Madam Secretary (2014–…): Season 6, Episode 3 - Killer Robots - full transcript

Maybe she got lost.

She didn't.

Says you Magellan.

6 floors, 132 rooms.

412 doors.

And one prodigal daughter returns.

- Hi! Sorry I'm late.
- Hi.

- Yes.
- This place is like Hearst Castle.

- See?
- And I can't stay.

- What?
- What?

Stevie, you promised that
you would have dinner with us.



I mean, look.

You are not going to eat and run.

I'm gonna run and eat. I'm sorry.

We are under water at the Human
Amnesty Association. I mean,

you probably know. There
are beheadings in Riyadh

and political prisoners in Myanmar.

Versus parents who don't get
to see their daughter

at Pennsylvania Avenue,

- it's just...
- Ouch.

Look, next time, I promise,

- I will clear the decks.
- Fine.

The NIH is cloning you as we speak.

Your father and I are having brunch

with your doppelgänger
on Sunday, so...



Okay. Love you. Bye.

- Love you.
- Bye.

It's finally hitting me, Henry.

We have an empty nest.

Well, there's a remedy for that.

Oh, no.

Lady died, like, nine years ago.

She was irreplaceable.

Those floppy ears.

She pooped on command.

She did not.

She did once.

Look, you can love more than one kid.

You can love more than one dog.

That is such a lousy analogy.

Why?

Because...

I'm the president.

And, clearly,

the office has honed
your rhetorical skills.

But by that logic,

all the more reason.
People love this stuff.

FDOTUS is a big deal.

We are never calling it FDOTUS.

It's our dog. We can call it
whatever we want.

All right. But the search
has to be low-key, okay?

This is a personal decision.

I don't want some kind of circus.

All dogs over 15 pounds have merit.

But FDOTUS is America's pet.

So let's look at the polling.

What... polling?

The polling that says designer breeds

paint you as an elitist,

a perception sorely at odds with
the image that got you elected.

So, nothing with "doodle"

or "poo" in the name,

or the villagers will be massing
at the gates with torches.

Second no-bark zone's working breeds.

You can't be seen
as someone who condones

- the enslavement of another species.
- I don't.

- Mm.
- So service dogs are off-limits.

That puts the kibosh on retrievers,

Pomeranians, shepherds.

Pomeranians?

Who do they... service?

The hard of hearing.

They were bred to be yappy.

Not even close to being true.

I know it's a bit over-the-top.

But getting this right matters.

If there were no Checkers,

there never would have been a Nixon.

Well, that's actually an
argument for not getting a dog.

Or choosing the right one.

We boiled 190 breeds down
to two choices.

Middlebrow.

Gender...

neutral but sprightly.

You're welcome.

A beagle or a cocker spaniel?

The data has spoken.
Th-This is a puppy,

not a moon landing.

Lady was a bullmastiff.

That's what I want.

- I don't...
- Excuse me, Madam President,

Mr. Jackson,
you're needed in the Sit Room.

Ephraim, what's going on?

Ma'am, satellite imaging
has just confirmed

that Laszlo Galassy,

the leader of the Knights
of Western Freedom

has been located in Caucasia.

And we're sure it's him?

Yes, ma'am.

The mastermind behind the murder

of the entire
UN Security Council, including

Ambassador Peter Harriman.

So, after nearly two years
of cat and mouse,

we finally have a bead on him.

For the moment, yes.

Galassy is holed up in a cave complex

in the Caucasus Mountains.

A semiautonomous state
called South Ossetia.

Lawless?

Lawless enough that
we don't need permission

if we want to target him.

- What are our options?
- The fail-safe

is a laser-guided GBU.

A bunker buster.

Downside?

The large blast radius will result

in substantial civilian casualties.

A more surgical option is to send in

Seal Team Nine.

We should expect

up to half a dozen casualties
on our end.

American military dead abroad.

Not very appealing either.

There is another way.

Fully autonomous
unmanned ground vehicles.

You mean killer robots.

Not the preferred nomenclature,
but yes.

I actually didn't think
that technology was close

to being operational.

We caught a break. Fossor Industries

is beta testing its autonomous UGVs

at Vaziani base outside Tbilisi.

This is a computer simulation.

The UGVs will enter the cave here.

They'll acquire
their targets using lasers

and infrared technology,

suppress resistance,

then identify the weakest part

of the cave structure
and bring it down

on the remaining hostiles.

What about remotely operated UGVs?

So that we can maintain
human oversight.

