Madam Secretary (2014) s05e09 Episode Script
Winter Garden
1 (CHALK CLACKING ON BOARD) (MAN SPEAKING SERBIAN) (MAN SPEAKING ALBANIAN) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (DOOR SLAMS) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (MUTTERING ANGRILY) JAY: We live in a time when hatred disguised as nationalism is on the rise.
And while I generally tend to leave the poetry to the speechwriters, I-I, I just want to say that this agreement is how we keep the wolves at bay.
So, Abdyl and Aleksandar.
For putting your two nation troubled history behind you, for the sake of these discussions, we all thank you.
And to the rest of our NATO members, for considering admission of Serbia and Kosovo to our ranks this week, the world thanks you.
YVES: Yes, well.
It has been our great pleasure to come here and enjoy your continental breakfast.
Oh.
Next time in Luxembourg, Yves.
Talk to your people.
- (MEMBERS CHUCKLE) - JAY: Shall we begin? A resolution to admit Serbia and Kosovo to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Now you get to see how the sausage is made.
Pretty boring stuff, huh? Are you kidding? Talking Serbia down, demanding a five-year waiver on NATO fees? Come on, that was masterful.
Considering Serbia didn't even recognize Kosovo as a nation a year ago, it's kind of hard to believe we might get them both into NATO.
Too soon to tell M-Sec Christmas is coming early this year? Well, you can tell her we hear the faint sound - of jingle bells.
(CHUCKLES) - Okay.
- (SPEAKING SPANISH) - Hmm.
No, no.
I-I'm still reading that.
This is a work intervention.
Oh.
Well.
That's fine.
I can show up at the briefing totally clueless tomorrow.
Listen, it's only global water security.
Now you're talking.
(GROANS) (SIGHS, CHUCKLES) - Oh.
- (PHONE BUZZING) Hmm? No, it's Jay.
Uh, he's still at the NATO summit, I got to Just one second.
(SHARP INHALE) Jay, Blake says he's learning at the feet of the master.
How's it going? JAY: Uh Less than masterful, at the moment.
Kosovo and Serbia both got on board with the terms, but Spain just pulled out.
Why? I thought we had everybody locked.
JAY: Foreign Minister says there's too much noise about a Catalonian push for independence.
They still feel like they can't risk legitimizing a breakaway republic.
- I'm sorry, I - It's No, no.
It's Look, don't let anybody leave town.
And bring in, uh The Who's the Spain rep? JAY: Maria Ayala.
She's the Foreign Minister's senior aide.
All right, bring her to the office tomorrow.
The two of us are gonna have a chat.
- Will do.
- ELIZABETH: And Jay, listen.
Thank you for all the work.
We are going to do this.
Yeah.
- (PHONE BEEPS) - Well, that's bad news.
Yeah, Spain getting cold feet.
We knew Kosovo was a reach.
Oh, I'm not backing off.
I'm sending a message to Russia.
You fund a far-right attack on the White House, you can kiss the Balkans good-bye.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
I like it when you talk tough.
Geopolitics as foreplay? That's hot? (BOTH CHUCKLE) (PHONE RINGS) - Mm-mm.
- Hmm? Hmm? Hmm? (GROANS) Security at 11:20? Yeah, Frank? (SIGHS) Gordon Becker is downstairs.
- Hey, Gordon.
- It's too provocative.
You can't push for everything in one go.
Uh, yeah, I see you heard - about Kosovo, huh? - If I tried to push back harder in '98, - Hey, Gordon.
- I would have been wrong.
Well, there are a lot of different schools - You okay, Gordon? - of thought about the Balkan conflict.
- Can I make you something or? - Can't find the damn remote.
- She's always losing it.
- Well, why don't you come and sit down? W-We'll look for it.
- (PHONE RINGS) - Yeah, uh Okay.
- Yah! - Hey O-Okay, Gordon.
- Frank, yeah, yeah.
Uh - GORDON: Is that a niner? - Send her in.
- HENRY: No, no, that's the - G-Gordon.
Your wife's here.
- HENRY: Put that down.
Does she have the remote? Hi, Deedee, Deedee, come on in.
- I'm so sorry to bother you.
- No, no.
I thought he was in the bathroom and the next thing I know, - he took off with his detail.
- Is he okay? 'Cause he seems - He's been under a lot of stress.
- Okay.
- Gordie? We're going home now.
- There it is.
That isn't ours.
- It's okay.
- Henry, I'm sorry.
No, no, no.
Cannot trust the Balkans.
- Okay.
- DEEDEE: Let's go, honey.
Okay, uh, you sure you can get him home? His car is waiting outside.
- I'm so sorry for the bother.
- No, no, no.
Don't worry.
- I like them, just - All right, already! - Time for bed.
- Okay, all right.
- Good night.
- Good night.
(WHISPERING): Whoa.
That-that is one for the memoir.
I can't believe his security detail didn't notice.
I can't believe he took our ornaments.
We have to report this, right? Babe, he's the Secretary of Defense.
- So, yeah.
- (SIGHS) Can you take that? Or, I mean, I could Yeah, I'll get into it.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Nina, hey.
Hi.
I got Madam Secretary her latte and muffin this morning and thought I'd get you the same.
You didn't have to do that.
Well, it's your first official day as Policy Analyst, you deserve it.
- Okay.
You're very kind.
- (CHUCKLES) - You're here early.
- Yes, she had an early meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister's senior aide.
So I thought I'd hit up my workspace and figure out a new filing system.
Oh, uh, was there a problem with the filing system? Oh, no.
No problem.
But files are like brain circuitry, you know? Right.
- And everybody's got their own code.
- Yeah.
So, the staff meeting has been pushed until after she's done with Spain.
Let me know if this looks okay to you.
And, uh, one question.
Does she like cinnamon? Because Senator Wentworth had this massive cinnamon aversion and I almost got her a cinnamon roll this morning, but then I was like, (WHISPERS): "What if?" Sure, any bakery item will be right on the money.
Cool beans.
(CHUCKLES) - (CLEARS THROAT) This looks great.
- Oh, great.
Do you need my help with anything else? Nope, I'm good so far.
But I'll know where to find you.
Yes, uh, well, I guess I should get settled in and get things organized.
It's the very soul of success.
Uh-huh.
ELIZABETH: You're saying that Spain is perfectly comfortable derailing an historic NATO expansion because of some online chatter about the Catalonian independence movement? A movement that hasn't achieved its aim in over 80 years.
The referendum vote on independence - passed by 90% only a few years ago.
- With a turnout of 43% and your constitutional accord - discredited the vote anyway.
- And we are still restabilizing.
- Come on.
- You have to understand, this was all very recent and very real.
Do you know what else was recent and real? Serbia's attempt to banish or kill its entire ethnic Albanian population in the late '90s.
And yet, Kosovo is willing to set that aside and cooperate with Serbia for the sake of this deal.
Here's the part that I don't get.
Two weeks ago, we had a pledge from your staff that your country was fully on board.
Wouldn't have called a summit otherwise.
And then, this showed up.
Threats of violence.
Mass protest.
The assassination of key cabinet members.
It's very alarming.
If recognizing Kosovo causes unrest in Spain, it's your right, as a NATO member, to engage all of our help.
But it is also your duty, as a NATO member, to keep the world stable and safe.
That's what this deal does.
Spain is really willing to be the sole voice jeopardizing that? (PHONE RINGING) Secretary McCord's office.
Nothing like a visit to the principal's office.
Yeah, well, let's get everybody back to the table, see if it accomplished anything, and get the DNI to try and source those Web postings.
