Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 9 - So It Goes - full transcript

Elizabeth, Henry and Isabelle launch their own investigation into the plane crash that killed former Secretary of State Vincent Marsh. Also, Nadine takes a step back into the dating pool ...

The framework for the next phase
of the talks is in place.

- The Iranians signed off on Vienna.
- But not on the venue.

- We need to finalize the schedule.
- And the venue.

- Schedule determines available venues.
- We'll get into it, sir.

If it were up to me, I would lock the
Iranians in the back room of a clam bar

until we had a deal.

It might have to be
a Wiener schnitzel bar in Vienna, sir.

(CHUCKLES) Alright. Thanks, everybody.

- Uh, Matt?
- Yeah?

How's that speech coming along?

I'll have a draft by the time you land.



- Good.
- Sir, the policy stances you asked for

are very much at odds
with the administration.

Again?

- I can soften them.
- Nah. I want a clear, bold vision.

Yes, sir.

- And Matt?
- Hm?

- You know I count on your discretion.
- Of course.

- What did he want?
- Nothing.

- You're lying.
- I'm not.

And you're bad at it.

If I were lying, which I am not,
you would never know.

So, the secretary
just wanted to shoot the breeze?

- We have a rapport.
- Oh, please!

You're just jealous that the big guy
is taking an interest in me.



Wait, that man would eat his young
for a leg-up.

You're mistaking cozy
for something else.

(DOOR OPENS)

You wanted to see me, Mr Secretary?

Yes. Come in.

I am sorry,
but I have to cancel our weekend.

(SIGHS) Is it your wife?

No, it's personal business.

- Can I ask what?
- You can ask me anything.

It's an estate matter

relating to my family's
old cattle ranch outside Caracas.

I... I need to handle it personally.

OK, then.

When I get back...

...I'll make it up to you.

You better.

(VINCENT CHUCKLES)

- You're good to go, Mr Secretary.
- Thanks, Fred.

Mike and Tony have your back
while you're down there.

If they can keep up.
Hope you boys like riding horses.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

- Happy trails, sir.
- Thanks.

Ripped By mstoll

(BANGING)

Oh, great.

Need a hand...

(BANGING)

- Sit down.
- It's pretty rough, huh?

Are you alright? Are you alright?

We have hit severe CAT.

I think the stub trim
is broken completely.

- What the hell is going on?
- I've lost pitch control.

- Can you get it back?
- The stabilizer's failed completely.

I cannot keep us in the air.

So it goes.

PILOT: Trying to push and roll.

Losing altitude fast.

- No, no, no, no, no...
- (EXPLOSION)

Play back that last part.

PILOT: Keep us in the air.

VINCENT: So it goes.

"So it goes," huh?

Pretty calm for a guy
who thinks he's about to die.

The NTSB didn't find
the comment remarkable.

Well, they didn't have reason to.

I once had a wing drop that sent me
into an uncontrolled roll at 1,000 feet.

Whoa! You never told me that.

Well, the point is... everything slowed.
All I felt was calm.

OK, Iceman, but you were a pilot

and Marsh doesn't exactly
sound calm to me.

More like he isn't surprised.

You know, like he crossed someone
and is expecting payback.

- You've seen too many spy movies.
- And lived a few.

What about you, babe?

Does he sound like a guy
who suspected foul play?

Well, George thought it was.

Two months after Marsh's plane
went down,

George stood right over there
and said that crash wasn't an accident

and that somebody in the CIA
was behind it.

No matter how wigged out George was,
he was a damn good analyst.

ELIZABETH: Three days later,
he dies in a car crash

that anyone with basic tradecraft skills
could have made look like an accident.

It reeks of foul play.

And yet here's
this 2,000-page NTSB report

that concludes Vincent Marsh's
plane crash was an accident.

Well, we owe it to George to see
if we can prove it wrong. Gimme.

HENRY: The NTSB's conclusion
seems irrefutable.

The R-47 jackscrew
in the tail assembly failed,

taking out the horizontal stabilizers,
resulting in an unrecoverable dive.

A broken screw? Seriously?

Well, the R-47 is more like a rod.
It's about an inch in diameter.

Says it was rated for ten years.

It was at eight and a half
at the time of the crash.

It's not crazy
it would fail a little early.

Well, the C-600 jet
has a pretty great safety record.

Only one crash
in the past 15 years in Dubai.

