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The West Wing Cipher


Revisiting the 'Life On Mars' Episode


By Goro Adachi
September 29, 2003

© 2003 Goro Adachi


On April 30, 2003, NBC aired an episode of the popular show The West Wing titled 'Life On Mars'. I just happened to catch it and was quite intrigued by the fact that this very mainstream and political TV program had decided to deal with such an controversial subject. Of course The West Wing, a creation of Aaron Sorkins, didn't come right out and tell us that there is undeniable evidence of life on Mars - it was only implied. Still, I found this significant and also noted that various clues were inserted into the story that demonstrated his great insights into not only the shady Mars/Cydonia situation but also what's happening with regard to the Iraq war and such - including, apparently, future events.

As expected, Richard Hoagland, well known for his extensive investigation into the 'Monuments of Mars' (Cydonia), was quick to offer his view on the show. Just after a week so after its airing, Hoagland posted on his Enterprise Mission website a lengthy article, titled Life On Mars?: The Search for Intelligence in Washington, in which was provided his detailed analysis of the 'coded' story. And he sounded very confident about his observations. He wrote:

If the point of this whole “West Wing” episode -- remember, titled specifically “Life on Mars’ -- was NOT what we have analyzed, then there must be some other equally complex, equally plausible alternative… some other equally intricate interpretation, some other encompassing significance to [the writer/producer] Sorkin’s choice of THAT specific subject title...

No, this time it will NOT be enough for critics to simply dismiss our interpretation of this truly bizarre April 30, 2003 episode of NBC’s flagship, award-winning political drama. They must now put forth a convincing, viable alternative scenario -- not only for the truly Byzantine, precisely timed Mars and Hyperdimensional references made throughout this episode… but for what immediately followed. Sorkin suddenly resigned.

First, let me state that I'm not a 'critic' of Hoagland, and I do think Hoagland did an admirable job interpreting the episode. Having said that, I am writing this article because I have come up with just such an 'alternative scenario/interpretation' that is indeed capable of explaining the story with more depth, cohesiveness, and clarity. From my point of view, Hoagland missed the 'hidden' context, or theme, of the story. And due to this his interpretation became rather superficial and shaky.

They key here is that the whole 'Life On Mars' theme was itself actually a simple metaphor. This was hinted by the following: 1) the episode in question was (presumably) written and aired during the Iraq war (3/20-5/1), and 2) traditionally Mars is considered the planet/god of war. 'Life On Mars' would therefore be a thinly veiled code for 'Life Of War' or 'Story of the Iraq War'. This is the context needed for proper decoding.

So presented below is my own interpretation of the West Wing episode. I have copied Hoagland's article (in gray) into which my comments are inserted (in white). This format will allow the reader to easily compare the different interpretations.

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NOTE: It is probably necessary for many readers to be first told about the significance of the number '19.5' and '33'. These are 'hyperdimensional numbers' that have much to do with the 'Monument of Mars' (Cydonia), as strongly suggested by the investigation led by Hoagland. As he wrote in the article:

The connection between the two numbers is definitely “non-trivial.” In fact, it’s fundamental. The actual contact point of a circumscribed tetrahedron... is precisely 19.47°, rounded up to the canonical "19.5°." The sine of 19.47° is .3333 (which, by the way, is where we believe the significance of the mysterious Masonic “33rd Degree” comes from). We have noted numerous instances of both "19.5's" and "33's" in various NASA missions, activities and symbols over the years, and the fact is that "decimal harmonics," i.e. 3.33 or 33.3, also seem to show up repeatedly in our analysis.

 

 

“Life on Mars”
An annotated Synopsis of the April 30th “West Wing” Episode
By Richard C. Hoagland
May, 2003

 

Dramatis Personae

Josiah "Jed" Bartlet - POTUS
John Hoynes - The Vice President
Leo McGarry - White House Chief of Staff
Josh Lyman - Deputy White House Chief of Staff
Donna Moss - Josh's Assistant
Toby Ziegler - White House Communications Director
CJ Cregg - White House Press Secretary
Charlie Young - The President's Personal Assistant
Will Bailey - Staff Speech Writer
Joseph Quincy - Associate White House Council

 

The story opens in the rain outside the White House. It’s Tuesday morning, 5:58 AM.  A cab pulls up and a young woman gets out.  Charlie Young greets her and escorts her into the Oval office.  With Masonic First President, George Washington, looking over Jed Bartlet’s shoulder, she hands an envelope to the President of the United States. In a close-up on the letter inside, WE SEE:

“Dear Mr. President:

“I hereby resign the Office of Vice President of the United States effective 6:00AM today.

Sincerely,

John Hoynes

The next scene (after the traditional Show opening) begins:

“24 Hours Earlier ….”

The Science Editor of the Washington Post [a highly prestigious, high profile news organization that would not make such an inquiry lightly] is being brought by another Post reporter into CJ's office. He's asking about a "NASA Commission on Space, Science and Research [SSR] Report," which states that the Agency found "fossilized water molecules in a meteorite from Mars" a long time ago ....

CJ cuts to the chase, calls the first Post reporter into a back room and says indignantly "Your question is 'is there Life on Mars?', and 'is the White House hiding that there's life on Mars?!' -- and what the hell does this have to do with the Vice President?!"

The reporter answers: "the Vice President is head of the NASA Commission. He PERSONALLY told a source at the Post that the White House is suppressing the Report. The source then told another Post reporter, who told the Science Editor.

CJ then goes back to the Post Science Editor in her office and says: "I can't imagine that it's true. But I'll check." The Science Editor then asks the key question: "Will it be made public? If not, why? And, if not, isn't that ILLEGAL?"

CJ (clearly NOT believing any of this) promises to find some answers, but in terms of the legality she refers the Post Editor to the "White House Counsel's Office." In fact, she says, she knows "just the right guy ...."

She's referring, of course, to the new guy [played by Matthew Perry, of Friends] they hired as Counsel in last week's episode, Joseph Quincy, a young Republican lawyer. Throughout this "Mars episode," White House staff are constantly playing practical jokes on the "new guy," and CJ (obviously thinking this is a nutcase story), decides to pawn off the "legalities" of the "life on Mars" query on Quincy, as part of the Whiter House hazing ritual for new hires.

Half joking, CJ asks Quincy to look into the matter to see "if we broke the law, please." A VERY important, redundant point in the entire episode... a White House which actually takes the LAW seriously -- and on THIS subject!

Quincy, responding as Associate White House Counsel, begins to ask questions and starts seeing a disturbing pattern. Following the clues, he eventually comes to an astonishing conclusion -- which ultimately results in the Vice President's forced resignation. But, that's not until much later...

