Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 4 - Shutdown - full transcript
Elizabeth has to negotiate an agreement to end the shutdown. Meanwhile, replacing Nadine proves to be difficult.
- You're ready early.
- Hey.
Have you seen a report
on economic growth
in Central Asia? I...
Thought you fell asleep
with it last night.
No, it's not up there.
Call me a dummy, but I thought
the government shutdown's
- supposed to slow things
down a little bit? - Ha.
Well, it turns out when Congress
attacks foreign aid
and furloughs a third of my staff,
it's not much of a vacation.
Sorry, I'm not snapping at you.
Ugh! It's okay there, tiger.
I understand the frustration.
Two weeks of one senator
holding the entire government hostage
over some ideological notion
of eliminating the national debt?
We're two days out from Paris, babe.
- Smell the butter.
- Oh, sure.
You can be all Zen about it...
your budget wasn't affected.
"Intelligence is essential
for national security,"
but international
programs that save lives...
the world's most vulnerable
gov... ernment... Wow.
I booked us a table at
this beautiful little place
- in Montmartre.
- Oh, that's good.
And you're gonna get all the churches
our of your system while
I'm at the conference, right,
so we can have all day Sunday?
Well, there is a mass
on Sunday at St. Gervais,
which I'm totally skipping
so that we can order room service
Okay, good. We can have
croissants on the balcony.
Afternoon walk in the Tuileries.
Mm. And I want to get that hot chocolate
from the place with
all the tourists. Oh...
Oh, go deeper. Right there, even deeper.
Oh, wow. Oh...
- Jace.
- Hey. No.
- Mom just has a few kinks.
- Come back.
No, Dad...
No, it's-it's worse
when you talk about it.
- Don't...
- Come here. Come here.
I'm gonna miss you this weekend.
Listen, don't worry
because Stevie and Ali
- will be here...
- No, don't say "babysit."
- Hey, he's 16 years old.
- I was just
going to say "to peer supervise."
Oh, hey, so I'm doing a big report
on U.S. history right now on the CIA,
and I'm not asking you any
questions you can't answer,
but if there's any help you can get me
between now and next Wednesday
that's not gonna compromise
your security clearance,
it might help me get an "A."
Not that I'm begging.
Sure, I'd love to sit down
- and talk about it.
- Really?
How's, uh...
I don't know, how about tonight?
Awesome. Thanks.
You know what would be great for this
is, uh, the Spy Museum.
That is an excellent idea.
I've been meaning to check it out.
I'm sure I could learn
a thing or two myself.
Oh, right,
because you have no
experience in intelligence.
I have some time this afternoon,
like 4:00... you want to meet there?
Yeah. Cool.
All right.
Look at the two of you
bonding over espionage.
It's the D.C. equivalent of
building a pinewood derby car.
Oh, ah... Look at that.
Look at that catch.
Uh-oh.
Something elevator-worthy?
Itinerary for the Global
Economic Conference
in Paris this weekend,
top five résumés for
your new chief of staff,
and a latte, extra foam.
Oh, that is definitely elevator-worthy.
But you didn't pay for this
out of your own money, did you?
There's a slush fund
for essentials, ma'am.
Beginning to wonder if I
need those résumés, Blake.
No, no, please don't joke.
Just filling in for
Nadine during this shutdown
is giving me a stress rash.
Put in some years in the field
or making policy, and you, too...
- I mean it.
- Yeah.
- You could do it.
- I've seen these résumés.
But my mother thanks
you for believing in me.
Morning.
Morning. Morning.
Wow.
I am not used to how
empty it is in here.
Yeah. It's like we missed
the last chopper out of Saigon.
Office of the Secretary of State.
That's a little grim.
Sorry, I was just on
with my ex-mother-in-law.
Abby's at a work conference this week,
which I told her she
could go to months ago,
but now the state's
day care is shut down,
and I'm leaning on her mom pretty hard.
Well, that sounds sticky.
You know what they
don't do at Diplotots?
Give me passive-aggressive
guilt trips about my work hours.
Well...
You know what? Bring Chloe in tomorrow.
- Really?
- Yeah.
I mean, why not?
We could use a little life around here.
Hey, will you, uh, do me a favor
and take a look at these
résumés, will you?
Sure. New chief of staff?
- Well...
- Ooh, not him.
Big blur of accomplishments.
I don't know.
I think I have to figure out
what it is I'm looking for.
Okay. What are you looking for?
Well, you know...
a total pro who's called to serve.
Team player, but also a leader.
And then... something else.
I don't know.
My money's on the head of the
Committee for Human Rights.
She's essentially Nadine 2.0.,
complete with "creative
professional" styling.
Senate Foreign Relations Chief of Staff?
Oh, yeah, that...
that came from, uh, from Russell.
He thinks this guy could give
us the inside track on Congress.
We could promote our
acting chief of staff.
Wh-what? Really? You want the guy
who does coffee and phone calls
in charge of setting the
U.S. foreign policy agenda?
This is like that nightmare
where I walk on stage naked
in a play I've never heard of.
He's getting a stress rash.
Yes. Can we please just sit down?
Okay, there has been a surge of protests
from international students
attempting to enter the U.S.
to begin their studies,
who are unable to
due to the suspension
of the visa programs.
Getting pressure from Commerce, too.
They're asking for special visas
for highly skilled workers.
Well, we can tell Commerce
to put pressure on Congress.
They're the ones shutting
down the government.
There have been several
cases of Ebola diagnosed
in Sierra Leone.
That's horrifying.
Who do we have on it?
Ambassador Henderson was the
Ebola Coordinator in 2014,
but she's on furlough,
so we can't even reach out
for a list of her international partners
or we violate the rules of the shutdown.
Oh...
- You're not supposed to be home yet.
- Ah.
Lovely to see you, too.
Sorry.
This was supposed to be a surprise.
It's steak and kidney pie.
Except, you know, with
no steak and no kidney.
That is oddly adorable.
You can just say it.
I... I have way too
much time on my hands.
Well, I had a thought
about that, actually.
Mm-hmm.
So, it's my grandmother's
80th birthday next week.
- Fun grandma or tough grandma?
- Imogen.
Fun after a couple of glasses of sherry.
Any case, she offered
to fly me out weeks ago,
and I said no.
But then I was thinking
you're not working...
Maybe we could go together.
I'd use my air miles for your flight.
You want to fly to England
in less than a week?
Oh, I'm sorry to impinge
on all of your pie making.
It could be good for us, you know.
- See the family.
- Yeah.
You know, 'cause they love me so much.
They haven't spent enough time with you.
Jareth, I don't know.
I know you're miserable in
England, so I was thinking
if at any point anyone's
being horrible to you,
you can just do this.
Huh?
I've been working on the gesture.
Is it a bit much?
Uh, no, I like it.
More wrist.
Okay.
Throw up the distress signal,
I will promptly come rescue you.
I mean... you know,
sure, okay, what the hell?
- Let's go to England.
- Yeah!
The British foreign secretary
has requested that you...
Morning. Bess, could I have a word?
It's like a hawk catching a field mouse.
Are you gonna get that or what?
I'd, uh, offer you some coffee,
but, well, apparently we don't have any.
I don't need any help
ratcheting up my blood pressure.
Mm.
No movement on the budget amendment?
Senator Morejon's got his whole
party wrapped up in his web.
Or maybe we're the ones wrapped
up, I get lost in the metaphors.
We offered to put Conrad's
VA hospital on hold,
agreed to a pay freeze for
senior civil servants...
Oh, yeah, 'cause they're so overpaid.
They still want to gut Medicaid
and housing, education...
Well, I'm guessing this
isn't the time, then,
to ask for emergency funds
to stop another outbreak
of Ebola in West Africa...
Not until we take care of Morejon.
Research has it that the
rest of his cabal caves
if we can take out their dark leader.
Do I even want to ask
what you're planning?
It's a multiple-front assault.
Everyone's got a part to play.
What's the one thing you
have and Morejon doesn't?
A conscience?
An approval rating.
No, I don't have the instincts for this.
We'd like to get you out in public...
- I don't...
- ...shining a light on all the ways
the shutdown hurts the American people.
- Make sure you put the blame
squarely on Morejon. - I can't...
- I can't talk politics, Russell.
- Why?!
Because I can't... I can't, I...
What about the 12% of Americans
who think I'm a murderer?
79% find you likeable for some reason.
I'm not asking you to
run for office... yet.
Just get out there.
Put some public pressure on Morejon.
He wanted a shutdown. Let him own it.
I don't know if you
noticed, but Matt and Daisy,
they're on furlough.
I don't have a
communications staff, so...
It's done, it's done.
I had my office set up a
press conference for 2:00.
Knock 'em dead.
I thought that was your job.
I'm on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I hear you're headed to Paris tomorrow.
Yeah, just for the weekend.
I'm joining my wife.
I like a nice Bordeaux,
in case you are curious.
