Designated Survivor (2016–2019): Season 3, Episode 4 - #makehistory - full transcript

Previously on
Designated Survivor...

I was sitting in my seat,
and then... everything went black.

And Congressman MacLeish
in his seat.

This photo was taken
six seconds later.

- MacLeish survived.
- Because he wasn't there.

Governor Royce, I am ordering
you to have your police

stop harassing the Muslim
community in Dearborn.

I've been thinking about
my Chief of Staff.

I have decided
to go with Aaron.

I would like to appoint you
as my Special Adviser.

I am Majid Nassar.



Al-Sakar annihilated
your government.

Whatever cave, cavern,
or hole he's hiding in,

I want you want you to find me
Majid Nassar.

Come on, come on. Come on.

- Good morning, Mr. President.
- Morning.

Anything happen
during the three hours I slept?

Per your orders,

Pentagon's working around
the clock to find Majid Nassar.

Schools have reopened.

The Dow and the NASDAQ
have both resumed trading.

They're both down
sharply.

Well, I guess today's not
the day to check on your IRA.

Where are we at
with security?

Law enforcement's
still on high alert.



Ports, nuclear plants,

soft targets like malls
and sports arenas.

Here's a long shot...
any good news?

Well, you slept three hours
last night, sir.

Ah, the little things.

Oh,
there's one more thing.

Hookstraten insisted on being
the first meeting of the day.

My God,
doesn't she ever sleep?

- Morning, Wyatt.
- Morning, Mr. President.

Congresswoman,
what a pleasant surprise.

Sir,
it's been a whole week

since Majid Nassar confessed
to the Capitol bombing.

The entire country is on pins and needles.

Where are we on our search?

We're working around the clock
to find him.

As 50% of Congress,

I think I deserve
more than a sound bite.

Well unfortunately,

you don't have clearance
for more than that.

Sir, every moment that passes
without finding Nassar

is a moment
for the American people

to doubt your mettle
for this job.

I think this is when you
offer me your full support.

Your boyish sincerity
is your best quality, sir.

I hope you don't lose it.

- I'm sorry to interrupt.
- If you don't mind, excuse us.

Sir.

What is it?

It's Michigan.

More violence
against Muslims?

No, but there's
about to be.

Governor Royce is using
your Elizabeth Vargas interview

as justification to start
arresting Muslims again.

He claims that your admission
that you were asked to resign

makes you
an illegitimate president.

He's re-imposed the curfew
and banned public gatherings.

I'm guessing
the Bill of Rights

wasn't on the governor's
summer reading list.

The IAC...

- The Islamic American Coalition.
- Uh-huh.

They're planning
a peaceful protest

outside City Hall
in Dearborn,

but they have
obvious concerns.

The first time,
the violence was Royce's fault,

- but if we let it happen again...
- It'll be ours.

Sir, I think it's time
to tell the governor

in no uncertain terms
that we...

What,
with another phone call?

No, we tried that.
Look how much good it did.

What if we send
a legal observer,

monitor
the demonstrations,

make sure the governor
doesn't overstep his bounds?

That's smart. Straight out
of the Kennedy playbook.

Well, we don't have many friends
in the state, but...

I'm sure I can get someone
from the AG's office.

I can do it.

It has to be someone we can trust,

and who better than your
newly appointed Special Adviser?

You sure?

Absolutely.

General Cochrane says
he needs to see you, sir.

Fine. Send him in.

Let's get you
on a plane now.

General,
it's barely 7:00 a.m.,

and I've already been ambushed
by the presumptive Speaker,

and I am facing
a potential domestic crisis,

so, please,
choose your words wisely.

I don't need to, sir.
We found Majid Nassar.

We consider ourselves blessed

and ask only for privacy
at this time.

This was
the scene earlier today,

as Congressman MacLeish,
the sole survivor

of the Capitol attack,
returned to his D.C. home...

Hey, you got a sec?

- Yeah.
- accompanied by his wife, Beth.

In other news, on the Hill today...

This is what you want to show me?

MacLeish's empty seat
at the State of the Union?

Jason, he lied to me.

He told me he was in his seat
when the Capitol blew up.

The man spent his entire adult life

in service to his country.

