The Diplomat (2023) s02e06 Episode Script

1
- [Hal] She's naming other names.
- [dramatic music playing]
She did not want to tell me
what she told me.
I'm doing my part,
screening out shit that's not important.
Hey, maybe you tell me
what the fuck's actually going on.
The part you left out.
[Stuart] Ma'am, the vice president
is on her way to London.
[Kate] Why the fuck
is the vice president coming here?
[Stuart] To support the Brits.
The prime minister can
tell the truth, but tell it slowly
Or he can keep it quiet.
That's not what I was saying.
We should consider
the vice president's suggestion.
We're burying the story.
That's one option.
Trowbridge is still deliberating.
I feel I know which one he'll pick.
You were inspiring today with Trowbridge.
- What?
- You planted his big idea.
You were leading him to the plan.
- Why are you quitting?
- I think you know.
You know how much they don't want her?
They want you.
It's still day in Washington. Billie's up.
I'm gonna tell her if it's not Grace,
it sure as fuck isn't me.
What are you doing?
Kate. Give me the phone.
Get off!
Stop!
Roylin hired Lenkov
to shoot a British ship.
But Roylin didn't come up with the idea.
[dramatic music ends]
Grace Penn did.
[Kate breathing deeply]
[Kate] What
the fuck?
Who does that?
I don't know.
- It was us?
- Yeah.
- America?
- Yeah.
We killed Scottish independence?
Yeah, it's bad.
Who gives a fuck about Scotland? They're
nice, sweet people. Cold all the time.
- Let them make their own decisions.
- A smaller democracy is a weaker one.
- It'd be two democracies. The UK.
- No, it'd be four.
If Northern Ireland
and Wales get involved, it's a mess.
[sighs] So is a United States that
secretly tells its ally to attack itself.
- Yeah.
- That is a mess.
What was the order?
Which?
What did the president tell Grace
that made her think,
"Oh, I know. Let's have the Brits blow
a hole in themselves
and blame it on Iran"?
The president doesn't know about it.
What the fuck?
Is that why she's here?
Probably.
She thought this was a good idea?
- In her defense
- Really?
it wasn't supposed to be that big.
- Please!
- Well, I'm just saying.
[scoffs]
Roylin's been covering
for Grace Penn all this time.
You understand why
I wanted you nowhere near this?
Yeah.
Did I say mean things to you
when you were trying to protect me?
Oh
We have to do something.
- You sure about that?
- It's us
If we make a thing out of it,
bad for democracy.
Bad for democracy?
- Hungary, Poland, Turkey.
- I know, but
- Democracy is actually going out of style.
- [sucks teeth]
- It can't come out.
- I don't think it can.
I've been up for three nights
turning it over. I don't see how we can.
It's Grace Penn.
Oh shit.
I have to be Vice President
of the United States.
[Stuart] Morning.
- You should eat something.
- I'll boot.
- Good morning!
- Morning!
- She down yet?
- Nope. Meeting with staff upstairs.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
- Are they, um
- Upstairs.
- Thank you.
- Hey, no crutches.
- Nope.
Still got the bandage,
but things are alarmingly close to normal.
Ha!
What?
He should have some coffee.
- I'm off it. Green tea.
- [Hal] Wow.
- One cup in the morning and then nothing.
- All day?
I'm a new man.
Sit down, tough guy.
Over here.
[patting cushion]
- You do it.
- No, I think this one's gotta be you.
[takes a deep breath]
I would like to be
[whispering]vice president.
No.
- For real?
- Mm-hmm.
Can I hug you?
We have 38 vice presidential staffers
in the house right now.
I think we gotta play it cool.
I'm trying. I really am, but
I know. It's a lot.
You can shake my hand.
[Hal sighs]
Ma'am.
- I smell a loyalty pledge coming.
- You bet your ass.
This is all nothing right now.
Nobody has offered me a job.
But, if they do, we should be ready.
So, whatever you think you need to do
to soup this up.
[sighs happily]
He's gonna cry.
I think you need to try to focus.
You're right. You're right.
We start right now.
[intriguing string music playing]
- No.
- Why?
- He said a color.
- This is.
That is not a color.
Nope.
- Clear!
- Hi.
Scoot.
Not enough hands.
[music ends]
Wow. Impressive.
I'm a vision.
