Madam Secretary (2014) s04e14 Episode Script
Refuge
1 (SHIP HORN BLOWS) (SPEAKING RUSSIAN): (LIVELY CHATTER NEARBY) (CHUCKLES) Maryam! MARYAM: Oh, Ana.
(RUSSIAN DANCE MUSIC PLAYING) (LOUD POUNDING ON DOOR) (PEOPLE SCREAMING) (SHOUTS) (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) (SCREAMS) JAY: All countries participating in the free speech resolution summit are confirmed and should be in Vancouver by tomorrow.
China agreeing to come back to the table is a huge deal, so this will be a sizeable press event.
I've already sent you your remarks.
Though, technically, you could say whatever you want because that's the whole point of the conference.
- Free speech.
- JAY: And, of course, the assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs will be by your side.
But if-if you need anything at all from us Guys, thanks.
I really appreciate all of your concern, but believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I travelled without you.
- Good morning, everyone.
- JAY: Good morning.
Sorry I'm late, ma'am, but I was on a very, very troubling call with our embassy in Abkhazia.
What's up? Um, the police raided an LGBTQ nightclub in Sukhumi.
They locked everyone up on trumped-up charges of prostitution and resisting arrest.
Isn't that, like, the fifth raid this month? That we've heard about.
Exactly.
Um, there are reports of beatings, torture and, in some cases, death, all while in police custody.
All of these people disappeared after the raid and even if they were lucky enough to evade the authorities and are in hiding, it's only a matter of time before they're hunted down.
I'm alarmed, but not surprised.
Abkhazia legalized homosexuality, what, a year ago? After they gained full independence.
Not like they're happy about it.
Ma'am, asylum seekers at our embassy are saying this is a pogrom against the LGBTQ community.
Well, let's find out if that's true.
I can reach out to Brent Rosen.
He's now the executive director at the Human Crisis Foundation.
They usually have solid, on-the-ground Intel with LGBTQ issues.
Okay, good.
I'm gonna have a chat with President Lakoba.
Let him know that we're watching.
- Kat, would you please join? - Absolutely, ma'am.
ELIZABETH: We have it on good authority that your LGBTQ citizens are being targeted for persecution.
LAKOBA: These are false tales made up by devils.
I'm assuring you, no innocent citizens have been target or harmed in any way.
"Innocent citizens"? Mr.
President, in your country, homosexuality is not a crime.
I strongly recommend your government respect its own laws and allow your LGBTQ citizens to live freely.
LGB letters, letters, letters.
Well, maybe you'll respond better to numbers.
So, here's a big one: $60 million.
The amount that your country agreed to give us in aid each year.
Then you're also aware that aid is contingent on meeting certain human rights conditions, including ensuring the rights of gay people.
Are you understanding me better now? I'm afraid it is you who doesn't understand, Madam Secretary.
What you are saying is impossible.
We don't have gays in Abkhazia.
No gays in Abkhazia? It's sick.
The guy could've passed a polygraph, his hate was that true.
You know what I hate? His hair.
His hair! - I mean - Ugh! I just want to get in there or blech! Hey, shouldn't you be packing for this conference thing? No, come on.
It's more fun just hanging out with you, drinking wine and complaining.
(CHUCKLES) How was your day? Well, I got a lot of important work done down in the basement - after the great flood.
- Uh-huh.
What? What? No, it's just since you quit the CIA, you've been spending a lot of time down in the basement, alone.
Just tell me you're not going crazy and writing a manifesto.
They called me today.
CIA? Mm-hmm.
They want to give me a commendation for some reason.
Like, because you deserve it? Yeah, or they know I was driven to quit by political BS.
They didn't back me up and now they want to make themselves feel better.
Yeah, no.
CIA doesn't really do regret.
Yeah.
Well, anyway, um, it's a small ceremony.
Timing's up to me.
So, what are you thinking? I haven't decided, but probably, you know, never.
Oh.
'Cause you're too busy alone down in the basement? I'm not gonna be alone.
I'm gonna get the kids to help me.
Hey, kids! Come here a minute! - Uh-huh.
- JASON: Yeah? - Putting in a new floor, babe.
- ALISON: Coming.
One sec.
- Whoa.
- Here, check this out.
Anything speak to you? Oh.
That one.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Hey, Blake.
Uh, what's the name of the opera that, uh, the musical Rent's based on? - La bohème.
- Oh.
And what's the holiday that Chandler hates? Chandler Bing? Thanksgiving.
And what's the name of the American songwriting duo that wrote "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock"? I know what you're doing.
I heard you grilling Daisy in the break room yesterday.
And just because I know the answer Leiber and Stoller doesn't mean I have any desire to join your sad little trivia team.
Sad? Buddy, I am proud to say that we are one of the top teams in D.
C.
's pub circuit.
You do know what the word "proud" means, don't you? And believe me, crushing those smug Ivy Leaguers for that sweet trivia "W" is quite an achievement.
Considering I don't like who you just became, - I'm gonna pass.
- Okay.
Do I get competitive? Sure.
That's why Pete quit.
Also, Pete's a quitter and a baby.
Lesson learned.
Captain Ronnie and I are down a teammate - Stop.
- during the week of an invitational.
Captain Ronnie Baker from CYBERCOM? Okay, to be clear, she is not the captain of The Bill of Right Answers.
That would be me.
(LAUGHING): Oh, Matt.
When did it all go so wrong? Oh, come on.
Don't you want to put your powers of pop culture and theater to better use than just making references that fly over the secretary's head? You're right.
They kind of do.
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Mm-hmm? - Theoretically, what's in it for me? Well, first prize is dinner for the entire team at Le Petit Chien.
Michelin star, Le Petit Chien? Stupid expensive, impossible to get reservations, except for the winners of O'Reilly's Pub Trivia Night.
I told you this was serious business.
So? Fine, I'm in.
Yes! To victory! Viva la vida bohème! That's from La bohème.
It's the opera that Rent's based off of.
That's Wow, you need me more than I thought.
TRANSLATOR: The police yelled that I should be killed for being gay.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: And threw me into a cell covered in blood.
I waited four hours, certain I was going to die.
They beat me all over my body.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: Pliers were connected to my genitals.
They electrocuted me.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: They wanted me to confess.
Say I'm gay.
And wanted names of others.
(CRYING) The police left this man outside his family's house, bloody and beaten and then they outed him to his parents.
My God.
Somehow, he got himself to an Abkhazian LGBTQ coalition.
They've moved their offices underground.
So, how do we make Lakoba stop? Withhold aid, look at sanctions.
Economic levers take time.
Is the coalition in communication with the people in hiding or on the run? Yes, they are.
Secretly, over a website for a fake T-shirt company.
So, how many are they in touch with? Well, between the coalition safe houses and the website, only about 90.
Why? Is there any chance that we could give them asylum? JAY: Homeland Security is backlogged.
There's no way to fast-track the three to five year processing time.
Yeah, so we're gonna go through our refugee resettlement program, but that could still take 18 to 24 months.
Of course.
Okay.
First, we need to ratchet up pressure on Lakoba.
Talk to the White House about issuing a statement condemning these activities, formally withdrawing aid.
Meantime, we need a mechanism to save the lives that we can save.
Uh, like, uh, like what? Find an LGBTQ-friendly country to take them in while Homeland Security reviews their cases.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Ma'am.
Your motorcade is waiting to take you to Andrews.
In today's climate, i-it's not easy to find a country that's willing to take in any refugees at all.
Then find one that owes us, and fast.
DRAGOVA: It's just so ironic.
You're asking Bulgaria to open its borders to hundreds, potentially thousands of unvetted foreign nationals so that the United States can have time to complete its own vetting.