Thinking Russia? Well, they're not the only country that might want to tank this deal.
Sorry, ma'am, news just broke.
Just once could that be a cat video? A mass grave was uncovered at a construction site in Northern Kosovo.
Kosovo is saying it's Albanians massacred by Serbian military in the war.
Serbia is denying any responsibility.
- We better get ahead of this.
- Get me everything you can on that.
- Okay.
- Ma'am, so sorry, Kosovo sends word they can't make it today.
The delegates are on their way to the airport now.
- So much for getting ahead of this.
- No, you do everything - you can to stall them.
- Whoever's trying to sink this is not getting their Christmas wish.
(SIGHS) - Morning.
- (GASPS) (EXHALES) Three months.
I asked you to wait three months for this pie-in-the-sky NATO summit, let us finish the India/Pakistan nuclear deal and enjoy one tiny moment of bipartisan cooperation.
What did you do? Plowed right ahead, threw a stink bomb in our pool party.
- Russell - No, no, no.
Happens every time.
Three, four years in, no major scandals to throw gravel under your wheels, you all start to think you're Moses.
You can part the waters, lead us all to the promised land.
Well, none of you can part the waters.
We're all in a leaky boat with one oar.
I'm not sure I follow that metaphor.
You reached too far, too fast.
It's the Balkans, for God's sake.
Stevie! Now, instead of a victory lap as the hero who ended a decades-long nuclear standoff, Conrad's getting second-guessed about NATO and his priorities by every prima Donna on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - I said no decaf.
- Oh.
I'm down to one cup a day.
It's got to be the real thing.
What are you gonna do? Tell Carol? Tell her.
Sorry.
Are you done? Because while you called me in here to rip my head off bringing my daughter in, thanks, that was a nice touch Jay is out there chasing down the delegates - before they leave town.
- You mean you're not done yet? No.
And by the way, if the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has questions about this deal, tell Conrad he can remind them about the attack on the White House.
(SIGHS) Fine.
But no photo ops with POTUS, and no statements of support.
You're on your own now.
- You had to call me in for that? - Double espresso.
Next time, put it on your Christmas card.
- I got you one, too.
- (SIGHS) Thank you for your support.
(DOOR CLOSES) Gordon, come on in.
I know we said 2:00, but, uh, I had an NSC meeting, so I thought I'd stop by.
- How are you doing? - Fine.
Deedee told me everything this morning, and, uh uh, what can I say? I'm really sorry.
Oh, there's no need to apologize.
I've been having trouble sleeping, and Dr.
Reese prescribed medication, and when the first one didn't kick in, I took a second.
That was my mistake.
But you made it home okay? Safe and sound.
Got an earful this morning, though.
(CHUCKLES) Oh.
Tell Deedee it was no problem.
But But I am gonna have to file a report.
Of course.
Protocol, I guess.
Oh, um, I understand these are yours.
It was an isolated incident.
Thanks for stopping by.
Are we waiting for them to dance? No, um, I'm just trying to understand the idea here.
I think she organized the tea by color.
Makes sense.
Does it? I mean, if I'm looking for Earl Grey, do I intuitively think, oh, it must be between ginger and mint, because those teas also randomly come in green boxes? You might want to go for the chamomile.
I left explicit instructions for extremely basic systems that worked perfectly, and she's thrown it out for this chaotic nonsense.
She's got her own way of doing things.
M-Sec likes her, and she was a rock star for Senator Wentworth.
Eh, she says "cool beans.
" Cool beans.
That's what my mother says when she's had a highball and is feeling cute.
You've been known to say "boom.
" "Boom" is timeless.
- Oh.
- Ma'am.
Hey.
I, uh, I just got off the phone with Kat, and I think we may have found your first assignment.
- Oh, fantastic.
- Yeah.
We want you to do the end of the year evaluation for the Global Health Diplomacy's antimalarial initiative, yeah.
That sounds fun.
Absolutely.
- You're looking for the green tea? - Yes.
Yeah.
They are over here, with the red boxes.
(SCOFFS) Makes sense.
Anyway, Kat will get you all the details, Basically, we just need you to meet with GHD, go over what they've been doing and then make a recommendation on funding for the next year.
I'm on it.
I have your new remarks for the NATO deal.
How's that looking? Uh, yeah, well, we're getting, we're getting back on track.
You know? (LAUGHS) Nina managed to catch everyone before they got on planes.
How about the new girl, huh? - Well, she's a terrific addition.
- Absolutely fantastic.
- Off to a really good start.
I mean, I'm here to tell you - Yeah.
Mm.
Never would have let her get her own tea.
I know.
JAY: Ma'am.
- We did it, right? Got everybody back? - Tentatively.
- Good.
- But there's a new curveball.
NATO can't find any confirmation of a mass grave in Kosovo.
What does that mean? They think it was a false rumor started on social media.
Wait a minute.
That's good, right? - If there's no grave - It's You'd think, except the Serbian delegate just accused Kosovo of planting the rumor.
Is there any evidence? Uh, DNI's into it, but that would be insane.
Attacking Serbia just blows up the deal for both of them.
I Nina? Okay, h-here's what, here's what we do.
Y-You and I will meet with Kosovo and Serbia separately first.
I mean, there has to be a way that we can calm them down - about something that didn't happen.
- Didn't happen.
Right.
Get my car, will you? All right, here.
You can have it.
- Sure.
- Green tea for you, no honey.
Oh.
Thank you.
ELIZABETH: Mr.
Duriqi, we don't know yet who created - (WHISPERING TRANSLATION) - this story about a mass grave in your country.
But whoever did so had one goal in mind: to stir up these painful memories so Kosovo would pull out of the opportunity of join NATO.
We can't let them succeed.
(TRANSLATING IN ALBANIAN) (SPEAKING IN ALBANIAN) We're deeply appreciative of the faith you have shown in Kosovo with this offer.
But at this time, we cannot share this opportunity with Serbia.
He is saying we cannot join NATO with Serbia now, - but you can reason with him.
- Wait a minute.
Remind him that Kosovo was willing to join Serbia - only one day ago.
- (TRANSLATING) I'm sorry.
The men in my country are proud.
I understand that.
Give them time.
This moment may not happen again.
Serbia has never acknowledged so many atrocities of the war.
If you could get a statement from them, some acknowledgement.
That's not gonna be easy.
I think you are a woman who does the not-easy things.
Thank you.
(DOOR OPENS) - You have played me, Jay.
- Aleksandar, I assure you that I You make all these promises.
I convinced my foreign minister, my president, my prime minister to say yes to Kosovo.
Serbia will be strong, - I told them.
We will grow.
- All of that's still true.
You have put my people before a firing squad of our enemies.
You asked us to trust them, and they kill us like dogs in the street.
We don't know who created the story about the grave, but what's clear was there was no grave.
(SPEAKS IN SERBIAN) This is what happens when you trust Albanians.
ELIZABETH: What am I looking at? Rumors are flying on a messaging app in Northern Kosovo accusing Serbs who live there of all kinds of crazy stuff.
Uh, rape, murder, kidnapping.
Mobs are showing up at people's houses based on unsubstantiated rumors, lies they're reading online.
They shot this boy in the head when he was accused of stealing his Albanian friend's bike.
My God.
Pretty soon there will be retaliation, a-and then there's no stopping it.
Forget NATO.
We might have to stop another war.
JAY: Obviously, our number one issue is the escalating mob violence in Northern Kosovo aimed at ethnic Serbs.
How is anyone believing this stuff? Uh, one guy was accused of burying kids in his basement.