Not an option, Madam President.

The cave walls will
obstruct our comms.

Our intel suggests Russia
hasn't taken steps to...

get involved yet.

- But that could change.
- Moscow won't like us

in their sphere of influence.

And once Russian troops are on-site,

we're looking at a military conflict.

How soon could Russia
have a unit in place?

Terrain's remote.

Even if Moscow mobilizes now,

not before morning,

meaning we have a 24-hour window.

And our options are

civilian casualties,

dead SEALs

or an untested technology

with dangerous
implications for humanity.

Yes, ma'am.

Mr. Moran, did you take
leave of the campaign to attend

your parents' 40th anniversary
party in Martha's Vineyard

- with Ms. McCord's eldest daughter?
- Yes.

And no finance laws were broken,

- Senator Hanson.
- Then why did the campaign

belatedly reimburse a donor
for your free flight

to the Vineyard?

Senator, this line
of inquiry is well beyond

the Senate Intelligence
Committee's charter

of investigating Iran's meddling
in our presidential election.

The committee's charter, Counselor,

also entails anything arising
out of that investigation,

which you know,

as Mr. Moran was obviously
prepped for this question.

A question I will allow him to answer,

provided he can give
the proper context.

By all means.

We have to go back to...

my on-again,
off-again boyfriend, Trevor.

Things were very much on again. _

Wow.

- Petite Auberge?
- Well...

Kennedy Center?

If I didn't know you better, I'd
think you were up to something.

Uh, look, Trevor,

we've been in each other's lives
for a long time.

A decade is long, yes.

And these last seven months
have been really...

meaningful.

Meaningful enough to...

I'm sorry. I'm nervous.
I want to get this right.

Hey. Blake,

this is something I've
wanted for a long time.

Good.

Then you agree you should move in.

Oh. You...

You just want me to move in?

Yeah.

- Ah.
- And, look, I made a spreadsheet.

Um, housing costs, transportation.

You're in finance.
I know that you will see

that the economies of scale
are too great to pass up.

I, uh...

Wow.

I don't know what to say.

Well, there's no rush.
I mean, you know, take it home,

crunch the numbers,
do your due diligence...

No, uh, I do know what to say.

Um...

I guess I was just hoping,

after all this time,

for something more than an
appeal to economies of scale.

Oh, no, it's not just that.

I mean, we're great together.
We have fun.

- Yeah.
- We like the same...

movies and...

...beverages.

Beverages?

I'm bad at this.

You know what, you're right.

I do need some time
to think about this.

Time alone.

Wait, wait, why?

Because if it took you
this long to come up

with an economic reason
to cohabitate, then we are

miles from an emotional reason

to do something more...

what's your word?...

Meaningful.

- Trevor...
- Like get married.

You can't even say it.

- I can so say it. It's not...
- No, just let it go.

I will let you know
how the thinking goes.

Wait a minute.
Wait, you can't do this.

We're going to the Vineyard
this weekend to meet my folks.

I don't think that's a good idea.

They're dying to meet you. Trevor.

I was distraught.

Trevor meant the world to me.

But did I really want to... marry him?

- Mr. Moran...
- I mean, I knew we were compatible.

But marriage is, like, forever.

And... I mean,
not that I'm a commitment-phobe.

- See, I'm a Gemini, and I think that...
- Sir, this committee is

uninterested
in your romantic misadventures.

Senator,

if you insist on a fishing expedition,

the witness is entitled
to describe the pond.

Get on with it, Mr. Moran.

I'm so sorry. I wanted
to be there more than anything,

but this fund-raiser
in Cupertino was delayed,

and I-I missed the last flight out.

Well, so, head out in the morning.

I would, but there are

no direct flights. I'd be so late.

Really disappointing.

Especially since we were
so looking forward

to finally meeting
your mystery partner.

We don't even know
this special someone's gender.

Not that it matters.

We're going to love them.

You notice I said "them,"
even though that's

grammatically incorrect
for our generation.

You're getting off point, dear.

Don't worry. We'll
reschedule another trip ASAP.

And I'm sending you the best
red zin you've ever had.

Shelton's coming. He has a Cessna.

That is a great idea.

Sorry, uh, who's Shelton?

Shelton Anderson. He's a friend
of ours. He lives in Menlo Park.

He's flying out tomorrow.
You can hitch a ride.

What? No, no, no, no.
That'd be a huge inconvenience.

Nonsense!

He'll be thrilled.

