Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Just Another Normal Day - full transcript

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Good
morning, everybody.

We are now boarding
group three. Group three.

Ellipse Airlines Flight 504 to Beijing.

Group three. That's rows ten through 25.

Please have your tickets ready.

You do not need to show
us your passports again.

Thank you.

(indistinct chatter in Mandarin)

(scanner beeping)

Thank you.

Hi.



_

No, I'm not going.

I'm sorry?

_

No. I'm not going.

I'm not going to China.
They'll arrest me.

I want to stay in the United States.

I want political asylum.

_

Is there a problem here?

_

_

(man continues yelling in Mandarin)

(siren wailing)



Oh, hey. Hey, Russell.

- I have a budget meeting.
- It's just gonna take a sec.

- It's about the Henkashu Islands.
- Remind me.

Four uninhabited rocky outcroppings

- in the East China Sea.
- Right.

China and Japan both claim ownership

in a dispute going back
generations, which picked up steam

once it became clear

that there's natural gas
deposits underneath them.

Two weeks ago, China sent
a reconnaissance plane

over the Islands, Japan
scrambled an F-15,

they buzzed each other and
the Japanese pilot had to ditch.

You called an emergency summit
to try to avoid an escalation.

- You read my memo.
- I did.

And you have photographic memory.

- I do.
- That's impressive.

I'm told.

Well, speaking of impressive...
(chuckles)

I got both sides to agree

that neither lays claim to the Islands

and they divide the natural resources.

We're still working out some of
the details, but it means that

- by this afternoon we could have a treaty.
- Fine.

I'll have POTUS there
for the signing ceremony.

Fine? My...

Fine? Really?

Because my staff and I have
been up for four days straight

trying to avert World War
III, and that's what

we get? We get "fine"?

It's like... God, I'm so sorry.

I mean, we've... It's been a really...

It's been a really long four days,

and I am totally sleep-deprived
and hopped-up on coffee.

I actually feel sick. (exhales)

Your predecessor and I
had developed a shorthand.

"Fine"...

means "thank you for not screwing up."

It's high praise.

Take it.

(quietly): He's on with the
Japanese going over the wording

for the ceremony.

"While no one would dream of
dividing national sovereignty,

"natural resources, with mutual
cooperation, can be shared."

Was Jackson psyched about the treaty?

Um, not the word he used, but yeah.

Okay, they're okay with the language,

but they have handshake issues.

The-the Japanese want to be
the first to extend their hand.

Get on the phone with
the Chinese Ministry,

see if they can live with that.

- Already on it.
- MATT: Japan feels that

by extending their hand first
that-that it shows the world

that they're in charge and
aren't cowering to China.

The world? Seriously?
14 guys watch C-SPAN.

Don't tell them that. This is the move

- that's gonna close the deal.
- NADINE: China can live

with being second on the handshake.

Hang on one second. (speaking Japanese)

We have an agreement!

(cheering)

Great.

Great. Excellent work, everybody.

White House can do the signing today
at 3:00. The unveiling of the late

Secretary Marsh's portrait is at 3:00.

Not anymore. You're gonna have
to move that to tomorrow.

Of course.

Oh, uh, Daisy, put out a
statement. Standard stuff.

"Nations coming together in peace."

That kind of... Listen, I have to go

to my friend's memorial service.

I'll be back by this afternoon.

Okay, have fun.

Oh, God... you're going
to a memorial service.

It's the opposite

of fun. So...

have whatever the opposite of fun is.

Daisy, you're rambling.
Don't do that in the press room.

Yes, Madam Secretary.

How are the remarks
coming for the unveiling?

Uh...

well, I haven't had much
time to work on it,

but I'll whip something up.

For reasons that I never
quite understood,

Secretary Marsh plucked you

from a dead-end copy-writing job.

I argued for a woman from Harvard

with actual speech-writing experience.

And now you're going to "whip
something up" for this man

to whom you owe your career?

Excuse me.

