Designated Survivor (2016–2019): Season 1, Episode 17 - The Ninth Seat - full transcript
As President Kirkman struggles to put together a new Supreme Court, FBI Agent Hannah Wells goes undercover and discovers much more than she ever could have imagined. Meanwhile, Seth Wright has to contend with journalist Abe Leonar...
Previously on "Designated Survivor"...
My sources say MacLeish
overrode the FBI,
preventing them from
taking Lozano alive.
I mean, why would he go out of his way
to silence the man
who attempted to murder the president?
I brought this to show the White House
that any effort to interfere
in the Second Amendment
rights will fail.
I know you're facing an uphill climb.
What if we could help?
- And what's in it for Hookstraten?
- Think about it.
Vice President.
Kimble, I'm not in a position
to make promises right now.
I would be very grateful down the line.
That's all I need to
know, Mr. President.
The yeas are 51, and the nays are 49.
It passes! We won!
Congratulations.
Jason: These look like the bombs
used to blow up the Capitol.
There's enough explosives in here
to blow up three Capitols.
♪
[Horns honking]
[Horn blares]
[Shouting in Arabic]
♪
[Shouting in Arabic]
♪
[Man speaking Arabic]
♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[Man speaking Arabic]
It is necessary to take precautions.
All right, I-I understand.
Thank you for seeing me.
Just...
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, just...
Easy, easy, just so I can see, okay?
And... And I'm gonna take notes.
That's it.
I'm old. You understand.
I need...
Oh, God.
♪
Do you know who this man is?
♪
Mr. Lozano... He shot our President.
♪
I was told by f-friends of yours
that he was in contact with Al-Sakar,
the group that blew up the U.S. Capital.
[Speaking Arabic]
♪
Al-Sakar blew up nothing.
They didn't?
[Sighs]
So, wha... who did?
♪
You don't know?
[Speaking Arabic]
The American Satan
has enemies everywhere.
So, tell me, why would
AlSakar take credit
knowing the U.S. military
would never stop hunting them down?
♪
[Speaking Arabic]
♪
He paid them.
He paid Al-Sakar?
♪
[Scoffs]
[Door opens]
[Door creaks]
These aren't Army surplus
explosives, Foerstel.
These are battlefield-ready.
Yeah, we're assessing it now.
What about "NVWS"?
And "NVWS"?
So far, no known terror organizations
match those initials.
We also found a motion sensor
with limited-range
transmitter attached to it,
so whoever's watching this
place is within 20 miles.
Nearest town to you is
Driggs, population 600.
Yeah, we're headed there
next. What about the silo?
We'll maintain aerial surveillance,
and we'll assemble a team to go in.
Not until I give you my word.
We need to seize this ordinance.
Well, we also need to
figure out why this is here.
Until then, we can't tip our hand.
Foerstel?
Affirmative.
All right, we'll be in
contact when we get to Driggs.
♪
Kirkman: Good morning.
Emily: Good morning.
I have some good news...
Looks like the House is gonna
pass the gun-control bill.
Speaker Hookstraten came through.
She still has a little bit of
work to do with the Republicans,
but she's assured me
that she'll get there.
Aaron's gonna give me an update
of vote count this afternoon.
Okay, great.
We should talk about the
vice presidency, though.
There's a growing buzz of
a quid pro quo in the works.
I was absolutely clear.
I made no promises.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I know, but we need
to manage expectations.
I'd like to be clear when I
speak to Aaron this afternoon
that we are keeping our options open.
Okay, fine.
Unbelievable.
I was looking for these all last night.
Look, I want us to stay focused
on the Supreme Court right now.
Absolutely.
Julia Rombauer is waiting.
Great.
Julia, please come on in.
Mr. President.
- Getting any sleep?
- No.
But I managed to go six
weeks without it so far.
Wouldn't want to break the streak now.
Your nine Supreme Court nominees,
all vetted by the working group.
I can't believe this hasn't leaked.
I can't believe we've gotten this far.
It's all because of Julia.
Meaning I can still be
intimidating when I want to be.
No, it's a testament to
your leadership skills.
When I was an associate
professor at Columbia,
Julia was in charge.
She was my role model.
She's the reason why
I wanted to become President
of the University one day.
[Chuckles] Well, it's good training.
If you think national politics is tough,
- try academia.
- [Chuckles]
Well, we're meeting with the
Senate leadership in 20 minutes.
Assuming we get a consensus, the plan is
to announce the slate to
the press tomorrow night.
Well, I've kept the leadership
informed throughout the process.
In principle, they all agree
to the idea of four progressives
to satisfy the Democrats,
four conservatives to
satisfy the Republicans,
and a ninth judge, a true
and impartial
independent, like Tom here.
Now I just need to get them to
sign off on the actual names.
And then go through the
formal confirmation process.
Yes, but that should be reasonably short
with the full support
of both parties going in.
Let's hope you're right.
I haven't worked this hard to be wrong.
♪
Joanne, get me actual
numbers on the families
who were impacted by the
proposed estate-tax changes.
I want something more than estimates.
Joanne: We'll have it on
your desk by this afternoon.
I never liked "impacted" as a verb.
Geez. Get out.
The only things that should
get impacted are teeth.
Now.
Ah, good to see you, too.
What, you didn't miss me, huh?
I didn't notice.
Oh, I've been working on a story, Seth.
Yeah, for the New York Standard.
That's a pretty good forgery.
Funny.
Fact is they sent me to
the Middle East and Asia
to look into Al-Sakar.
See, I would never publish
a story so impactful
without giving you a
chance to comment first.
[Whispering] Can we please dispense
with the dramatic pause?
[Whispering] Al-Sakar
didn't blow up the Capitol.
They didn't have the money.
They didn't have the people.
They didn't have the
smarts to take it out.
You guys were played.
According to whom? Unnamed sources?
No, I'll name them.
Meantime, you got today to
get back to me with a response
because this is going out tomorrow.
♪
Tell the Secretary of
Commerce we need more diversity
for the young entrepreneurs
presser next month.
Thank you.
Hey. Hey, what's up?
So, major flag for you.
Abe Leonard's running with the story
that Al-Sakar didn't
blow up the Capitol.
What? That's crazy.
We have the FBI, the CIA,
and half a dozen other agencies
on record saying they did.
Yes, I know, and the last time
Leonard ran with a story
that I thought was crazy,
and then POTUS confirmed it. Remember?
I mean, if he's right about this,
that means our SEALs
took out the wrong guys
and the real Capitol
bombers are still out there.
Okay, slow down.
Do you have anyone at Teen Mode
you can reach out to,
see how real the story is?
Abe's not at Teen Mode anymore.
Now he's writing for the
New York Standard,
which has an audience 25 times the size.
And you haven't seen the story?
No, he wanted a reaction
to the allegations first.
I'll flag POTUS.
- Em.
- Yeah?
I don't want the White
House embarrassed by this,
especially now that things
are finally going our way.
You and me both.
♪
[Indistinct conversations]
Kirkman: Good afternoon.
