Madam Secretary (2014) s04e04 Episode Script
Shutdown
1 - HENRY: You're ready early.
- Hey.
Have you seen a report on economic growth in Central Asia? I Thought you fell asleep with it last night.
No, it's not up there.
Call me a dummy, but I thought the government shutdown's - supposed to slow things down a little bit? - Ha.
Well, it turns out when Congress attacks foreign aid and furloughs a third of my staff, it's not much of a vacation.
Sorry, I'm not snapping at you.
Ugh! It's okay there, tiger.
I understand the frustration.
Two weeks of one senator holding the entire government hostage over some ideological notion of eliminating the national debt? We're two days out from Paris, babe.
- Smell the butter.
- Oh, sure.
You can be all Zen about it your budget wasn't affected.
"Intelligence is essential for national security," but international programs that save lives the world's most vulnerable gov ernment Wow.
I booked us a table at this beautiful little place - in Montmartre.
- Oh, that's good.
And you're gonna get all the churches our of your system while I'm at the conference, right, so we can have all day Sunday? Well, there is a mass on Sunday at St.
Gervais, which I'm totally skipping so that we can order room service Okay, good.
We can have croissants on the balcony.
Afternoon walk in the Tuileries.
Mm.
And I want to get that hot chocolate from the place with all the tourists.
Oh Oh, go deeper.
Right there, even deeper.
Oh, wow.
Oh - Jace.
- Hey.
No.
- Mom just has a few kinks.
- Come back.
No, Dad No, it's-it's worse when you talk about it.
- Don't - Come here.
Come here.
I'm gonna miss you this weekend.
Listen, don't worry because Stevie and Ali - will be here - No, don't say "babysit.
" - Hey, he's 16 years old.
- I was just going to say "to peer supervise.
" Oh, hey, so I'm doing a big report on U.
S.
history right now on the CIA, and I'm not asking you any questions you can't answer, but if there's any help you can get me between now and next Wednesday that's not gonna compromise your security clearance, it might help me get an "A.
" Not that I'm begging.
Sure, I'd love to sit down - and talk about it.
- Really? How's, uh I don't know, how about tonight? Awesome.
Thanks.
You know what would be great for this is, uh, the Spy Museum.
That is an excellent idea.
HENRY: I've been meaning to check it out.
I'm sure I could learn a thing or two myself.
JASON: Oh, right, because you have no experience in intelligence.
I have some time this afternoon, like 4:00 you want to meet there? Yeah.
Cool.
All right.
Look at the two of you bonding over espionage.
It's the D.
C.
equivalent of building a pinewood derby car.
(Elizabeth chuckles) Oh, ah Look at that.
Look at that catch.
(laughs) (elevator bell dings) ELIZABETH: Uh-oh.
Something elevator-worthy? Itinerary for the Global Economic Conference in Paris this weekend, top five résumés for your new chief of staff, and a latte, extra foam.
Oh, that is definitely elevator-worthy.
But you didn't pay for this out of your own money, did you? There's a slush fund for essentials, ma'am.
Beginning to wonder if I need those résumés, Blake.
No, no, please don't joke.
Just filling in for Nadine during this shutdown is giving me a stress rash.
Put in some years in the field or making policy, and you, too - I mean it.
- Yeah.
- You could do it.
- I've seen these résumés.
But my mother thanks you for believing in me.
JAY: Morning.
Morning.
Morning.
- Wow.
- (phone ringing) I am not used to how empty it is in here.
Yeah.
It's like we missed the last chopper out of Saigon.
Office of the Secretary of State.
That's a little grim.
Sorry, I was just on with my ex-mother-in-law.
Abby's at a work conference this week, which I told her she could go to months ago, but now the state's day care is shut down, and I'm leaning on her mom pretty hard.
- Well, that sounds sticky.
- (phone ringing) You know what they don't do at Diplotots? Give me passive-aggressive guilt trips about my work hours.
(chuckles) Well (sighs) You know what? Bring Chloe in tomorrow.
- Really? - Yeah.
I mean, why not? We could use a little life around here.
Hey, will you, uh, do me a favor and take a look at these résumés, will you? Sure.
New chief of staff? - Well - Ooh, not him.
Big blur of accomplishments.
I don't know.
I think I have to figure out what it is I'm looking for.
Okay.
What are you looking for? Well, you know a total pro who's called to serve.
Team player, but also a leader.
And then something else.
I don't know.
My money's on the head of the Committee for Human Rights.
She's essentially Nadine 2.
0.
, complete with "creative professional" styling.
Senate Foreign Relations Chief of Staff? Oh, yeah, that that came from, uh, from Russell.
He thinks this guy could give us the inside track on Congress.
We could promote our acting chief of staff.
Wh-what? Really? You want the guy who does coffee and phone calls in charge of setting the U.
S.
foreign policy agenda? This is like that nightmare where I walk on stage naked in a play I've never heard of.
- (chuckles) - He's getting a stress rash.
Yes.
Can we please just sit down? Okay, there has been a surge of protests from international students attempting to enter the U.
S.
to begin their studies, who are unable to due to the suspension of the visa programs.
Getting pressure from Commerce, too.
They're asking for special visas for highly skilled workers.
Well, we can tell Commerce to put pressure on Congress.
They're the ones shutting down the government.
There have been several cases of Ebola diagnosed in Sierra Leone.
That's horrifying.
Who do we have on it? Ambassador Henderson was the Ebola Coordinator in 2014, but she's on furlough, so we can't even reach out for a list of her international partners or we violate the rules of the shutdown.
(gasps) Oh - You're not supposed to be home yet.
- Ah.
Lovely to see you, too.
Sorry.
This was supposed to be a surprise.
It's steak and kidney pie.
Except, you know, with no steak and no kidney.
That is oddly adorable.
You can just say it.
I I have way too much time on my hands.
Well, I had a thought about that, actually.
Mm-hmm.
So, it's my grandmother's 80th birthday next week.
- Fun grandma or tough grandma? - Imogen.
Fun after a couple of glasses of sherry.
Any case, she offered to fly me out weeks ago, and I said no.
But then I was thinking you're not working Maybe we could go together.
I'd use my air miles for your flight.
You want to fly to England in less than a week? Oh, I'm sorry to impinge on all of your pie making.
- (chuckles) - It could be good for us, you know.
- See the family.
- Yeah.
You know, 'cause they love me so much.
They haven't spent enough time with you.
Jareth, I don't know.
I know you're miserable in England, so I was thinking if at any point anyone's being horrible to you, you can just do this.
Huh? I've been working on the gesture.
Is it a bit much? Uh, no, I like it.
More wrist.
Okay.
Throw up the distress signal, I will promptly come rescue you.
I mean you know, sure, okay, what the hell? - Let's go to England.
- Yeah! (laughter) The British foreign secretary has requested that you Morning.
Bess, could I have a word? It's like a hawk catching a field mouse.
(phone ringing) JAY: Are you gonna get that or what? I'd, uh, offer you some coffee, but, well, apparently we don't have any.
I don't need any help ratcheting up my blood pressure.
Mm.
No movement on the budget amendment? Senator Morejon's got his whole party wrapped up in his web.
Or maybe we're the ones wrapped up, I get lost in the metaphors.
We offered to put Conrad's VA hospital on hold, agreed to a pay freeze for senior civil servants Oh, yeah, 'cause they're so overpaid.
They still want to gut Medicaid and housing, education Well, I'm guessing this isn't the time, then, to ask for emergency funds to stop another outbreak of Ebola in West Africa Not until we take care of Morejon.
Research has it that the rest of his cabal caves if we can take out their dark leader.
Do I even want to ask what you're planning? It's a multiple-front assault.
Everyone's got a part to play.
What's the one thing you have and Morejon doesn't? A conscience? An approval rating.
No, I don't have the instincts for this.
We'd like to get you out in public - I don't - shining a light on all the ways the shutdown hurts the American people.
- Make sure you put the blame squarely on Morejon.
- I can't - I can't talk politics, Russell.
- Why?! Because I can't I can't, I What about the 12% of Americans who think I'm a murderer? 79% find you likeable for some reason.
I'm not asking you to run for office yet.
Just get out there.
Put some public pressure on Morejon.
He wanted a shutdown.
Let him own it.
I don't know if you noticed, but Matt and Daisy, they're on furlough.
I don't have a communications staff, so It's done, it's done.
I had my office set up a press conference for 2:00.
Knock 'em dead.
- I thought that was your job.
- (phone ringing) BLAKE: I'm on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I hear you're headed to Paris tomorrow.
Yeah, just for the weekend.
I'm joining my wife.
I like a nice Bordeaux, in case you are curious.
(chuckles) I'm not, but thanks.
So, you got something on Afghanistan? Agent Nafisa thought she was making first contact with our guy, Osip Bakunin, but it turns out he was ready to talk.