MUNSEY: George Peters lived
a life of devotion, honor

and service to The Company.

When he was brought in to Langley

to join our team of analysts,

he approached that job with
the same degree of courage

and conviction as he had
displayed as an operative.

A man of his talents
could have made his mark...

(quietly): Munsey hardly
even knew the guy.

Sat him behind a desk.

(whispering): For his own safety.

Mm. Still. He irks me.

You know what irks me? His ex-wife

acting like the grieving widow.

She left him for her personal
trainer over a decade ago.

- Oh. (laughs softly)
- HENRY: Hey. Hey.

Are you 12?

Do I need to separate you?

When did Henry become this guy?

He's a Cradle Catholic.
He gets jumpy around priests.

- (laughing quietly)
- Psst. Hey.

Shh...

(applause)

What scares people about...

I told you. Look at him.

He turns into an altar boy
right before my eyes. I mean...

No, it's good.

It's comforting to have
something like that.

Me? I'm just gonna have to drink.

Mmm, I'll join you in that.
Anything to knock out

the elephant in the room.

What elephant is that?

She's convinced George's
car crash wasn't an accident.

What? What do you mean?

I don't know. Could have been a suicide.

I mean, the guy was so
angry he'd been moved

to a desk job. I honestly think
it drove him a little crazy.

I just can't believe he'd
do something like that.

Can you?

No, I-I honestly don't know
what to think anymore.

Hey, let's get together soon,

get drunk, tell funny George stories.

Sure. I would do that. Bye.

- Bye.
- Bye.

ELIZABETH: Isabelle thinks
George had gone a little crazy.

George? Come on.

He thought my predecessor was murdered

and that I might be in danger.

Well, it would be nice to
think that's crazy talk.

(chuckles)

The night he died, I said his
death wasn't an accident

and you said, "I know."

What did you mean?

What did you mean?

Maybe we were both just in shock.

Do you want to do this?

Do you want to have
this conversation? Now?

'Cause I've been waiting
till you're ready.

I can't go there.

I've got the peace treaty signing, and...

I've-I've been gone all week.
I haven't even been home.

I feel like I don't even know what's
going on. How's the speech coming?

Oh, it's a mess right
now, but it'll get there.

It will. How are the kids?

Uh, oh, Alison wants to have
a sleepover this weekend.

Nothing crazy. Just
five or six friends.

- Five or six friends? Since when?
- Yeah.

- When did she have five or six...
- Well, she's got 'em. Um...

- I have been gone a long time.
- I... Do I say yes?

- Absolutely.
- Good. 'Cause I said yes.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

You know what, I'll
have a signed treaty

and you will be finished
with your conference.

I can't breathe. (groans)

And then we'll both be home all weekend.

Just like a normal family.

Mmm.

All right. Catch you later.

(hits his arm)
Ow.

She's all yours, Frank.

WOMAN: Madam Secretary.

Congratulations on
averting World War III.

Is that what I did, Senator Fletcher?

Oh, my.

I thought I just brokered
a mineral rights deal

on some tiny islands
in the East China Sea.

Oh, now. (chuckles)

- (quietly): And it feels good.
- Why does Daisy have on a weird face?

- MATT: That's just her face.
- No, that's her freaked-out face.

Can I show you something?

Over here?

There's some debate
about whether or not

you have on your freaked-out
face or your regular face.

Fu Xinpei, visiting Chinese
high school genius,

just stood up at Dulles

and declared she wants political asylum.

Now Fox News has got hold of her.

I'm worried that she's
gonna mess up the signing

of the treaty, but I'm
probably being paranoid.

This is my paranoid face.

I tried to organize a
protest in my village

on the 25th anniversary
of Tiananmen Square.

I was detained and my Internet
postings were deleted...

I'm being paranoid, right?

Is Chen here?

Yes.

(whispers): You're being paranoid.

Minister Shimabukura,

I just wanted to thank you
for all of your very hard work.

The people of Japan are
happy to have come

- to a resolution.
- POTUS, two minutes out.

