Designated Survivor (2016) s02e21 Episode Script
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1 Previously on "Designated Survivor" Dax Minter has been arrested.
I'm sorry that you got pulled into all of this.
I'm not.
I made a friend.
I'm moving to San Francisco.
Go get 'em out there.
When this hacking investigation is over you will have learned much about America you can share.
Maybe enough to keep yourself alive.
[TIRES SCREECH.]
- Hannah! - [SCREAMS.]
[GUNFIRE.]
- I found something.
- Valeria Poriskova? Minter tried to get rid of me and make it look like Frost did it.
And who better to hire than a Russian agent who you've been clashing with? Valeria missed me and killed Damian.
I can't let you hunt down Valeria.
You lay those down, you may not get them back.
Bye, Aaron.
[GLASS SHATTERS.]
[GROANS.]
I'm just trying to find Valeria Poriskova.
MAN: Never heard of her.
She lives here.
This is her house.
Where's Valeria? [GRUNTS.]
Where is she?! Freeze! Hands up! You the guy who called 911? Yeah.
This maniac tried to kill me.
Who are you? I'm Hannah Wells.
I work for the You work for who? Never mind.
Hands on the wall.
TREY: Kendra.
Good morning.
[EXHALES SHARPLY.]
I didn't want to wake ya, but, um, you know where the other one of these is? Kitchen.
Yes.
Okay.
I'll help you find it.
No, I-I got it.
Okay.
I'm gonna show myself out.
Sounds good.
Morning.
Morning.
[SIGHS.]
Where are we at on the defense budget? Sir, we have a congressional consensus.
$726 billion.
Okay, you're starting out with the numbers instead of substance, which means there must be a problem.
Senators Crowell and Feller are shifting goalposts again.
It took us six months to negotiate this deal in principle.
- What's their agenda? - We don't know, sir, but something's up.
Well, I think maybe we should find out what it is, don't you? - Yes, sir.
- In the meantime, I'll get the senators here, sir.
Today This bill's too important.
We need to keep our eye on the ball.
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- Turn on "Beltway Beat.
" [TELEVISION TURNS ON.]
This presidency has finally run aground.
Now, Tom Kirkman is a good man, a fine man.
But he is an amateur in a job that demands a professional.
What this country needs more than anything else right now is leadership, and I am afraid that President Kirkman is simply out of his depth.
LYOR: He's been taking a flamethrower to you ever since the 25th Amendment proceeding.
Lyor, it's called the 1st Amendment.
He can say whatever he wants.
But he can't leak classified information, which is a crime, and he's a repeat offender.
No one would like to prosecute Moss more than me, but we all know that's it's next to impossible to prove.
It would look like I'm using this office to settle personal political scores.
What about a special counsel, then, someone with no allegiance to the Administration? Attorney General Beckett could appoint one for you.
I don't like the way it'll look.
Sir, if anyone else had leaked classified information, you would prosecute them, right? If I had the evidence, yes.
So you can't go after Moss for political reasons, but you can't protect him for political ones, either.
- Turn on "D.
C.
News Daily.
" - I hate television.
All I'm saying is that if I'd left it to the Administration, that kid would still be rotting in a prison in Bultan.
INTERVIEWER: So, the President did not help negotiate Matthew Jennings' release? [CHUCKLES.]
Sure, if by "help" you mean "hinder.
" - What a pest.
- Not just any pest He's a termite eating away at our foundation.
He's a scorpion to our frog.
I don't think so.
I think he's a solution.
- To what? - We want to prosecute Moss, we'd have to appoint someone who's considered an unfriendly, someone whose impartiality could not be questioned.
Someone who went after you in the 25th Amendment proceeding and keeps taking shots.
Use one problem to solve the other.
That's damn good.
[GROANS.]
Okay, okay.
[SIGHS.]
[CELLPHONE BEEPS.]
[LINE RINGING.]
Hi, Trey? It's Kendra.
Y You left your wallet here.
Sure, sure.
I can wait.
Okay.
[SIGHS.]
Senator, the V.
A.
budget has increased, and I honestly believe that our veterans will get absolutely everything that they need.
Not enough to keep pace with inflation.
But billions more for new aircraft we don't need? You have my sympathetic ear, but it's the best we can do.
You knew where the GOP stands.
Yes, sir, but where do you stand? You're 20 months into your Administration still trying to govern as an Independent.
It's the wrong path, and it's not too late to change course.
What exactly are you trying to say? That on every social issue that matters you're a Democrat, and my party needs a leader.
With all due respect, Senator, I think I'm looking at a perfectly capable leader right now.
Yes, sir, but I'm not gonna run for President.
We're 16 months from the general election, and you still haven't had a conversation with us about your plans.
We have to get our ducks in a row, sir, and we're hoping Senator, you want to talk about the future, and I want to talk about the present.
This bill right here, right now That should be our focus, our priority.
I appreciate that, sir.
You want our green light, you'll need some movement from the GOP.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- Did that just happen? Yep.
She's using the D.
O.
D.
budget as leverage to bring you into the fold.
Well, it's not gonna work.
If we can't get her to compromise, we'll get Senator Feller to move.
You can mark that down The race for the Presidency just started.
And our guy's expression of interest No, it was a proclamation of disinterest.
- Well, 16 months is a long time.
- An eon.
Except for when you're talking about a presidential campaign.
- Nope.
Yeah.
- So it begins.
[CAR DOOR SHUTS.]
Kendra? Kendra! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! It's me.
You okay? - Yeah.
- It's me.
- Okay.
- You all right? Yeah.
I'll just take this okay.
What matters is that you're both all right.
Kendra, do you need anything else? I'm fine.
Thank you, sir.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Mr.
President, this is Detective Pineda.
Detective, what do you know? Not much, sir.
We're still canvassing the scene.
Ms.
Daynes, if you could take us through it.
I was getting ready for work.
Um, I heard a sound.
I was expecting Trey Mr.
Kirkman And, um, then I heard glass shattering.
I must've got there a few minutes after whoever did this left.
So you had just arrived? No, I was there, but then I left.
I came back for my wallet.
Do you think that this was a burglary? No, sir.
Nothing was taken.
I'm considering this an attack on the White House.
Detective, I want you to run everything through Mike.
Yes, sir.
We'll keep the circle on this as tight as possible.
Ms.
Daynes, we'll need to get a full statement.
Thank you.
Excuse me for one moment.
Trey.
I-I know what you're gonna say.
Firstly, thank God you weren't hurt.
Is that it? What were you doing there? Look, Kendra and I were at that Kennedy Center thing, we got to talking, got some sangria at that tapas joint, and Trey, Kendra is part of my staff.
I cannot allow that to be compromised.
I hope you understand.
I get it.
Okay, thanks.
Sit tight, Mike's gonna want to talk to you.
Kendra, I'm so sorry.
- You know where my mind keeps going? - Where? Every hang-up I've had in the last six months, every time something got lost in the mail.
Yeah, well, my mind would be going there, too, but that doesn't mean that there's a connection.
I know Ritter is chasing down every lead, but it's my home, you know? I mean, what if they'd found me? Okay, let's talk about something else, something that is none of my business.
Let's not.
What? It's Trey.
It's a big deal.
It is a big deal.
Three months since I've been with anyone, and I manage to hook up with my Kirkman's brother right before someone nearly Patty Hearst'd my ass.
Well, yeah, the timing's not great, but If I didn't have bad timing, I wouldn't have timing at all.
Think this will be a thing? It was one night.
Well, there could be another one.
I mean, he's smart and he's cute.
And you know where to find each other.
Yeah.
I'll be in the bathroom with a baseball bat, and he'll be trying to bash me with a candlestick.
It's the beginning of every great love story.
Look, take the day if you need to.
No one expects you to be here after what happened.
It's what I expect of myself.
I'm an advocate, not a victim, and I'm not gonna let anything change that.
Okay.
LYOR: Your title will be special prosecutor.
Not interested.
It's a high-profile post.
For an errand boy.
You'll be a Justice Department appointee.
Justice answers to the president.
You'll have a mandate.
Complete independence.
The president gives you his word.
My only agenda would be to find the truth.