Wait a minute. I remember that.

I was on the Middle East desk
at the time.

Some Iranian scientist died?

Their top nuclear physicist.

Right. There was speculation
that Mossad was behind that.

It was also stabilizer failure.

- The R-47 jackscrew.
- A coincidence?

Well, there's
a whole section on it here.

The investigators looked hard at the
Dubai crash, comparing it to Marsh's.

At the time, the screw was rated
for 15 years. It was changed to ten.

But the only connection
between Dubai and Marsh

is the failure to recognize
the weakness of the alloy

used in the screws in the first place.

So, if someone sabotaged Marsh's plane,

they knew that the investigators
would look at the Dubai crash

and assume it was a similar issue
with that screw.

Which is exactly what happened.

OK. So how do you sabotage
an R-47 jackscrew?

The jackscrew's concealed behind
the main plate and the tail section.

You're familiar with this plane?

There are some design similarities
to the F/A-18s I used to fly.

I knew every inch of that plane.
I'll study up on this.

For now, who could have access
to that main plate?

You'd have to remove the plate
to get to the jackscrew.

And then reattach it. Pretty big job.

Because it was Marsh's plane,

it could only have been
a legit maintenance worker.

Of all the maintenance workers,

it'd have to be someone
not just rated for airframe,

but with an expertise
in tail-section hydraulics as well.

One of these five guys.

So, if the plane was sabotaged,
one of them did it.

ELIZABETH: Doesn't feel real
until the POIs go up on the whiteboard.

I'll run deep background on them.
Quietly.

Is this what you do all day at Langley?

Pretty much. But it was more fun
when Elizabeth was still around.

Yeah, hopped up on caffeine,

solving mysteries the rest of the world
didn't know about.

If you screw up, people die.

- That sounds really fun.
- Just like old times, yeah?

Except now I'm secretary of state
and my boss is the president.

He's not just Director Dalton
in the funny bow tie anymore.

- Conrad, hey.
- Sorry to interrupt.

- Do you have a minute, Bess?
- Sure.

Oh, uh... let me just go get
some more coffee.

Oh, please.

What's up?

I... wanted to check with you
about that Dubai crash.

Well, UAE prelim report
said it was an accident.

What do you think?

Five Iranian nationals dead.
UAE is neutral toward Iran.

No reason to doubt the report.

And Abolfazi.
Just a coincidence he was on board?

Definitely bad
for Iran's nuclear ambitions.

You think Mossad
had something to do with it?

- I don't know.
- It's good for us, too.

Yeah. Guess we got lucky.

- Let me know if you hear anything, huh?
- Yeah.

- Maybe we shouldn't be doing this.
- Of course we should.

- What are we talking about?
- If Marsh was murdered,

whoever's behind it had no problem
killing the secretary of state.

We have to consider the kids. Maybe
it's too dangerous to go poking around.

You know what would be dangerous?
Not knowing.

Are you about to quote Sun Tzu?

No, I'm more of a Patton guy.

- But you do need to know your enemy.
- (SIGHS)

It wouldn't be safe for our family
for us not to look into this.

Maybe that screw just failed.
Maybe it was just an accident.

No, I'm not asking him out!
That's insane. Isn't it?

I mean, I can't ask him out.
How do you ask a guy like that out?

Two shots at a big brother
that I will never get back.

- I have to break in my cleats, doofus.
- Here? Like, now?

Do you actually think
I should ask him out?

- I have a big game tomorrow.
- Wait. Your games are on Sunday.

Playoffs.
Quarterfinals are after school.

What? No! I have a seminar tomorrow.

Ah, I'm gonna miss it.
I'm so sorry, Noodle.

That's fine. It's only quarterfinals.

- I'll go.
- I thought security said you can't.

Well, it's the playoffs.

Yay! But no being diplomatic
about who you root for.

No worries there.

I will shamelessly cheer for you
and jeer and hiss at the other team.

Oh, hey, no, you're right.
Yes, I am gonna ask him out.

- I don't know. Maybe like...
- (BOTH SIGH)

Bye, guys.

DAISY: We'd like to review the protocol
for tomorrow's Nauru coffee.

- Nay-who?
- Uh, Nauru.

It's one of our fellow nations on earth.

- Since when?
- 3,000 years ago.

Tiny South Pacific island.
Population 10,000.