How do you read a paper
and not get newsprint all over this?
Yeah, it's tricky.
You gotta wash your hands.
You say that.
You wash your hands in a color like this,
and if the faucet
is even a little aggressive,
it sprays all over.
- Then you look like you peed yourself.
- Mm.
- That doesn't happen to you?
- No.
- Hi, there.
- Good morning, ma'am.
- Everything all right?
- Gotta wash my hands.
Join me for breakfast?
- Sure.
- May I show you to the dining room, madam?
- Thank you.
- [softly] Clear the South Wing.
- Was everything comfortable?
- [Grace] I slept like a rock.
The house is stunning.
You do beautiful work.
Be careful.
Never crossed my mind to fight.
- For your job?
- Yeah.
Why is that?
Well, it's easy for me to say,
"You should stomp your feet
and make them defend you."
You have
a much more granular understanding
of how hard it is
to get things done in that building.
Yeah. I'm not gonna
turn the place on its head. I'm just
embarrassed by my lack of imagination.
Are you thinking about
Trying to stay?
No.
At the end of the day,
if it's bad for the country
Yeah.
But I appreciate the support from you.
Of course.
You're a good person.
I'm not. You have to stop saying that.
- What?
- Nothing. Just some of it's coming out.
Oh shit. Excuse me. Shite.
If it's a style choice, it's good.
I kind of tie it in a knot
and usually it stays.
- You're making it worse.
- Am I?
Oh my God. Stop touching it.
Yeah.
As you suggested, I was just trying
to look a little more
- Vice presidential?
- Mm.
It's okay. You can say it.
Own it. You're a bold choice.
Foreign policy ace, legacy builder.
I mean, if it has to be someone,
I am dangerously close to glad it's you.
Well, that's Thank you.
That's very
Now I'm embarrassed.
- Get used to it.
- [Kate chuckles]
- Bobby pins will help.
- Mm.
[knock on door]
Okay if I come in?
Sure.
Okay if I shut the door?
Yeah.
Well, I just Consent matters.
What's wrong?
Can we sit over here?
Is this gonna be another lecture
about holding Roylin?
- I want her off my plate more than you do.
- It's not.
Uh
The ambassador has, for the first time,
actively embraced the notion
of maybe becoming vice president.
Willingly, if the opportunity arises.
Wow.
Yeah.
There is no offer from the White House
and there may never be one.
And if it comes, she has to
make me an offer, which she hasn't.
But, uh
I want you in on the thinking,
as facts change on the ground.
Not like last time when I
delayed the sharing of information.
We're not together.
I don't need the facts on the ground.
I think we should be.
I think it was a mistake, splitting up.
I feel it was a mistake.
- Hey. Can you just
- No.
I no longer give my consent
to this conversation.
It's my first day off crutches.
Can you give me a fucking break?
- I don't understand what this is.
- Me?
- Yeah.
- My reaction?
- Yeah!
- What am I reacting to?
Your boss might move
to another country, or not.
So you might move
to another country, or not.
- This message has no content.
- When are you gonna stop punishing me?
- That's not what I'm doing.
- You run from every conversation we have.
Come here.
This is my place of business.
I can't cry here.
And despite my placid appearance,
it hurts like a motherfucker
when you do this.
- Eidra
- You just closed my door
and sat on my couch
so you could say nothing at all.
And yet still
I have lost my composure in the workplace.
It has to stop.
[somber music playing]
[knock on door]
Door closed, if you would, Austin.
[Trowbridge] And take off
your fucking jacket.
Pretend you're a person, not a mandarin.
We, um
We need to work together, you and I.
Our prelapsarian selves.
Do you think we can manage that?
I do.
Wonderful.
I'll have an ally.
She informed me this morning
that she thinks that I should resign.
She thinks that,
despite the Americans' unequivocal wish
to have me steady the ship,
I should resign
in a fetid cloud of disgrace.
That's not what I said.
That's what you said.
Will you please allow me
to complete a sentence?
Nicol was going to tell Tom or Philippa
so they could quietly investigate
how many of our own are fucking traitors.
- He's told no one.
- I will.
He's dragging his feet.
- Of course you are. It's humiliating.
- Thank you. I hadn't noticed.
You're not the man for the job.
Allow someone else.
- Austin?
- Perhaps Austin.