JAY: Unfortunately, we can't accelerate the United States's resettlement policy just for one group of refugees.
Lucky for them, Bulgaria is so free and easy.
KAT: We would be extremely grateful for Bulgaria's cooperation.
And again, the secretary regrets she is not able to join us today, but hopes that we can find a way to help these people.
You are asking Bulgaria to risk taking in unvetted dissidents? Uh, refugees seeking political asylum, Minister.
- Due to persecution - Technically, yes, we're asking you to assume an element of risk.
Just like last year, when Russian troops were on your shores and the U.
S.
stepped in and helped prevent your nation from being invaded.
As a fellow member of NATO, Minister, we're now asking for Bulgaria's cooperation, not based on your gratitude for us saving your butts, but because of your compassion for those in need.
But either works.
I'll talk to the prime minister.
We will allow the UNHRC to set up refugee camps outside of Plovdiv.
Thank you, Minister Dragova.
Give my regards to the secretary.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGING) Oh.
Thank you.
Jason McCord, you're wanted in the office.
STUDENTS: Ooh! All right, settle down, settle down.
- (STUDENT WHISTLES) - Okay.
- Whatever it is, I didn't do it.
- (STUDENTS GRUMBLE) MATT: Hey, man.
Hey.
You get the material yet? Yeah, I'm putting together a binder on Bulgaria as we No, I meant the study packet for team trivia night.
Look, I e-mailed it to you a couple hours ago.
Uh, yeah.
I-I got it.
Did you look it over? You know what? - What? - I actually did.
- It's so cool.
- Oh, way to go, teamie I'm lying, you idiot.
We're trying to save refugees from a homophobic, murderous dictator.
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Work.
I know you think you got this team trivia stuff, but I promise you, you don't got this.
Ivy League overachievers who've been obnoxiously dominating dinner conversations since they were four years old? Please.
I went to class with them.
I avoided joining clubs with them.
I'm probably unwilling to admit that I actually am one of them.
Believe me, I got this.
Okay.
Play it like you don't care.
That's cool.
Different is good.
The best teams are spice racks.
Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth? We will be the tagine of trivia.
Tagine is a Moroccan stew.
It's in the packet.
I Okay.
Get back to work.
Hey.
You're gonna be great.
(SIGHS) (DOOR CLOSES) HENRY: Jace? Yeah.
Perfect timing.
I'm just about to start on the floor.
You can give me a hand.
Look at this.
Mom chose, uh and Ali chose this wood-look porcelain tile.
What do you think? Yeah, looks great.
You okay, pal? Yeah, um Yeah, sorry, I'm just out of it.
Well, grab something to drink.
Sit down for a minute.
I don't want to break any child labor laws.
Mm.
Oh, there's pizza in there.
My advice to you is eat as much pizza as you can before you're 30.
Ah, hell, bring me a piece, would you? You know what? (BOX SHUFFLING) I just remembered I have debate practice.
What? Yeah.
No.
Uh (CHUCKLES) They-they changed my schedule this morning.
It's my fault, I-I totally spaced.
But I'm sorry, I got to ELIZABETH: That was it? He just took off? HENRY: Yeah, he didn't even try to argue his way out of it, he just pulled this debate story.
Something is up.
- Yeah, well, he's a teenager.
- Welcome.
You know, something is-is always up.
Hey, I'm just trying to get the basement finished.
I mean, yeah, okay, I'm annoyed.
He said he would help me out.
He should keep his word.
I totally agree.
I mean, I hated helping my father with projects.
He was the worst.
I would lie like hell to get out of it.
But that's why I try to be better, you know? I talk, I'm patient, I offer snacks.
I think he's just a teenager, and we are a l-little less interesting now.
It's nature's way of making him leave the house when he graduates.
Yeah.
That didn't work out so well with the other two.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
I love you, I got to go.
Bye.
(KNOCKING ON GLASS) KAT: I feel like we should celebrate.
Chinese? Oh, hell yes.
The number of my meals that come out of that vending machine would make the mothers of the world cringe.
Yikes.
Well, as a parent and sometime-farmer, I'm telling you: you yeah, you got to eat real food.
That is Uh You have a kid? Yeah.
Desi.
Short for Desear.
A moody, adorable threenager.
So you with me in the single parent club, or? Uh, no.
No.
Actually, I co-parent with Desi's dad, Adam.
He's consulting at the moment.
But um, you know, he's finding his way, now that I, uh, dragged him back to D.
C.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) What? I just I assumed, that with the refugees, it was personal.
It is.
I'm bisexual.
Uh, you can also say pansexual, or-or fluid, or non-monosexual, but, uh, yeah, I'm queer.
(BOTH LAUGH) Okay.
Okay.
I know I'm wandering into foot in mouth territory here, but queer is really sorry is really just about it's about worldview, right? Or is it more sexual preference? Um You know, I think it means different things to different people.
But for me, it's about the freedom to live my gender identity, and expression, as well as my sexual orientation.
I'm just gonna say stuff now.
Mm, okay, go for it.
So when you, uh were in your U.
N.
chief of staff days Mm-hmm.
You know, you looked, uh Feminine? You can say it.
Different.
Oh.
Yeah, I like that.
"Different.
" Yeah, I yeah, I had long hair and, uh, wore dresses and heels and makeup.
- And, um, sometimes it felt like me.
- Yeah? And sometimes (SIGHS) it felt like a costume I had to wear in order to survive, and gain access.
So what made you this you? I survived and gained access.
(BOTH LAUGH) Fair.
So, now I don't have to fit in to play the game.
I make my own rules, and number one is being my authentic self.
Somehow, becoming a parent only made it feel more vital, you know? - Yeah.
I get that.
- Yeah? Having Chloe was, like, a total reboot for me.
It's amazing how it affects you, right? (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) From the first moment I met Desi, this precious little spirit looking right into me (SIGHS) living my truth became nonnegotiable.
'Cause I want Desi to live Desi's truth.
So crazy that people want to destroy other people for this yeah, get in there.
Yeah.
Well, at least we try to get to do something about it.
You know, it's not the first time I've worked with Brent.
No? You know, the nuclear treaty with Iran? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Historic deal.
- (LAUGHS): Damn right.
So, on the same day as the signing, Iran held a public execution of a gay man.
Azad Ahmadi.
There was a protest in D.
C.
I didn't want it to happen.
The execution or the protest; they were the same in my mind.
Just obstacles to getting this thing that we'd been trying to land for years.
Yeah, it's understandable.
Not really.
As Brent made very clear.
- By the time I got "woke" - (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) and tried to stop the execution, it was too late.
We all have to put up walls sometimes to do this work.
That one had a cost.
He was stoned to death.
I made myself watch the video.
Oh, my God.
Why? So I'd never forget.
Hey.
Lakoba responded to the president's public statement.
He just closed the borders.
- No.
- What? Yeah, the refugees are trapped in Abkhazia.
Oh, my God.
(SCOFFS) We found out that they're putting people in a specially designated prison center.
Oh.
Well, that sounds eerily similar to a concentration camp.
Our contacts on the ground are all scrambling.
President Lakoba is now threatening to expel all U.
S.
headquartered NGOs.
And now, the LGBTQ Coalition is worried that the authorities are gonna find out about their underground office and their website, and so they're shutting it all down.
They can't do that.
We won't be able to reach the people in hiding.
That's why we need State to intervene.
Time is running out.
We're dealing with a guy who says his country has "no gays.
" We can't negotiate with that.
And there's no legal way to get them out without violating Abkhazian sovereignty.
Then maybe we need to start finding other ways.
(QUIETLY): Okay, human traffickers? You're kidding.
Yeah, of course I'm kidding.
I mean, t-they're the most evil monsters belched from Hell the Earth has ever known.