I want to take a moment to thank you all
and congratulate you on
accomplishing something
that's never been done before...
Seating nine justices to the
High Court at the same time.
This is an act of bipartisan cooperation
that I believe will go down in history.
So congratulations to you all.
[Applause]
Let's get started.
Senator Hunter.
Mr. President, I appreciate
you including us in the process,
and I commend Ms. Rombauer
for her extraordinary leadership.
We believe you have come up
with a well-balanced slate,
including a Chief Justice
who can act as an impartial,
potentially deciding voice.
Thank you.
I think we might have a bit of
a problem there, Mr. President.
What kind of problem?
I'll let my distinguished
colleague from Montana explain.
Thank you.
Mr. President, my staff has
been looking into your choice
for Chief Justice, Judge Borda,
and we've made some
disturbing discoveries.
These names have already been approved
by a working group from
within your own party.
Well, nevertheless, this nominee
clearly shows liberal bias.
Senator, it's too late to
pull this kind of stunt.
No, we have an agreement.
Our third branch of government
needs to be reinstated.
Oh, yes, sir.
But you already have a Senate,
one with a Republican majority.
And I'm saying that we
need to start with a list
of five justices acceptable to us
and then go forward from there.
- That is not what we agreed to.
- We have the votes.
♪
Sir, my approach will get
you a speedy confirmation.
Otherwise, well, we might be forced
to hold up all your nominees.
Mr. President, Senator
Bowman might still be smarting
from his loss on the gun bill...
- I object to that.
- But if we go with his formula,
our side will filibuster.
Then I guess we're done here.
- I guess we are.
- Everybody, please, just take your seats.
Please, take your...
I said take your seats now!
♪
[Chatter]
I'm sorry for losing my temper,
but I have lost my temper.
Shame on you, Senator Bowman.
Shame on you.
♪
Our nation is in crisis.
Do you have any idea how many
cases are on the current docket
that can't be resolved because
we don't have a Supreme Court?
126... issues that go to
the core of our democracy.
Civil rights, immigration,
campaign-finance reform.
Without a court to adjudicate
the laws of this land,
we are a broken government, sir.
♪
Now, this was a fair deal.
Every single person in this room
has something to claim victory over.
♪
I'm not gonna let you hijack that, sir.
And if you're willing to play
politics with people's lives,
trust me... I am more than willing
to walk down that hall to my press room
and call you out in
front of the entire world
for trying to hold our
justice system hostage
[Scoffs] at a time when we need it most.
I would think twice, Senator.
I would seriously think twice...
before making yourself the
poster child of obstructionism.
Excuse me, Mr. President.
But doing whatever I can to
ensure a fair and balanced court
hardly makes me an obstructionist.
Point of fact,
it's doing exactly what
I was appointed to do.
♪
Gentlemen, this is obviously
a very emotional issue.
Everyone in this room knows
how hard you've worked on this,
Mr. President,
but in the interest
of all those involved,
would it be too much to
ask for you to put forward
another name for that ninth seat?
♪
No, I can do that.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
[Chatter]
For a second, I thought it
was all gonna fall apart.
Who the hell says it hasn't?
We need to find a name that
son of a bitch can't say no to.
Not a lot of street life here.
Not a lot of anything.
Still, they get visitors.
New Mexico.
♪
Georgia.
Texas.
People drive a long way to
get to the middle of nowhere.
♪
[Indistinct conversation]
[Car alarm chirps]
♪
Man: Hi.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hear a storm's coming.
- Really?
Yeah, we, um...
we haven't watched the
weather report in a while.
♪
So what brings you to Driggs?
We're just, um...
just heading up the mountain.
♪
- You take care now.
- Okay, you, too.
Well, if that was a test,
I think we just failed that one.
Well, we're marked now.
♪
New York plates.
Hey, Jason.
♪
[Camera shutter clicks]
_
[Door opens]
What about Semegran?
Yeah, he's got the qualifications,
but he's 64 and he
smokes two packs a day.
Just can't believe one man would
exploit Constitutional crisis
for political advancement.
He knows the list was balanced
and that I wasn't trying
to push a political agenda.
He's trying to put himself
at the center of his own damn party.
How did Bowman get so powerful?
Didn't he lose the Senate vote to you?
Yeah.
He managed to win over a
block of conservative senators,
which consolidated his power,
making him the darling of the far right.
So, when he claims he
wants a balanced court,
what he's really saying is that he just
wants a court that agrees with him.
You cannot let him win this, Tom.
I'm not planning on it.
[Indistinct conversation]
[Door creaks]
♪ Danger... ♪
Hello?
- Hello?
- Oh, hey.
Hi.
You folks need some menus?
- Sure.
- Sure, thank you.
- Can I ask you a question?
- Man: Yeah, sure.
Is there a ski area around here?
You see any mountains nearby?
No, we just see a lot of
cars with out-of-state plates.
Just curious.
You're talking about the True Believers.
The what?
Well, that's what we call them.
They get together on a private property
three or four times a year, maybe.
They stick together.
Hmm.
They pay cash, though.
No credit cards.
[Chuckles] Strange bunch.
So what exactly do they do out there?
Nobody knows, really.
Uh, a bit of camping.
You know, they light bonfires.
How do you know they light bonfires?
Well, you can see the glow.
Where exactly is this property?
Well, it's a huge spread. Used
to belong to the Air Force.
Oh.
Where the missile silos are.
Hmm.
I'm former Air Force.
E-5 with the third
bomber wing at Clarendon.
- For real?
- Yes, sir.
Well, man, I miss those Stratoforts.
They moved them all
up to Minot years ago.
We keep thinking they
might reopen the base.
Uh, you hear trucks moving
through at night occasionally...
Choppers, too. [Chuckles]
Ah, who am I kidding?
Air Force is never coming back.
Yeah.
So, tell us... What's good?
Hartnett and Sherburne
put us 20 votes on top.
Gun bill will pass.
You think Kirkman's gonna
come through with VP?
Well, I'm meeting with
Emily Rhodes today.
That's the next thing on the agenda.
Abe: Knock, knock.
Come on in, Abe.
You know my new
strategist... Aaron Shore.
- Abe Leonard.
- Hey.
It's a pleasure.
- Pleasure's mine, Mr. Shore.
- I've been wanting to ask you
why you jumped off the good
ship Kirkman as Chief of Staff.
It was amicable.
Well, you didn't answer my question.
And I don't intend to.
I'm happy with my current position.
He's good.
Is it all right if he hears this?
I trust him, if that's what you mean.
Okay, 'cause I got a few torpedos
to fire in his old boss.
Abe, you are aware that I
am allied with the President
on this gun legislation.
Yeah, smart move, too,
setting yourself up as a
moderate alternative to Bowman,
but this isn't about politics.
This is about our old friend,
the late Vice President Peter MacLeish.
MacLeish?
♪
I heard you delayed his
confirmation vote as VP.
Who told you that?
Does it matter? What
I want to know is why.
♪
My sources say you were waiting
for some evidence from an FBI agent.
We're getting into matters
of national security here.
Yeah, I'll make it easy for you.
Her name is Agent Hannah Wells.
Does that name mean anything to you?
I can't comment.
Can't or won't?
You're crossing a line, Abe.
All right, look.
If I'm wrong, just tell me so,
but I'll use your denial in my story.
♪
I refuse to comment on
an ongoing investigation.
That'll work.
Be seeing you.
That guy's dangerous.
Which is why I keep him close.
♪
[Telephone ringing in distance,
indistinct conversation]
[Cellphone beeps]
Yes. Agent Hannah Wells, please.
Foerstel: Mr. Shore.
What do you want?
It's what you want.
You called Hannah Wells
twice in the last three hours.
How'd you know that?
She's on administrative leave.
Her calls get bounced to me.
Whatever it is, you can say it to me.
[Chuckles]
[Chuckles]
You know we'd get
along a whole lot better
if you just accept the fact
that we're on the same side.
Oh, now we're on the same side?
You... You interrogated me like
I was some sort of criminal.
You want me to apologize for that?
You more than anybody should
appreciate the magnitude
of what we're dealing with here.
So, you want to tell
me what you know or not?
♪
Foerstel: Abe Leonard
knows that Agent Wells
tried to delay Vice President
MacLeish's confirmation vote.
[Sighs]
Speaker Hookstraten tell him?
Mm, according to Aaron Shore,
Leonard tried to get her to confirm.
- And did she?
- No, she refused to comment.
But, Mr. President, bottom line...
We can't allow Leonard to
go public with what he knows.
It could completely
derail our investigation.
What do you suggest?
I'm suggesting we bring him in.
On what grounds?
Someone is feeding him
classified information.
We need to find out who.
And if he refuses to give up his source,
we get him on contempt.
Lying to a federal officer is a felony.
Absolutely not.
We're not arresting
reporters for doing their job.
This is not a First Amendment issue.
This is an issue of national security.
If Leonard publishes,
the people behind this
conspiracy are gonna go dark,
and we are never gonna find them.
Mr. President, we don't have a choice.
We have to bring him in.
Director Foerstel, we
always have a choice.
I'm afraid we're gonna have
to let this one ride out,
see what Leonard comes up with.
Price of living in a free society.
Emily: So how's it going
over there with Hookstraten?
Aaron: Not bad.
Could be better if she heard from POTUS.
What do you mean?
She delivered on her
promise with the gun bill,
so we feel the President
should deliver on his.
Whoa.
President didn't promise the Speaker
anything more than gratitude.
What, are you kidding me?
No. If the bill passes...
When it passes.
If it passes, then the White House
will definitely owe the Speaker a debt.
Well, yeah, the VP slot.
It's a possibility, Aaron.
It's not a certainty.
Well, that's not her
understanding, Emily.
Well, then, she wasn't listening.
Well, she's gonna be very
disappointed to hear that.
Well, the Speaker's a big girl.
And backing the bill made sense for her
without quid pro quo.
She's drawn moderates and
independents into her corner.
Now suddenly,
Bowman has serious competition
within his own party.
Well, getting his bill out of the Senate
was largely due to her efforts.
It was a big factor, but it
wasn't the only factor.
Are... Are you really
gonna play hardball on this?
Absolutely.
It's my job to protect the President.
You know that better than anyone,
and we've got to keep our options open.
Get the bill passed,
and we can talk again.
♪
[Chatter]
Bad news, Abe.
New York kicked this back.
What?
They like the direction you're going,
but they say it's not enough.
Not enough that Al-Sakar
didn't blow up the Capitol?
It's conjecture.
Wh... I got named sources.
Yeah, two terrorist leaders.
Yeah, exactly... who I risked
my life to get to, by the way.
I know, and it's excellent color.
But it's not news.
New York says these terrorist
groups all hate each other.
Of course they'd say
Al-Sakar didn't do it.
Well, what about Mohammed Sherif
fingering Nestor Lozano
as the middle man?
[Scoffs]
I've run with far less in the past.
I know.
Shoddy sourcing is what got
you fired off the Herald.
You got another shot
here. Don't blow it.
Unbelievable.
Calm down.
I'm the one who hired you
for this assignment, remember?
My ass is on the line here, too.
Look, if this checks out,
I'll back you all the way.
But New York is right on this.
You don't have enough
to challenge the White House narrative.
What's the big picture
behind your story?
Because I don't see it here yet.
There is a connection
between MacLeish and Lozano.
And this FBI agent, Hannah Wells,
was on to it.
So go find her. Connect the dots.
Get me domestic sources on record,
and I'll get you on the front page.
But until then...
dig deeper.
♪
Hannah: Trucks on the road at night...
That could be transport
moving munition in and out of the silo.
And don't forget the helicopters.
Jason, no credit cards.
They don't talk to locals.
This is it.
We found a cell.
Yeah, most likely.
Uh, uh...
♪
Uh, excuse me.
- Yeah.
- Sorry to bother you.
Uh, we are looking
for a local campground.
- Um...
- Stranger here myself. Sorry.
Oh, shoot. Because the, uh...
the guy at the restaurant
said that if we headed down this road...
I told you. I...
- You're not from here.
- I can't help you.
Okay, thank you for your time.
Oh! Look at this!
- Oh. [Chuckles]
- That's all right.
So sorry. Oh, my goodness.
[Chuckles] I apologize.
- It's okay.
- Okay.
Have a nice day.
I saw that.
♪
Good job.
[Chuckles]
[Telephone rings]
[Keyboard clacking]
[Humming]
[Sighs]
_
_
[Inhales sharply]
Yes, we are that desperate.
♪
[Computer beeps]
_
[Inhales sharply]
What the hell?
Where is this from?
[Humming]
♪
Oh.
Whoa.
[Cheering]
Whoa.
Wait a minute.
♪
Whoa.
♪
Huh.
[Mouse clicking]
♪
I got you.
I'm sorry,
but my meeting with the
Secretary of Energy ran over.
I hope you haven't
been waiting too long.
There are worse places to wait.
Does it go away?
Does what go away?
Being here... The awe of it all.
No. Not for me.
When I signed on,
I tried to read every book
about the White House I could.
Did any of them explain
why this office is oval?
Most people think the architect did it
so that when foreign leaders
came to visit the White House,
they'd be disoriented,
but the truth is it goes all
the way back to Washington.
His house in Philadelphia...
He was the one who wanted the
walls to be built like this.
Once an architect, always an architect.
- Got that right.
- [Knock on door]
Emily: Mr. President. Julia.
Emily, come on in.
Any word from Bowman?
Yes, but unfortunately,
not what we want to hear.
He said no to Clemens.
[Sighs]
Okay, on to plan B.
Plan B?
Julia, the President and
I were speaking earlier
about a name we haven't brought up,
a name we think Bowman would
be hard pressed to say no to.
Who? You.
What?
♪
I... [Exhales]
I'm... I'm not a judge. I...
Neither was Earl Warren
when President Eisenhower appointed him,
and he was an outstanding Chief Justice.
Also, you clerked for Justice Gray.
Alex tells me that some
of the opinions you wrote
are mandatory reading
for Constitutional law.
Tom.
I'm flattered.
Julia, I'm not trying to flatter you.
♪
I honestly think you'd be
the best person for the job.
Look, before you say no,
just tell me you'll at
least think about it.
♪
Jason: There's a series of vehicles
heading to the property with the silo.
Whatever the hell they're doing,
they're definitely doing it out there.
What's with the book?
Well, there's no
author and no copyright.
It's obviously self-published,
but listen to this.
"All democracies from ancient Athens
to the Roman Republic
to the city-states of
the Renaissance end.
And they end the same way...
As corrupt alliance of extreme wealth
and centralized power.
Ordinary citizens are
deprived of liberty.
What's rightfully theirs is taken away,
and their children are sent
to die in rich men's wars."
♪
This is a manifesto, Jason.
This is a... a manual
for a new American order.
I mean, look at this.
"Pax Americana... An American empire
to replace our own
constitutional government."
And check this out.
♪
"No victory without sacrifice."
It repeats over and over in the book.
NVWS.
Yeah.
We got to get back to that property.
- [Knock on door]
- Come in.
[Door opens]
Julia: Am I interrupting?
No, no, please.
[Door closes]
Tom.
I need to tell you something.
What is it?
I can't be your ninth judge.
Okay, why not?
The fact is I have earlyonset dementia.
What?
♪
[Clears throat]
I, uh, started noticing
symptoms about year ago.
Small things... Names, dates.
[Chuckles]
I suddenly couldn't remember.
Oh, my God.
I, uh...
[Exhales sharply]
I-I-I don't
know what to say.
♪
Do your kids know?
Yes.
♪
I believe in what we're doing, Tom.
I want to see it through.
I have to.
Just can't be with me on the bench.
♪
Of course.
♪
I'm sorry, Julia.
I am so, so sorry.
Silo property's coming up.
SUV coming up.
Looks like we have some company.
♪
Good afternoon.
Hi.
You two lost?
No, I don't think so.
You must have missed the signs, then.
This is private property.
Oh, the map says that
this is public land.
It's not anymore.
♪
What are you guys hunting?
If you circle back,
there's a sign around
two miles down the road.
♪
Should lead you back to the highway.
♪
Appreciate it.
♪
Whatever it is they're doing out here,
they're willing to kill for it.
[Brakes squeal]
♪
[Sighs]
[Door opens]
I've got it.
If we can't get through
Bowman, we go around him.
[Chuckles] Explain it to me.
[Horn honks]
♪
[Horn honks]
[Tires screech]
[Horn honks]
[Horns honking in distance]
♪
[Camera shutter clicks]
♪
Hannah: We think there
are about 25 to 30 of them.
They also have armed lookouts posted.
Foerstel: The sat survey's
showing 10 to 12 vehicles
parked in a cleared area.
It's almost like they're
waiting for something.
Those license plates come back?
Yeah, they're all bogus or stolen.
You're kidding.
And we don't have ears
on any of these people.
We have no idea who they are.
Yeah, they don't seem to
be in anything electronic.
No cellphones, no radio chatter.
No, they're very old-school
when it comes to infrastructure.
Signs and... And countersigns...
Very analogue when they want to be.
We're going to have to observe
them up close and personal.
No unnecessary risks, Hannah.
Just the necessary ones?
We're putting together a
task force at Grand Forks...
FBI and ATF...
But that's still over an
hour's flight from you.
I'll tell you when to send them.
Until then, keep them
the hell away from here.
♪
[Chatter]
Kirkman: Please don't get up.
Thank you all for coming
back on such short notice.
Bowman: I assume have
another name to put forward.
Actually, we've chosen not
to provide any more names.
But I'll let Professor
Rombauer explain that.
It was her idea.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The problem before us has
been finding a ninth judge,
a deciding voice that can
preside over split decisions.
But it's worth noting
that in recent history,
only a quarter of Supreme Court cases
have come down to a single vote.
A far greater number
have been unanimous.
So, rather than delay the
wheels of justice any longer
debating the merits of a
potential Chief Justice,
we propose to proceed
with the eight already
considered and approved.
♪
Krauss: I'm sorry, Professor,
but the Constitution sets
the number of judges at nine.
Actually, Senator,
the Constitution does
not specify a number.
That's up to Congress.
In fact, when the Supreme
Court first began in 1789,
there were only 6 judges,
then 7, then 9, then 10.
The numbers have
fluctuated over the years.
Intriguing.
So, we leave it to the next president
to pick the Chief Justice?
Not necessarily, but our nation
needs a Supreme Court up and
running as quickly as possible.
♪
Senator?
♪
Okay.
I can wait you out, sir.
Mr. President, looks
like you've got a deal.
Thank you, Senator.
Thank you, all.
[Chatter]
Well-done.
I'll buy you a beer.
Look, as I said, the President had
an extremely successful meeting
with Congressional leaders
about the Supreme Court,
and he'll be addressing
the nation later today.
Okay? That's all I have for
now. Thank you, everybody.
[Chatter]
Let's get a better answer for
Gary on the tax-policy question.
I just said we can e-mail
him by the end of the day.
Just pick somebody
and have something in
writing we can forward...
You think you can intimidate me?
What are you talking about?
Tell your boss to get
the FBI to lay off.
Abe, seriously, I have no idea
what you're talking about.
Crap.
You're having me followed.
You're delusional.
Yeah, all it means is I'm
getting close to the truth,
doesn't it?
That's what it means.
Will you excuse us for a second?
Abe, seriously, you should see somebody.
- Aw, come on.
- This is... this is paranoid.
Are you kidding me?
Really? Nice try, Seth.
Great.
Just back off.
Reporter: In what is being called
a master political stroke...
Reporter #2: a shortcut around
the expected party
battles and culture wars.
The Court's most urgent
cases can now be dealt with.
Reporter #3: The country
will likely have to wait
until the next election
for a Chief Justice,
but in the meantime,
President Kirkman has fulfilled
his promise to restore
the nation's highest court.
- [Glass thuds]
- [Chuckles]
To you.
To the Court.
I can't thank you enough.
Mr. President, it was my honor.
♪
[Clock chimes]
Oh, God.
Is that really the hour?
I got to get back to New York.
I got a con law class in the morning.
I wonder what we're gonna talk about.
[Chuckles]
♪
Julia.
Remember me like this.
♪
[Horn honks in distance]
♪
[Cellphone rings]
♪
[Cellphone beeps]
Yeah?
Man: You're interested in Nestor Lozano.
So are we.
Who is this?
A friend.
Yeah, I don't have any friends.
The same friend who sent you that link
about Hannah Wells and
Speaker Hookstraten.
Okay.
You got my attention.
In front of the Roosevelt
Island footbridge,
one hour.
Whoa, hold on, pal.
- Listen...
- One hour.
[Receiver clicks]
♪
[Clears throat]
♪
I count 35 to 40.
Damn.
♪
Jason, I don't think
these are just bonfires.