You were supposed to
get a statement,

not turn him into a suspect.

He got up
at the exact right moment,

like he knew what was coming.

Hannah, there are a thousand reasons

he could have gotten up...

he was bored, he was thirsty,
he needed to take a leak.

But conspiring with an
international terrorist network

to blow up the Capitol?

It's likely not one of them.

Or here's another theory.

Maybe he's not the golden boy
everyone thinks he is.

Have I made a mistake keeping
you on this investigation?

What?

Look, I understand.

If you need time to grieve,
if you...

No. I'm fine.

I hope so.

Because impugning
a congressman's reputation,

it's not gonna bring your boyfriend back.

Mr. Essaway,
my name is Emily Rhodes.

I'm Special Adviser to the president.

I just wanted to let you know
I'm on my way to Dearborn

to monitor
your protest today.

Ms. Rhodes, I can't tell you
how much we appreciate that.

Governor Royce can't get away

with criminalizing innocent people.

And the president has
no intention of letting him.

I'll see you soon.

Hey. Public Engagement
said you're headed to Michigan?

- Yeah.
- Kick Royce's ass for me.

I'll do my best.

Sammy Serafian
is an American operative

who has been in Algeria six years

working under nonofficial cover.

Sixteen months ago,
he infiltrated Al-Sakar.

This morning, we received
a message from him

confirming a direct link
between Al-Sakar and the attack.

It says here that he found
an unexploded ordnance

with the same unique signature

as the bomb from the Capitol site?

Yes, sir, confirming without a doubt

that Al-Sakar was behind the attack.

Do we have a location?

Serafian was able to pinpoint
Nassar's position...

a compound in the tri-border
region between Mali and Niger.

Satellite surveillance confirms

multiple vehicles and a heavy perimeter.

- And we think that's Nassar's security.
- Yes, Mr. President.

On your order, F-18s can be deployed

from the USS Eisenhower.

We'll disable their air defense

and reduce them to a stain in the sand

within a matter of seconds.

Where's Agent Serafian now?

We've lost contact with him, sir.

We gave him 24 hours
to evacuate.

That was six hours ago.

Sir, if we wait
for him to surface,

we may lose our window
to take out the enemy.

And what's the probability

that he's in the compound
with him now?

It's high, sir.

So, in all likelihood,
if we bomb the compound,

we'd be killing an American agent.

He knew the risks, sir.

I have to believe, General,
that he's in Algeria

trying to help his country,
not get killed by it.

We have the enemy in our sights,

the man who destroyed all three
branches of our government,

a thousand Americans.

Are we gonna let one man stand
in the way of retribution?

I need your orders, sir.

What's it gonna be?

Mr. President?

Sir, your orders?

We're not bombing one of our own.

Maintain surveillance on Nassar
and keep me informed.

Until Serafian makes contact,
we do nothing.

- Understood?
- Yes, sir.

General, understood?

Yes, sir.

Thank you all.

Algeria's agreed to support us
after the bombing, right?

Yes, sir, they did.

Okay, I want you to get
President Bishara on the phone.

- Are you sure it's a good idea?
- I want to try a diplomatic approach.

If we can get them to arrest Nassar
and everyone at the compound,

we won't need to use our military.

We can pull our own men out
as soon as he's in custody.

Yes, sir. Excuse me a moment.
I'll be right there. Hey.

Looks like I missed three calls
from you while I was in the air.

Yeah, I just wanted to say,
about Michigan...

What about it?

Well, it's a situation out there,

and... and people should be... careful

when they're in a situation,
you know?

Aaron, are you worried about me?

What? No. No.

Look, I'm just saying...
good luck out there, all right?

Let's go!

Governor Royce, this is
quite the welcome committee.

Emily Rhodes, Special Adviser
to President Kirkman.

I am here to observe
the IAC's protest.

Yeah,
I know why you're here,

and I suggest you and your staff
get back on that plane

and return to Washington.

Um, we're here to help,
sir.

Yeah, well,
as President Reagan said,

the nine scariest words
in the English language are,

"I'm with the government,
and I'm here to help."

Mm.

I got enough to worry about
without you people interfering.

Well, I'm sorry, sir,

but that's not really a decision
for you to make.