We will set it up.

We can't wait to see you.

- And them.
- No, no, no. Mom...

Hello?

The secretary thanks you
for your continued support.

- It was lovely to meet you.
- My pleasure.

- Hi. Hi. Stevie. Hi.
- What?

Your emotional booty call buddy
could use a really big favor.

We have an armed terrorist
bunkered in a cave.

The only surefire way
to protect civilians

and American lives in this situation

is with autonomous UGVs.

A.I. can operate at a scale

and speed far beyond
even the most capable

trained human soldier.
It's a quantum leap forward.

That's the problem, isn't it?

Precipitous deployment
blows right past efforts

to regulate a new technology.

I thought I'd bring President Dalton's

former ethics advisor in
for a consultation.

And we all welcome
your perspective, Henry.

But operational imperatives
have to take precedence.

- We can worry about ethics later.
- Oh, come on, Ellen.

History doesn't give us many
examples of that working out.

Yeah, you can't

put that genie back in the bottle.

It worked with nuclear bombs.

They were deployed
in only one conflict.

And kicked off an arms race
that cost trillions

and made humanity less safe.

Equating smart weapons
with a nuclear stockpile?

At least, with nuclear weapons,
mutually assured destruction

kept the Cold War cold.

But can you imagine a nuclear weapon

under the control of
an algorithm with no humanity?

A.I. lacks the human judgment
to be able to evaluate

the proportionality of an attack,

to recognize when a foe
is surrendering.

And human troops lack the ability

to assess threats dispassionately.

And unlike robots, they die.

Good point. Except smart weapons

aren't engineered to preserve life,

they're engineered to take it.

That's what slaughterbots do.

It's an intentionally
term... we're talking about

microdrones surgically
dispatched to...

to neutralize high-value targets.

Like political opponents?

Journalists?
Entire civilian populations?

Come on, Henry, you're
deliberately conjuring

- a dystopian nightmare.
- Well, what would you call

thousands of robots using

facial recognition technology
to hunt down and kill

- human beings?
- Same thing I'd call an aircraft carrier

or a nuclear submarine...

a deterrent. Plus,

the only defense against a swarm

of robots is a more advanced swarm

of robots, which is why

- we can't fall behind.
- A.I. is the tool

that makes the world safer

by obviating the need for
conventional weapons or troops.

That's not safety. That is a new kind

of danger, which is why
Pakistan, South America

and most African nations are already

begging the U.N.
to stop this in its tracks.

And...

we can't assume that only moral actors

are going to have access

- to smart weapons.
- Exactly.

Microdrones can be
cheaply mass-produced,

outfitted with C-4, bioagents,

and once they get into
the wrong hands...

Which they will,

'cause they can be spoofed,
they can be hacked.

The technology

is inevitable.

Which is why we have the obligation

to get there first. To make sure

that we develop ethical versions

before the unethical versions
come out.

Ethical killer robots... really?

All due respect to
the Cassandras among us,

ma'am, we're not talking about a...

a drone army today.

We're contemplating
a few autonomous weapons

whose deployment will
spare American lives.

It's never long
before "few" becomes "many."

Susan, where are we

on a smart weapons treaty?

The same place we were

in the Dalton administration...
with Russia

and China dragging their feet.

While they pour billions into R&D.

So an arms race
among the three superpowers...

is already upon us,
whether we want it or not.

And the thing about arms races

- is you want to win them.
- We've already outlawed

chemical weapons, lasers that blind,

neutron bombs...

Negotiating a ban takes time.

Yeah, well, there's
the rub, Henry... time.

If Fossor has perfected
this technology,

how long before a Chinese
or Russian contractor does?

And if Russia or China
beat us to the punch,

we will never get them to the table.

This isn't just about
bringing to justice

one terrorist who attacked

the U.N. Security Council,
ma'am. A-A...

As imperative as that goal is,

it's about protecting America

while we still can.

I just don't want to do this right now.

You've been pacing back
and forth the past hour.

You're the one who once told me

you think better when you multitask.

Well, I was probably distracted
when I said that.

Behold Delilah,

straight from a championship
bloodline in Newcastle.

My goodness.

- What a beaut. She's beautiful.
- Her mom won Best in Show

at Westminster... you're
in the presence of royalty.

She just...

looks so sad.

You know, she needs
a little time to acclimate

after being separated from
her mom and her litter mates.

- What?
- I meant...

lovingly conveyed to her forever home.

Mike... how old is that puppy?

