Political Animals (2012–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Resignation Day - full transcript

This season on
Political Animals...

Come on, baby, say the words.

I am gonna run for President...

Without you.

I am running against you.

And I will resign in 48 hours.

Annie, will you marry me?

Yes.

You know, working
with Anne on the

engagement party
has been a dream.

You don't make it easy
to love you.



It's not supposed to be easy.

Easy is where you can
spend the night

while I'm moving out.

My parents, they have spent
their lives putting

this country before our family.

Somebody has to put
our family first.

We can't take another run.

He's just pissed because

his queer son was having
an affair with Reeves.

You remember Susan Berg, right?

Nice to see you again.

You are gorgeous.

Before the suicide story broke,

I went five months
without doing blow.



I was good, Dougie.

We had a deal, and you
can't even go one day.

Stop!
Without getting high?

Sam, call an ambulance!

We made a choice, Bud.

We put our goals
for this country

ahead of the well-being
of our child,

and that is a decision we have
to live with

for the rest of our lives.

♪ Whoo ♪

♪ Whoo, whoo ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

♪ Whoo, whoo ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

♪ Citizens of planet Earth ♪

♪ The only problem we can ♪

♪ Whoo, whoo ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

♪ Who's driving to distraction ♪

♪ Whoo, whoo ♪

♪ The fascist system ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

Dear President Garcetti,

for over two years,
it has been an honor

to serve this administration
as Secretary of State.

I'm deeply grateful that you
placed your trust in me

to represent our country
around the world.

You have allowed me
to be a firsthand witness

to historic changes
in every corner of the globe.

Here at home, leading the
department has been a joy.

It is staffed by the most
intelligent, dedicated

and loyal people I know.

♪ Take a little time
to contemplate ♪

♪ Whoo ♪

♪ Who we are and see
what it's like behind it all ♪

Mm, how was San Diego?

Fine. Busy.

You didn't call.

You always call.

I'm sorry.

I set certain goals for myself
when I accepted this job.

I'm proud that
I accomplished many of them.

But as always, there are some
intractable problems

that I must leave
for others to solve.

I'm sorry, sir.

Someone from the hospital
must've tipped them off.

I just can't stop
embarrassing you, can I?

T.J., I got some experience
in dealing with these assholes

when all they want to do is see

how ashamed I am of myself.

Now, you know
what I used to do?

I used to imagine you
and your brother

smiling and waving at me.

Now, okay?

We can do this. Come on.

♪ Got to take some time...

This experience has profoundly
changed me...

changed the way I see
our country's future

and our standing in the world.

♪ Whoo-hoo ♪

♪ We will pick up very selves
where we fall ♪

Aunt Susan, wake up!
Wake up!

Come on.
Mom's making waffles!

Yum...

♪ We will see
what it's like... ♪

" Sir...

"...I deeply regret
it has come to this,

"but I can no longer
in good conscience

"serve this administration.

"The values that have
guided you of late

are not ones I support"?

It goes on to say
that the feeling is mutual.

And that since I serve

at the pleasure
of the President,

it's only right
that I should resign.

It's just not the polite
pro-forma thing I was expecting.

Well, he knows I'm running
against him.

And I want it on record that
there's a real parting

of the ways here
on moral grounds.

I think it's great.

Bill thinks it's great.

Show it to the undersecretaries
as a courtesy,

and then bring it back
to me for the signature.

I don't want this one
signed with the autopen.

Your mother's resignation?

I made a copy.

You're seeing it
before Garcetti does.

But this is it.
We're even.

No more double agent.
Of course. I understand.

And you know, about what
happened between us before...

Douglas, don't.
What happened on the plane

was a mistake, okay?
I'm getting married.

You mean you're not throwing off
your picture-perfect bride

to share bunk beds with me
at my sister's?

We're not in college.

You don't need the one-night
stand breakup speech.

I've heard it and given it.

Just so you know,

I don't normally do
that kind of thing.

And I'm not the kind
of journalist

who sleeps with her sources.

So we're even now.

Isn't that what you wanted?

I should get back.

I... I don't imagine
I have a lot of time

before the news is official.

Good-bye, Douglas.

You're still a good guy...
even though you betrayed

your mom and screwed around
on your fiancé.

Somehow,
you are still a good guy.

And I haven't met a lot
of those.

Holy shit. This is huge.

This changes
our entire timeline.