A sub-plot is introduced at this point: Toby Ziegler [the Director of White House Communications] is being shown an attack ad on fuel efficiency by his new speechwriter, Will Bailey. Will says they have to "respond" with their own ad. This running sub-plot will intersect with the main plot toward the end of the episode.

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
The next major data point on the Mars story line -- the bird tapping at the White House window -- begins at exactly "19:05," from the start of the show (19.5 in the decimal variances -- of course!). It peaks at "19:30" -- which is 19.5 again, in terms of actual clock time. So, there is more than adequate redundancy here to make the key point ... which is that the bird is tapping a "code" ... related directly to "19.5," "33," and ultimately Mars and Hyperdimensional physics. To whit:

The scene opens in black with a slow pan and tilt from under Donna's desk, in Josh's office. We hear the first three sharp taps at 19:05 ... followed by a space ... followed by three more ... another space (as the camera focuses on Donna at her desk), and then three more. Only after the last three, for a total of "three threes," does Donna say "Stop it."

The bird taps three again. Donna now immediately says "Stop it." Three more taps. Donna again says "Stop it." [Not "stop," or "cut it out" -- but "stop it"... as if the phrase was also to refer to something more]. After a couple more, she says (at precisely 19:30... 19.5) "You HAVE to stop it."

The entire series of taps -- by both the bird, as well as by the White House Counsel, Quincy, when he knocks on various doors throughout the episode -- is ALWAYS in "threes." As we stated above, the sine of 19.47, or the canonical 19.5, is 0.3333.

And... an equally obvious reference -- in terms of secrets, implied by "codes" -- to the whole Masonic importance of "the 33rd Degree."

 Here I agree with Hoagland's interpretation. But I'll just add that there also seems to be an deliberate pun involving 'sine' and 'sign'. (The sine of 19.5 is 0.333...) So one of the messages conveyed here is that the whole thing with the bird is a significant 'sign' in this story, inviting us to look into its meaning. It may also be subtly suggesting that this episode represents a 'sign' (or preview) of things to come in the near future.

It is not until after 19:30 -- and Donna's emphatic "You HAVE to stop it!" -- that we get a shot of the bird itself... which we now discover is (you guessed it) --

-- a dove.

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

All sorts of obvious associations here -- from Noah, to messages (carrier pigeons), to imminent disasters.... But --

In an Aaron Sorkin episode of “The West Wing?!”

 Sure, the dove, 'Columba', is relevant to Noah's flood. But does it represent 'disasters' because of that? Doesn't the dove normally symbolize peace instead? While Hoagland's interpretation has some merit, it is kind of silly to overlook the most obvious 'peace' connection.

Another obvious association Hoagland misses here is that of space shuttle Columbia. The name derives - via 'Columbus' - from 'Columba' (Noah's dove). The Columbia disaster occurred in February '03 and this West Wing episode came just three months after it. So chronologically this is very plausible.

And because of the Columbia connection, we are now encouraged to associate the dove with America as well - after all 'Columbia' is another name for the United States. It is due to this that Hoagland's interpretation is still applicable - because the shuttle Columbia, the embodiment of the US, ended in a major disaster. So there is indeed some ominous symbolism involved here.

Josh now walks in (at precisely 19:47!) and asks: "What the hell are you doing?" Donna answers in a way that is clearly ALSO a code -- as are many, many lines throughout this episode:

"The bird has been sitting here, tapping on the window for ... a long time. I don't know how long. I've lost track. I'm moving into certain phases of dementia with this thing."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
My interpretation is that this, and other comments Sorkin injects throughout the script, reflects not only the very long-term nature of this "conspiracy," but Sorkin's recurring personal astonishment and disbelief at the absurdity of all this ... that it's all "nuts" ... but obviously has been going on IN THE WHITE HOUSE " for a long time. Because he didn't establish the proper context, Hoagland is beginning to misinterpret the story.

Columbia is both the US and the dove (Columba) - the latter symbolizing peace - so the bird in the scene would easily signify 'American peace'. And this just happens to directly relate to the imperial dream of the 'neo-conservatives' in/around the Bush administration. (The neo-conservatives, closely affiliated with the PNAC think tank, include Vice Pres. Cheney, defense secretary Rumsfeld, his deputy Wolfowitz, and others like Perle, Bolton, Libby, Feith etc.) Calling it 'Pax Americana' (meaning American peace), it had been the dream of the neo-conservative hawks to create a global empire ruled by the US.

And they had been at it for a long time. The Pax Americana vision was already in existence by the time of the first Bush administration (41) in the early '90s. The 'neo-cons' tried to sell their radical idea to Bush Sr. but it was quickly rejected. They even tried to get Clinton's attention, unsuccessfully of course. It was not until George W. Bush's administration and 9/11 that the neo-cons were finally able to convince the White House and move ahead with the 'Pax Americana' plan.

So yes, those American-peace 'birds' - (false) doves - had been tapping on the White House window for a long time indeed.

As for the craziness ('dementia') reference, it fits right into this interpretation in that those neo-conservatives were indeed viewed as 'crazies' and not taken seriously (until George W. Bush came along).

And it is not a secret today that the neo-con Pax Americana agenda was actually the driving force behind the Iraq war - which began in the month of Mars (i.e. March) just several weeks after the disaster of Columbia (= dove/'American peace').

Now, let me also point out that the grid pattern in the scene made by the window/blind in front of the dove reinforces the relevance of Noah's dove (Columba). In Greek mythology, its version of Noah's ark, (the ark of Deukalion) comes to rest at Dodona or Delphi. We can infer that this landing site corresponds to Ararat where Noah's ark descended. And this is acknowledged geodetically - since both Dodona and Ararat sit on the same latitude, 39.5°N. (It's interesting to note that Dodona is also evoked by the name 'Donna', the lady in the above picture standing in front of the window.)

At any rate, the notion of a 'grid' becomes significant when we realize that Delphi (the other claimed landing site of Deukalion's ark) was thought to be the 'navel of the world' (geodetic center) marked by the 'navel stone', or omphalos. Traditional depictions of the omphalos show two doves (or eagles) perched upon the stone, and they are said to represent 'a net of meridians and parallels', i.e. the grid of the earth.

Further, the omphalos stone is often equated with the Egyptian 'Benben stone', traditionally the capstone placed at the apex of the pyramid or obelisk. Like the omphalos, the Benben stone is often thought to have come from heaven - i.e. a meteorite. Also being a form of 'seed', those 'foundation stones' may be easily related to Mars, since we already have strong evidence of ancient Martian rocks coming here with microbes, or 'seeds of life', carried inside... And this is of course a major theme of the West Wing episode.

In terms of Masonic symbology, the Benben stone (capstone) would definitely turn into the embodiment of the 'All-Seeing Eye' (as seen on the back of the US $1.00 bill).

In ancient Egyptian terminology this would be the 'Eye of Horus'. Since Mars was also viewed as a form of Horus ('Horus the Red'), we have here a confirmation of the foregoing 'rock from Mars' theory.

To get back to the political context, these days the 'All-Seeing Eye' is often viewed as a symbol of the 'New World Order' - a super-elite group allegedly scheming to control the whole planet. Of course, the 'Eye' of the pyramid isn't inherently an 'evil' symbol. For instance, in the Bible it is Jesus to whom the cornerstone or capstone ('that the builders rejected') is compared. So it is probably more accurate to say that the 'capstone Eye' is symbolic of a cosmic opportunity capable of producing either or both 'Christ' and 'Antichrist', so to speak.

The neo-conservative 'Pax Americana' is clearly a form of the New World Order - especially since the Bush family traditionally has a big role in NWO conspiracy theories.

So We've come full circle. We've come back to neo-conservatives. It's now quite evident that, through 'contextual transposition', Sorkin was primarily talking about the current US administration and its war.

Josh then offers to "scare the bird away," and Donna objects, saying "he's a bird. He's not bothering anybody ...." This is one of SEVERAL references to "scaring people" made throughout the episode [especially, in terms of the sub-plot -- above].

Donna tells Josh that the bird "will not bother" him, because he's going to want to go see Leo (the White House Chief of Staff) about another matter just phoned into CJ’s office from the Washington Post: an accusation that the White House intervened with the Justice Department to quash an anti-trust lawsuit, involving a corporation called “Cassion.” This SECOND Post "leak" claims that the White House was "bribed" to intervene in return for "100,000 computers in classrooms."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Again, the linked theme -- because ultimately BOTH stories are traced to the SAME POST SOURCE -- of "illegality".... And, the second "real world" story puts the first "Mars" story on an equal footing: an "illegal" White House classification... and then leak. The law... is the law... is the law. Sorkin is NOT pulling punches here. While Hoagland's interpretation here probably has some merit, it doesn't have enough depth and coherence.

In light of my foregoing interpretation, this one is actually pretty straightforward. The 'leader' of the neo-con gang in government is Dick Cheney, who personifies big business and corporate America. And it is no secret that Cheney had a big hand in making policies for the White House, especially those related to energy/oil, under the influence of big corporations (Enron, Halliburton, etc.). If Cheney is to fall, this issue will surely be part of the cause.

So we see that the 'Cassion' matter further corroborates the story being about the neo-cons.

At this point Joe Quincy taps on Josh's door three times (again!), and asks Josh if he should go to the Chief of Staff directly, or run by Josh what he wants to talk to Leo about (his own investigation of the Mars legality). Josh says he wants to hear a few such matters first, just so Quincy can learn "how to keep the crazy stuff out of his [Leo’s] office."

At which point, our dove taps three more times on Josh’s White House window -- and Josh AND Donna both turn simultaneously and shout "STOP IT."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Sorkin's really telling us a lot... between the lines. This is an obvious statement: it's NOT "crazy stuff," it's Real. Take it seriously. Here, the Dove is functioning as a harbinger of something crucial. The fact that Quincy is subtly being equated with the dove (via tapping) alludes again to neo-cons in that Quincy is the only Republican in the show's Democratic White House. This is especially so when we consider the fact that the group called neo-conservatives first came into being when a group of democrats defected to the Republican side decades ago before the Reagan administration. In a reversed fashion, therefore, the defection is well reflected in Quincy.

As for the bit about keeping out the 'crazy stuff', it conveys the idea that there is a filtering system in place so that the 'crazy' neo-con/Pax Americana agenda doesn't really get noticed by the President.

George W. Bush is kept in a 'bubble'. It is known that he doesn't even read the news himself and relies on his advisers to tell him what's going on. So it is quite plausible that Bush is not quite aware that he's being manipulated by Cheney and his neo-con minions.

Immediately following this little by-play, per his instructions, Quincy reveals to Josh WHY he needs to go see Leo:

"A reporter is looking at the White House suppressing a NASA Commission."

This is the first that Josh has heard of Quincy’s special “CJ Mars mission.” He says, surprised:

"This is TWO in one day. I just got 'did the White House interfere with Cassion anti-trust?'"

After a bit more conversation, Josh, Quincy and Donna ALL decide to “go see Leo.”

On the way to Leo’s office, Donna proudly traps Quincy into calling himself a “shyster” lawyer (“I got him to say it!”) -- more of the hazing mentioned before. Quincy says plaintively:

“But, Josh’s a lawyer.”

Donna disagrees:

“Yeah, I mean he went to law school …”

Josh gives her a look.

“You don’t practice law, is all I was saying.”

Josh:

“I don’t practice law?” I help write the laws.. I write the laws … I make the laws.”

Emphatically:

“I am the law!”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

Law … again.

Ah, what is Sorkin telling us here, prey tell?  That a senior staff member of the White House actually believes that he - and not the Constitutional Congress of the United States - determines the "general laws of the land?" Of course not. He's making the point that the White House - on this key issue - has placed itself above the Law of the Land... The fact that this is the scene just before they meet with Leo McGarry, White House Chief of Staff, Josh's boss -- and learn a major Truth about the Universe -- is NOT an accident.

 Here I can basically agree with Hoagland's interpretation. 

The Bush administration has certainly been acting as if it is above the law. The notorious 'PATRIOT Act' is a good example of how this administration doesn't hesitate to assault the US Constitution if deemed beneficial to their agenda.

In response to Quincy’s question, McGarry not only acknowledges that a "NASA Commission Report" exists (!) – BUT… that it “was classified by the Department of Defense (DOD)”... NOT the White House!  When pressed as to what it said re Mars, he balks: "I cannot tell you that. It was classified! All I can tell you is that it exists, and it was classified."

Josh then brings up the Cassion anti-trust inquiry from the Post, and McGarry confirms that "yes, 100,000 computers WERE part of the settlement ….”