I'm not, but thanks.
So, you got something on Afghanistan?
Agent Nafisa thought she
was making first contact
with our guy, Osip Bakunin,
but it turns out he was ready to talk.
- What's this?
- It's a complete list of weapons
from the last three
Russian arms deliveries
to the Taliban.
Looks like Alexander chose
the right guy to flip.
Hey, how's he doing?
Alexander? He's fine.
You know, he hates
getting stuck at home.
I know technically we can't go to him
while he's on furlough,
but there's a name in the report...
- the officer who delivered the weapons.
- Yeah. Woland.
- Who is this guy?
- Exactly.
I mean, he's high-ranking,
but there's nothing on
him anywhere in the IC.
It could be an alias.
That's what we were thinking.
You know, Alexander
might have a take on it.
What if I happened to stop by,
see him over the weekend?
Just off the books, run the name by him.
You know what, I'll take it to him.
I don't want you guys
taking any heat for
violating the furlough.
Thanks, this is good work.
Thanks.
You can repay me with free wine.
The shutdown of the federal government
over Senator Morejon's
proposed budget amendments
does far more than postpone travel plans
and close public libraries
and national parks.
It threatens to plunge
us all into a world
further destabilized
by conflict and chaos.
It is no less than a
betrayal of who we are.
I'll take questions.
J-Janine.
Secretary McCord,
how would you answer
Senator Morejon's charge
that your many global trade agreements
are the direct result of
lost jobs here at home?
These global trade agreements
were congressionally
negotiated and approved.
Throwing them back at me is just...
that's just campaigning.
Secretary McCord, do you know a woman
named Rosa Salama, who
entered the United States
as a Honduran refugee?
I'm...
Uh, sorry, I'm not
sure; are you asking me
if I know this individual?
Rosa Salama was jailed
last night in Louisiana
on the charges of first degree homicide
for shooting and killing
an American citizen.
- Can you...?
- I'm on it.
How can you defend
spending U.S. tax dollars
to bring a murderer with
known gang ties to the U.S.?
Can I answer the question?
While I don't know
the particular details
of this incident,
I will emphasize that all
individuals seeking refuge
in the United States
go through extensive vetting...
The whole thing gets hijacked
by some idiot blogger
who thinks he scored
his big "gotcha" moment with
a bunch of made-up nonsense!
Let's just get the details of the case.
Blake's on with Shreveport PD right now.
And if I didn't say this before,
I'm-I'm extremely sorry, ma'am.
Wha...
We're all doing the best that
we can without Daisy here.
Let's stay on top of the story.
I mean, I'm supposed to be
putting pressure on Morejon
to end the shutdown, not
giving him more ammunition.
Ma'am, Russell Jackson's on line one.
Yeah, I'm sure he is.
I didn't totally fail to
change the narrative, did I?
You shifted it, definitely.
Yeah. From an inspiring
defense of foreign policy
to right-wing refugee panic.
Okay, what-what, why?
Water glasses go on the
left. Which makes no sense
- for right-handed people.
- I don't even know why it's a thing.
- I... just...
- Russell Jackson's right.
I got spun by a blogger.
This is why I hate politics.
Mom, the only people retweeting
that clip are other reporters.
There's a clip?
Can we eat? Alison!
Coming. We have veggie
sauce and non-veggie.
And for what it's worth, Mom,
if anyone was talking
about it at school,
all they would be saying
is how obviously racist
that stupid question was.
I love having you home.
At least you get to escape to Paris.
Oh, where they know nothing
of refugee panic? Ow!
Looks like I'm gonna be traveling, too.
Um, Jareth invited me
to his grandmother's
80th birthday celebration
in England, so...
- Ooh, well, that's fun.
- Well, that's cool.
When do you go?
We haven't booked our flight
yet, but probably this weekend,
- or maybe Monday.
- Whoa. Soon.
Yeah, it's kind of a last-minute idea,
'cause I'm on furlough and
everything, but honestly,
I'm just really dreading
seeing his family again.
Look, if your mom can
win over my family,
you can win over those Brits.
It's all about flatter and pivot.
Say something sweet...
it has to be true...
and then, boom, you're out of there.
So does this mean I'll be
all on my own this weekend?
- No.
- No. Ali will be here.
Uh, yeah, but you're not granting her
any actual authority over me.
Oh, you wait and see. I'm
totally policing your game time.
What? Uh, wait, no. This is
a flagrant abuse of power.
Okay, stop the uprising.
We'll call it mutual supervision.
- How's that?
- See, Mom?
You still got it.
There's a new threat
to the American people.
Elizabeth McCord and her
team of Washington elites
- want to spend your tax dollars
- "Washington elites."
bringing gangsters and
criminals across our borders.
She calls it "refuge."
But when they turn their weapons on us,
Senator Carlos Morejon
calls it what it is: murder.
It's time to send
Globalist McCord a message:
this land is our land.
I hate it when they give away
the whole movie in the trailer.
Jay? I'm calling the FEC.
That has to be a violation.
It's Morejon's own PAC.
It's perfectly legal.
He's still trying to
justify the shutdown.
All you did was defend diplomacy
and humanitarian aid.
We don't offer refuge to criminals.
Rosa Salama fired in self-defense.
Did I mention I hate politics?
What about a counter ad, okay?
- Hi, Dada!
- Hi.
Uh, citing... citing the
crime rate for all refugees,
which is virtually nonexistent.
Let's get the details
of the case out there. We need positive,
inspiring refugee stories.
I mean, that can't be hard. Okay?
Your next interview's here.
- We'll get into it.
- Thanks, guys.
Hey, you!
Come here, you little Washington elite.
Daddy!
This place is not so bad.
Not at all.
I'll admit, I... I didn't
come much with an open mind.
Really?
You know, Greg, my primary
counselor, says that
I need to accept that there
are problems I can't fix myself.
And it makes me stronger to accept help.
Well, given everything
you've been through,
it's not hard to understand
why that's difficult.
There's so much more to
see when you lift your head
from the problems right
in front of you. You know?
I'm like a giraffe,
putting my head above the
trees for the first time.
It's beautiful.
Glad it's helping.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Of course.
I have to tell you,
um...
one of my steps is to make a
list of the people I've hurt.
And the second name on that
list after my sister's was yours.
Come on.
I-I put you at great
risk with my arrogance.
After all you've done for me.
Let's just say that, uh...
I have my share to account for as well.
You gave me my life, Henry.
Even if I can't get my job back,
I will always be grateful to you.
If you keep making such good progress,
there's no reason to believe
you can't come back to work.
And, uh...
to that end,
would you mind if I
ran something by you?
Uh, a name came up with some
Intel we got from Bakunin.
Uh, of course.
This guy...
Woland.
We have no record of him anywhere
in the upper Russian ranks.
It's Yarmolinsky.
Andrei Yarmolinsky.
It's a reference to his favorite
novel The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Um, Professor Woland is basically Satan.
That's quite a reference.
- You feel sure?
- Of course.
He's a high-level operative
for G.R.U., and he happens
to be General Doroshevich's cousin.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thanks for your help.
Of course.
I, uh... Come see me any time
you need help. Um...
I should get back.
How was the interview?
Another super-accomplished candidate
who really wants the job.
I'm sensing ambivalence.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just wasn't feeling it, you know?
Then again, I wasn't feeling it
with Nadine at first, either, so...
Where's Chloe?
Taking a nap.
At least, in theory.
Not sure she's feeling it, either.
So, I found something.
Ma... Mama!
Uh, it's a... it's a...
a toy manufacturing
plant in Peoria, Illinois.
The, uh, owner employs a huge percentage
of Honduran immigrants
making giggledoodles.
Ooh! I had one of those.
- See, those are just the kind of happy
associations that could... - Mama!
...play well on camera.
We could set up a tour with
a small gaggle of press.
- Yeah.
- Jay.
- Chloe... - Yeah.
- I'm on it. Yeah.
- I'm on it. Yes? Fine.
- Yeah.
- Yes? Hmm.
- Yeah. Listen,
will you set up a tour of
that toy factory in Peoria?
Okay? Maybe invite some press, and...
We'll do it Monday, first thing.
- Okay?
- Yeah.
What is it?
As your acting chief of staff,
I feel it's my duty to suggest
this event might play better
in the press than, I don't know,
a global economic conference in Paris?
Somewhere, Russell Jackson
just got a warm, fuzzy feeling.
You're totally right.
Okay. Call Deputy Secretary Cushing.
Tell him that he's
going to the conference.
Let's do Peoria tomorrow.
And find out where Russell Jackson is.
So you can ambush him
without warning, I hope?
Who am I kidding? We always call first.
Blake, Blake, what'd
you do with the wipeys?
Uh, the bag underneath the desk?
Oh, man, man, man.
Yo, thank you so much.
Uncle Matthew to the rescue.
Hey, Chloe.
Hey, what's this guy?