We have to add this letter
to the story and run them ASAP.

No. That is precisely
why I showed you this.

You wanted to cover
this with me

for a reason: respect.

That takes crafting
and building a story,

and it takes running it
at the right time.

We... we have Elaine Barrish's
resignation letter.

And when we run it,

it will be the crown jewel
of the whole piece.

If we drop this now...

Then it's all about the letter.

We'll get a huge headline,
agreed.

But as journalists,
what have we accomplished?

We got a piece of information.

What's behind it?
Why did she write it?

Why did she write it now?

There are a thousand questions
that need to be asked

and answered
before people read this.

You're protecting her.

I'm protecting the story and
my credibility with my source.

I showed you this
against my better judgment

because I thought
this was a teachable moment.

Waiting for the announcement
was our deal,

so that's what we're doing.

We clear?

Yeah, sure.

I don't want to hold
you up, Mr. President,

but I thought we should resolve
this before you leave.

Handwritten
on official letterhead.

Always a lady.

I'll leave the timing of the
announcement to you, sir.

Even with everything
we've been through,

I'm gonna miss working
with you, sir.

Why didn't you tell me what
Collier did to you and your son?

Honestly? I was given the
impression that you knew.

Elaine, how did we get to the
point where you actually believe

I'd approve something like that?

And Collier's telling, uh,

telling everybody those bruises
were from a tennis match.

They're not?

Bud didn't tell you.

He got them from your husband.

Your ex-husband.

Bud?

My Bud?

He punched the Vice President?

Right up in the Oval.

I had to pull him off my desk.

Elaine, I can count
on my left hand

how many people I admire
in government.

You're one of them.

Yes, sir.

I've got the GEC this weekend
in Paris.

When I get back...

I'd like your decision.

My decision?

Don't quit this
administration, Elaine.

Run with me.
Be my Vice President.

Say yes this time.

Mr. President...

I'm not saying this
because I think you'll beat me.

I'm saying it because
it's the right thing to do.

We are better for this country
together than we are apart.

You know it.

I asked you once before
to be my Vice President,

you said no. I let you.

That was a big mistake

for both of us.

If I were to accept your offer--
and I'm not saying I would--

I would have
to suspend my campaign.

If you're not being completely
honest with me right now,

I would be shit out
of luck, wouldn't I?

Yep.

"Please run with me"?

I signed it
so you'd have proof.

I put the "please" down there

so you wouldn't think
it's an order.

Thoughtful.
Yeah. Well...

I'm not accepting
your resignation.

Not today.

So you still work for me.

But I am ordering you
to think about it.

Have a good trip, sir.

♪ After all God
can keep my soul ♪

♪ But don't ever give me up

♪ I could never get back up

♪ When the future

♪ Starts so slow...

That was fast. Ah...

Like pulling off a Band-Aid.

That's the last drink
I'm gonna have for a long time.

Last time you tried
simpatico sobriety with T.J.

you lasted about two hours.

What bee flew up your butt?

Hey.
How did it go with Garcetti?

Did he accept?
Do we have a date effective?

Let's just get T.J.
settled first, okay?

Hey, everybody!

Oh, hey.
Hi, in here.

Oh, sweetie.

Welcome.
Mama.

We stopped by T.J.'s
to pick up a few things.

Oh, hitting the heavy stuff,
Nana, huh?

Oh, I'm stocking up on
soda for both of us.

And this time, I'm gonna
last longer, I promise.

Margaret and I
fixed up your room.

I'm sure you'll feel
very much at home.

Well, uh...

Look, this isn't my first rodeo.

So I think I'm gonna
go lie down.

The sedatives are
still in my system.

Yeah, I...
I can get that, Dad.

Thank you.

Ha.

Pathetic, huh?

30 years old and
I'm living with my mother.

Again.

So, uh...
what's next?

Are you gonna
go back into rehab?

Because that's worked so well
for me in the past?

You ever wonder how we
shared the same womb,

but we turned out
so differently?

Like I inherited all of
Dad's worst qualities,

and you got all of
Mom's best ones.

What are you talking about?

I make mistakes, too.

Big ones.
Yeah?

Like what?

Like... I'm...

I'm just saying,
we're not that different.

What's this?
Oh, Annie must have

brought it over
from our apartment.

You have a picture of the two
of us in your apartment?

Dude, that's so gay.
Okay.

It's not like I built
a shrine to it, all right?