He doesn't even have a basement.
DAISY: Yeah, it's like a Hansel and Gretel fever dream.
What can we do? ELIZABETH: Well, I'm meeting with the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe later this morning, asking him to deploy extra troops.
We are not going to sit this one out until it is full-blown ethnic cleansing again.
Have we figured out who's behind all the fake news? DNI is into it.
MATT: Uh, why are we pretending to look into this? Occam's razor.
It's Russia.
ELIZABETH: The problem is, I can't take Occam's razor to the foreign minister of Russia.
They are not the only country using hate speech and fake news, so we are going to need real proof.
Okay, what we do know is that the company behind Kosovo's social media platform is our old friend Kronic DM.
If you'll remember, we worked with Kronic back when we were (LAUGHING) MATT: Sorry, I'm sorry.
The name kills me.
Well, at least they took the pot leaf out of their logo.
- Oh, they did? - Okay, fellas.
Because we worked with Kronic in Angola and Sri Lanka, we'll be asking for ID on all the fake news stories.
DAISY: Tech CEOs love cooperating with the government, so that should go well.
ELIZABETH: Wait a second.
Who-Who's their CEO? What's his name? The Scott.
Scott Goodman.
Scott Goodman.
So play to his ego.
Tell him he'll be the new hero in the war on fake news.
MATT: He's a fanboy.
Bring him a cape.
I can 100% get you a cape.
Let's see how I do with words first.
Dr.
McCord.
I don't think I've introduced myself yet.
Daniel Reese, White House physician.
Of course.
Good to meet you, Dr.
Reese.
I understand you got an unexpected visit from Gordon Becker the other night.
Yeah, Gordon and I spoke about it.
Noctambulism is, unfortunately, a pretty common side effect from the sleep aid he'd been taking.
I gave him a lower dosage.
Great.
I saw your request for Gordon's medication records.
I just wanted to reassure you that I have no concerns about the Secretary's health whatsoever.
It's just a standard incident report, but thank you.
I understand that you are the new ethics advisor and that you want to follow protocol, but, uh, sometimes a report, with all the cyber security issues we're facing can make sensitive information vulnerable.
I'll submit everything in hard copy.
Good.
Thank you.
Uh, how's Alison, by the way? Uh, my daughter? - She's fine.
- Good, good.
Your wife came to me for some erythromycin for her a few weeks back, and Uh - Cough's cleared up? - Uh, yeah.
Thanks for, thanks for that.
Sure, sure.
I, uh Just my way of keeping people focused on their work.
(CHUCKLES) So Nice meeting you.
Take care, Henry.
Mr.
DeCosta, Blake Moran, nice to meet you.
Welcome to Global Health Diplomacy.
You're the new P.
A.
on 7, right? Recently promoted, yes.
Uh, so I've been through your impeccably put together reports on the antimalarial initiative, and I have to say That is an excellent pocket square.
Oh, thank you.
I like yours, too.
Also impressive? Global Health Diplomacy's stellar results in reducing the spread of malaria this year.
The insecticide-treated nets were a real breakthrough.
Yes.
Well, uh, I see no reason not to recommend your continued funding, so if you would just sign here saying that we had this review session - You got it.
- All right.
- Don't forget the stamp.
- Oh.
Great, thank you.
Here you are.
Here you are.
One funding recommendation for the Office of Global Health Diplomacy's highly effective anti-malaria initiative.
Ah, cool beans.
Oh, hang on.
This just came in this morning.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs filed an objection to the anti-malaria initiative.
So, we're going to need their approval before we file the recommendation.
- Really? - Yeah.
Don't forget to get a stamp.
TOM: Yeah, no, OES has a big problem with this initiative.
Yeah, that much I got.
Yeah.
See, when we were asked to contribute one-third of Global Health Diplomacy's operating budget for this initiative, we didn't realize their main strategy was to basically blanket the entire equatorial region in poisoned nets.
The insecticide-treated sleeping nets that cut malaria death rates in half? Those nets? No one's disputing they do an effective job of killing mosquitoes, but they're also great at killing fish.
So you've got people all over sub-Saharan Africa polluting the waters with carcinogenic chemicals and basically gutting the fish supply.
Which means, instead of malaria, we're now heading for famine.
Okay, before we go to worst-case scenarios Not worst-case scenario, Blake.
This is happening now.
Look.
This ah, this is the last five years of fishing stocks in Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi.
(EXHALES) All right.
There's got to be a solution.
Maybe maybe distribute untreated nets? Um in a different color.
And then educate the population which ones are safe for fishing.
Okay, twice the nets, plus education materials, plus staff.
Is that coming out of OES' budget? I don't think so.
Not leaving here with a stamp, am I? (CHUCKLES) (POP VERSION OF "JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING LOUDLY) Do you know where I can find Scott Goodman? - Over there.
- In the - Thanks.
- Thank you.
- Uh, Scott Goodman? - Yeah.
Jay Whitman from the State Department.
Hey, man, good to see you.
You want some punch? No, thanks.
Look, I'm sorry to crash the party, but it's urgent.
Oh, I doubt that it's life-and-death.
Hm? Can it wait? Actually, it is life-and-death, and you're part of it.
(WOMAN LAUGHING) Five people have been injured, three dead, one of them a 12-year-old boy.
All posted on Kronic's social media network in the Balkans.
We can post a statement condemning the violence.
We're looking for direct intervention.
Filter for keywords inciting violence or engaging in hate speech, block those posts and hand over the IDs to the Department of National Intelligence for tracking.
Sounds a lot like the U.
S.
government forcing me into censorship.
See, to me it sounds like a private company safeguarding the accuracy of your users' experience to protect against liability.
Except that under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we are not liable for the content that our users create.
In fact, if I get involved in monitoring and shaping content, I could become liable for the content that The U.
S.
government will protect you from.
So really it comes down to you, Scott.
I ask you, is this the kind of party you want to be hosting? Because Congress can start getting very interested in your overseas expansion.
Yeah, okay, Mr.
Heat Miser.
So, in the holiday spirit, what's in it for me? And I pushed the tree lighting - and holiday remarks to 5:00.
- Great.
Push it to tomorrow.
Breakthrough with Kronic DM.
Oh, good.
Scott Goodman was cooperative? With some mild coercion.
He gave us the ISPs on the, uh, fake news postings and DNI tracked them all to a Russian-controlled troll farm in the Crimean Peninsula.
Well, that was fast.
CYBERCOM is putting together some offensive options right now.
As in now now? You want to go take out a troll farm? (SYNTH-POP MUSIC PLAYING) (ALARM BLARING) ELIZABETH: Did we get everything? I'm getting confirmation.
We successfully uploaded the servers before we destroyed them.
Excuse me, sir, they're all out of commission? Completely.
All right, let's get all those faces.
Scrape them for ID and get them out to Interpol.
State would like access to that data as well, Ephraim, okay? - Of course.
- Thank you.
Let's see Russia try to deny it now.
Madam Secretary.
You've called to wish me happy holidays? ELIZABETH (ON VIDEO): Well, as we say here, Konstantin, I'm going to cut to the chase, or in this case, the capture.
At 9:42 Moscow Standard Time, U.
S.
intelligence documented these Russian nationals operating what, in internet-speak, is called a "troll farm.
" The data seized from these servers indicates something more serious.
This was a highly organized, state-mandated propaganda factory whose aim was to destabilize and prevent the admission of Serbia and Kosovo to NATO.
