History Recap / TheWestWingS01E15CelestialNavigation

* {{Hypocrite}}: Discussed. Josh gives every reporter one question to ask. One reporter asks a question about President Bartlet being seen to be smoking on Air Force One, which Josh derisively calls a stupid question. Another reporter then points out that if Bartlet is seen to be smoking while ''also'' pushing strict anti-smoking regulations on the grounds of health, it comes off as hypocritical.

* RunningGag: Sam's inexplicably detailed knowledge of the driving routes of New England.

* {{Irony}}: Judge Mendoza causes the staff a certain amount of grief over his criticism of the OrderedApology that the President and Leo force Secretary O'Leary to make to Congressman Wooden. He later benefits from an Ordered Apology when Toby, in exchange for the Judge not filing a lawsuit against the county for wrongful arrest, makes the police officers responsible apologies both to Mendoza himself and then to Mendoza's family. It's not really as hypocritical as it might sound, however, as even the President and Leo acknowledge that O'Leary didn't really do anything wrong but are making her apologise for purely political reasons, whereas Mendoza was the victim of a genuine injustice and rightly had an apology at minimum coming his way.

* RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: Leo, marvelling at Judge Mendoza taking three days to get to the White House due to his driving holiday, wonders aloud "How does a person do that?" Sam takes him literally and proceeds to give him an encyclopedic breakdown of the driving routes from Nova Scotia to the District of Columbia.

* SarcasmFailure: Josh is being sarcastic that the President has "a secret plan to fight inflation", but the press corps take him at his word and begin grilling him about what the plan is and whether the President should be keeping it secret from the public. Josh believes, and it's implied that he's correct, that the reporters knew full well he was being sarcastic but pretended otherwise to screw with him in revenge for his arrogant, swaggering conduct.

'''Bartlet:''' Are you telling me that not only did you invent a secret plan to fight inflation, but now ''you don't support it''?\\

-->'''Cop:''' So... can I ask? Guy in your job... do you missile codes, that sort of thing?\\

->'''Josh:''' (''chuckling'') Yeah, I heard you the first time, I was just amusing myself.

-->'''Josh:''' Let me tell you something, mi compadre. You guys have been coddled. I’m not your girlfriend, I’m not your camp counselor, and I’m not you sixth grade teacher you had a crush on. I’m a graduate of Harvard and Yale and I believe that my powers of debate can rise to meet the Socratic wonder that is the White House Press Corps.

Back in the lecture hall, Josh mentions more times Mendoza had spoken out of turn, and adds that Mendoza had just turned around the one thing they had done right. At that moment, Josh's cell phone rings again; he apologizes again and excuses himself. It's Sam, who tells Josh they're at the station, and Toby's about to speak to Mendoza. At that moment, the duty office escorts Toby to Mendoza's cell, and Toby says they're going to have a long chat.

The staff are gathered outside the Oval Office. C.J. tells Josh, in her normal voice, that the swelling is down, but the painkillers have worn off. Bartlet walks in and announces he's tired and cranky. After an uncomfortable silence, Leo mentions there were a few "incidents" (Toby says "catastrophes") the day before. Josh brings up the "secret plan to fight inflation", and predictably, Bartlet gets pissed. Bartlet also tells C.J. she's doing the next press briefing no matter what. Toby interrupts and mentions what Mendoza said. Sam mentions that Mendoza is driving back through Connecticut, and Bartlet says they'll wait, and orders C.J. to make everything right in the press room. Everyone leaves except for Josh, who stays behind and apologizes for what he did.

In the lobby of the station, Toby and Mendoza walk in, and Mendoza and Sam greet each other. Toby tells the watch commander that Mendoza won't be filing suit against the police, even though he'd win without a doubt, but the watch commander has to apologize to Mendoza, and then drive to the motel where his family is at and apologize to them. After a moment, the watch commander apologizes, and Mendoza accepts. Outside the station, Mendoza mentions there's great antiquing in Connecticut if they want to spend the night, and Toby says Mendoza is killing him. Sam calls Josh...

* TranquilFury: After being kicked out of bed at 6am, being informed that his wife is in Argentina and being confronted with the royal mess of things his staff has made in his absence, President Bartlet spends pretty much all of his meeting with the senior staff in a state of simmering, ready-to-blow pissed-off-ness.

* {{Adorkable}}: Sam, whether going on about C.J. and her teeth (He's mad about dental healthcare, by his words) or about the route he thinks Mendoza will take when driving from Nova Scotia to D.C.
-->'''Toby:''' Something really kinda freakish about you, you know that?

* {{Adorkable}}: Sam, whether going on about C.J. and her teeth, or about the route he thinks Mendoza will take when driving from Nova Scotia to D.C.

* OrderedApology: Toby makes it clear that, in exchange for not filing a lawsuit for false arrest that he would most certainly win, the watch commander has to first apologize to Judge Mendoza and then accompany them to the motel where is wife and son are and apologize to them as well.