- What's this? - It's a complete list of weapons from the last three Russian arms deliveries to the Taliban.
Looks like Alexander chose the right guy to flip.
Hey, how's he doing? Alexander? He's fine.
You know, he hates getting stuck at home.
I know technically we can't go to him while he's on furlough, but there's a name in the report - the officer who delivered the weapons.
- Yeah.
Woland.
- Who is this guy? - Exactly.
I mean, he's high-ranking, but there's nothing on him anywhere in the IC.
It could be an alias.
That's what we were thinking.
You know, Alexander might have a take on it.
What if I happened to stop by, see him over the weekend? Just off the books, run the name by him.
You know what, I'll take it to him.
I don't want you guys taking any heat for violating the furlough.
Thanks, this is good work.
Thanks.
You can repay me with free wine.
The shutdown of the federal government over Senator Morejon's proposed budget amendments does far more than postpone travel plans and close public libraries and national parks.
It threatens to plunge us all into a world further destabilized by conflict and chaos.
It is no less than a betrayal of who we are.
I'll take questions.
(camera shutters clicking, reporters clamoring) J-Janine.
Secretary McCord, how would you answer Senator Morejon's charge that your many global trade agreements are the direct result of lost jobs here at home? These global trade agreements were congressionally negotiated and approved.
Throwing them back at me is just that's just campaigning.
REPORTER: Secretary McCord, do you know a woman named Rosa Salama, who entered the United States as a Honduran refugee? I'm Uh, sorry, I'm not sure; are you asking me if I know this individual? Rosa Salama was jailed last night in Louisiana on the charges of first degree homicide for shooting and killing an American citizen.
- (whispers): Can you? - I'm on it.
How can you defend spending U.
S.
tax dollars to bring a murderer with known gang ties to the U.
S.
? ELIZABETH: Can I answer the question? While I don't know the particular details of this incident, I will emphasize that all individuals seeking refuge in the United States go through extensive vetting JAY: The whole thing gets hijacked by some idiot blogger who thinks he scored his big "gotcha" moment with a bunch of made-up nonsense! Let's just get the details of the case.
Blake's on with Shreveport PD right now.
And if I didn't say this before, I'm-I'm extremely sorry, ma'am.
Wha We're all doing the best that we can without Daisy here.
Let's stay on top of the story.
I mean, I'm supposed to be putting pressure on Morejon to end the shutdown, not giving him more ammunition.
(door opens) Ma'am, Russell Jackson's on line one.
Yeah, I'm sure he is.
I didn't totally fail to change the narrative, did I? You shifted it, definitely.
Yeah.
From an inspiring defense of foreign policy to right-wing refugee panic.
(sighs) Okay, what-what, why? Water glasses go on the left.
Which makes no sense - for right-handed people.
- I don't even know why it's a thing.
- I just - Russell Jackson's right.
I got spun by a blogger.
This is why I hate politics.
Mom, the only people retweeting that clip are other reporters.
There's a clip? HENRY: Can we eat? Alison! Coming.
We have veggie sauce and non-veggie.
And for what it's worth, Mom, if anyone was talking about it at school, all they would be saying is how obviously racist that stupid question was.
I love having you home.
- At least you get to escape to Paris.
- (chuckles) Oh, where they know nothing of refugee panic? Ow! Looks like I'm gonna be traveling, too.
Um, Jareth invited me to his grandmother's 80th birthday celebration in England, so - Ooh, well, that's fun.
- Well, that's cool.
When do you go? We haven't booked our flight yet, but probably this weekend, - or maybe Monday.
- Whoa.
Soon.
Yeah, it's kind of a last-minute idea, 'cause I'm on furlough and everything, but honestly, I'm just really dreading seeing his family again.
Look, if your mom can win over my family, you can win over those Brits.
ELIZABETH: It's all about flatter and pivot.
Say something sweet it has to be true and then, boom, you're out of there.
So does this mean I'll be all on my own this weekend? - No.
- ELIZABETH: No.
Ali will be here.
Uh, yeah, but you're not granting her any actual authority over me.
Oh, you wait and see.
I'm totally policing your game time.
What? Uh, wait, no.
This is a flagrant abuse of power.
ELIZABETH: Okay, stop the uprising.
We'll call it mutual supervision.
- How's that? - See, Mom? You still got it.
(both click tongues) (distorted voice): There's a new threat to the American people.
(gunshots) Elizabeth McCord and her team of Washington elites - want to spend your tax dollars - "Washington elites.
" bringing gangsters and criminals across our borders.
She calls it "refuge.
" But when they turn their weapons on us, Senator Carlos Morejon calls it what it is: murder.
It's time to send Globalist McCord a message: this land is our land.
I hate it when they give away the whole movie in the trailer.
Jay? I'm calling the FEC.
That has to be a violation.
It's Morejon's own PAC.
It's perfectly legal.
(clears throat) He's still trying to justify the shutdown.
JAY: All you did was defend diplomacy - and humanitarian aid.
- (Chloe babbling) BLAKE: We don't offer refuge to criminals.
Rosa Salama fired in self-defense.
Did I mention I hate politics? What about a counter ad, okay? - CHLOE: Hi, Dada! - Hi.
Uh, citing citing the crime rate for all refugees, which is virtually nonexistent.
Let's get the details of the case out there.
We need positive, inspiring refugee stories.
I mean, that can't be hard.
Okay? Your next interview's here.
- We'll get into it.
- Thanks, guys.
Hey, you! Come here, you little Washington elite.
Daddy! This place is not so bad.
Not at all.
(chuckles) I'll admit, I I didn't come much with an open mind.
- (chuckles) - Really? You know, Greg, my primary counselor, says that I need to accept that there are problems I can't fix myself.
And it makes me stronger to accept help.
Well, given everything you've been through, it's not hard to understand why that's difficult.
There's so much more to see when you lift your head from the problems right in front of you.
You know? I'm like a giraffe, putting my head above the trees for the first time.
(chuckles) It's beautiful.
Glad it's helping.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Of course.
I have to tell you, um one of my steps is to make a list of the people I've hurt.
And the second name on that list after my sister's was yours.
Come on.
I-I put you at great risk with my arrogance.
After all you've done for me.
Let's just say that, uh I have my share to account for as well.
You gave me my life, Henry.
Even if I can't get my job back, I will always be grateful to you.
If you keep making such good progress, there's no reason to believe you can't come back to work.
And, uh to that end, would you mind if I ran something by you? Uh, a name came up with some Intel we got from Bakunin.
Uh, of course.
This guy Woland.
We have no record of him anywhere in the upper Russian ranks.
It's Yarmolinsky.
Andrei Yarmolinsky.
It's a reference to his favorite novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Um, Professor Woland is basically Satan.
That's quite a reference.
- You feel sure? - Of course.
He's a high-level operative for G.
R.
U.
, and he happens to be General Doroshevich's cousin.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thanks for your help.
Of course.
I, uh Come see me any time you need help.
Um I should get back.
(knocks on door) How was the interview? Another super-accomplished candidate who really wants the job.
I'm sensing ambivalence.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just wasn't feeling it, you know? Then again, I wasn't feeling it with Nadine at first, either, so Where's Chloe? Taking a nap.
At least, in theory.
Not sure she's feeling it, either.
(chuckles) So, I found something.
CHLOE: Ma Mama! Uh, it's a it's a a toy manufacturing plant in Peoria, Illinois.
The, uh, owner employs a huge percentage of Honduran immigrants making giggledoodles.
Ooh! I had one of those.
- See, those are just the kind of happy associations that could - CHLOE: Mama! - play well on camera.
- (Chloe wailing) We could set up a tour with a small gaggle of press.
- Yeah.
- BLAKE: Jay.
- Chloe - Yeah.
- I'm on it.
Yeah.
- I'm on it.
Yes? Fine.
- Yeah.
- Yes? Hmm.
- Yeah.
Listen, will you set up a tour of that toy factory in Peoria? Okay? Maybe invite some press, and We'll do it Monday, first thing.
- Okay? - Yeah.
What is it? As your acting chief of staff, I feel it's my duty to suggest this event might play better in the press than, I don't know, a global economic conference in Paris? Somewhere, Russell Jackson just got a warm, fuzzy feeling.
You're totally right.
Okay.
Call Deputy Secretary Cushing.
Tell him that he's going to the conference.
Let's do Peoria tomorrow.
And find out where Russell Jackson is.
So you can ambush him without warning, I hope? Who am I kidding? We always call first.
Blake, Blake, what'd you do with the wipeys? Uh, the bag underneath the desk? (elevator dings) Oh, man, man, man.
Yo, thank you so much.
Uncle Matthew to the rescue.
Hey, Chloe.