Although - Stop.
- Th-They well We may not have any legal options, but we're not going to straight up immoral.
Right.
So just plain illegal.
Extralegal.
Okay.
So (SIGHS) who can help us transport humans extralegally who isn't a human trafficker? (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Kurdish smugglers.
Now you're kidding.
Sure, the Turks might be a little mad that we're working with their archenemies - on their own soil - Yeah, like "threaten-threaten NATO" mad.
(SIGHS) True.
(CAR ALARM CHIRPS) - They could.
- (KAT LAUGHS) They could.
They could transport our refugees by ground from Abkhazia to Bulgaria via Georgia and Turkey.
Are we really having this conversation? - Just hypothetically.
- Okay, okay.
So, hypothetically, the tricky part is - how do we pay them? - Yeah.
(CHUCKLES) Unless we don't.
Oh, my God.
(CAR ALARM CHIRPS) You want me to convince an NGO that's working in Eastern Europe to accept a grant that they will then use to pay Kurds to transport LBGTQ refugees through Turkey? Another country that hates LBGTQ people? Yes.
Except the NGO will never know where the money came from, and we never had this conversation.
Aside from being completely insane, your-your plan has a-a Turkey problem.
Under President Kozlu, it's basically an authoritarian state, and they hate the Kurds.
Like "attempted to ethnically cleanse them" hate.
We're up to speed.
We know the risks.
Did the secretary sign off on this? Brent, the secretary's not your problem.
Right now, this is our only option, and the clock is ticking.
If we do nothing, these people die.
I'll have my team start making calls.
Thank you.
We better notify the secretary.
It's 5:00 in Vancouver.
She's still in negotiations.
Right.
She'll be tied up a few more hours.
(EXHALES) And we can't wait.
Let's get everything in motion, and I'll fill her in as soon as they break.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) PUNKAJ: I am Dr.
Punkaj, but I'm not a medical doctor.
So no bumps, bruises or contusions.
What have you gotten me into? Now, on to our first question.
Get you something? Popcorn shrimp? Oh, uh, yeah.
You know, I Now's not the time, lady.
PUNKAJ: In the 2000s, which artist sold more albums than the Beatles? Where's the buzzer? Oh, no, this isn't Jeopardy!, dude.
Okay, we write it all down and then turn it in at the end.
Well, that's not exciting.
Blake, the question.
Jay-Z? Yeah.
Eminem.
I should have known that.
PUNKAJ: Who wrote the 2004 hit Mean Girls? - BOTH: Amy Poehler? - Oh, please.
Tina Fey.
Oh.
Tina Fey.
This How I Met Your Mother star also played Toby In Sweeney Todd.
No, no, no.
This is my night off.
I'm not answering any more questions until you two loosen up.
We're-we're loose.
- Who played Toby, Blake? - Yeah.
Could we have a round of shots, please? Surprise us.
You know, I once ate fried beer.
(ALL LAUGH) - No.
- Yeah, it's a thing.
- My family's from Texas.
- Oh.
We figured that out when you said "fried beer.
" - Hey, you better watch it, Matty.
- No judgment.
- Just a little judgment.
- Oh.
Shh! - Okay, what is your problem? - Hey, no, no, no.
PUNKAJ: 73% of the brain is made up of this.
- Ooh, um - Oh - Uh, it's a plasma - It's a liquid, clear, uh - Waters? Waters.
- Yes! I think we've had a few too many shots.
PUNKAJ: Edgar Allan Poe died in this mid-Atlantic city.
- "The Raven.
" Uh, "Nevermore.
" - No, that's, uh BOTH: Baltimore.
BOTH: Boom! JASON: Thanks for seeing me, Uncle Will.
WILL: Anytime, okay? I won't make you say it.
I know why you're here.
Really? Yeah.
Yeah, I get it.
You can't talk to your parents about everything, and it's embarrassing to buy them yourself.
- Oh, God, no.
- No, it's okay.
- I got 'em from the clinic.
- No, no, no, that's - Should see you through the month.
- No, Uncle Will There's a big jump in STDs in your age group.
- Syphilis is back.
- No, no, no.
No, I'm good, thanks.
Well, what's on your mind? You okay? I got a perfect score on the PSAT.
What? (CHUCKLING) - That's it.
- Okay.
Wow.
Do you have any idea what Elizabeth and Henry McCord are going to do - when they find out? - They will be very proud.
No, they'll freak out and start having all these expectations.
Ah.
And you won't don a mask of faux ambition to appease the herd? Thank you.
I have a plan.
Piper's looking at colleges.
And once I graduate, I'm just gonna go wherever she is, and I'll get a job in the same town.
And No "and.
" Steve Jobs, Howard Hughes, Lady Gaga none of them had a college degree, and they built empires.
But if they didn't have an "and," they wouldn't have accomplished anything.
You need an "and.
" I just don't want to be forced to be someone I'm not, you know? You get it.
JASON: I came to you because you gave up your life to be with a woman.
All right, you get it, man.
Look, I-I gave up kidnapping threats, air raids, 24/7 gunfire, but I'm still doing the thing that-that makes me tick.
Okay, yeah.
And you're near Aunt Sophie, and I want that.
(SIGHS) This perfect score has just thrown everything up in the air, and I can only keep it hidden from Mom and Dad for so long and then it's just gonna be nonstop Harvard this and Stanford that.
And, "Why don't you apply for this internship - and that fellowship?" - And I I don't want any of it.
Come here, I want to show you something.
Brent's connections came through.
- They found a willing NGO? - Yep.
Rainbow Georgia.
They already had some ties to a Kurdish group.
We can get about 60 people out of Abkhazia.
When? When are they when? It's happening now.
(SOFTLY): Wow.
(PHONE VIBRATES) (SPEAKING RUSSIAN): (BRAKES HISS) (SOLDIERS SHOUTING IN TURKISH): (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) (SHOUTING IN TURKISH) What up, champ? - BLAKE: Oh, boy.
- Give me some.
We high-fiving now? (LAUGHING): Oh, damn straight, teamie.
We were on a trivia team together it was very exciting.
- We won.
- Okay, that's good.
So, Captain Ronnie and I are thinking Monday night - for our winner dinner.
- Yeah.
Well, all right, well, I'll be there.
I have been dreaming, dreaming about the cheese cart at Le Petit Chien.
Cool.
And Wednesday, we keep the dream alive at Ken's Bar and Grille.
(LAUGHS) Oh, no, no, no.
That dream is over.
I had a great time.
I really did.
But I was just in it for the free Michelin star meal.
I actually have a life.
Whoa, dude.
You're acting like I'm using trivia to fill some void or distract myself from feeling a little stalled out lately 'cause my love life is nonexistent, and sometimes the loneliness in my apartment feels like a prison.
Matt, do you not realize that Captain Baker is into you? Ronnie? - Yeah.
- No.
(LAUGHS) Y-You think? Let me put it to you this way.
This popular '90s movie is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma.
Clueless.
(WHISPERS): That's you.
I can't ask her out.
She it'd be too weird.
We're on the same trivia team.
What if I just happen to be sick on Monday night? Wait, no, you'd miss out on Le Petit Chien's cheese cart and-and the famous crabe royal to give me a personal round with Ronnie? You should walk away before I change my mind.
Hey.
Um, any word? No.
Brent said he'd call as soon as he hears anything.
Yeah, but shouldn't he have heard something by now? Okay, the secretary's on her way back.
Vancouver did not go as well as we had hoped.
Yeah, because we hoped for a free speech resolution and didn't get one.
MATT: So more like it didn't go well at all.
Guys, China agreed to resume talks in a few months.
So, for the press briefing, make sure it doesn't sound like we're just spinning our wheels with the resolution.