It was probably
in one of my albums.

Aw, do you look at that every
night before you go to bed?

I do.

Grandpa Hammond's farm.

Yeah, the summer before you
went off to boarding school.

We had the whole
place to ourselves.

I came out that year.

Yeah.

And Mom and Dad, um,
hired that tutor

to help you, uh,
pass all those classes

that you flunked.
Mallory.

How hot was she?

Shit, I...
I slept with her.

Yeah, I know.
I did, too.

Mallory.

The summer that you came
out of the closet.

I just... I mean,
I had to make sure.

You know, every once in a while
I gotta sleep with a woman,

to just... double-check.

Look, they don't tell you
when you get the gay card

that breasts are off the table.

I mean, breasts are awesome.

Grandpa Hammond's farm.

Best summer ever.

Don't you wish we could
go back there again?

You took a swing at the Vice
President of the United States?

Oh, please, it was
just a little slap.

You know, I appreciate
your righteous anger

in defense of our son.

And I will even admit
to a certain amount of pleasure

at the thought of it,

but once again, you have set off

a shitstorm
of historical proportions.

If you say
that you planned this,

I swear to God,
I'll strangle you.

Well...

occasionally, I can
still be surprised.

See, if Garcetti wants you
to run with him,

it's not 'cause I reminded him

what a dickless bastard
Collier is.

It's 'cause it's
the right thing to do.

So, I suppose he wants to wait
till the convention

before he chops Collier's head off.
Smart, huh?

Yeah.

That's it?

Bud, in 30 years, I have never
had to ask you for your opinion.

I'm starting to think one
of us is having a stroke.

All right.

I believe you can
still beat Garcetti.

But I no longer believe
you want to beat him.

I think that, uh, sub crisis,

doused the fire in your belly,

and you think maybe
there's a core of goodness

in the man, and he's
just lost his way.

You see, that's your
lot in life, Elaine,

to see the goodness
in flawed men.

Hell, it's why you married me.

Well, I also divorced you.

And yet here I am,

in your house,
surrounded by our family.

And I'm still basking in the
warm glow of making love to you

not one month ago.

Don't press your luck, Bud.

Oh, baby, as long as there's

an ounce of luck left to press,

I'm gonna press it.

Shit.

Georgia, please.

Please tell me
that you didn't...

You have the resignation letter?

You would burn down
this building

if it would advance your
career a half an inch,

you stupid little girl!

Oh, please, like
we are any different.

I'm just younger than you,
by a lot.

Georgia, can you
give us a minute?

I need to talk to Susan alone.

We're running that letter.

We can't sell out
a confidential source.

We're not naming your source.

Publishing that piece
will essentially identify

and burn my source
without naming them.

You don't have to say "them."
You can say "him."

Douglas Hammond.

I have serious questions
whether your relationship

with several Hammond
family members

has exceeded the bounds of
proper, professional contact.

You're one to talk.

The only reason you
know about that letter

is because you're still
sleeping with... that.

Look, I allowed you latitude
with the Hammonds before

so you could pursue
the bigger story.

Now that we have it,

the paper cannot afford
the perception of favoritism.

Alex knows it's you.

He knows there's a letter,
and he is running it.

There's nothing I can do.

But you promised.

I know. And I'm sorry.

This is it. Okay?

Forget my career, it's over.

My mother, no one,
will ever trust me again.

There is a way I can
still protect you.

You're not my only
State Department source.

If you need a name for the leak,
I can give you one.

And throw some innocent
civil servant under the bus?

As cynical as it is,
it's the world we live in.

If you're not
getting screwed over,

you're screwing
over somebody else.

You don't want to do that.
No.

But I want to help you.

If I named someone...

we'd be no better than
the people we despise.

And I already don't
sleep at night...

So what are you going to do?

Afraid I can't let you do that.

I've been given instructions

not to let anyone
leave the premises.

What is this?
I'm on lockdown now?

Just following orders.

What's going on, fellas?
Nana, will you please

tell Agent Clark that I don't
need a goddamn baby-sitter?

It's okay, Clark.

I'll handle him.
Yes, ma'am.

Nana, what is it?
I gotta run some errands.

Oh, yeah?
What kind?

Like maybe tracking down your
dealer to score some coke?

Or finding some nameless boy

to screw and do
a little blow with?

Anne and I found your stash.

We dumped it.
You're one to talk.

