Two Weeks Out

"Two Weeks Out"
The West Wing episode
Episode no.	Season 7 Episode 146
Directed by	Laura Innes
Written by	Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr.
Production code	2T6214
Original air date	March 19, 2006
Guest stars
Janeane Garofalo Ron Silver Matthew Del Negro Stephen Root Melinda McGraw Diana-Maria Riva Michael Spound
Season 7 episodes
September 25, 2005 – May 14, 2006 The Ticket The Mommy Problem Message of the Week Mr. Frost Here Today The Al Smith Dinner The Debate Undecideds The Wedding Running Mates Internal Displacement Duck and Cover The Cold Two Weeks Out Welcome to Wherever You Are Election Day Part I Election Day Part II Requiem Transition The Last Hurrah Institutional Memory Tomorrow
List of The West Wing episodes

"Two Weeks Out" is episode 146 of The West Wing.

Plot

With the election fourteen days away and both candidates polling even in California, both the Santos and Vinick campaigns scramble to the state to try to gain earned media from public events. Sheila, Vinick's assistant in previous episodes, had stepped down in favor of hard line right winger, Jane. She is there to pull voters from the Republican base. But it's Vinick who single-handedly rescues his campaign by making the decision to have a no-time-limit press conference in front of the San Andreo nuclear power plant. Santos has his own events in California that get completely overshadowed as Vinick confidently answers hours worth of questions about the near-meltdown, his role in getting the plant constructed, nuclear regulation, etc. The reporters eventually run out of anything else to ask him; Toby Ziegler (who is informally advising Josh) says "Damn, this guy is good", and Vinick heads back to the trail with an enormous boost.

Vinick, whose hand is broken by constant handshakes, then catches a much more enjoyable break when Bruno discovers Santos' briefcase in a holding room and accidentally opens it thinking it's Vinick's. Vinick and Bruno must make a difficult decision; Do they open the case and use its contents against the owner or take the high road and give it back to Santos? In the briefcase: evidence which suggests that the Congressman may be supporting an illegitimate child. Vinick asks to meet with Santos where the Congressman denies the allegation, stating that he was making up for the mistakes of his unreliable brother. We also learn from the contents of the briefcase that Santos has been keeping a journal and is not happy with Leo's performance as Vice Presidential candidate, as well as having strongly negative feelings about Vice President Bob Russell.

External links

• The West Wing Episode Guide