I think this is a landing zone.
And I'm picking up a chopper.
[Helicopter blades whirring]
♪
Oh, my God.
What?
♪
It's Lozano.
My sources say MacLeish
overrode the FBI,
preventing them from
taking Lozano alive.
I mean, why would he go out of his way
to silence the man
who attempted to murder the president?
I brought this to show the White House
that any effort to interfere
in the Second Amendment
rights will fail.
I know you're facing an uphill climb.
What if we could help?
- And what's in it for Hookstraten?
- Think about it.
Vice President.
Kimble, I'm not in a position
to make promises right now.
I would be very grateful down the line.
That's all I need to
know, Mr. President.
The yeas are 51, and the nays are 49.
It passes! We won!
Congratulations.
Jason: These look like the bombs
used to blow up the Capitol.
There's enough explosives in here
to blow up three Capitols.
♪
[Horns honking]
[Horn blares]
[Shouting in Arabic]
♪
[Shouting in Arabic]
♪
[Man speaking Arabic]
♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[Man speaking Arabic]
It is necessary to take precautions.
All right, I-I understand.
Thank you for seeing me.
Just...
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, just...
Easy, easy, just so I can see, okay?
And... And I'm gonna take notes.
That's it.
I'm old. You understand.
I need...
Oh, God.
♪
Do you know who this man is?
♪
Mr. Lozano... He shot our President.
♪
I was told by f-friends of yours
that he was in contact with Al-Sakar,
the group that blew up the U.S. Capital.
[Speaking Arabic]
♪
Al-Sakar blew up nothing.
They didn't?
[Sighs]
So, wha... who did?
♪
You don't know?
[Speaking Arabic]
The American Satan
has enemies everywhere.
So, tell me, why would
AlSakar take credit
knowing the U.S. military
would never stop hunting them down?
♪
[Speaking Arabic]
♪
He paid them.
He paid Al-Sakar?
♪
[Scoffs]
[Door opens]
[Door creaks]
These aren't Army surplus
explosives, Foerstel.
These are battlefield-ready.
Yeah, we're assessing it now.
What about "NVWS"?
And "NVWS"?
So far, no known terror organizations
match those initials.
We also found a motion sensor
with limited-range
transmitter attached to it,
so whoever's watching this
place is within 20 miles.
Nearest town to you is
Driggs, population 600.
Yeah, we're headed there
next. What about the silo?
We'll maintain aerial surveillance,
and we'll assemble a team to go in.
Not until I give you my word.
We need to seize this ordinance.
Well, we also need to
figure out why this is here.
Until then, we can't tip our hand.
Foerstel?
Affirmative.
All right, we'll be in
contact when we get to Driggs.
♪
Kirkman: Good morning.
Emily: Good morning.
I have some good news...
Looks like the House is gonna
pass the gun-control bill.
Speaker Hookstraten came through.
She still has a little bit of
work to do with the Republicans,
but she's assured me
that she'll get there.
Aaron's gonna give me an update
of vote count this afternoon.
Okay, great.
We should talk about the
vice presidency, though.
There's a growing buzz of
a quid pro quo in the works.
I was absolutely clear.
I made no promises.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
I know, but we need
to manage expectations.
I'd like to be clear when I
speak to Aaron this afternoon
that we are keeping our options open.
Okay, fine.
Unbelievable.
I was looking for these all last night.
Look, I want us to stay focused
on the Supreme Court right now.
Absolutely.
Julia Rombauer is waiting.
Great.
Julia, please come on in.
Mr. President.
- Getting any sleep?
- No.
But I managed to go six
weeks without it so far.
Wouldn't want to break the streak now.
Your nine Supreme Court nominees,
all vetted by the working group.
I can't believe this hasn't leaked.
I can't believe we've gotten this far.
It's all because of Julia.
Meaning I can still be
intimidating when I want to be.
No, it's a testament to
your leadership skills.
When I was an associate
professor at Columbia,
Julia was in charge.
She was my role model.
She's the reason why
I wanted to become President
of the University one day.
[Chuckles] Well, it's good training.
If you think national politics is tough,
- try academia.
- [Chuckles]
Well, we're meeting with the
Senate leadership in 20 minutes.
Assuming we get a consensus, the plan is
to announce the slate to
the press tomorrow night.
Well, I've kept the leadership
informed throughout the process.
In principle, they all agree
to the idea of four progressives
to satisfy the Democrats,
four conservatives to
satisfy the Republicans,
and a ninth judge, a true
and impartial
independent, like Tom here.
Now I just need to get them to
sign off on the actual names.
And then go through the
formal confirmation process.
Yes, but that should be reasonably short
with the full support
of both parties going in.
Let's hope you're right.
I haven't worked this hard to be wrong.
♪
Joanne, get me actual
numbers on the families
who were impacted by the
proposed estate-tax changes.
I want something more than estimates.
Joanne: We'll have it on
your desk by this afternoon.
I never liked "impacted" as a verb.
Geez. Get out.
The only things that should
get impacted are teeth.
Now.
Ah, good to see you, too.
What, you didn't miss me, huh?
I didn't notice.
Oh, I've been working on a story, Seth.
Yeah, for the New York Standard.
That's a pretty good forgery.
Funny.
Fact is they sent me to
the Middle East and Asia
to look into Al-Sakar.
See, I would never publish
a story so impactful
without giving you a
chance to comment first.
[Whispering] Can we please dispense
with the dramatic pause?
[Whispering] Al-Sakar
didn't blow up the Capitol.
They didn't have the money.
They didn't have the people.
They didn't have the
smarts to take it out.
You guys were played.
According to whom? Unnamed sources?
No, I'll name them.
Meantime, you got today to
get back to me with a response
because this is going out tomorrow.
♪
Tell the Secretary of
Commerce we need more diversity
for the young entrepreneurs
presser next month.
Thank you.
Hey. Hey, what's up?
So, major flag for you.
Abe Leonard's running with the story
that Al-Sakar didn't
blow up the Capitol.
What? That's crazy.
We have the FBI, the CIA,
and half a dozen other agencies
on record saying they did.
Yes, I know, and the last time
Leonard ran with a story
that I thought was crazy,
and then POTUS confirmed it. Remember?
I mean, if he's right about this,
that means our SEALs
took out the wrong guys
and the real Capitol
bombers are still out there.
Okay, slow down.
Do you have anyone at Teen Mode
you can reach out to,
see how real the story is?
Abe's not at Teen Mode anymore.
Now he's writing for the
New York Standard,
which has an audience 25 times the size.
And you haven't seen the story?
No, he wanted a reaction
to the allegations first.
I'll flag POTUS.
- Em.
- Yeah?
I don't want the White
House embarrassed by this,
especially now that things
are finally going our way.
You and me both.
♪
[Indistinct conversations]
Kirkman: Good afternoon.
I want to take a moment to thank you all
and congratulate you on
accomplishing something
that's never been done before...
Seating nine justices to the
High Court at the same time.
This is an act of bipartisan cooperation
that I believe will go down in history.