Once again, you've called with outrageous allegations based on paranoid rumors JAY: Foreign Minister, I'm sending you copies of the seized activity from the servers.
I think you'll find it to be ample proof that members of your government are engaged in a campaign of disinformation.
Anti-Muslim stories circulated online in France.
False rumors of a violent Catalonian uprising in Spain.
I-In Spain, and a fake story of a mass grave in Kosovo, and, worst of all, incitements to violence against Serbian citizens of Northern Kosovo.
Even if you have what you consider to be proof of this, it's impossible to trace a direct line from online rumors to acts of violence, unless you intend to blame Russia for the centuries of hatred between Serbians and Albanians.
I'm sure you'll try.
This is a 12-year-old boy.
He was accused online of stealing his friend's bike.
A mob showed up at his door and shot him in the head.
If nothing had been posted about this boy, Konstantin, he'd be asleep in his own bed right now, not in a morgue waiting to be buried.
I will look at your materials.
But I would suggest: look for someone else to blame every time a deal of yours doesn't work out.
Whoa.
Sorry.
Just clearing my head.
Is it helping? - Not really.
- Huh.
- Do you have a minute? - Shoot.
Oceans and Environmental and Scientific Affairs are refusing to share their budget with Global Health Diplomacy's anti-malaria initiative unless GHD comes up with some alternative to the mosquito nets that OES says are poisoning the environment.
- Okay.
- Yeah Reasonable, right? But when I took OES's objection to GHD, they flatly refused to alter their program, which, admittedly, is, uh, you know, very effective.
And you just want to get your form stamped.
No, I actually want to get the two of them to work with each other on the thing that they're supposed to be doing How is this condiment drawer such a mess? She's been here two days.
Sounds like your basic territorial dispute.
Everybody's thinking with their lizard brain, so you're not gonna get anywhere with logic.
So what am I supposed to do? You got to think of OES and GHD like two bucks roaring across the field at the beginning of mating season.
Wait for them to lock horns until one of them slinks away in defeat? - If you had time, which you don't.
- I don't.
So let's think about this on their level.
W-What would make what could make you forget about reorganizing condiment drawers and just let Nina do her thing? Thanks for coming to my turf, everybody.
Uh, just wanted to thank both of your departments for the great work you've done on the anti-malaria initiative.
I know the Department of Defense will benefit greatly from the groundwork you've already laid, - knowing that - Whoa, whoa, whoa.
DoD's taking over? Wha Yeah, we didn't hear any of this.
Oh, it just came down the pipeline.
Uh, knowing how squeezed your budgets are, I knew you'd be relieved to hear that we're turning it over.
Are you kidding? - That's not a relief.
- Not at all.
You don't let Defense do the work of State, Blake.
That's like It's just like letting a cranky toddler land a plane.
Or asking the fox, "Oh, hey, do you mind gathering up the eggs for me?" You should have come to us.
What were you thinking? Well, gosh, I-I didn't realize you'd react this way.
I-I I guess I'm still learning the ropes.
- Is it too late? Can we get it back? - When was this confirmed? At this point, it's just an exchange of e-mails.
- Oh, you can unravel that.
- Just tell them you made a mistake.
Well, there's-there's still the matter of your budget dispute, so I don't, you know Please.
All I need to do is reach out to the chem company, ask for some untreated nets.
Get them in a different color, maybe.
That was Blake's idea.
I love that idea.
Maybe we share the public education line item? We can look into that.
Here you are.
One antimalarial funding recommendation, two stamps.
Hey, you wrangled it.
Nice work.
You might even say "cool beans.
" - (LAUGHS) - (PHONE RINGING) Secretary McCord's office.
Uh-huh.
(QUIETLY): Okay.
Yeah, I mentioned that Ali had a cough that wouldn't go away and Dr.
Reese offered some antibiotics.
He was implying he has something to hold over me.
To do what, expose our overuse of antibiotics? To say we bent the rules on dispensing medication without a prescription, too, in case I try to blow the whistle on him.
I wouldn't be surprised if he ambushes me at this meeting - with Russell tomorrow.
- I can't take another turf war.
- I just can't.
- Come on.
Let's get you something to eat.
- I'm not hungry.
- Ali made pesto.
Maybe a little.
Avdonin said this thing that I can't stop thinking about.
Even if Russia was I don't know, if they created the fake news which they still won't admit to he says they can't be held responsible for the violence caused by it because it's the hate that gave it fuel in the first place.
Classic deflection of culpability.
Yeah, but it got me thinking: has there ever been a sectarian conflict that was resolved peacefully? In all of human history? Well, England and France tried to obliterate each other for a hundred years.
And now London bankers retire peacefully - to Provence - Honey, I don't have - a hundred years.
- no one thinks anything about it.
If you're talking about Serbia and Kosovo, they've been going at it since the Ottoman Empire.
And now it's about to flare up into a whole new conflict over this Russian fake news.
There's always the other way.
The Incas were about to destroy themselves in a civil war between two brothers.
What stopped them? Spain.
(MICROWAVE BEEPING) Oh, hey, Gordon, Adele.
Good morning.
He's just finishing up.
All yours.
Gentlemen.
RUSSELL: Based on my review of the incident and the circumstances leading up to it, I'll be asking Dr.
Reese to tender his resignation today.
Russell, I-I object in the strongest terms possible.
I-I've worked with Dan Reese for decades.
He's a man of honor and integrity.
And as I made clear to Henry, this was my responsibility.
Thank you.
Henry, do you want to revise any of the facts in your report? No, but I-I All right, well, then, this matter's concluded.
Thanks for your input, Gordon.
Henry, if you could stay behind a moment? I find it best to include the opposition when there's gonna be a blast radius.
I never meant to hang Reese.
He wasn't following protocol on dispensing medication to Gordon and you and who knows who else, and he's playing fast and loose with the paperwork.
End of story.
What? I-I (SIGHS) I'm just a little concerned about developing a reputation as the guy who blows the whistle and gets people axed.
Well, there's only one team around here.
And now everyone knows you're on it.
And they better be, too.
- Thank you, Nina.
- Welcome.
Welcome to our delegates from Serbia.
Please enjoy one last continental breakfast.
Again, thank you both for coming.
You have our presentation in both Albanian and Serbian, so I'm just going to freestyle it.
My husband Henry is a scholar and a history buff, and when I asked him for examples of conflict over land and ideology that were resolved without violence, he couldn't really come up with much.
The general model seems to be to fight it out until one side is either exhausted or annihilated by the other.
The only thing that really seems to shift this dynamic is the threat of a common enemy.
To that end, this presentation will lay out for you a highly organized campaign of disinformation waged against both your countries and throughout Europe by the highest levels of Russian government.
It was targeted, researched and, as we now know, all too effective.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
My pleasure Good work in there, everyone.
So, you think there's any hope of reviving the NATO deal? As much as it always kills me to say it, Russell Jackson might be right.
I might have reached too far.
We'll circle back to it.
- Yeah - That whole strategy of uniting two factions against a common enemy actually works.
So I hear.
Yeah, I heard you did some good work on that anti-malaria program.
Well, I mean, I tried.
Unfortunately, the funding's not gonna be renewed next year.
What? Yeah, some tech billionaire NGO offered to take control of the whole mosquito nets thing.
They got tons of money, they'll do a better job, anyway.
Wait, I actually got them to work together, though.
I mean, they have-they have really good ideas.
Well, they'll pass them on to the tech guys.
So I did all that for nothing? Three yards and a cloud of dust.
Welcome to the bigs.