Okay. See you in a moment.

Minister Chen.

The president will make a few remarks

and then you'll both sign the treaty.

If you return the girl.

Excuse me?

Fu Xinpei.

My staff just briefed me.

Her claims are outrageous.

No one wants to harm her.

She's already been offered a scholarship

- to Beijing Technical Institute.
- Well, her case just needs to go

- through the proper channels.
- She's lying

to America on television.

- This is a great embarrassment to China.
- NADINE: POTUS,

- one minute out.
- Let's take our places.

We need to go sign the treaty.

Promise to return the girl.

I can't make that promise.

_

Sir.

Fu Xinpei has nothing to do with this.

If you can't make me this promise,

we have nothing further to discuss.

_

POTUS is in the building.

(reporters clamoring)
(camera shutters snapping)

Now I know it's not
fashionable anymore,

but I believe we are a beacon of hope

to all the freedom-loving
people all over the world.

And if we send this girl back to China...

if we turn our backs on her...

Every redneck senator is on TV

talking about the evils of the Chinese

instead of here passing a budget.

Where are you on this?

I'm getting enormous pressure
from China to send her back.

If you don't?

Worst-case scenario?

They refuse to sign the treaty,

Japan and China go to
war over the Islands,

and since we're Japan's ally,

we're basically at war with China.

When I ask for the worst-case scenario,

what I mean is give me
the best-case scenario

and be sure to make it happen.

Another shorthand you had with Marsh?

Can't have this girl
hijack these budget talks.

And I won't have her be a political pawn

in the Henkashu Islands dispute.

Her case needs to be
judged on its own merits.

Well, handle it personally.

Do it fast.

Okay, but if we grant
asylum for the girl,

I may need an inducement for
China to get the treaty done.

China never wanted to sign that treaty.

They were always looking for a way out.

- Well, it's gonna have to be something good.
- Okay.

See what your people can come up with.

REPORTER: Do you have family there?

Do they know that you're here?

Just-Just my mother and... No.

- MAN: Miss, could you tell us...
- MAN 2: Miss, one question here.

But she understands my anger
at the Chinese government.

She had to give up a child...

my younger sister...

due to the one-child policy.

They keep playing the same news clip.

Must be a slow news day.

Wonder if Mom's gonna send her back.

ALISON: Mom's not making
the decision personally.

Yeah, she is. Because of the treaty.

The Henkashu treaty that
the Chinese won't sign?

Dude, do you live on Earth?

Okay, hey, listen to this. Thomas Aquinas

- walks into a bar.
- Oh, um, I need to borrow some, um,

some lunch money. Can-Can
I get some from your wallet?

Yeah, just listen to this joke first.

- What's the joke for?
- He's doing

the keynote speech for
a bunch of religious scholars.

(chuckles) Mom just texted.

She said that you're not sure
if the opening joke is funny.

She said that we should
laugh no matter what.

I don't want your pity laughter.

(knocking)

Yeah?

Morning. I just came
to get a change of clothes

for the secretary. She
pulled another all-nighter

trying to calm down the Japanese.

Oh, and while I'm here,
can I get that guest list

for your sleepover? We just
need to do a quick vet.

Why? My friends aren't terrorists.

Don't be an idiot, Alison.

- It's for their parents.
- I swear

- to God, if you call me an idiot
- If they...

- one more time...
- Could you not call her an idiot?

I'm sick of it. Just
go apologize, please.

I'll go and get some clothes for Mom.

Thanks.

Can I go wait for the bus, or do you

want me to listen to your joke?

Get out of here.

All right.

What joke?

Thomas Aquinas walks into a bar.

Please don't go back to Tokyo yet.

Give Minister Chen at least 48 hours.

- I gave the man four days.
- It's just a bump in the road.

- I can get him back to the table.
- We are no longer

- interested in a treaty.
- I...

The Islands are ours and we are

- going to proceed accordingly.
- Give me

48 hours to make it right.