- Four, six weeks.
- My God,

she's pining for her mother
and her litter mates?

- You can't...
- Antidepressants.

Wha...

It works for the polar
bears in Central Park.

Perk 'em right up.

No. No. No.

That puppy is going back to her mother

and her litter mates, unmedicated.

Mike, don't even...
Don't open your mou...

Dah.

My God.

Okay, Senator Rowland...
he breeds English sheepdogs,

and he's a swing vote.

Take her home. Right away.

I'm supposed to find a dog that's...

an only child?

The president's daughter joined
you on a cross-country flight

with the head of a PAC that
doled out eight million dollars

in support of candidates

- during the last election cycle.
- Yes.

At any point, did you ask

Mr. Anderson to donate
to Secretary McCord's campaign?

- No.
- Did Stevie McCord?

Hardly.

Stevie and... and Mr. Anderson
didn't exactly hit it off.

Look, all I'm saying

is the country's not ready
for a female president.

It's too polarizing an idea.

That is what they said about
giving women the vote, about...

letting them be in combat...

I mean, glass ceilings are meant
to be shattered, Mr. Anderson.

Someday. Maybe.

With someone
who's a bit more... likeable.

Excuse me?

Plus, she's never run for anything.

Now she's suddenly
gonna find the energy

to crisscross the country for months?

She'll wilt by summer.

- Guaranteed.
- Okay.

- Uh, first of all...
- Frosé.

- Uh...
- Yes. Excuse us.

It's a party.

- No fighting.
- I only need five minutes with him.

It'll be a very short fight.

My folks are freed up.
It's time to meet Fred and Edie.

Just smile, let me do
the talking. Mom, Dad.

This is Stevie McCord.

- Hi.
- Elizabeth McCord's

- daughter?
- Yes.

Very nice to meet you. Hi.

No wonder you didn't tell us.

- This is big news.
- Well, not that big...

Blake mentioned
a mystery partner months ago.

- Oh.
- So you must be very far down the road.

- Edie, Edie...
- As you know,

your dad and I moved in together

after two months and four...

- five days.
- Five-five days.

When you know, you know.

So do you know?

Oh. I, no... You know what?

Why don't you guys do a song?

No, no, we're gonna wait till
after dessert. A grand finale.

Nothing beats a prologue.

- Come on.
- Well, what do you think?

- All right.
- Sure, okay. Hey, everyone,

our son wants us to do a ditty.

What do you say?

- Right?
- All right.

Okay.

♪ Let me call you sweetheart ♪

♪ I'm in love with you ♪

♪ Let me hear you whisper ♪

♪ That you love me, too ♪

♪ Keep the love-light glowing ♪

- (WHISPERS): I'm so sorry.
- ♪ In your eyes ♪

♪ So true ♪

♪ Let me call you sweetheart ♪

♪ I'm in love with you. ♪

- Aw.
- Bravo!

Thank you!

Peter.

Hey.

It's good to see you.

Same. I didn't know

you were a car guy.

Hell yeah.

Yeah.

And this one...

she's gonna be transporting
precious cargo.

My kids.

Brooke and Kevin.
We're going on a long trip.

Got to make sure
every lug nut is tight.

Be a sport.

Hand me the dingus
out of that tool chest.

The what?

- The doohickey.
- Oh.

A doohickey. What's a doohickey?

You know.

The thingamabob.

Come on. I'm running late, here.

I'll look it up.

I'll-I'll look it up.

- No, Henry. What?
- What? What?

Hey. Listen.

I had a dream about Peter Harriman.

Yeah?

He was fixing a car.

Mm.

Going on a trip with his family.

And he asked me for a tool,

but I... I didn't know
which one he meant.

I couldn't work my phone.

Again with the phone.

- I mean, come on...
- Not about the phone.

He was right there in front of me.

It was so real.

Well, you're trying to bring
his killer to justice.

It makes sense.

Why was he talking
to me about his kids?

Because the justice
would be for his family.

And-and the car? And the tools?

What does that mean?
Well, maybe you're looking

for the right instrument
to get the job done.

I don't know.

Or maybe it's about

machines needing human oversight.

Or maybe it's about the pint
of rocky road that you ate.

Half pint

of rocky road.

Symbolism there, too.

Half pint.

You know what that means.

Mm-hmm.

- There's more left.
- Yeah.

- So... Okay. Go ahead.
- Okay.

We have a B-2

with the GBU payload
circling the target.

