seems to me that Bartlett had to transfer power temporarily because he was too emotionally compromised to be sure that he would make the right calls. It's like his doctor in the first season, times a million.

[Ovrkyl]

@timmyhkvt Exactly. His position and powers as President were compromised by his natural instincts as a father. The only right course of action was to step aside and let another serve in the position at least until the situation is resolved. But it was a total "I told you so" situation between him and Zoey.

[randyck]

Hell even I got it.

[StupidChords]

my dad gave me a similar speech when i went to college. it made me pay attention.

Always check in with your parents.

[utube9000]

Of course in REAL life, it would be the Israeli Mossad that kidnaps Zowie and blames it on Arab terrorists in order to justify invading another Arab country....

[bornbillsmith]

@utube9000

So you admit the Arabs are terrorist.

[utube9000]

@bornbillsmith I think BOTH the Arabs and the Israeli's are terrorists and the United States should not be involved in their affairs. Nor should we allow any American Jew (or any American PERIOD) to have dual-citizenship. It's a conflict of interest.

[PerformanceStageInc]

@utube9000 Ahhh...NOW we see where your problem lies. But lemme see, we need to allow the Arabs to build mosques here, right? Gotcha.

[darkknight07100]

1 person doesn't get it.



[step5732]

@darkknight07100 who?

[darkknight07100]

Kiefer Sutherland - 1 Emmy. Martin Sheen - 0 Emmys.

Just doesn't sit well.

[evanescoavis]

this is so amazing it gives me goosebumps everytime i watch it. aaron sorkin's writing is amazing, but martin sheen's acting is just out of this world

[Kikyo9423]

I just love how they just predicted the season 4 finale in this scene

[bornbillsmith]

@Kikyo9423

They didn't predict.

They wrote it.

[rollinclover]

Every time I watch that scene I start holding my breath halfway through cos I'm so mesmerised I forget to breathe.

[stringerboi]

its not a nightmare scenario for the country, its a nightmare scenario for a father.

[mt22201]

@stringerboi It's a nightmare scenario for the country too, because of the risk that the president will act in his family's interest even if it's to the detriment of the national interest.

[benji1701]

this scene is amazing Martin Sheen is a legend and a genius and is amazing in this scene

and add to that WG Snuffy Walden's amazing  score

result heartfelt acting this is why I like the west wing!

[Hilaryno1]

Haha thats almost exactly what happens when she does get kidnapped in season 5 :)

[Ozone213]

This is too much!! Martin Sheen is a legend

[sadfasdfization]

this is the only video i have ever seen with 42,000 views and 0 dislikes ;)

[superjules]

Uganda ain't THAT Bad.

[guinevere9]

@superjules THAT was the funniest comment I've ever read on youtube, ever.

[Ovrkyl]

And the funny thing is, this scene foreshadowed her kidnapping later in the series. The "nightmare scenario" almost did occur, just not by "Ugandans". The writers wrote the incident almost exactly as he described. A rowdy noisy club, Secret Service agents dead, she's incapacitated and kidnapped, people don't realize she's gone at first, and Bartlett's between a rock and a hard place.

But it clearly is a worst-case scenario for any sitting President.

[adtuna1192]

i think this is one of the very very few time president bartlet actually loses his temper.

[jillhbaudhaan]

I miss this show!

[LadyNightthorn]

Wow. This scene never fails to move me. Wonderfully written and powerfully acted. Perfection.

[Jessica1608]

However many times I watch the show, however many times I watch this episode, however many times I watch this scene, I well up. Sorkin is an absolute marvel, and Sheen deserves a lot of credit too. TWW is one of the best television shows ever aired.

[TheConstantSeeker]

Damn!

[evilfishytank]

At least Zoey grew up, and works for an ad agency in New York now.

[awbjr9871]

@evilfishytank Yeah, she's doing well at that ad agency. I'm still trying to figure out how she went back in time, though.

[stoncoldrob]

I got it

[thewildone]

I wonder if Sorkin knew he would do the kidnapping later when he wrote this scene, or if he came back to it later.

[tortythetortoise]

To the guy that said "chill out" watch the season 4 finale.

[jimmyb227]

Nice! Good response. From a fellow West Winger!

[Agneshka]

Blam! She had that coming. She just didn't see what a precious commodity she was being the daughter of a very powerful man.

[Jaiyeson]

@Freepablo lol she was kidnapped in the show.. just like how Martin Sheen said it would go down.. except only one agent had a bullet in her head

[harlequin115]

.....Clearly haven't seen season 4. Nice job genius, way to mouth off without knowing what you're talking about.

[LadyNightthorn]

It's amazing how spot on Bartlet was to how it actually happened later.

BTW, I wonder if anyone thought to have Nancy (the young blonde assistant) on set, standing in sight of Sheen during this speech. It would have inhanced his emotions; Nancy was played by Renee Estevez (Sheen) Martin's actual daughter.

[narukyuubi]

i know. It was all pretty acurate (except it was one ss agent)

[Salt0fTheEarth]

@LadyNightthorn

It's called Chekhov's Gun :)

[PumaOPumaOPumaO]

I think she gets it.

Maritn Sheen did amazing

[pedonbio]

@PumaOPumaOPumaO Nope. And that was what happened two(?) seasons later.

[orientcharlie]

amazing writing from sorkin, and acting from sheen

[estiew2002]

Sorkin is a genius. Every episode was a work of art.

[Surax]

When Obama was a candidate, I was worried that he would get killed because he was black. After re-watching this episode, I'm not so worried about it anymore. As sad as it would be if he were killed, the government would go on. Things could be much worse.

[eddieelaine]

wow it makes you think!

[summerguy03]

tremendous acting

[doubleg137]

gotta love Martin Sheen..  what talent.

[jb420]

and thats exactly what happened later in the series...

[vintagefish921]

I know! I only saw this scene (or maybe I'd forgotten it) for the first time a couple of months ago and it gave me goosebumps to hear him come up with that scenario...so creepy.

[RuroniKaito]

Yeah concidering that the zoe kidnapping episode was the last of the Sorkin-written episodes, I think somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he wanted to do this to her, and planted the seed in Season 1.

[wrestlingdog]

Yeah, and I totally forgot about this until I rewatched season 1 with some friends who'd never seen it before. One of them was like, "Man, he's got it all figured out, doesn't he?" And I couldn't help thinking "You have NO idea."