(LAUGHTER) (TEACHER SPEAKING ALBANIAN) (CHILDREN GASP) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (CHILD COUGHS) (LAUGHTER) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) - Marko! - (LAUGHTER) (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
And while I generally tend to leave the poetry to the speechwriters, I-I, I just want to say that this agreement is how we keep the wolves at bay.
So, Abdyl and Aleksandar.
For putting your two nation troubled history behind you, for the sake of these discussions, we all thank you.
And to the rest of our NATO members, for considering admission of Serbia and Kosovo to our ranks this week, the world thanks you.
YVES: Yes, well.
It has been our great pleasure to come here and enjoy your continental breakfast.
Oh.
Next time in Luxembourg, Yves.
Talk to your people.
- (MEMBERS CHUCKLE) - JAY: Shall we begin? A resolution to admit Serbia and Kosovo to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Now you get to see how the sausage is made.
Pretty boring stuff, huh? Are you kidding? Talking Serbia down, demanding a five-year waiver on NATO fees? Come on, that was masterful.
Considering Serbia didn't even recognize Kosovo as a nation a year ago, it's kind of hard to believe we might get them both into NATO.
Too soon to tell M-Sec Christmas is coming early this year? Well, you can tell her we hear the faint sound - of jingle bells.
(CHUCKLES) - Okay.
- (SPEAKING SPANISH) - Hmm.
No, no.
I-I'm still reading that.
This is a work intervention.
Oh.
Well.
That's fine.
I can show up at the briefing totally clueless tomorrow.
Listen, it's only global water security.
Now you're talking.
(GROANS) (SIGHS, CHUCKLES) - Oh.
- (PHONE BUZZING) Hmm? No, it's Jay.
Uh, he's still at the NATO summit, I got to Just one second.
(SHARP INHALE) Jay, Blake says he's learning at the feet of the master.
How's it going? JAY: Uh Less than masterful, at the moment.
Kosovo and Serbia both got on board with the terms, but Spain just pulled out.
Why? I thought we had everybody locked.
JAY: Foreign Minister says there's too much noise about a Catalonian push for independence.
They still feel like they can't risk legitimizing a breakaway republic.
- I'm sorry, I - It's No, no.
It's Look, don't let anybody leave town.
And bring in, uh The Who's the Spain rep? JAY: Maria Ayala.
She's the Foreign Minister's senior aide.
All right, bring her to the office tomorrow.
The two of us are gonna have a chat.
- Will do.
- ELIZABETH: And Jay, listen.
Thank you for all the work.
We are going to do this.
Yeah.
- (PHONE BEEPS) - Well, that's bad news.
Yeah, Spain getting cold feet.
We knew Kosovo was a reach.
Oh, I'm not backing off.
I'm sending a message to Russia.
You fund a far-right attack on the White House, you can kiss the Balkans good-bye.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
I like it when you talk tough.
Geopolitics as foreplay? That's hot? (BOTH CHUCKLE) (PHONE RINGS) - Mm-mm.
- Hmm? Hmm? Hmm? (GROANS) Security at 11:20? Yeah, Frank? (SIGHS) Gordon Becker is downstairs.
- Hey, Gordon.
- It's too provocative.
You can't push for everything in one go.
Uh, yeah, I see you heard - about Kosovo, huh? - If I tried to push back harder in '98, - Hey, Gordon.
- I would have been wrong.
Well, there are a lot of different schools - You okay, Gordon? - of thought about the Balkan conflict.
- Can I make you something or? - Can't find the damn remote.
- She's always losing it.
- Well, why don't you come and sit down? W-We'll look for it.
- (PHONE RINGS) - Yeah, uh Okay.
- Yah! - Hey O-Okay, Gordon.
- Frank, yeah, yeah.
Uh - GORDON: Is that a niner? - Send her in.
- HENRY: No, no, that's the - G-Gordon.
Your wife's here.
- HENRY: Put that down.
Does she have the remote? Hi, Deedee, Deedee, come on in.
- I'm so sorry to bother you.
- No, no.
I thought he was in the bathroom and the next thing I know, - he took off with his detail.
- Is he okay? 'Cause he seems - He's been under a lot of stress.
- Okay.
- Gordie? We're going home now.
- There it is.
That isn't ours.
- It's okay.
- Henry, I'm sorry.
No, no, no.
Cannot trust the Balkans.
- Okay.
- DEEDEE: Let's go, honey.
Okay, uh, you sure you can get him home? His car is waiting outside.
- I'm so sorry for the bother.
- No, no, no.
Don't worry.
- I like them, just - All right, already! - Time for bed.
- Okay, all right.
- Good night.
- Good night.
(WHISPERING): Whoa.
That-that is one for the memoir.
I can't believe his security detail didn't notice.
I can't believe he took our ornaments.
We have to report this, right? Babe, he's the Secretary of Defense.
- So, yeah.
- (SIGHS) Can you take that? Or, I mean, I could Yeah, I'll get into it.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS) Nina, hey.
Hi.
I got Madam Secretary her latte and muffin this morning and thought I'd get you the same.
You didn't have to do that.
Well, it's your first official day as Policy Analyst, you deserve it.
- Okay.
You're very kind.
- (CHUCKLES) - You're here early.
- Yes, she had an early meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister's senior aide.
So I thought I'd hit up my workspace and figure out a new filing system.
Oh, uh, was there a problem with the filing system? Oh, no.
No problem.
But files are like brain circuitry, you know? Right.
- And everybody's got their own code.
- Yeah.
So, the staff meeting has been pushed until after she's done with Spain.
Let me know if this looks okay to you.
And, uh, one question.
Does she like cinnamon? Because Senator Wentworth had this massive cinnamon aversion and I almost got her a cinnamon roll this morning, but then I was like, (WHISPERS): "What if?" Sure, any bakery item will be right on the money.
Cool beans.
(CHUCKLES) - (CLEARS THROAT) This looks great.
- Oh, great.
Do you need my help with anything else? Nope, I'm good so far.
But I'll know where to find you.
Yes, uh, well, I guess I should get settled in and get things organized.
It's the very soul of success.
Uh-huh.
ELIZABETH: You're saying that Spain is perfectly comfortable derailing an historic NATO expansion because of some online chatter about the Catalonian independence movement? A movement that hasn't achieved its aim in over 80 years.
The referendum vote on independence - passed by 90% only a few years ago.
- With a turnout of 43% and your constitutional accord - discredited the vote anyway.
- And we are still restabilizing.
- Come on.
- You have to understand, this was all very recent and very real.
Do you know what else was recent and real? Serbia's attempt to banish or kill its entire ethnic Albanian population in the late '90s.
And yet, Kosovo is willing to set that aside and cooperate with Serbia for the sake of this deal.
Here's the part that I don't get.
Two weeks ago, we had a pledge from your staff that your country was fully on board.
Wouldn't have called a summit otherwise.
And then, this showed up.
Threats of violence.
Mass protest.
The assassination of key cabinet members.
It's very alarming.
If recognizing Kosovo causes unrest in Spain, it's your right, as a NATO member, to engage all of our help.
But it is also your duty, as a NATO member, to keep the world stable and safe.
That's what this deal does.
Spain is really willing to be the sole voice jeopardizing that? (PHONE RINGING) Secretary McCord's office.
Nothing like a visit to the principal's office.
Yeah, well, let's get everybody back to the table, see if it accomplished anything, and get the DNI to try and source those Web postings.
Thinking Russia? Well, they're not the only country that might want to tank this deal.
Sorry, ma'am, news just broke.
Just once could that be a cat video? A mass grave was uncovered at a construction site in Northern Kosovo.