Josh reaches the obvious conclusion:

"There's a leak! This... the Mars people -- don't even get me started on that, 'cause there's stuff I think you still won't tell me...."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

This, coming from the Deputy White House Chief of Staff, is the closest Sorkin comes to grappling with the magnitude of Leo’s confirmation – that an official NASA document exists, revealing “life on Mars.” That it was classified by the military. And that McGarry is obviously NOT telling Josh the rest of what NASA’s REALLY found…

In other words: our entire Enterprise Mission scenario... in one line.

 The 'NASA Commission Report' corresponds to something like the neo-con PNAC paper, 'Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century' (2000), that lays out the (questionable) reasons why it's desirable to attack nations like Iraq in order to create a Pax Americana empire. So this scene is basically saying that there is evidence somewhere in the DOD (where many neo-cons dwell) proving that there was a secret motive behind the Iraq war.

The scene may also be telling us that: 1) Bush advisers like Rove and Rice (represented by Leo) are very much aware of, and tolerating, the neo-con 'conspiracy', and 2) that some insiders are beginning to leak such sensitive information (which is indeed taking place in the real world, mostly from the enraged intelligence community).

Josh then gets Leo to run down a list of the White House personnel who would know the details of BOTH stories... which Leo ultimately admits, includes the Vice President.

Leo then says:

"Fix this, would you please! There's a story out there we're obstructing justice, and another one where we're, like, in a Ray Bradbury yarn. These things make me crazy...."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

Again, the "crazy" reference.

The choice of Ray Bradbury is also telling, as ONLY his Mars stories featured "men from Earth" going to Mars for the first time... and discovering "themselves!" I used him in "Monuments" for precisely this reason. Interesting that Sorkin would follow suit here... when ostensibly, the "classified report" is about "microbes" -- and NOT "mile-long faces... looking like ourselves."

 This is an important development as it confirms my foregoing interpretations. It is indeed the real-life Vice President, Dick Cheney, who represents the major confluence between the 'neo-con conspiracy' and corporate corruption. Both can be traced back to Cheney, thus paralleling the two leaks being traced back to the Vice President in the story.

 

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Next, the scene shifts to the sub-plot again: Toby's new speech writer, Will Bailey -- with his all-girl staff -- is trying to come up with an answering ad to the fuel efficiency attack ad. Several times the phrase "scare the soccer moms to death in 15 seconds" is used... another Sorkin play on the REAL problem. The fuel efficiency is an issue intimately linked to, again, Cheney, the ex-oil man (Halliburton). And it was none other than oil that was largely behind the administration's inexplicable move to invade Iraq.

Another scene shift: Toby is having lunch with Charlie Young, the President's chief personal aid, in his office -- watching a tennis match. Charlie is reading the Washington Post and discovers that a certain socialite around Washington -- "Helen Baldwin" -- has landed herself a seven-figure [more tetrahedral numbers] book deal with Random House. The Post columnist breaking the story is "Stu Winkle."

Quincy now suddenly appears at Toby's door during his and Charlie's lunch. Joe initially raises some objections to Toby's language for an official White House response to an Appeals Court ruling [more legalities....]. At precisely 33:00 from the top of the show, Toby responds to Quincy's assertion that “you can't use certain words in such a press release” by saying:

"Did you think I was going to have the Press Secretary, on behalf of the President, compare a Federal judge... to a pistachio nut?!"

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
"Nutty"... at precisely 33:00. Another Sorkin comment on 33rd Degree Masonic beliefs -- referenced again by the previous dove "code" scenes at 19.5 – all being "nutty?".... '33rd Degree' is the highest degree (apex) in Scottish Freemasonry for which the pyramid is an important symbol. The apex of the pyramid, analogous to the capstone/Benben stone, is thus seemingly representative of '33rd Degree'. (There are many other reasons to make this association). And as already mentioned, the All-Seeing Eye of the Masonic capstone in turn relates to the 'nutty' NWO/Pax Americana crowd.

Quincy now hears from Charlie about “the Helen Baldwin book deal” in the Post gossip column by "Stu Winkle" -- and the final pieces neatly fall in place.

The next scene is set at 5:00 PM script time (well after the preceding lunch scene).

We open on CJ and Donna walking into CJ's office. CJ's discussing "negotiated press leaks." Suddenly -- the bird is back!

The dove is now pecking -- still in the "three code" -- at CJ's White House window. CJ thinks it's just pecking at its reflection.

Donna now asks pointedly:

"What's the learning curve on a bird?"

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
An obvious rhetorical question Sorkin’s asking ALL of us, comparing his audience to birds (“birdbrains?”) -- wondering just how long the American people can ignore this entire bizarre pattern in the heart of their own political system… Because the dove is Columba and Columbia is America, I can agree with Hoagland's view here. (Of course, the context is somewhat different.) But I will add that the 'learning curve' remark is also very much applicable to neo-conservatives as they are determined but not very bright people.

Quincy chooses that precise moment to stop by CJ's office, knocking three times (of course!). CJ and Donna jump, CJ saying:

"Sorry, we thought for a second you were a huge bird, knocking on the door."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
This nails down the connection between Quincy, his “Mars pursuit,” and the dove/code symbolism.

I concur.

Quincy then asks: "Is something going on with birds?"

[More pointed underscoring.]

CJ: "Well, one of them's obsessed with Donna."

Donna: "It's true. I'm like Tippi Hedren around here."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Tippi Hedren, in case you don't remember, starred in Hitchcock's classic film "The Birds," in 1963 -- an obvious additional popular reference Sorkin is making here to “signs of incomprehensible disaster.” Here, Hoagland's interpretation is off the mark. The Hitchcock-movie reference is much more likely a clever way of telling us - confirming my interpretation so far - that the dove/Quincy represents neo-conservatives, since they are the chief pro-war people, often called 'hawks', in the administration.

Note that the paradoxical fusion of the peaceful dove and predatory birds (hawks) in the scene very nicely reflects the fact that the neo-con dream of establishing a 'American peace' (Pax Americana) requires perpetual war.

Here's a sample review from 1996, by film critic Tim Dirks (http://www.filmsite.org/bird.html), which neatly ties up the reference:

"On an allegorical level, the birds in the film are the physical embodiment and exteriorization of unleashed, disturbing, shattering forces that threaten all of humanity (those threatened in the film include schoolchildren, a defenseless farmer, bystanders, a schoolteacher, etc.)... In a broader, more universal sense, the stability of the home and natural world environment, symbolized by broken teacups at the domestic level, is in jeopardy and becoming disordered when people cannot 'see' the dangers gathering nearby, and cannot adequately protect themselves from violence behind transparent windows, telephone booths, eyeglasses, or facades...."

