Templeton is in the President's office, telling Mac all about how Washington is full of sensitive, vain, and easily insulted people. Hey, it's just like Hollywood! Mac spells it out for him and the viewing audience: "You're saying I should have been more inclusive in my Vice-Presidential search." Templeton: "Some feathers have been ruffled." "Yours?" "Me? No." Templeton laughs gaily, and I fall a little bit more in love with him. "No, I gave Jim five names and I'm sure you gave them a thorough going-over." He goes on to explain that it's tooootally just ooooothers who have been upset, and that they'll want to teach Mac a lesson: "A little bit of 'next time she'll remember which side her bread is buttered on.'" I think that the folks in Washington should maybe go back and read The Butter Battle Book and have Dr. Seuss remind all of us that it doesn't matter if your bread is butter-side-up or butter-side-down. Mac plays dumb with the threat, and Templeton just chuckles and changes the subject, telling her she looks great -- not even tired. He then slides in that Keaton has personal problems, but man, doesn't she look great behind that desk, ladies and gentlemen? Let's give her a hand. Mac asks him what those problems are, but Templeton's suddenly full of integrity and won't break someone's confidence: "But I just wanted to advise you." "Then I am so advised." There are more plastic smiles than a Barbie factory, with one Skeletor doll snuck in there to play the role of Nate.

As Templeton walks out, he presumes that Mac will meet with the Gang of Eight over San Pasquale. Jim explodes, completely shocked that the news has leaked, and Templeton just essentially rolls his eyes at Jim's surprise. Mac tells him she's aware of her obligations. Templeton reminds her that everyone is still a little "edgy" from what happened in Nigeria. He gives a dorky wave goodbye. I love that he tries to equate dorky with naïve and innocent.

In the hall, Templeton sinks into a chair looking disgusted and ill. He flashes back to eight months earlier. In a meeting on Air Force One with President Bridges, he learns that Bridges wants to force Mac out of office and bring in Templeton. Mac actually had the nerve to take meetings and work on her own agenda, instead of just acting as the good Female Independent mannequin she was hired to be. Templeton isn't surprised that this happened, and seems to find Bridges kind of dense: "Stevie Wonder could have seen that coming." There's always room for a timely Stevie Wonder joke. After a string of metaphors, Templeton states, "You need to give her something she can sink her teeth into without making you bleed." He laughs a bit, but seems much more uncomfortable laying out these kinds of statements to Bridges than he does when we see him politely mouthing off to Mac. Templeton: "You've got to recognize something useful in her. I mean, she's a woman! It's so easy to deal with women if you just remember they're not men!" What -- we're smarter, prettier, and can get more done in a day? You're so right! Bridges gets serious (and belligerent), and tells Templeton that he's made up his mind: Mac is out and Templeton is who Bridges wants in. Forgive me for not being terribly politically savvy, but is it really that simple to fire a VP? Templeton is actually the voice of reason, pointing out Mac's popularity and the fact that she's the only reason Bridges was elected. He's not going to be the bad guy. Bridges has a plan to send her to the Supreme Court, but Nate shoots down that idea because she'd be the swing vote. Bridges pleads, "It's the Vice-Presidency." Templeton: "It's a demotion." He's not wrong -- it is Secretary of the Useless. Bridges just leans back looking cocky and tells Templeton to think about it...