So congratulations to you all.
[Applause]
Let's get started.
Senator Hunter.
Mr. President, I appreciate
you including us in the process,
and I commend Ms. Rombauer
for her extraordinary leadership.
We believe you have come up
with a well-balanced slate,
including a Chief Justice
who can act as an impartial,
potentially deciding voice.
Thank you.
I think we might have a bit of
a problem there, Mr. President.
What kind of problem?
I'll let my distinguished
colleague from Montana explain.
Thank you.
Mr. President, my staff has
been looking into your choice
for Chief Justice, Judge Borda,
and we've made some
disturbing discoveries.
These names have already been approved
by a working group from
within your own party.
Well, nevertheless, this nominee
clearly shows liberal bias.
Senator, it's too late to
pull this kind of stunt.
No, we have an agreement.
Our third branch of government
needs to be reinstated.
Oh, yes, sir.
But you already have a Senate,
one with a Republican majority.
And I'm saying that we
need to start with a list
of five justices acceptable to us
and then go forward from there.
- That is not what we agreed to.
- We have the votes.
♪
Sir, my approach will get
you a speedy confirmation.
Otherwise, well, we might be forced
to hold up all your nominees.
Mr. President, Senator
Bowman might still be smarting
from his loss on the gun bill...
- I object to that.
- But if we go with his formula,
our side will filibuster.
Then I guess we're done here.
- I guess we are.
- Everybody, please, just take your seats.
Please, take your...
I said take your seats now!
♪
[Chatter]
I'm sorry for losing my temper,
but I have lost my temper.
Shame on you, Senator Bowman.
Shame on you.
♪
Our nation is in crisis.
Do you have any idea how many
cases are on the current docket
that can't be resolved because
we don't have a Supreme Court?
126... issues that go to
the core of our democracy.
Civil rights, immigration,
campaign-finance reform.
Without a court to adjudicate
the laws of this land,
we are a broken government, sir.
♪
Now, this was a fair deal.
Every single person in this room
has something to claim victory over.
♪
I'm not gonna let you hijack that, sir.
And if you're willing to play
politics with people's lives,
trust me... I am more than willing
to walk down that hall to my press room
and call you out in
front of the entire world
for trying to hold our
justice system hostage
[Scoffs] at a time when we need it most.
I would think twice, Senator.
I would seriously think twice...
before making yourself the
poster child of obstructionism.
Excuse me, Mr. President.
But doing whatever I can to
ensure a fair and balanced court
hardly makes me an obstructionist.
Point of fact,
it's doing exactly what
I was appointed to do.
♪
Gentlemen, this is obviously
a very emotional issue.
Everyone in this room knows
how hard you've worked on this,
Mr. President,
but in the interest
of all those involved,
would it be too much to
ask for you to put forward
another name for that ninth seat?
♪
No, I can do that.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
[Chatter]
For a second, I thought it
was all gonna fall apart.
Who the hell says it hasn't?
We need to find a name that
son of a bitch can't say no to.
Not a lot of street life here.
Not a lot of anything.
Still, they get visitors.
New Mexico.
♪
Georgia.
Texas.
People drive a long way to
get to the middle of nowhere.
♪
[Indistinct conversation]
[Car alarm chirps]
♪
Man: Hi.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Hear a storm's coming.
- Really?
Yeah, we, um...
we haven't watched the
weather report in a while.
♪
So what brings you to Driggs?
We're just, um...
just heading up the mountain.
♪
- You take care now.
- Okay, you, too.
Well, if that was a test,
I think we just failed that one.
Well, we're marked now.
♪
New York plates.
Hey, Jason.
♪
[Camera shutter clicks]
_
[Door opens]
What about Semegran?
Yeah, he's got the qualifications,
but he's 64 and he
smokes two packs a day.
Just can't believe one man would
exploit Constitutional crisis
for political advancement.
He knows the list was balanced
and that I wasn't trying
to push a political agenda.
He's trying to put himself
at the center of his own damn party.
How did Bowman get so powerful?
Didn't he lose the Senate vote to you?
Yeah.
He managed to win over a
block of conservative senators,
which consolidated his power,
making him the darling of the far right.
So, when he claims he
wants a balanced court,
what he's really saying is that he just
wants a court that agrees with him.
You cannot let him win this, Tom.
I'm not planning on it.
[Indistinct conversation]
[Door creaks]
♪ Danger... ♪
Hello?
- Hello?
- Oh, hey.
Hi.
You folks need some menus?
- Sure.
- Sure, thank you.
- Can I ask you a question?
- Man: Yeah, sure.
Is there a ski area around here?
You see any mountains nearby?
No, we just see a lot of
cars with out-of-state plates.
Just curious.
You're talking about the True Believers.
The what?
Well, that's what we call them.
They get together on a private property
three or four times a year, maybe.
They stick together.
Hmm.
They pay cash, though.
No credit cards.
[Chuckles] Strange bunch.
So what exactly do they do out there?
Nobody knows, really.
Uh, a bit of camping.
You know, they light bonfires.
How do you know they light bonfires?
Well, you can see the glow.
Where exactly is this property?
Well, it's a huge spread. Used
to belong to the Air Force.
Oh.
Where the missile silos are.
Hmm.
I'm former Air Force.
E-5 with the third
bomber wing at Clarendon.
- For real?
- Yes, sir.
Well, man, I miss those Stratoforts.
They moved them all
up to Minot years ago.
We keep thinking they
might reopen the base.
Uh, you hear trucks moving
through at night occasionally...
Choppers, too. [Chuckles]
Ah, who am I kidding?
Air Force is never coming back.
Yeah.
So, tell us... What's good?
Hartnett and Sherburne
put us 20 votes on top.
Gun bill will pass.
You think Kirkman's gonna
come through with VP?
Well, I'm meeting with
Emily Rhodes today.
That's the next thing on the agenda.
Abe: Knock, knock.
Come on in, Abe.
You know my new
strategist... Aaron Shore.
- Abe Leonard.
- Hey.
It's a pleasure.
- Pleasure's mine, Mr. Shore.
- I've been wanting to ask you
why you jumped off the good
ship Kirkman as Chief of Staff.
It was amicable.
Well, you didn't answer my question.
And I don't intend to.
I'm happy with my current position.
He's good.
Is it all right if he hears this?
I trust him, if that's what you mean.
Okay, 'cause I got a few torpedos
to fire in his old boss.
Abe, you are aware that I
am allied with the President
on this gun legislation.
Yeah, smart move, too,
setting yourself up as a
moderate alternative to Bowman,
but this isn't about politics.
This is about our old friend,
the late Vice President Peter MacLeish.
MacLeish?
♪
I heard you delayed his
confirmation vote as VP.
Who told you that?
Does it matter? What
I want to know is why.
♪
My sources say you were waiting
for some evidence from an FBI agent.
We're getting into matters
of national security here.
Yeah, I'll make it easy for you.
Her name is Agent Hannah Wells.
Does that name mean anything to you?
I can't comment.
Can't or won't?