(whispers): She promised me she
wasn't gonna sound desperate.

She doesn't sound desperate.
She sounds forceful.

What about...

What about tickets to a
baseball game or the theater?

The Book of Mormon's in town.

- Okay, now she sounds desperate.
- Tell us

what you like. Let my office
arrange something for you.

I would like an ally.

I would like you and your president

to back our claim for the Islands.

- Publicly.
- That would be like declaring war on China.

So be it.

We are your ally.

And I'm playing the ally card.

48 hours.

Fine.

But if you don't get us a deal by then,

we're planting a Japanese
flag on those Islands.

I need ideas for inducements for China

- in case we grant Xinpei asylum.
- I'll call the China desk.

- Did we hear back from Beijing Institute?
- Yes.

Xinpei was offered a scholarship.

So that checks out.

I want the exact language
from the INS statute.

Already done.

"To qualify for political asylum,

"the candidate must demonstrate
that they have been persecuted

"in the past or have a well-founded fear

"that they will be
persecuted if they go back

to their home country."

Matt, go through Xinpei's blog posts.

You know what, hell, go through
her entire online history

and flag anything that's
even vaguely political.

Oh, Daisy can do that. Matt
has to write Marsh's remarks.

(sighs)

Fine.

How are they coming?

It's good. Al... I mean, almost done.

I look forward to reading them.

She hates me.

She hates everyone.

Mostly me.

This is your room.

There's a TV in the living room.

If you want to watch
something, let me know.

I have a bunch of movies.

Thank you.

Are you hungry?

I was just going to make some lunch.

No, thank you. I think I'll rest.

Have you spoken to your mother?

No.

She said they would be

monitoring my phone
and it would not be safe.

So she knew you were going to do this?

Well, I'll let you get some rest.

(pots clanging)

_

_

_

_

_

Madam Secretary, I'm sorry

- to interrupt.
- Did you hear back from the China desk?

Uh, yes.

We're holding a Chinese spy that
Beijing very much wants back.

Oh, good. Run it by the White House,

- will you? Oh, and, uh,
- Yes, ma'am...

Arrange an interview with Xinpei.

Yes. Uh, there's a woman here.
She's from Michigan.

She and her daughter drove
all night to get here.

I've spoken with her, and I
think you should meet them.

She's offered to be Xinpei's guardian

- while the case is being decided.
- But she's already staying

- with an asylum officer assigned by INS.
- I know.

- So why am I... Hi.
- Madam Secretary.

- Hi. Amy Ferber.
- Nice to meet you.

Thank you very much
for meeting with us.

Well, I'm sorry that you
had to drive all night

- to get here.
- Oh, we had to.

As soon as I heard Xinpei's story,

the-the province that she's from.

And then I saw her face on TV...

I-I started shaking.

The resemblance is undeniable.

(short laugh) See for yourself.

Emily?

Hi.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

I think Emily and Xinpei might be sisters.

Emily's orphanage was in
Xinpei's hometown. I'm seriously

getting goose bumps, you guys.

They're swabbing Emily's cheek.

Now they're done swabbing Emily's cheek.

Ooh.

Okay, now Madam Secretary
is walking towards the door.

Crap.

Crap.

Did you found anything
else on Xinpei's blog?

Three months ago she started criticizing

China's human rights record,

their policy on Tibet.
Before that it was mostly

about her science projects
and her basketball team.

And One Direction.

Oh, uh, thanks. This is Emily's DNA.

Send it to the lab. How
quickly can we get it here?

Uh, preliminaries in
less than four hours.

Yeah, this is so cool.

So cool. (chuckles)

Okay, guys, wait. I-I get
that this is exciting, okay?

But let's not lose our
heads and remember

the job at hand: to
determine whether or not Xinpei

meets the criteria for political asylum.

Ma'am, your car's here.

- Thank you.
- Do you want me to put out a statement?

Saying Xinpei might have
a sister? (short laugh)

So that all of D.C. can
stop what they're doing

the same way they do every time
Mei Xiang goes into labor?