Even though we are? What? Is it really worth trying to sell abject failure as anything else? Just say Rome wasn't built in a day, and, like Rome, this too is an ongoing process, okay? I know how to handle the briefing, Jay.
Of course.
Sorry.
What's the status of the Abkhazian refugees? Something up? We're still waiting on an update.
Well, considering our lack of progress with Vancouver, maybe we should mention our efforts with the refugees.
It's humanitarian headline gold.
If we're successful.
We need to keep the story on ice while we help others escape.
Hopefully, this is just the first wave of many.
- Copy that.
- Thanks.
(SIGHS) I keep telling myself we did the right thing, but Brent's voice is stuck in my head saying if this thing goes sideways, we threaten our foreign policy.
(SIGHS) I talked to the secretary, and basically, as long as the refugees make it to Bulgaria, we're good.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Welcome back, ma'am.
I need Jay and Kat in my office, now.
ELIZABETH: Couple of miles from the border, a Turkish army unit raided a Kurdish transport vehicle.
The refugees you were trying to save are being detained.
President Kozlu plans on deporting them back to Abkhazia within the hour.
- What? He can't do that.
- He is doing that.
And he is furious that we worked with the Kurds.
You know, being that they're sworn enemies and all.
Ma'am, there's no proof that they worked at our behest.
H-Here's the funny thing: you know that LGBTQ-friendly NGO, Rainbow Georgia, that you worked with? One of their employees gave us up.
Why? He hates Kurds.
You see, being righteous in one area doesn't mean that you are righteous in all areas.
Which is why you have to know who you are working with.
Ma'am, I take full responsibility for this.
No, no, no, no.
I made the call.
It's my fault.
- Well, I brought it - It's my fault.
I'm not listening to this because right now, we need to save these refugees and our relationship with a vital ally.
Okay, I'll gather the team, and we'll put together No need.
This is how this is going to play out.
I'm going to browbeat President Kozlu, using our historic alliance as leverage.
Course, he has the upper hand because he knows we will never allow those refugees to return to Abkhazia.
Not to mention China and Russia, who are looking to exploit even the slightest fracture in our relationship in order to peel the Turks off of NATO.
So, sorry, Jay, your garden-variety inducements of more F-22s and monetary aid just isn't gonna cut it.
Instead, I will be forced to offer up something that hurts.
Like softening the language in State's next human rights report.
If President Kozlu allows the Abkhazians to continue on to Bulgaria, we will give him the credit that he deserves.
And then we will look for other areas to less harshly condemn Turkey for abuses.
Ma'am, anything less than a full-throated condemnation will only encourage Kozlu to keep crossing lines.
It would look like we're reneging on our commitment to democracy and getting in bed with a burgeoning autocrat.
If either of you has a better idea, I am all ears.
Great.
(INTERCOM BEEPS) Blake, get me President Kozlu.
Thank you.
That's all.
Hey, Dad, I've, uh, got something to tell you.
Let me guess, you got a perfect score on your PSAT.
- Uncle Will sold me out? - Nope.
I got a congratulatory e-mail from your principal.
The only thing I can think of is that since you're you know, you, instead of being thrilled, you'd think that somehow Mom and I are gonna have these crazy expectations of you.
First of which is: we expect honesty and, well, at least not outright lying.
- I know.
I'm an idiot.
I'm sorry.
- No, no, hey.
No, it's just I I wasn't ready to tell you and I didn't want to lie by omission, so I just avoided spending time with you.
- Which was, obviously, pretty dumb - Okay, first of all because I ended up lying to you anyway.
Congratulations.
And I promise that the next time you do something great, I will think as little of you as possible.
I assume you already told Mom.
Yeah, she's pretty proud.
Uh, but she has no expectations - it'll lead to anything.
- No.
It's-it's not that.
It's I don't know what I want to do yet.
You know, my-my "thing.
" I don't want to be bombarded with options that I'm gonna have to choose from and then live up to only to find that, like, I don't want, I don't want to do that thing.
And then I have to, like, find other stuff that I'm into and-and then I have to live up to that.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- And it just keeps - Whoa, here, slow down.
Have a set.
Sit down.
Nobody is making you do anything.
And I get it.
I-I was just as confused as you are when I was your age.
Really? Because you and Mom are, like, the two least confused, most successful, amazing people I know.
- Jace - It's true.
(SIGHS) Well, that must feel pretty intimidating.
Yeah.
Well, look.
Mom and I each had our own journey, and you're gonna have a journey that's unique to you.
The big difference between you and me, besides you being much smarter, is that, when I was your age, I was certain of one thing, I wanted to stick it to my dad.
So the first chance I got, I joined the Marines without any idea where it would lead to, none.
Wait, you did that with no plan? Yup.
(LAUGHS) And, oh, did I get lucky 'cause I-I found that I liked the challenge.
I liked being part of something bigger than myself.
Maybe I should join the military.
(LAUGHS) Maybe.
You don't have to decide anything yet.
Life doesn't come looking for you.
At a certain point, you just got to go out and find it.
I should've just talked to you first.
Uncle Will was far less patient.
- Oh, boy.
- Yeah.
Uh, what-what? Well, he took me to the rehab floor at Walter Reed.
Wow.
Dose of perspective.
Yeah, but Some of them are just a few years older than me.
Like, they're heroes.
A-And I don't even feel like I deserve to see them like that.
You're gonna find your thing.
And I promise to expect nothing if you promise to get in the game.
When you're ready.
Thanks.
ELIZABETH: That would explain the text I got from Will: "You're welcome.
" I mean, I appreciate that he's there for Jace, but maybe next time he won't use wounded soldiers as shock therapy.
ELIZABETH: I don't know.
I'm still stuck on this.
I don't know, him feeling all this pressure because of us? I mean, that stinks.
Well, look, we all have baggage from our parents.
Having your mom be Secretary of State is pretty cool baggage.
He'll figure it out.
Yeah.
Hey, speaking of figuring it out any more thoughts on that commendation? I'm trying not to think about it.
They want to give me the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.
Henry! That is an incredible honor and hugely deserved.
But it's for individual achievement.
It just doesn't feel right.
Well, what would feel right? WARE: It is with great privilege that I present the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation to recognize the accomplishments of this group that significantly benefitted the intelligence community.
Thanks, Ephraim.
(CHUCKLES) Uh, Henry, you can say a few words if you'd like for the record.
Oh, um We appreciate this honor and you know, a leader is only as good as his team.
And Dylan, Molly, and Alexander, Nafisa, those who couldn't be here, they all made me look pretty damn good.
You know, to say this job is difficult is an understatement.
We put our lives on the line every day, trying to achieve something that all too often seems impossible.
Working in gray areas that make us confront our sense of right and wrong.
And sometimes, it makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.
But we keep doing it, every day, because we believe that, in our own small way (ALL CHEERING) we're helping make the world a better place.
I can only hope that we are.
ELIZABETH: Good news.
63 Abkhazians just arrived at the U.
N.
camp - in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
- Thank God.
- Thank you, ma'am.
- That's great news.
Yeah, they will be safe there while the DHS reviews their applications for resettlement.
Then there's the bad news.
I just came from Acting President Hurst's office.
Apparently, President Lakoba feels that we violated his country's sovereignty, and he is making threats to end the military cooperation that we launched when they gained their independence.
So now, instead of working on how to help the thousands of LGBTQ citizens still in Abkhazia, I have to save our strategic position in the caucuses.
For the record, we believed it was the only way to save the refugees.
I'm sure you did.
But diplomacy is about the big picture, and you lost sight of that.
You are both important to my team.
You don't get to make a mistake like that twice.
Understood? - Yes, ma'am.
- Yeah, yes, understood.