SEAL Team Nine is at the ready,

and the autonomous UGVs are in situ.

Madam President?

The B-2 can stand down.

I'm not prepared to inflict casualties

on an innocent civilian population.

Well, I'd like to know where people

land on this.

Ed?

Autonomous UGVs.

I'm for any option

that protects our troops.

UGVs.

UGVs.

SEALs.

Russell?

I'm convinced the risks of
this tech outweigh the benefits.

SEAL team.

Well, I appreciate
the input. Thank you.

And I don't dismiss the need
to protect our troops.

But there are good reasons

why successive administrations

have sought a preemptive ban
on autonomous weapons.

Deploying them now
will have consequences

we're only beginning to grapple with.

We have the finest military
in history.

Let's use it.

Alpha 1, it's a go.

Copy that, Admiral.

Go, go, go.

No comms until they exit the cave.

So now we wait.

Base, this is Alpha 1.

Target has been neutralized.

We have a dozen captives in custody.

SEAL team remains at full capacity.

Copy that, Alpha 1.

We're gonna do
an aerial recon to sweep

for any kind
of remaining resistance. Then...

What's going on? Ed, what's happening?

Switch to Camera C.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

At 9:14 a.m. Eastern Daylight time,

President McCord deployed a SEAL Team

in the Caucasus Mountain
region to neutralize

Laszlo Galassy, mastermind

of last year's deadly
sarin gas attack at the U.N.

The mission was a success,
but during the operation,

eight members of SEAL Team Nine
were killed,

and six others were injured

by a shoulder-launched
surface-to-air missile.

The nation mourns their loss.

Was Russia apprised of the operation?

No. Frank.

I understand the president
was given the option

of using fully autonomous weapons

instead of sending in troops.

Is that true?

You know I can't comment
about operational matters.

What was President McCord's rationale

for putting troops
in harm's way instead?

Please answer the question.

Someone leaked our
smart weapons deliberations.

There were a limited number
of people in that room.

All of whom probably
read in their subordinates.

We're gonna have to cast a wider net.

- Get Director Banks on it.
- Yes, ma'am.

And when I find out which
son of a bitch leaked this...

A more pressing issue
is the next of kin.

I don't want them thinking
that I jeopardized

their loved ones unnecessarily.

I wouldn't be too
concerned about that.

You have a well-earned reputation

for safeguarding human life.

I'm not worried about my reputation,

I'm worried about the bereaved.

I want to meet with them
as soon as possible, okay?

Yes, ma'am.

You know, we might also have

a diplomatic opening here.

Public disclosure of our ability

to deploy autonomous weapons

could finally bring Russia

and China to the table over a ban.

We may be in luck.

WTO's in town this week.

Well, let's get Secretary Thompson

to backchannel with Chen

and Avdonin. Thank you.

This has been asked and answered,
Senator, several times.

And I find it impossible

to believe that at no time

did the secretary's daughter,
who joined her campaign

only a week earlier,
have a heart-to-heart

with one of this country's
most important bundlers.

They did have a heart-to-heart.

I suspected as much.

Continue.

Third-party candidacies
are a colossal waste of time.

Pointless spoilers.

The historical record is undeniable.

Lincoln was a third-party candidate.

Yes, he was.

- And look what happened to him.
- That's...

Excuse me?

You love your mother.

And, uh, that's endearing.

But facts are facts, sweetheart.

First of all, I'm not your sweetheart.

Easy. I didn't mean to...

To what... to traffic in stereotypes,

like this country's not ready
for a female president?

Or that women are unlikable.

Or that my mom, who was
secretary of state

for five years, and before that

she was a-a top CIA operative,
all while raising three kids,

but-but she...

she just doesn't have
the energy for a man's job.

- No need to get bent out of shape.
- Sure. Yeah.

I mean. implying that my
mother's gonna be assassinated.

Why would that offend me,
- Dessert's up.

do you think? I don't know.

Good afternoon. Uh...

thank you for agreeing
to meet with me.

I can only imagine

how difficult this moment must be.

I wanted

to thank each of you, personally

for your sacrifice.

Tell me about your loved one.

Lieutenant John Marshall.

Thank you for your sacrifice,
Mrs. Marshall.

And yours?

My twin brother. Master at Arms

First Class, Danny Fitzpatrick.

He was my best friend and I
still owed him 50 bucks.

Thank you.

My son.

Chief Special Warfare Operator

Oscar Diaz.

He loved the Yankees.

And the ladies.

