West Wing - Speculation on "the leak"

[dr.strangelove]

This is not a spoiler thread, and I only want to discuss speculation. If you already know who the leak is from Television Without Pity or some other spoiler site, please don't say it here.

Who is it?
I know in my heart its not CJ. Her character would not do it, even if they are making it seem that way. It did come from her office though. In my mind it was . . . Charlie. He was working for CJ when the leak occurred and would have had access to the shuttle info during his time as aid to POTUS and as asst to the Chief of Staff. I think he did it and will be outed over the next two episodes.

[Mojambo]

1. Hmmm. Interesting.

He has been notably absent this season. I could totally see it being Charlie.

And the drama behind Bartlet having to fire Charlie after all these years would be good.

[SharonRB]

2. Interesting theory

You could be right. It would be very easy for them to write him out and he hasn't been around. I was thinking maybe it was Toby, but your theory may be better. I, too, am sure it's not CJ. She just wouldn't do it. I don't know why Charlie would do it, but he's probably the most expendable character at this point.

[dr.strangelove]

4. Charlie is young

and this could easily be seen as his growing pains. He is in his first real job, as sees a tremendous injustice that needs to be corrected, even if it costs him his job. I don't think he grasped the size of disclosing this kind of info, and did it because he knew brave american lives were on the line.

[Mojambo]

7. I don't necessarily believe CJ wouldn't do it.

There have been instances in the show where she was inclined to leak a story. She tried to leak something to Danny once and he wouldn't let her. I can't remember exactly what it was.

Now certainly this would be a whole different league of leak, but she has always been one of the more bleeding heart members of the staff. I can see her contemplating doing something like that to save lives.

That being said, I don't think it's her. They've just spent way too much time making it look like it's her.

[Longhorn]

3. It doesn't seem likely that it is anyone who was there at the opening

of the Bartlett presidential library. I mean, would he invite someone he had to fire under those circumstances? That would leave out CJ, Toby, Josh, and that blonde Army gal whose name I can't remember. Oh, wait -- Charlie was there, wasn't he? With a mustache, I think?

Would Bartlett be cozy three years later with someone who caused such a scandal in his administration?

[dr.strangelove]

5. Sure - I think he would understand

why it was done. He still has to fire him, but I think he would still respect Charlie.

[SharonRB]

6. Charlie was there

But so were all the other suspects.

[Ravenseye]

8. I bet it's either a nobody, or a hardly anybody

I highly doubt it'll be a major player.

They want you to think it's CJ, so it's not her.
They want you to think if it's not CJ then maybe it's Toby because of his brother, so it's not him.
No way in hell it's the NSA advisor/Howard Stern's Wife lady.
Highly doubt it's charlie.

My money is on the secretary. What's her name? CJ's secretary who was McGary's secretary. She has access to the information, and is a known character, but wasn't there at the library opening, and while it would be as scandal, wouldn't rock the major players.

You heard it here first.

[dr.strangelove]

9. I don't think so

Margarete just had a baby. I can't see her tipping off the press and risking her job when she just had a baby and is a single mom.

I am growing more positive every day that it is Charlie. I mentioned it on a spoiler site and there is some more evidence. Highlight this SPOILER INFO if you want to read it.

WARNING - HIDDEN SPOILER HERE: Highlight between the stars:
****Dule Hill, who plays Charlie, is currently shooting a pilot. He stated in an interview that he only agreed to do this season because of Martin Sheen and he will only appear in five episodes this season. He left open the possibility to come back for a series finale, if NBC cuts the show, later this season.*** This is very good evidence that it is Charlie. It certainly could be Toby or CJ, but I still think it is Charlie. I don't think there is any chance it is Margaret, but I've been wrong before. *

[SharonRB]

11. You're right, that definitely is more evidence.

[cynatnite]

16. Anyone at the library could have been pardoned...

I think it's the NSA lady.

[Pithy Cherub]

10. The preview shows President Bartlett firing someone. It shows

a sleave of a man's suit. My :cry: guess is Charlie. In all seriousness why no new African Americans on the show? These are Dems for goodness sakes!

[SharonRB]

12. I agree it's definitely a male, and I'm seriously thinking it's

Charlie.

[Ravenseye]

18. Hey at least he apointed a Hispanic Supreme Court Judge

Didn't he? Didn't that guy go through?

If there were two things I would complain about from the West Wing overall, is the lack of minority representation. The only three African Americans on the show I can recall are Charlie, who for the longest time was essentially the Presidents personal servant, The Admiral guy who was head of the joint chiefs (but was killed), and that one doctor guy who checked on the president once (and was immediately killed).

I can't recall any black women, or hispanics of any kind other than the one supreme court nominee who was in two episodes (was that Eduard James Olmos? I can't remember)

[Longhorn]

20. NSA Advisor Nancy McNally

is a black woman. She was (is?) played by Anna Deavere Smith.



However, I agree, the cast was and is woefully lacking in diversity.

[bluestateguy]

13. I say it's Toby

He didn't support the rescue mission to begin with, and I could just see him doing it.

[dr.strangelove]

14. I could see it being Toby too

With his brother's recent death, who was an astronaut, I could see him doing it to honor his brother and save these guys. I still think its Charlie.

[truebrit71]

15. I think it's Toby as well...

...brother was an astronaut...every teaser intimates it's C.J. which leads me to believe it is anybody BUT her...I don't think that C.J. would jeopardize her position, but Toby has been getting more and more frustrated...

[SharonRB]

24. Ding, ding, ding

You are right, sir. I had a feeling from the beginning it might be Toby, but then Charlie made sense, too. Last night's revelation didn't surprise me at all.

[Borgnine]

17. It's Toby.

And I know it has to be Toby, just for one simple reason, and that's Richard Schiff is leaving the show in a few episodes. So is Dule Hill, but Charlie being the leak makes no sense.

[DaveinMD]

19. I agree its Toby

mainly because he's been so angry since Josh went to work on the campaign.

[dr.strangelove]

21. You may be right

I can't see Toby being the leak. They will play it up with his brother's death, so it was important to him to save these other space knights. I don't buy that. Toby would view it as insulting to his brother's memory to publicize a military secret, even to save the lives. His brother knew the risks in going up and embraced those risks. I just don't buy Toby doing this.

However, with Sorkin out of the picture, I can see someone sending off Toby's character in a hail of gunfire. This would certainly be it. I just think to do so is not being true to the character.

I buy Charlie as the leak a great deal more. He is young, brazen, more apt to miss the significance of the secret and that the astronauts accepted this risk and more likely to put his personal beliefs before the law. I think it is more true to Charlie's character than Toby's.

Either way, these are two of my favorite character's pf all time and I am very sorry to see them leave this show. I am starting to suspect it is Toby, but I think to do so is terrible writing and a bad way to write out one of TV's great characters. I am still banking on Charlie, more because I thikn that is the way it should be than what the evidence says. I did not know that Schiff was leaving this soon too. I thought he was hanging around until after November sweeps.

[cynatnite]

22. I read about his leaving just the other day...

I thought it was someone else, but I think you may be right about this.

[bluestateguy]

23. I CALLED IT

Boo Yah.

[SharonRB]

25. So right you are.

Toby and Charlie were the only ones who made any sense, and Toby made more sense than Charlie.

What bothers me, though, is that he let it go on so long without coming forward -- he let everyone get subpoenaed. He kept bugging CJ about getting an attorney. And then he finally admits it. I don't think he'll be missed much.