I'll take that as far as it goes.
The president has to know that.
When can you start? Immediately.
Good.
The important thing is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
So no coordination with the White House.
None whatsoever.
You answer only to the Attorney General.
I agree.
Which is why I need you to do one thing for me.
Yeah, what's that? Leave.
You realize you were played, right? The guy you attacked, he was working for Valeria.
The the only thing you're getting closer to is getting yourself locked up.
And what are you doing, anyway? She killed Damian, Aaron.
I'm not letting her get away with it.
Hannah, you don't know if she's still in the country.
And even if she were, you're a private citizen now.
You don't have cover for your shenanigans anymore.
So why are you here? 'Cause my middle name is "cover.
" [LAUGHS.]
And there's this other thing.
What do you need? Ethan West has been appointed special counsel to look into Moss.
And he's conducting interviews.
You need me to talk to him? Yeah.
So you investigated former President Moss for murder? Yes.
For the killing of a British member of Parliament.
He was exonerated, right? He was.
But he still obstructed justice by lying about his relationship to the victim to investigators.
- Was he charged for that? - No.
Was Secretary Moss a suspect in your hacking investigation? Yes.
But not the culprit.
No.
Look, I don't know what it is what you're asking because it was my understanding that Moss was being investigated for leaking classified information.
My charter is to investigate all of the secretary's alleged wrongdoing.
Yours is to cooperate.
That's correct.
I'm here to answer any question you have.
Good.
Let's carry on.
EMILY: Thank you for coming, senators.
We have spent billions and billions of dollars developing the F-44, only to be met with delay after delay.
Simply throwing more money at it's a bad investment.
You won't say that when we roll the plane out.
Next to nuclear power, it'll be the greatest deterrent this country's ever known.
Senator Crowell doesn't agree.
Well, she's wrong.
We don't have to spend money taking care of our soldiers if we stop wars from starting in the first place.
Do you want to know where I stand on this? We had a deal and now we don't.
I find that unacceptable.
I understand the frustration, sir.
You're trying to wrangle two parties.
Maybe it would be better if you only had to wrangle one.
Excuse me? General election.
GOP needs a candidate.
You would make a fine one.
I don't know what's in the water around this place lately, but I'm not drinking it.
Senator, we're here to talk about the bill.
- Mr.
President - If the election were tomorrow, I would not run as a Republican nor a Democrat.
You're fiscally conservative, strong on defense.
- We can work with the rest.
- Senator, please.
The country needs your leadership.
And if you're ready to lead, you need the right team behind you.
We're not here to talk about my political future.
We're here to talk about the military spending bill.
So why don't we do that? And you have our position.
If you want a deal, bring Senator Crowell around.
[SIGHS DEEPLY.]
How the hell did we get to this place where both parties are asking me to lead? One of the parties is circling a candidate.
But they'd rather back the incumbent.
And the other party caught wind of it.
Now it's a feeding frenzy.
And you're the meal, sir.
This talk of elections is too big of a distraction.
We need to make it perfectly clear to both parties that I am inflexible on this issue.
[CELLPHONE RINGS.]
[RINGING CONTINUES.]
Hi, Trey.
I'm I'm so sorry, but I just It's not a good time to talk right now.
MAN: You have a beautiful home, Ms.
Daynes.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you in person.
Who is this? I need you to look into an unsolved murder Lewis Garren.
Shot to death in 2008 and nobody cares.
I want to know who this is.
Lewis Garren.
Look into who killed him.
Or next time, I'll do more than mess up your place.
[DIAL TONE.]
I was an AUSA back then, but I didn't work the Garren case.
The file says that a Gabe Herlihy was a person of interest.
Then the trail went cold.
Herlihy.
I tried him for a different murder.
Pete Archer.
But we cut Herlihy a deal in order to finger a cartel.
Witness protection.
That's why the FBI couldn't hang the Garren murder on him.
He was already in witness protection.
But why break into my place? I had nothing to do with Garren.
My guess is Garren is a stalking horse.
- Why? - Garren was a dirtbag with no next of kin.
Nobody would want his murder avenged.
That leaves Pete Archer.
What can you tell us about him? His family was devastated we let Herlihy escape.
Mom committed suicide.
Dad went into a grief spiral.
Last I heard, Pete's brother, Mickey, was circling the drain.
Herlihy can't be prosecuted for Pete Archer, right? Not per the terms of his deal, no.
But he still can for Garren.
We never officially gave him immunity for that.
Something the Archers might know.
I think we need to look into them.
[CAR ALARM CHIRPS.]
- Hey, Chuck.
- Ah! Hannah, I can't help you if you're not working for the White House.
Relax.
I just need a sounding board, okay? Not a lecture.
So I'm trying to hunt down Valeria, but she's got the jump on me.
'Cause she knows her enemy.
She knew you'd come for her.
She double-crossed the Russians by working for Dax Minter.
Which means if the Russians find her, they will kill her.
So instead of skipping town, she's trying to get me arrested? She obviously wants you out of commission, Hannah.
Yeah, but why? Hey, nice Nice talking to you.
This was This was great.
Heart attack.
[SIGHS.]
Okay, just for fun, I'm gonna give one last word to the youngest spelling bee champion in this nation's history.
'Cause this is a tough one.
Soubrette.
Soubrette.
S-O-U-B-R-E-T-T-E.
Soubrette.
She's right again.
- [APPLAUSE.]
- That's amazing.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Thank you, pool.
Appreciate it.
Mr.
President, are you running? Only from you.
Uh, what about reports that you refused overtures to join the Republican and Democratic parties? I'm a registered independent.
Nothing has changed.
So you're not thinking of re-election? The only thing I'm thinking right now is about the DOD budget.
That's languishing because Senators Crowell and Feller have decided to play politics.
So I am inviting them and their respective parties to come back to work and do their jobs.
Thank you, everybody.
Thank you.
Mr.
President, one follow up.
[REPORTERS CLAMORING.]
Did the president just call out the Speaker and the Minority Leader in front of the entire press pool? Yep.
How do you spell catastrophe? ANCHOR: Swift reaction from congressional leadership to the president's accusations that both parties are politicizing the issue of America's security.
They're taking your words out of context.
Not the first time.
Well, they're just getting started, sir.
You really poked the bear this time.
You poked the bear, the donkey, the elephant.
You pissed off the whole zoo.
Which will make a deal on DOD funding harder to reach.
If the microscope's on me, it's on the leadership, too.
- Sir, can I be frank? - When are you not? The real governance question here isn't whether you're gonna run.
It's whether Washington thinks you're gonna run.
And if they know you're not, you're a lame duck.
Well, I haven't decided if I'm gonna run or not, Lyor.
De facto, you have.
The defense bill is a litmus test, sir.
You used it to thumb your nose at both parties.
Which means they're gonna move on.
Well, a-and it's harder to govern when Congress thinks you don't want to.
Look, sir, you don't have to declare, you can just affiliate.
Leave open the possibility that you want to run.
If I decide to run, I'm doing it as an independent.
Not credibly, sir.
The last independent to win the White House was George Washington, and he'd won a little thing called the Revolutionary War.
Thank you for your counsel, but I'm not gonna affiliate myself with any party just because I want to pass a bill.
Then we're out of options with this one.
Then we'd better find some.
And fast.
Because this legislation needs to pass.
I'll put out a statement that the president has the utmost respect for both parties.
No, it's time to play offense, not defense.
Be critical.
Take them to task.
We need to be proactive if we want to get our legislative initiative back on track.
Yeah, which is why I'm gonna find out who our mystery candidate is.
How's that gonna help us? Well, if I can take the shine off him, I can get us back to the status quo, focusing on the DOD bill and the president's agenda.
For how long? The election's in 16 months.
Sooner or later, both parties are gonna move on.
And our guy and our agenda are toast.
AARON: Why does a special prosecutor want to talk to me? There are a lot of allegations that President Moss compromised this administration's security.
Oh, they're facts.
They're not allegations.
Okay, let's focus on one fact The NASA hack.
I'm familiar with it.
President Moss back-channeled with the Russians without the president's authorization? Yes, he promised Ambassador Pavlov the US would not investigate Russia's involvement with Icarus Astrotech if Moscow would cooperate in saving the space station.