Thanks for getting me past security.
Pretty serious about the furlough.
Uh, are you sure you're cool with this
for the rest of the week, honestly?
Dude, you're saving me
from staring at my novel.
And I would much rather hang out
with my favorite girl.
Don't tell my niece I said that.
So... nap didn't really happen.
There's some leftover
squash in there for dinner,
She likes to have it
with ham, if you have any.
Squash and ham?
That's my favorite, too.
I assume you're all right if
we, uh, watch that attack ad
and hash out some media strategy?
Please send me ideas. Seriously.
It's not like we're
talking shop or anything.
All right. Fist bump?
I'll see you later.
Mwah.
All right. 7:00 at the latest.
I got to go try and stop
an Ebola outbreak
with no money or staff.
- Ooh.
- All right.
See you soon. Be good.
Honduran refugees making toys?
It reminds Americans that
we offer safe sanctuary
and hope for a better life. Plus,
giggledoodles.
I had one of those.
See?
I never played with it.
We already tried appealing
to America's better angels
with the press conference.
That got us an attack ad that's
polling disgustingly well.
My Spidey-sense says
it's time to go low.
Do you have something?
As you know, that's not
always a requirement.
So, trick Morejon into thinking
we have something that we don't
and hang him on the cover-up.
Worked with Craig Sterling.
Not our proudest moment.
Fine.
Try Santa's toy factory.
Plays a hell of a lot better
than a trip to Paris, anyway.
But if Morejon manages to throw this one
back in our face, I'm taking him out.
I'll bring you back a giggledoodle.
Hey, you made it just in time.
Oh, that looks good.
Smell that. Oh, mac and cheese, baby.
I was gonna make boeuf bourguignon,
but I switched the menu
from Paris to Peoria.
No, listen, you-you don't
have to go to this thing.
Yeah?
- And miss my weekend
with you? Mm-mm. - Oh.
Well, we're gonna have to trade in
our little table at Montmartre
- for some cute pancake house.
- Mm-hmm.
That's a sad change in itinerary
for a globalist like yourself.
- Mm, is it?
- Would you set the table, please?
Mwah. Hey, how was the Spy Museum?
I had to postpone.
I needed to go see Alexander
at the treatment center.
Mom! Do you have a carry-on
I can borrow?
Yeah.
My zipper just broke.
Let me see what I have.
This place has a serious
case of the cutes.
Well, wait till you see the
bed-and-breakfast we're in.
That's Angelo Bianchi right here.
He's the owner and operator
of Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
Okay.
I'll see you at... what's it called?
Kettle and Biscuit.
- Good luck.
- Kettle and Biscuit.
Can you stand it?
Who needs the Champs-Elysées?
Hi, Angelo.
Madam Secretary, it's a pleasure.
Thank you.
On behalf of my employees and staff,
welcome to Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
- I have something for you.
- Oh!
A giggledoodle!
Just like the one I had as a kid.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Please, come in.
Okay.
Come on in.
Hey, baby girl. Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- No worries, man. It's cool.
More time for beatboxing,
right, Li'l C? Drop it.
Exactly what Abby's mom
thinks I'm doing with her.
Ah, I think Grandma is
going to be very impressed
- by your sick beats.
- Okay.
Thank you.
Is everything okay?
Uh, y-you know, it's just, you know...
Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone,
M. Sec's doing this
press thing in Peoria,
so I had to scramble to
cover Paris. It's just...
So, typical day at State.
Pretty much.
Look, it's none of my business,
but it's obvious M. Sec loves you.
She gets family.
And I think she can handle
you drawing the line.
You think I wanted to work late?
I mean, we're in the
middle of a shutdown, so...
When is it not one crisis after another?
I mean, that's the job.
You can't be a parent in crisis mode.
You got to know when to say stop.
I know.
You're right.
Of the nearly 300 employees here
at Peoria's
Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory,
almost a third are Honduran refugees.
They were hired by owner and
chief operator, Angelo Bianchi.
My grandfather came here from Italy
in 1943 with nothing.
But thanks to a government program,
he got a small loan and started
the Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory.
So, when I heard about the
refugee program, I thought,
"This is how this whole
business got started."
This is great.
I know, right?
So, I mean, this is the way you
move into the future, you know?
Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord...
That's you.
...to visit these Hondurans
and see how they're settling
into their new town.
When I was a kid, I-I
loved my giggledoodle,
which I might have just
permanently borrowed from my brother.
I love knowing that
giggledoodles are still made
right here in Peoria,
first by Angelo's grandfather from Italy
and now by a whole
new group of Americans.
I like to think you're not just
making a classic, American toy.
You're making a new America,
because America was built by immigrants.
And as long as we continue
to provide a safe environment
for everyone to work and thrive,
well, then we're building our future.
Hopefully with a lot of giggledoodles.
Thank you.
See, this is politics I actually enjoy.
Here's to changing the narrative.
Blake says, "Don't check Twitter."
He knows that's just gonna
make me check Twitter, right?
Or you could not check Twitter.
I find President Dalton
incredibly tone-deaf,
that he's sending his
secretary of state out there
to brag about giving away the
few manufacturing jobs left
in this country to
refugees from Honduras.
Well, I'll say this: he has
impressive response time.
Uh, yeah, speaking of which,
I am turning this off right now
before Russell Jackson calls
and totally ruins our night.
Not ruined at all.
Here's to Peoria.
So, what's it gonna be?
Family steak house or barbeque?
Duh.
Barbeque. I'm gonna text security.
Hey, can I just say
one thing so it's not
hanging over me?
Yeah, sure.
It bothered me that
you cancelled on Jason
to go see Dmitri at rehab.
Alexander.
I'm sure there's a
perfectly good explanation.
I just thought it was crappy for Jason
and I didn't want to sit on it.
I didn't cancel. I postponed.
And-and there was a good explanation.
But good enough to let Jason down?
Babe, I'm not even sure he noticed.
Are you kidding? Did you see how he was
when I asked him?
Something came up at a briefing at work
that couldn't be postponed.
I'll make it up to him.
Okay.
"Okay" what?
No, I'm gonna go get dressed.
Well, it's just, this-this whole thing
with Alexander. I mean, you...
Could we not?
You're putting him above our son.
How many times have you pushed
the kids and me aside for work?
And have I ever
thrown it back at you once?
No. Fair enough.
Then can you please trust me
that if I had to cancel on Jason,
it must've been something
pretty damn important?
Okay, I-I hear you.
I'm just worried about you.
I'm sorry, worried
about me or blaming me?
Look at how you get
when we talk about him.
You're all twisted up.
I know it was terrible that
we abandoned him in Russia.
How many times do you
have to rescue him?
I mean, when is it
finally gonna be enough?
I don't know. Maybe never.
But what that kid went
through, the trauma that he...
that changes you forever
and I did it to him.
It's not about whether or not
you had a part in it.
This is mine to carry.
I'm not crossing any lines.
I am not pushing the kids away.
But I need to ask you
to let me figure out
how to live with it, okay?
Can you do that much?
- Ma'am, ma'am.
- Yeah?
Ebola. First case in
the U.S. just showed up.
- Where?
- Dallas hospital.
An aid worker developed symptoms
shortly after she
returned from West Africa.
Well, did she expose anybody?
She was with her family.
CDC has them all under quarantine.
They've agreed not to
go to the press yet.
Screw the furlough.
Call Ambassador Henderson.
- I want her on this.
- All right, but what if she...
Yeah, I will take the heat for it.
- I'm going to the White House.
- All right.
I think I have a way
to end the shutdown.
No, we're done playing games.
Ebola. There's a woman
in Dallas in quarantine.
This could be the ace
you've been looking for.
I mean, they have to end it now.
It's too late. I'm going with plan "A."
Russell, we don't have
time to play out a scandal.
People are gonna die.
We could be looking at an outbreak.
And let that weasel
look like a white knight
who stopped Ebola? No.
My plan is faster and
gets rid of him for good.
For God's sakes, when
is it going to stop
being about perception?
You think this is a beauty contest?
I am not letting that
puling ideologue dismantle
Conrad's agenda piece by
piece over the next four years.
What I have will be fast and painless,
like putting down a sick dog.
The rest of his little
faction will run for the hills.
So you have something real?
His wife.
- Oh, God.
- Turns out she worked without a visa
when she first came here in '96.
As soon as we corroborate it,
we're dropping it to the press.
Why not use it as leverage?
Why drag the family into it?
Because I want him destroyed
by the same monster he created.
He wanted to whip up his base
against refugees and immigrants,
let them rip him apart.
Thought you'd appreciate
the poetic justice.
If we were neutralizing a
foreign adversary, maybe.
I guess I thought we
were all on the same team.
All enemies, foreign and domestic.
Ebola is not the only
virus we're fighting here.
As soon as we get rid of Morejon,
the rest of us can get back
to governing the nation.
Meantime, I'll put in for
emergency funding for Dallas.