- (chuckles)
- Sorry, who's Mei Xiang?

Uh, the panda at the National Zoo?

Gave birth to Bao Bao in 2013?

- I don't get to the zoo much.
- You don't have to.

They have a giant panda
cam on her all the time.

- You're kidding.
- Not kidding. It's awesome.

- Come here, I'll show you.
- NADINE: Matt.

After I finish these Marsh remarks.

Madam Secretary.

How's she doing?

Honestly? She seems scared to death.

If my daughter was requesting
asylum in a strange country, I'd

hope she'd have the good sense
to be scared to death, too.

I-I know I'm not supposed to ask,

but are you going to grant asylum?

You're right. You're not supposed to ask.

Anyway, she's in the back.

Can I get you anything?

Yeah.

So, you've got H, I've got H-O-R...

(thud) ...S.

So tell me about your science project.

I developed an eye-tracking system

that allows quadriplegics
to use the computer.

I think we have that technology here.

No, not like mine.

Mine is light-years ahead of what any

major labs in the States have developed.

So, you're moving here to cash in on it?

No, I would never do that.

But by coming here you'd be
giving up your scholarship.

I fear for my safety if I return.

Tell me why.

Have you been arrested?

No.

Threatened?

Censoring my speech is a threat

and I won't accept it any longer.

Oh, lots of Web sites
are censored in China.

I want the freedom to do
as I wish, say what I wish.

I understand how you
feel, but the problem is

it doesn't meet the
standard for persecution.

I'm on your side, Xinpei,

but you got to help me build a case.

- I fear for my safety if I return to China.
- Right.

(thud)

Eeh, come on. Oh, I need
a sample of your DNA.

Instructions are in the kit.

(ball bouncing)

Aren't you gonna ask me why?

For someone suspicious of government,

you sure agreed to that quickly.

And now!

- Absolutely. No problem.
- Excuse me.

Are you Stephanie McCord?

I am.

Hello, Senator Fletcher.

I met your mother a few times.

How's she liking her new job?

She loves it.

Ah.

I'm so sorry.

I didn't, um, see your name
on the reservation list.

Are you here to meet someone?

I sure am. You.

- (laughs): Uh...
- I've been trying to get

your mother on the phone,

but that Nadine is quite the gatekeeper.

I'm not so sure what I...

If you could mention to your mother

how strongly the people of Texas feel

that we not return that
poor little girl to China,

I sure would appreciate it.

Bye now.

This is completely generic.

It's as if you never met the man.

Secretary McCord has never met him.

She has to give the speech.

- That'll be so comforting to his family.
- BLAKE: I forgot to tell you.

The secretary needs to postpone again.

What?

With a clock on the treaty negotiations,

her plate's just too full right now.

To take 15 minutes and pay tribute

to the man who had the job

before her? The man who
died serving his country?

You know what you should
put in those remarks, Matt?

Wherever he went, he
had me arrange to have

a hundred soccer balls shipped there.

We'd be driving through a town,

and he'd see kids by
the side of the road,

stop the convoy and
hand out a soccer ball.

Kids who grew up in poverty
and war-torn areas suddenly

were smiling.

He told the journalists
not to write about it

because he didn't want the attention.

He said this job wasn't about him.

Well, you know what?

Now it is about him.

And we need to stop putting it off

and take the time and say thank you.

You're right. We do.

I want to give the unveiling
the attention it deserves.

Which is why I'm asking to reschedule it.

I'm sorry, ma'am. I can't do that.

(knocking)

(sighs)

How long did you work for him?

Since he was a senator.

I was fresh out of law
school with no experience.

He liked to do that.

Bet on the dark horse.

He sounds like an amazing man.

I know this is hard.

You're all still grieving.

But I got to push this thing.

I don't want it to be something
that we just get through.

Call Mrs. Marsh.

I can't.

It's inappropriate.

You must have heard talk.

Vincent was right.