I'm here by orders
of the president.

Let me explain this again
in a way that you'll understand.

The state of Michigan

is off-limits to Tom Kirkman,
his staff, his plane,

and most of all,
his presidency.

Understood?

Um, I'm sorry.
I was very clear.

My husband's
not up to interviews.

Mrs. MacLeish, I'm Special Agent
Hannah Wells, FBI.

Your husband wanted me
to keep him updated on the case.

Yeah. Come on in.

And they keep coming every day
from all over.

Kindness of strangers.

Yeah, well,
he's a symbol of hope.

I was lucky. That's all.
Morning.

Morning, Congressman.

Last time I saw you, you told us
to keep you updated, so...

Like to show you
a couple things.

This was taken during
the State of the Union.

This was taken seconds before the blast.

I don't understand.
Where was I?

Well, that's my question,
Congressman.

Maybe you were right.
Maybe that is why I survived.

Peter, the whole world
doesn't have to hear that story.

Not the whole world,
Mrs. MacLeish.

Just me.

- Oh, God. It's embarrassing.
- It's all right.

Um, but I was at home
in Eugene with the girls.

We'd gone to the mall
to get my oldest a dress

for her winter recital.

I-I just took my eyes
off Lexy...

that... that's our little one...
for a second, but...

when I turned around,
she was gone.

I-I lost my mind.

I-I must have sent Peter
30 texts.

But 10 minutes later,

a kind woman dropped her
at the security station,

and Lexy was eating
an ice cream,

not a care in the world.

Uh, that's when I heard
about the Capitol.

So you think
he was trying to call you?

There's no way he would have
ignored my texts.

I'm sorry. Agent Wells,
is there a reason

you're asking
all these questions?

Have I done
something wrong?

Well, you are
the only survivor

of an attack that killed
a thousand people.

So I'm just trying to find out
what happened.

All right.

Hey, Chuck, it's me.
I need you to do me a favor.

Yeah,
it's about Peter MacLeish.

Hello?

Ma'am,
this is Agent Ritter.

Switchboard
just notified me

that there's a call
from an Immigration Detention Center.

A woman named Maria Serrano
claims you're her lawyer.

Yes. Um, okay, well,
have them put her through.

Yes, ma'am.

Mrs. Kirkman,
it's Maria.

Hey. Maria, what's...
How are you?

ICE got me arrested.
I'm going to be deported.

Deported? What?
My office...

Well, it's not really
my office anymore.

Duncan is now handling
your case.

Have you spoken with him?

Yes. He said
there's nothing he can do.

Please help me.
They took my kids away.

We cannot go back
to Honduras.

No, I know.
I know you can't.

Um, okay.
You got to stay calm,

and I'm gonna get into this
right now, okay, Maria?

Does the president expect
the governor to just bow down?

Carter, it's been seven days

since Al-Sakar took credit
for bombing the Capitol.

When can the American people
expect a response?

Uh, the president is busy
meeting with his advisers,

and, um...
working up a strategy.

Can you be
any more specific?

Uh... not really.

- But the president does have a strategy?
- Of course he does.

I mean, he's the president,
isn't he?

- So, how's it going here?
- That depends.

Does Kirkman want
a second term?

Please,
let me answer the question.

I-I can assure you
that the White House

takes the situation
most seriously.

"Most seriously"?
Who is this guy, anyway?

Carter Dunne,

third Deputy Assistant
to the Press Secretary...

before the bombing.

Now, as the kids say,
The Man.

The Prime Minister
of Great Britain and France

have, uh... pledged their
support, should we need it,

and there are others
who have reached out, as well.

Well, you're gonna have to handle this.

Why me?

Because you're
in communications,

and you can form
complete sentences.

You're standing next to me,
so go fix it.

- What's the magic word?
- Now.

Not even close.

Not only is Michigan
under attack from radicals,

but our very democracy

is being threatened

by a man who has no right
to call himself president.

Does the man have no shame?

Well, he's got some nerve,
I'll give him that.

As the elected governor
of this great state,

it's my duty to protect its citizens.

Why should I trust the
federal government to protect us

while the fraudulent president

holds its highest office
hostage?

Emily, you're on
with the president.

I'm watching Royce now.
What did he say to you?