He's gonna try and get us funding.
One of the family members
is sick now, too. It's out in the press.
While I would normally suggest you avoid
Carlos Morejon's Twitter,
you should probably
see that.
"Runaway spending and POTUS
still can't keep Americans safe.
Ebola in the U.S. Thank
you, Mr. President."
There's nothing he won't say.
Both of them.
They can't stop.
"Both," ma'am?
Russell and Morejon.
They're lined up on either side.
It has to stop.
Well, Russell is not gonna stop.
Yeah.
Change of plans, Joe.
Senator Morejon's office.
Excuse me, Senator Morejon?
Secretary McCord, I'd be
happy to schedule a meeting.
Yeah, you're gonna want to
talk to me right now, Senator.
I've got quite a few
colleagues waiting for me.
Then I'll make this quick:
Russell Jackson has some
highly personal information
about a member of your family
and he's about to go to press.
I'd like to work with you to stop that,
but it needs to be now.
I'm flattered that you took time
out of your campaign schedule...
...to bring me his threats in person.
Russell doesn't know I'm here.
And it isn't a threat.
He has proof that your wife
worked illegally in the U.S.
before she was a citizen.
Tell Russell to call me when
he's ready to settle the budget.
You ever seen somebody
die of Ebola, Senator?
They call it hemorrhagic fever because
you literally bleed to
death inside your body.
The virus breaks down your
organs and your cells explode.
Every minute that I am standing here,
we are one minute closer to an outbreak.
All the more reason to
have President Dalton
take the deal...
This is the thing about a deal.
A deal is when each side
gives something and meets in the middle.
What you and your colleagues are doing
is nothing less than extortion.
Quite an accusation
coming from the woman
who came here trying to blackmail me.
Oy...
And while you're schooling me on deals,
explain to me how a $20
trillion national debt
and a $500 billion trade deficit
is a deal that I or any
American should want, huh?
That is gonna sound great
in your stump speech.
But I think you should take the deal
that POTUS offered two weeks ago.
You can tell your base that you
stopped balancing a spreadsheet
so you could save some lives.
I guarantee you it will play in Peoria.
Madam Secretary, I want to remind you
I'm a senator in the
United States Congress.
I'm not some foreign despot
that you can strong-arm.
It seems to me it's your own
strong-arming that got us here.
Look, you can either
dare Russell Jackson
to do his worst,
or you can stand down and we can
all live to fight another day.
You tell Russell Jackson that
this is how enemies are made.
How'd it go?
Well, we'll see.
I either put out a fire or lit a fuse.
Hey.
Do I strong-arm foreign despots?
I would describe you
as firm, but reasonable.
I can live with that.
What's the news from Dallas?
No new cases as of yet.
Not so lucky in Sierra Leone,
but Ambassador Henderson
is doing what she can.
Off the record, of course.
Well, that means our only hope right now
is an end to the shutdown.
To that end, ma'am,
when the State Department does resume
full operations, you're
gonna need a chief of staff.
- A real one.
- Yeah. I don't know.
I don't know why I'm being
so indecisive about that.
They're all so qualified.
If I may?
Russell Jackson's guy
from the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee
looks perfect on paper, but
I worry about his loyalties.
The Human Rights CEO is
an interesting outlier,
but she has no idea
what the job entails,
and one of her staffers
hesitated when I asked
how she does under pressure.
Oh. This job is nothing but pressure.
I'd put my money on Gwen from
the Office of Foreign Missions,
but her peers will think
it's a demotion, so...
That.
- Right there.
- What?
That's what I've been looking for.
Gwen.
No, you.
You don't have divided loyalties.
You won't feel like you've been demoted,
and I do not have to wonder
about whether or not
you'll crack under pressure.
Uh, he's already been kidnapped.
You've already been kidnapped.
And you didn't quit.
Uh... that right there, I mean,
you're either totally nuts,
or the most loyal
person I will ever find.
I'm not trying to talk
myself into a job here.
Right there. Another
reason you're so perfect.
Then I'd be honored
to be considered.
There's no consideration.
You are it, pal.
Just hang on, okay?
I'm...
It... Uh...
Chloe's little, and she
needs more of me, not less.
- And I have to be there for Abby.
- Of course.
No, really, like, I have
to leave by 6:00 on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, like, out the door.
We can make that work.
And I can't always work on the weekends.
Listen, are you forgetting?
I raised three kids in this job.
- I know all about it.
- With a spouse.
And, due respect, ma'am,
my situation's different.
Maybe I'm just not in the
right place in my life for this.
We'll be fine.
We'll delegate.
Yeah?
Do you want this job or not?
Well, hell, yes I want it.
- Oh, thank God.
- Let's go.
Ah, just... right there, the whole time.
Oh...
You have no idea how
good you look right now.
I might.
Figured we had a weekend to make up for.
I ruined that.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
gone after you about Alexander,
- that...
- Oh, stop.
Can I say again what a
fantastic father I think you are?
For what it's worth,
I'm taking Jace to the
Spy Museum tomorrow.
Oh, good.
We're still sort of dancing around
his suspicions about my job.
Uh, honestly, I'm... not quite
sure how to handle that one.
Well, we're honest in
all the ways that count.
And someday, his therapist
will be able to buy a boat.
Here.
What is that?
Uh, it's a little something
I've been working on for a while.
I was gonna pick it up in
Paris and give it to you there,
but, uh, I found a colleague
who was flying back yesterday.
He grabbed it for me.
How did you get my father's watch?
It was lost in the car accident.
It's a recreation.
I found the guy who made the original.
He's in his 90s.
He's still at it.
Here.
But how, I mean... wait...
You always talked about it
and pointed it out in photographs
and told me he bought
it on his honeymoon.
It wasn't that hard to figure out.
I love this watch.
Well, here's a promise.
I'll always find time
for you and the kids.
Thank you.
- Is that Russell Jackson?
- Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
- Mm-mm.
- Ugh. It is. He's here.
Hold that thought.
Russell.
What an unexpected surprise.
Thought I'd share the
good news in person.
Senator Morejon just agreed to
the terms of our original offer
on the budget amendments.
Both houses are expected to sign off
on the new CR in the morning.
That is felicitous.
It is.
Just when I'm hours away
from eliminating the number
one threat to our agenda,
the guy caves out of nowhere.
He was probably persuaded by the threat
of a pandemic, or...
...getting blamed for one.
Speaking of,
I should probably call my Africa desk.
- Gonna be a busy morning.
- Stay in your lane,
Bess.
Understood?
You asked me to help end the shutdown.
So what I think you mean is "thank you."
Glass of wine, Russell?
- I got to get home.
- Okay.
Uh, where are you on
the new chief of staff?
- I sent over a good guy.
- Oh. Yeah, you did.
Uh, but I'm gonna go with Jay.
Who in the hell is Jay?
Whitman.
My policy advisor.
Well, that's dumb.
Good night, Russell.
You have your passport, right?
Okay. Twice is helpful.
Three times, a bit excessive.
Why is Russell Jackson
telling me to bring donuts?
What?
If you're calling to
warn me about donuts,
that's my wife's job.
I'm sorry. Is the shutdown over?
Your mother didn't mention this?
I haven't seen her.
Also, I'm supposed to
be leaving for England
in three hours.
Well, I guess this means no donuts.
I can come in if you need me.
How long are you gonna be gone?
A week.
Well, I suppose we can survive.
It's up to you.
Okay. Uh, I guess I'll
see you in a week, then.
Thanks. Bye.
Thank God.
Okay, right.
I think this is everything.
You ready?
I don't know. Um...
I kind of feel like I should go in.
Why? What did he say?
He said it's up to me.
And you're going to
choose to go to work.
I'm just not sure I really
want to go on this trip.
I'm sorry. What?
Wh... You're telling me this now? We...
Uh, it's just hitting me.
Well, you did agree to it.
- That kind of implies consent.
- I know. I'm sorry.
Is this about my family?
Can I reassure you
on the way, because we
really do have to go.
Jareth, I feel terrible, okay?
I mean, especially 'cause
you've given up so much
- just to be with me.
- Okay, wait. What are you saying?
I'm saying... that...
I never listen to the
voice in my head, you know?
I... Anytime I've done
something I don't want to do,
there's always a voice telling me
"Don't do it. Don't
join the lacrosse team
"because you want
Gina Marek to like you.
"Don't quit college
because you're freaked out
- about your mom"
- Okay, no, no, no.
This is just the voice of fear.
- No. I don't think it is.
- It is.
And you don't have to be afraid,
because we're together.
Are we? I mean, are we?
Well, this is what this
trip is meant to be about.
I just... I think I need to
think things through a little bit.
Oh, my God. I can't
believe this is happening.
I'm not saying anything definitive.
Okay? I just... I need
a little bit of time.
Sure.
Jareth...
I'll see you in a week, okay?
We'll talk.
