Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - The Call - full transcript
Just before Elizabeth is about to make an important speech, Henry's teacher who's a priest from West Africa meets with her and tells her of acts of genocide in his country and that some of relatives are in danger. She goes to the President and asks for support but he refuses. She then makes her speech and talks about the things in West Africa. The President supports her and so does some other countries. But when it's revealed that the priest was doing business with some warlords and drug dealers, Things get complicated.
_
_
_
In conclusion, the challenges
of the 21st century
are indeed great.
Therefore, our determination
to solve them together
must be even greater.
Thank you.
And now I'm going to barf,
because this speech is so terrible.
No offense, Matt.
None taken, I think.
But given that this is my first speech
before the World Affairs Committee,
which is "the most august
and influential..."
What was the rest of it?
"Forum for international
relations in the world."
Right, that.
Wouldn't it be nice if I
actually... say something?
Well, ma'am, it's precisely because
this is your first speech
on such an important stage
that each word needs to be
polished, and considered,
and correct.
Okay, just an FYI, words like
that make my eye twitch.
Look, we're trying to
articulate U.S. policy
on a broad variety of topics,
so the speech has been vetted...
By various departments
and agencies. I know. I...
Not to mention, we have
to factor in the positions
of our allies to avoid offending them.
And trying to fit that
all in one speech is, like...
super hard.
Well put.
Ma'am, this speech is in two days.
We need to finalize it.
All right, fine.
But give me some substance.
I want something in that
speech that I care about.
That the White House approves.
Blake.
I think Nadine suspects something.
I feel her eyes on me all the time.
Relax, she's not Sauron.
That's what you think.
Your paranoia notwithstanding,
do you have any actual intel for me?
I'm halfway through her e-mails,
calendar and phone logs
from her time with Secretary Marsh.
So far, the only thing that
feels dirty or suspicious is me.
Blake, everyone in this
building is potentially subject
to investigation.
Secretary Marsh, her old
boss, was conspiring
to undermine the Iran peace talks.
I want to make sure I'm not about to get
stabbed in the back
by my chief of staff.
The diplomatic security guys think
I'm on a fishing expedition.
You are on a fishing expedition.
I think their question is: why me?
Because unlike the rest of my staff,
you're my hire, and I trust you.
But you can tell the DS
that the answer is:
because I said so.
See what I'm talking about?
Boss lady hates me.
No, just your speech.
Thanks.
It's too equivocal. She's no-BS.
And what? I'm pro-BS?
Okay, can I tell you
something, as a friend?
Well, that's a slightly
complicated question.
All this wheedling and
whining... it's not cute.
Wow.
Thanks, friend.
Now, why don't you tell me something...
as more than a friend?
Okay.
Man up, dude.
Oh, I'm a man.
I'm a no-BS man.
Full of substance.
Yeah.
That sounded weird.
Wait, so he's here?
The priest?
Yeah, Laurent Adisa.
My social justice professor
from divinity school.
Oh, that's right.
The guy who gave you a "B."
I thought we were having
dinner Saturday night.
His schedule changed.
And, for the record, it was my only "B."
Ever.
Well, you know what, great,
because I'm exhausted, as one
often is on a Tuesday night.
So I can go up and lay down,
and you guys can re-litigate the "B".
Babe, just come on.
We texted, like, ten times
today, you never said anything.
It was a last-minute thing.
Fine, I'll say hello.
But, for the record,
you're acting very weird.
- Hello, everybody.
- Hi, Mom. - Hi, Mom.
- Madam Secretary.
- Father Adisa,
really nice surprise.
Please call me Elizabeth.
Well, if you call me Laurent.
Okay. If memory serves...
- Mm-hmm.
- ...you were Henry's
favorite professor, and also the only one
that ever gave him a "B."
Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Dad got a "B"?
Unbelievable.
In defense of your father, he
was a very brilliant student,
but he was, uh... rather distracted
by a radiant wife and a brand-new baby.
Well, if by "radiant,"
you mean sleepless and hostile...
I didn't realize you'd been
radiant for so long, Mom.
- Ooh, snap.
- Okay.
- That was a good one.
- Come on, wise guys, beat it.
The grown-ups need to talk.
Okay. Come on, nerds.
- So, Father, uh, Laurent...
- Mm-hmm?
...what brings you to, uh... to D.C.?
Well, I'm here speaking
on behalf of my charities
and some of the churches in the area.
But, um...
I must confess that
I didn't just come here
to have a meal with
your charming family.
Yes, I'm beginning to get that.
I was wondering if you had heard
about the events of my country,
uh, the Republic of West Africa.
I'm-I'm aware of the coup
that happened six months ago.
- Mm-hmm.
- I'm also aware that the ruling
junta have begun
curtailing women's rights,
and they're closing any
schools that they feel
are tainted by Western-style education.
Apparently, that's just the opening act.
The junta has begun a campaign
of ethnic slaughter
against the Beko people.
Wait. That I have not heard.
Now they're ramping up to
enter into the Beko heartland
and clean out the city of St.
Juste in a matter of days.
I...
Thank you for bringing
this to my attention.
And I will get a full
briefing on it tomorrow.
If-if you will indulge me.
That is my niece, Komoyo,
and her children, Esther and Simon.
Komoyo called me yesterday,
and she said the soldiers
had entered their village.
And now they are on the run.
Laurent, I'm very sorry.
It is I who must apologize
for abusing your hospitality.
No, no, no...
But I just want you to understand
that I did not show you this photograph
so that my family could
get special treatment.
The truth is that you have the power
to answer the desperate prayers
of thousands of my people.
Excuse me.
My phones never stop ringing.
The help that is needed...
it never ends.
Excuse me.
Hello?
Don't be afraid.
I'm here, I'm here.
Ambushing me in our own home? Really?
I know. He sort of ambushed me, too.
You could've given me a heads-up.
Well, he said that he's
pleaded with everyone.
The U.N., the European
Union, African Union,
the press... nobody cares.
It's not that nobody cares,
Henry, it's that...
...things like this are
happening all over the world,
unfortunately, and the
decision to get involved is
a political one. I wish it was
just an ethical dilemma, but it's not.
You know, most of the time, we
play catch-up on these things.
We see these horrible
numbers after the fact.
But here... you have advanced warning.
You have a chance to intervene.
What? Where are you going?
Downstairs to work.
Wh-What would you rather I had done?
Ignore it?
I would rather that you had remembered
that before anything we're a team.
So, no one in this building
has any useful intel about
an imminent campaign
of ethnic cleansing in the
Republic of West Africa?
We've been tracking the situation.
It's unclear if any
attacks are imminent.
Given our lack of vital
interests or assets in the RWA,
we concluded the situation
wasn't clear or pressing enough
to bring to your attention.
Okay, attacks are imminent... and
what the hell did you just say?
I'm giving you the official
assessment, ma'am.
It's a matter of grave concern, ma'am,
and I promise you we will look into it.
But right now your top priority
has to be your speech.
Matt took another pass at it.
There's a little something
in there about rising sea levels
and freshwater scarcity combining
to drive global conflict
that I think you're gonna love.
You know, "Water, water..."
Nadine, I'll set the
priorities, thank you.
- Sorry, Matt. Thank you.
- Uh, Madam Secretary,
Ambassador Bokassa from the
Republic of West Africa is here.
- He's not on your schedule, ma'am.
- Send him up.
Send him up, please.
Why wasn't I looped in
about this meeting?
Oh. Um, it's my mistake.
I'm sorry. I-I must have forgotten.
Oh.
No one in this building forgets
to tell me when they take lunch.
It happened late. I meant to CC you...
Fine.