He was learning Swedish 'cause he said

the girls over there were...

amazing.

I just wanted to say...

Well, I wanted to assure you

that their sacrifice was not in vain.

They were heroes,

Madam President.
Wh-Why do you need to tell us

they didn't die in vain?

Because I know what's being reported.

That...

smart weapons could have spared them.

They weren't trying to be spared.

They were trying to do their duty.

It's what they signed up for.

What they deserve

is a president who stands up
publicly for their sacrifice.

And doesn't apologize for it.

I haven't. I...

No, ma'am. Due respect.

You've done something worse.

You've stayed silent

as your critics have made it seem

like this mission was a mistake.

But it wasn't a mistake.

An evil man was brought
to justice, right?

They did that.

Yes, they did.

I am so grateful for your bravery,

and the bravery of your loved ones.

Thank you.

Absolute... Madam President.

This is a surprise.

We were expecting Secretary Thompson.

Well, I decided to step in.

That's problematic.

As you're aware, there is
a protocol we subvert

by parleying directly with you.

I know.

I also know that even
with inducements,

President Li and President Salnikov

would decline to discuss

meaningful limits
on autonomous weapons.

We're not authorized to...

have this discussion...

I just need you to listen

and run my proposal up the flag pole.

Okay?

What are the contours of
the agreement you are seeking?

A complete and total ban.

There are strong moral arguments here.

But I do think that we likely

will find more common ground
in the practicalities.

We're all going to spend

billions of dollars on this arms race.

Drive up our national debts,

mortgage our children's futures.

Forgive my cynicism,

but this is a propitious time
for your government

to push for such a ban, isn't it?

Yes. Now that you've

achieved operational capability,

you're looking to lock in
your strategic advantage.

Strategic advantage i-is an illusion.

If nuclear weapons taught us anything,

it's that no country
can win an arms race.

I trust you both remember
the madness of that one.

We see a U.S. president

in domestic trouble,

trying to use us

to gain political capital.

This is not about my presidency,

for God's sake.

Ming. Konstantin. Look, e-even

if you like the idea
of autonomous weapons,

what happens

when a hacker encodes a virus

to turn them on Beijing?

Moscow, or Washington.

The whole point of smart weapons

is that we cede control.

And if we cede control,

they're our ticket to oblivion.

An existential threat

with no room for error, no way back.

But there is a way out,
if we work together.

And if we choose not

- to come to the table?
- Well, I intend

to give an address
from the Oval Office tonight.

To announce what?

Either that the three
superpowers have agreed

on a comprehensive ban
on autonomous weapons

or that my government
is plowing $30 billion

in R&D to deploy them.

- You're bluffing.
- Your bosses

have five hours to get back
to me with an answer.

An Oval Office address.

It's bold. It's brave.

You think it'll backfire.

I think you seem to feel

an overwhelming need to...

explain yourself.

Isn't that a president's job?

A president's job is to lead,

with strength.

Not to appeal to be understood

or-or supported.

Well, you put it that way,

feels like the old patriarchy

telling me to do things the way
they've always been done.

By men.

I don't know how to communicate

without you hearing those things.

Try advising me as a president

and not as a woman.

Point taken.

I have a second critique.

Talking about smart weapons?

Y-You are about to scare the crap

out of the American public.

And presidents who do that...

typically... are not popular

and are not effective.

Russell, do you... do you agree

that autonomous warfare poses

a serious threat to humanity?

Yes.

And that it's a president's job
to concern herself

- with such things?
- Yes.

Well, then, for today,

I won't worry about being popular

or effective.

I'll worry about being presidential.

I'll have drafts of, uh...

two different speeches for your review

in the next 90 minutes.

It comes down to this,
Mr. Moran. Were you aware

that two weeks after you met
Mr. Anderson, his PAC donated

half a million dollars to an outside

dark money group

supporting the secretary
coast to coast?

Ye... Uh, yes.

Everyone on the campaign was.
It was a big deal.

And a mere two days
after that windfall,

you and Stevie McCord belatedly chose

to reimburse Mr. Anderson
for use of his private plane.

- Right?
- That's correct.

Why would you reimburse him

if you're not soliciting him

- to donate to your candidate?
- Because we wanted

to avoid even the appearance
of impropriety.

Because you knew it was
an in-kind campaign donation.

That's not true.

Which you only declared
after the target

of your solicitation cut you a check.

Proof you were trying to bypass
campaign finance laws.

That's also not true.