He said no one suspected.

He said they were all too preoccupied

with their own careers.

Even his wife.

So, you and Marsh were...

Mm-hmm.

I'm so sorry.

(gasps)

I know how all this sounds.

(sniffles)

Um...

It sounds like your heart is broken.

(crying)

MATT: Don't. It's not finished yet.

Daisy, will you, uh, call
Secretary Marsh's widow

and apologize for rescheduling again?

Will do.

Just heard from the White House.

ODNI killed our Chinese spy idea.

Okay. We have no plan B?

Wait. So, we don't have any leverage

to get China to sign the treaty?

MATT: Well, other than
sending Xinpei back...

- Madam Secretary?
- What is it?

DNA results.

(sighs)

Oh, no. I was so sure she was a match.

No, she is.

The preliminary results are a 97% match.

DAISY: Oh.

That's incredible! The fact that

now she has a blood relative
who's an American citizen.

It is incredible.

Unfortunately, it doesn't
change my decision.

DAISY: Wait. But it has to.

- I'm denying asylum.
- What?

She's making up the story
about political persecution.

- But she said that China was...
- My guess is, her mother put her up to it.

She has reason to be angry with China.

They made her give up
one of her children.

Xinpei has been treated
well by her government,

and they assure me they
will continue to do so.

But her Internet postings have been very

- clear about what she...
- Started three months ago

before she came to America.

(sighs)

Looks like she was building a case.

And frankly, the case just isn't there.

And this has nothing
to do with finding out

we have no plan B on the Henkashu talks?

I refuse to link that little girl's fate

to the fate of those talks.

But they are linked. You know they are.

- And pretending...
- Daisy...

Look, I'm the one who has to stand

in front of the press and assure them

that Xinpei isn't being used
as a political football

to get the treaty signed.

I'd like to be telling the truth.

Were you in the habit

- of questioning Secretary Marsh's ethics?
- He...

He never made me feel like I had to.

(sighs)

Reach out to Xinpei's mother in China,

and get Xinpei on the phone.

I want them both on the line

when I explain why I am denying asylum.

ELIZABETH: Am I a monster?

I need you to be honest.

HENRY: Well, sometimes
you have kind of a

zombie thing going on in the morning.

Come on, I'm serious.

My staff thinks I don't
have any feelings.

A woman left a baby outside
at an orphanage, and a half

a world away that baby is
reunited with her sister?

And it's-it's miraculous,
and I'm thrilled for them,

and sad that they missed
11 years together.

(popcorn popping)

And I'm angry at the government
that forced them apart.

I'm nothing but feelings.

But that doesn't change the fact

that she does not qualify
for political asylum.

What is that noise?
Are you making popcorn?

Son of a bitch!

Oh, God, it's the sleepover tonight.

I am not home for my daughter's

sleepover with five or six friends

whose names I don't even know
because my staff is right.

I'm a monster.

Yeah, and it gets worse.

You're raising little monsters.

'Cause it turns out that
the number one indicator

that a person turns into a serial killer

is that, during childhood, the father,

not the mother, made the
popcorn for the sleepover.

All right, now you're just mocking me.

You're a mom who had
to stay late at work.

It doesn't ruin the kids.

It just shows them that sometimes

you have to do stuff that's hard.

It's just life, babe. Normal life.

Your a mom that got stuck at work.

Thank you.

That makes sense. I'm buying it.

Good.

I love you.

While you're in that space,
you want to hear a joke?

Yeah.

Thomas Aquinas walks into a bar.

There's the pope sitting
there with no clothes on.

He talking to the bartender...

God, please don't tell me
you actually used that

- in your speech.
- Well... Madam Secretary?

(laughing): Hold on a second. What?

Xinpei's mother was taken
in for questioning

by the Chinese Secret Police

yesterday. We're getting reports

that she died while in custody.

(sighs)

Babe, is everything all right?

No. No.

What the hell happened?

Madam Secretary, if we
could keep this cordial.