Godfrey Yispinza, their president,
is coming.

We need full-on head-of-state moves.

Actually, Yispinza's
their foreign minister.

Might wanna get our facts straight,
so we make those right moves.

- They are. He's the president.
- Foreign minister.

Seems my crack team
has this under control.

- I trust you to handle the planning.
- Thank you.

- Morning, Blake.
- Morning.

- Get me Fred Cole in my office.
- There's someone else in your office.

- Scary guy.
- (SIGHS)

Russell, you gotta stop
intimidating my assistant.

I can say the same about you
and the NTSB chair.

What do you mean?

I got a call from Chairman Nelson, said
you enquired about the Marsh report.

That's right.

Did you really ask if they polygraphed
the maintenance guys?

- I just had a few questions.
- You planning to question the report?

Of course not.

But I'm sitting in Marsh's seat.
I'm interested in what happened.

What happened is in the damn report.

You know,
someone recently reminded me

that I'm fourth in line
for the presidency.

So, you don't get to push me around.

And I'm chief of staff
to the actual president.

It's my job to know everything

and to keep peace
between all the departments.

Through bullying and intimidation?

Madam Secretary...

...don't go sticking your nose
where it doesn't belong.

Oh, Russell, get out of my office.

FRED: Westmore Prep's soccer field
is what we call a rat trap.

Easily accessible, hard to escape.

360 degrees of open area.
Lines of sight all around.

Hmm. Yeah. I see that.

- Now I'm asking you to make it work.
- I don't know if I can do that, ma'am.

Well, then we have a problem

because I am going to
my daughter's soccer game, right there,

tomorrow at 2:30.

Due respect, but not on my watch.

Fred, you know my next move.
I don't wanna have to let you go.

Ma'am, I already lost
one secretary of state.

I'm not losing another one.

Secretary Marsh died in a plane crash.

It wasn't your fault, Fred.

My job is to keep the secretary safe.
I don't make excuses, ma'am.

OK... How about this?

You take whatever precautions
you need to.

Even embarrassing ones.

You could lock me
in a bulletproof bubble if you have to.

Just... you get me to that game.

Ma'am, we should go over the seating
chart for the Nauru coffee tomorrow.

- Chart, huh?
- I know you're not a fan.

Wait. Cancel Nauru.
Bring in the Israeli delegation instead.

- On one day's notice?
- Yeah.

(SIGHS) Ma'am, the Nauru coffee
has been on the books for months.

Prime Minister Yispinza
is already here in DC.

Somebody has got
to nail down that guy's title.

- Why Israel?
- Why now?

- Because the secretary said so!
- But won't the Nauruans be offended?

Of course they will.
Which is why God created gift baskets.

How can we prep for Israel
in less than a day?

By not wasting any more time.

I'll get into it with
the Office of the Chief of Protocol.

(TABLET BEEPS)

What is it?

My landlord. The pipes
in my building burst. I gotta go.

- Wait. You're lying.
- No, I'm not.

- Dude!
- I'll talk to you later.

Wait. What about prepping for Israel?

What do you have for me
on the secretary, Matt?

- MATT: I don't have anything.
- Of course you do.

Tell me... what kind of mood she's in.

I'm... I don't feel comfortable
with this.

You were comfortable
when you worked for Marsh.

That was different. She's not conspiring
against the president.

What is she doing?

I never agreed
to spy on Secretary McCord.

I won't do it.

Well, then think of it as keeping tabs.

Come on, Matt. This is how it works.

You give me something,
I give you something.

Don't you want an office
in the West Wing?

ISABELLE: I ran background
on our five mechanics.

Called in favors.
Came close to breaking laws.

- It's not one of them?
- Sorry. No red flags.

No unexplained influxes of money
or secret bank accounts.

No suspicious behavior.

- Well, then that's it. We're done.
- Hmm.

If the plane was sabotaged,
it had to be one of them.

Maybe not.

OK, you're the one who said
it had to be one of them.

I've been looking over the design
of the C-600.

What about it?

Marsh's pilot cites a patch
of severe CAT,

clear air turbulence,
in the moments before the dive.

But turbulence can't take a plane down.
Even I know that.

Right, but severe CAT is rough.

If there's metal fatigue on a part,
like the R-47 jackscrew,

the pressure can push it
to the breaking point.

- Which is the NTSB's conclusion.
- So, what if it wasn't CAT?