Someone without your baggage
to proceed with the investigation.
That will steady the ship.
Don't you agree?
- It's a secret investigation.
- Not if you're running it.
Apparently it's only my ego
that demands I root out the rot myself.
Not an interest in the integrity
or the survival of the fucking state.
Perhaps we should let Austin speak.
Austin can say whatever the fuck he wants.
Do you think I should resign?
Not a decision I can weigh in on.
Oh, I swear to Christ.
If you feel the need
to cleanse this yourself,
you will have me by your side
at every step.
Are you gone? The man I came up with?
Nicol, I'm speaking
with the prime minister.
- Speak to me.
- It's a decision for the PM.
- Austin!
- Resign.
She's right.
Drift away.
You will advise us all the way through,
but your anger with Roylin and yourself
Thank you. Duly noted.
- Don't blame Austin.
- No, I'm thinking about it.
Based on the sage counsel
of my beloved and my beloathed,
the decision will not come today,
at any event.
Seems worth thinking over
for more than a millisecond.
Meanwhile, a secret internal investigation
will creep secretly forward.
So, we'll tell Tom today.
- Could we simply
- Tom will investigate.
Tom will find all of the perpetrators
of this fucking travesty.
You want me to launch an investigation?
Well, it is launched.
Do you agree it should be Tom?
We trust Tom as much as we trust anybody?
Though, of course,
we trusted Margaret Roylin.
And you too.
Tom it is.
I don't know, Austin.
I don't know.
[knock on door]
Ma'am, Carole Langetti is here.
- Carole?
- Can I come in?
Get in here! What?
- Hi!
- Hi!
- [both] Ohh!
- I'm gonna take that glass.
- Shit.
- Did I get you?
Nope. Nothing.
Oh. Don't take that away! It has ice.
- Ah, no ice cubes where she's living.
- Mm-hmm.
Eight months without an ice cube.
We're a classy joint.
Look at you.
- I know.
- How crazy is this?
I love it!
It's humiliating. I look like my mom.
- No.
- I do.
She would be so happy to see me like this.
How long are you here?
Well, I'm in this place for a tight ten,
but I'm in town for a couple days.
Wait. You're leaving in ten minutes?
Well, I was supposed to have lunch,
but the vice president dropped in
and fucked your calendar.
Stuart?
Ma'am?
- Where's Stuart?
- Right here.
Hey.
Why is she only here ten minutes?
- I haven't seen her in a year.
- You're having a big day.
You staying at the house?
She should stay at the house.
- The VP's staying at the house.
- We have 100,000 rooms.
Secret Service will be a hard no.
She's agency.
They'll be thrilled to have extra hands.
Honey, it's really okay.
No, it's not. What about the cottage?
I will check.
I have outbuildings.
[Hal] She's in.
Kate.
She's a yes.
Hello?
[Billie] Yeah, I hear you.
She would like to be vice president.
Copy.
That's it?
- Thank you?
- Yeah, you're welcome.
Now let's talk next steps.
Why'd she change her mind?
Because I've been working on her.
Because, as I told you,
no is a rest stop on the road to yes.
Did Grace say something?
Like what?
I don't know. Are they discussing the idea
or pretending everything's normal?
They talked about it. They're grownups.
- Was it acrimonious?
- No.
They acted like two old ladies.
"You should take the job."
- "No, you should take the job."
- Christ.
- When are you getting her out?
- Grace?
I don't know.
How about now?
There are a lot of moving parts.
When it's time, I'll let you know.
Why is Grace leaving?
- I told you why.
- Did you?
Her husband.
Yeah?
Did she say otherwise?
No.
- Is there anything
- I gotta go.
[tense music playing]
[elevator door sliding open]
[applause]
[Grace] Oh my goodness. Thank you.
It's great to meet you.
You're all doing such fantastic work.
The president is so grateful
for your service.
- [Neil] It's such an honor. Big fan.
- [woman] Thank you for everything.
This way.
I haven't been here in years.
This building is new, right?
Yes, 2018. These are my predecessors.
- Oh my. Hello, gentlemen.
- [laughs]
[Kate] There's a woman, actually.
I'm not the first. Where is she?
- There.
- Ah.
- [Kate] Anne Armstrong.
- There she is.
Come on in.
You asked for my opinion
about Lydia's idea.