I just wish that the voice in your head
was telling you to go with me.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
- Hey.
Have you seen a report
on economic growth
in Central Asia? I...
Thought you fell asleep
with it last night.
No, it's not up there.
Call me a dummy, but I thought
the government shutdown's
- supposed to slow things
down a little bit? - Ha.
Well, it turns out when Congress
attacks foreign aid
and furloughs a third of my staff,
it's not much of a vacation.
Sorry, I'm not snapping at you.
Ugh! It's okay there, tiger.
I understand the frustration.
Two weeks of one senator
holding the entire government hostage
over some ideological notion
of eliminating the national debt?
We're two days out from Paris, babe.
- Smell the butter.
- Oh, sure.
You can be all Zen about it...
your budget wasn't affected.
"Intelligence is essential
for national security,"
but international
programs that save lives...
the world's most vulnerable
gov... ernment... Wow.
I booked us a table at
this beautiful little place
- in Montmartre.
- Oh, that's good.
And you're gonna get all the churches
our of your system while
I'm at the conference, right,
so we can have all day Sunday?
Well, there is a mass
on Sunday at St. Gervais,
which I'm totally skipping
so that we can order room service
Okay, good. We can have
croissants on the balcony.
Afternoon walk in the Tuileries.
Mm. And I want to get that hot chocolate
from the place with
all the tourists. Oh...
Oh, go deeper. Right there, even deeper.
Oh, wow. Oh...
- Jace.
- Hey. No.
- Mom just has a few kinks.
- Come back.
No, Dad...
No, it's-it's worse
when you talk about it.
- Don't...
- Come here. Come here.
I'm gonna miss you this weekend.
Listen, don't worry
because Stevie and Ali
- will be here...
- No, don't say "babysit."
- Hey, he's 16 years old.
- I was just
going to say "to peer supervise."
Oh, hey, so I'm doing a big report
on U.S. history right now on the CIA,
and I'm not asking you any
questions you can't answer,
but if there's any help you can get me
between now and next Wednesday
that's not gonna compromise
your security clearance,
it might help me get an "A."
Not that I'm begging.
Sure, I'd love to sit down
- and talk about it.
- Really?
How's, uh...
I don't know, how about tonight?
Awesome. Thanks.
You know what would be great for this
is, uh, the Spy Museum.
That is an excellent idea.
I've been meaning to check it out.
I'm sure I could learn
a thing or two myself.
Oh, right,
because you have no
experience in intelligence.
I have some time this afternoon,
like 4:00... you want to meet there?
Yeah. Cool.
All right.
Look at the two of you
bonding over espionage.
It's the D.C. equivalent of
building a pinewood derby car.
Oh, ah... Look at that.
Look at that catch.
Uh-oh.
Something elevator-worthy?
Itinerary for the Global
Economic Conference
in Paris this weekend,
top five résumés for
your new chief of staff,
and a latte, extra foam.
Oh, that is definitely elevator-worthy.
But you didn't pay for this
out of your own money, did you?
There's a slush fund
for essentials, ma'am.
Beginning to wonder if I
need those résumés, Blake.
No, no, please don't joke.
Just filling in for
Nadine during this shutdown
is giving me a stress rash.
Put in some years in the field
or making policy, and you, too...
- I mean it.
- Yeah.
- You could do it.
- I've seen these résumés.
But my mother thanks
you for believing in me.
Morning.
Morning. Morning.
Wow.
I am not used to how
empty it is in here.
Yeah. It's like we missed
the last chopper out of Saigon.
Office of the Secretary of State.
That's a little grim.
Sorry, I was just on
with my ex-mother-in-law.
Abby's at a work conference this week,
which I told her she
could go to months ago,
but now the state's
day care is shut down,
and I'm leaning on her mom pretty hard.
Well, that sounds sticky.
You know what they
don't do at Diplotots?
Give me passive-aggressive
guilt trips about my work hours.
Well...
You know what? Bring Chloe in tomorrow.
- Really?
- Yeah.
I mean, why not?
We could use a little life around here.
Hey, will you, uh, do me a favor
and take a look at these
résumés, will you?
Sure. New chief of staff?
- Well...
- Ooh, not him.
Big blur of accomplishments.
I don't know.
I think I have to figure out
what it is I'm looking for.
Okay. What are you looking for?
Well, you know...
a total pro who's called to serve.
Team player, but also a leader.
And then... something else.
I don't know.
My money's on the head of the
Committee for Human Rights.
She's essentially Nadine 2.0.,
complete with "creative
professional" styling.
Senate Foreign Relations Chief of Staff?
Oh, yeah, that...
that came from, uh, from Russell.
He thinks this guy could give
us the inside track on Congress.
We could promote our
acting chief of staff.
Wh-what? Really? You want the guy
who does coffee and phone calls
in charge of setting the
U.S. foreign policy agenda?
This is like that nightmare
where I walk on stage naked
in a play I've never heard of.
He's getting a stress rash.
Yes. Can we please just sit down?
Okay, there has been a surge of protests
from international students
attempting to enter the U.S.
to begin their studies,
who are unable to
due to the suspension
of the visa programs.
Getting pressure from Commerce, too.
They're asking for special visas
for highly skilled workers.
Well, we can tell Commerce
to put pressure on Congress.
They're the ones shutting
down the government.
There have been several
cases of Ebola diagnosed
in Sierra Leone.
That's horrifying.
Who do we have on it?
Ambassador Henderson was the
Ebola Coordinator in 2014,
but she's on furlough,
so we can't even reach out
for a list of her international partners
or we violate the rules of the shutdown.
Oh...
- You're not supposed to be home yet.
- Ah.
Lovely to see you, too.
Sorry.
This was supposed to be a surprise.
It's steak and kidney pie.
Except, you know, with
no steak and no kidney.
That is oddly adorable.
You can just say it.
I... I have way too
much time on my hands.
Well, I had a thought
about that, actually.
Mm-hmm.
So, it's my grandmother's
80th birthday next week.
- Fun grandma or tough grandma?
- Imogen.
Fun after a couple of glasses of sherry.
Any case, she offered
to fly me out weeks ago,
and I said no.
But then I was thinking
you're not working...
Maybe we could go together.
I'd use my air miles for your flight.
You want to fly to England
in less than a week?
Oh, I'm sorry to impinge
on all of your pie making.
It could be good for us, you know.
- See the family.
- Yeah.
You know, 'cause they love me so much.
They haven't spent enough time with you.
Jareth, I don't know.
I know you're miserable in
England, so I was thinking
if at any point anyone's
being horrible to you,
you can just do this.
Huh?
I've been working on the gesture.
Is it a bit much?
Uh, no, I like it.
More wrist.
Okay.
Throw up the distress signal,
I will promptly come rescue you.
I mean... you know,
sure, okay, what the hell?
- Let's go to England.
- Yeah!
The British foreign secretary
has requested that you...
Morning. Bess, could I have a word?
It's like a hawk catching a field mouse.
Are you gonna get that or what?
I'd, uh, offer you some coffee,
but, well, apparently we don't have any.
I don't need any help
ratcheting up my blood pressure.
Mm.
No movement on the budget amendment?
Senator Morejon's got his whole
party wrapped up in his web.
Or maybe we're the ones wrapped
up, I get lost in the metaphors.
We offered to put Conrad's
VA hospital on hold,
agreed to a pay freeze for
senior civil servants...
Oh, yeah, 'cause they're so overpaid.
They still want to gut Medicaid
and housing, education...
Well, I'm guessing this
isn't the time, then,
to ask for emergency funds
to stop another outbreak
of Ebola in West Africa...
Not until we take care of Morejon.
Research has it that the
rest of his cabal caves
if we can take out their dark leader.
Do I even want to ask
what you're planning?
It's a multiple-front assault.
Everyone's got a part to play.
What's the one thing you
have and Morejon doesn't?
A conscience?
An approval rating.
No, I don't have the instincts for this.
We'd like to get you out in public...
- I don't...
- ...shining a light on all the ways
the shutdown hurts the American people.
- Make sure you put the blame
squarely on Morejon. - I can't...
- I can't talk politics, Russell.
- Why?!
Because I can't... I can't, I...
What about the 12% of Americans
who think I'm a murderer?
79% find you likeable for some reason.
I'm not asking you to
run for office... yet.
Just get out there.
Put some public pressure on Morejon.
He wanted a shutdown. Let him own it.
I don't know if you
noticed, but Matt and Daisy,
they're on furlough.
I don't have a
communications staff, so...
It's done, it's done.
I had my office set up a
press conference for 2:00.
Knock 'em dead.
I thought that was your job.
I'm on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I hear you're headed to Paris tomorrow.
Yeah, just for the weekend.
I'm joining my wife.
I like a nice Bordeaux,
in case you are curious.
I'm not, but thanks.
So, you got something on Afghanistan?
