Plot

When an American spy submarine suddenly goes silent in hostile North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

n waters, an angry 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...

 receives advice from the Assistant Secretary of State

United States Assistant Secretary of State

In modern times, Assistant Secretary of State is a title used for many executive positions in the United States State Department. A set of six Assistant Secretaries reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs manage diplomatic missions within their designated geographic regions, plus one...

 and must decide whether he should notify the enemy or attempt a risky, secret rescue. Meanwhile, his wife, Abigail

Abbey Bartlet

Dr. Abigail Anne "Abbey" Barrington Bartlet, MD, is a fictional character played by Stockard Channing on the television serial drama, The West Wing. In the show, she is the First Lady of the United States, the wife of President Josiah Bartlet.-Overview:...

, learns that her past malpractice

Malpractice

In law, malpractice is a type of negligence in, which the professional under a duty to act, fails to follow generally accepted professional standards, and that breach of duty is the proximate cause of injury to a plaintiff who suffers harm...

 suits might be Bartlet's Achilles' heel

Achilles' heel

An Achilles’ heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical vulnerability, metaphorical references to other attributes or qualities that can lead to downfall are common.- Origin :In Greek...

 in his criminal investigation, as she technically broke laws in three states. In other White House action, C.J.

C. J. Cregg

Claudia Jean "C. J." Cregg is a fictional character played by Allison Janney on the television serial drama The West Wing. From the beginning of the series until the sixth season, she is White House Press Secretary in the administration of President Josiah Bartlet...

 is ecstatic over a potential presidential candidate's indecisive public remarks. 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:...

 meets with a representative from an appropriations committee

United States House Committee on Appropriations

The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...

 who wants to funnel money away from Congress' controversial funding of avant-garde artists.

The plot has resonances to the Pueblo Incident of 1968. This is mentioned to the President by Assistant Secretary of State Duncan (Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook

Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...

), who adds, "I was there"—an inside reference to Holbrook's portrayal of the captain of the Pueblo

Lloyd M. Bucher

Commander Lloyd Mark "Pete" Bucher was an officer in the United States Navy, who is best remembered as the Captain of the USS Pueblo , which was captured on January 23, 1968 by North Korea....

in a 1973 TV movie about the incident.

External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide