Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Show Must Go On - full transcript

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- Good game, Mr. Vice President.
- Sir, how is it going...

Hello, good to see you.

Gentleman, glad we could
provide a perfect day for golf.

The least we could do, seeing as
you are stuck with the under-study.

The President is very sorry to miss
out on the Pacific Rim Economic Forum

but, he and Prime Minister
Welton shared a close friendship.

Of course, he had to be on hand for the state
funeral and is just flying home today.

Our hearts go out to our Australian brothers
and sisters on this solemn occasion.

The good news for all of you is
that Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership



has been high on my agenda
since I was a young Senator.

The bad news for all of you: I'm a
much better golfer than the President.

Minister Chen, I believe
you are in the first group?

We're assuming this is
why Australia did not

send a delegate to the
conference this year.

They are a county in
mourning, rather than protest.

Absolutely.

Because we are well aware that some of our
members of the Asian-Pacific nations are

not entirely comfortable with the
inclusion of China at this forum this year.

On the contrary, Minister Chen,
we need China in this discussion.

Given that much of the framework
is about counterfeit issues.

We a... want to see some progress there.

It's a little warm today isn't it?

It's quite pleasant.



Warm to me.

I usually run cool.

Our we speaking in metaphors?

Ahh... what?

If that is the case,
Mr. Vice President, let

me remind you that a
fish rots from the head.

Please, don't say that.

I thought you had this idiom:
the fish rots from the head?

- Please.
- Just as the top part of the fish rots...

- I'm so sorry.
- We need medical...

There's something wrong...

♪ We haven't done that
in a longest time ♪

♪ Once, I thought that
our free-trade was gone ♪

♪ Whoo-ee-oooh. Now, I know
that Congress must go on ♪

♪ Ahhh. So, grab your iPhone. But
promise that it's not a clone ♪

♪ And we won't see one
for the longest time ♪

♪ Woah-oooh-ooh. Yeah ♪

♪ For the longest time ♪

♪ Time. Woah-ooh-oh.
For the longest... ♪

♪ For the longest time ♪

That's as far as I got.

Madam Secretary?

I'm so sorry. I was hoping this
was the part where I wake up.

It's the first draft and you know it
will sound a lot better when you do it.

- Mmm.
- Of course, you'll have some of the staff

- backing you up.
- I know it's cheesy.

But the Pacific Rim
Economic Forum is important

and the delegates love
the talent show aspect.

The hosting country always performs.

Look it would be bad form to skip it.

And it really comes down to the Cambodians.

They're the swing vote on
the Trans-Pacific agreement

and they are huge fans of Billy Joel.

Oh... that's good... here's the thing.

I don't sing.

I mean a little bit in the
shower, you know, here and there.

Do you guys sing?

Yeah... I do.

College, acapela.

Resume builder.

Madam Secretary. The
whole thing is ludicrous.

But it has a lot more diplomatic
importance that you might think.

Just...

tell me I have time in my
schedule to work on this.

Oh, no ma'am.

But, I'm certain Daisy has a plan.

I'm sure you're better than you think.

That's your plan?

Well, she's right. If you
can speak you can sing.

Unless, you're tone deaf or something.

I'm sure you're not. That's
like 2 percent of the population.

Excuse me, ma'am, the Vice President
has been taken to the hospital.

Following an incident on the golf
course with the Pan-Asian delegation.

Flu-like symptoms. He'll
be under going tests.

His condition is stable and
they'll keep us informed.

Flu-like symptoms?

That sounds contagious.

Madam Secretary, you're going to be great.

E.M Forster said if I had to choose
between betraying my friend or my country.

I hope I would have the
courage to betray my country.

Anybody want to expand on that?

It demonstrates his distrust...
of larger institutions.

As an outsider.

How an outsider?

Gay, in England at the turn of the century?

Okay, so you're suggesting
that his outsider status

gave him a unique perspective

on nationalism, but does this statement

- make him unpatriotic?
- Yes.

- Why?
- The point

of serving your country is,

you put the greater good
ahead of the individual.

Okay, Ivan.