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Is Sorkin warning us of “some massive impending disaster, connected to Nature” (as in “The Birds”), and also connected to “Mars” -- or what...? And using a dove -- symbol of a well-known Biblical disaster -- to round out the picture he’s carefully constructed, by endlessly tapping out a specific Hyperdimensional [the root physics cause of such a pole flip] code…? To say the the dove is a symbol of the Great Flood ('disaster') is quite misleading. It's just unnatural to entirely overlook the dove's popular significance as a symbol of peace.

Quincy then asks Donna to leave CJ’s office, because he wants to discuss the results so far of his legal “NASA/Mars” investigation. As Donna leaves, Quincy asks if he can “close the door.” CJ responds:

“Donna already did.”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
This is obviously NOT a reference to her just leaving CJ’s office to give them privacy, but to the far larger issues raised by directly comparing her to “Tippi Hedren” in Hitchcock’s infamous film. Sorkin seems to be saying “This closes the case: now you have ALL the clues that I have… that ‘something’ big AND bad is going to happen to all of us… something ‘connected’ to the planet Mars.” My interpretation is naturally very different, but I agree that the key here is the Donna-Tippi identification.

To reflect Tippi Hedren being the victim of 'birds', Donna would most naturally stand for the victim of the neo-con Pax Americana. And this victim would be Iraq - the victim of the illegal war manufactured by neo-cons. (Recall that the war was still on when this episode first aired). So in this context, Donna 'closing the door' would imply the ending of Iraq (war). Amazingly enough, this West Wing episode aired on the night of April 30 ('03) - just hours before Bush (more or less) declared the war over on the Lincoln aircraft carrier (May 1).

CJ then immediately says: “I wouldn’t worry too much about Mars. I gave it to you to give you a hard time.”

[Again … “hard time” … and “Mars.”]

Joe answers:

“No kidding.”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Affirming that Mars indeed implies “a hard time” …. I wish I could write like this. Actually 'hard time' is more likely intended to convey the notion of 'precise time'. Or in other words, we are being instructed to use Mars to pinpoint a certain point in time. And since war (= Mars) was already taking place (thus no need for a time reference), it is probably meant to pinpoint a future event.

As it happens, this year Mars indeed is a prominent time-marker: the Red Planet was to have a historic close encounter with the Earth (closest in recorded history) around the end of August. So Sorkin's message here seems to say that this 'Life On Mars' episode is relevant to what's coming in the summer/fall of 2003. ('Life on Mars' = 'Situation at the time of Mars' close approach'.)

He goes on:

“By the way, there was a Report, but it was classified by the Defense Department -- and we’ll leave how much I didn’t want to know about THAT for another time…”

[More NOT WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT MARS… about “a bunch of microbes?” I think not.]

He then proposes that he’s finally discovered the source of the leak -- the Post gossip columnist, Stu Winkle. He further proposes that CJ call him directly to confirm! Initially balking, she eventually does. And, it IS Winkle who was the Science Editor’s “inside source at the Post.” But… who was Winkle’s source? Where did a “gossip columnist” get a “hot tip” on a Pentagon/White House cover-up re Mars!?

As CJ and Quincy (on speaker phone) listen to Winkle gush on and on, after having received a call DIRECT from the White House Press Secretary, Quincy proceeds to silently show her on her desk the Post gossip column, featuring the Baldwin story; a yellow legal pad with the two Post inquiries re the NASA Mars story, and the Cassion anti-trust settlement; and a White House log of incoming and outgoing phone calls… with dozens made by “John Hoynes” -- the Vice President of the United States -- to one “Helen Baldwin.”

With Winkle still pattering on in the background, Quincy’s expression is increasingly grave as he lays the evidence, one piece at a time, on her desk. CJ suddenly sees the whole picture… at precisely 39:00 minutes into the episode (19.5 X 2!): the Vice President is the leak… on BOTH stories -- through Baldwin, to the Post!

The scene ends with a very serious CJ asking her secretary to arrange a personal meeting between Quincy and the Vice President -- while she goes to see Josh and Toby.

The next scene is an aerial shot of Washington DC. Over a moving panorama of the Capitol and the strikingly Egyptian obelisk-like Washington Monument lit up at night, we hear a voice-over from the Vice President. The time is 7:45 PM [which is 19:45 on the 24-hour clock]. The Vice President, John Hoynes, is saying:

“I want Cairo to focus on legal [that word again!] and regulatory reforms. We’ve got the whole regulatory agenda left over from last time… Seriously, the whole agenda is left over ….”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

The visual underscoring of his voice-over reference to “Cairo,” with the striking shot of the oblisk known as the “Washington Monument “ center screen, is unmistakable. Sorkin’s not missing a beat here. One gets, in the context of the entire episode and what we know is about to happen, that this last comment is certainly NOT about “Egyptian regulatory reform” -- but is referring to the events that stretch back to 1976 and Viking… if not long, long before… Events somehow connected to “Egypt”… and the planet Mars.

It’s as if he’s saying, visually: “OK, I’ve laid out the problem... Mars… and some kind of ‘coming Cataclysm.’ Now, here’s where the political problems in Washington on all this began… in the Masonic/Egyptian ‘belief system’ and long, historical Connection.”

 The appearance of the Washington obelisk here resoundingly confirms our earlier interpretation of the dove being the dove(s) traditionally attached to the omphalos/Benben stone, i.e. the capstone of the pyramid/obelisk. Even the related Benben-Mars connection made earlier is acknowledged here by the mention of 'Cairo', a name meaning 'Mars'. (The reddish light seen at the apex of the obelisk - Washington Monument - reinforces this point.)

The sudden shift to darkness (nighttime) in this scene is also a key clue. Together with the allusion to Mars (Cairo), Sorkin is hinting that there was a jump in time here. And in light of the foregoing 'Mars timing' interpretation, it can be inferred that we have now been catapulted to the time of the Red Planet's close approach, i.e. summer/fall of 2003.

The indicated time - '7:45' - is suggestive as well. There is no 'July 45', of course; so we calculate forward into August. Because July 31 is the last day of July, we would have 14 extra days (i.e. 45 - 31 = 14), giving us the date August 14. Could it be just a coincidence that the US had the massive northeast blackout ('darkness') on August 14?

The story is becoming 'prophetic'.

The scene now shifts to the interior of the Vice President’s office itself – obviously, an after-hours staff meeting.

One of his aids brings up the Egyptian vice president 

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
obviously, underscoring the role of “vice presidents” in all this… Well, now it's all about the Vice President. Together with the earlier reference to 'regulatory agenda' and the subplots involving fuel/energy and corporate corruption, this is clearly about Cheney (and perhaps the rest of the neo-con gang, represented in the scene by those in the room).