Blake, get me President Lakoba.
(RUSSIAN DANCE MUSIC PLAYING) (LOUD POUNDING ON DOOR) (PEOPLE SCREAMING) (SHOUTS) (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) (SCREAMS) JAY: All countries participating in the free speech resolution summit are confirmed and should be in Vancouver by tomorrow.
China agreeing to come back to the table is a huge deal, so this will be a sizeable press event.
I've already sent you your remarks.
Though, technically, you could say whatever you want because that's the whole point of the conference.
- Free speech.
- JAY: And, of course, the assistant secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs will be by your side.
But if-if you need anything at all from us Guys, thanks.
I really appreciate all of your concern, but believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I travelled without you.
- Good morning, everyone.
- JAY: Good morning.
Sorry I'm late, ma'am, but I was on a very, very troubling call with our embassy in Abkhazia.
What's up? Um, the police raided an LGBTQ nightclub in Sukhumi.
They locked everyone up on trumped-up charges of prostitution and resisting arrest.
Isn't that, like, the fifth raid this month? That we've heard about.
Exactly.
Um, there are reports of beatings, torture and, in some cases, death, all while in police custody.
All of these people disappeared after the raid and even if they were lucky enough to evade the authorities and are in hiding, it's only a matter of time before they're hunted down.
I'm alarmed, but not surprised.
Abkhazia legalized homosexuality, what, a year ago? After they gained full independence.
Not like they're happy about it.
Ma'am, asylum seekers at our embassy are saying this is a pogrom against the LGBTQ community.
Well, let's find out if that's true.
I can reach out to Brent Rosen.
He's now the executive director at the Human Crisis Foundation.
They usually have solid, on-the-ground Intel with LGBTQ issues.
Okay, good.
I'm gonna have a chat with President Lakoba.
Let him know that we're watching.
- Kat, would you please join? - Absolutely, ma'am.
ELIZABETH: We have it on good authority that your LGBTQ citizens are being targeted for persecution.
LAKOBA: These are false tales made up by devils.
I'm assuring you, no innocent citizens have been target or harmed in any way.
"Innocent citizens"? Mr.
President, in your country, homosexuality is not a crime.
I strongly recommend your government respect its own laws and allow your LGBTQ citizens to live freely.
LGB letters, letters, letters.
Well, maybe you'll respond better to numbers.
So, here's a big one: $60 million.
The amount that your country agreed to give us in aid each year.
Then you're also aware that aid is contingent on meeting certain human rights conditions, including ensuring the rights of gay people.
Are you understanding me better now? I'm afraid it is you who doesn't understand, Madam Secretary.
What you are saying is impossible.
We don't have gays in Abkhazia.
No gays in Abkhazia? It's sick.
The guy could've passed a polygraph, his hate was that true.
You know what I hate? His hair.
His hair! - I mean - Ugh! I just want to get in there or blech! Hey, shouldn't you be packing for this conference thing? No, come on.
It's more fun just hanging out with you, drinking wine and complaining.
(CHUCKLES) How was your day? Well, I got a lot of important work done down in the basement - after the great flood.
- Uh-huh.
What? What? No, it's just since you quit the CIA, you've been spending a lot of time down in the basement, alone.
Just tell me you're not going crazy and writing a manifesto.
They called me today.
CIA? Mm-hmm.
They want to give me a commendation for some reason.
Like, because you deserve it? Yeah, or they know I was driven to quit by political BS.
They didn't back me up and now they want to make themselves feel better.
Yeah, no.
CIA doesn't really do regret.
Yeah.
Well, anyway, um, it's a small ceremony.
Timing's up to me.
So, what are you thinking? I haven't decided, but probably, you know, never.
Oh.
'Cause you're too busy alone down in the basement? I'm not gonna be alone.
I'm gonna get the kids to help me.
Hey, kids! Come here a minute! - Uh-huh.
- JASON: Yeah? - Putting in a new floor, babe.
- ALISON: Coming.
One sec.
- Whoa.
- Here, check this out.
Anything speak to you? Oh.
That one.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Hey, Blake.
Uh, what's the name of the opera that, uh, the musical Rent's based on? - La bohème.
- Oh.
And what's the holiday that Chandler hates? Chandler Bing? Thanksgiving.
And what's the name of the American songwriting duo that wrote "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock"? I know what you're doing.
I heard you grilling Daisy in the break room yesterday.
And just because I know the answer Leiber and Stoller doesn't mean I have any desire to join your sad little trivia team.
Sad? Buddy, I am proud to say that we are one of the top teams in D.
C.
's pub circuit.
You do know what the word "proud" means, don't you? And believe me, crushing those smug Ivy Leaguers for that sweet trivia "W" is quite an achievement.
Considering I don't like who you just became, - I'm gonna pass.
- Okay.
Do I get competitive? Sure.
That's why Pete quit.
Also, Pete's a quitter and a baby.
Lesson learned.
Captain Ronnie and I are down a teammate - Stop.
- during the week of an invitational.
Captain Ronnie Baker from CYBERCOM? Okay, to be clear, she is not the captain of The Bill of Right Answers.
That would be me.
(LAUGHING): Oh, Matt.
When did it all go so wrong? Oh, come on.
Don't you want to put your powers of pop culture and theater to better use than just making references that fly over the secretary's head? You're right.
They kind of do.
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Mm-hmm? - Theoretically, what's in it for me? Well, first prize is dinner for the entire team at Le Petit Chien.
Michelin star, Le Petit Chien? Stupid expensive, impossible to get reservations, except for the winners of O'Reilly's Pub Trivia Night.
I told you this was serious business.
So? Fine, I'm in.
Yes! To victory! Viva la vida bohème! That's from La bohème.
It's the opera that Rent's based off of.
That's Wow, you need me more than I thought.
TRANSLATOR: The police yelled that I should be killed for being gay.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: And threw me into a cell covered in blood.
I waited four hours, certain I was going to die.
They beat me all over my body.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: Pliers were connected to my genitals.
They electrocuted me.
(SPEAKING RUSSIAN) TRANSLATOR: They wanted me to confess.
Say I'm gay.
And wanted names of others.
(CRYING) The police left this man outside his family's house, bloody and beaten and then they outed him to his parents.
My God.
Somehow, he got himself to an Abkhazian LGBTQ coalition.
They've moved their offices underground.
So, how do we make Lakoba stop? Withhold aid, look at sanctions.
Economic levers take time.
Is the coalition in communication with the people in hiding or on the run? Yes, they are.
Secretly, over a website for a fake T-shirt company.
So, how many are they in touch with? Well, between the coalition safe houses and the website, only about 90.
Why? Is there any chance that we could give them asylum? JAY: Homeland Security is backlogged.
There's no way to fast-track the three to five year processing time.
Yeah, so we're gonna go through our refugee resettlement program, but that could still take 18 to 24 months.
Of course.
Okay.
First, we need to ratchet up pressure on Lakoba.
Talk to the White House about issuing a statement condemning these activities, formally withdrawing aid.
Meantime, we need a mechanism to save the lives that we can save.
Uh, like, uh, like what? Find an LGBTQ-friendly country to take them in while Homeland Security reviews their cases.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Ma'am.
Your motorcade is waiting to take you to Andrews.
In today's climate, i-it's not easy to find a country that's willing to take in any refugees at all.
Then find one that owes us, and fast.
DRAGOVA: It's just so ironic.
You're asking Bulgaria to open its borders to hundreds, potentially thousands of unvetted foreign nationals so that the United States can have time to complete its own vetting.
JAY: Unfortunately, we can't accelerate the United States's resettlement policy just for one group of refugees.
Lucky for them, Bulgaria is so free and easy.