Hey, what's this guy? Thanks for getting me past security.
Pretty serious about the furlough.
Uh, are you sure you're cool with this for the rest of the week, honestly? Dude, you're saving me from staring at my novel.
And I would much rather hang out with my favorite girl.
Don't tell my niece I said that.
So nap didn't really happen.
There's some leftover squash in there for dinner, She likes to have it with ham, if you have any.
Squash and ham? That's my favorite, too.
I assume you're all right if we, uh, watch that attack ad and hash out some media strategy? Please send me ideas.
Seriously.
It's not like we're talking shop or anything.
All right.
Fist bump? I'll see you later.
Mwah.
All right.
7:00 at the latest.
I got to go try and stop an Ebola outbreak with no money or staff.
- Ooh.
- All right.
See you soon.
Be good.
Honduran refugees making toys? It reminds Americans that we offer safe sanctuary and hope for a better life.
Plus, giggledoodles.
I had one of those.
See? I never played with it.
(sighs) We already tried appealing to America's better angels with the press conference.
That got us an attack ad that's polling disgustingly well.
My Spidey-sense says it's time to go low.
Do you have something? As you know, that's not always a requirement.
So, trick Morejon into thinking we have something that we don't and hang him on the cover-up.
Worked with Craig Sterling.
Not our proudest moment.
(sighs) Fine.
Try Santa's toy factory.
(mouthing silently) Plays a hell of a lot better than a trip to Paris, anyway.
But if Morejon manages to throw this one back in our face, I'm taking him out.
I'll bring you back a giggledoodle.
(electronic beeping) Hey, you made it just in time.
Oh, that looks good.
- Smell that.
Oh, mac and cheese, baby.
- (chuckles) I was gonna make boeuf bourguignon, but I switched the menu from Paris to Peoria.
No, listen, you-you don't have to go to this thing.
Yeah? - And miss my weekend with you? Mm-mm.
- Oh.
Well, we're gonna have to trade in our little table at Montmartre - for some cute pancake house.
- Mm-hmm.
That's a sad change in itinerary for a globalist like yourself.
- Mm, is it? - Would you set the table, please? Mwah.
Hey, how was the Spy Museum? HENRY: I had to postpone.
I needed to go see Alexander at the treatment center.
STEVIE: Mom! Do you have a carry-on I can borrow? Yeah.
My zipper just broke.
Let me see what I have.
This place has a serious case of the cutes.
Well, wait till you see the bed-and-breakfast we're in.
That's Angelo Bianchi right here.
He's the owner and operator of Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
ELIZABETH: Okay.
I'll see you at what's it called? Kettle and Biscuit.
- Good luck.
- Kettle and Biscuit.
Can you stand it? Who needs the Champs-Elysées? Hi, Angelo.
Madam Secretary, it's a pleasure.
Thank you.
On behalf of my employees and staff, welcome to Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
- I have something for you.
- Oh! - A giggledoodle! - (laughs) Just like the one I had as a kid.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Please, come in.
Okay.
(knock on door) Come on in.
Hey, baby girl.
Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- No worries, man.
It's cool.
More time for beatboxing, right, Li'l C? Drop it.
(beatboxes) Exactly what Abby's mom thinks I'm doing with her.
Ah, I think Grandma is going to be very impressed - by your sick beats.
- (sighing): Okay.
Thank you.
Is everything okay? Uh, y-you know, it's just, you know Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, M.
Sec's doing this press thing in Peoria, so I had to scramble to cover Paris.
It's just So, typical day at State.
Pretty much.
Look, it's none of my business, but it's obvious M.
Sec loves you.
She gets family.
And I think she can handle you drawing the line.
You think I wanted to work late? I mean, we're in the middle of a shutdown, so When is it not one crisis after another? I mean, that's the job.
You can't be a parent in crisis mode.
You got to know when to say stop.
I know.
You're right.
REPORTER: Of the nearly 300 employees here at Peoria's Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory, almost a third are Honduran refugees.
They were hired by owner and chief operator, Angelo Bianchi.
My grandfather came here from Italy in 1943 with nothing.
But thanks to a government program, he got a small loan and started the Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory.
So, when I heard about the refugee program, I thought, "This is how this whole business got started.
" This is great.
I know, right? So, I mean, this is the way you move into the future, you know? REPORTER: Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (whispering): That's you.
to visit these Hondurans and see how they're settling into their new town.
When I was a kid, I-I loved my giggledoodle, which I might have just permanently borrowed from my brother.
I love knowing that giggledoodles are still made right here in Peoria, first by Angelo's grandfather from Italy and now by a whole new group of Americans.
I like to think you're not just making a classic, American toy.
You're making a new America, because America was built by immigrants.
And as long as we continue to provide a safe environment for everyone to work and thrive, well, then we're building our future.
Hopefully with a lot of giggledoodles.
(laughter) Thank you.
(singing in Spanish) See, this is politics I actually enjoy.
Here's to changing the narrative.
(cell phone vibrates) Blake says, "Don't check Twitter.
" He knows that's just gonna make me check Twitter, right? Or you could not check Twitter.
I find President Dalton incredibly tone-deaf, that he's sending his secretary of state out there to brag about giving away the few manufacturing jobs left in this country to refugees from Honduras.
Well, I'll say this: he has impressive response time.
Uh, yeah, speaking of which, I am turning this off right now before Russell Jackson calls and totally ruins our night.
Not ruined at all.
Here's to Peoria.
So, what's it gonna be? Family steak house or barbeque? Duh.
Barbeque.
I'm gonna text security.
Hey, can I just say one thing so it's not hanging over me? Yeah, sure.
It bothered me that you cancelled on Jason to go see Dmitri at rehab.
Alexander.
I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation.
I just thought it was crappy for Jason and I didn't want to sit on it.
I didn't cancel.
I postponed.
And-and there was a good explanation.
But good enough to let Jason down? Babe, I'm not even sure he noticed.
Are you kidding? Did you see how he was when I asked him? Something came up at a briefing at work that couldn't be postponed.
I'll make it up to him.
Okay.
"Okay" what? No, I'm gonna go get dressed.
Well, it's just, this-this whole thing with Alexander.
I mean, you Could we not? You're putting him above our son.
How many times have you pushed the kids and me aside for work? And have I ever thrown it back at you once? No.
Fair enough.
Then can you please trust me that if I had to cancel on Jason, it must've been something pretty damn important? Okay, I-I hear you.
I'm just worried about you.
I'm sorry, worried about me or blaming me? Look at how you get when we talk about him.
You're all twisted up.
I know it was terrible that we abandoned him in Russia.
How many times do you have to rescue him? I mean, when is it finally gonna be enough? I don't know.
Maybe never.
But what that kid went through, the trauma that he that changes you forever and I did it to him.
It's not about whether or not you had a part in it.
This is mine to carry.
I'm not crossing any lines.
I am not pushing the kids away.
But I need to ask you to let me figure out how to live with it, okay? Can you do that much? - Ma'am, ma'am.
- Yeah? Ebola.
First case in the U.
S.
just showed up.
- Where? - Dallas hospital.
An aid worker developed symptoms shortly after she returned from West Africa.
Well, did she expose anybody? She was with her family.
CDC has them all under quarantine.
They've agreed not to go to the press yet.
Screw the furlough.
Call Ambassador Henderson.
- I want her on this.
- All right, but what if she Yeah, I will take the heat for it.
- I'm going to the White House.
- All right.
I think I have a way to end the shutdown.
No, we're done playing games.
Ebola.
There's a woman in Dallas in quarantine.
This could be the ace you've been looking for.
I mean, they have to end it now.
It's too late.
I'm going with plan "A.
" Russell, we don't have time to play out a scandal.
People are gonna die.
(quietly): We could be looking at an outbreak.
And let that weasel look like a white knight who stopped Ebola? No.
My plan is faster and gets rid of him for good.
For God's sakes, when is it going to stop being about perception? You think this is a beauty contest? I am not letting that puling ideologue dismantle Conrad's agenda piece by piece over the next four years.
- (sighs) - What I have will be fast and painless, like putting down a sick dog.
The rest of his little faction will run for the hills.
So you have something real? His wife.
- Oh, God.
- Turns out she worked without a visa when she first came here in '96.
As soon as we corroborate it, we're dropping it to the press.
Why not use it as leverage? Why drag the family into it? Because I want him destroyed by the same monster he created.
He wanted to whip up his base against refugees and immigrants, let them rip him apart.
(laughing): Thought you'd appreciate the poetic justice.
If we were neutralizing a foreign adversary, maybe.
I guess I thought we were all on the same team.
All enemies, foreign and domestic.
Ebola is not the only virus we're fighting here.
As soon as we get rid of Morejon, the rest of us can get back to governing the nation.
Meantime, I'll put in for emergency funding for Dallas.