Let me point out that the recall election currently underway in California (Aug-.Oct.) resulted from a crisis produced by energy emergency, deregulation, and corporate manipulation. The timing is right on, and Cheney is indeed deeply involved in all this ugly corporate/energy stuff.

and “his wish for discussions also on a framework on trade.” To which the U.S. Vice President, responds:

“Now you understand, it can’t appear as if I’m saying that the Syrian question is less urgent…”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Is this just another “coincidence?” Or, does Sorkin also know that Syria’s name is taken directly from “Sirius/Isis”… and about all THOSE deeply embedded connections to “Mars,” “19.5,” and “33” as well? Is it the "Syrian question," or the "Sirian question?" We'd love to get our hands on the actual shooting script!.

I'd say no coincidence...

Hoynes’ secretary suddenly comes to the door and gives the Vice President a signal. He calls the meeting to a close, asking his staff to stay around a few minutes “outside.” Obviously, he knows what’s coming.

Then, in walk Josh, Toby, CJ and Quincy. The mood is very somber.

The Vice President begins by remarking to Josh:

“You brought friendly faces. That was considerate.”

He then turns to Quincy:

“You’re Joe Quincy? This is your first day? They’re going to put your picture up someplace. You’re going to get honored at a luncheon ….”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
This is VERY curious, very out of place, for him to be complimenting the man who brought him down… and a Republican at that! Almost as if Sorkin is REALLY talking about our own Investigation… as the line is almost word for word what I reported in “Monuments” was said by one physicist about me at one time, while walking through the SF International Airport… a long time ago. But then, I could be reaching. Okay, I'm not really serious about this but given Hoagland's comment here, I think I'm allowed to mention that the name 'Quincy', deriving from Quentin, means 'The Fifth' - which is exactly what the name 'Goro' means. :)

Hoynes then underscores the Egyptian subject of his just ended staff meeting -- going through the whole Egyptian/Egyptian vice presidential/Cairo regulatory and trade discussion once again, as the four senior White House staff stand there, obviously uncomfortable. He ends with:

“So, look out for shop ‘Egypt.org,’ I suppose.”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Is Sorkin making another editorial comment here, having obviously reached the conclusion that deep Egyptian mythology is also heavily involved with Mars (“Cairo” -- in Arabic, El-Kahir -- translates as “Mars!” See “Monuments”). Is he saying that, for most people, Egypt has been reduced to merely “a tourist attraction and another slot on E-Bay?” When, in fact, it is the ritual Masonic source of all that has been presented in this bizarre “Mars” episode…?

[no comment]

Hoynes, apparently for the first time, now notices his visitors’ grave expressions -- as if he didn’t know what they were there for. And he says:

“You’re going to tell me I’m not going to Cairo…”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Underscoring -- once again -- the Mars/Cairo Connection!! Yes, the emphasis is clearly on Mars. And the coded message here seems to be that the Vice President, i.e. Cheney, will be brought down during or in connection with the Mars-marked period of summer/fall 2003.

At exactly 7:47 Washington time in the story [19:47 on the 24-hour clock, 19.5 again!] Josh asks point blank:

“Mr. Vice President, have you been having an affair with Helen Baldwin, while here at the White House?”

Confronted, Hoynes admits the affair AND the fact that he “likes to show off.” That he once told her that he’d “seen proof of Life on Mars.” That, yes, he’d bragged that he’d intervened with Justice and put “100,000 computers in the classrooms.”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
something about this number, repeated over and over and over, must be significant. Maybe it’s the “inside” estimate as to when the last refugees left Mars… If so, they’re wrong. It is interesting to note that the massive blackout in the US in August closely coincided with the record-breaking outbreak of several computer worms (such as 'Sobig.f', 'Blaster', and 'Nachi') infecting computers world-wide.

Again, the Vice President goes out of his way to compliment Quincy on putting the pieces together from so few clues, saying:

“Boy, you earned your money today!”

He then asks Quincy what’s next, and Quincy tells him “I think you’ve got to talk to your family now, sir.”

The next scene is the sub-plot, with Toby’s speech writer, Will, still trying to get his folks to come up with a decent response to the Republican fuel efficiency attack ad. They’re about to try one more, when Toby suddenly comes in. Will, in a rush, recites all their feeble ideas. After hearing them, Toby says quietly:

“Doesn’t really have the feel of high-minded debate, does it?”

Will responds: “No, but actually you don’t want it to.

Toby asks: “Why not?

Will: “Cause we’re countering an attack ad. And when you’re in the trenches on these kinds of thing --

Toby counters: “But, we’re not in the trenches. Two bodies of government are debating fuel efficiency at the highest level. We’re not in the trenches.”

He then says, in a defeated tone: “I don’t know. I know it’s a fifteen second spot. You gotta scare ‘em, I just don’t feel like doing that tonight.”

Then: “Will, you need to come with me. I need to tell you what’s about to happen…”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation

The point of this sub-plot, in Sorkin’s mind, seems to be that, while the White House and the media are debating and scaring the bejeesus out of “soccer moms” over endless trivial issues, the REAL, awesomely frightening subjects which will determine all our lives are NOT being openly debated or discussed at all. But are, instead -- like “life on Mars” -- quietly “classified” under the rubric of “national security.”

Until, like “The Birds,” their awful truth will suddenly dawn upon a totally unprepared, totally unsuspecting world…

 The fuel efficiency matter - i.e. the issue of energy/oil - is very fitting here as Cheney, Iraq, the California recall election, and even the US blackout are all related to energy.

The part about scaring people may be telling us that the only way to keep Cheney and Co. in power is to have another major terror event, but Toby's comment suggests that this scenario is not very likely, at least for 'tonight', i.e. for the 'Mars window'.

The next scene is the Vice President, the President, and Leo McGarry meeting in the Rose Garden to discuss options to the scandal. They’re NOT discussing the content of the NASA Mars report the DOD classified, or the implications of the dove’s repeated tapping …but the appropriate public POLITICAL response to Hoynes’ foolish sexual indiscretions.

[Sorkin’s point: if it hadn’t been for the leak to the Post – NONE of this would be happening … the “law” be damned!]

McGarry wants him to tough it out, as does the President. Hoynes reminds them that he leaked CLASSIFIED information, “a felony” [making Mars, and the DOD, the PRIME legal reason to resign -- not the anti-trust settlement “bragging”]. He also reminds them that he “took an Oath,” the same as the President, to uphold the Constitution.” He MUST resign.