KAT: We would be extremely grateful for Bulgaria's cooperation.
And again, the secretary regrets she is not able to join us today, but hopes that we can find a way to help these people.
You are asking Bulgaria to risk taking in unvetted dissidents? Uh, refugees seeking political asylum, Minister.
- Due to persecution - Technically, yes, we're asking you to assume an element of risk.
Just like last year, when Russian troops were on your shores and the U.
S.
stepped in and helped prevent your nation from being invaded.
As a fellow member of NATO, Minister, we're now asking for Bulgaria's cooperation, not based on your gratitude for us saving your butts, but because of your compassion for those in need.
But either works.
I'll talk to the prime minister.
We will allow the UNHRC to set up refugee camps outside of Plovdiv.
Thank you, Minister Dragova.
Give my regards to the secretary.
(SCHOOL BELL RINGING) Oh.
Thank you.
Jason McCord, you're wanted in the office.
STUDENTS: Ooh! All right, settle down, settle down.
- (STUDENT WHISTLES) - Okay.
- Whatever it is, I didn't do it.
- (STUDENTS GRUMBLE) MATT: Hey, man.
Hey.
You get the material yet? Yeah, I'm putting together a binder on Bulgaria as we No, I meant the study packet for team trivia night.
Look, I e-mailed it to you a couple hours ago.
Uh, yeah.
I-I got it.
Did you look it over? You know what? - What? - I actually did.
- It's so cool.
- Oh, way to go, teamie I'm lying, you idiot.
We're trying to save refugees from a homophobic, murderous dictator.
Okay, yeah, yeah.
Work.
I know you think you got this team trivia stuff, but I promise you, you don't got this.
Ivy League overachievers who've been obnoxiously dominating dinner conversations since they were four years old? Please.
I went to class with them.
I avoided joining clubs with them.
I'm probably unwilling to admit that I actually am one of them.
Believe me, I got this.
Okay.
Play it like you don't care.
That's cool.
Different is good.
The best teams are spice racks.
Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth? We will be the tagine of trivia.
Tagine is a Moroccan stew.
It's in the packet.
I Okay.
Get back to work.
Hey.
You're gonna be great.
(SIGHS) (DOOR CLOSES) HENRY: Jace? Yeah.
Perfect timing.
I'm just about to start on the floor.
You can give me a hand.
Look at this.
Mom chose, uh and Ali chose this wood-look porcelain tile.
What do you think? Yeah, looks great.
You okay, pal? Yeah, um Yeah, sorry, I'm just out of it.
Well, grab something to drink.
Sit down for a minute.
I don't want to break any child labor laws.
Mm.
Oh, there's pizza in there.
My advice to you is eat as much pizza as you can before you're 30.
Ah, hell, bring me a piece, would you? You know what? (BOX SHUFFLING) I just remembered I have debate practice.
What? Yeah.
No.
Uh (CHUCKLES) They-they changed my schedule this morning.
It's my fault, I-I totally spaced.
But I'm sorry, I got to ELIZABETH: That was it? He just took off? HENRY: Yeah, he didn't even try to argue his way out of it, he just pulled this debate story.
Something is up.
- Yeah, well, he's a teenager.
- Welcome.
You know, something is-is always up.
Hey, I'm just trying to get the basement finished.
I mean, yeah, okay, I'm annoyed.
He said he would help me out.
He should keep his word.
I totally agree.
I mean, I hated helping my father with projects.
He was the worst.
I would lie like hell to get out of it.
But that's why I try to be better, you know? I talk, I'm patient, I offer snacks.
I think he's just a teenager, and we are a l-little less interesting now.
It's nature's way of making him leave the house when he graduates.
Yeah.
That didn't work out so well with the other two.
(CHUCKLES SOFTLY) Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
I love you, I got to go.
Bye.
(KNOCKING ON GLASS) KAT: I feel like we should celebrate.
Chinese? Oh, hell yes.
The number of my meals that come out of that vending machine would make the mothers of the world cringe.
Yikes.
Well, as a parent and sometime-farmer, I'm telling you: you yeah, you got to eat real food.
That is Uh You have a kid? Yeah.
Desi.
Short for Desear.
A moody, adorable threenager.
So you with me in the single parent club, or? Uh, no.
No.
Actually, I co-parent with Desi's dad, Adam.
He's consulting at the moment.
But um, you know, he's finding his way, now that I, uh, dragged him back to D.
C.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) What? I just I assumed, that with the refugees, it was personal.
It is.
I'm bisexual.
Uh, you can also say pansexual, or-or fluid, or non-monosexual, but, uh, yeah, I'm queer.
(BOTH LAUGH) Okay.
Okay.
I know I'm wandering into foot in mouth territory here, but queer is really sorry is really just about it's about worldview, right? Or is it more sexual preference? Um You know, I think it means different things to different people.
But for me, it's about the freedom to live my gender identity, and expression, as well as my sexual orientation.
I'm just gonna say stuff now.
Mm, okay, go for it.
So when you, uh were in your U.
N.
chief of staff days Mm-hmm.
You know, you looked, uh Feminine? You can say it.
Different.
Oh.
Yeah, I like that.
"Different.
" Yeah, I yeah, I had long hair and, uh, wore dresses and heels and makeup.
- And, um, sometimes it felt like me.
- Yeah? And sometimes (SIGHS) it felt like a costume I had to wear in order to survive, and gain access.
So what made you this you? I survived and gained access.
(BOTH LAUGH) Fair.
So, now I don't have to fit in to play the game.
I make my own rules, and number one is being my authentic self.
Somehow, becoming a parent only made it feel more vital, you know? - Yeah.
I get that.
- Yeah? Having Chloe was, like, a total reboot for me.
It's amazing how it affects you, right? (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) From the first moment I met Desi, this precious little spirit looking right into me (SIGHS) living my truth became nonnegotiable.
'Cause I want Desi to live Desi's truth.
So crazy that people want to destroy other people for this yeah, get in there.
Yeah.
Well, at least we try to get to do something about it.
You know, it's not the first time I've worked with Brent.
No? You know, the nuclear treaty with Iran? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Historic deal.
- (LAUGHS): Damn right.
So, on the same day as the signing, Iran held a public execution of a gay man.
Azad Ahmadi.
There was a protest in D.
C.
I didn't want it to happen.
The execution or the protest; they were the same in my mind.
Just obstacles to getting this thing that we'd been trying to land for years.
Yeah, it's understandable.
Not really.
As Brent made very clear.
- By the time I got "woke" - (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) and tried to stop the execution, it was too late.
We all have to put up walls sometimes to do this work.
That one had a cost.
He was stoned to death.
I made myself watch the video.
Oh, my God.
Why? So I'd never forget.
Hey.
Lakoba responded to the president's public statement.
He just closed the borders.
- No.
- What? Yeah, the refugees are trapped in Abkhazia.
Oh, my God.
(SCOFFS) We found out that they're putting people in a specially designated prison center.
Oh.
Well, that sounds eerily similar to a concentration camp.
Our contacts on the ground are all scrambling.
President Lakoba is now threatening to expel all U.
S.
headquartered NGOs.
And now, the LGBTQ Coalition is worried that the authorities are gonna find out about their underground office and their website, and so they're shutting it all down.
They can't do that.
We won't be able to reach the people in hiding.
That's why we need State to intervene.
Time is running out.
We're dealing with a guy who says his country has "no gays.
" We can't negotiate with that.
And there's no legal way to get them out without violating Abkhazian sovereignty.
Then maybe we need to start finding other ways.
(QUIETLY): Okay, human traffickers? You're kidding.
Yeah, of course I'm kidding.
I mean, t-they're the most evil monsters belched from Hell the Earth has ever known.
Although - Stop.