Where you hiding your liquor
since I've been home?

Mom says the house is clean.
Bullshit.

I don't need a drug
addict like you

to tell me that
I'm a boozehound.

Now, you want to go outside
and do some "errands,"

well, go right ahead, honey,

Go on.
I'm not gonna stop you.

But just remember this,
if you go out that door,

that is your choice,
and nobody else's!

What's wrong?

You're shaking.

You think it's easy?

Taking a chance you'll
never come back home again?

But there's no other way.

I'm scared, too.

Oh, God...

I remember you when
you were a little kid.

You were always so happy.

Dougie was the tortured one,

but you were just
full of smiles and light

all the time.

What happened, T.J.?

I-I don't know.

I stopped being me such
a long time long ago,

I can't even remember
who that was.

Guess the only
thing that makes me

feel like myself these
days is when I'm not.

But you've got
your whole life ahead of you.

You know,
with your crappy genetics

and the awful choices
you've made so far,

you're going to have
to fight for it.

But it's worth it, honey.

It is.

But you have to fight for it!

Oh.

Oh.

Hi.

You know, I don't
think Sophia's

quite nailed this.

I'd like you
to take a look at it.

I mean, it's... it's okay,

but it's just...

Um...

Susan Berg is running a story

about your presidential
aspirations.

Keeping up with

the chatter, I guess.

Just take a look at...

It's not
a speculative piece, Mom.

She knows what donors

we've reached out to.

She's gotten hold of
Jubal Jacobs's research in full,

and she has your resignation
letter, from this morning.

She can't have
my resignation letter,

because only two or three people
in the world

even know it exists.

I'm the source.

Everything that she knows,
I gave it to her.

I thought that another run

would destroy this family.

And I didn't think that you had
a chance of winning.

Now, just hear me out
for a second.

Now, after Jubal,
I tried to stop it, Mom.

I-I really did,
but it was too late.

And I got her to stay silent
for as long as I could...

So all this time, you have just
been pretending to support me?

At first, yes.

But then we got
Jubal's research,

and suddenly
everything seemed possible.

And I was, I-I was
trying to unravel

what I had done, Mom...
Jesus, Douglas.

Yeah, I screwed up.

Screwed up?

The access you gave this
woman, this journalist,

my letter--

everyone will know
it came from you.

I know.

I don't think you do.

Tell me, just exactly how did
you think this would end?

After you told me
that you were gonna run,

I gave you a dozen reasons
not to.

Well, that would've been
the time to say no

to running my campaign.

Well, I have zero experience
saying no to you.

I'm 30 years old,
and my worst nightmare

is letting my mother down.

Well, you've certainly done that
with flying colors.

You should go.

So that's how
it's gonna be, Mom?

I get the famous
Elaine Barrish ice-out.

Huh?

I go permanently
into the enemy column, Mom?

Just another person
that let you down,

that didn't live up to

your impossible expectations?

Forget everything
that I've done

or that my entire adult life
has been dedicated

to making your life
better and easier!

Well, I'm sorry.

I am sorry that I am
such a disappointment.

Can I just vent for a second?

Okay, the new client
that I have, the socialite--

she has this harpsichord, okay,

and she wants me
to design around it.

What's going on, Douglas?

Well, um, I got into
a big fight with my mom.

And she yelled, and I yelled
back, and it got pretty ugly,

and I definitely don't
have a job there anymore.

But I don't give a shit,

because you know what I do
care about, Annie? You.

You are the only thing
that matters to me.

Marry me.

Haven't we been through this?

Now.

Let's elope.

Hey, we'll leave tonight.

All right? What are
we waiting for?

A roomful of people
smiling that we don't know,

staring at us, gawking at us,
or some spread in Vanity Fair?

It shouldn't be like that.

It should be about us.

Should be about you and me.

Are you serious?

I've never been more serious

about anything in
my entire life.

So, is that a yes, then?

Yes?

Yes.
Yes.

I really thought
we'd made a connection here.

I felt I could trust you.

But you've been using me
and using my son.

Just like you've been using me.

And you lied to me, said
you weren't running.

That's not the kind of thing
you tell a reporter.

You say it to someone you
have a connection with.

And if I had told you,
would you have told me

that you were
working covertly on a piece

about my intentions to run?

I don't know.

But you didn't give
me that chance.

No.

No, I didn't.