Okay, but what about fighting
for your buddy in the foxhole?

I feel like that might be
more of an American concept.

Well, I-I disagree.

All of those soldiers fighting shoeless

and without weapons on the Russian front

in World War II

were not serving the common good.

They were being forced

into the battle, and they did it...

...to keep themselves and their
families from going to prison.

That's an oversimplification,

and you can't reduce
Russian patriotism to that.

It took real idealism to defeat Hitler. _

And the Russian Army
almost accomplished that

single-handedly.

All right. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

Reign it in. Reign it in.

Uh, who won World War II is
an entirely different class,

and I don't teach it, thank God.

Uh, so let's talk for a minute

about the ethical role of the
individual in a commonwealth.

Sorry to call you in on such short notice.

We like to give more
of a heads-up as a rule.

I'm Jane Fellows. I'll be
your you main contact at DIA.

This is Cooper Ralston, Perry Thomas.

- Hi.
- How are you?

- Hello.
- Have a seat.

This is one of our safe houses.

It's smarter for you not
to come to the office.

Uh, you look a little thrown.

I was told General Sarno briefed you

on how this would work once you joined

the faculty at the War College.

I was informed

there'd be some overlap
with DIA, but that's it.

Occupational hazard, being
stingy with information.

I'm sorry about that.

Uh, getting right to the point,

we have an eye on one of your students.

Ivan Kolashkov. Do you know him?

Yes, of course. He's in
my Military Ethics class.

He's training to serve
under General Doroshevich,

one of the highest-ranking
members of the Russian military,

and a close advisor to President Ostrov.

I believe that all the Russian students

in my classes are under his direction.

Yes. But we like Ivan.

He seems pretty steadfast
in his nationalism.

Good.

Observe and assess him. We need a basic

psychological profile, character analysis.

What are you looking for?

To see whether or not he
can be an asset for us.

We feel we could redirect
all that fiery patriotism.

Do you want to let me in on the idea?

He's a closet homosexual.

Russian Military takes a dim view of it.

Mean the end of his career,
possible prison time.

What do you need me for?

There are other criteria to consider.

Uh, you're familiar

with the checklist of
intelligence modalities?

Inter and intra personal skills,
situational awareness, so on?

So, you want me to tee him
up so you can blackmail him?

All while teaching Military Ethics.

National security is a vast network,

and it's all part of the
same fabric, Dr. McCord,

but... you know that.

It's a corrupt government which
forces him into the shadows.

Let's start there, or maybe

you're squeamish because
you're still new at this

and thinking about the
person, and not the politics.

But Russia continues to be
our next real nuclear threat,

and he's a very ambitious
officer in their army.

No matter how cuddly he
might seem in your classroom.

Perry, is it?

I think it's best we don't talk.

Just get to know your student, Dr. McCord.

Tell us what you think, that's all.

The White House released a statement

saying that Delgado is undergoing

emergency gallbladder surgery.

The VP reportedly collapsed...

I didn't know gallbladder
could have an emergency.

Well, it can if it's inside

the Vice President of the United States.

Hey, one of you guys
needs to sign this paper

- proving that I showed it to you.
- Good morning.

- Morning.
- Why?

Oh, 'cause I got a "C", and
they think I'm gonna hide it.

They don't have the honor code

in public school like the Quakers did,

- so, they just assume you're a liar.
- No.

Why did you get a "C" on your paper?

- Because he's an average student.
- Wrong again.

Does that ever get boring?

Oh, Jace, this is civics.

I thought you liked this class.

I do, which is why I
threw myself passionately

into the assignment.

Write about an American

who has a positive influence on society.

I chose Erica James,

The Washington Chronicle
journalist who's in prison

for not revealing her sources.

Well, maybe your teacher
wasn't looking for,

you know, a convicted criminal.

You mean like Rosa Parks?

Nice.

Mr. Crider said that being

in prison actually prevents
Erica James from contributing

to society in a positive way, so, he, uh,

- gave me a "C".
- Come on, Jace.

I mean, it's an admirable point,

but you had to know you
were poking the bear.

Okay.

So, what, civil
disobedience isn't important?

