Previously on The West Wing: a wonderfully executed montage where each major character explains their job function. I'm not sure exactly why they chose to start this show this way, but it was very entertaining nonetheless.

We're at the 24th Street Terminal, San Diego Harbour. It seems to be very early morning. There are cops and helicopters everywhere, as well as the Coast Guard. Commander Cale, a member of the Coast Guard, is giving instructions on a walkie-talkie. A fellow in a suit drives up and jumps out of his car and introduces himself to Cale as Joseph Russo of the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Uh-oh. Cale explains that they're holding a ship called Horizon about a half mile offshore. There are about a hundred Chinese refugees from Fujian province, and they're going to need translators who speak Mandarin. Russo says they've got them. (Russo looks to me to be a minor Hey! It's That Guy! I can't think where I've seen him before, though.) Cale asks whether they're talking about expedited removal; Russo says it's not up to him. Russo runs back to his car, and Cale takes off.

It's evening at the White House. Sam is reading his draft of a speech to Toby. "Well over three-and-a-half centuries ago, strengthened by faith and bound by a common desire for liberty, a small band of pilgrims sought out a place in the New World where they could worship according to their own beliefs...and solve crimes." Toby, sprawled across an office chair, swivels toward Sam and weakly asks Sam to just read the thing. Sam: "It'd be good!" Toby's not amused. Sam explains, "By day they churn butter and worship according to their own beliefs, and by night they solve crimes." Toby continues to beg Sam to just read the thing, but Sam continues: "Pilgrim detectives." Toby asks, "Do you seem me laughing?" But he's not mad, just tired, I think. Sam replies, "I think you're laughing on the inside." I have to agree. They're in casual clothes, which for Sam is a black sweater and dark blue jeans and for Toby is a plaid shirt and sport coat.

Toby gets up to go sit next to Sam, just as C.J. bustles in, apparently in a fair hurry. She's wearing a pink sweater seat and blue jeans, and looks a lot more stylish than you'd think anyone could in that outfit. Why are women like Alison Janney not models? She's ten times more attractive than Claudia Schiffer. I'm just asking. Also, her hair looks really cute and has recovered from last week's run-in with the Notre Dame hat. She asks whether either of them have heard of "uh, I don't know, the something, the...Jamestown Mayflower Daughters of the American Revolution Preservation Society?" Bwah! Toby starts to try to repeat this, as C.J. confesses she may have gotten the name wrong, and says they're inviting the White House to participate in some kind of Thanksgiving Revolutionary War re-enactment. Toby replies, "C.J., let's not torture American history completely to death!" Over C.J. interjecting, "Who the hell..." Toby elaborates, "Jamestown was the sixteenth century. The Mayflower landed at Plymouth in the seventeenth century. The fathers of the Daughters of the American Revolution fought in? The eighteenth century!" C.J. crabs, "It's a festival feast of some kind! Who cares?" Sam remarks to Toby that somebody needs to learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving. C.J. continues griping, "Re-enactments and proclamations and Native American corn-husk-hanging contests with Native..." Toby calls her on this last one, and she replies, "Whatever! I'm the Thanksgiving cruise director around here." Sam wonders if it wasn't like this last year, but C.J. reminds him she was extremely ill and running a high fever at this time last year and was sent home. Neither Toby nor Sam remembers this, and C.J. insists that's because whenever there's a big holiday around there, they check out like seniors who are done with finals. Toby claims, "We're writing a very important Thanksgiving proclamation." Sam adds, "And possibly a new action-adventure series." Toby says nobody's checked out. Naturally, at that moment, Josh comes up and announces that he was just flipping a nickel in his office and it came up tails, sixteen times in a row. He's wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a long-sleeved burgundy shirt open over that. I must say, he looks pretty decent. I'm not a member of the harem, but I definitely prefer him in casual clothes. C.J. gives Toby and Sam the look you would expect and announces she's going home. As she leaves, Josh continues fooling around with the coin.