(groans lightly) He's gonna try and get us funding.
JAY: One of the family members is sick now, too.
It's out in the press.
While I would normally suggest you avoid Carlos Morejon's Twitter, you should probably see that.
"Runaway spending and POTUS still can't keep Americans safe.
Ebola in the U.
S.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
" There's nothing he won't say.
ELIZABETH: Both of them.
They can't stop.
"Both," ma'am? ELIZABETH: Russell and Morejon.
They're lined up on either side.
It has to stop.
JAY: Well, Russell is not gonna stop.
Yeah.
Change of plans, Joe.
Senator Morejon's office.
ELIZABETH: Excuse me, Senator Morejon? Secretary McCord, I'd be happy to schedule a meeting.
Yeah, you're gonna want to talk to me right now, Senator.
I've got quite a few colleagues waiting for me.
Then I'll make this quick: Russell Jackson has some highly personal information about a member of your family and he's about to go to press.
I'd like to work with you to stop that, but it needs to be now.
I'm flattered that you took time - out of your campaign schedule - (laughs) to bring me his threats in person.
Russell doesn't know I'm here.
And it isn't a threat.
He has proof that your wife worked illegally in the U.
S.
before she was a citizen.
Tell Russell to call me when he's ready to settle the budget.
You ever seen somebody die of Ebola, Senator? They call it hemorrhagic fever because you literally bleed to death inside your body.
The virus breaks down your organs and your cells explode.
Every minute that I am standing here, we are one minute closer to an outbreak.
All the more reason to have President Dalton take the deal This is the thing about a deal.
A deal is when each side gives something and meets in the middle.
What you and your colleagues are doing is nothing less than extortion.
Quite an accusation coming from the woman who came here trying to blackmail me.
Oy And while you're schooling me on deals, explain to me how a $20 trillion national debt and a $500 billion trade deficit is a deal that I or any American should want, huh? That is gonna sound great in your stump speech.
But I think you should take the deal that POTUS offered two weeks ago.
You can tell your base that you stopped balancing a spreadsheet so you could save some lives.
I guarantee you it will play in Peoria.
Madam Secretary, I want to remind you I'm a senator in the United States Congress.
I'm not some foreign despot that you can strong-arm.
It seems to me it's your own strong-arming that got us here.
- (laughs softly) - (sighs) Look, you can either dare Russell Jackson to do his worst, or you can stand down and we can all live to fight another day.
You tell Russell Jackson that this is how enemies are made.
JAY: How'd it go? ELIZABETH: Well, we'll see.
I either put out a fire or lit a fuse.
Hey.
Do I strong-arm foreign despots? I would describe you as firm, but reasonable.
I can live with that.
What's the news from Dallas? No new cases as of yet.
Not so lucky in Sierra Leone, but Ambassador Henderson is doing what she can.
Off the record, of course.
Well, that means our only hope right now is an end to the shutdown.
To that end, ma'am, when the State Department does resume full operations, you're gonna need a chief of staff.
- A real one.
- Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't know why I'm being so indecisive about that.
They're all so qualified.
If I may? Russell Jackson's guy from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee looks perfect on paper, but I worry about his loyalties.
The Human Rights CEO is an interesting outlier, but she has no idea what the job entails, and one of her staffers hesitated when I asked how she does under pressure.
Oh.
This job is nothing but pressure.
I'd put my money on Gwen from the Office of Foreign Missions, but her peers will think it's a demotion, so That.
- Right there.
- What? That's what I've been looking for.
Gwen.
No, you.
You don't have divided loyalties.
You won't feel like you've been demoted, and I do not have to wonder about whether or not you'll crack under pressure.
Uh, he's already been kidnapped.
You've already been kidnapped.
And you didn't quit.
Uh that right there, I mean, you're either totally nuts, or the most loyal person I will ever find.
I'm not trying to talk myself into a job here.
Right there.
Another reason you're so perfect.
Then I'd be honored to be considered.
There's no consideration.
You are it, pal.
Just hang on, okay? I'm It Uh Chloe's little, and she needs more of me, not less.
- And I have to be there for Abby.
- Of course.
No, really, like, I have to leave by 6:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, like, out the door.
We can make that work.
And I can't always work on the weekends.
Listen, are you forgetting? I raised three kids in this job.
- I know all about it.
- With a spouse.
And, due respect, ma'am, my situation's different.
Maybe I'm just not in the right place in my life for this.
We'll be fine.
We'll delegate.
Yeah? Do you want this job or not? Well, hell, yes I want it.
- Oh, thank God.
- (laughs) Let's go.
Ah, just right there, the whole time.
(sighing): Oh (chuckles) You have no idea how good you look right now.
I might.
(laughs) Figured we had a weekend to make up for.
I ruined that.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have gone after you about Alexander, - that - Oh, stop.
Can I say again what a fantastic father I think you are? For what it's worth, I'm taking Jace to the Spy Museum tomorrow.
Oh, good.
We're still sort of dancing around his suspicions about my job.
Uh, honestly, I'm not quite sure how to handle that one.
Well, we're honest in all the ways that count.
And someday, his therapist will be able to buy a boat.
(laughs softly) Here.
What is that? Uh, it's a little something I've been working on for a while.
I was gonna pick it up in Paris and give it to you there, but, uh, I found a colleague who was flying back yesterday.
He grabbed it for me.
How did you get my father's watch? It was lost in the car accident.
It's a recreation.
I found the guy who made the original.
He's in his 90s.
He's still at it.
Here.
(chuckles) But how, I mean wait (stammers) You always talked about it and pointed it out in photographs and told me he bought it on his honeymoon.
It wasn't that hard to figure out.
I love this watch.
Well, here's a promise.
I'll always find time for you and the kids.
Thank you.
(phone ringing) - Is that Russell Jackson? - Mm-mm.
Mm-mm.
- Mm-mm.
- Ugh.
It is.
He's here.
(groans) Hold that thought.
Russell.
What an unexpected surprise.
Thought I'd share the good news in person.
Senator Morejon just agreed to the terms of our original offer on the budget amendments.
Both houses are expected to sign off on the new CR in the morning.
That is felicitous.
It is.
Just when I'm hours away from eliminating the number one threat to our agenda, the guy caves out of nowhere.
He was probably persuaded by the threat of a pandemic, or (scoffs) getting blamed for one.
Speaking of, I should probably call my Africa desk.
- Gonna be a busy morning.
- Stay in your lane, Bess.
Understood? You asked me to help end the shutdown.
So what I think you mean is "thank you.
" Glass of wine, Russell? (sighs) - I got to get home.
- Okay.
Uh, where are you on the new chief of staff? - I sent over a good guy.
- Oh.
Yeah, you did.
Uh, but I'm gonna go with Jay.
Who in the hell is Jay? Whitman.
My policy advisor.
Well, that's dumb.
Good night, Russell.
STEVIE: You have your passport, right? Okay.
Twice is helpful.
Three times, a bit excessive.
Why is Russell Jackson telling me to bring donuts? What? If you're calling to warn me about donuts, that's my wife's job.
I'm sorry.
Is the shutdown over? Your mother didn't mention this? I haven't seen her.
Also, I'm supposed to be leaving for England in three hours.
Well, I guess this means no donuts.
I can come in if you need me.
How long are you gonna be gone? A week.
Well, I suppose we can survive.
It's up to you.
Okay.
Uh, I guess I'll see you in a week, then.
Thanks.
Bye.
Thank God.
Okay, right.
I think this is everything.
You ready? I don't know.
Um I kind of feel like I should go in.
Why? What did he say? He said it's up to me.
And you're going to choose to go to work.
I'm just not sure I really want to go on this trip.
I'm sorry.
What? Wh You're telling me this now? We Uh, it's just hitting me.
Well, you did agree to it.
- That kind of implies consent.
- I know.
I'm sorry.
Is this about my family? Can I reassure you on the way, because we really do have to go.
Jareth, I feel terrible, okay? I mean, especially 'cause you've given up so much - just to be with me.
- Okay, wait.
What are you saying? I'm saying that I never listen to the voice in my head, you know? I Anytime I've done something I don't want to do, there's always a voice telling me "Don't do it.
Don't join the lacrosse team "because you want Gina Marek to like you.
"Don't quit college because you're freaked out - about your mom" - Okay, no, no, no.
This is just the voice of fear.
- No.
I don't think it is.
- It is.
And you don't have to be afraid, because we're together.
Are we? I mean, are we? Well, this is what this trip is meant to be about.
I just I think I need to think things through a little bit.
Oh, my God.
I can't believe this is happening.
I'm not saying anything definitive.
Okay? I just I need a little bit of time.
Sure.
Jareth (sighs) I'll see you in a week, okay? We'll talk.
I just wish that the voice in your head was telling you to go with me.
- Hey.