For starters, he's refusing
to let me leave the airport

to observe the protest.

Son of a bitch.

And he's making sure the cameras
capture every moment.

I think it might be best
if I come back to D.C.

Every minute this plays out
on national TV

weakens your position.

No, how weak
will our position be

- if I don't even put up a fight?
- If I come back now,

we can rethink
our approach and...

No, no, wait. Hold on.

- Wyatt?!
- Coming, sir.

I got an idea.

Just sit tight.
I'll get back to you.

Now, I'm sending you
with a full detail.

Keep this with you
at all times.

You press it,

and six agents will be
surrounding you in seconds.

Mike, a panic button?
Seriously?

I'm going to my firm.
You don't need to worry.

The only thing I'll be in danger
of is a few bad lawyer jokes.

Mrs. Kirkman,
it's my job to worry.

You're too good.

Hold on, ma'am.

Copy that.

Ma'am, the president needs you.
He said it's urgent.

- Really?
- Federalize the Guard?

I thought we'd decided that
that was a nuclear option.

It was. Governor Royce
went there first.

Now, is he within
his legal rights?

U.S. Code 12406...

the president can federalize
the National Guard

whenever there is
a rebellion

or threat of a rebellion
against the U.S. government.

I think this qualifies.

I thought you were
an immigration attorney.

She aced Constitutional Law,
too. Okay.

How do I do this?

You start by declaring a state
of emergency in Michigan.

Yeah, then you notify
General Hammond.

He's the Joint Chiefs Chairman
of the National Guard Bureau.

Get me General Hammond.

All right.

Tom...

forcing a sitting governor
to cede power to the feds

creates a monumental
precedent.

I know.

But this is
a tipping point.

If I let Governor Royce
set up a police state,

how can I stop
the other 49 governors

from doing
the same thing?

It's time.

Got General Hammond
on the line for you, sir.

General Hammond,
this is the president.

By my command, I am ordering you

to federalize
the Michigan National Guard.

The poor men and women

who attended
the State of the Union address

trusted the federal government
to keep them safe.

You federalized the Guard?

Royce doesn't know yet.

He may have won the battle,
but we'll win the war.

Lucky for us we have
a standing army at our disposal.

Okay.
What's the next step?

General Muñoz will be
the man you'll deal with.

His troops will escort you
past state police.

He'll stay with you the entire
time you're in Michigan.

This will
all be over soon.

Thank you for doing this.
Goodbye.

Sir?

They're waiting for you
in the Cabinet room.

Has the CIA
found Serafian?

No, but I have the President
of Algeria on the line for you.

Okay.

My domestic
intelligence is certain...

Majid Nassar
is not in our country.

With all due respect,
Mr. President,

our friends on the ground
say otherwise.

We need you
to arrest Nassar

and any other members
of the Al-Sakar terrorist group

from the compound.

Your friends must be mistaken.

I'm sorry.
I can't be of more help.

Okay, Mr. President.

We expect you'll notify us
if the situation changes.

- Thank you.
- He's lying, sir.

Well, General,
we finally agree on something.

Bishara's own army
has radical elements.

They could be feeding him
false intel,

telling him
Nassar is not there.

- Maybe.
- Our window to act is closing,

especially now
we've tipped off Algeria.

Until we know our Agent Serafian
is safe, we do nothing.

There's still no word,
sir.

But he does have 12 hours
to make contact.

And if we don't hear
from him within that time,

then we have to assume
the worst.

- Meaning?
- Meaning, no matter what,

in 12 hours,
we pull the trigger.

I understand. Thank you.

It's about
taking control.

They're like
a pack of wild dogs.

Exactly. If they sense fear
in you, they attack.

You can't let them
intimidate you, Carter.

Look, there are
three surefire ways

for a press secretary
to die a quick death...

you get hostile, you lie,
or you guess.

You do any one of those
three things, and you're done.

And when I get a question
that I don't know the answer to?

You deflect.
"We're looking into it."

"We don't have a statement
at this time."

"We'll get back to you."

"The president
shares your concerns

and is working diligently
to find a solution."

Bingo.
Now go tame those beasts.

As the elected governor
of this great state...

Congresswoman Hookstraten.