If you run that story,

everyone in D.C. will know
that Douglas was your source.

It will destroy any
political career he might have.

'Cause if he would
do this to his own mother...

No one else will ever
trust him again.

I know.
Exactly.

Besides, none of it
is true anymore.

What?

I would like to share
with you something

that only two other people
in the world are privy to.

But I really have to know
that I can trust you.

Not as a reporter,
trust you as a human being.

Yeah.

The president would not
accept my resignation.

He wants me to stay on at State

and run with him
in the next election

as his vice president.

And you're accepting his offer?

Why?

I have one son
who has nearly died twice

in the last six months.

My other son--
there is a confusion

and an anger there that I am
just beginning to see.

They're both adults,
but they're still my children.

It's not the right time
to take on my boss or my party.

I am their mother first.

It's the best story
I'll ever get.

And you just told
me so I won't run

the second best
story I ever got.

Well, I did ask
if I could trust you.

You can.

It's a nonstory.

Even if Barrish
decided not to quit,

she still wrote a
letter proclaiming

all the reasons that
she was quitting.

There's no mulligan on
something like this.

I don't want to make my career
destroying another person's--

her career-- anymore.

I-I'm sick of it.

I get your obsession
with Elaine Barrish.

Actually, I...

I actually understand
why you want

to protect her and her family.

But we have the letter,
we-we have to run it.

That's our job.

We don't pick sides
of the truth,

we report it.

It's not the whole truth.

I slept with my source.

I slept with Douglas Hammond.

I'm-I'm not entirely sure that's
why he gave me the letter,

but I'm pretty sure it had
something to do with it.

God, Susan,
if we had run that letter

and printed that letter...

I know, Alex.
I know, okay?

Oh, you know?
You know?

You really know?

This paper, you know,
it's already on the brink.

A scandal like this,
with somebody of your stature--

it would ruin this place.

If you're going to fire me,
please just do it already.

Y-You never said
what you just said.

I never heard it.

Go back to your office.

Go!

Oh.

How's T.J.?

Oh, T.J.'s fine.

He and Margaret are
upstairs playing Scrabble.

Neither of them is drinking.

Well, have a soda.

Have you spoken to Douglas?

Uh, no. Why?
Madam Secretary!

In here.

Number four is secure,
number four is secure.

Bobcat secure,

Bobcat secure.

What's going on?

There's been an accident.

You can't do this to me, Alex.

That was supposed to be
my big break!

The fact that she's not
resigning means it's D.O.A.

I'm spiking it.

There are other people
I can go to.

I'll go to Seavers.

You want to go above my head,

Georgia, be my guest.

Oh, my God.

I repeat, Air Force One,

the president's plane,
has crashed on approach

to landing in Biarritz, France.

The cause of the accident
is unknown,

but early reports indicate
a mechanical malfunction.

Eyewitnesses say
the plane lurched

and pinwheeled into the ocean.

President Garcetti was on board,
along with White House staffers,

Secret Service
and Air Force One personnel.

34 people in all.

French authorities
have dispatched

hundreds of search boats,
looking for any sign of life

amidst the wreckage
in the water below.

Six rescue planes are also
flying over this crash site

and have been dropping life
rafts into the water...

Authorities continue
their search for survivors

of the Air Force One tragedy.

The French Government

has dispatched hundreds
of search boats

looking for any sign of life
amidst the wreckage.

President Harbin
of France on Skype.

Put her through.

Any word from Douglas?

Networks are saturated.

Got one through,
left a voice mail.

Madam Secretary.

Madam President.

Your country has mounted
a heroic rescue effort

and moved so swiftly.

We're deeply grateful.

If my plane were down
off Miami Beach,

you would do every bit as much.

With your permission, we have
a team on the tarmac here,

comprised of NTSB, Secret
Service, FBI and Air Force.

Of course.

The nation of France grieves
tonight, with all Americans.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary.

Barry.

I'm glad you're safe.

Most trips, one or both of us
would've been on that plane.

Look, uh,

we've been at each other's
throats for quite some time,

but right now, Elaine, the fact
that you are still in office

is the only bright
spot in my day.

Collier's asked the Chief
Justice to administer the oath.

He's not invoking Section Four?

I tried.

White House counsel
even wrote the letter.

Section Four?

Of the 25th Amendment.

It allows for the powers
of the presidency

to reside temporarily
with the vice president.