Have you seen a report on economic growth in Central Asia? I Thought you fell asleep with it last night.
No, it's not up there.
Call me a dummy, but I thought the government shutdown's - supposed to slow things down a little bit? - Ha.
Well, it turns out when Congress attacks foreign aid and furloughs a third of my staff, it's not much of a vacation.
Sorry, I'm not snapping at you.
Ugh! It's okay there, tiger.
I understand the frustration.
Two weeks of one senator holding the entire government hostage over some ideological notion of eliminating the national debt? We're two days out from Paris, babe.
- Smell the butter.
- Oh, sure.
You can be all Zen about it your budget wasn't affected.
"Intelligence is essential for national security," but international programs that save lives the world's most vulnerable gov ernment Wow.
I booked us a table at this beautiful little place - in Montmartre.
- Oh, that's good.
And you're gonna get all the churches our of your system while I'm at the conference, right, so we can have all day Sunday? Well, there is a mass on Sunday at St.
Gervais, which I'm totally skipping so that we can order room service Okay, good.
We can have croissants on the balcony.
Afternoon walk in the Tuileries.
Mm.
And I want to get that hot chocolate from the place with all the tourists.
Oh Oh, go deeper.
Right there, even deeper.
Oh, wow.
Oh - Jace.
- Hey.
No.
- Mom just has a few kinks.
- Come back.
No, Dad No, it's-it's worse when you talk about it.
- Don't - Come here.
Come here.
I'm gonna miss you this weekend.
Listen, don't worry because Stevie and Ali - will be here - No, don't say "babysit.
" - Hey, he's 16 years old.
- I was just going to say "to peer supervise.
" Oh, hey, so I'm doing a big report on U.
S.
history right now on the CIA, and I'm not asking you any questions you can't answer, but if there's any help you can get me between now and next Wednesday that's not gonna compromise your security clearance, it might help me get an "A.
" Not that I'm begging.
Sure, I'd love to sit down - and talk about it.
- Really? How's, uh I don't know, how about tonight? Awesome.
Thanks.
You know what would be great for this is, uh, the Spy Museum.
That is an excellent idea.
HENRY: I've been meaning to check it out.
I'm sure I could learn a thing or two myself.
JASON: Oh, right, because you have no experience in intelligence.
I have some time this afternoon, like 4:00 you want to meet there? Yeah.
Cool.
All right.
Look at the two of you bonding over espionage.
It's the D.
C.
equivalent of building a pinewood derby car.
(Elizabeth chuckles) Oh, ah Look at that.
Look at that catch.
(laughs) (elevator bell dings) ELIZABETH: Uh-oh.
Something elevator-worthy? Itinerary for the Global Economic Conference in Paris this weekend, top five résumés for your new chief of staff, and a latte, extra foam.
Oh, that is definitely elevator-worthy.
But you didn't pay for this out of your own money, did you? There's a slush fund for essentials, ma'am.
Beginning to wonder if I need those résumés, Blake.
No, no, please don't joke.
Just filling in for Nadine during this shutdown is giving me a stress rash.
Put in some years in the field or making policy, and you, too - I mean it.
- Yeah.
- You could do it.
- I've seen these résumés.
But my mother thanks you for believing in me.
JAY: Morning.
Morning.
Morning.
- Wow.
- (phone ringing) I am not used to how empty it is in here.
Yeah.
It's like we missed the last chopper out of Saigon.
Office of the Secretary of State.
That's a little grim.
Sorry, I was just on with my ex-mother-in-law.
Abby's at a work conference this week, which I told her she could go to months ago, but now the state's day care is shut down, and I'm leaning on her mom pretty hard.
- Well, that sounds sticky.
- (phone ringing) You know what they don't do at Diplotots? Give me passive-aggressive guilt trips about my work hours.
(chuckles) Well (sighs) You know what? Bring Chloe in tomorrow.
- Really? - Yeah.
I mean, why not? We could use a little life around here.
Hey, will you, uh, do me a favor and take a look at these résumés, will you? Sure.
New chief of staff? - Well - Ooh, not him.
Big blur of accomplishments.
I don't know.
I think I have to figure out what it is I'm looking for.
Okay.
What are you looking for? Well, you know a total pro who's called to serve.
Team player, but also a leader.
And then something else.
I don't know.
My money's on the head of the Committee for Human Rights.
She's essentially Nadine 2.
0.
, complete with "creative professional" styling.
Senate Foreign Relations Chief of Staff? Oh, yeah, that that came from, uh, from Russell.
He thinks this guy could give us the inside track on Congress.
We could promote our acting chief of staff.
Wh-what? Really? You want the guy who does coffee and phone calls in charge of setting the U.
S.
foreign policy agenda? This is like that nightmare where I walk on stage naked in a play I've never heard of.
- (chuckles) - He's getting a stress rash.
Yes.
Can we please just sit down? Okay, there has been a surge of protests from international students attempting to enter the U.
S.
to begin their studies, who are unable to due to the suspension of the visa programs.
Getting pressure from Commerce, too.
They're asking for special visas for highly skilled workers.
Well, we can tell Commerce to put pressure on Congress.
They're the ones shutting down the government.
There have been several cases of Ebola diagnosed in Sierra Leone.
That's horrifying.
Who do we have on it? Ambassador Henderson was the Ebola Coordinator in 2014, but she's on furlough, so we can't even reach out for a list of her international partners or we violate the rules of the shutdown.
(gasps) Oh - You're not supposed to be home yet.
- Ah.
Lovely to see you, too.
Sorry.
This was supposed to be a surprise.
It's steak and kidney pie.
Except, you know, with no steak and no kidney.
That is oddly adorable.
You can just say it.
I I have way too much time on my hands.
Well, I had a thought about that, actually.
Mm-hmm.
So, it's my grandmother's 80th birthday next week.
- Fun grandma or tough grandma? - Imogen.
Fun after a couple of glasses of sherry.
Any case, she offered to fly me out weeks ago, and I said no.
But then I was thinking you're not working Maybe we could go together.
I'd use my air miles for your flight.
You want to fly to England in less than a week? Oh, I'm sorry to impinge on all of your pie making.
- (chuckles) - It could be good for us, you know.
- See the family.
- Yeah.
You know, 'cause they love me so much.
They haven't spent enough time with you.
Jareth, I don't know.
I know you're miserable in England, so I was thinking if at any point anyone's being horrible to you, you can just do this.
Huh? I've been working on the gesture.
Is it a bit much? Uh, no, I like it.
More wrist.
Okay.
Throw up the distress signal, I will promptly come rescue you.
I mean you know, sure, okay, what the hell? - Let's go to England.
- Yeah! (laughter) The British foreign secretary has requested that you Morning.
Bess, could I have a word? It's like a hawk catching a field mouse.
(phone ringing) JAY: Are you gonna get that or what? I'd, uh, offer you some coffee, but, well, apparently we don't have any.
I don't need any help ratcheting up my blood pressure.
Mm.
No movement on the budget amendment? Senator Morejon's got his whole party wrapped up in his web.
Or maybe we're the ones wrapped up, I get lost in the metaphors.
We offered to put Conrad's VA hospital on hold, agreed to a pay freeze for senior civil servants Oh, yeah, 'cause they're so overpaid.
They still want to gut Medicaid and housing, education Well, I'm guessing this isn't the time, then, to ask for emergency funds to stop another outbreak of Ebola in West Africa Not until we take care of Morejon.
Research has it that the rest of his cabal caves if we can take out their dark leader.
Do I even want to ask what you're planning? It's a multiple-front assault.
Everyone's got a part to play.
What's the one thing you have and Morejon doesn't? A conscience? An approval rating.
No, I don't have the instincts for this.
We'd like to get you out in public - I don't - shining a light on all the ways the shutdown hurts the American people.
- Make sure you put the blame squarely on Morejon.
- I can't - I can't talk politics, Russell.
- Why?! Because I can't I can't, I What about the 12% of Americans who think I'm a murderer? 79% find you likeable for some reason.
I'm not asking you to run for office yet.
Just get out there.
Put some public pressure on Morejon.
He wanted a shutdown.
Let him own it.
I don't know if you noticed, but Matt and Daisy, they're on furlough.
I don't have a communications staff, so It's done, it's done.
I had my office set up a press conference for 2:00.
Knock 'em dead.
- I thought that was your job.
- (phone ringing) BLAKE: I'm on it.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I hear you're headed to Paris tomorrow.
Yeah, just for the weekend.
I'm joining my wife.
I like a nice Bordeaux, in case you are curious.
(chuckles) I'm not, but thanks.
So, you got something on Afghanistan? Agent Nafisa thought she was making first contact with our guy, Osip Bakunin, but it turns out he was ready to talk.
- What's this? - It's a complete list of weapons from the last three Russian arms deliveries to the Taliban.