See if the ambassador
would like cream and sugar.
Madam Secretary,
I cannot imagine where you're getting
such a distorted impression
of life in the glorious
Republic of West Africa.
So you're telling me your
government has no plans
to wage a campaign
against the Beko people?
We are a small nation, hmm?
Wedged between Gabon and Cameroon,
with no oil to tempt you.
Why the sudden interest
in our internal affairs?
Okay, I'll ask you again.
Is your government planning
to attack the Beko?
Of course not.
The Beko, like wayward children,
scream at even the slightest discipline.
But such whining is to be expected
as our nation purifies itself
of decadent and poisonous
outside influences.
By that, do you mean
educated women or...
expensive watches?
I mean only that the
Ruling Council of the RWA
wishes to bring peace
and correct living
to all loyal citizens.
Well, I'm very glad to hear
that your government
has no such plans.
Just in case they do, you
tell your bosses back home
that the United States is watching.
Good day.
And here are the records
for Ms. Tolliver's
work-issued BlackBerry
from the months immediately
after Secretary Marsh died.
Say, how do you DS guys do it?
You just sit down here all
day, snooping on people?
We're patriots.
Hey, wait a second.
This call here... was that recorded?
Hmm. Let me see.
Nope.
Just the metadata showing it happened. _
Three weeks ago, Nadine had
a 20-minute conversation
on her work cell phone
with Constantine Stahl.
That's an awfully long
time to have a chat
with one of Marsh's biggest backers.
Three weeks ago, you were...
Scrambling to salvage the Iran peace talks.
Any chance they were just catching up?
Nadine and a casino billionaire
whose pet political cause
is to bomb Iran, swapping funny stories?
No.
More likely he was calling to
pump her for intel on the talks.
Which would make her a spy.
Is she dumb enough to take
that call on a work phone?
I don't know. Is there
any way to find out?
There's no audio of the call.
Well, then unless
something definitive arises
quickly to change my mind,
I'll have to pull her
security clearance,
pending a full investigation.
Thanks for taking
time off from prepping
for your fancy speech to go
where the common folk eat.
Oh, are you kidding me?
It's nice to get out of the
office for a little bite of...
fried everything.
What can I say? I miss
our gross work lunches.
Me, too.
So this is a right-to-business
kind of fried lunch, yeah?
I'm afraid so.
What's the CIA's read on the RWA?
Your source was right.
The junta's gearing up to
drive out the Beko minority
by any means, up to
and including genocide.
What would it take to stop it?
Well, short of an act of God, nothing.
Not with the resources the U.S. is willing
to bring to bear, which is none.
What's left is the African Union,
but they have a hard time
getting all their member states
on the same page...
or maybe the French,
but they're bogged down in,
like, five other countries.
Blue-sky it for me.
If money was no object,
ground troops, air support, logistics.
Yeah, you'd need all of the above.
I should warn you, the
RWA is a toxic mess.
Part of the country not under
the boot of the junta is run...
By a bunch of renegade warlords
with RPGs and machine
guns, and... I know.
Then you know the odds of an
intervention going sideways...
I know. Are extremely high, I got it.
Now, what else do I need?
Well, if...
Thanks.
Name one vital interest we have
in the Republic of West Africa.
Bauxite.
It's the key mineral in aluminum.
Aluminum, I know.
You're kidding, right?
I can see the bumper stickers now.
"No Blood for Foil."
Okay, fine. We don't have
any vital interests in the RWA,
except for 50,000 innocent civilians
who are about to be
murdered on our watch.
For God's sake,
we haven't exactly put a bow
on the Middle East yet.
You want to go into Africa?
Why aren't the stakeholders in
the region making it an issue?
This is a rapidly unfolding situation.
If we don't do something,
and soon, it'll be too late.
Bess, I hear you.
The junta is despicable.
And if reports about what
they're planning are correct...
They are correct, sir.
No sense pretending that they're not.
No one's pretending here.
- I...
- The fact is, this is not our fight.
If we stand back, we're
accused of apathy.
If we engage, we're accused
of policing the world.
Military intervention is a dog's breakfast,
no matter the cause.
Look...
you know I'm a realist,
but there are events that
transcend national interest,
and I believe this is one of those.
I know you do.
But I don't.
So what do you say, Danny?
Want to help us get
this story out there,
maybe grab yourself another Pulitzer,
keep the first one company?
I can pass this along to my colleagues
on the international
desk, but obviously
they're gonna have to vet your source.
Source? I am the source.
I'm sitting right here in front of you.
Ask me anything you want.
It's the journalistic
process... takes time.
Time? Time is precisely
what thousands of innocent
victims do not have!
Look, I-I know you'll do
everything you can to help.
I really appreciate you
meeting with us. Thanks.
You bet.
That went well.
Forgive me, Henry.
I find myself getting angry these days,
not just at God for letting
terrible things happen
to innocent people,
but for selecting a...
a poor and impatient
messenger such as myself.
We'll just keep pushing, okay?
In the meantime, take it
easy on yourself, man.
Mom?
Yeah.
Whatever it is that
you're worried about,
I'm pretty sure the
answer's not in there.
You're probably right.
So, what are we doing to
stop what's going to happen
in the Republic of West Africa?
Nothing.
Because when the president
makes a very good case
for why not to intervene,
that is pretty much it.
Hmm.
Do you remember in the fifth grade
when I almost quit that
school backpacking trip
because I was afraid of heights,
and I really didn't want
to go rock-climbing?
You would be amazed how
much parents block out.
And do you remember what you said to me
when I called you in a panic?
No, but I feel like I'm
about to be embarrassed.
You said, "Honey, you are the descendent
"of some of the greatest
heroes and scoundrels
"that the Commonwealth of
Virginia has ever seen"
"If you've got one thing
"running through your veins, it's guts.
"Now, don't call me back
until you're at the top
of that mountain, little girl."
I actually said that?
Yup.
Oh, what a pain in the ass I am.
And why did I sound like Dolly Parton?
I don't know.
I got to the top of the mountain though.
Bet you did.
You'll think of something, Mom.
Good night.
Good night, baby.
That is great news.
Yeah, keep me posted.
Thanks again, buddy. All right, bye.
The Washington Chronicle
is into the story.
They're putting a
couple reporters on it.
It should run in a day or two.
Ah, that's good news, indeed.
But we may be running
out of time for an article
in a newspaper to be of much help.
Oh, speaking of time, um...
yeah, Elizabeth's speech is on.
The United States will continue to work
with our friends and partners
around the world on a host of issues.
This is good.
The challenges we face are...
This is poetry, is what this is.
...as always, daunting.
But we can take heart
that just as our forebears had the courage
to confront the issues
of their day, so we, too...
Uh-oh.
What's happening?
So we, too, can
confront the great
moral issues of our time,
if only we can find...
If...
If only we can find the guts.
Guts?
Oh, God, she's going off book.
Esteemed colleagues, the United States
has learned that a vast number of
people from the Republic of
West Africa are in grave danger.
The new regime of that nation,
in its hatred of modern
education, women's rights
and the rights of ethnic
minorities, plans to lash out
violently against all of
those cherished principles.
That's my wife.
But it's not the principles...
That's my wife.
...they plan to terrorize and murder.
It is thousands of innocent
men, women and children.
Father Laurent Adisa,
whose charity is sheltering
many of the displaced...
This isn't happening.
Daisy, Matt, get ready to issue
- a statement walking all of this back.
- On it.
Why? She's just gonna say
whatever she wants anyway.
Matt.
...thousands of peoples'
desperate prayers.
Well, now that we have
heard those prayers,
do we have the courage to answer them?