How'd you learn this? Hannah Wells confirmed President Moss's shadow diplomacy.
He lied to her during the course of her investigation.
Hannah Wells.
There's that name again.
She does a lot of work for the White House? Yes, she was detailed here.
And did she find anything that unambiguously points to crimes President Moss may have committed? Well, t-that's for you to decide, Mr.
West, isn't it? So it is.
Well, let's go through my little list of malfeasance.
See if we can shed some more light on it.
All right.
HANNAH: Chuck, I know why Valeria wanted me out of the way.
So she could toss my condo.
The place is completely ransacked.
Anything gone? I mean, I don't know.
There's nothing here to take.
Question is, what was she looking for? It's a funny coincidence.
Damian's apartment was broken into a few days ago.
And you didn't think to tell me that? You don't work here anymore.
Forget it.
What was missing from Damian's place? Nothing.
We had already cleaned it out.
So she decided to toss my place thinking it might be here.
That'd be my guess.
Valeria gets burned.
Russia's trying to kill her.
What could Damian have that would help her? Maybe something she could trade Moscow in exchange for her life.
Where are Damian's personal effects? Evidence lockup.
Secure facility.
Don't worry.
Valeria can't get in.
Maybe I can.
SETH: The press release is out.
Criticizing both parties for dragging their feet on the DOD budget.
And not supporting our soldiers.
Good! See? We changed the narrative.
It's not Kirkman failing this system, it's The system failing him.
How'd it go? It's hard to say.
I mean, West was all over Hannah's investigation into Moss.
That's wonderful! That means he's digging in.
He's looking to buttress his case.
I hear Moss is going to show up at the questioning.
And he's not taking the Fifth.
No, he's too proud for that.
That means he's gonna hang himself.
Seth, you want to get a press release ready? - No.
- Lyor, the former president getting indicted is no cause for celebration.
Who's celebrating? "It is with a heavy heart that the administration acknowledges the need to hold our elected officials accountable Even former presidents.
" - So celebrating.
- Oh, it's the best day ever.
[LAUGHS.]
I'm pleased you've agreed to answer my questions, - President Moss.
- Against the advice of counsel.
But I have nothing to hide.
Then I'll cut to the chase.
Did you leak classified information to the press? No.
The negotiations between East and West Hun Chiu Yes, President Lee did disclose them to me, but all I did was pass that information along.
The subpoena the First Lady received in the Icarus Astrotech The mere fact that she was subpoenaed was not confidential.
The items requested by the subpoena may have been.
But I did not disclose them.
The White House's internal ethics investigation It was not a classified matter.
Surely you can do better, Mr.
West.
What about your obstruction in the Charlotte Thorn case? - Lying to investigators? - Well, I did not lie.
I admit I could have been more forthcoming.
But President Kirkman deemed my behavior unworthy of prosecution.
Now, if you think it is, I will use his words as my defense.
I did nothing wrong.
For an innocent guy, you arouse a lot of suspicion.
Yes, and you might want to ask yourself why that is.
Why the president sicced his personal guard dog, Hannah Wells, on me.
Over and over again.
Yeah, why did he do that? Animus.
Jealousy.
Take your pick.
All I can tell you is that I will not disavow anything I have done.
And if I need to go to court to vindicate my reputation, I will.
I appreciate you taking the time to see me, Tom.
Meeting with an enemy is a civilized thing to do.
You think I'm the enemy? Advocating for a special counsel doesn't make you a friend.
I've done nothing wrong.
Well, if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to fear.
Cooperate with the investigation.
Should be over in a moment.
But it won't be.
No.
No, this is just the beginning.
Special counsel is a Pandora's Box.
You're a student of history.
You should know that.
I'm not gonna fire him, Cornelius.
He should never have been appointed! You and I both know the truth.
You're gonna be held accountable.
Yes.
Yes, I am going to be held accountable, Tom.
And so are you.
Because if I'm charged with anything, you know what my defense will be? I've got a pretty good idea.
You will be my defense.
"I was protecting the country from Tom Kirkman.
His inexperience.
His recklessness.
" Your name will be my refrain.
My psalm.
My salvation.
And you think that that's somehow supposed to scare me? I think it's supposed to make you see reason.
Two presidents going after each other.
You think that's good for the republic? Oh, so that's what you're doing here.
You're going to save the republic now? How noble of you.
I've come here to talk common sense.
But I see you're past that.
Cornelius, you and I have very different ideas about what's good for this country.
Yes, but going after both political parties? A former president? If you really think that's what's best for this country, you shouldn't be sitting in that chair.
But I am.
Good luck, Cornelius.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
FRED: You're talking about a 20-year-old case.
But let me get this straight You're saying my son Mickey is a suspect in a break-in? And you think he followed it up with a threatening phone call? We just need to find him and ask him some questions, Mr.
Archer.
- That's all.
- I have no idea where Mickey is.
We haven't spoken in weeks.
I spend most of my time in chemo.
Not keeping tabs on my son.
Well, we're worried about him, sir, because his red pickup was seen near Ms.
Daynes' home.
MIKE: Right around the time it was broken into.
And if Mickey was involved and he have to find him, might not go well for him.
Why is she here? To make a personal appeal, sir.
I know what Pete's murder has done to your family.
What you did to my family.
By giving that animal Herlihy witness protection.
Yes.
And I'm sorry that Pete's killer was unprosecuted.
And I'm sorry that you are sick.
Maybe he's trying to get justice before it's too late.
But I don't want any more harm to come to your family.
So if Mickey did break into my place - He didn't.
- I won't press charges.
I'll get him help.
Help? I know what kind of help you're good for.
You did nothing to bring Pete's killer to justice.
And now, you're coming after my other son.
Mr.
Archer, I'd think hard about Ms.
Daynes' offer.
Which goes against my advice.
Tell us where Mickey is.
Let us bring him in.
I want you all out of my house.
Now.
PINEDA: Mickey Archer has no phone number.
No known address.
We don't have a lead.
Yeah, we do.
You see that picture Ms.
Daynes was looking at? Yeah, what about it? Duckwall Bait 'n Tackle.
It's a little fishing village in West Virginia.
It's pretty out of the way.
It's a good place to go if you want to fish Or disappear.
Let's see if we can reel Mickey Archer in.
MIKE: That's Archer's red pickup over there.
[CHAINSAW STARTS, HUMS.]
Secret Service.
Oh, yeah, hang on.
Hang on.
Hang on.
Mickey Archer? [GUNSHOT.]
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
We searched Mickey Archer's trailer.
There were reams of material on the Garren killing.
Pretty obsessive.
He was trying to make a case against Herlihy.
Until he ran out of patience.
His father only has a few months left to live, and Mickey figured Ms.
Daynes could speed things up.
Kendra, I'm sorry it ended this way, but I'm glad you're okay.
Thank you, sir.
[TELEPHONE RINGS.]
I've been back-channeling with the leadership about the defense bill.
Their positions have hardened.
Meaning if I don't pick a side You're gonna be the fall guy.
Especially if we can't pass legislation.
Sir, going it alone is finally taking its toll.
I think y-you need to pick a party, Mr.
President.
If I don't? Then we stumble to the finish line with no allies.
And no leverage.
Bring the leadership back up here.
We've got a decision to make.
Yes, sir.
It appears that we are at an impasse.
- Yes, sir.
- Mr.
President, we have real differences with the majority on this legislation.
Yes, I know.
Differences that we spent months working out together.
Until both of you decided to try and leverage me for political gain.
At the expense of the men and women who fight and die for us.
Who allow us to sit here in this office and play God with their lives.
Telling them which guns they can use.
Planes they can fly.
Medicines they can get.
Mr.
President Senators, I have no intention of joining either of your parties.
When I declared myself an independent, I meant it.
And it's that very independence that's given me credibility.
Respectfully, sir, you'll have less if you go it alone.
Perhaps, but not today.
My staff has drawn up a final bill.
One that reflects the bipartisan work we did together.
And both of your parties will endorse it.
And if we don't? I will take whatever political capital I have left and I will make my case to the people.