What if it was something else
and the pilot mistook it for turbulence?

Sabotage a different part of the plane
in order to put stress on the jackscrew?

Pilot says it's turbulence, so the NTSB
investigators never questioned it.

They assumed the jackscrew cracked,

causing the tail to come apart
because the plane was shaking.

But what if the tail breaking apart
is what caused the shaking?

Which, in turn,
put pressure on the jackscrew.

Wouldn't the investigators
have noted the order of events?

When the plane crashed,
everything was smashed to pieces.

So, there's no way to know
what order they broke up in.

Well, look, I have no idea
how any of this would be achieved.

It's just a crazy theory.

No, it's interesting.
It's like a magic trick.

And then the pilot unwittingly
helps sell it by reporting turbulence.

It would have to be a genius, like a
diabolical saboteur out of a Bond movie.

Well, if you were going
to kill the secretary of state,

don't you think you'd wanna hire
one of those types?

(GUNFIRE EFFECTS IN GAME)

Apparently, every pair of my shoes
is out of fashion.

You really needed a magazine
to tell you that, Mom?

Guess I'll just embarrass you
at your game.

She's embarrassing me at this game.

Come on, Dad. Stop going easy on me.

- I'm not.
- (STEVIE SCREAMS)

Stevie! What? What?

I have a date
with the cutest guy on earth!

(STEVIE GIGGLES)

Are you guys OK?

Yeah.

(SIGHS)

- DAISY: Did you get my text?
- Yeah. All 106 of 'em.

You counted them,
but you didn't respond?

Look, I drafted her remarks, OK?

What do you want, a Scooby snack?

Where the hell have you been?

I-I told you, I... My pipes burst.

Let's see the pictures of the flooding
you took for the insurance claim.

I don't have insurance.

It was a job interview.

That's why you've been so preoccupied.

But you already have a great job, so it
must be a greater job. The White House?

No! I mean, no! No, absolutely not.

Oh, protest too much?

No! I mean... Cut it out.

It's a deputy spot.

Hey, I need to review
the secretary's remarks.

Did you get my messaging statement?

- Knock, knock.
- What is it, Blake?

The NASA administrator
wants a meeting with Madam Secretary.

NASA?
Does he know we only handle earth?

He said it was urgent.

What's it about?

Time travel.

- Excuse me?
- You heard me right.

OK. Well, if you've got a time
machine, I'd sure like to borrow it.

(CHUCKLES)

You think that what I do doesn't matter.
That the space program is irrelevant.

The fact that my agency is the only one
in the entire government

currently driving a freaking SUV across
the surface of Mars isn't important.

- Administrator
- No, no, please. Call me Glenn.

Glenn, my earliest memories
are of the Apollo missions.

I think NASA plays a vital role
in this country.

Thank you.

So, how can I help you...
with time travel?

The Gimbal-Solander telescope
is scheduled to be deployed next month.

Its next-gen lenses are so powerful

that they will be able
to see back in time.

To the light that emanated in the...
in the milliseconds after the Big Bang.

Now, we're placing it on the equator,

in a corner of the earth
devoid of light pollution.

Let me guess. On a remote island
in the South Pacific.

Nauru?

It was supposed to be placed on Nauru,
until the State Department

insulted Nauru's
chairman of the cabinet, Yispinza,

by unceremoniously canceling on him.

Chairman of the cabinet?

There's been some debate
over Mr Yispinza's title.

It doesn't matter what his title is.
He's threatening to cancel our contract.

(SIGHS)

But there is no better place on earth
for the Gimbal-Solander.

Please, make things right with Nauru.

I'll do my best.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Uh, Glenn...

What do you think you'll see
in that billions-year-old light?

It's impossible to say. Maybe God.

Or secrets of the universe.

The unknowable, Ms Tolliver.

The briefing book
for the Israeli coffee, ma'am.

Oh, you really think I'll be able
to read all 172 pages

between here
and Conference Room East?

The Communications Department
came through on short notice.

Well, luckily, I'm pretty well versed
in Israeli geopolitics.

- NASA guy likes you, you know.
- He does not.

Trust me. Years of spy training.

Plus, you know, I'm a woman.

- You should ask him out.
- I couldn't.

I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring.
Spy training's pretty impressive.

I'm not ready.

- I don't wanna overstep.
- Too late.