Thank you.
...the United States Secretary
of State in her first major...
For the record, I didn't
know that was coming.
At a speech at the World
Affairs Committee, U.S. Secretary...
Let me guess.
White House loved the speech.
Russell Jackson has already
texted several times.
Lots of smiley faces?
I'm in big trouble, I know.
But at least now,
no one can say they didn't
know it was going on.
Does the speech reflect
an official change in policy?
No, but maybe we lit a fire
under the African Union and the French.
You think they've got
the will or resources
- to pull this off?
- Honestly, that was a Hail Mary.
So, let's see if anyone caught
it while we still have jobs.
Well, at least she doesn't seem flip.
Madame l'Ambassadeur?
I was quite impressed
with your speech, Elizabeth.
How impressed?
Perhaps it would be possible
for us to lend a little support.
Air support?
Assuming, of course, that
your speech is indicative
of an American willingness to act...
I'm working on it.
Uh, oui. Bonne chance,
Madame la Secretaire.
Merci.
- I know what you're doing.
- You do?
Do I look like an idiot?
No, no.
You are so relentlessly intelligent.
She's telling you to
keep me out of the loop
on certain decisions, and
you're being a good soldier
and taking the heat.
Blake, I'm a petite woman,
and I've had a flute
and a half of champagne,
so I'm going to be honest with you.
That's good.
I can understand why the
secretary might not
trust me completely.
But I can also tell you
with s-some certainty
that I am extremely good at my job.
Oh, I agree with you.
I don't need your agreement.
And do you know what
else I have in spades?
A sense of duty.
I have a duty to this nation,
to the department,
and believe it or not,
to that incredibly...
...challenging woman over there.
Madam Secretary, I found your
speech most distressing.
I'm very pleased to hear that.
But if America had the
guts to take action,
you would not have needed
to make the speech.
N'est-ce pas?
Honey, are you awake?
- Absolutely.
- I can't sleep, either.
You know, I've been banging
on the African Union,
and I think I can get them
to commit ground troops
if the French will kick in air power.
Which they'll only do if...
we have some skin in the game, too.
You were sleeping.
Am I keeping you up?
No, I'm here. I'm right here.
Good, because let's not forget
who started this whole thing.
Uh, I want to give you credit
and say the junta, but...
I think you mean me.
And believe me, I will
never forget what you did.
Neither will Laurent.
It was incredibly brave.
I've had a flurry of testy
exchanges with Russell Jackson.
I can't get POTUS to return my
phone call, which only means
that Russell's gotten into his head,
and they're... holed up somewhere
deciding who's gonna replace me.
Oh, come on.
Which I didn't think was
gonna happen quite this fast.
What is it?
I've been summoned to the White House.
Good evening, Russell.
I have something to say
that the president thought
you should hear in person.
I'm sure it gives you
no pleasure to say it.
That speech of yours...
was reckless, impulsive,
damn near insubordinate.
I'm fully prepared to live with
the consequences of my actions.
What I couldn't live with
were the consequences
- of my inactions.
- Excuse me,
did I say I brought you
here so you could talk?
Excuse me, but I'm the
Secretary of State,
and you'll speak to me with the respect
that that office demands.
For now, you are.
You want to condescend to me?
Fine. You have to fire me first.
So if that's the message that
you were dispatched to deliver,
just get on with it.
Let's go.
You know what pisses me off the most?
The speech worked.
The president thinks you're right.
So here's the offer.
Ground troops are still out.
So is air support.
Logistics, then?
Radar, satellites, a few C-130s.
We're not offering the
invasion of Normandy here.
But that should be enough to get
the French to commit air power.
Thank you, Russell.
Don't thank me.
I wanted us to have
the other talk tonight.
Okay. Merci.
Jay.
I just got off the phone with the French.
They're in for air support.
Then the African Union can
assemble a quick-reaction force
with troops mostly from
Burundi and Tanzania
that can deploy into the RWA.
Excellent.
Nadine, get the SecDef's
office on the phone.
Tell him the coalition's a go.
He can start sending logistical assets
into the region right away.
Yes, ma'am.
Hey.
So what's up?
My guys dug up something on your priest.
It ain't good.
Daisy, turn that up, will you?
...mentioned you and your
charity in her speech.
Does this growing consensus
for action in your country
perhaps owe a debt to you?
It's just the opposite.
Of course, we who are in the RWA,
we owe a debt to Secretary McCord.
Guy's pretty smooth for
his first time on cable news.
Madam Secretary, sorry to interrupt.
Uh, apparently, your husband is
- in the building.
- Bad news.
Wh-What is it?
Father Adisa, what do you say
to the recently uncovered allegations
that your charity has been involved
in the smuggling of drugs
across international borders
by the very people you
have deemed refugees?
Oh, my God.
My friend down at The Chronicle says
the Mexican cartels have been
smuggling drugs into Europe
overland through Africa.
And apparently, Laurent is involved.
I wanted to tell you in person.
I don't know what to say, honey.
The White House is on the line.
Course they are... because I just tied
the President of the United
States to a drug dealer.
How the hell
did your people not vet Adisa
before you hijacked our
speech to gush about him?!
I sprung Adisa on them;
that was my screw up.
Oh, for once, an understatement.
The guy helps criminal
organizations mule cocaine
into Europe!
There's more bad news, the French have
rescinded their offer of air support.
That's a hell of a coalition
you've built us, Elizabeth.
Illegal immigration and
drugs are hot-button issues
in France.
They feel that an intervention tied
to a man tainted by both would not
go over well with their public.
It's called politics.
You might want to read up on it.
If you've got a next move, Beth,
I'd love to hear about it.
I think there's only one way
to salvage this crisis.
Oh, I swear to God, if you say
"air support" right now...
Tens of thousands of
people are going to die...
and we back away because
some dirty priest
made us look dumb
for a news cycle or two?
Is that leadership?
We save those people,
at no loss of American life,
because we're only sending in a squadron
of F-15s that the junta doesn't
have the missiles to shoot down,
and we win that news cycle
- because we're heroes.
- Bravo, Elizabeth.
Another rousing speech.
But all your feel-good rhetoric
won't matter if this...
this half-baked intervention
goes south and turns into Mogadishu.
Mr. President...
you will own that.
And if 50,000 people are slaughtered
while I sit on my hands...
that I will own to my grave.
No more screw ups.
Stay on top of every detail.
We're off the priest.
We're off the French.
But the intervention's on.
I feel dizzy.
Lives hang in the balance, dude.
Dizzy but focused.
Okay, how's this? "While
the United States
"is deeply concerned
over the allegations
"against Father Adisa, we are unwavering
in our dedication to preserve
the safety of the Beko people."
Now, the next part's tricky.
Uh, therefore, uh, we will
provide the African Union force
both logistical and air support
while continuing to seek
out a peaceful resolution
to this crisis. Boom!
Want to grab lunch?
- I have to go brief the gaggle.
- You know, when you say that,
it's like you're saying
you got to feed the baby,
but the baby's actually
30 pasty j-journalists.
You know?
African Union troops
crossed the border from Cameroon
into the Republic of West Africa today.
They hope to traverse the
lawless, warlord-dominated
northern region in time to prevent
what American Secretary of State
Elizabeth McCord is calling
an imminent genocide
in the country's heartland.
The world's attention was
focused on the people of...
You know, I
remember your first seminar.
"Living Faith."
You showed us slides of that
AIDS hospice that you built.
At a time when most people
wouldn't even go near
someone who was sick.
And I thought, yeah...
yeah, this is the teacher
I've been looking for.
This guy.
The real deal.
And now?
You deceived me.