Mm-hmm.
And you gave it.
Thank you.
Tom. Good to see you.
- How are we all?
- What are we hearing from the Russians?
The Ministry of Defense
is making public demands
for access to the SAS report
on Lenkov's accidental killing.
- Well, I hope we said no.
- [Tom] We did.
They're throwing their toys out the pram,
but no sign yet of it escalating.
- Well, if that changes
- You'll know as soon as I do.
So, um
I've discovered something.
Um
We
We have a problem.
With Russia?
Not with Russia.
[slamming]
The, uh, the Americans
would like to
participate in tomorrow's session.
Ah?
They know we've had
a productive interchange with the Aussies.
They'd like to join us.
- And
- Well, will it make the French hysterical?
[inhales sharply]
Possibly.
So, whisper something to someone.
Let them know it's not deliberate.
I'm being polite.
They asked, couldn't say no.
I'll talk to DGSE.
Huh. Off you go.
- Prime Minister.
- Many thanks to you both.
Fuck a friend
and shut the door behind you.
[door closes]
I'm not dragging my feet.
It wasn't the right time.
- When do you think
- I'll let you know!
- [man 1] Did you turn it on?
- [man 2] Yes, sir.
- [man 1] She's there already?
- Yeah.
Okay.
- [man 1] Grace!
- Yes, sir?
- How did it go?
- [Grace] Good. Good enough.
- Is he a mess?
- The PM's okay.
- Foreign secretary's pretty anxious, but
- He certainly should be.
Cabal inside his own government.
He'd better be anxious.
They're taking things slow.
No rash decisions. No daylight between us.
Good.
Um, what do you think
of her?
I get the appeal. Took me a minute, but
Yeah, it took me a minute too. [chuckles]
What's the timeline? Do you know?
Well, I just got a call
from the prime minister.
He wanted to talk to me about you.
- [elegant string music playing]
- [Stuart sighs]
Mr. Hayford, you look so lovely.
Oh, thank you, Pensy.
Like a prince.
Like a prince? Or like Prince?
Sorry?
Prince.
Forget it.
Beautiful. And Ambassador,
one where we look right at the camera.
There we are.
She can't stand me.
- Look at you. You're geo-strategy Barbie.
- Oh my God.
- [Stuart] Hey. Is she down yet?
- Not yet.
Hi.
Hey, Langetti, where's your prom dress?
You are looking at it.
- Is she down yet?
- No. Hey, is there a tag back here?
Let me see. Yeah.
- Hi.
- Hi.
She's just about ready. She was
wondering if she could have a quick word.
Of course.
Uh, I'm gonna go back to the cottage.
Have fun.
- Sure you don't want to join?
- I'm so sure.
[Kate] Okay.
We'll stop by when we get home.
Did you put in a call?
To?
The PM?
No. Trowbridge? No.
He called the president.
Okay.
To tell him what a gem I am.
Oh. Well [chuckles] You are.
A couple months ago,
Rayburn and Trowbridge decided
they'd like to appoint something
like a nuclear czar.
One in each country.
Someone who could work on
reducing weapons stockpiles,
and at the same time
grow our nuclear power capacity.
- Big portfolio.
- Yeah.
Apparently, the PM thinks it should be me.
He doesn't know about my off-ramp.
Did the president tell him?
No.
He said he'd think about it,
and then he called me
and said he's thinking about it.
Wow.
That's
- Well, that means
- I might stay.
Great.
Well, not for the kind and capable person
on deck to replace me.
No. That's just if it's an emergency
and you need the fire department.
If you can stay and the president
is prepared to support you
Considering it.
then that's much better for everyone.
Absolutely.
- I feel bad. This has been a lot of fuss.
- No.
And you're wearing
your vice-presidential hair.
Oh no. It's
This is
It's fun.
Tomorrow the president's gonna remember
I'm an albatross.
- That'll be the end of it.
- I hope he doesn't.
I just wanted you to know
in case the PM brings it up tonight.
- I didn't want you to
- Yeah, it would have been confusing.
Now we're both ready for anything.
We are.
Thank you. You really are something.
I am glad we've had a chance
to get to know each other.
- [dramatic music playing]
- [door opens and closes]
- Nuclear czar?
- The president did not run this by me.
Instead of vice president
or in her capacity as vice president?