I will tell them that I believe partisanship is ruining this country.
And that their representatives are more interested in keeping their power than serving the people and the soldiers that defend them.
Everyone in your caucuses will have copies of this by the end of the hour.
I suggest you get your people to fall in line.
Thank you.
ANCHOR: In a stunning win for the White House both majority and minority leadership of the Senate Hey, come on in.
President Kirkman's sweeping defense bill.
- The unexpected - Congratulations.
Thank you very much.
How are you doing? Better now that this is all over.
What is it? I just hope this thing with Kendra isn't over.
Trey, I thought I made myself perfectly clear.
Tom, you think I'm gonna embarrass you? That I'm gonna hook up with a member of your senior staff and then just blow her off? I think you have a history with that.
Yeah, one I've spent a lot of time trying to live down.
But I can't do that unless you let me up.
Trey, this isn't a joke.
Optics are everything here.
I like her, Tom.
Not just as a notch on my belt.
But as someone I want to get to know.
You know, all those meetings for Alex's foundation that I pressed for, that was so I could see her.
[SIGHS.]
Really? Yeah.
Then I think you should tell her that.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
How you doing? Good.
And by "Good," you mean bad.
I was an AUSA for six years.
All I ever worried about was my conviction rate.
Like any decent prosecutor.
So I gave Herlihy a pass on Pete Archer so he could help me make a half a dozen cases.
- And he did.
- The greater good.
Not for the Archers.
Mom took her own life.
Both of the sons are dead.
And, um, the dad is really sick.
There's no justice.
And I feel like last place in the world I want to go tonight is my own home.
So crash on my couch.
You will wake up with a backache so bad, you won't even be able to think of anything else.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah? Yeah.
I'll go home and And get a couple things.
I will go get your stuff.
The idea is to keep you away from home, right? I'll go right after work.
You're sure? Keys.
Thanks, Emily.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
What do you want? Five minutes.
To do what? To go through Damian's personal belongings.
Hannah, you know I can't let you do that.
Why not? We keep having this conversation.
You don't work for the White House anymore.
You're on a leave of absence.
It's your choice.
- I know.
- Even if you're still credentialed, it's just personal belongings.
FBI's been all over that stuff.
There's no evidence of anything.
Damian died in my arms.
I didn't get to say goodbye.
I never do.
I'm not looking for evidence, Aaron.
I need closure.
Five minutes, Hannah.
No more.
Thanks, Aaron.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
HANNAH: "See you at our spot"? Why would you keep this? [METAL RATTLES.]
DAMIAN: Hannah, if you're watching this, then I'm dead.
I need to you know what I was trying to hand you that night on the bridge.
Chelsea.
842 Hammersmith Lane.
Apartment 6B.
That's the address of my daughter, Amy, in London.
Because if I'm dead, Valeria will come for her to close the loop.
Because Russia will think that Amy knows something that she shouldn't.
But all Amy knows is what it's like to be a 16-year-old girl with no mum and a father she thinks is in the foreign service.
A father who, I suppose, is now gone.
I guess it doesn't really matter now, but, um, I want you to know something as well, Hannah.
I really wish things had worked out differently between us.
But if I matter to you Even just a little bit Please do this for me, Hannah, okay? Please protect my daughter.
There's no one else I can trust.
842 Hammersmith Lane.
Apartment 6B.
That's where you'll find her.
HANNAH: [EXHALES DEEPLY.]
I need a ticket to London Heathrow.
Tonight.
I'm hearing they caught the guy.
Hi.
Excuse me.
Yeah.
He tried to shoot his way out, which didn't end well for him.
But the guy who was at the root of it all, Gabe Herlihy, I'm having him brought in for questioning.
- No immunity? - No.
Herlihy killed Garren before he went into witness protection.
Which means he lied.
And lying voids his immunity deal.
Good.
Then you get to put an end to all this.
Listen, um, I wanted to talk to you about, uh, last night.
[SIGHS.]
I wanted to apologize.
I'm not really big on follow-up.
I'm sorry if you feel used.
Used? Well, that's just my MO.
I don't really date.
When I meet someone I actually like, I, uh I tend to screw it up.
Did I? Well, I'm wounded.
Being taken advantage of for my body, it's just [SIGHS.]
It's getting so old.
How can I make it up to you? Dinner this weekend? Only if we skip the tequila this time.
And the home invasion.
Uh, it's a date.
Seth, slow down.
Start over.
The mystery candidate.
It's Cornelius Moss.
I got it from a reliable source.
Oh, wow.
So he's gonna run for president again.
I knew he was trying to get back in the game.
When you snubbed both parties, his stock rose.
There's a million reasons you don't want Moss to run.
He'd be a formidable adversary.
His candidacy puts a cloud over the special counsel's investigation.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS.]
- Mr.
President.
- He's here.
- Thank you.
I'll be right there.
He'll use his platform to attack your administration, sir.
I can't control what Moss does or when he does it.
All I can do is what I think is right.
I'll handle it.
Let justice be done though the heavens may fall.
Oh, they're gonna fall.
Unless West gets to Moss before Moss gets to a microphone.
TOM: Mr.
West, thank you for waiting.
Thank you for the time, Mr.
President.
I'm nearly ready to issue my preliminary findings.
I just have a few questions.
And I am at your disposal.
Hannah Wells she, uh, worked in the White House? Yes, she was reassigned here shortly after the Capitol bombing.
There were facets in the FBI that were interfering with her investigation.
Then-Acting Director Foerstel and I believed this was the best way to protect her.
She was like a Swiss Army knife to you guys, right? I mean, you had her drop off money to rebels in Kunami? If by a "Swiss Army knife," you mean that she was versatile, yes.
And yes, I had her deliver funds to rebel forces in Kunami.
And to investigate Secretary Moss's alleged obstruction No, no.
We were in a state of war.
Mr.
West, you don't have the security clearance to continue this discussion.
As I understood it, you're here to investigate the wrongdoings of President Moss.
Oh, I investigated President Moss.
- And? - I found evidence of bad judgment.
Narcissism.
Pettiness.
But those things aren't crimes.
And his classified leaks? I can't prove he leaked just because you said he did.
He leaked classified information to undermine my potential candidacy.
How do you know that? An internal investigation conducted by my staff.
Mr.
West, motive matters.
Yes, it does.
You deployed Hannah Wells to find dirt on a man you knew was a political opponent.
That is absolutely not true.
She conducted warrantless searches.
Unlawful surveillance.
Where the hell is this going? I have probable cause to believe you were part of a criminal conspiracy.
I'll have to notify the Attorney General of my findings.
Okay, this discussion is over.
And I am not talking with you again unless the White House counsel is present.
That may be the first thing we agree upon, Mr.
President.
I had the honor of serving this great country as its 44th president.
Since that time, we have suffered a crisis of leadership.
And though I never intended to run for office again, when my country needs me, I answer the call.
And so today, I am proud and humbled to announce my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of this great nation.
- [APPLAUSE.]
- Cornelius Moss.
The once and future President of the United States! Moss is right.
I opened Pandora's Box.
Well, we don't know what's going to come out of it.
Ethan West is going to forward his findings to the Attorney General.
It's not clear that a sitting president can be indicted for anything.
That's not the point.
An indictment would precipitate a Constitutional crisis.
And cripple your presidency.
And end thoughts of a second term.
Assuming you had thoughts.
[SIGHS.]
I want you all to do something for me.
SETH: Yes, sir.
Go home.
Get a good night's sleep, 'cause you're gonna need it.
'Cause we're gonna be back here first thing tomorrow.
You know why? Why, sir? 'Cause we're gonna do our jobs.
And we're gonna keep doing them until someone makes us stop.
Thank you.
All of you.
- Gabe Herlihy is dead.
- What? He was being brought into the FBI for questioning and a sniper got him.
We got a snatch of the shooter's license plate.
- Car came back to Fred Archer.
- The dad? We don't think he and Mickey were trying to bring Herlihy to justice.
They were trying to flush him out of witness protection so they could kill him.
Kendra, you need to be under 24-hour protection.
You can't go home.
Emily.
[LINE RINGING.]
[CELLPHONE RINGS.]
Girl, you have more shoes than I do [GUNSHOT.]
Emily! Emily!
I'm sorry that you got pulled into all of this.
I'm not.
I made a friend.
I'm moving to San Francisco.
Go get 'em out there.
When this hacking investigation is over you will have learned much about America you can share.
Maybe enough to keep yourself alive.
[TIRES SCREECH.]
- Hannah! - [SCREAMS.]
[GUNFIRE.]
- I found something.
- Valeria Poriskova? Minter tried to get rid of me and make it look like Frost did it.
And who better to hire than a Russian agent who you've been clashing with? Valeria missed me and killed Damian.
I can't let you hunt down Valeria.
You lay those down, you may not get them back.
Bye, Aaron.
[GLASS SHATTERS.]
[GROANS.]
I'm just trying to find Valeria Poriskova.
MAN: Never heard of her.
She lives here.
This is her house.
Where's Valeria? [GRUNTS.]
Where is she?! Freeze! Hands up! You the guy who called 911? Yeah.
This maniac tried to kill me.
Who are you? I'm Hannah Wells.
I work for the You work for who? Never mind.
Hands on the wall.
TREY: Kendra.
Good morning.
[EXHALES SHARPLY.]
I didn't want to wake ya, but, um, you know where the other one of these is? Kitchen.
Yes.
Okay.
I'll help you find it.
No, I-I got it.
Okay.
I'm gonna show myself out.
Sounds good.
Morning.
Morning.
[SIGHS.]
Where are we at on the defense budget? Sir, we have a congressional consensus.
$726 billion.
Okay, you're starting out with the numbers instead of substance, which means there must be a problem.
Senators Crowell and Feller are shifting goalposts again.
It took us six months to negotiate this deal in principle.
- What's their agenda? - We don't know, sir, but something's up.
Well, I think maybe we should find out what it is, don't you? - Yes, sir.
- In the meantime, I'll get the senators here, sir.
Today This bill's too important.
We need to keep our eye on the ball.
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- Turn on "Beltway Beat.
" [TELEVISION TURNS ON.]
This presidency has finally run aground.
Now, Tom Kirkman is a good man, a fine man.
But he is an amateur in a job that demands a professional.
What this country needs more than anything else right now is leadership, and I am afraid that President Kirkman is simply out of his depth.
LYOR: He's been taking a flamethrower to you ever since the 25th Amendment proceeding.
Lyor, it's called the 1st Amendment.
He can say whatever he wants.
But he can't leak classified information, which is a crime, and he's a repeat offender.
No one would like to prosecute Moss more than me, but we all know that's it's next to impossible to prove.
It would look like I'm using this office to settle personal political scores.
What about a special counsel, then, someone with no allegiance to the Administration? Attorney General Beckett could appoint one for you.
I don't like the way it'll look.
Sir, if anyone else had leaked classified information, you would prosecute them, right? If I had the evidence, yes.
So you can't go after Moss for political reasons, but you can't protect him for political ones, either.
- Turn on "D.
C.
News Daily.
" - I hate television.
All I'm saying is that if I'd left it to the Administration, that kid would still be rotting in a prison in Bultan.
INTERVIEWER: So, the President did not help negotiate Matthew Jennings' release? [CHUCKLES.]
Sure, if by "help" you mean "hinder.
" - What a pest.
- Not just any pest He's a termite eating away at our foundation.
He's a scorpion to our frog.
I don't think so.
I think he's a solution.
- To what? - We want to prosecute Moss, we'd have to appoint someone who's considered an unfriendly, someone whose impartiality could not be questioned.
Someone who went after you in the 25th Amendment proceeding and keeps taking shots.
Use one problem to solve the other.
That's damn good.
[GROANS.]
Okay, okay.
[SIGHS.]
[CELLPHONE BEEPS.]
[LINE RINGING.]
Hi, Trey? It's Kendra.
Y You left your wallet here.
Sure, sure.
I can wait.
Okay.
[SIGHS.]
Senator, the V.
A.
budget has increased, and I honestly believe that our veterans will get absolutely everything that they need.
Not enough to keep pace with inflation.
But billions more for new aircraft we don't need? You have my sympathetic ear, but it's the best we can do.
You knew where the GOP stands.
Yes, sir, but where do you stand? You're 20 months into your Administration still trying to govern as an Independent.
It's the wrong path, and it's not too late to change course.
What exactly are you trying to say? That on every social issue that matters you're a Democrat, and my party needs a leader.
With all due respect, Senator, I think I'm looking at a perfectly capable leader right now.
Yes, sir, but I'm not gonna run for President.
We're 16 months from the general election, and you still haven't had a conversation with us about your plans.
We have to get our ducks in a row, sir, and we're hoping Senator, you want to talk about the future, and I want to talk about the present.
This bill right here, right now That should be our focus, our priority.
I appreciate that, sir.
You want our green light, you'll need some movement from the GOP.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- Did that just happen? Yep.
She's using the D.
O.
D.
budget as leverage to bring you into the fold.
Well, it's not gonna work.
If we can't get her to compromise, we'll get Senator Feller to move.
You can mark that down The race for the Presidency just started.
And our guy's expression of interest No, it was a proclamation of disinterest.
- Well, 16 months is a long time.
- An eon.
Except for when you're talking about a presidential campaign.
- Nope.
Yeah.
- So it begins.
[CAR DOOR SHUTS.]
Kendra? Kendra! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! It's me.
You okay? - Yeah.
- It's me.
- Okay.
- You all right? Yeah.
I'll just take this okay.
What matters is that you're both all right.
Kendra, do you need anything else? I'm fine.
Thank you, sir.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Mr.
President, this is Detective Pineda.
Detective, what do you know? Not much, sir.
We're still canvassing the scene.
Ms.
Daynes, if you could take us through it.
I was getting ready for work.
Um, I heard a sound.
I was expecting Trey Mr.
Kirkman And, um, then I heard glass shattering.
I must've got there a few minutes after whoever did this left.
So you had just arrived? No, I was there, but then I left.
I came back for my wallet.
Do you think that this was a burglary? No, sir.
Nothing was taken.
I'm considering this an attack on the White House.
Detective, I want you to run everything through Mike.
Yes, sir.
We'll keep the circle on this as tight as possible.
Ms.
Daynes, we'll need to get a full statement.
Thank you.
Excuse me for one moment.
Trey.
I-I know what you're gonna say.
Firstly, thank God you weren't hurt.
Is that it? What were you doing there? Look, Kendra and I were at that Kennedy Center thing, we got to talking, got some sangria at that tapas joint, and Trey, Kendra is part of my staff.
I cannot allow that to be compromised.
I hope you understand.
I get it.
Okay, thanks.
Sit tight, Mike's gonna want to talk to you.
Kendra, I'm so sorry.
- You know where my mind keeps going? - Where? Every hang-up I've had in the last six months, every time something got lost in the mail.
Yeah, well, my mind would be going there, too, but that doesn't mean that there's a connection.
I know Ritter is chasing down every lead, but it's my home, you know? I mean, what if they'd found me? Okay, let's talk about something else, something that is none of my business.
Let's not.
What? It's Trey.
It's a big deal.
It is a big deal.
Three months since I've been with anyone, and I manage to hook up with my Kirkman's brother right before someone nearly Patty Hearst'd my ass.
Well, yeah, the timing's not great, but If I didn't have bad timing, I wouldn't have timing at all.
Think this will be a thing? It was one night.
Well, there could be another one.
I mean, he's smart and he's cute.
And you know where to find each other.
Yeah.
I'll be in the bathroom with a baseball bat, and he'll be trying to bash me with a candlestick.
It's the beginning of every great love story.
Look, take the day if you need to.
No one expects you to be here after what happened.
It's what I expect of myself.
I'm an advocate, not a victim, and I'm not gonna let anything change that.
Okay.
LYOR: Your title will be special prosecutor.
Not interested.
It's a high-profile post.
For an errand boy.
You'll be a Justice Department appointee.
Justice answers to the president.
You'll have a mandate.
Complete independence.
The president gives you his word.
My only agenda would be to find the truth.
I'll take that as far as it goes.
The president has to know that.
When can you start? Immediately.