Well, it is.

And it will often get you
a "C" in your civics class.

Yeah.

I have some good news.

School elections were held yesterday,

and I was elected Peer Mediator.

Wow.

That's cool.

What... what is that?

That's like...

She gets to be the keeper
of the talking stick.

Oh, like round-table discussions?

Yeah, but with a stick
that tells you when to talk.

It's part of a program at
school they call Life Skills,

something you'll never know about.

So you're like a student counselor.

No, mediator.

Nora Trilling got Peer Counselor.

Oh.

Well, that's great.

Try to tone down the excitement.

No, no, no, we are.

We just... We didn't have

those kind of things at our school.

We had Sergeants-at-Arms,
which probably not very Quaker.

Well, it's kind of a big
deal, and I'm happy about it.

That's all that matters.

Hey, you know, before I get out of here,

just one quick question.

Um...

I can sing, right?

I mean, a little.

Like, I'm not... I'm not awful, right?

Are you kidding me? Those Beach Boys songs

you sing in the shower...
you kill it every time.

I mean the good kind of kill, not the...

Well, because there's this sort
of silly thing at work, but I...

- Mom, you're tone deaf.
- What?!

- What?!
- Yeah. S-Sorry.

But that's like...

two percent of the population.

You sound great to me. _

Oh.

I have to go.

I love you.

Love you. Sorry.

- Bye.
- I love your singing.

You know, Dad, it's cruel to lie to her.

I heard that.

Morning. I heard about the
vice president... is he okay?

Yeah, as far as I know.

He's being prepped for surgery.

That's not what you're here about.

What, then?

Air Force One is missing.

- What do you mean?
- We lost all communication

somewhere over the
Pacific... we can't find it.

When did we last make contact?

Half an hour ago, then
they suddenly went offline.

They're out of radar range, so
we have no idea what happened.

Where are we?

We're scrambling the F-15's
out of Hickam Field in Honolulu.

They're about two hours out
of making visual contact.

All communication's down.

What could knock all that out?

Nothing, ma'am.

Obviously something.

A cyber attack... hijackers who knew

- what they were doing.
- All due respect,

the communications system on Air Force One

is the most sophisticated in the world.

It's got firewalls in front of firewalls,

and every kind of backup you can imagine.

All of it is designed so
that this cannot happen.

And yet this has happened.

Then the plane has crashed.

There's no evidence of that.

How long can we expect

to control intelligence around this?

I mean, there's dozens
of reporters on that plane

- who've suddenly gone dark?
- We've reached out

to their editors, told them
the Wi-Fi is temporarily down.

They've agreed not to report it,
but I don't know for how long.

The Pentagon has taken us to DEFCON 3.

And I think we should consider

the decapitation strike scenario.

Someone is trying to take down
the top tier of our government

- in one swoop.
- It's being considered.

The president and the vice president
suddenly out of commission at the same time?

That's why it's being considered!

Sir, I think it's time to
discuss the line of succession.

Are we at worst-case scenario?

Whatever's going on,

we need an acting president.

Has anyone reached out to
the Speaker of the House yet?

He's on Air Force One.

He and the prime minister

were college buddies, so
he went to the funeral.

Was his itinerary public knowledge?

There was no reason to hide it.

Okay,

let's convene the
National Security Council,

get the Chief Justice down here.

Pro Tempore of the Senate is next in line.

Elizabeth...

do you know the Chief Justice?

- Madam Secretary.
- Yes, I...

I actually took

your constitutional law class at UVA.

I got an "A."

I remember.

Madam Secretary, excuse me.

I was hoping to come by
and bid my farewell today,

so I'll just do that now. Heck of a way

to spend my last day as
National Security Advisor.

What do you mean? You're resigning?

Yes. I gave my notice last week.

- You must have heard.
- I had no idea

- that it was official.
- Afraid so.

My wife has some health issues.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

Thank you.

It's been a pleasure to serve.

Senator Gates and his staff are here.

Well, it's been some time since
I found myself in this room.

Senator Gates, you are, uh, familiar

with the members of the
National Security Council?

