In season 3 episode 0, the whole episode is centered around 9/11 due to it having happened only a few days prior in real life. The episode is officially stated to be outside of the show’s canon, and thus can be skipped with no repercussions.
In the final season, the president’s chief of staff, one of the most focused on characters in the show, dies suddenly due to his actor also dying and the show needing to address it in some way
Off screen, a major character dies in an unshown car accident. Episode 22 shows specifically her funeral and the aftermath of her death emotionally for Jed.
Yes, in S2E22, a character who passed away in the episode prior is shown walking around and talking as if they are still alive throughout the episode. It is not meant to be scary, just a figment of another character’s imagination.
There is mention of a young man dying by suicide in "The Benign Prerogative". We also learn that Leo's father and Toby's brother die by suicide as well, and a pilot deliberately crashes his airplane in another episode.
No autism-specific abuse shown on screen, but there is a whole episode where a Senator stages a filibuster because he wants funding to "fight autism." The senator calls autism a "health issue," incorrectly claims that autism misdiagnosis numbers are high, and compares autism to Alzheimer's, glaucoma, and erectile dysfunction.
An antisemitic comment is made toward Josh, with Toby being the one to call it out as being antisemitic. It's a key turning point to the episode. Overall, the series is outspoken opposing antisemitism when it arises, usually in reference to Toby or Josh.
No, there is suggestive language referencing a character who is an escort throughout S1 and some kissing, but sex is never shown, not even partially or fade-to-black. The show is rated TV-PG.
S4E13 features a character’s relative who has Alzheimer’s. The depiction lasts the entire episode, featuring discussions that may be upsetting to those who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s.
It's a large plot point throughout season 2 and 3 that a major character has hidden the fact that he has MS. While this is directly stated by his wife in the first episode of Season 2, the situation magnifies over the course of the season. At Episode 18, it becomes a nationwide scandal as he begins to admit to it, first to the staff of the white house, and then the nation at large.
The issue of abortion is discussed repeatedly throughout the show, with the general consensus being that while many major characters are not comfortable with it, people should be allowed to make their own choices
SPOILERS Probably the most graphic part is when Josh is shot; they show him in surgery later in several scenes
Season 6 after Leo has his heart attack, he is shown in surgery. This is graphic but very quick .
Donna and two congressmen as well as Admiral Fitzwallis are in a vehicle which explodes while visiting Gaza; Donna is later mentioned to have a compound fracture in her leg and is shown with scratches on her face. The leg is not seen.