History Recap / TheWestWingS02E19BadMoonRising

* TheReveal: Charlie reveals that he knows about the President's MS, and apparently has known for a while. Apparently Zoey told him so he could keep an eye out for certain symptoms, although whether she specifically told him what condition her father had isn't made clear. As Charlie wasn't included in the "17 People" list nobody else was aware he knew until now.

-->'''Donna:''' They'll find the Lindbergh baby in the basement.

-->'''Donna:''' Also some Post-It notes reminding me where I put Jimmy Hoffa.

* {{Area51}}: Discussed: C.J. claims she's glad when something leaks because that's how she know for sure the government isn't covering up aliens in New Mexico.

-->'''Josh:''' There are too many things in the world we can't do. [[ItMakesSenseInContext Mexico's on fire]]. Why help them? Because we can.

-->'''Josh:''' Did you confess?
-->'''Donna:''' She didn't let me get to [[RedScare Whitaker Chambers]] [[Recap/TheWestWingS01E01Pilot and the secret pumpkin]].

-->'''Zach:''' You mind if I give you a suggestion that may make this go faster?
-->'''C.J.:''' Sure.
-->'''Zach:''' [[SarcasmMode If you dunk the suspect in a deep well of water, and they drown, it means they're not a witch.]]
-->'''C.J.:''' All right, that's it! (''gets up from her desk and starts to walk out of her office'')
-->'''Zach:''' (''holding his hands up'') [[Theatre/TheCrucible I saw Lizzie Proctor speaking with the devil!]]
-->'''C.J.:''' Shut up.
* ShoutOut: C.J. tells Toby about the leak, "It's me, okay? [[Film/{{Spartacus}} I am Spartacus]]."

President Bartlet reluctantly goes to see Oliver Babish (Oliver Platt), the new White House Counsel, to tell him he has MS and didn't tell anybody. Babish asks President Bartlet if he ever lied about his health on any form or under oath, and Bartlet insists he didn't. It turns out, however, Zoey was under 18 when she applied for college (Charlie realizes this when he's filling out applications for college on his own), so she needed a parental signature, and Mrs. Bartlet signed her college application, which asked for a family medical history, and she didn't disclose Bartlet's MS. Babish tells Bartlet he should tell his staff, then make a public announcement, then prepare for, expect, and indeed welcome the worst that comes along in the form of any governmental investigation.

-->'''Bartlet:''' You're gonna be subpoenaed. I'm confident in your loyalty to me. I'm confident in your love for me. If you lie to protect me, if you lie just once, if you lie just a little, if you lie 'cause you can't stand what's happening to me and the people making it happen, if you ever, ever lie...[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome you're finished with me, you understand?]]
* BrickJoke: Babish tells his staff he needs a new Dictaphone because the one he has is stuck on record. Several minutes later, President Bartlet tells him why he wants to see him ("I'm going to tell you a story and then I need you to tell me whether or not I've engaged 16 people in a massive criminal conspiracy to defraud the public in order to win a Presidential election"), and Babish responds [[CrowningMomentOfFunny by taking his gavel and smashing the Dictaphone to pieces]].

-->'''Josh:''' (''beat'')''' Yeah, probably.

-->'''Josh:''' Well, not right here in front of everybody, Donna, but if you want to run home and get your equipment...

* AllMenArePerverts: When Sam goes into Ainsley's office, she's playing classical music, and he says he likes the music but seems to remember there's a special reason why. When she points out it's called "Air on a G String", he figures it our.

* IHaveThisFriend: Donna and Josh each pull a variation of this on each other when bringing up their position on bailing out Mexico; Donna pretends she took a message from a textiles worker who's barely making ends meet (who's wife also works) who [[SarcasmMode wants to thank Josh for bailing out Mexico]]. Josh, in turn, claims Donna has a call from [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Europe when Hitler was conquering it]].

* TheDanza: Oliver Platt as Oliver Babish.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The title comes from the hit song by Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival.

-->'''Lt. Lowenbrau:''' Okay.

-->'''Lt. Lowenbrau:''' [[SureWhyNot Okay]].

* ShoutOut: When Donna asks Josh what'll happen (after the Mexican economy collapses), Josh sings, "[[Theatre/TheMusicMan Oh, the Wells Fargo wagon is a-coming down the street]]."
** C.J. tells Toby about the leak, "It's me, okay? [[Film/{{Spartacus}} I am Spartacus]]."

-->'''Donna:''' Go away from me.

* Area51: Discussed: C.J. claims she's glad when something leaks because that's how she know for sure the government isn't covering up aliens in New Mexico.

-->'''Donna:''' I framed Roger Rabbit.

** C.J. tells Toby about the leak, "It's me, okay? [[Film/{{Spartacus}} I am Spartacus]]."

** C.J. tells Toby about the leak, "It's me, okay? [[Film/Spartacus I am Spartacus]]."

-->'''Bartlet:''' You're gonna be subpoenaed. I'm confident in your loyalty to me. I'm confident in your love for me. If you lie to protect me, if you lie just once, if you lie just a little, if you lie 'cause you can't stand what's happening to me and the people making it happen, if you ever, ever lie...[[CrowningMomentOfAwesomeyou're finished with me, you understand?]]

* TheDanza: Oliver Platt as Oliver Babish.