Nadine, you deserve to be happy.

Besides... maybe
he'll let you drive the Mars Rover.

See you in there.

MATT: I am the writer.

I'm in charge of the messaging.

- Is that a word?
- I'm gonna punch you!

- Hey! You need to work together.
- MATT: Great.

So, I will write the talking points

and then you can message them
however you want.

DAISY: No. I'll craft the message first.

- MATT: You sound ridic...
- (WOMAN SCREAMS)

What the hell was that?

He was here.
How can this be happening?

Maybe they got it wrong.
Do we have confirmation?

What is it?

Uh...

Uh, Secretary Marsh's plane
went down in the Atlantic.

(GASPS)

Coast guard confirms...
there's no survivors.

Gather all the undersecretaries.
Get them all in here right now.

Jay, go!

Yeah, OK. Alright, people come on.

ELIZABETH: Our challenges
in the Middle East are great,

but our commitment to a shared vision
of peace and prosperity in the region

needs to be even greater.

Thank you all for coming.

Now eat!

Ambassador Dori.

Madam Secretary,
your remarks were very gracious.

Thanks for saying that.
They often feel a little canned.

I know the feeling.

Sometimes I miss our old jobs
where you can be under the radar.

I don't think I'll ever get used
to talking about what I'm doing.

(ELIZABETH CHUCKLES)

Well, speaking of things
that you didn't talk about...

The C-600 crash in Dubai in 2003,

there were whisperings
that Mossad was behind that.

Were there?

If I remember it correctly,

the investigation concluded
it was an accident.

Iran's top nuclear physicist
was on board.

A happy accident.

Well, hypothetically,
if it weren't an accident,

might you have engineered the means

by which pressure
was placed on the tail section,

over-stressing the R-47 jackscrew?

You have quite a knowledge of avionics,
Madam Secretary.

So, am I right?

Think of it as reminiscing.
We're just talking hypotheticals.

If you wanted
to over-stress the jackscrew,

you would remove the tail plate

and strip the threads
on the vertical stabilizer nut.

Tail plate. That's removed...

- Removed during fueling.
- Right.

DORI: And subject
to infrequent inspections for wear.

Once the control starts to slip,
the plane would begin to shake.

And the pilot would likely
just report it as turbulence.

It would stress the tail section
to the point

that even a correctly maintained
jackscrew would fail.

Hypothetically, of course.

Was the CIA involved?

You have to ask me?

US had as much skin
in the game as Israel.

Please just tell me
if anyone in the CIA was read into it.

I think we have reminisced enough,
Madam Secretary.

A pleasure.

ISABELLE: The fueling technician,
John Castellano.

He has an honest face.

Hidden bank account. Caymans.

As buried as you get.

Well, trust me, you don't wanna know
how I found it,

but I'm not at all surprised
the NTSB didn't.

Disgruntled Interpol finance agent?

Not telling.
You need plausible deniability.

Fine. Any activity?

Day before the crash, half a million
dollars showed up in the account.

- From where?
- Untraceable.

You think it could be a coincidence?

Running drugs through the airport...

Or smuggling, money laundering.

No, we're not gonna know
until we break him.

- You think that's a good idea?
- No.

But we're all in now.

What makes you think he'd break?

The play's the thing.

That'd be a hell of a bold move.
Unprecedented.

You sure you wanna go there?

All in.

Bess... it could put
the entire administration at risk.

I don't know who I can trust.

Just get him in a room.
I don't care how you do it.

- Hi, Matt.
- Hey, Blake.

What can I do for you?

No, just... just saying hey.

- Please don't.
- Sorry.

So, um, uh, what's up with the secretary

canceling on Nauru
and bringing in Israel?

Is this small talk
or do you have an agenda?

- I'm just checking in.
- Please don't.

What? We're human beings, you know?
We're social creatures.

Now you're making me uncomfortable.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Glenn.

- I hope you don't mind me stopping by.
- Not at all.

Had a meeting downstairs about
a joint satellite launch with Japan.

Just wanna say thank you
for making nice with Nauru.

Well, it's our job, making nice.

You're good at it.
The telescope is back on track.

And President Yispinza is over the moon
about that state lunch you're planning.

President?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, and prime minister.

And foreign minister
and chairman of the cabinet.

Small country. Not enough politicians.

Ah. He wears all the hats.

He also runs a fish-and-tackle shop.