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
This astonishing moment, missed most probably by the majority of the millions of Americans watching, is a confirmation within Sorkin’s story-line that the "Mars leak," and subsequent cover-up, is real. After all, the Vice President can't have committed “ a felony leak” of a story about "life on Mars"… if the Report wasn't real, could he? The 'Mars leak' is a 'war leak' as per the traditional 'Mars = war' equation. Hence we get the idea of the neo-conservative manipulation of the war getting leaked and forcing the VP to step down.

Hoynes (VP) being the source of the leaks in the episode, however, brings to mind the illegal White House leak that took place in July - a move designed to discredit and intimidate former ambassador Joseph Wilson who was largely responsible for creating the scandal of the 'sixteen words' uttered by Bush in the State of Union speech regarding Iraq obtaining nuclear material from Africa. The leak from inside the White House (published via journalist Robert Novak) revealed that Wilson' s wife, Valerie Plame, was a CIA agent working on WMD matters (implying that this was somehow what motivated Wilson to go after the White House).

Mrs. Wilson was working undercover - a dangerous work for sure. And the White House's leak blew her cover, and consequently her associates' cover, just to get back at Wilson who himself had done nothing wrong. So basically what happened is: Wilson exposes the lies of the Bush administration, the White House gets pissed and goes after Wilson's wife, resulting in blowing her cover and putting her and her associates' lives in danger. Yes, this is an appalling story. And yes, what the White House leakers did was definitely illegal and treason.

Novak stated in his column that the leak came from 'two senior Administration officials', and one of them has been identified by Wilson already - Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser. We can't help but wonder if the other official was Dick Cheney. Or perhaps Cheney just orchestrated the leak... Either way, what they did is serious enough to get them some jail time.

The story has legs. Just days ago on Sept. 26, the news broke on MSNBC that CIA Director Tenet has directly asked the Justice Department to investigate the matter. It has become a major news story.

At one point the President plaintively asks: “Didn’t you have any sense that this was the kind of person [Baldwin] who would do this [kiss and tell]?”

The Vice President replies:

“Hasn’t it been your experience that they look pretty much like the people who wouldn’t?”

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
Again, the language is pregnant with multiple meanings. This seems an obvious Sorkin reaction to discovering there are actual “Egyptian-worshiping, Osiris/Isis ritual conducting” MASONS in Washington -- who believe “in the power of 19.5 and 33” – AND THEY’RE IN THE WHITE HOUSE! Here I'd just like to point out that the Benben stone (= omphalos/capstone/dove/Pax Americana) derives its name from a root word meaning 'to copulate, to beget, to be begotten, virile, phallus' - i.e. sex. So the sexual misconduct of the show's VP could easily translate to the real VP's Pax Americana/NWO manipulation scheme.

The President wants them to all sleep on it, before any final decision is made.

In an almost repeat of the opening scene, at 6:00 AM Tuesday morning (dawn… Horus time), the President opens the letter of resignation from the Vice President. The last scene WE SEE is the President handing Hoynes’ letter to Leo, as he closes a White House study door:

Hoagland's Interpretation

Goro's Interpretation
The symbolic intent of Sorkin here is clear: “This case is closed. NO action on the really important issue – Mars – will ever be taken (remember Josh’s flip comment: I AM the law!”?). It’s ALL about, ONLY about -- Sorkin’s saying -- the need for public political damage control… summed up in the President’s last words as he closes the symbolic door.” 'Tuesday 6 A.M.' - the time of the Vice President's resignation. I can't help but sense a coded time reference here. While not so simple, I found a fairly coherent way of decoding this.

Using the earlier decoding method that turned '7:45' into July + 45 days (= Aug. 14), we would get 'June 1' ('6:00') here, which is not very meaningful. But this time we were given two additional clues in the scene - 'Tuesday' and 'A.M.' (previously it was 'P.M.').

First, 'Tuesday' is traditionally 'Mars Day', which gives us a number possible dates. One is Aug. 27, the climax of the historic Earth-Mars close encounter. And adding '6' (i.e. '6:00') months to that yields Feb. 27 or so. (Not very meaningful.)

Another 'Mars Day' is the equinox. This is so because, for instance, the Great Sphinx at Giza, considered a form of Horus by the ancient Egyptians thus also a form of Mars ('Horus the Red'), faces due east so that it aligns with the sunrise (another manifestation of Horus) of the equinox when the sun rises due east. The spring equinox of 2003 was on March 20 which precisely coincided with the start of the Iraq war (Iraqi time).

That the equinox would make a better 'Mars Day' here is revealed when we add '6' months (i.e. '6:00') to the spring equinox because this takes us forward to the very next equinox, the autumn equinox on Sept. 23! And this is right in the 'Mars window' (around September when Mars is brilliant in the night sky).

This interpretation is further corroborated by the episode's opening scene ('preview' of the final scene) indicating the time as 'Tuesday 5:58 A.M.' (instead of '6:00 A.M.').

Taking the change from 'P.M' (as was the case with '7:45') to 'A.M.' as signifying the notion of 'inversion', we are encouraged to read the time code in reverse, i.e. 85:5 instead of 5:58. Following the method used for 7:45, we would have 8 and 55, or August and 55 days. Because August has 31 days, the pinpointed date would be September 24. This is only a day away from the autumn equinox (Sept. 23)! And of course, Sept. 24 in US time is Sept. 23 in many other parts of the world.

Now, did anything significant happen on September 23, '03? Yes - on this very day George W. Bush went to the UN's annual General Assembly, which happened to be the '58th Session' - '58' as in '5:58'.

At the UN, Bush asked for international help on Iraq, and so doing he made official the administration's decision to move away from the neo-con/Pax Americana war strategy. (The neo-cons hate the UN.) This was an important event because it signaled the beginning of the end for the neo-conservatives and their Pax Americana dream. Just as foreshadowed by the disaster of the space shuttle Columbia (= 'American peace') earlier in the year, the Pax Americana plan is falling apart. And certainly this can easily lead to some head rolling - especially the chief architects of the war, like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz.

Are Cheney and Co. about to get 'fired'? Within a month, or perhaps around the time of the next 'Mars Day', the spring equinox of 2004? It will be interesting to watch...

 

“Yeah, we’re going to need a new vice president."


[End of The West Wing: 'Life On Mars']


Further Comments:

As Hoagland points out, Sorkin stepped down as Executive Producer (and writer) of The West Wing show right after the airing of the episode discussed above:

...on Thursday morning, May 1, following the Wednesday night airing of this specific “Life on Mars” episode, April 30, 2003 -- Aaron Sorkin quit as Executive Producer of “West Wing.” As did his long-time friend and Co-Executive Producer, Thomas Schlamme.