Oh, yes, yes, of course.

Yes, yes, uh, very, very
unfortunate circumstances

that we have to meet under.

Uh, do we have any news?

No. We are still out of communication

with Air Force One, but
measures are being taken

to upgrade the status.

Oh, well, I guess in the meantime, then,

we need an acting president, mm-hmm.

In accordance with the
Succession Act of 1947,

that would be you, Senator.

Right, well, then, uh...
let's proceed, shall we?

The Chief Justice will administer the oath.

Uh, oh, here.

It's a formality, but you will also need

to resign your position

in the senate.

Uh, n... no way.

No, I never agreed to that, mm-mm.

No, no, no, it's-it's, uh, just protocol.

You'll resume your seat

- once the president returns.
- Mm.

Oh, all right, right. The
president will come back.

I mean, he survived one
assassination attempt.

He's hard to kill. Hm.

Wh... What do you mean, Senator?

What do you think I mean? Talking
about that Charles Manson lady.

Tried to shoot him.

Well, that was President Ford.

Ah. Of course, you're right.

I meant Hinckley.

Where do I sign?

Um...

actually, Senator,

- Mm-hmm?
- I-I believe it is also protocol...

you have to state the...

full name of the current president.

- For the record.
- Of course. Sure.

Ronald Wilson Reagan.

I'm sorry.

Could we ask the senator to...

step outside

- Hmm?
- just for a moment wh-while we prepare?

- Is that all right?
- That's fine.

- Thank you.
- Sure.

What the hell?

Senator Gates had a series of mini strokes

a few months ago, but we are

working diligently to get
him through his final term.

He has his good days and his bad days.

But basically, he's incompetent?

To take the oath of office for president?

Probably.

Then I think we have to
go to the next in line.

That would be the Secretary of State.

Madam Secretary,

if you will place your
left hand on the Bible

and raise your right hand...

and repeat after me.

I, Elizabeth Adams McCord,

do solemnly swear...

I, Elizabeth Adams McCord,
do solemnly swear...

...that I will faithfully execute

the office of President
of the United States...

...that I will faithfully execute

the office of President
of the United States...

...and will to the best of my ability...

...and will to the best of my ability...

...preserve, protect and defend

the Constitution of the United States.

...preserve, protect and defend

the Constitution of the United States.

Good luck, ma'am.

Thank you.

You know what I'm thinking?

Room service.

That's... not where I was gonna go.

Omelets and...

and home fries

and a...

glutenous chocolate something.

Mmm.

I actually have to go to work.

That's too bad... I ordered it
when you were in the bathroom.

- What?
- Mm-hmm.

You're gonna have to eat it alone, then.

I'm sorry... I have to go.

- Come on.
- I'm gonna be late.

You're an intern... it's
not like you can get fired.

So, um, what does your dad think

about all these mysterious and
very expensive hotel charges

on your credit card?

I think you'll be surprised to learn...

the President of the
United States of America

doesn't do his own bookkeeping.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Wow. Um...

but someone is, like, gonna
say something eventually.

- Right?
- If they do, we'll deal with it then.

Okay.

Looks like it's going to rain.

- Can I borrow your jacket?
- Yeah.

Looks better on you, anyway.

Aw.

God, I remember this thing.

It's, like, falling apart.

You've had this since high school.

Look at this... there's rips everywhere.

- It's vintage.
- Okay.

You keep making fun of it...

- and I'm gonna take it back.
- No! That's not fair!

- Mm-hmm.
- You said I could have it.

Uh... crap.

Harrison...

That, uh, it's not what you think.

Really? Because I think it's heroin.

- You're supposed to be sober.
- I am. I am sober.

It's-it's, um...

it's an emergency stash.

I used to hide them in
the lining of my coat,

and I... I thought I got them all.

But I apparently... didn't.

Uh...

Come on.

You got to believe me. Uh...

It's an old junkie trick.

You can ask anyone.

I don't know any other junkies.

I'm not using, okay?

I swear to God.

It's room service.

Just a minute!

Mr. Dalton, White House Secret Service.

Hang on!

Sir, we have to take you in.