Kosovo is saying it's Albanians massacred by Serbian military in the war.
Serbia is denying any responsibility.
- We better get ahead of this.
- Get me everything you can on that.
- Okay.
- Ma'am, so sorry, Kosovo sends word they can't make it today.
The delegates are on their way to the airport now.
- So much for getting ahead of this.
- No, you do everything - you can to stall them.
- Whoever's trying to sink this is not getting their Christmas wish.
(SIGHS) - Morning.
- (GASPS) (EXHALES) Three months.
I asked you to wait three months for this pie-in-the-sky NATO summit, let us finish the India/Pakistan nuclear deal and enjoy one tiny moment of bipartisan cooperation.
What did you do? Plowed right ahead, threw a stink bomb in our pool party.
- Russell - No, no, no.
Happens every time.
Three, four years in, no major scandals to throw gravel under your wheels, you all start to think you're Moses.
You can part the waters, lead us all to the promised land.
Well, none of you can part the waters.
We're all in a leaky boat with one oar.
I'm not sure I follow that metaphor.
You reached too far, too fast.
It's the Balkans, for God's sake.
Stevie! Now, instead of a victory lap as the hero who ended a decades-long nuclear standoff, Conrad's getting second-guessed about NATO and his priorities by every prima Donna on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - I said no decaf.
- Oh.
I'm down to one cup a day.
It's got to be the real thing.
What are you gonna do? Tell Carol? Tell her.
Sorry.
Are you done? Because while you called me in here to rip my head off bringing my daughter in, thanks, that was a nice touch Jay is out there chasing down the delegates - before they leave town.
- You mean you're not done yet? No.
And by the way, if the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has questions about this deal, tell Conrad he can remind them about the attack on the White House.
(SIGHS) Fine.
But no photo ops with POTUS, and no statements of support.
You're on your own now.
- You had to call me in for that? - Double espresso.
Next time, put it on your Christmas card.
- I got you one, too.
- (SIGHS) Thank you for your support.
(DOOR CLOSES) Gordon, come on in.
I know we said 2:00, but, uh, I had an NSC meeting, so I thought I'd stop by.
- How are you doing? - Fine.
Deedee told me everything this morning, and, uh uh, what can I say? I'm really sorry.
Oh, there's no need to apologize.
I've been having trouble sleeping, and Dr.
Reese prescribed medication, and when the first one didn't kick in, I took a second.
That was my mistake.
But you made it home okay? Safe and sound.
Got an earful this morning, though.
(CHUCKLES) Oh.
Tell Deedee it was no problem.
But But I am gonna have to file a report.
Of course.
Protocol, I guess.
Oh, um, I understand these are yours.
It was an isolated incident.
Thanks for stopping by.
Are we waiting for them to dance? No, um, I'm just trying to understand the idea here.
I think she organized the tea by color.
Makes sense.
Does it? I mean, if I'm looking for Earl Grey, do I intuitively think, oh, it must be between ginger and mint, because those teas also randomly come in green boxes? You might want to go for the chamomile.
I left explicit instructions for extremely basic systems that worked perfectly, and she's thrown it out for this chaotic nonsense.
She's got her own way of doing things.
M-Sec likes her, and she was a rock star for Senator Wentworth.
Eh, she says "cool beans.
" Cool beans.
That's what my mother says when she's had a highball and is feeling cute.
You've been known to say "boom.
" "Boom" is timeless.
- Oh.
- Ma'am.
Hey.
I, uh, I just got off the phone with Kat, and I think we may have found your first assignment.
- Oh, fantastic.
- Yeah.
We want you to do the end of the year evaluation for the Global Health Diplomacy's antimalarial initiative, yeah.
That sounds fun.
Absolutely.
- You're looking for the green tea? - Yes.
Yeah.
They are over here, with the red boxes.
(SCOFFS) Makes sense.
Anyway, Kat will get you all the details, Basically, we just need you to meet with GHD, go over what they've been doing and then make a recommendation on funding for the next year.
I'm on it.
I have your new remarks for the NATO deal.
How's that looking? Uh, yeah, well, we're getting, we're getting back on track.
You know? (LAUGHS) Nina managed to catch everyone before they got on planes.
How about the new girl, huh? - Well, she's a terrific addition.
- Absolutely fantastic.
- Off to a really good start.
I mean, I'm here to tell you - Yeah.
Mm.
Never would have let her get her own tea.
I know.
JAY: Ma'am.
- We did it, right? Got everybody back? - Tentatively.
- Good.
- But there's a new curveball.
NATO can't find any confirmation of a mass grave in Kosovo.
What does that mean? They think it was a false rumor started on social media.
Wait a minute.
That's good, right? - If there's no grave - It's You'd think, except the Serbian delegate just accused Kosovo of planting the rumor.
Is there any evidence? Uh, DNI's into it, but that would be insane.
Attacking Serbia just blows up the deal for both of them.
I Nina? Okay, h-here's what, here's what we do.
Y-You and I will meet with Kosovo and Serbia separately first.
I mean, there has to be a way that we can calm them down - about something that didn't happen.
- Didn't happen.
Right.
Get my car, will you? All right, here.
You can have it.
- Sure.
- Green tea for you, no honey.
Oh.
Thank you.
ELIZABETH: Mr.
Duriqi, we don't know yet who created - (WHISPERING TRANSLATION) - this story about a mass grave in your country.
But whoever did so had one goal in mind: to stir up these painful memories so Kosovo would pull out of the opportunity of join NATO.
We can't let them succeed.
(TRANSLATING IN ALBANIAN) (SPEAKING IN ALBANIAN) We're deeply appreciative of the faith you have shown in Kosovo with this offer.
But at this time, we cannot share this opportunity with Serbia.
He is saying we cannot join NATO with Serbia now, - but you can reason with him.
- Wait a minute.
Remind him that Kosovo was willing to join Serbia - only one day ago.
- (TRANSLATING) I'm sorry.
The men in my country are proud.
I understand that.
Give them time.
This moment may not happen again.
Serbia has never acknowledged so many atrocities of the war.
If you could get a statement from them, some acknowledgement.
That's not gonna be easy.
I think you are a woman who does the not-easy things.
Thank you.
(DOOR OPENS) - You have played me, Jay.
- Aleksandar, I assure you that I You make all these promises.
I convinced my foreign minister, my president, my prime minister to say yes to Kosovo.
Serbia will be strong, - I told them.
We will grow.
- All of that's still true.
You have put my people before a firing squad of our enemies.
You asked us to trust them, and they kill us like dogs in the street.
We don't know who created the story about the grave, but what's clear was there was no grave.
(SPEAKS IN SERBIAN) This is what happens when you trust Albanians.
ELIZABETH: What am I looking at? Rumors are flying on a messaging app in Northern Kosovo accusing Serbs who live there of all kinds of crazy stuff.
Uh, rape, murder, kidnapping.
Mobs are showing up at people's houses based on unsubstantiated rumors, lies they're reading online.
They shot this boy in the head when he was accused of stealing his Albanian friend's bike.
My God.
Pretty soon there will be retaliation, a-and then there's no stopping it.
Forget NATO.
We might have to stop another war.
JAY: Obviously, our number one issue is the escalating mob violence in Northern Kosovo aimed at ethnic Serbs.
How is anyone believing this stuff? Uh, one guy was accused of burying kids in his basement.
He doesn't even have a basement.
DAISY: Yeah, it's like a Hansel and Gretel fever dream.
What can we do? ELIZABETH: Well, I'm meeting with the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe later this morning, asking him to deploy extra troops.