Good.
The important thing is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
So no coordination with the White House.
None whatsoever.
You answer only to the Attorney General.
I agree.
Which is why I need you to do one thing for me.
Yeah, what's that? Leave.
You realize you were played, right? The guy you attacked, he was working for Valeria.
The the only thing you're getting closer to is getting yourself locked up.
And what are you doing, anyway? She killed Damian, Aaron.
I'm not letting her get away with it.
Hannah, you don't know if she's still in the country.
And even if she were, you're a private citizen now.
You don't have cover for your shenanigans anymore.
So why are you here? 'Cause my middle name is "cover.
" [LAUGHS.]
And there's this other thing.
What do you need? Ethan West has been appointed special counsel to look into Moss.
And he's conducting interviews.
You need me to talk to him? Yeah.
So you investigated former President Moss for murder? Yes.
For the killing of a British member of Parliament.
He was exonerated, right? He was.
But he still obstructed justice by lying about his relationship to the victim to investigators.
- Was he charged for that? - No.
Was Secretary Moss a suspect in your hacking investigation? Yes.
But not the culprit.
No.
Look, I don't know what it is what you're asking because it was my understanding that Moss was being investigated for leaking classified information.
My charter is to investigate all of the secretary's alleged wrongdoing.
Yours is to cooperate.
That's correct.
I'm here to answer any question you have.
Good.
Let's carry on.
EMILY: Thank you for coming, senators.
We have spent billions and billions of dollars developing the F-44, only to be met with delay after delay.
Simply throwing more money at it's a bad investment.
You won't say that when we roll the plane out.
Next to nuclear power, it'll be the greatest deterrent this country's ever known.
Senator Crowell doesn't agree.
Well, she's wrong.
We don't have to spend money taking care of our soldiers if we stop wars from starting in the first place.
Do you want to know where I stand on this? We had a deal and now we don't.
I find that unacceptable.
I understand the frustration, sir.
You're trying to wrangle two parties.
Maybe it would be better if you only had to wrangle one.
Excuse me? General election.
GOP needs a candidate.
You would make a fine one.
I don't know what's in the water around this place lately, but I'm not drinking it.
Senator, we're here to talk about the bill.
- Mr.
President - If the election were tomorrow, I would not run as a Republican nor a Democrat.
You're fiscally conservative, strong on defense.
- We can work with the rest.
- Senator, please.
The country needs your leadership.
And if you're ready to lead, you need the right team behind you.
We're not here to talk about my political future.
We're here to talk about the military spending bill.
So why don't we do that? And you have our position.
If you want a deal, bring Senator Crowell around.
[SIGHS DEEPLY.]
How the hell did we get to this place where both parties are asking me to lead? One of the parties is circling a candidate.
But they'd rather back the incumbent.
And the other party caught wind of it.
Now it's a feeding frenzy.
And you're the meal, sir.
This talk of elections is too big of a distraction.
We need to make it perfectly clear to both parties that I am inflexible on this issue.
[CELLPHONE RINGS.]
[RINGING CONTINUES.]
Hi, Trey.
I'm I'm so sorry, but I just It's not a good time to talk right now.
MAN: You have a beautiful home, Ms.
Daynes.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you in person.
Who is this? I need you to look into an unsolved murder Lewis Garren.
Shot to death in 2008 and nobody cares.
I want to know who this is.
Lewis Garren.
Look into who killed him.
Or next time, I'll do more than mess up your place.
[DIAL TONE.]
I was an AUSA back then, but I didn't work the Garren case.
The file says that a Gabe Herlihy was a person of interest.
Then the trail went cold.
Herlihy.
I tried him for a different murder.
Pete Archer.
But we cut Herlihy a deal in order to finger a cartel.
Witness protection.
That's why the FBI couldn't hang the Garren murder on him.
He was already in witness protection.
But why break into my place? I had nothing to do with Garren.
My guess is Garren is a stalking horse.
- Why? - Garren was a dirtbag with no next of kin.
Nobody would want his murder avenged.
That leaves Pete Archer.
What can you tell us about him? His family was devastated we let Herlihy escape.
Mom committed suicide.
Dad went into a grief spiral.
Last I heard, Pete's brother, Mickey, was circling the drain.
Herlihy can't be prosecuted for Pete Archer, right? Not per the terms of his deal, no.
But he still can for Garren.
We never officially gave him immunity for that.
Something the Archers might know.
I think we need to look into them.
[CAR ALARM CHIRPS.]
- Hey, Chuck.
- Ah! Hannah, I can't help you if you're not working for the White House.
Relax.
I just need a sounding board, okay? Not a lecture.
So I'm trying to hunt down Valeria, but she's got the jump on me.
'Cause she knows her enemy.
She knew you'd come for her.
She double-crossed the Russians by working for Dax Minter.
Which means if the Russians find her, they will kill her.
So instead of skipping town, she's trying to get me arrested? She obviously wants you out of commission, Hannah.
Yeah, but why? Hey, nice Nice talking to you.
This was This was great.
Heart attack.
[SIGHS.]
Okay, just for fun, I'm gonna give one last word to the youngest spelling bee champion in this nation's history.
'Cause this is a tough one.
Soubrette.
Soubrette.
S-O-U-B-R-E-T-T-E.
Soubrette.
She's right again.
- [APPLAUSE.]
- That's amazing.
Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Thank you, pool.
Appreciate it.
Mr.
President, are you running? Only from you.
Uh, what about reports that you refused overtures to join the Republican and Democratic parties? I'm a registered independent.
Nothing has changed.
So you're not thinking of re-election? The only thing I'm thinking right now is about the DOD budget.
That's languishing because Senators Crowell and Feller have decided to play politics.
So I am inviting them and their respective parties to come back to work and do their jobs.
Thank you, everybody.
Thank you.
Mr.
President, one follow up.
[REPORTERS CLAMORING.]
Did the president just call out the Speaker and the Minority Leader in front of the entire press pool? Yep.
How do you spell catastrophe? ANCHOR: Swift reaction from congressional leadership to the president's accusations that both parties are politicizing the issue of America's security.
They're taking your words out of context.
Not the first time.
Well, they're just getting started, sir.
You really poked the bear this time.
You poked the bear, the donkey, the elephant.
You pissed off the whole zoo.
Which will make a deal on DOD funding harder to reach.
If the microscope's on me, it's on the leadership, too.
- Sir, can I be frank? - When are you not? The real governance question here isn't whether you're gonna run.
It's whether Washington thinks you're gonna run.
And if they know you're not, you're a lame duck.
Well, I haven't decided if I'm gonna run or not, Lyor.
De facto, you have.
The defense bill is a litmus test, sir.
You used it to thumb your nose at both parties.
Which means they're gonna move on.
Well, a-and it's harder to govern when Congress thinks you don't want to.
Look, sir, you don't have to declare, you can just affiliate.
Leave open the possibility that you want to run.
If I decide to run, I'm doing it as an independent.
Not credibly, sir.
The last independent to win the White House was George Washington, and he'd won a little thing called the Revolutionary War.
Thank you for your counsel, but I'm not gonna affiliate myself with any party just because I want to pass a bill.
Then we're out of options with this one.
Then we'd better find some.
And fast.
Because this legislation needs to pass.
I'll put out a statement that the president has the utmost respect for both parties.
No, it's time to play offense, not defense.
Be critical.
Take them to task.
We need to be proactive if we want to get our legislative initiative back on track.
Yeah, which is why I'm gonna find out who our mystery candidate is.
How's that gonna help us? Well, if I can take the shine off him, I can get us back to the status quo, focusing on the DOD bill and the president's agenda.
For how long? The election's in 16 months.
Sooner or later, both parties are gonna move on.
And our guy and our agenda are toast.
AARON: Why does a special prosecutor want to talk to me? There are a lot of allegations that President Moss compromised this administration's security.
Oh, they're facts.
They're not allegations.
Okay, let's focus on one fact The NASA hack.
I'm familiar with it.
President Moss back-channeled with the Russians without the president's authorization? Yes, he promised Ambassador Pavlov the US would not investigate Russia's involvement with Icarus Astrotech if Moscow would cooperate in saving the space station.