Twice in a day.
This is a treat.

Still a standoff
in Michigan.

The president hasn't forgotten

that Royce and I are old friends, has he?

Or do I need code-word clearance
for that, too?

We have it under control.

It's just you and I now, Aaron.
We can speak freely.

You first.

The truth is,
your man is flailing,

and it's not just
with this debacle in Michigan.

It's on the Al-Sakar front,
as well.

That's not
very generous, now.

Spare me.

The only reason
he's doing anything

is because you leaked
that video.

Don't deny it.

I know a political operator
when I see one.

He needed to be pushed,
and you gave him a shove.

Smart man.

So you... you came here
to compliment me?

And to remind you that
there are people in this town

who might appreciate
what an asset you are

in ways that
Tom Kirkman never will.

You hitched your wagon
to a footnote.

Always a pleasure,
Congresswoman.

Aaron.

Duncan.

Duncan, when we spoke,

you said that you could handle
the heavy lifting on my cases.

And I am.

Plus, I've got Parker
doing depositions for you.

Veda's filing
your appeals...

So why is Maria Serrano calling me
from an ICE detention center?

Because Homeland Security is
taking advantage of the fact

that the courts
have been closed.

So they're arresting
anyone without a pending appeal.

And, right,
when the courts reopen,

it'll be too late
for us to file.

- Got it.
- Our hands are tied.

You know what kills me
about this?

If she'd just applied for refugee status
instead of asylum,

ICE wouldn't have even
looked at her twice.

If... If I'd just been here,
if I'd been in front of this,

none of this
would have happened.

Alex,
you didn't abandon them.

You had a change
in circumstance

in a summer-blockbuster
kind of way.

Okay, but that doesn't mean
I'm gonna give up.

Alex, you've spent
a career fighting for victims,

but you're
the First Lady now.

So?

And that has to count
for something, right?

Mr. President,
Ms. Rhodes is on the phone for you.

Thank you.

Em?

Yes, I'm walking
to meet Muñoz now.

Would you like
to speak with him?

Yes, please,
put him on the line.

General, Emily Rhodes,

Special Adviser
to the president.

I have President Kirkman
for you.

This is General Muñoz.

General, I wanted to thank you
for taking...

Excuse me, Mr. Kirkman,

but as the commanding officer
of the Michigan National Guard,

it is my duty
to inform you

we refuse the order
to federalize.

You... you can't do that.

The president
has a right to...

The Michigan State Guard
stands behind

its true Commander-in-Chief,
Governor James Royce.

Unbelievable.

- Is it as bad as it looks?
- Worse.

Michigan's on the verge
of anarchy.

And General Cochrane's
pushing me to launch an attack

that could kill
an American.

And I'm actually
considering it.

My God.

I never thought
I'd be in a position

to decide
who lives or dies.

Oh, Tom.

Do you remember the first night
that we were here,

when we thought about
running away?

And you said no?

That you felt that this was
something you needed to do?

And I think
you were right.

There's too much
at stake.

If you listen to your instincts,
you will do the right thing.

Well,
all I'm saying is,

it'd be a lot easier if someone
left behind a manual.

I guarantee you,

past presidents didn't have it
all figured out, either.

They were just people like you,
trying to do their best.

Thank you.

Hey, you came to me.

Did you need my help
with Maria Serrano?

I'm not sure that
using executive privilege

to do your wife a favor

is exactly what our
Founding Fathers had in mind.

What other choices
do you have?

I thought of going
to Kimble Hookstraten.

Watch your back.

I know.

Ma'am.
Sir, Emily's still waiting.

What would
you like to do?

She's on speaker, sir.

Em, it's time for you
to get on a plane and come home.

What? No.

I sent you there
to observe a protest,

not intervene in a coup.

Wait.
Just hear me out.

Royce is a bully, right?
And how do you beat a bully?

By standing up to him.

We tried that.

Well, what if we try it
differently,

change the rules
of engagement?

- Offer him a sit-down with you.
- He'll never go for it.

He's made it
abundantly clear

what he thinks about
my presidency.

He will if it's presented
as his best option.

No, I'm not willing to try
and win a political fight

if it puts you at risk.
It's not worth it.

I appreciate that.