What's going on?

We have a situation.
Finish getting dressed.

We'll brief you on the way.

We need to get you to a secure location.

You, too, Ms. McCord.

Um, I have to get to work.

I'm sorry, you're coming with us.

Have a seat.

Give me a moment.

Ma'am, can I get you anything?

She's fine, thanks, Lucy.

Really?

We don't have time for you

to get comfortable, Bess.

Oh, there's no danger of that.

But I would love a cup of coffee.

Of course.

The jets are an hour away

from being within radar
range of Air Force One.

We'll be able to determine if
it's on a prerecorded flight path.

If so, they'll try to get
close enough for a visual.

Excuse me. Madam President's
former staff is here.

We'll be with them shortly.

And, Lucy, you don't have to call her that.

Sorry, sir.

The protocol is confusing.

Tell me about it. Send
Colonel Preston in, please.

If it's any consolation,
I'm not enjoying this.

In addition to everything else,

one of my oldest friends might be dead.

Why don't we get through
it with as little snark

- as possible.
- Sorry, Bess. You're right.

- Hi, guys. May I join you?
- Yes.

Thanks.

I hope I'm not interrupting anything.

Ivan was just lecturing me on the Ukraine,

his favorite pastime.

I'm simply making the point
that the Russian involvement

in the Ukraine, if there were any,

is no different

than the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

So the economic sanctions
implemented against us

is quite hypocritical.

No offense.

Nobody asked my opinion about taking action

- in either one of those disputes.
- The world

is a safer place

if we stand united against
those splinter group

who have more firepower

than philosophy.

Very poetic.

Well, sorry to bore you and rush off,

but, uh, Russia is playing Brazil.

We will get creamed.

But still.

Good luck.

You're not a soccer fan, Dmitri?

I prefer American football.

Don't tell anyone.

Ivan is pretty outspoken
about the situation in Ukraine.

Well, that and anything else.

Uh, he was... he was raised
in politics. His family

are high-ranking officials in the Kremlin.

- Aren't you from a military family?
- Oh, yes,

but my father was just
an Army field sergeant.

He died in the Chechen conflict.

Then there was my Georgian grandfather.

Were you close with him?

I found his stories amusing.

This is the Football. It's a remote device

that can authorize a nuclear
attack in the unlikely event

that we are required to do that.

This is the Biscuit.
It's an authenticator card

containing all the launching codes.

That stays with you.

The Football stays with the colonel,

who is never far away.

Thank you, Colonel.

I hope we never work together.

My hope as well, ma'am.

Until further notice,

everything that's happening
here is classified.

Of course.

When order is restored, we'll...
figure out how to report it.

In the meantime, we have to
be able to trust your staff.

Well, I don't have any concerns there.

Well, give them as little as possible.

No mention of a decapitation strike.

As far as we're concerned, it's
a perfect storm of bad luck.

And when equilibrium is restored

and I have my old job back,

I'll give you my list of candidates

for National Security Advisor.

You neglected to tell
me Darren is resigning.

Ah, sorry.

His wife has...

health issues.

So he said.

Is there some...

reason why I was kept out of the loop?

We were hoping to change his mind.

This really can wait. I-I
should get back to the Sit Room.

Of course.

It goes without saying,

but you are just warming that chair.

Absolutely.

Call if you need anything.

Can you send them in?

My staff.

Sure.

Would you like this closed, ma'am?

Uh, yes, please.

You better sit down.

Excuse me, Dr. McCord.

Is my wife okay?

The secretary's fine, but
you need to come with us, sir.

This way.

I'll get started on your
statement, Madam President.

- No statements.
- We're going with

no comment, Madam President?

Please stop saying "Madam President."

- I can't.
- Please try.

Now, the only thing that
we are on record about

is that the Wi-Fi is
down on Air Force One.

I mean, obviously we are in communication

with the president.

- So lie?
- Yes, lie.

In the interest of national security.

You can imagine how the stock
market alone would react to the news,

"We've misplaced the president."

Um, should I inform the deputy secretary,

Madam President?

I had to say it once.