You compromised my wife's integrity.
What choice did I have?
How about the truth?
You really think I'd turn
a blind eye to genocide?
So, now... knowing the truth,
would you still have gone
straight to Elizabeth?
What is the truth, by the way?
- You didn't answer my question.
- You answer mine.
The truth is
that sometimes the only way
to insure safe passage
for a desperate person to get
to Europe is to smuggle drugs.
That's "living faith."
No, that is not what the man who
taught that seminar would say.
That is exactly what he would say.
"Any man among us who seems religious
"and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, that
man's religion is vain."
Do you have any idea how
many pockets that I lined
in order to get that hospice built?
Yes, I dealt with warlords,
who-who control the drugs and
the guns and the borders.
But in this failed state,
that... is the Lord's work.
What about
the thousands... the millions
of people who will die
because of the drug
trade and the gunrunning?
Are their lives less valuable?
No, of course not.
They, too, need salvation.
But, Henry...
this is my little patch of darkness.
I can only work where I'm put.
You can say whatever you want,
but you've crossed the
line and you know it.
I will not apologize
for trying to save lives
with the-the few tools
that I have at my disposal.
To answer your question... of course,
I would have gone to Elizabeth.
That's what true friends do.
And that's what I thought you were.
I'll pray for your people
and for your family.
But you and I are done.
So what's in this hypothetical envelope
that may or may not be on my desk?
A job offer made to Nadine
by one Constantine Stahl,
tendered the very day of
the phone call in question.
She... turned it down, obviously.
Why?
As I mentioned, she has a...
strong sense of duty.
Blake, you put too much stock
in the things people say
when they're tipsy.
Really?
Where'd you get this?
Harvard Assistants' Mafia.
Three words you rarely
hear strung together.
Yet they constitute a thing.
Nice work.
Ma'am, the African Union
forces have bogged down.
Uh, define "bogged down."
They're inside the RWA,
but they haven't advanced
in the last hour.
What, did they get a flat tire?
Isn't the entire point of air support
to support the troops on the
ground from the... air?!
Our rules of engagement
limit the use of air power
to engaging junta forces only.
Gentlemen.
- Ma'am.
- Ma'am.
What is the holdup, Major Hicks?
Why aren't the African Union
troops moving towards St. Juste?
Madam Secretary, the
African Union forces
are in a standoff in the
northern province of the RWA.
Here, 30 miles from the Cameroon border.
With whom?
Most likely the warlords
who control the border region.
They'll never get to the Beko in time.
What about air support?
Can't we engage with them?
See? Thank you.
Ma'am, we are concerned that
bombing the warlords' militias
will turn the population of the north
against the African Union forces,
and that will exacerbate
the situation further.
The junta bought these
guys off, didn't they?
That's CIA's working hypothesis.
How long until the African
Union pull out their troops?
They're telling us 12 hours.
They are concerned that if their forces
are encircled, they'll have to
shoot their way back to Cameroon.
So we need more troops to beef
up the African Union forces.
Or we need to cut a deal
with these warlords.
_
_
_
_
Please ask the minister to reconsider.
No, no, I assure you
we do not understand,
and we will remember
his lack of cooperation.
South Africa is definitively out.
So is Kenya. DOD says
they're bogged down
fighting Al-Shabaab.
Can somebody please get me
some troops before
this bloodbath begins?
Isabelle, what do you got?
Oh, God.
All right.
Thank you.
CIA tried to use a local
intermediary to swing a deal
with the warlords.
Video of his body just
went up on YouTube.
I'm-I'm sorry, but we're out of options.
I refuse to accept that, Jay.
There's literally nobody
else to call, ma'am.
We were so close.
We had troops in-country and...
I'm so sorry.
You're sorry?
I'm gonna spend the rest
of my life apologizing
for involving you with Laurent.
Don't. That's crazy.
It's not like he was lying about
what the junta are doing.
It turns out it was practically
the only thing he wasn't lying about.
Come on, Henry. He was just
trying to save his people.
We all were.
And now the troops can't get in
because the warlords have
been bought off by the junta,
and...
that is how 50,000 innocent
people get killed.
So... you need someone
to make the warlords
a better offer.
I think we know a guy.
I'm not gonna do
the whole "Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned" thing, so open up.
Plenty of sin to go around, obviously.
I didn't expect to see you again, Henry.
Yeah, me either.
And nothing has changed.
I'm here for Elizabeth.
Fair enough.
- Look, I need to know if you can make a deal
- Mm-hmm.
with the warlords in your country.
They let the African Union troops
push through to St. Juste.
In exchange, they get paid
by the U.S. Government,
indirectly, through you.
Is that something you can
make happen quickly?
Well, it has been my
experience that, uh,
those warlords are quite businesslike.
I'm glad to hear that. So can my wife.
And you, too, apparently.
Yes. I'm aware of the irony.
Such is the world, Henry.
Drowning in blood and irony.
So, now, the Lord has made miracles
with this blessed little device before.
Let's see if He's with us today.
African Union? African Union!
_
Okay, everyone, the
African Union forces
have stabilized St. Juste
and they have set up aid
stations for the refugees.
Yeah!
This has been an incredibly
long, tough week.
Thank you all for your hard work.
Do something nice
for yourselves tonight.
Madam Secretary, Ambassador
Bokassa is downstairs
demanding to see you.
Do you want him sent away?
Madam Secretary,
I am here to officially protest
the United States' illegal
and immoral intervention
into our affairs.
Really?
Because I was thinking that
maybe your bosses back home
are a little huffy at you for
falling down on the job,
and you're looking to deal.
It is true I have been
recalled to the RWA,
where I may face discipline. And, yes,
I do know much about the
regime there that...
could be very useful to you
and that I am willing to share.
Well, I might have been
interested yesterday,
but today I think I'll pass.
You're very good at this game,
Mr. Ambassador. I'm sure
you'll land on your feet.
As to a deal, well, far be it from us
to intervene in your country's affairs.
Good luck.
Knock, knock.
Madam Secretary.
Some day, huh?
And how.
I was just about to pour
myself a scotch to celebrate.
Won't you care to join me?
Sure, why not?
Nadine, I came to tell you
I had you investigated.
I figured as much.
Lately, when I see Blake,
he shakes like a Chihuahua
who's just peed on the carpet.
So?
Well, you're here, aren't you?
There's something else,
something you're not
gonna like very much.
I'm having Vincent Marsh
investigated next.
I see.
And why tell me this?
Like I said, you're here, aren't you?
So, cheers.
To Julius Grossman.
My mother's father.
He was killed at Auschwitz.
This was a good day
at the office, ma'am.
Hi. Surprise.
Hello, Henry.
I'm, uh, on my way to
Rome for some, uh,
disciplinary action,
you'll be glad to know.
Elizabeth's convinced me
to come and say good-bye.
Well, obviously I'm very happy
that you brokered that deal, but...
I'm not very interested in
salvaging this relationship.
"There's nothing on this
earth more to be prized
than a true friendship."
That was Thomas...
Yes, I know.
Henry, you came to me
in my darkest hour,
and you were my true friend.
Please forgive me for not being yours.
How are your niece and her children?
Komoyo and Esther
and Simon... they're doing very well.
Along with many others, thanks to you.
Well, thanks to her.
You don't have to go, you know.
I can help you to stay here.
That's very nice of you, but,
uh, the church is my life.
I am not afraid for whatever comes next.
After all, uh, wasn't it, um...
Thomas Aquinas who once said
that a man of God who is not
in trouble is not doing his job?
I'm pretty sure he never
said anything of the kind.
Well, he should have.
Ah, that's my taxi.