It's the only proper
course of action

because we haven't found
Garcetti's body.

I have no standing

vis-à-vis the 25th Amendment,
but you do.

You're the senior
cabinet official.

Alice.

Can I have the letter?

Circulate this
to the cabinet secretaries.

Make sure they sign it.

Highest priority.

If they have questions,
they can call me.

I'm going to the Oval.

Officials have not
entirely ruled out

this being an act of terrorism,
but experts tell us...

All right, give this
to Frank, but move the quote

from the Boeing spokeswoman up.

Hey, how's it going?
I got a first-person account

from an air traffic controller
at Biarritz Parme.

I'm almost done.
Okay.

I got to pop upstairs.

I think Seavers wants
to expand the edition.

Get me 600 more words
if you can.

Okay.

Hey, Alex.

Can you believe
this is happening?

It's so sad...

and scary.

It'll be okay.

You have a call on one.

Something's happening
at the Oval Office.

Susan Berg.

Are you sure you can't
see anything at all?

Elaine.

I'm glad you're here, in spite
of all our differences.

We need to talk.

Chief Justice.

Thank you so much for coming.

Means the world to me to know
that you'll be the one

who will administer my oath.

Fred.

You can't do this yet.

They haven't found the body.

Nation needs to know
there is someone in charge.

You are, Fred.

But if you take this oath and
Paul Garcetti turns up alive,

we'll have two presidents.

And that presents a slight
Constitutional problem.

I've spoken to counsel.

I am fully within the bounds
of the Constitution.

You don't want questions

lingering over your presidency,
believe me.

Oath's a bit premature.

The proper course is for me
to temporarily assume power

by writing a letter
to Congress,

along with a majority
of my cabinet.

We took the liberty.

The cabinet is unanimous.

We all signed.
Hmm.

Of course you did.

Elaine, I'd like you to stay
on in your post for a while.

I think the nation
wants to see unity.

Yes, sir.

Speaker of the House
confirms receipt,

and also Senate
Pro-Tem confirms.

That it?

That's it.

You're now the Acting President
of the United States.

Congratulations, sir.

All right.

Thanks, everyone.

Barry, alert the majors.

I'll be giving my address
to the nation in 20 minutes.

Right after that,

I want the Joint Chiefs in here.

Got it?

Got it. Yes, sir.

Thank you, Elaine.

Hey. Hey, hey.

It's been 45 minutes; I need to
know if I'm getting extra space.

Where are you going?

Walk with me to the elevators.

Georgia went to Seavers.

Told him I killed
her Barrish piece.

Today?

She didn't.

She said, um, I've been having

an inappropriate sexual
relationship with her.

That to cover it
up, I've been...

denying her professional
opportunities.

I've been suspended
indefinitely.

Okay, I'll find Seavers.

I'll tell him I was the one who
compromised the Barrish story

due to
my sexual inappropriateness.

No.

There's en enough
awfulness for one day.

He does not need to know that.

He wouldn't suspend you...

Susan, I told you,

the paper would not survive
that kind of scandal.

You weren't protecting the
paper, you were protecting me.

None of this would have happened

if I hadn't slept with Georgia
in the first place.

Alex...
I just need to go home.

Okay?
Call me sometime.

We'll get a drink.

...their search for survivors

of the Air Force One tragedy...

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll make
a statement tomorrow, Vin.

All right? Now, tonight
I just want you to print

what all the history books
will say,

that we lost a great American

and one of the best presidents
this nation has ever seen.

Bye.

Yesterday, he was a greasy
bastard, today he's a saint.

That son of a bitch
Reppel from the Times

was trying to quote me back

some tasteless joke he thinks
I made about Garcetti.

It's an absolutely
haunting image.

We are now hearing reports that
several more bodies have been

found nearby
that have not been identified.

Hey, sugar,
what's happening there?

The Ogamis called.

Anne phoned them from the road.

From the road?

Apparently, Douglas and Anne
have eloped.

They've eloped? Where to?
Who?

Across the country?

Around the corner?

I have no idea.

That's why
they call it eloping, Bud.

Yeah, well, you got enough
on your plate, Elaine.

You just leave this with us;
we'll see what we can do.

I'm coming home.

All right, bye.

Where'd they elope to?

I don't know.

I think I do.

Forward anything that
needs my signoff.

And, uh, otherwise,
just have Bill

or one of the undersecretaries.