Looks like Alexander chose the right guy to flip.
Hey, how's he doing? Alexander? He's fine.
You know, he hates getting stuck at home.
I know technically we can't go to him while he's on furlough, but there's a name in the report - the officer who delivered the weapons.
- Yeah.
Woland.
- Who is this guy? - Exactly.
I mean, he's high-ranking, but there's nothing on him anywhere in the IC.
It could be an alias.
That's what we were thinking.
You know, Alexander might have a take on it.
What if I happened to stop by, see him over the weekend? Just off the books, run the name by him.
You know what, I'll take it to him.
I don't want you guys taking any heat for violating the furlough.
Thanks, this is good work.
Thanks.
You can repay me with free wine.
The shutdown of the federal government over Senator Morejon's proposed budget amendments does far more than postpone travel plans and close public libraries and national parks.
It threatens to plunge us all into a world further destabilized by conflict and chaos.
It is no less than a betrayal of who we are.
I'll take questions.
(camera shutters clicking, reporters clamoring) J-Janine.
Secretary McCord, how would you answer Senator Morejon's charge that your many global trade agreements are the direct result of lost jobs here at home? These global trade agreements were congressionally negotiated and approved.
Throwing them back at me is just that's just campaigning.
REPORTER: Secretary McCord, do you know a woman named Rosa Salama, who entered the United States as a Honduran refugee? I'm Uh, sorry, I'm not sure; are you asking me if I know this individual? Rosa Salama was jailed last night in Louisiana on the charges of first degree homicide for shooting and killing an American citizen.
- (whispers): Can you? - I'm on it.
How can you defend spending U.
S.
tax dollars to bring a murderer with known gang ties to the U.
S.
? ELIZABETH: Can I answer the question? While I don't know the particular details of this incident, I will emphasize that all individuals seeking refuge in the United States go through extensive vetting JAY: The whole thing gets hijacked by some idiot blogger who thinks he scored his big "gotcha" moment with a bunch of made-up nonsense! Let's just get the details of the case.
Blake's on with Shreveport PD right now.
And if I didn't say this before, I'm-I'm extremely sorry, ma'am.
Wha We're all doing the best that we can without Daisy here.
Let's stay on top of the story.
I mean, I'm supposed to be putting pressure on Morejon to end the shutdown, not giving him more ammunition.
(door opens) Ma'am, Russell Jackson's on line one.
Yeah, I'm sure he is.
I didn't totally fail to change the narrative, did I? You shifted it, definitely.
Yeah.
From an inspiring defense of foreign policy to right-wing refugee panic.
(sighs) Okay, what-what, why? Water glasses go on the left.
Which makes no sense - for right-handed people.
- I don't even know why it's a thing.
- I just - Russell Jackson's right.
I got spun by a blogger.
This is why I hate politics.
Mom, the only people retweeting that clip are other reporters.
There's a clip? HENRY: Can we eat? Alison! Coming.
We have veggie sauce and non-veggie.
And for what it's worth, Mom, if anyone was talking about it at school, all they would be saying is how obviously racist that stupid question was.
I love having you home.
- At least you get to escape to Paris.
- (chuckles) Oh, where they know nothing of refugee panic? Ow! Looks like I'm gonna be traveling, too.
Um, Jareth invited me to his grandmother's 80th birthday celebration in England, so - Ooh, well, that's fun.
- Well, that's cool.
When do you go? We haven't booked our flight yet, but probably this weekend, - or maybe Monday.
- Whoa.
Soon.
Yeah, it's kind of a last-minute idea, 'cause I'm on furlough and everything, but honestly, I'm just really dreading seeing his family again.
Look, if your mom can win over my family, you can win over those Brits.
ELIZABETH: It's all about flatter and pivot.
Say something sweet it has to be true and then, boom, you're out of there.
So does this mean I'll be all on my own this weekend? - No.
- ELIZABETH: No.
Ali will be here.
Uh, yeah, but you're not granting her any actual authority over me.
Oh, you wait and see.
I'm totally policing your game time.
What? Uh, wait, no.
This is a flagrant abuse of power.
ELIZABETH: Okay, stop the uprising.
We'll call it mutual supervision.
- How's that? - See, Mom? You still got it.
(both click tongues) (distorted voice): There's a new threat to the American people.
(gunshots) Elizabeth McCord and her team of Washington elites - want to spend your tax dollars - "Washington elites.
" bringing gangsters and criminals across our borders.
She calls it "refuge.
" But when they turn their weapons on us, Senator Carlos Morejon calls it what it is: murder.
It's time to send Globalist McCord a message: this land is our land.
I hate it when they give away the whole movie in the trailer.
Jay? I'm calling the FEC.
That has to be a violation.
It's Morejon's own PAC.
It's perfectly legal.
(clears throat) He's still trying to justify the shutdown.
JAY: All you did was defend diplomacy - and humanitarian aid.
- (Chloe babbling) BLAKE: We don't offer refuge to criminals.
Rosa Salama fired in self-defense.
Did I mention I hate politics? What about a counter ad, okay? - CHLOE: Hi, Dada! - Hi.
Uh, citing citing the crime rate for all refugees, which is virtually nonexistent.
Let's get the details of the case out there.
We need positive, inspiring refugee stories.
I mean, that can't be hard.
Okay? Your next interview's here.
- We'll get into it.
- Thanks, guys.
Hey, you! Come here, you little Washington elite.
Daddy! This place is not so bad.
Not at all.
(chuckles) I'll admit, I I didn't come much with an open mind.
- (chuckles) - Really? You know, Greg, my primary counselor, says that I need to accept that there are problems I can't fix myself.
And it makes me stronger to accept help.
Well, given everything you've been through, it's not hard to understand why that's difficult.
There's so much more to see when you lift your head from the problems right in front of you.
You know? I'm like a giraffe, putting my head above the trees for the first time.
(chuckles) It's beautiful.
Glad it's helping.
Thank you for coming to see me.
Of course.
I have to tell you, um one of my steps is to make a list of the people I've hurt.
And the second name on that list after my sister's was yours.
Come on.
I-I put you at great risk with my arrogance.
After all you've done for me.
Let's just say that, uh I have my share to account for as well.
You gave me my life, Henry.
Even if I can't get my job back, I will always be grateful to you.
If you keep making such good progress, there's no reason to believe you can't come back to work.
And, uh to that end, would you mind if I ran something by you? Uh, a name came up with some Intel we got from Bakunin.
Uh, of course.
This guy Woland.
We have no record of him anywhere in the upper Russian ranks.
It's Yarmolinsky.
Andrei Yarmolinsky.
It's a reference to his favorite novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Um, Professor Woland is basically Satan.
That's quite a reference.
- You feel sure? - Of course.
He's a high-level operative for G.
R.
U.
, and he happens to be General Doroshevich's cousin.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thanks for your help.
Of course.
I, uh Come see me any time you need help.
Um I should get back.
(knocks on door) How was the interview? Another super-accomplished candidate who really wants the job.
I'm sensing ambivalence.
Yeah, I don't know.
I just wasn't feeling it, you know? Then again, I wasn't feeling it with Nadine at first, either, so Where's Chloe? Taking a nap.
At least, in theory.
Not sure she's feeling it, either.
(chuckles) So, I found something.
CHLOE: Ma Mama! Uh, it's a it's a a toy manufacturing plant in Peoria, Illinois.
The, uh, owner employs a huge percentage of Honduran immigrants making giggledoodles.
Ooh! I had one of those.
- See, those are just the kind of happy associations that could - CHLOE: Mama! - play well on camera.
- (Chloe wailing) We could set up a tour with a small gaggle of press.
- Yeah.
- BLAKE: Jay.
- Chloe - Yeah.
- I'm on it.
Yeah.
- I'm on it.
Yes? Fine.
- Yeah.
- Yes? Hmm.
- Yeah.
Listen, will you set up a tour of that toy factory in Peoria? Okay? Maybe invite some press, and We'll do it Monday, first thing.
- Okay? - Yeah.
What is it? As your acting chief of staff, I feel it's my duty to suggest this event might play better in the press than, I don't know, a global economic conference in Paris? Somewhere, Russell Jackson just got a warm, fuzzy feeling.
You're totally right.
Okay.
Call Deputy Secretary Cushing.
Tell him that he's going to the conference.
Let's do Peoria tomorrow.
And find out where Russell Jackson is.
So you can ambush him without warning, I hope? Who am I kidding? We always call first.
Blake, Blake, what'd you do with the wipeys? Uh, the bag underneath the desk? (elevator dings) Oh, man, man, man.
Yo, thank you so much.
Uncle Matthew to the rescue.
Hey, Chloe.
Hey, what's this guy? Thanks for getting me past security.
Pretty serious about the furlough.