- Th-They well We may not have any legal options, but we're not going to straight up immoral.
Right.
So just plain illegal.
Extralegal.
Okay.
So (SIGHS) who can help us transport humans extralegally who isn't a human trafficker? (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Kurdish smugglers.
Now you're kidding.
Sure, the Turks might be a little mad that we're working with their archenemies - on their own soil - Yeah, like "threaten-threaten NATO" mad.
(SIGHS) True.
(CAR ALARM CHIRPS) - They could.
- (KAT LAUGHS) They could.
They could transport our refugees by ground from Abkhazia to Bulgaria via Georgia and Turkey.
Are we really having this conversation? - Just hypothetically.
- Okay, okay.
So, hypothetically, the tricky part is - how do we pay them? - Yeah.
(CHUCKLES) Unless we don't.
Oh, my God.
(CAR ALARM CHIRPS) You want me to convince an NGO that's working in Eastern Europe to accept a grant that they will then use to pay Kurds to transport LBGTQ refugees through Turkey? Another country that hates LBGTQ people? Yes.
Except the NGO will never know where the money came from, and we never had this conversation.
Aside from being completely insane, your-your plan has a-a Turkey problem.
Under President Kozlu, it's basically an authoritarian state, and they hate the Kurds.
Like "attempted to ethnically cleanse them" hate.
We're up to speed.
We know the risks.
Did the secretary sign off on this? Brent, the secretary's not your problem.
Right now, this is our only option, and the clock is ticking.
If we do nothing, these people die.
I'll have my team start making calls.
Thank you.
We better notify the secretary.
It's 5:00 in Vancouver.
She's still in negotiations.
Right.
She'll be tied up a few more hours.
(EXHALES) And we can't wait.
Let's get everything in motion, and I'll fill her in as soon as they break.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) PUNKAJ: I am Dr.
Punkaj, but I'm not a medical doctor.
So no bumps, bruises or contusions.
What have you gotten me into? Now, on to our first question.
Get you something? Popcorn shrimp? Oh, uh, yeah.
You know, I Now's not the time, lady.
PUNKAJ: In the 2000s, which artist sold more albums than the Beatles? Where's the buzzer? Oh, no, this isn't Jeopardy!, dude.
Okay, we write it all down and then turn it in at the end.
Well, that's not exciting.
Blake, the question.
Jay-Z? Yeah.
Eminem.
I should have known that.
PUNKAJ: Who wrote the 2004 hit Mean Girls? - BOTH: Amy Poehler? - Oh, please.
Tina Fey.
Oh.
Tina Fey.
This How I Met Your Mother star also played Toby In Sweeney Todd.
No, no, no.
This is my night off.
I'm not answering any more questions until you two loosen up.
We're-we're loose.
- Who played Toby, Blake? - Yeah.
Could we have a round of shots, please? Surprise us.
You know, I once ate fried beer.
(ALL LAUGH) - No.
- Yeah, it's a thing.
- My family's from Texas.
- Oh.
We figured that out when you said "fried beer.
" - Hey, you better watch it, Matty.
- No judgment.
- Just a little judgment.
- Oh.
Shh! - Okay, what is your problem? - Hey, no, no, no.
PUNKAJ: 73% of the brain is made up of this.
- Ooh, um - Oh - Uh, it's a plasma - It's a liquid, clear, uh - Waters? Waters.
- Yes! I think we've had a few too many shots.
PUNKAJ: Edgar Allan Poe died in this mid-Atlantic city.
- "The Raven.
" Uh, "Nevermore.
" - No, that's, uh BOTH: Baltimore.
BOTH: Boom! JASON: Thanks for seeing me, Uncle Will.
WILL: Anytime, okay? I won't make you say it.
I know why you're here.
Really? Yeah.
Yeah, I get it.
You can't talk to your parents about everything, and it's embarrassing to buy them yourself.
- Oh, God, no.
- No, it's okay.
- I got 'em from the clinic.
- No, no, no, that's - Should see you through the month.
- No, Uncle Will There's a big jump in STDs in your age group.
- Syphilis is back.
- No, no, no.
No, I'm good, thanks.
Well, what's on your mind? You okay? I got a perfect score on the PSAT.
What? (CHUCKLING) - That's it.
- Okay.
Wow.
Do you have any idea what Elizabeth and Henry McCord are going to do - when they find out? - They will be very proud.
No, they'll freak out and start having all these expectations.
Ah.
And you won't don a mask of faux ambition to appease the herd? Thank you.
I have a plan.
Piper's looking at colleges.
And once I graduate, I'm just gonna go wherever she is, and I'll get a job in the same town.
And No "and.
" Steve Jobs, Howard Hughes, Lady Gaga none of them had a college degree, and they built empires.
But if they didn't have an "and," they wouldn't have accomplished anything.
You need an "and.
" I just don't want to be forced to be someone I'm not, you know? You get it.
JASON: I came to you because you gave up your life to be with a woman.
All right, you get it, man.
Look, I-I gave up kidnapping threats, air raids, 24/7 gunfire, but I'm still doing the thing that-that makes me tick.
Okay, yeah.
And you're near Aunt Sophie, and I want that.
(SIGHS) This perfect score has just thrown everything up in the air, and I can only keep it hidden from Mom and Dad for so long and then it's just gonna be nonstop Harvard this and Stanford that.
And, "Why don't you apply for this internship - and that fellowship?" - And I I don't want any of it.
Come here, I want to show you something.
Brent's connections came through.
- They found a willing NGO? - Yep.
Rainbow Georgia.
They already had some ties to a Kurdish group.
We can get about 60 people out of Abkhazia.
When? When are they when? It's happening now.
(SOFTLY): Wow.
(PHONE VIBRATES) (SPEAKING RUSSIAN): (BRAKES HISS) (SOLDIERS SHOUTING IN TURKISH): (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) (SHOUTING IN TURKISH) What up, champ? - BLAKE: Oh, boy.
- Give me some.
We high-fiving now? (LAUGHING): Oh, damn straight, teamie.
We were on a trivia team together it was very exciting.
- We won.
- Okay, that's good.
So, Captain Ronnie and I are thinking Monday night - for our winner dinner.
- Yeah.
Well, all right, well, I'll be there.
I have been dreaming, dreaming about the cheese cart at Le Petit Chien.
Cool.
And Wednesday, we keep the dream alive at Ken's Bar and Grille.
(LAUGHS) Oh, no, no, no.
That dream is over.
I had a great time.
I really did.
But I was just in it for the free Michelin star meal.
I actually have a life.
Whoa, dude.
You're acting like I'm using trivia to fill some void or distract myself from feeling a little stalled out lately 'cause my love life is nonexistent, and sometimes the loneliness in my apartment feels like a prison.
Matt, do you not realize that Captain Baker is into you? Ronnie? - Yeah.
- No.
(LAUGHS) Y-You think? Let me put it to you this way.
This popular '90s movie is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma.
Clueless.
(WHISPERS): That's you.
I can't ask her out.
She it'd be too weird.
We're on the same trivia team.
What if I just happen to be sick on Monday night? Wait, no, you'd miss out on Le Petit Chien's cheese cart and-and the famous crabe royal to give me a personal round with Ronnie? You should walk away before I change my mind.
Hey.
Um, any word? No.
Brent said he'd call as soon as he hears anything.
Yeah, but shouldn't he have heard something by now? Okay, the secretary's on her way back.
Vancouver did not go as well as we had hoped.
Yeah, because we hoped for a free speech resolution and didn't get one.
MATT: So more like it didn't go well at all.
Guys, China agreed to resume talks in a few months.
So, for the press briefing, make sure it doesn't sound like we're just spinning our wheels with the resolution.