Well, Au revoir, my friends.
Au revoir, Laurent.
Take care of yourself.
God bless you both, hmm?
Ah.
Hello? Don't be afraid.
I'm here, I'm here. Do not be afraid.
_
_
In conclusion, the challenges
of the 21st century
are indeed great.
Therefore, our determination
to solve them together
must be even greater.
Thank you.
And now I'm going to barf,
because this speech is so terrible.
No offense, Matt.
None taken, I think.
But given that this is my first speech
before the World Affairs Committee,
which is "the most august
and influential..."
What was the rest of it?
"Forum for international
relations in the world."
Right, that.
Wouldn't it be nice if I
actually... say something?
Well, ma'am, it's precisely because
this is your first speech
on such an important stage
that each word needs to be
polished, and considered,
and correct.
Okay, just an FYI, words like
that make my eye twitch.
Look, we're trying to
articulate U.S. policy
on a broad variety of topics,
so the speech has been vetted...
By various departments
and agencies. I know. I...
Not to mention, we have
to factor in the positions
of our allies to avoid offending them.
And trying to fit that
all in one speech is, like...
super hard.
Well put.
Ma'am, this speech is in two days.
We need to finalize it.
All right, fine.
But give me some substance.
I want something in that
speech that I care about.
That the White House approves.
Blake.
I think Nadine suspects something.
I feel her eyes on me all the time.
Relax, she's not Sauron.
That's what you think.
Your paranoia notwithstanding,
do you have any actual intel for me?
I'm halfway through her e-mails,
calendar and phone logs
from her time with Secretary Marsh.
So far, the only thing that
feels dirty or suspicious is me.
Blake, everyone in this
building is potentially subject
to investigation.
Secretary Marsh, her old
boss, was conspiring
to undermine the Iran peace talks.
I want to make sure I'm not about to get
stabbed in the back
by my chief of staff.
The diplomatic security guys think
I'm on a fishing expedition.
You are on a fishing expedition.
I think their question is: why me?
Because unlike the rest of my staff,
you're my hire, and I trust you.
But you can tell the DS
that the answer is:
because I said so.
See what I'm talking about?
Boss lady hates me.
No, just your speech.
Thanks.
It's too equivocal. She's no-BS.
And what? I'm pro-BS?
Okay, can I tell you
something, as a friend?
Well, that's a slightly
complicated question.
All this wheedling and
whining... it's not cute.
Wow.
Thanks, friend.
Now, why don't you tell me something...
as more than a friend?
Okay.
Man up, dude.
Oh, I'm a man.
I'm a no-BS man.
Full of substance.
Yeah.
That sounded weird.
Wait, so he's here?
The priest?
Yeah, Laurent Adisa.
My social justice professor
from divinity school.
Oh, that's right.
The guy who gave you a "B."
I thought we were having
dinner Saturday night.
His schedule changed.
And, for the record, it was my only "B."
Ever.
Well, you know what, great,
because I'm exhausted, as one
often is on a Tuesday night.
So I can go up and lay down,
and you guys can re-litigate the "B".
Babe, just come on.
We texted, like, ten times
today, you never said anything.
It was a last-minute thing.
Fine, I'll say hello.
But, for the record,
you're acting very weird.
- Hello, everybody.
- Hi, Mom. - Hi, Mom.
- Madam Secretary.
- Father Adisa,
really nice surprise.
Please call me Elizabeth.
Well, if you call me Laurent.
Okay. If memory serves...
- Mm-hmm.
- ...you were Henry's
favorite professor, and also the only one
that ever gave him a "B."
Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Dad got a "B"?
Unbelievable.
In defense of your father, he
was a very brilliant student,
but he was, uh... rather distracted
by a radiant wife and a brand-new baby.
Well, if by "radiant,"
you mean sleepless and hostile...
I didn't realize you'd been
radiant for so long, Mom.
- Ooh, snap.
- Okay.
- That was a good one.
- Come on, wise guys, beat it.
The grown-ups need to talk.
Okay. Come on, nerds.
- So, Father, uh, Laurent...
- Mm-hmm?
...what brings you to, uh... to D.C.?
Well, I'm here speaking
on behalf of my charities
and some of the churches in the area.
But, um...
I must confess that
I didn't just come here
to have a meal with
your charming family.
Yes, I'm beginning to get that.
I was wondering if you had heard
about the events of my country,
uh, the Republic of West Africa.
I'm-I'm aware of the coup
that happened six months ago.
- Mm-hmm.
- I'm also aware that the ruling
junta have begun
curtailing women's rights,
and they're closing any
schools that they feel
are tainted by Western-style education.
Apparently, that's just the opening act.
The junta has begun a campaign
of ethnic slaughter
against the Beko people.
Wait. That I have not heard.
Now they're ramping up to
enter into the Beko heartland
and clean out the city of St.
Juste in a matter of days.
I...
Thank you for bringing
this to my attention.
And I will get a full
briefing on it tomorrow.
If-if you will indulge me.
That is my niece, Komoyo,
and her children, Esther and Simon.
Komoyo called me yesterday,
and she said the soldiers
had entered their village.
And now they are on the run.
Laurent, I'm very sorry.
It is I who must apologize
for abusing your hospitality.
No, no, no...
But I just want you to understand
that I did not show you this photograph
so that my family could
get special treatment.
The truth is that you have the power
to answer the desperate prayers
of thousands of my people.
Excuse me.
My phones never stop ringing.
The help that is needed...
it never ends.
Excuse me.
Hello?
Don't be afraid.
I'm here, I'm here.
Ambushing me in our own home? Really?
I know. He sort of ambushed me, too.
You could've given me a heads-up.
Well, he said that he's
pleaded with everyone.
The U.N., the European
Union, African Union,
the press... nobody cares.
It's not that nobody cares,
Henry, it's that...
...things like this are
happening all over the world,
unfortunately, and the
decision to get involved is
a political one. I wish it was
just an ethical dilemma, but it's not.
You know, most of the time, we
play catch-up on these things.
We see these horrible
numbers after the fact.
But here... you have advanced warning.
You have a chance to intervene.
What? Where are you going?
Downstairs to work.
Wh-What would you rather I had done?
Ignore it?
I would rather that you had remembered
that before anything we're a team.
So, no one in this building
has any useful intel about
an imminent campaign
of ethnic cleansing in the
Republic of West Africa?
We've been tracking the situation.
It's unclear if any
attacks are imminent.
Given our lack of vital
interests or assets in the RWA,
we concluded the situation
wasn't clear or pressing enough
to bring to your attention.
Okay, attacks are imminent... and
what the hell did you just say?
I'm giving you the official
assessment, ma'am.
It's a matter of grave concern, ma'am,
and I promise you we will look into it.
But right now your top priority
has to be your speech.
Matt took another pass at it.
There's a little something
in there about rising sea levels
and freshwater scarcity combining
to drive global conflict
that I think you're gonna love.
You know, "Water, water..."
Nadine, I'll set the
priorities, thank you.
- Sorry, Matt. Thank you.
- Uh, Madam Secretary,
Ambassador Bokassa from the
Republic of West Africa is here.
- He's not on your schedule, ma'am.
- Send him up.
Send him up, please.
Why wasn't I looped in
about this meeting?
Oh. Um, it's my mistake.
I'm sorry. I-I must have forgotten.
Oh.
No one in this building forgets
to tell me when they take lunch.
It happened late. I meant to CC you...
Fine.
See if the ambassador
would like cream and sugar.
Madam Secretary,
I cannot imagine where you're getting
such a distorted impression
of life in the glorious
Republic of West Africa.