You do realize that
by killing this woman

you've made Xinpei's case for
asylum that much harder to deny.

Fu Xinwan was brought in for questioning.

It was an interview,
not an interrogation.

She had a heart attack.

It is my understanding
this was a chronic condition

that she wasn't managing well.

She was rushed to the hospital,

but the doctors were
not able to resuscitate.

Now, why should I believe you?

Madam...

I am a father.

I feel terribly for this poor girl.

China is changing.

In today's China, the
sins of the parents

don't transfer to their children.

Fu Xinpei has nothing to fear from us.

You must let her come home.

My government believes

you never planned on signing
the Henkashu Treaty.

You were always just
looking for a way out.

And this girl was a convenient excuse.

Unless the girl is returned
in the next 12 hours,

- Come on.
- my government will have no choice

but to permanently walk
away from these talks.

We are already moving ballistic missiles

to our southeastern coast, just
in case the Japanese decide

to do anything stupid like plant
a flag on the Henkashu Islands.

(sighs heavily)

She finds a sister, and
now we have to tell her

she lost her mom.

NADINE: It's not fair.

No, it isn't.

Let's... Let's just give
her another minute.

Ah! Ah!

(quiet chatter and laughter)

(laughter)

I'm sorry about before.

It was unprofessional.

I was jealous, actually.

A friend of mine recently died, too,

and...

I haven't been able to cry.

I started this job, and
I had a lot on my mind.

Today I realized I could use a good cry.

You should have one.

Oh, this isn't gonna get any easier.

So, I got freaking accosted

today at work about the Chinese kid.

- That senator from Texas?
- Fletcher?

She comes up to me, and she's, like,

"If y'all could let your mama know

that the good people
of Texas hate commies."

GIRL: Senator Fletcher is

actually awesome. She's a family friend.

She may be awesome, but her
politics are really not awesome.

She has no idea what she's talking about.

Um, she's actually really smart.
She went to Stanford.

Oh, really?

So that makes everything
that she says okay?

- All right, Stevie.
- I didn't say that.

What? I mean, yes, China
is a Communist society,

but you can't just paint it
with this broad, evil brush.

- Okay, I wasn't even talking about that.
- I mean, Americans have this...

- Just ignore her.
- Yeah, that's great.

Just watch TV and be dumb and complacent.

No. You don't get to
call me dumb anymore.

Okay, come on. Come on, the two of you.

Okay, well, then, prove
to me that you're not.

- No. You are the idiot now.
- Now you're just trying to look cool

- in front of your friends.
- I'm trying to look cool?

Whatever!

You're not the best at
everything anymore.

You're not the valedictorian,
homecoming queen.

You're a hostess in a restaurant

showing people to their tables.

That's what you are.

Thanks, Dad.

(running up stairs)

XINPEI: She was in heart
failure when I left.

The doctor said that she
needed surgery, but...

she refused.

(sniffling)

I found this.

Minister Chen said something

about not punishing children
for their parents' sins.

And it hit me.

She was the activist, not you.

(sniffling)

Coming here was her idea.

This was her dream.

(sniffling)

She couldn't have freedom,
so she wanted it for you?

She kept saying, "Be strong, Xinpei.

"Be strong.

You can do this."

(sniffling)

Because she died in custody,

that qualifies you for political asylum.

You can stay in America if you want.

If that's what you want.

Is it?

(crying)

ELIZABETH: Xinpei wants to stay.

Madam Secretary...

I'm leaning towards denying asylum.

Excellent decision.

I hate being lied to,
especially by a child.

And she confirmed her
mother's bad health.

- So...
- No one...

...we have an agreement.

...touches her from your side.

No retribution.

She's a confused child,
and her future safety

is paramount to the United States

and our continued goodwill.

You have my word.

But she's not going anywhere

until I have a signed
treaty in my hands.

(camera shutters clicking)

While no one would dream of
dividing national sovereignty,

natural resources, with
cooperation, can be shared.

(applause)

Daisy.