Uh, are you sure you're cool with this for the rest of the week, honestly? Dude, you're saving me from staring at my novel.
And I would much rather hang out with my favorite girl.
Don't tell my niece I said that.
So nap didn't really happen.
There's some leftover squash in there for dinner, She likes to have it with ham, if you have any.
Squash and ham? That's my favorite, too.
I assume you're all right if we, uh, watch that attack ad and hash out some media strategy? Please send me ideas.
Seriously.
It's not like we're talking shop or anything.
All right.
Fist bump? I'll see you later.
Mwah.
All right.
7:00 at the latest.
I got to go try and stop an Ebola outbreak with no money or staff.
- Ooh.
- All right.
See you soon.
Be good.
Honduran refugees making toys? It reminds Americans that we offer safe sanctuary and hope for a better life.
Plus, giggledoodles.
I had one of those.
See? I never played with it.
(sighs) We already tried appealing to America's better angels with the press conference.
That got us an attack ad that's polling disgustingly well.
My Spidey-sense says it's time to go low.
Do you have something? As you know, that's not always a requirement.
So, trick Morejon into thinking we have something that we don't and hang him on the cover-up.
Worked with Craig Sterling.
Not our proudest moment.
(sighs) Fine.
Try Santa's toy factory.
(mouthing silently) Plays a hell of a lot better than a trip to Paris, anyway.
But if Morejon manages to throw this one back in our face, I'm taking him out.
I'll bring you back a giggledoodle.
(electronic beeping) Hey, you made it just in time.
Oh, that looks good.
- Smell that.
Oh, mac and cheese, baby.
- (chuckles) I was gonna make boeuf bourguignon, but I switched the menu from Paris to Peoria.
No, listen, you-you don't have to go to this thing.
Yeah? - And miss my weekend with you? Mm-mm.
- Oh.
Well, we're gonna have to trade in our little table at Montmartre - for some cute pancake house.
- Mm-hmm.
That's a sad change in itinerary for a globalist like yourself.
- Mm, is it? - Would you set the table, please? Mwah.
Hey, how was the Spy Museum? HENRY: I had to postpone.
I needed to go see Alexander at the treatment center.
STEVIE: Mom! Do you have a carry-on I can borrow? Yeah.
My zipper just broke.
Let me see what I have.
This place has a serious case of the cutes.
Well, wait till you see the bed-and-breakfast we're in.
That's Angelo Bianchi right here.
He's the owner and operator of Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
ELIZABETH: Okay.
I'll see you at what's it called? Kettle and Biscuit.
- Good luck.
- Kettle and Biscuit.
Can you stand it? Who needs the Champs-Elysées? Hi, Angelo.
Madam Secretary, it's a pleasure.
Thank you.
On behalf of my employees and staff, welcome to Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.
- I have something for you.
- Oh! - A giggledoodle! - (laughs) Just like the one I had as a kid.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Please, come in.
Okay.
(knock on door) Come on in.
Hey, baby girl.
Hi.
- I'm so sorry.
- No worries, man.
It's cool.
More time for beatboxing, right, Li'l C? Drop it.
(beatboxes) Exactly what Abby's mom thinks I'm doing with her.
Ah, I think Grandma is going to be very impressed - by your sick beats.
- (sighing): Okay.
Thank you.
Is everything okay? Uh, y-you know, it's just, you know Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, M.
Sec's doing this press thing in Peoria, so I had to scramble to cover Paris.
It's just So, typical day at State.
Pretty much.
Look, it's none of my business, but it's obvious M.
Sec loves you.
She gets family.
And I think she can handle you drawing the line.
You think I wanted to work late? I mean, we're in the middle of a shutdown, so When is it not one crisis after another? I mean, that's the job.
You can't be a parent in crisis mode.
You got to know when to say stop.
I know.
You're right.
REPORTER: Of the nearly 300 employees here at Peoria's Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory, almost a third are Honduran refugees.
They were hired by owner and chief operator, Angelo Bianchi.
My grandfather came here from Italy in 1943 with nothing.
But thanks to a government program, he got a small loan and started the Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory.
So, when I heard about the refugee program, I thought, "This is how this whole business got started.
" This is great.
I know, right? So, I mean, this is the way you move into the future, you know? REPORTER: Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (whispering): That's you.
to visit these Hondurans and see how they're settling into their new town.
When I was a kid, I-I loved my giggledoodle, which I might have just permanently borrowed from my brother.
I love knowing that giggledoodles are still made right here in Peoria, first by Angelo's grandfather from Italy and now by a whole new group of Americans.
I like to think you're not just making a classic, American toy.
You're making a new America, because America was built by immigrants.
And as long as we continue to provide a safe environment for everyone to work and thrive, well, then we're building our future.
Hopefully with a lot of giggledoodles.
(laughter) Thank you.
(singing in Spanish) See, this is politics I actually enjoy.
Here's to changing the narrative.
(cell phone vibrates) Blake says, "Don't check Twitter.
" He knows that's just gonna make me check Twitter, right? Or you could not check Twitter.
I find President Dalton incredibly tone-deaf, that he's sending his secretary of state out there to brag about giving away the few manufacturing jobs left in this country to refugees from Honduras.
Well, I'll say this: he has impressive response time.
Uh, yeah, speaking of which, I am turning this off right now before Russell Jackson calls and totally ruins our night.
Not ruined at all.
Here's to Peoria.
So, what's it gonna be? Family steak house or barbeque? Duh.
Barbeque.
I'm gonna text security.
Hey, can I just say one thing so it's not hanging over me? Yeah, sure.
It bothered me that you cancelled on Jason to go see Dmitri at rehab.
Alexander.
I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation.
I just thought it was crappy for Jason and I didn't want to sit on it.
I didn't cancel.
I postponed.
And-and there was a good explanation.
But good enough to let Jason down? Babe, I'm not even sure he noticed.
Are you kidding? Did you see how he was when I asked him? Something came up at a briefing at work that couldn't be postponed.
I'll make it up to him.
Okay.
"Okay" what? No, I'm gonna go get dressed.
Well, it's just, this-this whole thing with Alexander.
I mean, you Could we not? You're putting him above our son.
How many times have you pushed the kids and me aside for work? And have I ever thrown it back at you once? No.
Fair enough.
Then can you please trust me that if I had to cancel on Jason, it must've been something pretty damn important? Okay, I-I hear you.
I'm just worried about you.
I'm sorry, worried about me or blaming me? Look at how you get when we talk about him.
You're all twisted up.
I know it was terrible that we abandoned him in Russia.
How many times do you have to rescue him? I mean, when is it finally gonna be enough? I don't know.
Maybe never.
But what that kid went through, the trauma that he that changes you forever and I did it to him.
It's not about whether or not you had a part in it.
This is mine to carry.
I'm not crossing any lines.
I am not pushing the kids away.
But I need to ask you to let me figure out how to live with it, okay? Can you do that much? - Ma'am, ma'am.
- Yeah? Ebola.
First case in the U.
S.
just showed up.
- Where? - Dallas hospital.
An aid worker developed symptoms shortly after she returned from West Africa.
Well, did she expose anybody? She was with her family.
CDC has them all under quarantine.
They've agreed not to go to the press yet.
Screw the furlough.
Call Ambassador Henderson.
- I want her on this.
- All right, but what if she Yeah, I will take the heat for it.
- I'm going to the White House.
- All right.
I think I have a way to end the shutdown.
No, we're done playing games.
Ebola.
There's a woman in Dallas in quarantine.
This could be the ace you've been looking for.
I mean, they have to end it now.
It's too late.
I'm going with plan "A.
" Russell, we don't have time to play out a scandal.
People are gonna die.
(quietly): We could be looking at an outbreak.
And let that weasel look like a white knight who stopped Ebola? No.
My plan is faster and gets rid of him for good.
For God's sakes, when is it going to stop being about perception? You think this is a beauty contest? I am not letting that puling ideologue dismantle Conrad's agenda piece by piece over the next four years.
- (sighs) - What I have will be fast and painless, like putting down a sick dog.
The rest of his little faction will run for the hills.
So you have something real? His wife.
- Oh, God.
- Turns out she worked without a visa when she first came here in '96.
As soon as we corroborate it, we're dropping it to the press.
Why not use it as leverage? Why drag the family into it? Because I want him destroyed by the same monster he created.
He wanted to whip up his base against refugees and immigrants, let them rip him apart.
(laughing): Thought you'd appreciate the poetic justice.
If we were neutralizing a foreign adversary, maybe.
I guess I thought we were all on the same team.
All enemies, foreign and domestic.
Ebola is not the only virus we're fighting here.
As soon as we get rid of Morejon, the rest of us can get back to governing the nation.
Meantime, I'll put in for emergency funding for Dallas.