He thinks in her capacity
as vice president.
He thinks she can stay?
He does. But she can't.
- Shut it down.
- You shut it down.
Yeah, on my end. Make sure
the Brits don't turn this into something.
Billie, he wants her to stay?
She's not staying.
[dramatic music continues]
Here she is, woman of the hour.
Welcome to Blenheim Palace.
It's an honor to be here.
Only the best for you, madam.
One for the history books.
- Shall we?
- Absolutely.
Ma'am, I just talked to Billie.
She's as surprised as you are.
About nuclear czar?
She's gonna need a minute to walk it back.
Tell Dennison to make sure
it doesn't come up tonight.
Admiral, I believe you know
the vice president.
I certainly do. I was guest of honor
until you showed up.
I don't know why I wasn't invited
in the first place.
I was quite sure
Kenny wouldn't like the competition.
Is the PM talking about the vice president
in his speech tonight?
Well, ignoring her would be odd.
Trowbridge wants her to work on
a nonproliferation project.
It would be better
if it didn't come up tonight.
Could you
I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I can't.
Why?
I will no longer be a thorn
to Nicol Trowbridge.
He deserves my support.
It's supportive.
Grace Penn has issues
you don't want any part of.
Roylin's lack of faith in Nicol
brought us an atrocity.
I will not undermine him at every turn.
She had no faith because he's inept.
You know I'm his lieutenant, not yours.
Sure, but we have a partnership.
- That doesn't have to stop just because
- That was a mistake. Do you understand?
All of it.
[gentle piano music playing]
- Lead balloon.
- Why?
He's all about Nicol, and listening to me
is a betrayal of Nicol.
Tell him yourself.
Trowbridge hates me.
- He loves you.
- Talk to his guy.
- And say what?
- Something vague.
I'll get him.
[Grace] Hardly call it a blindside.
The French couldn't decide
if they were more furious at me for Lenkov
or you for the submarine.
- [Admiral] They settled on me.
- [Grace] To be fair, you earned it.
[Austin] Give them a month.
I'm sure they'll move on.
[Admiral] They'd better. We've paid them
half a billion Euros to get over it.
They're selling the subs to India.
- [Admiral] They are.
- [Trowbridge] Still sulking.
[Randall] Vice president's spouse
finds himself in a bit of a bog right now
with a regulatory agency.
Ambassador Wyler suggests,
while freely bathing
in the sunlight of the VP's gaze,
we avoid lashing ourselves to her mast
in our remarks.
Randall, if you had just three words
before your own death
Don't talk about nuclear czar.
Wasn't so hard, was it?
[all chattering]
[tapping glass with spoon]
[chattering dies down]
Right, first things first.
Are we off the record?
Reassuring, thank you.
- [scattered chuckles]
- We are.
There we are. Thank you, Kenny.
The French.
[all laughing]
I haven't even said anything yet.
[all laughing]
You were untrue to the French.
You said that you'd welcome
their well-crafted submarines
and you have forsaken them for ours.
It's a love triangle and a proboscis.
The next time that we have dinner,
we're inviting the French, is my point.
[all chuckling]
She's uniquely qualified.
[sucks teeth]
In place of the French delegation,
I am honored to welcome
Vice President Grace Penn.
[all applauding]
Of the United States of America.
She's uniquely qualified for this task
of working with us and you,
and the French,
moving forward here and now.
Bon appétit.
Bon appétit.
Hear, hear.
[all chattering]
[man] Did that make sense to you?
Enough to get us to our soup.
What didn't he say?
I don't
I'm sorry?
He told me he was going to mention
my new portfolio.
Didn't happen.
And then he looked right at you.
I'm not sure what you're getting at.
I think you want somebody's job
and you want to make sure it's available.
That's not what I'm after.
Looks like Peter Cottontail,
but she's a climber.
I think you're misunderstanding.
She should watch herself.
Tell her.
This ought to be good.
Out with it.
The ambassador knows Margaret Roylin
didn't come up with her plan.
The ambassador knows who did.
Excuse me.
- Ma'am, could you step out for a moment?
- Sure.
Door.
The quickest way for Russia
to penetrate our naval defenses
is steaming from the Arctic
to the North Atlantic.
This is our military presence
in the Arctic.
These were Russia's
Arctic military positions in 1995.