Madam Secretary.

It's okay.

I didn't think
today would end like this.

Oh, it's been a pretty
shocking day all around.

I killed the story.

Thank you.

How?

Mm...

A lot of stories will be
put on hold for a while.

And my boss helped.

Your ex?
Yeah.

The asshole who cheated on me

turned out not to be
such a total asshole.

No one is as horrible as
we imagine them to be.

Two weeks ago, I wanted
to crush Garcetti.

Today, I wanted
to run with him.

And tonight...

Sorry, I haven't had time
to process any of this.

I'm, uh...

going home to be
with my family.

Uh, Douglas has...

chosen this occasion to elope.

Douglas and Anne eloped?

Yeah.

You must have developed
quite a bond with him

these last few weeks.

Yes.

A professional one.

Please extend my congratulations
to both of them.

I will.

Tomorrow night I'm gonna
fly to France,

to assist however I can.

Um... if you're not
sick of the plane...

you're welcome to join me.

I'm there.

Good.

I'll put you on the manifest.

Anne... Douglas...

I'd like to begin
with a prayer of thanks.

Heavenly Father, we thank you
for bringing this young couple

here today to remind us that
even in a time of darkness,

love can lift us up

to the light.

Bless this young man, Douglas,

who I baptized as a baby
some 30 years ago...

Oh, no.

I'm so sorry.

No, we've got to get out.

Get the...

There we go.

T.J., hey.

How the hell did everybody
know we were here?

"Grandpa Hammond's farm.

The best place on Earth."

I thought it'd be a good idea
for all of us to be together.

I just didn't realize

the Imperial Storm
Troopers were coming.

All right, sweetheart!
Hi.

Well, thanks for the invite,
you little shit.

Take messages from everybody.

Including the Acting President.

Thank you.

Sweetheart,

I know this is
a huge intrusion.

You think?

I just couldn't let you

run off and get
married like this.

After everything
that's happened, I...

I'm so sorry.
Mom...

You mean more to me
than I can say.

I don't even know if
I can explain why, okay?

I just needed...
clarity.

I'm just so happy to see you.

I'm so glad you're here.

Really?

Yeah.
Do you think Anne will be glad?

We'll find out.

Anne...

Are you okay with all
of us being here?

Please be honest.

People don't normally crash
other people's elopements.

But this is not a normal time,

and this is not
a normal family.

All right!
Let's get this show on the road.

Now, we got beer, champagne
and five pounds of shrimp

ready to go.

Yes, and we also brought sake.

In case you want to do
the Shinto wedding tradition

of San San Kudo.

Mom, all this Japanese stuff

that you keep throwing
on Anne... it's racist.

Oh, I thought I was being
multi-culturally sensitive.

Well... good thing I didn't
bring my kimono. Mom...

The Reverend agrees
that as ex-President

I can perform
the marriage ceremony.

Assuming that's okay
with you two lovebirds.

Do we have a choice?
You do not.

Now, this reminds me of
a passage from Isaiah.

"For you shall go out with joy,

"and be led forth with peace:

"the mountains and
the hills shall

"break forth before
you into singing,

and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands."

How you doing, darlin'?

I'm just, um...

...putting one foot
in front of the other.

I made a lot of plans
sitting on this wall,

including running
for President.

I think I was about nine.

Maybe ten.

And right over there,

is where I asked you
to marry me.

And I said "no."

Only twice.
Three times.

Wasn't twice?
Nope.

You said "yes" eventually.

You wore me down.

I loved you with my
entire heart, sugar.

I always did.

You were a little freer
with your other organs.

It's a shame.

About the deal you made
to be Garcetti's Veep.

You would have finally
been on the winning ticket.

We can't let Fred Collier
stay President.

He represents the worst
of the Democratic Party.

President Howdy Doody.

Now, sure, his
numbers will spike

with all the goodwill
following this.

But he will squander it, right?

Like the dumb,
shit-eating turtle his.

Bud, the President just died.

Our son just got married.

Can you stop talking
about politics

for one frigging minute?

This is the most
profound crisis

most Americans will
experience in their lifetime.

Now, they need a strong,

resilient, competent leader

to get them through this.

Fred Collier is not that man.

But you are that woman.

And you know it.

Come on, Elaine, this is me.

No one else.

Now, you tell me you're gonna
do something about this.

Just say it.

Say the words.

Say you're gonna run.