"17 People" is the 40th episode of The West Wing. The episode was written as a "bottle episode" to save money as the series had run up large over time costs. The episode starts the same night as the Stackhouse Filibuster, and takes place entirely within the West Wing main set. Other than the main cast only Ainsley Hayes, Ed and Larry guest star. CJ does not appear as the press has gone home, and the bulk of the episode takes place after the "lid"...
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"17 People" is the 40th episode of The West Wing. The episode was written as a "bottle episode" to save money as the series had run up large over time costs. The episode starts the same night as the Stackhouse Filibuster, and takes place entirely within the West Wing main set. Other than the main cast only Ainsley Hayes, Ed and Larry guest star. CJ does not appear as the press has gone home, and the bulk of the episode takes place after the "lid" has been put on.
Toby's investigation of the Vice President's activities leads to him asking Leo why the Vice President does not believe that Bartlet will seek reelection. Leo tells the President that Toby is figuring out the story and they need to tell him the truth, and Toby becomes the seventeenth person, as far as Leo and Bartlet know, to learn that the President has MS. He is also the first senior staffer to learn the news. After an initial period of horror and shock, Toby becomes angry at the President for covering up this information,...
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