Even though we are? What? Is it really worth trying to sell abject failure as anything else? Just say Rome wasn't built in a day, and, like Rome, this too is an ongoing process, okay? I know how to handle the briefing, Jay.
Of course.
Sorry.
What's the status of the Abkhazian refugees? Something up? We're still waiting on an update.
Well, considering our lack of progress with Vancouver, maybe we should mention our efforts with the refugees.
It's humanitarian headline gold.
If we're successful.
We need to keep the story on ice while we help others escape.
Hopefully, this is just the first wave of many.
- Copy that.
- Thanks.
(SIGHS) I keep telling myself we did the right thing, but Brent's voice is stuck in my head saying if this thing goes sideways, we threaten our foreign policy.
(SIGHS) I talked to the secretary, and basically, as long as the refugees make it to Bulgaria, we're good.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Welcome back, ma'am.
I need Jay and Kat in my office, now.
ELIZABETH: Couple of miles from the border, a Turkish army unit raided a Kurdish transport vehicle.
The refugees you were trying to save are being detained.
President Kozlu plans on deporting them back to Abkhazia within the hour.
- What? He can't do that.
- He is doing that.
And he is furious that we worked with the Kurds.
You know, being that they're sworn enemies and all.
Ma'am, there's no proof that they worked at our behest.
H-Here's the funny thing: you know that LGBTQ-friendly NGO, Rainbow Georgia, that you worked with? One of their employees gave us up.
Why? He hates Kurds.
You see, being righteous in one area doesn't mean that you are righteous in all areas.
Which is why you have to know who you are working with.
Ma'am, I take full responsibility for this.
No, no, no, no.
I made the call.
It's my fault.
- Well, I brought it - It's my fault.
I'm not listening to this because right now, we need to save these refugees and our relationship with a vital ally.
Okay, I'll gather the team, and we'll put together No need.
This is how this is going to play out.
I'm going to browbeat President Kozlu, using our historic alliance as leverage.
Course, he has the upper hand because he knows we will never allow those refugees to return to Abkhazia.
Not to mention China and Russia, who are looking to exploit even the slightest fracture in our relationship in order to peel the Turks off of NATO.
So, sorry, Jay, your garden-variety inducements of more F-22s and monetary aid just isn't gonna cut it.
Instead, I will be forced to offer up something that hurts.
Like softening the language in State's next human rights report.
If President Kozlu allows the Abkhazians to continue on to Bulgaria, we will give him the credit that he deserves.
And then we will look for other areas to less harshly condemn Turkey for abuses.
Ma'am, anything less than a full-throated condemnation will only encourage Kozlu to keep crossing lines.
It would look like we're reneging on our commitment to democracy and getting in bed with a burgeoning autocrat.
If either of you has a better idea, I am all ears.
Great.
(INTERCOM BEEPS) Blake, get me President Kozlu.
Thank you.
That's all.
Hey, Dad, I've, uh, got something to tell you.
Let me guess, you got a perfect score on your PSAT.
- Uncle Will sold me out? - Nope.
I got a congratulatory e-mail from your principal.
The only thing I can think of is that since you're you know, you, instead of being thrilled, you'd think that somehow Mom and I are gonna have these crazy expectations of you.
First of which is: we expect honesty and, well, at least not outright lying.
- I know.
I'm an idiot.
I'm sorry.
- No, no, hey.
No, it's just I I wasn't ready to tell you and I didn't want to lie by omission, so I just avoided spending time with you.
- Which was, obviously, pretty dumb - Okay, first of all because I ended up lying to you anyway.
Congratulations.
And I promise that the next time you do something great, I will think as little of you as possible.
I assume you already told Mom.
Yeah, she's pretty proud.
Uh, but she has no expectations - it'll lead to anything.
- No.
It's-it's not that.
It's I don't know what I want to do yet.
You know, my-my "thing.
" I don't want to be bombarded with options that I'm gonna have to choose from and then live up to only to find that, like, I don't want, I don't want to do that thing.
And then I have to, like, find other stuff that I'm into and-and then I have to live up to that.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- And it just keeps - Whoa, here, slow down.
Have a set.
Sit down.
Nobody is making you do anything.
And I get it.
I-I was just as confused as you are when I was your age.
Really? Because you and Mom are, like, the two least confused, most successful, amazing people I know.
- Jace - It's true.
(SIGHS) Well, that must feel pretty intimidating.
Yeah.
Well, look.
Mom and I each had our own journey, and you're gonna have a journey that's unique to you.
The big difference between you and me, besides you being much smarter, is that, when I was your age, I was certain of one thing, I wanted to stick it to my dad.
So the first chance I got, I joined the Marines without any idea where it would lead to, none.
Wait, you did that with no plan? Yup.
(LAUGHS) And, oh, did I get lucky 'cause I-I found that I liked the challenge.
I liked being part of something bigger than myself.
Maybe I should join the military.
(LAUGHS) Maybe.
You don't have to decide anything yet.
Life doesn't come looking for you.
At a certain point, you just got to go out and find it.
I should've just talked to you first.
Uncle Will was far less patient.
- Oh, boy.
- Yeah.
Uh, what-what? Well, he took me to the rehab floor at Walter Reed.
Wow.
Dose of perspective.
Yeah, but Some of them are just a few years older than me.
Like, they're heroes.
A-And I don't even feel like I deserve to see them like that.
You're gonna find your thing.
And I promise to expect nothing if you promise to get in the game.
When you're ready.
Thanks.
ELIZABETH: That would explain the text I got from Will: "You're welcome.
" I mean, I appreciate that he's there for Jace, but maybe next time he won't use wounded soldiers as shock therapy.
ELIZABETH: I don't know.
I'm still stuck on this.
I don't know, him feeling all this pressure because of us? I mean, that stinks.
Well, look, we all have baggage from our parents.
Having your mom be Secretary of State is pretty cool baggage.
He'll figure it out.
Yeah.
Hey, speaking of figuring it out any more thoughts on that commendation? I'm trying not to think about it.
They want to give me the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.
Henry! That is an incredible honor and hugely deserved.
But it's for individual achievement.
It just doesn't feel right.
Well, what would feel right? WARE: It is with great privilege that I present the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation to recognize the accomplishments of this group that significantly benefitted the intelligence community.
Thanks, Ephraim.
(CHUCKLES) Uh, Henry, you can say a few words if you'd like for the record.
Oh, um We appreciate this honor and you know, a leader is only as good as his team.
And Dylan, Molly, and Alexander, Nafisa, those who couldn't be here, they all made me look pretty damn good.
You know, to say this job is difficult is an understatement.
We put our lives on the line every day, trying to achieve something that all too often seems impossible.
Working in gray areas that make us confront our sense of right and wrong.
And sometimes, it makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.
But we keep doing it, every day, because we believe that, in our own small way (ALL CHEERING) we're helping make the world a better place.
I can only hope that we are.
ELIZABETH: Good news.
63 Abkhazians just arrived at the U.
N.
camp - in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
- Thank God.
- Thank you, ma'am.
- That's great news.
Yeah, they will be safe there while the DHS reviews their applications for resettlement.
Then there's the bad news.
I just came from Acting President Hurst's office.
Apparently, President Lakoba feels that we violated his country's sovereignty, and he is making threats to end the military cooperation that we launched when they gained their independence.
So now, instead of working on how to help the thousands of LGBTQ citizens still in Abkhazia, I have to save our strategic position in the caucuses.
For the record, we believed it was the only way to save the refugees.
I'm sure you did.
But diplomacy is about the big picture, and you lost sight of that.
You are both important to my team.
You don't get to make a mistake like that twice.
Understood? - Yes, ma'am.
- Yeah, yes, understood.
Blake, get me President Lakoba.