Yes, but just...

say I was called to the White House.

Okay, are we assuming something
catastrophic has happened?

I mean, is the president dead?

Are we under attack?

We're not assuming anything.

Don't speculate.

We'll know better in a couple of hours.

Is there anything in my
actual office that needs

- my immediate attention?
- Uh, Madam...

Acting President?

That's fine.

I'm sorry to bring this up,

but there is one pressing event

on your calendar today.

- The P.R.E.F. talent show.
- So we will have to

provide a plausible
explanation for canceling.

No, we can't cancel.

We can't change anything.

We have to keep her agenda exactly the same

if we want to avoid global panic.

- He's right.
- Okay.

But in the interest of full disclosure,

I did some research, and
apparently I'm the two percent.

Considering our situation,

ma'am, there's no way

that your singing could be
worse than your not singing.

I think it'll be a photo finish.

But I'm willing to take the bullet.

We need this trade agreement to go through.

Okay, if you guys really want to help,

then you will focus on this

and make it really good. In the interest

of national security, you
won't let me humiliate myself.

That's all. Thank you.

Your family's here.

We're taking them to
the Emergency Ops Center

in the basement of the East Wing.

It's protocol until we know

what's happening with the president.

Can I see them?

Yeah. Make it fast.

There's something, uh,
you need to know first.

And it's awkward.

Mmm.

You doing okay?

I have no idea.

- Any update?
- Not yet.

Listen, did they tell you about Stevie?

Yeah, she's here with Alison and Jason.

When they found her, she was with Harrison.

In a hotel room.

What are they thinking?

- They're not. They're young.
- That's not an excuse.

I know. But it's gonna have to be today.

Right. Yeah, you're right.

We got to be cool with her. We can't...

wander into a big family argument.

Exactly. But...

You think I can't be cool?

With the other kids, absolutely.

You're Lou Reed.

But when it comes to Stevie...

What?

She pushes your buttons.

- I don't have buttons.
- Elizabeth.

Fine. Maybe she won't bring it up.

But if she does...

- Lou Reed.
- I need you.

Right. Think Velvet Underground.

Of c... Obviously. I got this.

Let's go.

Our jets are five minutes
away from Air Force One.

Radar has confirmed that
the plane is on course,

but there's still no
word from anyone inside.

Working theory is that the
cabin has depressurized.

- Everyone on board could be dead.
- It could be a ghost flight.

Autopilot will keep it going
until it runs out of fuel.

Yeah, and becomes a bomb
somewhere over the mainland.

In that scenario, we need to handle it

while it's over water.

Your first act as president

might be to shoot down Air Force One.

- Ah, ah, ah.
- What have we got?

The jets are approaching.

They've made visual contact.

I've got movement inside the cockpit.

Definitely somebody alive in there.

- Is that Colonel Romano?
- Affirmative, sir.

He's communicating through Morse code.

Communication... down.

Navigation okay.

A-S-A-F.

A-S-A-F.

All souls accounted for.

How do we know he doesn't have

a gun to his head?

That last sentence is code, sir.

He wouldn't have used it
if he had been in distress.

We're clear.

Ma'am, I'd like to recommend
landing at Hickam Field.

- The F-15s can escort them.
- Good.

I want a completely secure hangar.

And then we're gonna take that plane apart,

piece by piece, until we've
found out whatever caused this.

Yes, ma'am.

- Thank you.
- Bess,

your tenure holds until we're back

in direct communication with the president.

Understood.

Nobody's breathing easy
until that plane touches down.

Can't you give us any idea?

They just said security concerns.

Well, if it were nuclear,
we'd all be dead by now.

It's probably just another 9/11.

Oh, no.

I-I didn't mean "just"...

Then don't say it, idiot.

I think we're okay, Noodle.

By the way, he does know.
He just can't tell us.

Hey, can I talk to you for a second?

Sure.

Okay, I know that they told
you where they found me today.

Honey, it's your life.

You're an adult.

We can't interfere with
who you decide to date.

Believe me, I learned my lesson there.

So... don't worry about it, okay?

We got enough going on today.

I'm really glad that you feel that way.

