Bartlet remains powerless as Zoey continues to be missing. News leaks that Bartlet ordered the assassination of the defense leader of a "friendly" Middle Eastern country. Glenallen Walken takes over the role of President and immediately the staff feels shunted by the presence of Republicans in the White House. President Walken balances the decision to make a military strike on Qumar.
Walken carries out his Presidential duties by bombing terrorist camps as the fate of Zoey comes to a head. Toby slips away from the turmoil to get his first glimpse of his new twin babies.
Filling the vacancy in the Vice President position proves to be a tougher challenge than Bartlet expected as the Fourth of July celebration comes to Washington. Bartlet and his First Lady have a hard time dealing with each other in the light of the exposure of the Qumari assassination and Zoey's subsequent kidnapping.
A visiting pianist asks for the President's help to defect from North Korea to the United States and Bartlet must try to balance the freedom of one versus the fate of relations between the two nations. Bartlet's staff try to secure his Vice Presidential appointment.
Josh goes toe-to-toe with a Senator from Idaho for a military sign-off. CJ rouses Leo's anger when she goes off her scripted material. Amy pushes Bartlet to back his wife's anti-violence measures. The new Vice President offers Will a position on his staff.
Josh finds himself in political hot water while Bartlet tends to those attacked by a deadly Oklahoma tornado. Leo tries to pull the President back to Washington, against his protests.
Bartlet's staff try to get his federal budget passed. Joe Quincy returns to look in on an aging Supreme Court Justice. Bartlet worries over Zoey's upcoming television interview.
Bartlet and the Speaker of the House's personal inability to budge leads to a shutdown of the US government. Bartlet takes the crisis directly to the Capitol's halls. Abigail returns to the White House.
Bartlet's daughters visit for the holidays and his son-in-law reveals that he wants to run for Congress. Christian relief workers overseas are jailed in an Islamic country. Doctors in Oregon are prosecuted for for assisting suicide.
Bartlet attends the funeral of a former President and gets to speak about the task of running the country with two other men who've had to handle the burden, Speaker Walker and ex-President Newman. A civil war threatens Saudi Arabia. Josh juggles the request of a North Carolina representative that Connecticut return an item stolen from their state during the Civil War.
Bartlet ponders the list of people up for parole. Charlie befriends a woman but finds himself taking a step back when he learns she's going to be a White House reporter. Toby and Joey tour the nation gauging the people's feelings.
Toby's secret mission to reform Social Security by getting to a Republican that is soon to retire hits a snag when his efforts are outed. Josh and Leo get mad for being kept out of the loop. CJ tries to squash the press's reaction. Ultimately, the blame and repercussions land on Toby and he tenders his resignation. To save Toby, Bartlet and his administration have to give up any rights to credit as the deal goes through.
The unannounced nuclear detination over the Indian Ocean sends Bartlet and his team into a frenzy looking into who has gained access to weapons of mass destruction. Josh backtracks on his tirade against NASA when he meets a beautiful woman there. CJ is upset by a talk-show hosts comments.
Bartlet sends troops into hostile territory in North Korea when five pilots are shot down. Leo thinks about his time as a pilot. CJ goes head-to-head with a talk-show host.
The White House staff has to field the possibility of former Vice President Hoynes writing a book about his time with the Bartlet White House and leaving no stone unturned. Josh juggles the school voucher issue and the potential shut down of a military base. Toby acts as the go-between for union bosses.
A person in opposition to Bartlet poses that Bartlet's daughter Ellie causes the President to be in a conflicted position. The First Lady shares the stage with the Muppets to support her cause.
Bartlet attempts to embrace the possibility of putting a like-minded liberal judge on the Supreme Court when one of the Republican justices dies.
CJ comes under the microscope when a day in her life as Press Secretary is documented by a television crew. Matters are made worse when the FBI has a confrontation with terrorists.
Josh worries when the President changes his position on overseas jobs. CJ frets when the FCC judges that a multimedia company can legally gain bigger chunks of television stations. Donna confides her job dissatisfaction to Josh. A new Deputy National Security Advisor, Kate Harper, starts work.
The White House is sealed when a possible foreign substance is found and the confined space allows the staff to express themselves in ways previously off-limits.
The president debates military options when the vehicle of a congressional fact-finding team comes under fire during a visit to the West Bank.
The President considers military response to the murders of United States representatives in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military compounds the President's decision. Donna battles for her life in the aftermath of the attack on her car which left her in critical condition.