So you're telling me your
government has no plans
to wage a campaign
against the Beko people?
We are a small nation, hmm?
Wedged between Gabon and Cameroon,
with no oil to tempt you.
Why the sudden interest
in our internal affairs?
Okay, I'll ask you again.
Is your government planning
to attack the Beko?
Of course not.
The Beko, like wayward children,
scream at even the slightest discipline.
But such whining is to be expected
as our nation purifies itself
of decadent and poisonous
outside influences.
By that, do you mean
educated women or...
expensive watches?
I mean only that the
Ruling Council of the RWA
wishes to bring peace
and correct living
to all loyal citizens.
Well, I'm very glad to hear
that your government
has no such plans.
Just in case they do, you
tell your bosses back home
that the United States is watching.
Good day.
And here are the records
for Ms. Tolliver's
work-issued BlackBerry
from the months immediately
after Secretary Marsh died.
Say, how do you DS guys do it?
You just sit down here all
day, snooping on people?
We're patriots.
Hey, wait a second.
This call here... was that recorded?
Hmm. Let me see.
Nope.
Just the metadata showing it happened. _
Three weeks ago, Nadine had
a 20-minute conversation
on her work cell phone
with Constantine Stahl.
That's an awfully long
time to have a chat
with one of Marsh's biggest backers.
Three weeks ago, you were...
Scrambling to salvage the Iran peace talks.
Any chance they were just catching up?
Nadine and a casino billionaire
whose pet political cause
is to bomb Iran, swapping funny stories?
No.
More likely he was calling to
pump her for intel on the talks.
Which would make her a spy.
Is she dumb enough to take
that call on a work phone?
I don't know. Is there
any way to find out?
There's no audio of the call.
Well, then unless
something definitive arises
quickly to change my mind,
I'll have to pull her
security clearance,
pending a full investigation.
Thanks for taking
time off from prepping
for your fancy speech to go
where the common folk eat.
Oh, are you kidding me?
It's nice to get out of the
office for a little bite of...
fried everything.
What can I say? I miss
our gross work lunches.
Me, too.
So this is a right-to-business
kind of fried lunch, yeah?
I'm afraid so.
What's the CIA's read on the RWA?
Your source was right.
The junta's gearing up to
drive out the Beko minority
by any means, up to
and including genocide.
What would it take to stop it?
Well, short of an act of God, nothing.
Not with the resources the U.S. is willing
to bring to bear, which is none.
What's left is the African Union,
but they have a hard time
getting all their member states
on the same page...
or maybe the French,
but they're bogged down in,
like, five other countries.
Blue-sky it for me.
If money was no object,
ground troops, air support, logistics.
Yeah, you'd need all of the above.
I should warn you, the
RWA is a toxic mess.
Part of the country not under
the boot of the junta is run...
By a bunch of renegade warlords
with RPGs and machine
guns, and... I know.
Then you know the odds of an
intervention going sideways...
I know. Are extremely high, I got it.
Now, what else do I need?
Well, if...
Thanks.
Name one vital interest we have
in the Republic of West Africa.
Bauxite.
It's the key mineral in aluminum.
Aluminum, I know.
You're kidding, right?
I can see the bumper stickers now.
"No Blood for Foil."
Okay, fine. We don't have
any vital interests in the RWA,
except for 50,000 innocent civilians
who are about to be
murdered on our watch.
For God's sake,
we haven't exactly put a bow
on the Middle East yet.
You want to go into Africa?
Why aren't the stakeholders in
the region making it an issue?
This is a rapidly unfolding situation.
If we don't do something,
and soon, it'll be too late.
Bess, I hear you.
The junta is despicable.
And if reports about what
they're planning are correct...
They are correct, sir.
No sense pretending that they're not.
No one's pretending here.
- I...
- The fact is, this is not our fight.
If we stand back, we're
accused of apathy.
If we engage, we're accused
of policing the world.
Military intervention is a dog's breakfast,
no matter the cause.
Look...
you know I'm a realist,
but there are events that
transcend national interest,
and I believe this is one of those.
I know you do.
But I don't.
So what do you say, Danny?
Want to help us get
this story out there,
maybe grab yourself another Pulitzer,
keep the first one company?
I can pass this along to my colleagues
on the international
desk, but obviously
they're gonna have to vet your source.
Source? I am the source.
I'm sitting right here in front of you.
Ask me anything you want.
It's the journalistic
process... takes time.
Time? Time is precisely
what thousands of innocent
victims do not have!
Look, I-I know you'll do
everything you can to help.
I really appreciate you
meeting with us. Thanks.
You bet.
That went well.
Forgive me, Henry.
I find myself getting angry these days,
not just at God for letting
terrible things happen
to innocent people,
but for selecting a...
a poor and impatient
messenger such as myself.
We'll just keep pushing, okay?
In the meantime, take it
easy on yourself, man.
Mom?
Yeah.
Whatever it is that
you're worried about,
I'm pretty sure the
answer's not in there.
You're probably right.
So, what are we doing to
stop what's going to happen
in the Republic of West Africa?
Nothing.
Because when the president
makes a very good case
for why not to intervene,
that is pretty much it.
Hmm.
Do you remember in the fifth grade
when I almost quit that
school backpacking trip
because I was afraid of heights,
and I really didn't want
to go rock-climbing?
You would be amazed how
much parents block out.
And do you remember what you said to me
when I called you in a panic?
No, but I feel like I'm
about to be embarrassed.
You said, "Honey, you are the descendent
"of some of the greatest
heroes and scoundrels
"that the Commonwealth of
Virginia has ever seen"
"If you've got one thing
"running through your veins, it's guts.
"Now, don't call me back
until you're at the top
of that mountain, little girl."
I actually said that?
Yup.
Oh, what a pain in the ass I am.
And why did I sound like Dolly Parton?
I don't know.
I got to the top of the mountain though.
Bet you did.
You'll think of something, Mom.
Good night.
Good night, baby.
That is great news.
Yeah, keep me posted.
Thanks again, buddy. All right, bye.
The Washington Chronicle
is into the story.
They're putting a
couple reporters on it.
It should run in a day or two.
Ah, that's good news, indeed.
But we may be running
out of time for an article
in a newspaper to be of much help.
Oh, speaking of time, um...
yeah, Elizabeth's speech is on.
The United States will continue to work
with our friends and partners
around the world on a host of issues.
This is good.
The challenges we face are...
This is poetry, is what this is.
...as always, daunting.
But we can take heart
that just as our forebears had the courage
to confront the issues
of their day, so we, too...
Uh-oh.
What's happening?
So we, too, can
confront the great
moral issues of our time,
if only we can find...
If...
If only we can find the guts.
Guts?
Oh, God, she's going off book.
Esteemed colleagues, the United States
has learned that a vast number of
people from the Republic of
West Africa are in grave danger.
The new regime of that nation,
in its hatred of modern
education, women's rights
and the rights of ethnic
minorities, plans to lash out
violently against all of
those cherished principles.
That's my wife.
But it's not the principles...
That's my wife.
...they plan to terrorize and murder.
It is thousands of innocent
men, women and children.
Father Laurent Adisa,
whose charity is sheltering
many of the displaced...
This isn't happening.
Daisy, Matt, get ready to issue
- a statement walking all of this back.
- On it.
Why? She's just gonna say
whatever she wants anyway.
Matt.
...thousands of peoples'
desperate prayers.
Well, now that we have
heard those prayers,
do we have the courage to answer them?
Thank you.
...the United States Secretary
of State in her first major...
For the record, I didn't
know that was coming.
At a speech at the World
Affairs Committee, U.S. Secretary...
Let me guess.
White House loved the speech.