Um, I really need your help, actually.

I have heroin in my pocket.

You have what?

It fell out of the lining
of Harrison's jacket.

And he swears that it was just an old stash

that he had forgotten about.

And we were arguing about it
when the Secret Service came in.

I panicked. I didn't know what to do.

I slipped it in my pocket. Now we're here.

- I didn't have time to flush it...
- Are you out of your mind?

In all the world, you choose

an addict and not just any addict,

the son of your mother's boss,

who happens to be the
President of the United States.

Dad...

This is the only guy for you?

You are gonna have to face the fact

that something is compelling you

to make the world's most
irresponsible decisions.

It is wrong for you to date
someone this early in recovery.

It's gonna hurt him,
and it's gonna hurt you.

Can't you just get out of
your own way for a change?

Get out of your mother's way.

Peer Mediator's looking
pretty good now, huh?

Unemployment figures
are coming out tomorrow,

so I kept the president's
morning pretty light.

How are the projections?

Good, but I never trust them.

I'm almost finished

with the roster of Air Force One.

Are we contacting the families
once they've touched down?

Uh, I can handle that.

One other question.

Why is Craig Sterling on board?

He was meeting with the president.

Do you know him?

He was at the defense department

when I was at the CIA.
Yeah, you could say that

- our paths crossed.
- What do you make of him?

Nakedly ambitious,
self-serving obstructionist,

all suit and no substance.

But other than that, I'm a fan.

I know he's on the short list

for national security advisor.

Not anymore.

He's accepted the position.

When?

Yesterday.

I can't believe Conrad
would make that appointment

without consulting

- with me.
- That's his prerogative.

What's going on?

Is this some kind of reelection strategy?

That's not the kind of decision

- you shut the secretary of state out of.
- Don't be paranoid.

The NSA is practically my counterpart

on matters of foreign policy.

He can't just force that decision on me.

The President of the United States

can do whatever the hell he wants.

You know what? You're absolutely right.

You can go now.

Excuse me?

Go. Now.

The pardon attorney says
everything is in order

and that the president needs to
sign in just these two places.

And the papers don't have to be processed?

No, ma'am.

He says the minute the
signature is confirmed,

it's a simple phone call.

Erica James will be released from prison.

And the order cannot be revoked?

No, ma'am. It's an official
presidential pardon.

Your journalist will be home for dinner.

Great.

For what it's worth, I
applaud this action, ma'am.

Thank you, Lucy.

Well, it's reassuring to
know you don't knock on

- the president's door, either.
- He's touched down.

- Everyone is okay.
- Thank God.

I'll take care of this
now, Madam President.

Madam Secretary.

Yes, sir.

The, uh, initial sweep of the plane

didn't turn up anything.

NASA's reporting solar flares

over that area. It's
our best guess right now.

Thought that was
impossible on Air Force One.

98%, which

makes it more like highly improbable.

Well, any idea

on how we're gonna report on all this?

Working on a strategy now. So, uh...

what business was that? With Lucy.

Oh, don't worry about it.

The president can do
whatever the hell she wants.

But you're not...

But I was.

I don't think Ivan is your guy.

Why not?

There's something...

unstable in all that

passionate rhetoric.

He's not a complex thinker.

I feel like his opinions are
a mile wide and an inch deep.

Our team's been vetting
him for a while now,

and they feel differently.

I have someone better for you.

Dmitri Petrov.

It's been my observation
that he has a better capacity

for abstract thought,
a more analytical mind.

He's quieter, more guarded,

which means he's probably

more discreet and disciplined.

But what's his weakness?

How can we get to him?

His father died in Chechnya.

I sense some inner conflict around that.

And his grandfather was Georgian.

So there's a foundation
of counter-nationalism

in his background I
think we could cultivate.

It's a better way to go than
just blackmailing someone

because of their sexuality.

And I know you guys like to
exploit people's secrets, but

I think it's an unreliable,

not to mention heinous, approach.

You asked.

That's my analysis.

Mm.

Then I want you to bring him in.

You mean recruit him?

And be his handler.

What? No, wait... No. I-I
have no experience with that.

