20 Hours In America (Part I) (Episode 401)
First Aired: Wednesday, 25th September, 2002
Writer: Aaron Sorkin
Director: Christopher Misiano










It Was In Tennessee, And They Were Never Heard From Again
Soybean fields, Indiana. Donna approaches Josh and Toby, who are walking with Cathy, the farmer's daughter.

DONNA: Josh!
JOSH: I think we better head back.
DONNA: He's wrapping up!
CATHY: You seem pissed that I brought it up.
TOBY: No, we're just talking.
DONNA: We've really got to go now.
JOSH: Donna's a little nervous. A couple of weeks ago, some guys got left behind by the motorcade in Kentucky.
DONNA: It was in Tennessee, and they were never heard from again.
JOSH: They took a cab.









You Guys Need A Button?
Campaign grounds. Josh, Toby, Cathy and Donna walk back to the stage area, Donna slightly ahead of the rest.

DONNA: Josh ...
CATHY: The 67 billion bought this country the least expensive food and the greatest variety of it in the world, and surely that's got to register--
DONNA: Hang on ...
CATHY: And it's got to register with the peop--
JOSH: She's right--where is it? Where's the motorcade? (he stops two women walking past) Excuse me ... where's the motorcade?
WOMAN: It's out there. (she points to several limousines retreating in the distance)
JOSH: Hey! HEY!
WOMAN: You guys need a button? "Bartlet For America?"








Good Budget Cut, Good Item
Campaign grounds. Josh approaches Donna, who is on her cell phone.

JOSH: I didn't get the trailer car.
DONNA: Hang on.
JOSH: Call Campaign Scheduling and Advance, and tell them--
DONNA: Hang on.
JOSH: You've got to hang up with whomever you're talking to, call Campaign Scheduling and Advance ... (she glares at him) ... unless you're already talking to Campaign Scheduling and Advance.
DONNA: (into phone) Thank you. (to Josh) There's no trailer car today.
JOSH: Really.
DONNA: Yeah.
JOSH: Good budget cut, good item. Cathy, where's the closest cab?
CATHY: About 110 miles, as the crow flies.
DONNA: What's the best way for me to get these guys to Unionville?
CATHY: We'll take you.
JOSH: Really?
CATHY: Yeah. It'll give me a chance to show you the soy diesel car.
JOSH: Okay, this car ... it can ...?
CATHY: It's a regular car.
JOSH: Toby!
CATHY: It's actually Cap's car. He'll come along. Meet us in back of the house.
JOSH: Thank you very much. (to Donna, after Cathy leaves) Who's Cap?
DONNA: I don't know.








Never Heard From Again, Josh
Campaign grounds. Josh and Donna walk towards Cathy's house.

JOSH: Toby! Let's go!
DONNA: Never heard from again, Josh.








This Is Fun! We're Roughing It!
Rural Indiana road. Cathy and Cap have gone to get more gas (diesel!), leaving Josh, Donna and Toby stranded.

JOSH: Okay, call the State Office, tell them to send a local volunteer--tell them we don't have time ... you're doing it, right?
DONNA: (on phone) Yeah.
JOSH: This is fun! We're roughing it! (lamely, off Toby's extremely pissed look) ... It's fun.








Can We Call Ahead?
Gas station. Josh, Donna and Toby wait for the volunteer to pick them up.

JOSH: Can we just call ahead and make sure the plane's going to be there when we get there?
DONNA: It'll be there.
JOSH: Can we call ahead?
DONNA: I've been calling--I can't get anyone on their cell. They're in a bad calling area.
JOSH: Well, keep trying.








Would You Get In There?
Tyler's Jeep, rural Indiana road. He drives Donna, Josh and Toby but suddenly pulls over when he spots three girls on bicycles, and begins arguing with one of them.

KIKI: You can't be creepy stalking guy, okay? You're not that guy, Tyler. You're better than that.
DONNA: (mutters) Not that much better.
JOSH: Would you get in there?









We Changed Time Zones?!
Rural Indiana road. Same scenario as above, later in the conversation.

JOSH: Tyler, no fooling around--we have 15 minutes to get to a plane that is three miles from here. That plane, I swear to God, is taking off at one o'clock.
TYLER: It's taking off at one.
JOSH: Yes it is.
KIKI: Are you guys stupid or something? It's 1:45 right now.
JOSH: It's 12:45.
KIKI: No, not here it's not.
DONNA: Oh my God, she's right.
TYLER: See ... you crossed over from Unionville into Dearborne County, which doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time.
KIKI's FRIEND: I think it's the other way around, genius.
TYLER: What did I ever do to you?
DONNA: It says in the schedule all times are local--this is why I couldn't get anyone on their cell--
(Too late--Josh and Toby erupt into twin nuttys in the background, pacing around the road ranting and raving, waving their arms and generally freaking out)
JOSH: Wait--no, no--you're not ... we changed time zones? We changed time--we changed time zones!?
TYLER: It's a-a common mistake.
JOSH: Not for the US government!
TOBY: What kind of schmuck-ass system can this--
JOSH: God! That's--God! That's perfect!
TOBY: How-how ... I-I-I-I don't understand--how-how ...
JOSH: This is perfect! This is just the break I'm looking for!
TOBY: What-what-what, people ... they just--they just ... they-they reset their watches when they commute?
JOSH: I can't take working here!
TOBY: They just change their watches every time they cross a time zone? What is this, a joke?
JOSH: --To serve my country!
DONNA: Okay. This is a whole new thing now. My guys are gonna need to walk this off a little bit, before they can regroup. Kiki, you and your friends get back to school. Tyler, you and I are going to come up with a plan to get us to a commercial airport.
TYLER: Okay.
JOSH: Can we have a civilization--
TYLER: How long are they gonna be?
(Toby picks up a stick and smashes it against the metal crash barrier near the bridge)
DONNA: A couple more minutes.









Alpha Girls
Sam's apartment / rural Indiana road. The scene is intercut between Sam and Josh on the phone.

SAM: You got left behind by the motorcade?
JOSH: Yeah ... and then we ran out of gas, and then there was a time zone foul up, and also we were waylayed by some mean schoolgirls--alpha girls, you know what I'm saying?
DONNA: Josh.
JOSH: They were!








It's Monday
Parking lot of Fionna and Earl's diner, Indiana. Josh, Donna, Toby and Tyler get out of the Jeep and head inside.

JOSH: It's Monday.
DONNA: Yeah, why?
JOSH: Nothing. It's just something I said. (to Toby and Tyler) All right, ten minutes--we get this stuff to go.









I Don't Like Mondays
Fionna and Earl's diner, Indiana. Josh and Donna sit at a table while Toby argues with Fionna.

DONNA: Out in the parking lot, when you said it was Monday, I flashed on the song. A few days ago, someone told me that a girl shot up her school one morning, and when they asked her why, she said, "I don't like Mondays", and that's where the song comes from.
JOSH: Yeah.
DONNA: You knew that?
JOSH: Yeah.
DONNA: That's where the song comes from?
JOSH: (sighs) Yeah.
DONNA: I'm sorry about the time zones!





Many thanks to The West Wing Collection for the wonderful screencaps!