Russell Jackson has already
texted several times.
Lots of smiley faces?
I'm in big trouble, I know.
But at least now,
no one can say they didn't
know it was going on.
Does the speech reflect
an official change in policy?
No, but maybe we lit a fire
under the African Union and the French.
You think they've got
the will or resources
- to pull this off?
- Honestly, that was a Hail Mary.
So, let's see if anyone caught
it while we still have jobs.
Well, at least she doesn't seem flip.
Madame l'Ambassadeur?
I was quite impressed
with your speech, Elizabeth.
How impressed?
Perhaps it would be possible
for us to lend a little support.
Air support?
Assuming, of course, that
your speech is indicative
of an American willingness to act...
I'm working on it.
Uh, oui. Bonne chance,
Madame la Secretaire.
Merci.
- I know what you're doing.
- You do?
Do I look like an idiot?
No, no.
You are so relentlessly intelligent.
She's telling you to
keep me out of the loop
on certain decisions, and
you're being a good soldier
and taking the heat.
Blake, I'm a petite woman,
and I've had a flute
and a half of champagne,
so I'm going to be honest with you.
That's good.
I can understand why the
secretary might not
trust me completely.
But I can also tell you
with s-some certainty
that I am extremely good at my job.
Oh, I agree with you.
I don't need your agreement.
And do you know what
else I have in spades?
A sense of duty.
I have a duty to this nation,
to the department,
and believe it or not,
to that incredibly...
...challenging woman over there.
Madam Secretary, I found your
speech most distressing.
I'm very pleased to hear that.
But if America had the
guts to take action,
you would not have needed
to make the speech.
N'est-ce pas?
Honey, are you awake?
- Absolutely.
- I can't sleep, either.
You know, I've been banging
on the African Union,
and I think I can get them
to commit ground troops
if the French will kick in air power.
Which they'll only do if...
we have some skin in the game, too.
You were sleeping.
Am I keeping you up?
No, I'm here. I'm right here.
Good, because let's not forget
who started this whole thing.
Uh, I want to give you credit
and say the junta, but...
I think you mean me.
And believe me, I will
never forget what you did.
Neither will Laurent.
It was incredibly brave.
I've had a flurry of testy
exchanges with Russell Jackson.
I can't get POTUS to return my
phone call, which only means
that Russell's gotten into his head,
and they're... holed up somewhere
deciding who's gonna replace me.
Oh, come on.
Which I didn't think was
gonna happen quite this fast.
What is it?
I've been summoned to the White House.
Good evening, Russell.
I have something to say
that the president thought
you should hear in person.
I'm sure it gives you
no pleasure to say it.
That speech of yours...
was reckless, impulsive,
damn near insubordinate.
I'm fully prepared to live with
the consequences of my actions.
What I couldn't live with
were the consequences
- of my inactions.
- Excuse me,
did I say I brought you
here so you could talk?
Excuse me, but I'm the
Secretary of State,
and you'll speak to me with the respect
that that office demands.
For now, you are.
You want to condescend to me?
Fine. You have to fire me first.
So if that's the message that
you were dispatched to deliver,
just get on with it.
Let's go.
You know what pisses me off the most?
The speech worked.
The president thinks you're right.
So here's the offer.
Ground troops are still out.
So is air support.
Logistics, then?
Radar, satellites, a few C-130s.
We're not offering the
invasion of Normandy here.
But that should be enough to get
the French to commit air power.
Thank you, Russell.
Don't thank me.
I wanted us to have
the other talk tonight.
Okay. Merci.
Jay.
I just got off the phone with the French.
They're in for air support.
Then the African Union can
assemble a quick-reaction force
with troops mostly from
Burundi and Tanzania
that can deploy into the RWA.
Excellent.
Nadine, get the SecDef's
office on the phone.
Tell him the coalition's a go.
He can start sending logistical assets
into the region right away.
Yes, ma'am.
Hey.
So what's up?
My guys dug up something on your priest.
It ain't good.
Daisy, turn that up, will you?
...mentioned you and your
charity in her speech.
Does this growing consensus
for action in your country
perhaps owe a debt to you?
It's just the opposite.
Of course, we who are in the RWA,
we owe a debt to Secretary McCord.
Guy's pretty smooth for
his first time on cable news.
Madam Secretary, sorry to interrupt.
Uh, apparently, your husband is
- in the building.
- Bad news.
Wh-What is it?
Father Adisa, what do you say
to the recently uncovered allegations
that your charity has been involved
in the smuggling of drugs
across international borders
by the very people you
have deemed refugees?
Oh, my God.
My friend down at The Chronicle says
the Mexican cartels have been
smuggling drugs into Europe
overland through Africa.
And apparently, Laurent is involved.
I wanted to tell you in person.
I don't know what to say, honey.
The White House is on the line.
Course they are... because I just tied
the President of the United
States to a drug dealer.
How the hell
did your people not vet Adisa
before you hijacked our
speech to gush about him?!
I sprung Adisa on them;
that was my screw up.
Oh, for once, an understatement.
The guy helps criminal
organizations mule cocaine
into Europe!
There's more bad news, the French have
rescinded their offer of air support.
That's a hell of a coalition
you've built us, Elizabeth.
Illegal immigration and
drugs are hot-button issues
in France.
They feel that an intervention tied
to a man tainted by both would not
go over well with their public.
It's called politics.
You might want to read up on it.
If you've got a next move, Beth,
I'd love to hear about it.
I think there's only one way
to salvage this crisis.
Oh, I swear to God, if you say
"air support" right now...
Tens of thousands of
people are going to die...
and we back away because
some dirty priest
made us look dumb
for a news cycle or two?
Is that leadership?
We save those people,
at no loss of American life,
because we're only sending in a squadron
of F-15s that the junta doesn't
have the missiles to shoot down,
and we win that news cycle
- because we're heroes.
- Bravo, Elizabeth.
Another rousing speech.
But all your feel-good rhetoric
won't matter if this...
this half-baked intervention
goes south and turns into Mogadishu.
Mr. President...
you will own that.
And if 50,000 people are slaughtered
while I sit on my hands...
that I will own to my grave.
No more screw ups.
Stay on top of every detail.
We're off the priest.
We're off the French.
But the intervention's on.
I feel dizzy.
Lives hang in the balance, dude.
Dizzy but focused.
Okay, how's this? "While
the United States
"is deeply concerned
over the allegations
"against Father Adisa, we are unwavering
in our dedication to preserve
the safety of the Beko people."
Now, the next part's tricky.
Uh, therefore, uh, we will
provide the African Union force
both logistical and air support
while continuing to seek
out a peaceful resolution
to this crisis. Boom!
Want to grab lunch?
- I have to go brief the gaggle.
- You know, when you say that,
it's like you're saying
you got to feed the baby,
but the baby's actually
30 pasty j-journalists.
You know?
African Union troops
crossed the border from Cameroon
into the Republic of West Africa today.
They hope to traverse the
lawless, warlord-dominated
northern region in time to prevent
what American Secretary of State
Elizabeth McCord is calling
an imminent genocide
in the country's heartland.
The world's attention was
focused on the people of...
You know, I
remember your first seminar.
"Living Faith."
You showed us slides of that
AIDS hospice that you built.
At a time when most people
wouldn't even go near
someone who was sick.
And I thought, yeah...
yeah, this is the teacher
I've been looking for.
This guy.
The real deal.
And now?
You deceived me.
You compromised my wife's integrity.
What choice did I have?
How about the truth?
You really think I'd turn
a blind eye to genocide?
So, now... knowing the truth,
would you still have gone
straight to Elizabeth?