Agent Nafisa thought she
was making first contact
with our guy, Osip Bakunin,
but it turns out he was ready to talk.
- What's this?
- It's a complete list of weapons
from the last three
Russian arms deliveries
to the Taliban.
Looks like Alexander chose
the right guy to flip.
Hey, how's he doing?
Alexander? He's fine.
You know, he hates
getting stuck at home.
I know technically we can't go to him
while he's on furlough,
but there's a name in the report...
- the officer who delivered the weapons.
- Yeah. Woland.
- Who is this guy?
- Exactly.
I mean, he's high-ranking,
but there's nothing on
him anywhere in the IC.
It could be an alias.
That's what we were thinking.
You know, Alexander
might have a take on it.
What if I happened to stop by,
see him over the weekend?
Just off the books, run the name by him.
You know what, I'll take it to him.
I don't want you guys
taking any heat for
violating the furlough.
Thanks, this is good work.
Thanks.
You can repay me with free wine.
The shutdown of the federal government
over Senator Morejon's
proposed budget amendments
does far more than postpone travel plans
and close public libraries
and national parks.
It threatens to plunge
us all into a world
further destabilized
by conflict and chaos.
It is no less than a
betrayal of who we are.
I'll take questions.
J-Janine.
Secretary McCord,
how would you answer
Senator Morejon's charge
that your many global trade agreements
are the direct result of
lost jobs here at home?
These global trade agreements
were congressionally
negotiated and approved.
Throwing them back at me is just...
that's just campaigning.
Secretary McCord, do you know a woman
named Rosa Salama, who
entered the United States
as a Honduran refugee?
I'm...
Uh, sorry, I'm not
sure; are you asking me
if I know this individual?
Rosa Salama was jailed
last night in Louisiana
on the charges of first degree homicide
for shooting and killing
an American citizen.
- Can you...?
- I'm on it.
How can you defend
spending U.S. tax dollars
to bring a murderer with
known gang ties to the U.S.?
Can I answer the question?
While I don't know
the particular details
of this incident,
I will emphasize that all
individuals seeking refuge
in the United States
go through extensive vetting...
The whole thing gets hijacked
by some idiot blogger
who thinks he scored
his big "gotcha" moment with
a bunch of made-up nonsense!
Let's just get the details of the case.
Blake's on with Shreveport PD right now.
And if I didn't say this before,
I'm-I'm extremely sorry, ma'am.
Wha...
We're all doing the best that
we can without Daisy here.
Let's stay on top of the story.
I mean, I'm supposed to be
putting pressure on Morejon
to end the shutdown, not
giving him more ammunition.
Ma'am, Russell Jackson's on line one.
Yeah, I'm sure he is.
I didn't totally fail to
change the narrative, did I?
You shifted it, definitely.
Yeah. From an inspiring
defense of foreign policy
to right-wing refugee panic.
Okay, what-what, why?
Water glasses go on the
left. Which makes no sense
- for right-handed people.
- I don't even know why it's a thing.
- I... just...
- Russell Jackson's right.
I got spun by a blogger.
This is why I hate politics.
Mom, the only people retweeting
that clip are other reporters.
There's a clip?
Can we eat? Alison!
Coming. We have veggie
sauce and non-veggie.
And for what it's worth, Mom,
if anyone was talking
about it at school,
all they would be saying
is how obviously racist
that stupid question was.
I love having you home.
At least you get to escape to Paris.
Oh, where they know nothing
of refugee panic? Ow!
Looks like I'm gonna be traveling, too.
Um, Jareth invited me
to his grandmother's
80th birthday celebration
in England, so...
- Ooh, well, that's fun.
- Well, that's cool.
When do you go?
We haven't booked our flight
yet, but probably this weekend,
- or maybe Monday.
- Whoa. Soon.
Yeah, it's kind of a last-minute idea,
'cause I'm on furlough and
everything, but honestly,
I'm just really dreading
seeing his family again.
Look, if your mom can
win over my family,
you can win over those Brits.
It's all about flatter and pivot.
Say something sweet...
it has to be true...
and then, boom, you're out of there.
So does this mean I'll be
all on my own this weekend?
- No.
- No. Ali will be here.
Uh, yeah, but you're not granting her
any actual authority over me.
Oh, you wait and see. I'm
totally policing your game time.
What? Uh, wait, no. This is
a flagrant abuse of power.
Okay, stop the uprising.
We'll call it mutual supervision.
- How's that?
- See, Mom?
You still got it.
There's a new threat
to the American people.
Elizabeth McCord and her
team of Washington elites
- want to spend your tax dollars
- "Washington elites."
bringing gangsters and
criminals across our borders.
She calls it "refuge."
But when they turn their weapons on us,
Senator Carlos Morejon
calls it what it is: murder.
It's time to send
Globalist McCord a message:
this land is our land.
I hate it when they give away
the whole movie in the trailer.
Jay? I'm calling the FEC.
That has to be a violation.
It's Morejon's own PAC.
It's perfectly legal.
He's still trying to
justify the shutdown.
All you did was defend diplomacy
and humanitarian aid.
We don't offer refuge to criminals.
Rosa Salama fired in self-defense.
Did I mention I hate politics?
What about a counter ad, okay?
- Hi, Dada!
- Hi.
Uh, citing... citing the
crime rate for all refugees,
which is virtually nonexistent.
Let's get the details
of the case out there. We need positive,
inspiring refugee stories.
I mean, that can't be hard. Okay?
Your next interview's here.
- We'll get into it.
- Thanks, guys.
Hey, you!
Come here, you little Washington elite.
Daddy!
This place is not so bad.
Not at all.
I'll admit, I... I didn't
come much with an open mind.
Really?
You know, Greg, my primary
counselor, says that
I need to accept that there
are problems I can't fix myself.
And it makes me stronger to accept help.
Well, given everything
you've been through,
it's not hard to understand
why that's difficult.
There's so much more to
see when you lift your head
from the problems right
in front of you. You know?
I'm like a giraffe,
putting my head above the
trees for the first time.
It's beautiful.
Glad it's helping.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Of course.
I have to tell you,
um...
one of my steps is to make a
list of the people I've hurt.
And the second name on that
list after my sister's was yours.
Come on.
I-I put you at great
risk with my arrogance.
After all you've done for me.
Let's just say that, uh...
I have my share to account for as well.
You gave me my life, Henry.
Even if I can't get my job back,
I will always be grateful to you.
If you keep making such good progress,
there's no reason to believe
you can't come back to work.
And, uh...
to that end,
would you mind if I
ran something by you?
Uh, a name came up with some
Intel we got from Bakunin.
Uh, of course.
This guy...
Woland.
We have no record of him anywhere
in the upper Russian ranks.
It's Yarmolinsky.
Andrei Yarmolinsky.
It's a reference to his favorite
novel The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Um, Professor Woland is basically Satan.
That's quite a reference.
- You feel sure?
- Of course.
He's a high-level operative
for G.R.U., and he happens
to be General Doroshevich's cousin.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thanks for your help.
Of course.
I, uh... Come see me any time
you need help. Um...
I should get back.
How was the interview?
Another super-accomplished candidate
who really wants the job.
I'm sensing ambivalence.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just wasn't feeling it, you know?
Then again, I wasn't feeling it
with Nadine at first, either, so...
Where's Chloe?
Taking a nap.
At least, in theory.
Not sure she's feeling it, either.
So, I found something.
Ma... Mama!
Uh, it's a... it's a...
a toy manufacturing
plant in Peoria, Illinois.
The, uh, owner employs a huge percentage
of Honduran immigrants
making giggledoodles.
Ooh! I had one of those.
- See, those are just the kind of happy
associations that could... - Mama!
...play well on camera.
We could set up a tour with
a small gaggle of press.
- Yeah.
- Jay.
- Chloe... - Yeah.
- I'm on it. Yeah.
- I'm on it. Yes? Fine.
- Yeah.
- Yes? Hmm.
- Yeah. Listen,
will you set up a tour of
that toy factory in Peoria?
Okay? Maybe invite some press, and...
We'll do it Monday, first thing.
- Okay?
- Yeah.
What is it?
As your acting chief of staff,
I feel it's my duty to suggest
this event might play better
in the press than, I don't know,
a global economic conference in Paris?
Somewhere, Russell Jackson
just got a warm, fuzzy feeling.
You're totally right.
Okay. Call Deputy Secretary Cushing.
Tell him that he's
going to the conference.
Let's do Peoria tomorrow.
And find out where Russell Jackson is.
So you can ambush him
without warning, I hope?
Who am I kidding? We always call first.
Blake, Blake, what'd
you do with the wipeys?
Uh, the bag underneath the desk?
Oh, man, man, man.
Yo, thank you so much.
Uncle Matthew to the rescue.
Hey, Chloe.
Hey, what's this guy?
Thanks for getting me past security.
Pretty serious about the furlough.
Uh, are you sure you're cool with this
for the rest of the week, honestly?