(LAUGHS)

Well, we'll be sure we get the protocol
right for all of his positions.

I would love to hear about
how you plan a lunch like that.

Uh... perhaps over lunch?

Oh.

Um, I-I really can't leave today.

The secretary is
at her daughter's soccer game

and I'm holding down the fort.

Maybe another time.

I hold down the fort a lot.

Of course.

I actually ought to go check on my fort.

- Yeah.
- Thanks again.

You're welcome.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

(CROWD SHOUTS)

Come on, Wildcats! Come on, Wildcats!

Clear it out of there!

Come on!

Yes! That's my daughter!

(CROWD CHEERS)

Thataway! Go!

- John Castellano?
- Ms Barnes.

Ah, no. Call me Laura.

Thanks for meeting me here today.
I've had appointments all over town.

It's no problem.
I appreciate the opportunity.

I like your attitude already.
I think the Jandermann Group will too.

Mr Jandermann
likes positive, can-do folks.

From what I understand, he pays better
than my current employer.

- Yeah, if you like that kind of thing.
- Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

So, let's talk fueling.

- OK.
- Yeah.

(CROWD SHOUTS)

Yes!

Whoa! What? What? No call?

- That's a legal play, ma'am.
- Whose side are you on, Fred?

(BLOWS WHISTLE)

Half time! Ten minutes!

Good half! Great half!

- I wanna go see her.
- OK.

- I can't get over you out there!
- Can you believe that dive stop I made?

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes,
no. Can you believe?

Fred, did you see that?
Did you see that save?

She was great.
Can you take a secure call?

- Sure.
- I can hang with the team.

No, no, no.
I want you to hang with me. Come on.

Hey.

Listen, Noodle, something's come up.

- Don't you need to take that call?
- Actually, no. I need a favor.

That's all I have. Do you have
any questions for me, Mr Castellano?

Yeah. When do I start?

How about this?

Mr Jandermann is heading back
to Houston tonight,

but I can get him to sit down with you
in his hotel room, if you're free now.

Yeah. Yeah, that's great.

Great.

(EXHALES)

- I owe you one, Fred.
- This never happened, ma'am.

- Fancy place.
- Yeah, Mr Jandermann does alright.

(LOCK BEEPS)

- You have a key?
- Yeah.

Have a seat.

So, he's... he's here?

Oh, yeah. He'll be right up.

Yeah, something feels off about this.

Sit down, Mr Castellano.

Sit.

- Do you know who I am?
- What the hell is...

Who am I, Mr Castellano? Say it.

You're... You're...
You're the secretary of state.

That's right.

Did you know my predecessor,
Vincent Marsh?

Did you kill
Secretary of State Vincent Marsh?

ELIZABETH: I'm gonna ask you again.

Did you kill
Secretary of State Vincent Marsh

by sabotaging his C-600 jet?

ISABELLE: As you fueled the plane,
you opened the tail plate

and stripped the vertical
stabilizer nut, isn't that right?

I see it is.

And you received $500,000 for your
trouble in a numbered Cayman account.

I take it that wasn't lottery winnings.

I don't know what's happening here.
I don't wanna be here.

You're free to go any time you like.

If you do, we can't guarantee
you won't be grabbed up

and thrown in a hole
for the rest of your life.

I don't want that any more than you do.

Now, obviously, somebody put you up
to sabotaging that plane.

If you tell me the truth, I can
make sure that you're treated fairly.

- How do I know I can trust you?
- You don't.

But I am the secretary of state

and you don't have any better options.

Let me help you, John.

- They said I couldn't talk to anybody.
- Who?

I don't know.

Then how did they communicate
with you?

Phone.

I get this call
saying my kid's life's in danger

if I don't do exactly as they say.

And they send me an email...

...with a live video link of my daughter
in her preschool playground...

...with one of those laser
red target dots on her forehead.

My four-year-old girl.

Male or female voice?

I don't know.

It was one
of those electronically altered voices.

Said I... I don't do exactly
as they say, she's dead.

If I called the cops or talked to
anybody, they'd kill my whole family.

When I saw the half mil in the bank,
I knew it was for real.

- Instructions for sabotaging the plane?
- Email.

You know, I'm just a fueler.
I didn't know exactly what it would do.

Not that I didn't have some idea.

(SIGHS)
When I saw that the plane crashed...