What is the truth, by the way?
- You didn't answer my question.
- You answer mine.
The truth is
that sometimes the only way
to insure safe passage
for a desperate person to get
to Europe is to smuggle drugs.
That's "living faith."
No, that is not what the man who
taught that seminar would say.
That is exactly what he would say.
"Any man among us who seems religious
"and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, that
man's religion is vain."
Do you have any idea how
many pockets that I lined
in order to get that hospice built?
Yes, I dealt with warlords,
who-who control the drugs and
the guns and the borders.
But in this failed state,
that... is the Lord's work.
What about
the thousands... the millions
of people who will die
because of the drug
trade and the gunrunning?
Are their lives less valuable?
No, of course not.
They, too, need salvation.
But, Henry...
this is my little patch of darkness.
I can only work where I'm put.
You can say whatever you want,
but you've crossed the
line and you know it.
I will not apologize
for trying to save lives
with the-the few tools
that I have at my disposal.
To answer your question... of course,
I would have gone to Elizabeth.
That's what true friends do.
And that's what I thought you were.
I'll pray for your people
and for your family.
But you and I are done.
So what's in this hypothetical envelope
that may or may not be on my desk?
A job offer made to Nadine
by one Constantine Stahl,
tendered the very day of
the phone call in question.
She... turned it down, obviously.
Why?
As I mentioned, she has a...
strong sense of duty.
Blake, you put too much stock
in the things people say
when they're tipsy.
Really?
Where'd you get this?
Harvard Assistants' Mafia.
Three words you rarely
hear strung together.
Yet they constitute a thing.
Nice work.
Ma'am, the African Union
forces have bogged down.
Uh, define "bogged down."
They're inside the RWA,
but they haven't advanced
in the last hour.
What, did they get a flat tire?
Isn't the entire point of air support
to support the troops on the
ground from the... air?!
Our rules of engagement
limit the use of air power
to engaging junta forces only.
Gentlemen.
- Ma'am.
- Ma'am.
What is the holdup, Major Hicks?
Why aren't the African Union
troops moving towards St. Juste?
Madam Secretary, the
African Union forces
are in a standoff in the
northern province of the RWA.
Here, 30 miles from the Cameroon border.
With whom?
Most likely the warlords
who control the border region.
They'll never get to the Beko in time.
What about air support?
Can't we engage with them?
See? Thank you.
Ma'am, we are concerned that
bombing the warlords' militias
will turn the population of the north
against the African Union forces,
and that will exacerbate
the situation further.
The junta bought these
guys off, didn't they?
That's CIA's working hypothesis.
How long until the African
Union pull out their troops?
They're telling us 12 hours.
They are concerned that if their forces
are encircled, they'll have to
shoot their way back to Cameroon.
So we need more troops to beef
up the African Union forces.
Or we need to cut a deal
with these warlords.
_
_
_
_
Please ask the minister to reconsider.
No, no, I assure you
we do not understand,
and we will remember
his lack of cooperation.
South Africa is definitively out.
So is Kenya. DOD says
they're bogged down
fighting Al-Shabaab.
Can somebody please get me
some troops before
this bloodbath begins?
Isabelle, what do you got?
Oh, God.
All right.
Thank you.
CIA tried to use a local
intermediary to swing a deal
with the warlords.
Video of his body just
went up on YouTube.
I'm-I'm sorry, but we're out of options.
I refuse to accept that, Jay.
There's literally nobody
else to call, ma'am.
We were so close.
We had troops in-country and...
I'm so sorry.
You're sorry?
I'm gonna spend the rest
of my life apologizing
for involving you with Laurent.
Don't. That's crazy.
It's not like he was lying about
what the junta are doing.
It turns out it was practically
the only thing he wasn't lying about.
Come on, Henry. He was just
trying to save his people.
We all were.
And now the troops can't get in
because the warlords have
been bought off by the junta,
and...
that is how 50,000 innocent
people get killed.
So... you need someone
to make the warlords
a better offer.
I think we know a guy.
I'm not gonna do
the whole "Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned" thing, so open up.
Plenty of sin to go around, obviously.
I didn't expect to see you again, Henry.
Yeah, me either.
And nothing has changed.
I'm here for Elizabeth.
Fair enough.
- Look, I need to know if you can make a deal
- Mm-hmm.
with the warlords in your country.
They let the African Union troops
push through to St. Juste.
In exchange, they get paid
by the U.S. Government,
indirectly, through you.
Is that something you can
make happen quickly?
Well, it has been my
experience that, uh,
those warlords are quite businesslike.
I'm glad to hear that. So can my wife.
And you, too, apparently.
Yes. I'm aware of the irony.
Such is the world, Henry.
Drowning in blood and irony.
So, now, the Lord has made miracles
with this blessed little device before.
Let's see if He's with us today.
African Union? African Union!
_
Okay, everyone, the
African Union forces
have stabilized St. Juste
and they have set up aid
stations for the refugees.
Yeah!
This has been an incredibly
long, tough week.
Thank you all for your hard work.
Do something nice
for yourselves tonight.
Madam Secretary, Ambassador
Bokassa is downstairs
demanding to see you.
Do you want him sent away?
Madam Secretary,
I am here to officially protest
the United States' illegal
and immoral intervention
into our affairs.
Really?
Because I was thinking that
maybe your bosses back home
are a little huffy at you for
falling down on the job,
and you're looking to deal.
It is true I have been
recalled to the RWA,
where I may face discipline. And, yes,
I do know much about the
regime there that...
could be very useful to you
and that I am willing to share.
Well, I might have been
interested yesterday,
but today I think I'll pass.
You're very good at this game,
Mr. Ambassador. I'm sure
you'll land on your feet.
As to a deal, well, far be it from us
to intervene in your country's affairs.
Good luck.
Knock, knock.
Madam Secretary.
Some day, huh?
And how.
I was just about to pour
myself a scotch to celebrate.
Won't you care to join me?
Sure, why not?
Nadine, I came to tell you
I had you investigated.
I figured as much.
Lately, when I see Blake,
he shakes like a Chihuahua
who's just peed on the carpet.
So?
Well, you're here, aren't you?
There's something else,
something you're not
gonna like very much.
I'm having Vincent Marsh
investigated next.
I see.
And why tell me this?
Like I said, you're here, aren't you?
So, cheers.
To Julius Grossman.
My mother's father.
He was killed at Auschwitz.
This was a good day
at the office, ma'am.
Hi. Surprise.
Hello, Henry.
I'm, uh, on my way to
Rome for some, uh,
disciplinary action,
you'll be glad to know.
Elizabeth's convinced me
to come and say good-bye.
Well, obviously I'm very happy
that you brokered that deal, but...
I'm not very interested in
salvaging this relationship.
"There's nothing on this
earth more to be prized
than a true friendship."
That was Thomas...
Yes, I know.
Henry, you came to me
in my darkest hour,
and you were my true friend.
Please forgive me for not being yours.
How are your niece and her children?
Komoyo and Esther
and Simon... they're doing very well.
Along with many others, thanks to you.
Well, thanks to her.
You don't have to go, you know.
I can help you to stay here.
That's very nice of you, but,
uh, the church is my life.
I am not afraid for whatever comes next.
After all, uh, wasn't it, um...
Thomas Aquinas who once said
that a man of God who is not
in trouble is not doing his job?
I'm pretty sure he never
said anything of the kind.
Well, he should have.
Ah, that's my taxi.
Well, Au revoir, my friends.
Au revoir, Laurent.
Take care of yourself.
God bless you both, hmm?
Ah.
Hello? Don't be afraid.
I'm here, I'm here. Do not be afraid.