Dude, you're saving me
from staring at my novel.
And I would much rather hang out
with my favorite girl.
Don't tell my niece I said that.
So... nap didn't really happen.
There's some leftover
squash in there for dinner,
She likes to have it
with ham, if you have any.
Squash and ham?
That's my favorite, too.
I assume you're all right if
we, uh, watch that attack ad
and hash out some media strategy?
Please send me ideas. Seriously.
It's not like we're
talking shop or anything.
All right. Fist bump?
I'll see you later.
Mwah.
All right. 7:00 at the latest.
I got to go try and stop
an Ebola outbreak
with no money or staff.
- Ooh.
- All right.
See you soon. Be good.
Honduran refugees making toys?
It reminds Americans that
we offer safe sanctuary
and hope for a better life. Plus,
giggledoodles.
I had one of those.
See?
I never played with it.
We already tried appealing
to America's better angels
with the press conference.
That got us an attack ad that's
polling disgustingly well.
My Spidey-sense says
it's time to go low.
Do you have something?
As you know, that's not
always a requirement.
So, trick Morejon into thinking
we have something that we don't
and hang him on the cover-up.
Worked with Craig Sterling.
Not our proudest moment.
Fine.
Try Santa's toy factory.
Plays a hell of a lot better
than a trip to Paris, anyway.
But if Morejon manages to throw this one
back in our face, I'm taking him out.
I'll bring you back a giggledoodle.
Hey, you made it just in time.
Oh, that looks good.
Smell that. Oh, mac and cheese, baby.
I was gonna make boeuf bourguignon,
but I switched the menu
from Paris to Peoria.
No, listen, you-you don't
have to go to this thing.
Yeah?
- And miss my weekend
with you? Mm-mm. - Oh.
Well, we're gonna have to trade in
our little table at Montmartre
- for some cute pancake house.
- Mm-hmm.
That's a sad change in itinerary
for a globalist like yourself.
- Mm, is it?
- Would you set the table, please?
Mwah. Hey, how was the Spy Museum?
I had to postpone.
I needed to go see Alexander
at the treatment center.
Mom! Do you have a carry-on
I can borrow?
Yeah.
My zipper just broke.
Let me see what I have.
This place has a serious
case of the cutes.
Well, wait till you see the
bed-and-breakfast we're in.
That's Angelo Bianchi right here.
He's the owner and operator
of Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
Okay.
I'll see you at... what's it called?
Kettle and Biscuit.
- Good luck.
- Kettle and Biscuit.
Can you stand it?
Who needs the Champs-Elysées?
Hi, Angelo.
Madam Secretary, it's a pleasure.
Thank you.
On behalf of my employees and staff,
welcome to Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
- I have something for you.
- Oh!
A giggledoodle!
Just like the one I had as a kid.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Please, come in.
Okay.
Come on in.
Hey, baby girl. Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- No worries, man. It's cool.
More time for beatboxing,
right, Li'l C? Drop it.
Exactly what Abby's mom
thinks I'm doing with her.
Ah, I think Grandma is
going to be very impressed
- by your sick beats.
- Okay.
Thank you.
Is everything okay?
Uh, y-you know, it's just, you know...
Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone,
M. Sec's doing this
press thing in Peoria,
so I had to scramble to
cover Paris. It's just...
So, typical day at State.
Pretty much.
Look, it's none of my business,
but it's obvious M. Sec loves you.
She gets family.
And I think she can handle
you drawing the line.
You think I wanted to work late?
I mean, we're in the
middle of a shutdown, so...
When is it not one crisis after another?
I mean, that's the job.
You can't be a parent in crisis mode.
You got to know when to say stop.
I know.
You're right.
Of the nearly 300 employees here
at Peoria's
Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory,
almost a third are Honduran refugees.
They were hired by owner and
chief operator, Angelo Bianchi.
My grandfather came here from Italy
in 1943 with nothing.
But thanks to a government program,
he got a small loan and started
the Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory.
So, when I heard about the
refugee program, I thought,
"This is how this whole
business got started."
This is great.
I know, right?
So, I mean, this is the way you
move into the future, you know?
Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord...
That's you.
...to visit these Hondurans
and see how they're settling
into their new town.
When I was a kid, I-I
loved my giggledoodle,
which I might have just
permanently borrowed from my brother.
I love knowing that
giggledoodles are still made
right here in Peoria,
first by Angelo's grandfather from Italy
and now by a whole
new group of Americans.
I like to think you're not just
making a classic, American toy.
You're making a new America,
because America was built by immigrants.
And as long as we continue
to provide a safe environment
for everyone to work and thrive,
well, then we're building our future.
Hopefully with a lot of giggledoodles.
Thank you.
See, this is politics I actually enjoy.
Here's to changing the narrative.
Blake says, "Don't check Twitter."
He knows that's just gonna
make me check Twitter, right?
Or you could not check Twitter.
I find President Dalton
incredibly tone-deaf,
that he's sending his
secretary of state out there
to brag about giving away the
few manufacturing jobs left
in this country to
refugees from Honduras.
Well, I'll say this: he has
impressive response time.
Uh, yeah, speaking of which,
I am turning this off right now
before Russell Jackson calls
and totally ruins our night.
Not ruined at all.
Here's to Peoria.
So, what's it gonna be?
Family steak house or barbeque?
Duh.
Barbeque. I'm gonna text security.
Hey, can I just say
one thing so it's not
hanging over me?
Yeah, sure.
It bothered me that
you cancelled on Jason
to go see Dmitri at rehab.
Alexander.
I'm sure there's a
perfectly good explanation.
I just thought it was crappy for Jason
and I didn't want to sit on it.
I didn't cancel. I postponed.
And-and there was a good explanation.
But good enough to let Jason down?
Babe, I'm not even sure he noticed.
Are you kidding? Did you see how he was
when I asked him?
Something came up at a briefing at work
that couldn't be postponed.
I'll make it up to him.
Okay.
"Okay" what?
No, I'm gonna go get dressed.
Well, it's just, this-this whole thing
with Alexander. I mean, you...
Could we not?
You're putting him above our son.
How many times have you pushed
the kids and me aside for work?
And have I ever
thrown it back at you once?
No. Fair enough.
Then can you please trust me
that if I had to cancel on Jason,
it must've been something
pretty damn important?
Okay, I-I hear you.
I'm just worried about you.
I'm sorry, worried
about me or blaming me?
Look at how you get
when we talk about him.
You're all twisted up.
I know it was terrible that
we abandoned him in Russia.
How many times do you
have to rescue him?
I mean, when is it
finally gonna be enough?
I don't know. Maybe never.
But what that kid went
through, the trauma that he...
that changes you forever
and I did it to him.
It's not about whether or not
you had a part in it.
This is mine to carry.
I'm not crossing any lines.
I am not pushing the kids away.
But I need to ask you
to let me figure out
how to live with it, okay?
Can you do that much?
- Ma'am, ma'am.
- Yeah?
Ebola. First case in
the U.S. just showed up.
- Where?
- Dallas hospital.
An aid worker developed symptoms
shortly after she
returned from West Africa.
Well, did she expose anybody?
She was with her family.
CDC has them all under quarantine.
They've agreed not to
go to the press yet.
Screw the furlough.
Call Ambassador Henderson.
- I want her on this.
- All right, but what if she...
Yeah, I will take the heat for it.
- I'm going to the White House.
- All right.
I think I have a way
to end the shutdown.
No, we're done playing games.
Ebola. There's a woman
in Dallas in quarantine.
This could be the ace
you've been looking for.
I mean, they have to end it now.
It's too late. I'm going with plan "A."
Russell, we don't have
time to play out a scandal.
People are gonna die.
We could be looking at an outbreak.
And let that weasel
look like a white knight
who stopped Ebola? No.
My plan is faster and
gets rid of him for good.
For God's sakes, when
is it going to stop
being about perception?
You think this is a beauty contest?
I am not letting that
puling ideologue dismantle
Conrad's agenda piece by
piece over the next four years.
What I have will be fast and painless,
like putting down a sick dog.
The rest of his little
faction will run for the hills.
So you have something real?
His wife.
- Oh, God.
- Turns out she worked without a visa
when she first came here in '96.
As soon as we corroborate it,
we're dropping it to the press.
Why not use it as leverage?
Why drag the family into it?
Because I want him destroyed
by the same monster he created.
He wanted to whip up his base
against refugees and immigrants,
let them rip him apart.
Thought you'd appreciate
the poetic justice.
If we were neutralizing a
foreign adversary, maybe.
I guess I thought we
were all on the same team.
All enemies, foreign and domestic.
Ebola is not the only
virus we're fighting here.
As soon as we get rid of Morejon,
the rest of us can get back
to governing the nation.
Meantime, I'll put in for
emergency funding for Dallas.
He's gonna try and get us funding.
One of the family members
is sick now, too. It's out in the press.