But I think I know a way
to get him to D.C.

I just need you
to trust me.

You promise
you'll be careful.

Yes, sir.

I can assure you the president
is deeply committed

to seeing the standoff in
Michigan come to a peaceful end.

Is the president worried
his standoff with Governor Royce

will damage his already tenuous
relationship with the American people?

No, the president has more
important things to worry about.

President Kirkman
doesn't care about

earning the country's
confidence?

No, what I mean is,

it's more important
to get rid of Governor Royce

than it is to worry about
whether people like him or not.

The president wants to
get rid of Royce?

Is Kirkman planning
to remove a sitting governor?

Does the president expect
the governor to just bow down?

How is the president gonna get
rid of an elected governor?

'Cause I don't think
that's going to happen.

Is the president planning
an armed response?

- Is there any indication...
- Is he leaving?

The Kirkman White House,
everyone.

Wow.

Sorry about that, everybody.
Carter, uh...

Carter wasn't feeling
very well.

Uh, who are you?

My name is Seth Wright.

I'm a speechwriter.
I work for the president.

To be clear,
the top news story today

has nothing to do with
President Kirkman's standing in the polls

and everything to do
with the Islamophobia

jeopardizing the fundamental
rights of American citizens.

But I'm perfectly happy to
answer any relevant questions,

one at a time.

Yes.

Isaac.

Ms. Rhodes, the police revoked
our permit to protest.

They're threatening
to make arrests.

I have a hundred people
ready to march on City Hall,

but they're afraid of what
will happen if they do.

I need you
to forget about City Hall.

The local police
aren't worth the fight.

Ms. Rhodes, no.
No, we can't back down now.

I'm not asking you to.

I'm asking you to take the fight
directly to Royce.

How quickly can you get
to the airport?

If you people don't have
a permit to be here,

you need to leave immediately!

I want to speak
to the governor!

So this is it?
This is Emily's master plan?

I mean, how long before it turns
into a Selma or Kent State?

Come on, Aaron,
you of all people

should acknowledge this is
a brilliant move.

Governor Royce can't incite
violence on national television.

He'll lose
the moral high ground.

Well, that's assuming

that bigot cares about
the moral high ground.

Governor, let's go.

Is this really
how you want today to end?

With heavily armed soldiers
dragging peaceful protesters

off to jail
while the nation watches?

You won't be the hero
of that story.

You think you're pretty clever,
don't you?

I have an offer for you.

Send these people home
and fly with me to D.C.

for a sit-down
with the president.

Claim his attention
as a victory.

Spin it
however you want.

Why the hell
should I go with you?

Because standing
in the schoolhouse doorway

didn't work
for George Wallace,

and it isn't gonna work
for you.

History will remember you
for this.

Come on, Governor.
What are you gonna do?

Sir, I'm afraid we have
a second mutiny on our hands.

We have the F-18s in...

Mr. President,
I wasn't expecting you, sir.

That's pretty obvious,
General.

Is it true
that you gave the order

to take the Algerian
air defenses off-line?

Yes, sir.

I ordered Cyb-Command
at Fore Meade

to set a glide path
through Algerian airspace.

Without clearing it
through me or Algeria,

which happens to be
one of our allies.

Correct me if I'm wrong,
General,

but is that not
an act of war?

It was
necessary preparation.

For an attack
I have not authorized yet.

You tried diplomacy.
It failed.

And now you're risking
the entire country to protect one person?

I did what needed
to be done.

Well, General, one day,
if you become president,

you can make that call.

But as long as I am and one of
our own is unaccounted for,

we do nothing

that will jeopardize
their safety any further.

I agreed to 12 hours.

These terrorists
came to our home.

They killed our people.

Any sacrifices we make

to eradicate them
from the face of the Earth

are sacrifices
worth making.

When a snake's
in your kitchen,

you don't invite it to dinner,
you cut off its head.

You make a good point,
General.

And seeing that
this is my kitchen...

I am relieving you of your
command, effective immediately.

- What?
- General, you are fired.

The president is grateful
you've agreed to speak with him.

Yeah, well, I didn't have
much of a choice.

Look, I know you think
I'm a bad man, Ms. Rhodes,

but the Christians and the Jews
didn't blow up the Capitol

or run planes
into the Twin Towers.