Today, infantry, naval, radar,
search and rescue, air defense,
the biggest build up
since the Soviets fell.
This is where we lost
Russia's most sophisticated submarines
in the North Atlantic for three weeks.
This is where we found
their Losharik submarine,
which we noticed
only because it caught fire.
We have no idea how many more there are,
but we think they're around here,
here, here, and here.
This is Creegan.
Do you know what Creegan is?
A nuclear submarine base in Scotland.
All of the UK's nuclear weaponry
is housed at Creegan.
It's what makes them
one of the nine nuclear powers.
Also, it's the only base in Europe
where we can dock our nuclear subs.
It's the last place we have any hope
of detecting a Russian sub
before it's in the vast Atlantic
barreling toward New York.
Creegan is target one
in the European theater of war.
The Scots hate nukes,
and they hate English overreach,
but they really hate
having a bullseye on their heads.
If Scotland had gone independent
They would have closed the base.
In a second.
When we took our forces out of Iceland,
Russian sub activity skyrocketed,
as did air incursions.
When we pulled our combat brigades
from Europe Anyone?
Russia annexed Crimea.
Is there a universe in which the US
could afford to lose the base in Scotland?
No.
- But you went to Roylin.
- So did you.
- I didn't ask her to blow up a ship.
- Neither did I.
- It was supposed to be
- Some bent metal and nobody dead.
So it's not your fault?
It's entirely my fault.
You think I'm suggesting
it's not my fault?
I own it, and I will carry it, but I will
not let it tear down the president.
That sounds convenient to me.
That sounds like a reason to bury it.
I don't give a shit
what it sounds like to you.
I can name every one of the 43 people
who died in this debacle.
I couldn't do that
if it was 40,000 or 40 million
vaporized in a nuclear conflict.
This is my game board.
The whole goddamn thing.
This is yours.
Keep your eyes on your own paper.
[door opens]
[somber music playing]
I'm gonna go say hi to Carole.
Walk with me for a minute?
[Hal] She told you that?
Yeah.
[Hal exhales sharply]
So they wouldn't close Creegan?
Yeah.
I mean, it's not nothing.
Of course not.
I get it.
Yeah.
We need access to a submarine base.
She should stay.
She should keep her job.
She shouldn't be punished
for making a decision that had to be made.
I really can't do this, Kate.
- What was the alternative?
- I can't.
No nuclear deterrent
in the North Atlantic?
- In what universe is that an option?
- I don't think it was an option.
- She faced a complex consequential
- She made a tough call.
And God bless her, but swooping in
to convince Nicol Trowbridge
he's the leader
the world can't live without?
That's not realpolitik.
That's risking the credibility of the US.
- She did exactly what you would have done.
- Can we take a break
- from making it about me, and look at you?
- No.
After the great and the good
on two sides of the Atlantic
prostrated themselves at your feet
That's not why I'm saying it.
- you finally condescended to the idea
- No.
of being vice president.
It was terrifying. But, Katie, you did it.
It took a fucking feather
to knock you off that box.
It's a big feather!
You and I are not empowered
by the American people
to choose a head of state.
- Valid.
- It is.
No. Totally valid.
So, call the secretary of state.
Call Ganon. Run it through the mill.
- Let the justice system
- Fuck you.
and the national security apparatus
decide what happens next.
- Sure.
- Why not?
If she's so fucking sure she made
the only open move, Ganon will get it.
That is the biggest load of shit
I've ever heard.
- Which is saying something.
- Fine. Don't be vice president.
Listen to yourself. No, really.
You have to because it's so great.
A woman makes a vintage Hal Wyler move.
A unilateral "save the world
because nobody but me can" move.
And your answer to that is to report it
up the chain to Miguel Ganon.
It's not okay the way you talk to me.
If you would have said the president
or Billie, but the guy you called, um
a neck with a nose.
- Doesn't matter what I think.
- I'm gonna mark it on my calendar.
The day Hal Wyler told me
the only rational thing to do
is write a cable to the seventh floor
so we could kill someone's career
and make way for me and you.
[footsteps receding]
[somber music playing]
[Kate] Was I happier?
Before Hal?
- Oh shit. I don't remember.
- I don't either.
I don't think you were happier.
But this is sadder
than you were before him.
Yeah.