Laws you also broke

by illegally coordinating
with his PAC.

Senator, you are free

to refer these matters to the FEC,

but you have Mr. Moran's answer.

Yes. And I need
him to answer this, too.

If the purpose of your interactions

with Mr. Anderson was not fundraising,

why did you send this text

to the president's daughter
during your parents' party?

And I quote:
"You have to butter up Shelton."

Simple. He was our ride back.

- Hey. Would you please just apologize?
- No. No! I will not.

We have an event in L.A. tomorrow.

It's gonna be a long
walk from the vineyard.

I hate this whole entitled

crustacean-obsessed colony.

I only came here because
it was a favor to you.

How is making a scene a favor?

I was defending my mother, the person

that you work for. Remember, Blake?

Ooh. What the hell is
going on with her?

Yeah.

We love her.

I present Goddess, which is not very
- ELIZABETH: Oh.

of the people,
so before we go to press,

we should probably change it
to something

like Goddess of the People.

She is a looker.

And with a daily grooming
and vitamin regimen,

- she will stay that way.
- Seems like a lot of work.

- Not for you.
- Well, still,

I don't know if I'm comfortable

with a dog who spends more
time on her hair than I do.

She's not really

a "rolling around on the lawn" type.

I agree. More of a "fetching
a vote on the floor" type.

Well, I appreciate that, Mike.

But we are going to want to have
a relationship with the animal.

Well, she's very relatable.
Why don't you try

communicating with her
before you decide she's icy.

Well...

Whoa, whoa! Goddess. Goddess.

I think she senses your hostility.

Or she's an overbred,
tightly-wound bitch.

Once she realizes you're alpha,
she will fall into line.

I'm already trying to convince

China and Russia that I'm the alpha.

I don't want to have to
worry about it with my dog.

- She's not a fit.
- Everybody wants

a Gordon. There was only one.

- I know.
- I'll keep looking.

Thank you.

Two speeches, Madam
President, as promised.

- Daisy.
- Still no word

from Beijing or Moscow?

Nope.

And the clock is ticking.

Multibillion-dollar arms race,

comprehensive ban treaty.

I mean, I...

I'm used to things
coming down to the wire,

but wow.

Well, you damn sure
have enough on your plate.

I need to bring this
to your attention.

This is the leaker?

Yeah.

I want to see him as soon as possible.

Thought you would. He's on the way.

Oh, my God. Hey.

Meet FDOTUS, a mutt

- of indeterminate age and ancestry.
- Hi.

She's got no papers,
no Instagram feed.

And she can't do

a single trick, can you?

I'll let you break it to Mike.

- Oh.
- Oh, good girl. Oh, good girl.

Well, how did you do this so quickly?

- What do you mean?
- Well...

- in Dupont Circle,

- and FDOTUS practically jumped in my lap.
- Come here.

- Didn't you, buddy?
- Oh, she's perfect.

- Mm, isn't she?
- I don't like the name, though.

- That's silly.
- Well, that'll come.

Hi. Hi.

- Okay, I'm gonna leave you
guys to get acquainted.

Oh, okay.

Hi.

- Whoa! Oh.
- Come on, go play with Mama.

I'm afraid she imprinted
on me a little bit.

- That's okay.
- All right.

But you'll definitely be her human.

We'll bond later.

It's been a long day, Senator.

- Are we about done here?
- Just a moment.

Yes. Here it is.

- I have to pee.
- Mr. Moran, you insist

your trip to your parents' party
had no campaign-related purpose.

Yes, that's correct.
And yet you didn't rejoin the campaign

for another five days, did you?

- No, I didn't.
- Because, having sealed the deal

with Mr. Anderson's PAC,

you were trying to land more big game,

weren't you?

I was definitely trying
to land big game, Senator,

but it had nothing
to do with politics.

- Trevor?
- Hey.

How was San Francisco?

Uh, good. Well, wh-what
are you doing here?

It was a ten-hour drive from D.C.,

but there's something I have to say.

- Me too.
- Me first. Um...

Look, I overreacted
because I was disappointed.

Okay?

But I love you.

And I want to be with you.

And if you'll still have me,
I'll move in,

and the future will be what it'll be.

Okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, I still want you to move in.

Under one condition.

Mom. Dad.

- Huh, what?
- I want you to meet someone.

- Hey.
- This is Trevor.

My fiancé.

W... So...

Uh... y-you're not with her?

Oh.

N... No.

Stevie's just a friend.
A good friend, but, um,

Trevor's the one I love.