Muslims did.

No, sir.
Extremists did.

And persecuting innocent people
won't make any of us safer.

You're just
like your boss, aren't you?

You think you know better

than those of us
with decades of experience.

In the years
that I've known Tom Kirkman,

I have found him to be
thoughtful and reasonable.

If you give him a chance,
I think you will, too.

Rest of this looks great.
Just get rid of those

two paragraphs, move that up.
Should be fine.

Did you hear the rumor?
There's a rising star

in the White House
Communications office.

That's cold, man.
Thank you.

That poor guy is probably
halfway to Dubuque by now.

I was talking about you.

You know, half the press corps
just threatened to forfeit

their credentials if I didn't
hire you as his replacement.

You want me to be
press secretary?

Don't look so surprised.

This administration
can use someone like you

standing up there
at the podium every day.

What do you mean,
someone like me?

What, you're gonna
make me say it?

You're smart. You're likable.
You're quick on your feet.

Okay. By that definition,
so is a Dalmatian. Why me?

You're also the son
of Muslim immigrants

at a time
when American people

associate the word "Islam"
with terrorism.

Now, as press secretary, you
can help change that perception.

You want
to parade me around

as the president's
"friendly Muslim"?

If that's what it takes to start
changing hearts and minds, yes.

- Unbelievable.
- Hey, this is Washington.

You seize opportunity
when it presents itself,

whether you like the motives
behind it or not.

- Just take the job, man.
- Or what?

You'll find somebody else
who looks like me to do it?

Get out of my office.

All right.

I'm moved by Maria's story,
but I don't know what I can do.

Congress is comprised
of two people now,

one of whom's barely
out of the hospital.

Even if we could
change policy,

it would take months,
if not years.

But you were
on the Subcommittee

of Immigration
and Border Security.

Why don't you just
come out and ask me

what you came here to ask me,
Mrs. Kirkman?

If you call Maria as a witness
before your subcommittee

when the new Congress
is seated...

And she would be
granted immunity,

as long as she's
expected to testify.

If I call her
to this hypothetical hearing,

I would be doing so
as a favor to you, ma'am.

- A-And I'd be very grateful.
- A favor that I hope

you would return one day,
should I need it.

So you're saying
I'd owe you.

We all want to do
the right thing, Mrs. Kirkman.

But the right thing
is seldom free.

Hey.
So, I got your e-mail.

So, this morning,

you were obsessed
with the Capitol bombing,

and now you want to
be reassigned?

I went back to MacLeish.
You were right.

Everything he said
checked out.

He had a good reason
for not being in his seat

when the bomb went off.

I tried to
tear his story apart.

I talked to mall security in
Oregon. I got phone records.

I wanted him
to be guilty of something

so then I could blame him for
surviving when no one else did!

You know
what the truth is?

The truth is that Peter MacLeish
is just a lucky guy.

He survived,
and Scott didn't,

and I need to start
dealing with that.

That's fair.

You know,
you are a pain in my ass

more often
than you're not?

But you are also passionate
and persistent.

And that's what makes you
one of the best agents I have.

I could be
just as passionate...

working Cyber Crimes
or Health Care Fraud.

Send me to Michigan.

I'll work on civil-rights
violations there.

All right.

If you want the transfer,
I'll put in the request.

But do me a favor... you sleep
on this, because I know you.

And you're gonna
hate yourself

if you quit
just because it got hard.

President Kirkman,
Governor Royce.

Welcome to
Washington, D.C.

Thank you.

Took some doing, but I had
a very nice conversation

with your Special Advisor,
and I welcome this chance

for an honest
and open dialogue.

Well, I think you'll find that
I'm not going to be very flexible on this.

You see, I believe
that all Americans,

regardless of race
or religion,

should be afforded
and protected

by the same
inalienable rights.

- If I may...
- You may not.

Governor,
you violated the rights

of the citizens
of Michigan,

and today you conspired
with the National Guard

to defy a direct order
from the president.

James Royce,
I am placing you under arrest

for treason against
the United States of America.

Marshals.

Reasonable and thoughtful, huh?

Mr. President, you lied to me.