We are not going to sit this one out until it is full-blown ethnic cleansing again.
Have we figured out who's behind all the fake news? DNI is into it.
MATT: Uh, why are we pretending to look into this? Occam's razor.
It's Russia.
ELIZABETH: The problem is, I can't take Occam's razor to the foreign minister of Russia.
They are not the only country using hate speech and fake news, so we are going to need real proof.
Okay, what we do know is that the company behind Kosovo's social media platform is our old friend Kronic DM.
If you'll remember, we worked with Kronic back when we were (LAUGHING) MATT: Sorry, I'm sorry.
The name kills me.
Well, at least they took the pot leaf out of their logo.
- Oh, they did? - Okay, fellas.
Because we worked with Kronic in Angola and Sri Lanka, we'll be asking for ID on all the fake news stories.
DAISY: Tech CEOs love cooperating with the government, so that should go well.
ELIZABETH: Wait a second.
Who-Who's their CEO? What's his name? The Scott.
Scott Goodman.
Scott Goodman.
So play to his ego.
Tell him he'll be the new hero in the war on fake news.
MATT: He's a fanboy.
Bring him a cape.
I can 100% get you a cape.
Let's see how I do with words first.
Dr.
McCord.
I don't think I've introduced myself yet.
Daniel Reese, White House physician.
Of course.
Good to meet you, Dr.
Reese.
I understand you got an unexpected visit from Gordon Becker the other night.
Yeah, Gordon and I spoke about it.
Noctambulism is, unfortunately, a pretty common side effect from the sleep aid he'd been taking.
I gave him a lower dosage.
Great.
I saw your request for Gordon's medication records.
I just wanted to reassure you that I have no concerns about the Secretary's health whatsoever.
It's just a standard incident report, but thank you.
I understand that you are the new ethics advisor and that you want to follow protocol, but, uh, sometimes a report, with all the cyber security issues we're facing can make sensitive information vulnerable.
I'll submit everything in hard copy.
Good.
Thank you.
Uh, how's Alison, by the way? Uh, my daughter? - She's fine.
- Good, good.
Your wife came to me for some erythromycin for her a few weeks back, and Uh - Cough's cleared up? - Uh, yeah.
Thanks for, thanks for that.
Sure, sure.
I, uh Just my way of keeping people focused on their work.
(CHUCKLES) So Nice meeting you.
Take care, Henry.
Mr.
DeCosta, Blake Moran, nice to meet you.
Welcome to Global Health Diplomacy.
You're the new P.
A.
on 7, right? Recently promoted, yes.
Uh, so I've been through your impeccably put together reports on the antimalarial initiative, and I have to say That is an excellent pocket square.
Oh, thank you.
I like yours, too.
Also impressive? Global Health Diplomacy's stellar results in reducing the spread of malaria this year.
The insecticide-treated nets were a real breakthrough.
Yes.
Well, uh, I see no reason not to recommend your continued funding, so if you would just sign here saying that we had this review session - You got it.
- All right.
- Don't forget the stamp.
- Oh.
Great, thank you.
Here you are.
Here you are.
One funding recommendation for the Office of Global Health Diplomacy's highly effective anti-malaria initiative.
Ah, cool beans.
Oh, hang on.
This just came in this morning.
The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs filed an objection to the anti-malaria initiative.
So, we're going to need their approval before we file the recommendation.
- Really? - Yeah.
Don't forget to get a stamp.
TOM: Yeah, no, OES has a big problem with this initiative.
Yeah, that much I got.
Yeah.
See, when we were asked to contribute one-third of Global Health Diplomacy's operating budget for this initiative, we didn't realize their main strategy was to basically blanket the entire equatorial region in poisoned nets.
The insecticide-treated sleeping nets that cut malaria death rates in half? Those nets? No one's disputing they do an effective job of killing mosquitoes, but they're also great at killing fish.
So you've got people all over sub-Saharan Africa polluting the waters with carcinogenic chemicals and basically gutting the fish supply.
Which means, instead of malaria, we're now heading for famine.
Okay, before we go to worst-case scenarios Not worst-case scenario, Blake.
This is happening now.
Look.
This ah, this is the last five years of fishing stocks in Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi.
(EXHALES) All right.
There's got to be a solution.
Maybe maybe distribute untreated nets? Um in a different color.
And then educate the population which ones are safe for fishing.
Okay, twice the nets, plus education materials, plus staff.
Is that coming out of OES' budget? I don't think so.
Not leaving here with a stamp, am I? (CHUCKLES) (POP VERSION OF "JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING LOUDLY) Do you know where I can find Scott Goodman? - Over there.
- In the - Thanks.
- Thank you.
- Uh, Scott Goodman? - Yeah.
Jay Whitman from the State Department.
Hey, man, good to see you.
You want some punch? No, thanks.
Look, I'm sorry to crash the party, but it's urgent.
Oh, I doubt that it's life-and-death.
Hm? Can it wait? Actually, it is life-and-death, and you're part of it.
(WOMAN LAUGHING) Five people have been injured, three dead, one of them a 12-year-old boy.
All posted on Kronic's social media network in the Balkans.
We can post a statement condemning the violence.
We're looking for direct intervention.
Filter for keywords inciting violence or engaging in hate speech, block those posts and hand over the IDs to the Department of National Intelligence for tracking.
Sounds a lot like the U.
S.
government forcing me into censorship.
See, to me it sounds like a private company safeguarding the accuracy of your users' experience to protect against liability.
Except that under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we are not liable for the content that our users create.
In fact, if I get involved in monitoring and shaping content, I could become liable for the content that The U.
S.
government will protect you from.
So really it comes down to you, Scott.
I ask you, is this the kind of party you want to be hosting? Because Congress can start getting very interested in your overseas expansion.
Yeah, okay, Mr.
Heat Miser.
So, in the holiday spirit, what's in it for me? And I pushed the tree lighting - and holiday remarks to 5:00.
- Great.
Push it to tomorrow.
Breakthrough with Kronic DM.
Oh, good.
Scott Goodman was cooperative? With some mild coercion.
He gave us the ISPs on the, uh, fake news postings and DNI tracked them all to a Russian-controlled troll farm in the Crimean Peninsula.
Well, that was fast.
CYBERCOM is putting together some offensive options right now.
As in now now? You want to go take out a troll farm? (SYNTH-POP MUSIC PLAYING) (ALARM BLARING) ELIZABETH: Did we get everything? I'm getting confirmation.
We successfully uploaded the servers before we destroyed them.
Excuse me, sir, they're all out of commission? Completely.
All right, let's get all those faces.
Scrape them for ID and get them out to Interpol.
State would like access to that data as well, Ephraim, okay? - Of course.
- Thank you.
Let's see Russia try to deny it now.
Madam Secretary.
You've called to wish me happy holidays? ELIZABETH (ON VIDEO): Well, as we say here, Konstantin, I'm going to cut to the chase, or in this case, the capture.
At 9:42 Moscow Standard Time, U.
S.
intelligence documented these Russian nationals operating what, in internet-speak, is called a "troll farm.
" The data seized from these servers indicates something more serious.
This was a highly organized, state-mandated propaganda factory whose aim was to destabilize and prevent the admission of Serbia and Kosovo to NATO.
Once again, you've called with outrageous allegations based on paranoid rumors JAY: Foreign Minister, I'm sending you copies of the seized activity from the servers.
I think you'll find it to be ample proof that members of your government are engaged in a campaign of disinformation.
Anti-Muslim stories circulated online in France.