How'd you learn this? Hannah Wells confirmed President Moss's shadow diplomacy.
He lied to her during the course of her investigation.
Hannah Wells.
There's that name again.
She does a lot of work for the White House? Yes, she was detailed here.
And did she find anything that unambiguously points to crimes President Moss may have committed? Well, t-that's for you to decide, Mr.
West, isn't it? So it is.
Well, let's go through my little list of malfeasance.
See if we can shed some more light on it.
All right.
HANNAH: Chuck, I know why Valeria wanted me out of the way.
So she could toss my condo.
The place is completely ransacked.
Anything gone? I mean, I don't know.
There's nothing here to take.
Question is, what was she looking for? It's a funny coincidence.
Damian's apartment was broken into a few days ago.
And you didn't think to tell me that? You don't work here anymore.
Forget it.
What was missing from Damian's place? Nothing.
We had already cleaned it out.
So she decided to toss my place thinking it might be here.
That'd be my guess.
Valeria gets burned.
Russia's trying to kill her.
What could Damian have that would help her? Maybe something she could trade Moscow in exchange for her life.
Where are Damian's personal effects? Evidence lockup.
Secure facility.
Don't worry.
Valeria can't get in.
Maybe I can.
SETH: The press release is out.
Criticizing both parties for dragging their feet on the DOD budget.
And not supporting our soldiers.
Good! See? We changed the narrative.
It's not Kirkman failing this system, it's The system failing him.
How'd it go? It's hard to say.
I mean, West was all over Hannah's investigation into Moss.
That's wonderful! That means he's digging in.
He's looking to buttress his case.
I hear Moss is going to show up at the questioning.
And he's not taking the Fifth.
No, he's too proud for that.
That means he's gonna hang himself.
Seth, you want to get a press release ready? - No.
- Lyor, the former president getting indicted is no cause for celebration.
Who's celebrating? "It is with a heavy heart that the administration acknowledges the need to hold our elected officials accountable Even former presidents.
" - So celebrating.
- Oh, it's the best day ever.
[LAUGHS.]
I'm pleased you've agreed to answer my questions, - President Moss.
- Against the advice of counsel.
But I have nothing to hide.
Then I'll cut to the chase.
Did you leak classified information to the press? No.
The negotiations between East and West Hun Chiu Yes, President Lee did disclose them to me, but all I did was pass that information along.
The subpoena the First Lady received in the Icarus Astrotech The mere fact that she was subpoenaed was not confidential.
The items requested by the subpoena may have been.
But I did not disclose them.
The White House's internal ethics investigation It was not a classified matter.
Surely you can do better, Mr.
West.
What about your obstruction in the Charlotte Thorn case? - Lying to investigators? - Well, I did not lie.
I admit I could have been more forthcoming.
But President Kirkman deemed my behavior unworthy of prosecution.
Now, if you think it is, I will use his words as my defense.
I did nothing wrong.
For an innocent guy, you arouse a lot of suspicion.
Yes, and you might want to ask yourself why that is.
Why the president sicced his personal guard dog, Hannah Wells, on me.
Over and over again.
Yeah, why did he do that? Animus.
Jealousy.
Take your pick.
All I can tell you is that I will not disavow anything I have done.
And if I need to go to court to vindicate my reputation, I will.
I appreciate you taking the time to see me, Tom.
Meeting with an enemy is a civilized thing to do.
You think I'm the enemy? Advocating for a special counsel doesn't make you a friend.
I've done nothing wrong.
Well, if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to fear.
Cooperate with the investigation.
Should be over in a moment.
But it won't be.
No.
No, this is just the beginning.
Special counsel is a Pandora's Box.
You're a student of history.
You should know that.
I'm not gonna fire him, Cornelius.
He should never have been appointed! You and I both know the truth.
You're gonna be held accountable.
Yes.
Yes, I am going to be held accountable, Tom.
And so are you.
Because if I'm charged with anything, you know what my defense will be? I've got a pretty good idea.
You will be my defense.
"I was protecting the country from Tom Kirkman.
His inexperience.
His recklessness.
" Your name will be my refrain.
My psalm.
My salvation.
And you think that that's somehow supposed to scare me? I think it's supposed to make you see reason.
Two presidents going after each other.
You think that's good for the republic? Oh, so that's what you're doing here.
You're going to save the republic now? How noble of you.
I've come here to talk common sense.
But I see you're past that.
Cornelius, you and I have very different ideas about what's good for this country.
Yes, but going after both political parties? A former president? If you really think that's what's best for this country, you shouldn't be sitting in that chair.
But I am.
Good luck, Cornelius.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
FRED: You're talking about a 20-year-old case.
But let me get this straight You're saying my son Mickey is a suspect in a break-in? And you think he followed it up with a threatening phone call? We just need to find him and ask him some questions, Mr.
Archer.
- That's all.
- I have no idea where Mickey is.
We haven't spoken in weeks.
I spend most of my time in chemo.
Not keeping tabs on my son.
Well, we're worried about him, sir, because his red pickup was seen near Ms.
Daynes' home.
MIKE: Right around the time it was broken into.
And if Mickey was involved and he have to find him, might not go well for him.
Why is she here? To make a personal appeal, sir.
I know what Pete's murder has done to your family.
What you did to my family.
By giving that animal Herlihy witness protection.
Yes.
And I'm sorry that Pete's killer was unprosecuted.
And I'm sorry that you are sick.
Maybe he's trying to get justice before it's too late.
But I don't want any more harm to come to your family.
So if Mickey did break into my place - He didn't.
- I won't press charges.
I'll get him help.
Help? I know what kind of help you're good for.
You did nothing to bring Pete's killer to justice.
And now, you're coming after my other son.
Mr.
Archer, I'd think hard about Ms.
Daynes' offer.
Which goes against my advice.
Tell us where Mickey is.
Let us bring him in.
I want you all out of my house.
Now.
PINEDA: Mickey Archer has no phone number.
No known address.
We don't have a lead.
Yeah, we do.
You see that picture Ms.
Daynes was looking at? Yeah, what about it? Duckwall Bait 'n Tackle.
It's a little fishing village in West Virginia.
It's pretty out of the way.
It's a good place to go if you want to fish Or disappear.
Let's see if we can reel Mickey Archer in.
MIKE: That's Archer's red pickup over there.
[CHAINSAW STARTS, HUMS.]
Secret Service.
Oh, yeah, hang on.
Hang on.
Hang on.
Mickey Archer? [GUNSHOT.]
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
We searched Mickey Archer's trailer.
There were reams of material on the Garren killing.
Pretty obsessive.
He was trying to make a case against Herlihy.
Until he ran out of patience.
His father only has a few months left to live, and Mickey figured Ms.
Daynes could speed things up.
Kendra, I'm sorry it ended this way, but I'm glad you're okay.
Thank you, sir.
[TELEPHONE RINGS.]
I've been back-channeling with the leadership about the defense bill.
Their positions have hardened.
Meaning if I don't pick a side You're gonna be the fall guy.
Especially if we can't pass legislation.
Sir, going it alone is finally taking its toll.
I think y-you need to pick a party, Mr.
President.
If I don't? Then we stumble to the finish line with no allies.
And no leverage.
Bring the leadership back up here.
We've got a decision to make.
Yes, sir.
It appears that we are at an impasse.
- Yes, sir.
- Mr.
President, we have real differences with the majority on this legislation.
Yes, I know.
Differences that we spent months working out together.
Until both of you decided to try and leverage me for political gain.
At the expense of the men and women who fight and die for us.
Who allow us to sit here in this office and play God with their lives.
Telling them which guns they can use.
Planes they can fly.
Medicines they can get.
Mr.
President Senators, I have no intention of joining either of your parties.
When I declared myself an independent, I meant it.
And it's that very independence that's given me credibility.
Respectfully, sir, you'll have less if you go it alone.
Perhaps, but not today.
My staff has drawn up a final bill.
One that reflects the bipartisan work we did together.
And both of your parties will endorse it.
And if we don't? I will take whatever political capital I have left and I will make my case to the people.
I will tell them that I believe partisanship is ruining this country.