And no one, either at NBC, at Warner Brothers Television, or in Sorkin’s office, is willing to say anything about the real reasons -- beyond the usual “ratings speculations.”

Hoagland goes on to say that the resignation was another sign of Sorkin treating the Mars/Cydonia issue as an important subject. While I happen to have a different take on this, Hoagland was at least insightful enough to associate Sorkin's departure with Vice President Hoynes' resignation in the episode:

His sudden resignation from the helm of the pioneering political drama he created and fought so hard to bring to network television just four years ago -- coming just one day after this particular episode aired, and quite obviously foretold in the resignation of the Hoynes character himself in that same episode -- is clearly Sorkin’s attempt “to do the honorable thing,” as Hoynes did. By suddenly resigning, Sorkin’s clearly refusing to participate in the Washington ruse any further, making as clear a statement as he can make (under the circumstances): that, “things are NOT as they appear.”

Actually, the key here is the cause of Hoynes' resignation, i.e. the leaking of classified information. This was made clear in the 'Life On Mars' episode. By stepping down immediately after the airing, Sorkin was likely making a subtle statement that he himself leaked some secret information through the episode. And this 'secret', or inside information, likely pertains to the future political events found encoded in the story. If true, this would certainly give more credence to the political 'prophecy'.

Now, I need to add here that while the above interpretations mainly concerned the Vice President, I've also detected clues hinting at the President getting into similar or worse trouble. Let's begin with the two West Wing episodes that immediately followed the 'Life On Mars' episode, i.e. the final episodes of the season.

First, the President's daughter gets abducted. Then the President, understandably distraught, decides to step down as President by asserting the 25th Amendment which allows the removal of the President given the cabinet members agree that he is not fit to perform his duties. This takes place in the season finale episode titled 'Twenty-Five'.

I found it curious that Sorkin would call it 'Twenty-Five' rather than 'Twenty-Fifth', as in 25th Amendment. It's kind of strange - but not so if seen as a subtle reference to another popular TV show, '24' on Fox. As it happens, '24' is the only other major show on TV at this time that prominently features the US President in its storylines

What's more intriguing, 24's final episodes of the season very closely resembled those of The West Wing! Here are some excerpts from the 24 website's episode guide (emphasis added]:

4 AM-5 AM

[US President] Palmer tells [chief of staff] Novick [a Cheney look-alike] that he just learned that the bombers did not return to their bases as he ordered. Novick sullenly invites the President to join him in the conference room. Palmer senses his aide's unease, and asks Novick what is going on. Novick finally admits that the cabinet members are questioning whether Palmer is fit to continue as Chief Executive of the country.

Palmer enters the conference room to find a video screen with panels of feeds. A group of cabinet members, lead by Vice President Prescott, is assembled in the White House bunker, with the Secretary of State filmed on a plane and the Secretary of Agriculture in a limo. Prescott tells Palmer that they are invoking the 25th Amendment, which states that the Vice President and a majority of the cabinet can determine whether that the President can be discharged of powers if he is not capable of performing the duties of his office. He says that they have decided Palmer's actions over the day warrant such a query. [...] Palmer consents to this, on the condition that, if he is exonerated, then Prescott should resign as Vice President. Prescott agrees. [...]

...Prescott calls for a vote. Novick pulls Palmer aside to beg him to change his mind and authorize an attack. Palmer refuses once again. The cabinet begins their voice poll, deciding for or against Palmer being allowed to remain in office.

With a split in cabinet members, the deciding vote falls upon the Secretary of State. He goes against Palmer. Prescott tells Palmer that he can appeal this decision before Congress in four days. Until then, Palmer [President] must remove himself from the decision making process. Secret Service Agent Pierce arrives with two Marines. They escort Palmer to a holding room -- not as bodyguards but as wardens.

As the bombers make their way toward the Middle East, Prescott [Vice President] is sworn in as President of the United States.

7 AM-8 AM [Season Finale]

Novick alerts Prescott that there is a strong chance they will have evidence forcing a delay in military actions. Although the Second Wave terrorist group brought the nuclear weapon into the United States, a link has come up between the group and Peter Kingsley. This may exonerate the Middle Eastern countries that have traditionally backed Second Wave and are facing attack. This also points the finger at an oil consortium who is behind the bomb. Novick says that Jack Bauer will get a live audio confession from Kingsley.[...]

Palmer listens in as Prescott orders the attack to be aborted.

A man named Trepkos phones Max with news that Kingsley has been killed and that the President called off the war. Max says that they will have to go another way. Trepkos is unsure about what he means. Max tells him that he will soon find out because it will start today. Max hangs up and calls someone else. He gives the unknown person the go-ahead.

Before a video screen of the assembled Cabinet, Prescott informs Palmer that they have decided to annul the earlier action. Palmer is reinstated as President. Prescott also tenders his resignation along with the other Cabinet members who voted against Palmer. Palmer tells them that he is not accepting their resignations. [...] However, Palmer is disappointed that Novick did not stand by him. He relieves Novick [Cheney look-alike] from his post. [...]

At a press conference outside the federal building, Palmer pronounces to the public that the nation is safe. As he makes his way through the cheering crowd and accepts handshakes, a woman calls for the President. She reaches her hand out to him. The woman is Mandy, who was hired by Ira Gaines the previous year in the plot to assa**inate Palmer. Palmer clasps Mandy's hand in a kind shake. She leaves the crowd and walks alone into a stairwell. Using tongs, Mandy peels off a sheer layer of some substance from the palm of her right hand. She places the filmy peel into a metal container. Mandy phones Max and says, "It's done."

After reaching his limo, Palmer looks down at his right hand. The flesh on it has been eaten away. His breath is shortened and he [President] falls to the ground. The crowd panics as the Secret Service agents scan the scene with their guns. Palmer gasps for air helplessly.

So there you go. Not much clarification required.

Putting The West Wing and 24 together, we can infer conservatively that the real White House is in for a big 'earthquake'. And the central figures involved will be the President and the Vice President. It will be interesting to see their interaction, especially now that George W. Bush is beginning to move away from the neo-con/Pax Americana war strategy championed by Cheney. It's almost as if the existing situation is that either Bush or Cheney will have to go, i.e. President vs. Vice President/neo-cons...

I'm not sure how the 'prophetic' scenario will play out in reality, but things so far seem to be developing more or less according to the 'plan'.

I will certainly be monitoring the situation closely...

.

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© 2003 by Goro Adachi