S5E20 · No Exit — Episode — The West Wing

S5E20 · No Exit

An airborne contamination alert locks down the West Wing, forcing staffers to stay put until the all-clear is sounded; Toby and Will face off over Will's working for the vice president; C.J. tells Donna some things she's rather not hear about Josh and her career prospects; Leo confronts Abbey about the dangers of her recent coping mechanisms; Jed, Debbie, and Charlie are poked, prodded, and sent to the decontamination showers; Kate is initially reluctant to give Josh any information on a personal or professional level as they sit out the alert together.

Plot summary and ending

Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.

Complete story — includes the ending

Resentments fester when the White House is locked down after a suspicious substance is found in the air near the Oval Office. Staffers must remain where they are. This is particularly bad news for Toby and Will, whose enmity is increasing in the wake of a Russell speech written by Will that Toby feels undercut the President. Meanwhile, C.J. has some career advice for Donna; Leo and Abbey spar over health issues, personal and political; and Josh gets to know new NSC staffer Kate Harper. Note: The episode title refers to the play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, particularly the line "Hell is other people," which Toby and Will discuss. Stockard Channing and Janel Moloney submitted this episode as Emmy nominees for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Sources and content license

Source and revision history · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, The West Wing season 5. HTML formatting and reference markers removed. · Content license