You said you'd trust me
to fix this, and I did.

He was ready
to talk to you.

The governor was using
a national tragedy

to further
his own agenda.

He broke the law.
He's going to jail.

I told him he could count on you
to be reasonable and just.

Did you know that
during the Civil War,

President Lincoln
suspended habeas corpus

and arrested a legislator

for trying to block Union troops
from going south?

I did what I thought
was best.

For yourself.

No. For the country.

And I sent a message to every
other governor who thinks

that they can question the
legitimacy of this presidency.

And anyone who thinks
that they can usurp that

needs to know that they
will face the consequences.

You did a great job,
and I'm proud of you.

And I am starting to realize
more than I ever wanted to

that doing the right thing

doesn't always
make you feel good.

Mr. President.

Sir, I have an update
on Serafian.

Good. So he's safe.

A body was just delivered
on the embassy steps in Algiers.

We're awaiting an ID.

- Ride with me.
- Sir.

Mr. President,
you're here late.

Well, technically,
I live here, so...

it appears you're the one
who's here late. Please, sit.

Thank you, sir.

Aaron told me that you turned
down the job of press secretary.

I did, sir.

It's a shame.
I was the one who offered it.

Sir,
with all due respect,

I felt there were other people
far more qualified than I was.

Rosemary Jones,
for example,

has three years' experience
on Senator Ford's staff...

Carter had
a pretty good résumé, too,

and look
how that turned out.

Aaron's motivations were
political, but mine were simple.

I was just looking for the right
person for the job.

Today's crisis
was racially motivated.

Tomorrow's could be gun control,
a women's issue.

I just wanted to have someone
on the podium that I respected.

Come on, Seth.
Don't make me beg.

Can I count on you?

It would be my honor,
Mr. President.

Good.

'Cause if you thought
today was intense,

I'm gonna need you
tomorrow.

Why?
What's going on tomorrow?

I can't tell you,
'cause it's classified.

But I'll let you know
when it happens.

Get some rest.

Thank you, sir.
Good night.

Thank you.

I need you
to be straight with me.

Arresting Governor Royce...
tell me that was your idea.

I wish I could take
the credit for that.

But that
was all Kirkman.

Look, honestly, I-I didn't think
he had it in him.

Still got that bottle?

Yeah.

He's turning into
a different person.

I mean, unless I didn't
really know him before.

Look, Emily,
this isn't HUD anymore.

Your boss is
the most powerful man in the world.

And he's gonna do things
that you might not agree with.

And you need to be ready for that,
because it is your job,

which,
if I haven't said before,

you happen to be
pretty damn good at.

Sorry.

I didn't realize you were
capable of giving compliments.

Guess I'm learning a lot
about people today.

And to think
I was worried about you.

You were.
I knew it.

Not that worried.

Just... mildly concerned is all.

Shut up and pour me a drink.

Good evening. Thank you all for,
uh, staying so late tonight.

I know we've called you in
a few times today.

Uh, just a reminder...
my name is Seth Wright.

Uh, earlier tonight, I was named
White House Press Secretary.

You were very tough
on my predecessor,

so I know you're gonna
take it easy on me.

Uh, to be honest,
I didn't want this job.

But we live in a time
in which we're called upon

to serve in ways
we didn't anticipate.

None of us is perfect.

But we do our best
because this House is worthy of our best.

We trust our instincts
as we fight our daily fights.

Some we'll win.

Some we won't.

And some we'll only know in time.

But we leave each night

hopeful that today's sacrifices
have been worth it,

that our instincts
have not led us astray...

and that our best has been good enough.

Thanks for indulging me.

While I have you here,
a couple of quick announcements,

and then you can get some sleep.

This is Agent Wells.

Find room 105.

Wait. Who is this?

Find room 105,

and you'll understand more
about Peter MacLeish.

Hello?

Wait. Hello?!

- Mr. President.
- Mr. President.

- Sir.
- Mr. President.

Did we get a positive ID
on Serafian's body yet?

Yes, sir,
it's been confirmed.

That tragedy lands
at my door.

I'm sorry.

Admiral Chernow,
you are in command.

I would like to proceed with the
attack in Algeria as planned.

Sir?

Admiral...
prepare us for war.