You used her.

Even though you promised you wouldn't.

She just lost her mother,

and you used her as a bargaining chip.

I don't think I can work for...

Stop before you finish that sentence.

You should know,
Xinpei wants to go back.

It's her choice, not mine.

I... I don't understand.

She wants to help build
a more democratic China,

so, she's going back to
continue her mother's work

in her own way.

So, you lied to Minister Chen?

I didn't have a plan B,
and I needed leverage.

So, yes, I lied.

If the Chinese had found out

that Xinpei was returning voluntarily,

they still could have
walked away from the talks.

This way, they saw you as a
strong broker for peace.

And I got to put China on notice

that if Xinpei so much as stubs her toe,

there will be hell to pay.

Hi, guys. Xinpei, I've got

all your papers. Are you ready to go?

- Yup. These guys are gonna take me.
- Oh, good!

Look what my sister gave
me to remember her by.

Oh! That is very cool.

And we're going to visit
Xinpei in China this summer.

Mm-hmm. Come on, come on.

You don't want to miss your plane.

You're not mad at me for
wanting to go back, right?

Of course not. You kidding?

You're honoring your mother.

I think she'd be very proud of you.

Really?

I am sure of it.

(sighs)

You go out there and
change the world, okay?

Go.

ELIZABETH: He liked to hire

what he referred to as "dark horses"...

people who may not have

gone to the best schools,
or come from the best families,

but who had a fire

in their bellies to
make the world better.

I've come to see that he was much more

than just a portrait on the
wall, or a face on the news.

He was a boss, a mentor, a patriot.

He was a great American.

We will miss him.

That was a quite a speech.

Thank you.

I never heard the soccer
ball thing before.

- I know. That's a pretty amazing story.
- Yeah, you got to wonder.

He's handing out all
these soccer balls,

paying for them out of his own pocket,

and not one bit of press about it.

Well, apparently, he didn't want any.

Yeah. I don't buy it.

I think he made a deal
with all those reporters

to wait, run the story
when he ran against Dalton

in the next election.

- What?
- Oh, yeah.

Bastard was getting ready to
announce right before he died.

Stabbing his own president in the back.

And I will bet you any amount of money

that the next day, there would
have been a picture of him

with a bunch of smiling street kids

and their brand-new soccer balls.

If you'll excuse me.

I have to give my
condolences to Mrs. Marsh.

- Hello.
- HENRY: Hi.

Hi. Hey.

Where are you off to?

To my job. Where do you think?

Well, I was actually hoping
maybe we could hang out...

I have no time, Mom. I have to
go. I have to pull my weight.

- What are you talking about?
- People need seating. Nothing. Nothing.

I have nothing to say.
I'm just a college dropout.

Well, wait a second. Just, wha...?

Bye, honey.

Well, I... What happ...?

I mean, did something happen? What...?

Oh, the girls had a fight.

Things were said. Feelings were hurt.

Henry?

Sisters fight.

- It's normal.
- It's not!

It's not normal.

None of this is normal!

I got to tell you,
Henry, I'm really trying

to buy your argument
about our normal life.

It's not normal that I have no idea

what is going on in my house.

And it's not normal to

push your feelings
to the margins. (laughs)

The suckers don't stay there.

I'm ready to talk about George.

Yeah. Okay.

George thought that Marsh was dirty.

He thought his death wasn't an accident.

- And that you might be in danger.
- Right.

Then he died. At first,

I thought Marsh was a
saint, a great American,

the way everybody talked about him.

You said he had no enemies.

But it turns out, he did.

The White House Chief of Staff.

And the President of the United States.

So, maybe George was right.

Yeah.

I was secretly kind of rooting for crazy.

Me, too.

(sighs)

I wish George was here.

He was so...

good and smart.

And if he were, he could
tell me what I should do.

And I do want to get
to the bottom of it.

I really do. I want to...
I want to figure it out.

But right now, I just want to miss him.

(crying)

Go ahead. Miss him.