You're crossing a line, Abe.
All right, look.
If I'm wrong, just tell me so,
but I'll use your denial in my story.
♪
I refuse to comment on
an ongoing investigation.
That'll work.
Be seeing you.
That guy's dangerous.
Which is why I keep him close.
♪
[Telephone ringing in distance,
indistinct conversation]
[Cellphone beeps]
Yes. Agent Hannah Wells, please.
Foerstel: Mr. Shore.
What do you want?
It's what you want.
You called Hannah Wells
twice in the last three hours.
How'd you know that?
She's on administrative leave.
Her calls get bounced to me.
Whatever it is, you can say it to me.
[Chuckles]
[Chuckles]
You know we'd get
along a whole lot better
if you just accept the fact
that we're on the same side.
Oh, now we're on the same side?
You... You interrogated me like
I was some sort of criminal.
You want me to apologize for that?
You more than anybody should
appreciate the magnitude
of what we're dealing with here.
So, you want to tell
me what you know or not?
♪
Foerstel: Abe Leonard
knows that Agent Wells
tried to delay Vice President
MacLeish's confirmation vote.
[Sighs]
Speaker Hookstraten tell him?
Mm, according to Aaron Shore,
Leonard tried to get her to confirm.
- And did she?
- No, she refused to comment.
But, Mr. President, bottom line...
We can't allow Leonard to
go public with what he knows.
It could completely
derail our investigation.
What do you suggest?
I'm suggesting we bring him in.
On what grounds?
Someone is feeding him
classified information.
We need to find out who.
And if he refuses to give up his source,
we get him on contempt.
Lying to a federal officer is a felony.
Absolutely not.
We're not arresting
reporters for doing their job.
This is not a First Amendment issue.
This is an issue of national security.
If Leonard publishes,
the people behind this
conspiracy are gonna go dark,
and we are never gonna find them.
Mr. President, we don't have a choice.
We have to bring him in.
Director Foerstel, we
always have a choice.
I'm afraid we're gonna have
to let this one ride out,
see what Leonard comes up with.
Price of living in a free society.
Emily: So how's it going
over there with Hookstraten?
Aaron: Not bad.
Could be better if she heard from POTUS.
What do you mean?
She delivered on her
promise with the gun bill,
so we feel the President
should deliver on his.
Whoa.
President didn't promise the Speaker
anything more than gratitude.
What, are you kidding me?
No. If the bill passes...
When it passes.
If it passes, then the White House
will definitely owe the Speaker a debt.
Well, yeah, the VP slot.
It's a possibility, Aaron.
It's not a certainty.
Well, that's not her
understanding, Emily.
Well, then, she wasn't listening.
Well, she's gonna be very
disappointed to hear that.
Well, the Speaker's a big girl.
And backing the bill made sense for her
without quid pro quo.
She's drawn moderates and
independents into her corner.
Now suddenly,
Bowman has serious competition
within his own party.
Well, getting his bill out of the Senate
was largely due to her efforts.
It was a big factor, but it
wasn't the only factor.
Are... Are you really
gonna play hardball on this?
Absolutely.
It's my job to protect the President.
You know that better than anyone,
and we've got to keep our options open.
Get the bill passed,
and we can talk again.
♪
[Chatter]
Bad news, Abe.
New York kicked this back.
What?
They like the direction you're going,
but they say it's not enough.
Not enough that Al-Sakar
didn't blow up the Capitol?
It's conjecture.
Wh... I got named sources.
Yeah, two terrorist leaders.
Yeah, exactly... who I risked
my life to get to, by the way.
I know, and it's excellent color.
But it's not news.
New York says these terrorist
groups all hate each other.
Of course they'd say
Al-Sakar didn't do it.
Well, what about Mohammed Sherif
fingering Nestor Lozano
as the middle man?
[Scoffs]
I've run with far less in the past.
I know.
Shoddy sourcing is what got
you fired off the Herald.
You got another shot
here. Don't blow it.
Unbelievable.
Calm down.
I'm the one who hired you
for this assignment, remember?
My ass is on the line here, too.
Look, if this checks out,
I'll back you all the way.
But New York is right on this.
You don't have enough
to challenge the White House narrative.
What's the big picture
behind your story?
Because I don't see it here yet.
There is a connection
between MacLeish and Lozano.
And this FBI agent, Hannah Wells,
was on to it.
So go find her. Connect the dots.
Get me domestic sources on record,
and I'll get you on the front page.
But until then...
dig deeper.
♪
Hannah: Trucks on the road at night...
That could be transport
moving munition in and out of the silo.
And don't forget the helicopters.
Jason, no credit cards.
They don't talk to locals.
This is it.
We found a cell.
Yeah, most likely.
Uh, uh...
♪
Uh, excuse me.
- Yeah.
- Sorry to bother you.
Uh, we are looking
for a local campground.
- Um...
- Stranger here myself. Sorry.
Oh, shoot. Because the, uh...
the guy at the restaurant
said that if we headed down this road...
I told you. I...
- You're not from here.
- I can't help you.
Okay, thank you for your time.
Oh! Look at this!
- Oh. [Chuckles]
- That's all right.
So sorry. Oh, my goodness.
[Chuckles] I apologize.
- It's okay.
- Okay.
Have a nice day.
I saw that.
♪
Good job.
[Chuckles]
[Telephone rings]
[Keyboard clacking]
[Humming]
[Sighs]
_
_
[Inhales sharply]
Yes, we are that desperate.
♪
[Computer beeps]
_
[Inhales sharply]
What the hell?
Where is this from?
[Humming]
♪
Oh.
Whoa.
[Cheering]
Whoa.
Wait a minute.
♪
Whoa.
♪
Huh.
[Mouse clicking]
♪
I got you.
I'm sorry,
but my meeting with the
Secretary of Energy ran over.
I hope you haven't
been waiting too long.
There are worse places to wait.
Does it go away?
Does what go away?
Being here... The awe of it all.
No. Not for me.
When I signed on,
I tried to read every book
about the White House I could.
Did any of them explain
why this office is oval?
Most people think the architect did it
so that when foreign leaders
came to visit the White House,
they'd be disoriented,
but the truth is it goes all
the way back to Washington.
His house in Philadelphia...
He was the one who wanted the
walls to be built like this.
Once an architect, always an architect.
- Got that right.
- [Knock on door]
Emily: Mr. President. Julia.
Emily, come on in.
Any word from Bowman?
Yes, but unfortunately,
not what we want to hear.
He said no to Clemens.
[Sighs]
Okay, on to plan B.
Plan B?
Julia, the President and
I were speaking earlier
about a name we haven't brought up,
a name we think Bowman would
be hard pressed to say no to.
Who? You.
What?
♪
I... [Exhales]
I'm... I'm not a judge. I...
Neither was Earl Warren
when President Eisenhower appointed him,
and he was an outstanding Chief Justice.
Also, you clerked for Justice Gray.
Alex tells me that some
of the opinions you wrote
are mandatory reading
for Constitutional law.
Tom.
I'm flattered.