Oh.

Thank God.

Welcome to the family, honey.

- Oh!
- I guess

- you really mean that.
- Oh, yeah.

So the secretary gave us five days off

so we could celebrate.

In the middle of a campaign.

I mean, that is very generous.

- Mr. Moran...
- I wanted to go to London,

and Trevor's more of a Paris guy,

so we booked two Airbnbs.

We added a night in Provence.

We don't even have a
date for the wedding.

Mr. Moran.

As riveting as your detours into
your personal life have been,

it reluctantly falls
upon me to announce

that your testimony
before this committee

is hereby concluded.
You are dismissed.

Oh.

Okay.

Go. Now.

Please.

Admiral.

Madam President.

You tipped The Chronicle
that this administration

was considering the use
of autonomous weaponry

to neutralize Laszlo Galassy.

That is true.

You're aware

that by leaking
classified information,

you committed a federal crime.

Yes, ma'am.

You should also be aware

that you just made this
country that you served

with honor and distinction
for over three decades

- less safe.
- No, ma'am.

Excuse me?

You made us less safe.

You failed us.

You sent troops into harm's way

when you could have spared them.

You violated

a leader's prime directive:

to protect the men and women

who put on the uniform.

No, Ed.

My prime directive

is to protect all Americans.

I'm going to take another step
to do that right now.

Sir, you're in violation of 18 U.S.C.

Section 798. Please put your hands

behind your back.

Thank you for your service, Admiral.

Madam President.

Ma'am.

We just heard back from the
Russians and the Chinese.

Good evening. Today,

the United States, China and Russia

have agreed to an immediate moratorium

on the battlefield deployment
of autonomous weaponry.

Artificial intelligence holds
great promise for humanity

in medicine, transportation and a host

of worthy human endeavors.

But that promise

evaporates when A.I.
becomes an instrument of war.

Autonomous weapons

can't feel. They can't regret.

But they can be

programmed to kill, and when they do,

they can't be called back

because they're built
to override human intervention.

They may even conclude our humanity

is the glitch in the system,

the weakness
that needs to be eradicated.

Humankind has spent more time,

energy and money perfecting war

than on any other human endeavor.

We have fought each other
to the brink of starvation

and the edge of extinction,

but the one aspect of warfare
that safeguards our survival

is meaningful human control.

The reluctance
to put troops in harm's way

and the compassion to sue for peace

when enough blood has been spilt.

These are considerations
alien to robots.

Allowing machines to choose to kill us

will eliminate these safeguards
and will forever

erode our freedom and security.

That day must never come.

We must not consign our fate

to algorithms.

I look forward to productive
talks with our partners

across the globe
about how to safely harness A.I.

Technology is not the enemy

unless we allow it
to substitute its judgment

for our own.

Congratulations on averting
the robot apocalypse.

So... tell us about the political one.

Today's festivities

included Hanson's
committee trying to prove

that Blake Moran and Stephanie McCord

illegally coordinated with
Shelton Anderson's PAC.

- How?
- By hitching a ride

to an anniversary party.

That's better than implying
that I whacked a state senator.

It's death by a thousand cuts, Mike,

and Hanson just started
sharpening his blade.

The press secretary,

the president's daughter,
her husband... they all have yet

to appear before the committee.

How long can we keep
the president out of the loop?

Not much longer.

- She needs to know.
- Well, then, she opens herself up

to charges she was
coordinating with her staff

to subvert the investigation.
It's not good.

No.

You know, I think I figured it out.

You certainly did.

What do you mean?

Getting the Russians
and the Chinese on board

with an autonomous weapons ban.
What do you mean?

- My dream.
- Oh.

The one where you
can't use your phone?

No, that's every dream.

The one with Peter Harriman.

I think it's about

being responsible for
people in your care.

- Accountability.
- Yeah.

Machines don't have
to answer to anyone.

And they never have to look
a grieving parent in the eye.

You're talking about a conscience.

Mine's weighing heavy on me.

Well, you made the right call.

It's the first time I sent...

troops to their death.

It won't be the last.

I still think
about the missions I flew.

The souls lost on both sides.

The human toll is something

that stays with you forever, I guess.

It's the warrior's burden.

But it also makes you cherish life.

Okay, I'm gonna make us some tea.

We're gonna get some sleep,

wake up tomorrow and do it all again

and hope to do it
just a little bit better.

Hi.

Hope. That's your name.

Hope.

Hi.

Thank you.