False rumors of a violent Catalonian uprising in Spain.
I-In Spain, and a fake story of a mass grave in Kosovo, and, worst of all, incitements to violence against Serbian citizens of Northern Kosovo.
Even if you have what you consider to be proof of this, it's impossible to trace a direct line from online rumors to acts of violence, unless you intend to blame Russia for the centuries of hatred between Serbians and Albanians.
I'm sure you'll try.
This is a 12-year-old boy.
He was accused online of stealing his friend's bike.
A mob showed up at his door and shot him in the head.
If nothing had been posted about this boy, Konstantin, he'd be asleep in his own bed right now, not in a morgue waiting to be buried.
I will look at your materials.
But I would suggest: look for someone else to blame every time a deal of yours doesn't work out.
Whoa.
Sorry.
Just clearing my head.
Is it helping? - Not really.
- Huh.
- Do you have a minute? - Shoot.
Oceans and Environmental and Scientific Affairs are refusing to share their budget with Global Health Diplomacy's anti-malaria initiative unless GHD comes up with some alternative to the mosquito nets that OES says are poisoning the environment.
- Okay.
- Yeah Reasonable, right? But when I took OES's objection to GHD, they flatly refused to alter their program, which, admittedly, is, uh, you know, very effective.
And you just want to get your form stamped.
No, I actually want to get the two of them to work with each other on the thing that they're supposed to be doing How is this condiment drawer such a mess? She's been here two days.
Sounds like your basic territorial dispute.
Everybody's thinking with their lizard brain, so you're not gonna get anywhere with logic.
So what am I supposed to do? You got to think of OES and GHD like two bucks roaring across the field at the beginning of mating season.
Wait for them to lock horns until one of them slinks away in defeat? - If you had time, which you don't.
- I don't.
So let's think about this on their level.
W-What would make what could make you forget about reorganizing condiment drawers and just let Nina do her thing? Thanks for coming to my turf, everybody.
Uh, just wanted to thank both of your departments for the great work you've done on the anti-malaria initiative.
I know the Department of Defense will benefit greatly from the groundwork you've already laid, - knowing that - Whoa, whoa, whoa.
DoD's taking over? Wha Yeah, we didn't hear any of this.
Oh, it just came down the pipeline.
Uh, knowing how squeezed your budgets are, I knew you'd be relieved to hear that we're turning it over.
Are you kidding? - That's not a relief.
- Not at all.
You don't let Defense do the work of State, Blake.
That's like It's just like letting a cranky toddler land a plane.
Or asking the fox, "Oh, hey, do you mind gathering up the eggs for me?" You should have come to us.
What were you thinking? Well, gosh, I-I didn't realize you'd react this way.
I-I I guess I'm still learning the ropes.
- Is it too late? Can we get it back? - When was this confirmed? At this point, it's just an exchange of e-mails.
- Oh, you can unravel that.
- Just tell them you made a mistake.
Well, there's-there's still the matter of your budget dispute, so I don't, you know Please.
All I need to do is reach out to the chem company, ask for some untreated nets.
Get them in a different color, maybe.
That was Blake's idea.
I love that idea.
Maybe we share the public education line item? We can look into that.
Here you are.
One antimalarial funding recommendation, two stamps.
Hey, you wrangled it.
Nice work.
You might even say "cool beans.
" - (LAUGHS) - (PHONE RINGING) Secretary McCord's office.
Uh-huh.
(QUIETLY): Okay.
Yeah, I mentioned that Ali had a cough that wouldn't go away and Dr.
Reese offered some antibiotics.
He was implying he has something to hold over me.
To do what, expose our overuse of antibiotics? To say we bent the rules on dispensing medication without a prescription, too, in case I try to blow the whistle on him.
I wouldn't be surprised if he ambushes me at this meeting - with Russell tomorrow.
- I can't take another turf war.
- I just can't.
- Come on.
Let's get you something to eat.
- I'm not hungry.
- Ali made pesto.
Maybe a little.
Avdonin said this thing that I can't stop thinking about.
Even if Russia was I don't know, if they created the fake news which they still won't admit to he says they can't be held responsible for the violence caused by it because it's the hate that gave it fuel in the first place.
Classic deflection of culpability.
Yeah, but it got me thinking: has there ever been a sectarian conflict that was resolved peacefully? In all of human history? Well, England and France tried to obliterate each other for a hundred years.
And now London bankers retire peacefully - to Provence - Honey, I don't have - a hundred years.
- no one thinks anything about it.
If you're talking about Serbia and Kosovo, they've been going at it since the Ottoman Empire.
And now it's about to flare up into a whole new conflict over this Russian fake news.
There's always the other way.
The Incas were about to destroy themselves in a civil war between two brothers.
What stopped them? Spain.
(MICROWAVE BEEPING) Oh, hey, Gordon, Adele.
Good morning.
He's just finishing up.
All yours.
Gentlemen.
RUSSELL: Based on my review of the incident and the circumstances leading up to it, I'll be asking Dr.
Reese to tender his resignation today.
Russell, I-I object in the strongest terms possible.
I-I've worked with Dan Reese for decades.
He's a man of honor and integrity.
And as I made clear to Henry, this was my responsibility.
Thank you.
Henry, do you want to revise any of the facts in your report? No, but I-I All right, well, then, this matter's concluded.
Thanks for your input, Gordon.
Henry, if you could stay behind a moment? I find it best to include the opposition when there's gonna be a blast radius.
I never meant to hang Reese.
He wasn't following protocol on dispensing medication to Gordon and you and who knows who else, and he's playing fast and loose with the paperwork.
End of story.
What? I-I (SIGHS) I'm just a little concerned about developing a reputation as the guy who blows the whistle and gets people axed.
Well, there's only one team around here.
And now everyone knows you're on it.
And they better be, too.
- Thank you, Nina.
- Welcome.
Welcome to our delegates from Serbia.
Please enjoy one last continental breakfast.
Again, thank you both for coming.
You have our presentation in both Albanian and Serbian, so I'm just going to freestyle it.
My husband Henry is a scholar and a history buff, and when I asked him for examples of conflict over land and ideology that were resolved without violence, he couldn't really come up with much.
The general model seems to be to fight it out until one side is either exhausted or annihilated by the other.
The only thing that really seems to shift this dynamic is the threat of a common enemy.
To that end, this presentation will lay out for you a highly organized campaign of disinformation waged against both your countries and throughout Europe by the highest levels of Russian government.
It was targeted, researched and, as we now know, all too effective.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
My pleasure Good work in there, everyone.
So, you think there's any hope of reviving the NATO deal? As much as it always kills me to say it, Russell Jackson might be right.
I might have reached too far.
We'll circle back to it.
- Yeah - That whole strategy of uniting two factions against a common enemy actually works.
So I hear.
Yeah, I heard you did some good work on that anti-malaria program.
Well, I mean, I tried.
Unfortunately, the funding's not gonna be renewed next year.
What? Yeah, some tech billionaire NGO offered to take control of the whole mosquito nets thing.
They got tons of money, they'll do a better job, anyway.
Wait, I actually got them to work together, though.
I mean, they have-they have really good ideas.
Well, they'll pass them on to the tech guys.
So I did all that for nothing? Three yards and a cloud of dust.
Welcome to the bigs.
(LAUGHTER) (TEACHER SPEAKING ALBANIAN) (CHILDREN GASP) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) (CHILD COUGHS) (LAUGHTER) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) (SPEAKING SERBIAN) - Marko! - (LAUGHTER) (INDISTINCT CHATTER)