What was I supposed to do?

Do you have any other communications
with these people?

No. No.
I-I didn't even touch the money.

ELIZABETH: No matter
what the circumstances were,

you were a part of the assassination
of the secretary of state.

Now, if I have you arrested,
it'll tip off whoever hired you.

That's why I'm letting you go.

And then as long as you stay quiet

and never speak a word of any of this,
I can protect you.

And I can protect your daughter.

That's the only way.

OK.

ELIZABETH: Ms Barnes will contact you

about getting into your computer
and your emails. You'll cooperate.

- Yes.
- Now go.

(DOOR OPENS)

Now what?

(DOOR CLOSES)

- Special delivery.
- What?

Security sent them up.
From an admirer of yours.

Lose the smirk, Blake,
and get back to your desk.

(CHUCKLES)

(SIGHS)

Ma'am, do you have a minute?

- No, not really.
- It's important.

(ELIZABETH SIGHS)

- (LOCK CLICKS)
- What's wrong?

Ma'am, I need to come clean.

I kind of spied on Secretary Marsh
for Russell Jackson.

"Kind of?"

Marsh was going to run against Dalton
in the next cycle.

He never acknowledged it directly,

but he had me writing all
of these speeches with policy positions

that were out of whack
with the administration.

He said he wanted to have them,
just in case.

- That's a hell of a dilemma, Matt.
- You're telling me.

I... I was popping antacids
like Tic Tacs,

wrestling with whether to be loyal
to Marsh or Dalton.

I decided that, ultimately, we all serve
at the pleasure of the president.

So, you told Jackson.
How did he take it?

How do you think?

Give me a little more poetry
in this section.

- You got it.
- Vincent, we need to talk.

Thanks, Matt.

RUSSELL:
You're planning to run, aren't you?

VINCENT: Excuse me?

RUSSELL:
Against Dalton in the next cycle.

(SCOFFS) Where did you get that?

Not denying much?

I'm not dignifying the question.

You know, I tried to convince Dalton
not to go with you,

but the old boys in the party
thought it was your turn.

- What do you want?
- I'm just putting you on notice.

You don't back-stab the president of
your own party without consequences.

Is that a threat, Russell?

It's a guarantee.

I speak for the president on this.
As you might imagine, he's pretty upset.

He'll have no compunction
slitting the throat of someone

who has been a staunch ally
and helped get him elected?

So it goes.

"So it goes." He said that?

Yeah. It was an odd turn of phrase.
It stuck with me. Why does it matter?

And he specifically said
the president was upset?

MATT: Yeah. Of course
the president was upset.

You tell anyone else?

No.

But when Marsh's plane went down...

...I couldn't help but wonder
if they had something to do with it.

I mean, I felt like
a crazy conspiracy theorist.

I was relieved
when the NTSB report came out.

I bet. So, why tell me now?

Because now Jackson
wants me to spy on you.

Really?

MATT: Yeah, in exchange for a job
at the White House.

I tried to tell him no, but he made me
promise to think about it.

Tell him you'll do it.

What? Why?

Now that I know that he's spying on me,
I can use a double agent.

No, no, no.
I-I don't think that's a good idea.

Matt, you've been dishonest.
Think of it as your penance.

(DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES)

PILOT OVER RADIO:
The stabilizer's failed.

I cannot keep us in the air.

- VINCENT: So it goes.
- PILOT: Trying to push.

(RECORDING STOPS)

(HENRY SIGHS)

When his plane was going down,

Vincent Marsh was thinking
Jackson and Dalton were behind it.

- That doesn't mean he was right.
- (SIGHS)

Ambassador Dori didn't deny that
the CIA was involved in the Dubai crash.

If they were, then Dalton knew
how to sabotage a C-600

and get away with it.

Maybe he tapped me because
he didn't think I'd ever suspect him.

Your loyalty is your soft spot?

Maybe I'm secretary of state
because he wanted to keep me close,

which would explain Russell making
overtures to Matt about spying on me.

I'm calling the president
of the United States a murderer.

Now is a really good time for you
to start talking me off the ledge.

I'm sorry, babe. (SIGHS) I got nothing.

(WHISPERS) What's my next move?

(PHONE BUZZES)

They need me in the situation room.

(SPEECH INAUDIBLE)

Bess, North Korea's acting out again.

Let's catch you up.

Ripped By mstoll