While I would normally suggest you avoid
Carlos Morejon's Twitter,
you should probably
see that.
"Runaway spending and POTUS
still can't keep Americans safe.
Ebola in the U.S. Thank
you, Mr. President."
There's nothing he won't say.
Both of them.
They can't stop.
"Both," ma'am?
Russell and Morejon.
They're lined up on either side.
It has to stop.
Well, Russell is not gonna stop.
Yeah.
Change of plans, Joe.
Senator Morejon's office.
Excuse me, Senator Morejon?
Secretary McCord, I'd be
happy to schedule a meeting.
Yeah, you're gonna want to
talk to me right now, Senator.
I've got quite a few
colleagues waiting for me.
Then I'll make this quick:
Russell Jackson has some
highly personal information
about a member of your family
and he's about to go to press.
I'd like to work with you to stop that,
but it needs to be now.
I'm flattered that you took time
out of your campaign schedule...
...to bring me his threats in person.
Russell doesn't know I'm here.
And it isn't a threat.
He has proof that your wife
worked illegally in the U.S.
before she was a citizen.
Tell Russell to call me when
he's ready to settle the budget.
You ever seen somebody
die of Ebola, Senator?
They call it hemorrhagic fever because
you literally bleed to
death inside your body.
The virus breaks down your
organs and your cells explode.
Every minute that I am standing here,
we are one minute closer to an outbreak.
All the more reason to
have President Dalton
take the deal...
This is the thing about a deal.
A deal is when each side
gives something and meets in the middle.
What you and your colleagues are doing
is nothing less than extortion.
Quite an accusation
coming from the woman
who came here trying to blackmail me.
Oy...
And while you're schooling me on deals,
explain to me how a $20
trillion national debt
and a $500 billion trade deficit
is a deal that I or any
American should want, huh?
That is gonna sound great
in your stump speech.
But I think you should take the deal
that POTUS offered two weeks ago.
You can tell your base that you
stopped balancing a spreadsheet
so you could save some lives.
I guarantee you it will play in Peoria.
Madam Secretary, I want to remind you
I'm a senator in the
United States Congress.
I'm not some foreign despot
that you can strong-arm.
It seems to me it's your own
strong-arming that got us here.
Look, you can either
dare Russell Jackson
to do his worst,
or you can stand down and we can
all live to fight another day.
You tell Russell Jackson that
this is how enemies are made.
How'd it go?
Well, we'll see.
I either put out a fire or lit a fuse.
Hey.
Do I strong-arm foreign despots?
I would describe you
as firm, but reasonable.
I can live with that.
What's the news from Dallas?
No new cases as of yet.
Not so lucky in Sierra Leone,
but Ambassador Henderson
is doing what she can.
Off the record, of course.
Well, that means our only hope right now
is an end to the shutdown.
To that end, ma'am,
when the State Department does resume
full operations, you're
gonna need a chief of staff.
- A real one.
- Yeah. I don't know.
I don't know why I'm being
so indecisive about that.
They're all so qualified.
If I may?
Russell Jackson's guy
from the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee
looks perfect on paper, but
I worry about his loyalties.
The Human Rights CEO is
an interesting outlier,
but she has no idea
what the job entails,
and one of her staffers
hesitated when I asked
how she does under pressure.
Oh. This job is nothing but pressure.
I'd put my money on Gwen from
the Office of Foreign Missions,
but her peers will think
it's a demotion, so...
That.
- Right there.
- What?
That's what I've been looking for.
Gwen.
No, you.
You don't have divided loyalties.
You won't feel like you've been demoted,
and I do not have to wonder
about whether or not
you'll crack under pressure.
Uh, he's already been kidnapped.
You've already been kidnapped.
And you didn't quit.
Uh... that right there, I mean,
you're either totally nuts,
or the most loyal
person I will ever find.
I'm not trying to talk
myself into a job here.
Right there. Another
reason you're so perfect.
Then I'd be honored
to be considered.
There's no consideration.
You are it, pal.
Just hang on, okay?
I'm...
It... Uh...
Chloe's little, and she
needs more of me, not less.
- And I have to be there for Abby.
- Of course.
No, really, like, I have
to leave by 6:00 on Tuesdays
and Thursdays, like, out the door.
We can make that work.
And I can't always work on the weekends.
Listen, are you forgetting?
I raised three kids in this job.
- I know all about it.
- With a spouse.
And, due respect, ma'am,
my situation's different.
Maybe I'm just not in the
right place in my life for this.
We'll be fine.
We'll delegate.
Yeah?
Do you want this job or not?
Well, hell, yes I want it.
- Oh, thank God.
- Let's go.
Ah, just... right there, the whole time.
Oh...
You have no idea how
good you look right now.
I might.
Figured we had a weekend to make up for.
I ruined that.
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
gone after you about Alexander,
- that...
- Oh, stop.
Can I say again what a
fantastic father I think you are?
For what it's worth,
I'm taking Jace to the
Spy Museum tomorrow.
Oh, good.
We're still sort of dancing around
his suspicions about my job.
Uh, honestly, I'm... not quite
sure how to handle that one.
Well, we're honest in
all the ways that count.
And someday, his therapist
will be able to buy a boat.
Here.
What is that?
Uh, it's a little something
I've been working on for a while.
I was gonna pick it up in
Paris and give it to you there,
but, uh, I found a colleague
who was flying back yesterday.
He grabbed it for me.
How did you get my father's watch?
It was lost in the car accident.
It's a recreation.
I found the guy who made the original.
He's in his 90s.
He's still at it.
Here.
But how, I mean... wait...
You always talked about it
and pointed it out in photographs
and told me he bought
it on his honeymoon.
It wasn't that hard to figure out.
I love this watch.
Well, here's a promise.
I'll always find time
for you and the kids.
Thank you.
- Is that Russell Jackson?
- Mm-mm. Mm-mm.
- Mm-mm.
- Ugh. It is. He's here.
Hold that thought.
Russell.
What an unexpected surprise.
Thought I'd share the
good news in person.
Senator Morejon just agreed to
the terms of our original offer
on the budget amendments.
Both houses are expected to sign off
on the new CR in the morning.
That is felicitous.
It is.
Just when I'm hours away
from eliminating the number
one threat to our agenda,
the guy caves out of nowhere.
He was probably persuaded by the threat
of a pandemic, or...
...getting blamed for one.
Speaking of,
I should probably call my Africa desk.
- Gonna be a busy morning.
- Stay in your lane,
Bess.
Understood?
You asked me to help end the shutdown.
So what I think you mean is "thank you."
Glass of wine, Russell?
- I got to get home.
- Okay.
Uh, where are you on
the new chief of staff?
- I sent over a good guy.
- Oh. Yeah, you did.
Uh, but I'm gonna go with Jay.
Who in the hell is Jay?
Whitman.
My policy advisor.
Well, that's dumb.
Good night, Russell.
You have your passport, right?
Okay. Twice is helpful.
Three times, a bit excessive.
Why is Russell Jackson
telling me to bring donuts?
What?
If you're calling to
warn me about donuts,
that's my wife's job.
I'm sorry. Is the shutdown over?
Your mother didn't mention this?
I haven't seen her.
Also, I'm supposed to
be leaving for England
in three hours.
Well, I guess this means no donuts.
I can come in if you need me.
How long are you gonna be gone?
A week.
Well, I suppose we can survive.
It's up to you.
Okay. Uh, I guess I'll
see you in a week, then.
Thanks. Bye.
Thank God.
Okay, right.
I think this is everything.
You ready?
I don't know. Um...
I kind of feel like I should go in.
Why? What did he say?
He said it's up to me.
And you're going to
choose to go to work.
I'm just not sure I really
want to go on this trip.
I'm sorry. What?
Wh... You're telling me this now? We...
Uh, it's just hitting me.
Well, you did agree to it.
- That kind of implies consent.
- I know. I'm sorry.
Is this about my family?
Can I reassure you
on the way, because we
really do have to go.
Jareth, I feel terrible, okay?
I mean, especially 'cause
you've given up so much
- just to be with me.
- Okay, wait. What are you saying?
I'm saying... that...
I never listen to the
voice in my head, you know?
I... Anytime I've done
something I don't want to do,
there's always a voice telling me
"Don't do it. Don't
join the lacrosse team
"because you want
Gina Marek to like you.
"Don't quit college
because you're freaked out
- about your mom"
- Okay, no, no, no.
This is just the voice of fear.
- No. I don't think it is.
- It is.
And you don't have to be afraid,
because we're together.
Are we? I mean, are we?
Well, this is what this
trip is meant to be about.
I just... I think I need to
think things through a little bit.
Oh, my God. I can't
believe this is happening.
I'm not saying anything definitive.
Okay? I just... I need
a little bit of time.
Sure.
Jareth...
I'll see you in a week, okay?
We'll talk.
I just wish that the voice in your head
was telling you to go with me.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.