(groans lightly) He's gonna try and get us funding.
JAY: One of the family members is sick now, too.
It's out in the press.
While I would normally suggest you avoid Carlos Morejon's Twitter, you should probably see that.
"Runaway spending and POTUS still can't keep Americans safe.
Ebola in the U.
S.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
" There's nothing he won't say.
ELIZABETH: Both of them.
They can't stop.
"Both," ma'am? ELIZABETH: Russell and Morejon.
They're lined up on either side.
It has to stop.
JAY: Well, Russell is not gonna stop.
Yeah.
Change of plans, Joe.
Senator Morejon's office.
ELIZABETH: Excuse me, Senator Morejon? Secretary McCord, I'd be happy to schedule a meeting.
Yeah, you're gonna want to talk to me right now, Senator.
I've got quite a few colleagues waiting for me.
Then I'll make this quick: Russell Jackson has some highly personal information about a member of your family and he's about to go to press.
I'd like to work with you to stop that, but it needs to be now.
I'm flattered that you took time - out of your campaign schedule - (laughs) to bring me his threats in person.
Russell doesn't know I'm here.
And it isn't a threat.
He has proof that your wife worked illegally in the U.
S.
before she was a citizen.
Tell Russell to call me when he's ready to settle the budget.
You ever seen somebody die of Ebola, Senator? They call it hemorrhagic fever because you literally bleed to death inside your body.
The virus breaks down your organs and your cells explode.
Every minute that I am standing here, we are one minute closer to an outbreak.
All the more reason to have President Dalton take the deal This is the thing about a deal.
A deal is when each side gives something and meets in the middle.
What you and your colleagues are doing is nothing less than extortion.
Quite an accusation coming from the woman who came here trying to blackmail me.
Oy And while you're schooling me on deals, explain to me how a $20 trillion national debt and a $500 billion trade deficit is a deal that I or any American should want, huh? That is gonna sound great in your stump speech.
But I think you should take the deal that POTUS offered two weeks ago.
You can tell your base that you stopped balancing a spreadsheet so you could save some lives.
I guarantee you it will play in Peoria.
Madam Secretary, I want to remind you I'm a senator in the United States Congress.
I'm not some foreign despot that you can strong-arm.
It seems to me it's your own strong-arming that got us here.
- (laughs softly) - (sighs) Look, you can either dare Russell Jackson to do his worst, or you can stand down and we can all live to fight another day.
You tell Russell Jackson that this is how enemies are made.
JAY: How'd it go? ELIZABETH: Well, we'll see.
I either put out a fire or lit a fuse.
Hey.
Do I strong-arm foreign despots? I would describe you as firm, but reasonable.
I can live with that.
What's the news from Dallas? No new cases as of yet.
Not so lucky in Sierra Leone, but Ambassador Henderson is doing what she can.
Off the record, of course.
Well, that means our only hope right now is an end to the shutdown.
To that end, ma'am, when the State Department does resume full operations, you're gonna need a chief of staff.
- A real one.
- Yeah.
I don't know.
I don't know why I'm being so indecisive about that.
They're all so qualified.
If I may? Russell Jackson's guy from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee looks perfect on paper, but I worry about his loyalties.
The Human Rights CEO is an interesting outlier, but she has no idea what the job entails, and one of her staffers hesitated when I asked how she does under pressure.
Oh.
This job is nothing but pressure.
I'd put my money on Gwen from the Office of Foreign Missions, but her peers will think it's a demotion, so That.
- Right there.
- What? That's what I've been looking for.
Gwen.
No, you.
You don't have divided loyalties.
You won't feel like you've been demoted, and I do not have to wonder about whether or not you'll crack under pressure.
Uh, he's already been kidnapped.
You've already been kidnapped.
And you didn't quit.
Uh that right there, I mean, you're either totally nuts, or the most loyal person I will ever find.
I'm not trying to talk myself into a job here.
Right there.
Another reason you're so perfect.
Then I'd be honored to be considered.
There's no consideration.
You are it, pal.
Just hang on, okay? I'm It Uh Chloe's little, and she needs more of me, not less.
- And I have to be there for Abby.
- Of course.
No, really, like, I have to leave by 6:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, like, out the door.
We can make that work.
And I can't always work on the weekends.
Listen, are you forgetting? I raised three kids in this job.
- I know all about it.
- With a spouse.
And, due respect, ma'am, my situation's different.
Maybe I'm just not in the right place in my life for this.
We'll be fine.
We'll delegate.
Yeah? Do you want this job or not? Well, hell, yes I want it.
- Oh, thank God.
- (laughs) Let's go.
Ah, just right there, the whole time.
(sighing): Oh (chuckles) You have no idea how good you look right now.
I might.
(laughs) Figured we had a weekend to make up for.
I ruined that.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have gone after you about Alexander, - that - Oh, stop.
Can I say again what a fantastic father I think you are? For what it's worth, I'm taking Jace to the Spy Museum tomorrow.
Oh, good.
We're still sort of dancing around his suspicions about my job.
Uh, honestly, I'm not quite sure how to handle that one.
Well, we're honest in all the ways that count.
And someday, his therapist will be able to buy a boat.
(laughs softly) Here.
What is that? Uh, it's a little something I've been working on for a while.
I was gonna pick it up in Paris and give it to you there, but, uh, I found a colleague who was flying back yesterday.
He grabbed it for me.
How did you get my father's watch? It was lost in the car accident.
It's a recreation.
I found the guy who made the original.
He's in his 90s.
He's still at it.
Here.
(chuckles) But how, I mean wait (stammers) You always talked about it and pointed it out in photographs and told me he bought it on his honeymoon.
It wasn't that hard to figure out.
I love this watch.
Well, here's a promise.
I'll always find time for you and the kids.
Thank you.
(phone ringing) - Is that Russell Jackson? - Mm-mm.
Mm-mm.
- Mm-mm.
- Ugh.
It is.
He's here.
(groans) Hold that thought.
Russell.
What an unexpected surprise.
Thought I'd share the good news in person.
Senator Morejon just agreed to the terms of our original offer on the budget amendments.
Both houses are expected to sign off on the new CR in the morning.
That is felicitous.
It is.
Just when I'm hours away from eliminating the number one threat to our agenda, the guy caves out of nowhere.
He was probably persuaded by the threat of a pandemic, or (scoffs) getting blamed for one.
Speaking of, I should probably call my Africa desk.
- Gonna be a busy morning.
- Stay in your lane, Bess.
Understood? You asked me to help end the shutdown.
So what I think you mean is "thank you.
" Glass of wine, Russell? (sighs) - I got to get home.
- Okay.
Uh, where are you on the new chief of staff? - I sent over a good guy.
- Oh.
Yeah, you did.
Uh, but I'm gonna go with Jay.
Who in the hell is Jay? Whitman.
My policy advisor.
Well, that's dumb.
Good night, Russell.
STEVIE: You have your passport, right? Okay.
Twice is helpful.
Three times, a bit excessive.
Why is Russell Jackson telling me to bring donuts? What? If you're calling to warn me about donuts, that's my wife's job.
I'm sorry.
Is the shutdown over? Your mother didn't mention this? I haven't seen her.
Also, I'm supposed to be leaving for England in three hours.
Well, I guess this means no donuts.
I can come in if you need me.
How long are you gonna be gone? A week.
Well, I suppose we can survive.
It's up to you.
Okay.
Uh, I guess I'll see you in a week, then.
Thanks.
Bye.
Thank God.
Okay, right.
I think this is everything.
You ready? I don't know.
Um I kind of feel like I should go in.
Why? What did he say? He said it's up to me.
And you're going to choose to go to work.
I'm just not sure I really want to go on this trip.
I'm sorry.
What? Wh You're telling me this now? We Uh, it's just hitting me.
Well, you did agree to it.
- That kind of implies consent.
- I know.
I'm sorry.
Is this about my family? Can I reassure you on the way, because we really do have to go.
Jareth, I feel terrible, okay? I mean, especially 'cause you've given up so much - just to be with me.
- Okay, wait.
What are you saying? I'm saying that I never listen to the voice in my head, you know? I Anytime I've done something I don't want to do, there's always a voice telling me "Don't do it.
Don't join the lacrosse team "because you want Gina Marek to like you.
"Don't quit college because you're freaked out - about your mom" - Okay, no, no, no.
This is just the voice of fear.
- No.
I don't think it is.
- It is.
And you don't have to be afraid, because we're together.
Are we? I mean, are we? Well, this is what this trip is meant to be about.
I just I think I need to think things through a little bit.
Oh, my God.
I can't believe this is happening.
I'm not saying anything definitive.
Okay? I just I need a little bit of time.
Sure.
Jareth (sighs) I'll see you in a week, okay? We'll talk.
I just wish that the voice in your head was telling you to go with me.