S3E13 · Night Five

Stanley Keyworth revisits the White House to uncover the reason Bartlet hasn't been able to sleep since the night of the Iowa caucus; C.J. enlists Leo's help in freeing a White House reporter kidnapped while on assignment in the Congo; Toby and Andy joust over an upcoming presidential speech condemning Islamic fanaticism by name; Donna is offered a lucrative dot.com job by an old friend; Sam sparks an exchange on radical versus lipstick feminism when he comments on Ainsley's evening attire immediately after asking her to review language in Bartlet's U.N. address.

Plot summary and ending

Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.

Complete story — includes the ending

President Bartlet consults Dr. Stanley Keyworth for a troubling sleep disorder and receives a sobering personal assessment. C.J. lobbies vigorously to help secure the release of a White House reporter who has been taken hostage while on assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Toby clashes again with his ex-wife over a speech for the United Nations that takes radical Islam to task. Sam is accused of sexism by a young intern but Ainsley comes to his defense. Note: The episode title refers to the fifth consecutive night of President Bartlet's insomnia. Martin Sheen submitted this episode as an Emmy nominee for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Richard Schiff submitted this episode as a nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Also submitted for Outstanding Drama win.

Sources and content license

Source and revision history · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, The West Wing season 3. HTML formatting and reference markers removed. · Content license