There was a good middle.
An epic middle.
I really I believed
that he could be different.
I changed a lot. And he didn't.
What?
Honey, I am on your side. Always.
If you weren't on my side,
what would you say?
If you were on Hal's side. I mean it.
You want him to behave.
But when he does, you don't see it.
You can't even detect it.
I worry sometimes that
you don't like it.
You don't like him
when he's good.
[intriguing music playing]
You up?
No.
[music fades out]
You're right.
We need to tell Ganon.
Really?
Yeah.
But I shouldn't do it.
You should.
Why?
I need a clean profile.
I want to be vice president.
You're the hottest fucking thing
I've ever seen.
- I know, right?
- You're so fucking hot.
I am!
[laughing]
I'm not trying to make you cry.
Good.
Uh
It's okay not to talk.
I understand that we are not
getting back together.
With time, I start to get the message.
- But I just want to say
- Oh my God.
No, I would like to say
that we broke up because of
how you feel about relationships.
There's a narrative here that says
we broke up because I did something wrong,
and that's a load of hooey.
I brought up a complication
and you bolted,
because you're commitment averse.
And as a friend,
as a person who cares about you
as another person,
You need to deal with it, or you're gonna
be alone for the rest of your life.
I don't want that for you.
Okay, I see why
I shouldn't say these things at work.
Hi.
Hal has to go to the embassy and make
a secure call to the secretary of state.
- Can you
- Yeah.
I don't think
we want to swing through Asia,
but you can see if it's something
he's really attached to.
Why don't we go for a walk?
Phone? Do you want to lock it
or go with the cubby?
Whatever.
- Howard?
- Yup. Hi.
[Howard] We spoke
to Secretary Ganon's office.
He's wrapping up a meeting
and then he'll be on.
Actually, can you hang on a minute?
There's something else
I need you to do for me.
Apparently Margaret Thatcher used to
come here when she needed to think.
- She'd do laps around the grounds.
- Oh yeah?
The house staff says her ghost
has been spotted walking the loop.
Kate, I need your assurance
you're not going to tell anyone.
Of course.
No heroic press conferences.
I'm not telling anyone.
- [woman on call] He's coming in.
- Thank you.
Sir, we have Ambassador Hal Wyler
up on the link.
- [man] Morning.
- Good morning, sir.
Sorry to interrupt.
Ambassador, I intend to keep my job.
- I understand that.
- You have to stop chasing it.
I'm not.
Sure about that?
- It was chasing me.
- So you're done?
You've abandoned
all your vice-presidential ambitions?
Yes.
Then why's your hair up?
Where's my phone? Get my cell phone.
- We don't allow cell phones.
- Get the ambassador on the phone.
Can you call Alysse and find out
when the ambassador is available?
Get my wife on the phone!
- None of this is my decision.
- There we are.
- It's not yours either.
- I am flooded with relief right now.
- I so dislike being gaslit.
- You're not being gaslit.
I so dislike being gaslit
that even when I learn
that a grasping hayseed is after my job,
I'm overcome with relief.
Ma'am, I don't want your job.
I have been trying like hell
to get out of it.
But if the president asks me to serve,
the answer is yes.
No. That is incorrect. The answer is no.
When you're out of your depth,
and the lady in the chair is not,
when it's clear that
the president's request
is coming from anxiety
or the misperception that
shaking a snow globe
changes the internal architecture,
you say no
to the President of the United States.
I realize you faced a bad situation.
It was unbearably complicated.
It wasn't, actually.
You would've done exactly the same thing.
Maybe I would have.
Don't get me wrong,
I'm grateful I wasn't in your shoes.
Then why do you think you should be now?
Ambassador, I'm sorry to interrupt.
Mr. Wyler's on the phone.
He says it's urgent.
- Really?
- Kate?
I just told the VP I wanted her job.
I feel like I should follow up.
- Kate, I did something.
- What did you do?
I thought it would be better,
because what if Ganon
made it all about Ganon?
Hal, what did you do?
I didn't talk to Ganon.
I talked to the, the, the president.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Kate, he got
- What?
- He got He got really upset.
What does that mean?
[door opens]
[dramatic music playing]
He died, Katie.
The president is dead.
[shouting] Ma'am!
Grace Penn is president.
[dramatic music continues]
[somber music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[music fades out]