I wouldn't have signed up for it.

Henry, we need this.

We believe you're the guy to do it.

The president's arrived.

Elizabeth.

It's nice to have you back, Mr. President.

I wanted to thank you
for minding the store.

My pleasure. Well...

not really that, so much.

I'm thrilled to relinquish the post.

I saw your presidential pardon.

I saw your national
security advisor appointment.

All right. I'll give you that.

Erica James really did need to be released.

Craig Sterling really is
the right man for the job.

Mm.

I'm sorry I couldn't let
you in on the discussion,

but... I know you two have history

and I couldn't get bogged down.

With the secretary of state's opinion?

I needed to make a move.

Then I will do my best to work with him.

Wanted to let you know that, uh,

we released a statement to the press.

We admitted to the communications failure

and the world knows

that you were on the desk for a few hours.

- Ah.
- As usual,

your approval rating is higher than mine.

Well...

we have a long road ahead of us.

I could tank at any time.

Like in about five minutes.

Break a leg.

So, you're...

kind of a funny color.

- Are you okay?
- I haven't fainted

in the longest time.
What does it feel like?

Let's find you some private space.

Madam Secretary, could...

Oh, this doesn't look good.

Madam Secretary, you okay?

Yup, I am. I am okay.

Just need to take a look at those lyrics.

Let's do this.

How much time do I have?

Ten minutes.

Or as long as you need.

Mm. Okay. Okay.

I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't.

- Okay, all right, here we go.
- Oh, okay, okay, okay.

Okay, it's all right, it's all right.

We have a contingency plan.

What is it?

You're looking at it.

♪ If you said good-bye ♪

♪ To me tonight ♪
♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ There would still be ♪

♪ Policy to write ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ We'd be the greatest
pair if we could just ♪

♪ Agree on tariffs ♪

♪ We haven't done that ♪

♪ For the longest time ♪

♪ 60% ♪

♪ Of global GDP ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
♪ That's what we bring ♪

♪ To world economy ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ There's so much to gain ♪

♪ Say we can create supply chains ♪

♪ That hasn't happened ♪

♪ For the longest time ♪

♪ Maybe market access ♪

♪ Will be fair ♪
♪ Ooh, ah, ooh, ah ♪

♪ We'll get along ♪

♪ We'll get our share ♪

♪ Skilled migration ♪

♪ Visas will be free ♪

♪ Some flexibility ♪

♪ Is all that we ask for ♪

♪ Oh, what Trans-Pacific ♪

♪ Partners we will be ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Sharing food ♪

♪ And our technology ♪

♪ Say deregulation ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ We'll be your most favored nation ♪

♪ We haven't been that ♪

♪ For the longest time ♪

♪ Whoa, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ For the longest ♪

♪ For the longest time
♪ ♪ Whoa, oh, oh ♪

♪ Whoa, oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ For the longest ♪

♪ For the longest time. ♪

All right, so...

- Good night, you guys.
- Oh, look,

- oh, there she is.
- Aah!

Oh, my God, you were president?

How could you not tell us?

Slipped my mind.

Seriously, what was that like?

It was exhausting.

Well, forget that. What was the song like?

I'll tell you about it
later. How did it go with...

- Great.
- Okay, good.

Listen, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed.

Jace, tell your teacher
you're getting an "A".

- Good night.
- Erica James is coming home.

No.

_

Yes.

Sorry.

I know you've had a rough day.

Well, we all have.

But you need to be up to
speed on the situation.

We got the test results
back on the vice president.

No foul play.

He's fine.

That can't be why you called me in.

Come in.

Elizabeth, you know Craig Sterling.

Madam Secretary. It's been a few years.

Congratulations on your appointment.

Pretty sure I wasn't first on your list.

Why don't you

tell Elizabeth

what we know so far about Air Force One.

The system malfunction
wasn't a solar flare.

They found a piece of malware
on the plane... an incredibly

sophisticated virus that knocked out

every communication device.

This took planning,

resources and engineering.

It couldn't have been a single actor.

There had to be a major power behind it.

This was an act of war.