And that their representatives are more interested in keeping their power than serving the people and the soldiers that defend them.
Everyone in your caucuses will have copies of this by the end of the hour.
I suggest you get your people to fall in line.
Thank you.
ANCHOR: In a stunning win for the White House both majority and minority leadership of the Senate Hey, come on in.
President Kirkman's sweeping defense bill.
- The unexpected - Congratulations.
Thank you very much.
How are you doing? Better now that this is all over.
What is it? I just hope this thing with Kendra isn't over.
Trey, I thought I made myself perfectly clear.
Tom, you think I'm gonna embarrass you? That I'm gonna hook up with a member of your senior staff and then just blow her off? I think you have a history with that.
Yeah, one I've spent a lot of time trying to live down.
But I can't do that unless you let me up.
Trey, this isn't a joke.
Optics are everything here.
I like her, Tom.
Not just as a notch on my belt.
But as someone I want to get to know.
You know, all those meetings for Alex's foundation that I pressed for, that was so I could see her.
[SIGHS.]
Really? Yeah.
Then I think you should tell her that.
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
How you doing? Good.
And by "Good," you mean bad.
I was an AUSA for six years.
All I ever worried about was my conviction rate.
Like any decent prosecutor.
So I gave Herlihy a pass on Pete Archer so he could help me make a half a dozen cases.
- And he did.
- The greater good.
Not for the Archers.
Mom took her own life.
Both of the sons are dead.
And, um, the dad is really sick.
There's no justice.
And I feel like last place in the world I want to go tonight is my own home.
So crash on my couch.
You will wake up with a backache so bad, you won't even be able to think of anything else.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah? Yeah.
I'll go home and And get a couple things.
I will go get your stuff.
The idea is to keep you away from home, right? I'll go right after work.
You're sure? Keys.
Thanks, Emily.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
What do you want? Five minutes.
To do what? To go through Damian's personal belongings.
Hannah, you know I can't let you do that.
Why not? We keep having this conversation.
You don't work for the White House anymore.
You're on a leave of absence.
It's your choice.
- I know.
- Even if you're still credentialed, it's just personal belongings.
FBI's been all over that stuff.
There's no evidence of anything.
Damian died in my arms.
I didn't get to say goodbye.
I never do.
I'm not looking for evidence, Aaron.
I need closure.
Five minutes, Hannah.
No more.
Thanks, Aaron.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
HANNAH: "See you at our spot"? Why would you keep this? [METAL RATTLES.]
DAMIAN: Hannah, if you're watching this, then I'm dead.
I need to you know what I was trying to hand you that night on the bridge.
Chelsea.
842 Hammersmith Lane.
Apartment 6B.
That's the address of my daughter, Amy, in London.
Because if I'm dead, Valeria will come for her to close the loop.
Because Russia will think that Amy knows something that she shouldn't.
But all Amy knows is what it's like to be a 16-year-old girl with no mum and a father she thinks is in the foreign service.
A father who, I suppose, is now gone.
I guess it doesn't really matter now, but, um, I want you to know something as well, Hannah.
I really wish things had worked out differently between us.
But if I matter to you Even just a little bit Please do this for me, Hannah, okay? Please protect my daughter.
There's no one else I can trust.
842 Hammersmith Lane.
Apartment 6B.
That's where you'll find her.
HANNAH: [EXHALES DEEPLY.]
I need a ticket to London Heathrow.
Tonight.
I'm hearing they caught the guy.
Hi.
Excuse me.
Yeah.
He tried to shoot his way out, which didn't end well for him.
But the guy who was at the root of it all, Gabe Herlihy, I'm having him brought in for questioning.
- No immunity? - No.
Herlihy killed Garren before he went into witness protection.
Which means he lied.
And lying voids his immunity deal.
Good.
Then you get to put an end to all this.
Listen, um, I wanted to talk to you about, uh, last night.
[SIGHS.]
I wanted to apologize.
I'm not really big on follow-up.
I'm sorry if you feel used.
Used? Well, that's just my MO.
I don't really date.
When I meet someone I actually like, I, uh I tend to screw it up.
Did I? Well, I'm wounded.
Being taken advantage of for my body, it's just [SIGHS.]
It's getting so old.
How can I make it up to you? Dinner this weekend? Only if we skip the tequila this time.
And the home invasion.
Uh, it's a date.
Seth, slow down.
Start over.
The mystery candidate.
It's Cornelius Moss.
I got it from a reliable source.
Oh, wow.
So he's gonna run for president again.
I knew he was trying to get back in the game.
When you snubbed both parties, his stock rose.
There's a million reasons you don't want Moss to run.
He'd be a formidable adversary.
His candidacy puts a cloud over the special counsel's investigation.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS.]
- Mr.
President.
- He's here.
- Thank you.
I'll be right there.
He'll use his platform to attack your administration, sir.
I can't control what Moss does or when he does it.
All I can do is what I think is right.
I'll handle it.
Let justice be done though the heavens may fall.
Oh, they're gonna fall.
Unless West gets to Moss before Moss gets to a microphone.
TOM: Mr.
West, thank you for waiting.
Thank you for the time, Mr.
President.
I'm nearly ready to issue my preliminary findings.
I just have a few questions.
And I am at your disposal.
Hannah Wells she, uh, worked in the White House? Yes, she was reassigned here shortly after the Capitol bombing.
There were facets in the FBI that were interfering with her investigation.
Then-Acting Director Foerstel and I believed this was the best way to protect her.
She was like a Swiss Army knife to you guys, right? I mean, you had her drop off money to rebels in Kunami? If by a "Swiss Army knife," you mean that she was versatile, yes.
And yes, I had her deliver funds to rebel forces in Kunami.
And to investigate Secretary Moss's alleged obstruction No, no.
We were in a state of war.
Mr.
West, you don't have the security clearance to continue this discussion.
As I understood it, you're here to investigate the wrongdoings of President Moss.
Oh, I investigated President Moss.
- And? - I found evidence of bad judgment.
Narcissism.
Pettiness.
But those things aren't crimes.
And his classified leaks? I can't prove he leaked just because you said he did.
He leaked classified information to undermine my potential candidacy.
How do you know that? An internal investigation conducted by my staff.
Mr.
West, motive matters.
Yes, it does.
You deployed Hannah Wells to find dirt on a man you knew was a political opponent.
That is absolutely not true.
She conducted warrantless searches.
Unlawful surveillance.
Where the hell is this going? I have probable cause to believe you were part of a criminal conspiracy.
I'll have to notify the Attorney General of my findings.
Okay, this discussion is over.
And I am not talking with you again unless the White House counsel is present.
That may be the first thing we agree upon, Mr.
President.
I had the honor of serving this great country as its 44th president.
Since that time, we have suffered a crisis of leadership.
And though I never intended to run for office again, when my country needs me, I answer the call.
And so today, I am proud and humbled to announce my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of this great nation.
- [APPLAUSE.]
- Cornelius Moss.
The once and future President of the United States! Moss is right.
I opened Pandora's Box.
Well, we don't know what's going to come out of it.
Ethan West is going to forward his findings to the Attorney General.
It's not clear that a sitting president can be indicted for anything.
That's not the point.
An indictment would precipitate a Constitutional crisis.
And cripple your presidency.
And end thoughts of a second term.
Assuming you had thoughts.
[SIGHS.]
I want you all to do something for me.
SETH: Yes, sir.
Go home.
Get a good night's sleep, 'cause you're gonna need it.
'Cause we're gonna be back here first thing tomorrow.
You know why? Why, sir? 'Cause we're gonna do our jobs.
And we're gonna keep doing them until someone makes us stop.
Thank you.
All of you.
- Gabe Herlihy is dead.
- What? He was being brought into the FBI for questioning and a sniper got him.
We got a snatch of the shooter's license plate.
- Car came back to Fred Archer.
- The dad? We don't think he and Mickey were trying to bring Herlihy to justice.
They were trying to flush him out of witness protection so they could kill him.
Kendra, you need to be under 24-hour protection.
You can't go home.
Emily.
[LINE RINGING.]
[CELLPHONE RINGS.]
Girl, you have more shoes than I do [GUNSHOT.]
Emily! Emily!