Julia, I'm not trying to flatter you.
♪
I honestly think you'd be
the best person for the job.
Look, before you say no,
just tell me you'll at
least think about it.
♪
Jason: There's a series of vehicles
heading to the property with the silo.
Whatever the hell they're doing,
they're definitely doing it out there.
What's with the book?
Well, there's no
author and no copyright.
It's obviously self-published,
but listen to this.
"All democracies from ancient Athens
to the Roman Republic
to the city-states of
the Renaissance end.
And they end the same way...
As corrupt alliance of extreme wealth
and centralized power.
Ordinary citizens are
deprived of liberty.
What's rightfully theirs is taken away,
and their children are sent
to die in rich men's wars."
♪
This is a manifesto, Jason.
This is a... a manual
for a new American order.
I mean, look at this.
"Pax Americana... An American empire
to replace our own
constitutional government."
And check this out.
♪
"No victory without sacrifice."
It repeats over and over in the book.
NVWS.
Yeah.
We got to get back to that property.
- [Knock on door]
- Come in.
[Door opens]
Julia: Am I interrupting?
No, no, please.
[Door closes]
Tom.
I need to tell you something.
What is it?
I can't be your ninth judge.
Okay, why not?
The fact is I have earlyonset dementia.
What?
♪
[Clears throat]
I, uh, started noticing
symptoms about year ago.
Small things... Names, dates.
[Chuckles]
I suddenly couldn't remember.
Oh, my God.
I, uh...
[Exhales sharply]
I-I-I don't
know what to say.
♪
Do your kids know?
Yes.
♪
I believe in what we're doing, Tom.
I want to see it through.
I have to.
Just can't be with me on the bench.
♪
Of course.
♪
I'm sorry, Julia.
I am so, so sorry.
Silo property's coming up.
SUV coming up.
Looks like we have some company.
♪
Good afternoon.
Hi.
You two lost?
No, I don't think so.
You must have missed the signs, then.
This is private property.
Oh, the map says that
this is public land.
It's not anymore.
♪
What are you guys hunting?
If you circle back,
there's a sign around
two miles down the road.
♪
Should lead you back to the highway.
♪
Appreciate it.
♪
Whatever it is they're doing out here,
they're willing to kill for it.
[Brakes squeal]
♪
[Sighs]
[Door opens]
I've got it.
If we can't get through
Bowman, we go around him.
[Chuckles] Explain it to me.
[Horn honks]
♪
[Horn honks]
[Tires screech]
[Horn honks]
[Horns honking in distance]
♪
[Camera shutter clicks]
♪
Hannah: We think there
are about 25 to 30 of them.
They also have armed lookouts posted.
Foerstel: The sat survey's
showing 10 to 12 vehicles
parked in a cleared area.
It's almost like they're
waiting for something.
Those license plates come back?
Yeah, they're all bogus or stolen.
You're kidding.
And we don't have ears
on any of these people.
We have no idea who they are.
Yeah, they don't seem to
be in anything electronic.
No cellphones, no radio chatter.
No, they're very old-school
when it comes to infrastructure.
Signs and... And countersigns...
Very analogue when they want to be.
We're going to have to observe
them up close and personal.
No unnecessary risks, Hannah.
Just the necessary ones?
We're putting together a
task force at Grand Forks...
FBI and ATF...
But that's still over an
hour's flight from you.
I'll tell you when to send them.
Until then, keep them
the hell away from here.
♪
[Chatter]
Kirkman: Please don't get up.
Thank you all for coming
back on such short notice.
Bowman: I assume have
another name to put forward.
Actually, we've chosen not
to provide any more names.
But I'll let Professor
Rombauer explain that.
It was her idea.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The problem before us has
been finding a ninth judge,
a deciding voice that can
preside over split decisions.
But it's worth noting
that in recent history,
only a quarter of Supreme Court cases
have come down to a single vote.
A far greater number
have been unanimous.
So, rather than delay the
wheels of justice any longer
debating the merits of a
potential Chief Justice,
we propose to proceed
with the eight already
considered and approved.
♪
Krauss: I'm sorry, Professor,
but the Constitution sets
the number of judges at nine.
Actually, Senator,
the Constitution does
not specify a number.
That's up to Congress.
In fact, when the Supreme
Court first began in 1789,
there were only 6 judges,
then 7, then 9, then 10.
The numbers have
fluctuated over the years.
Intriguing.
So, we leave it to the next president
to pick the Chief Justice?
Not necessarily, but our nation
needs a Supreme Court up and
running as quickly as possible.
♪
Senator?
♪
Okay.
I can wait you out, sir.
Mr. President, looks
like you've got a deal.
Thank you, Senator.
Thank you, all.
[Chatter]
Well-done.
I'll buy you a beer.
Look, as I said, the President had
an extremely successful meeting
with Congressional leaders
about the Supreme Court,
and he'll be addressing
the nation later today.
Okay? That's all I have for
now. Thank you, everybody.
[Chatter]
Let's get a better answer for
Gary on the tax-policy question.
I just said we can e-mail
him by the end of the day.
Just pick somebody
and have something in
writing we can forward...
You think you can intimidate me?
What are you talking about?
Tell your boss to get
the FBI to lay off.
Abe, seriously, I have no idea
what you're talking about.
Crap.
You're having me followed.
You're delusional.
Yeah, all it means is I'm
getting close to the truth,
doesn't it?
That's what it means.
Will you excuse us for a second?
Abe, seriously, you should see somebody.
- Aw, come on.
- This is... this is paranoid.
Are you kidding me?
Really? Nice try, Seth.
Great.
Just back off.
Reporter: In what is being called
a master political stroke...
Reporter #2: a shortcut around
the expected party
battles and culture wars.
The Court's most urgent
cases can now be dealt with.
Reporter #3: The country
will likely have to wait
until the next election
for a Chief Justice,
but in the meantime,
President Kirkman has fulfilled
his promise to restore
the nation's highest court.
- [Glass thuds]
- [Chuckles]
To you.
To the Court.
I can't thank you enough.
Mr. President, it was my honor.
♪
[Clock chimes]
Oh, God.
Is that really the hour?
I got to get back to New York.
I got a con law class in the morning.
I wonder what we're gonna talk about.
[Chuckles]
♪
Julia.
Remember me like this.
♪
[Horn honks in distance]
♪
[Cellphone rings]
♪
[Cellphone beeps]
Yeah?
Man: You're interested in Nestor Lozano.
So are we.
Who is this?
A friend.
Yeah, I don't have any friends.
The same friend who sent you that link
about Hannah Wells and
Speaker Hookstraten.
Okay.
You got my attention.
In front of the Roosevelt
Island footbridge,
one hour.
Whoa, hold on, pal.
- Listen...
- One hour.
[Receiver clicks]
♪
[Clears throat]
♪
I count 35 to 40.
Damn.
♪
Jason, I don't think
these are just bonfires.
I think this is a landing zone.
And I'm picking up a chopper.
[Helicopter blades whirring]
♪
Oh, my God.
What?
♪
It's Lozano.