01x03 - The Operative

[bunniefuu]

Woman: I've already been down this street.

Distorted male voice (over earpiece): Keep walking.

(dog barking in distance)

Hello?

Remove the battery from your phone and put it in the dumpster.

No.

It's a burner.

No one's tracking it.

Not negotiable.

How do I know you're really Viper?

How do I know it's not a trap?

Do it.

(creaking)

♪

Hello?

(clattering)

Where are you? Damn it.

Gina Fisher.

You made it.

You're Viper?

What I got is going to bring the United States to its knees.

They say Thomas Jefferson, your first Secretary of State, _ shared a bottle of this 1788 Clos DE Griffier cognac with my predecessor Jean Baptiste Ternant who, um, didn't realize that Jefferson was, uh, really a wine aficionado.

(scattered chuckles)

However, our research of you, Madam Secretary, uh, suggests that you will find this cognac more pleasing.

Merci, Minister Dubois.

Your research is correct.

(scattered chuckles)

And although Jefferson may not have loved cognac, he loved France.

And our enduring alliance is a testament to our shared values and profound friendship.

Thank you.

Daisy: The Secretary and French Foreign Minister will now take ten minutes of questions.

(reporters shouting)

Gina Fisher, from the Washington Chronicle.

Madam Secretary, you say that the U.S. and France are friends, yet your senior policy advisor, Jay Whitman, has referred to Minister Dubois here as, quote, "An empty crepe with a Napoleon complex."

(reporters murmuring)

What do you have to say about that?

I don't know anything about it.

Next question. - It's from a confidential state department cable. I've gotten access to a cache of such communiqués, including evidence of U.S. spying on France and other so-called allies, exposing vast institutionalized hypocrisy.

All of which will be going up on the Chronicle's Web site as we speak.

(reporters shouting)

Jay: It was a private e-mail!

You really believe there's such a thing anymore?

There's thousands.

Twitter-sphere is calling them the Viper cables.

Viper?

Fisher's source.

She's claiming he's a state department employee.

Oh, great, our very own Snowden.

What happened to at least giving us a heads up?

Hey, Jay.

Daisy's about to tell us that that gotcha video is blowing up on social media.

Which was clearly the point.

Right now, I need you to focus on fixing it.

The White House agrees.

They want this contained.

Daisy: Dubois officially cut short his visit and is on his way to Andrews.

Dubois's the tip of the iceberg.

In another cable, an INR analyst referred to the Austrian ambassador as Das Boob.

Several deputy assistant secretaries agreed in an e-mail chain that a member of the Peruvian Constitutional Tribunal is a coked-up, narcissist blowhard.

Oh, and our ambassador to Kenya called their defense minister a sweaty, brain-damaged hippo.

Are we sure those cables aren't from a frat?

Already crafting your apologies, ma'am.

On a scale of non-apology-apology to full Swaggart-Kanye, how far do you want to take it?

Feel your way through, based on diplomatic importance.

Aside from the petty name-calling, is there anything policy-related we need to worry about?

I'll get into that.

While you're at it, get with FBI, DOJ and DNI, and see if they can figure out who Viper is.

And short of ID'ing him among our thousands of colleagues, I want an estimate of his security clearance.

I'll write up your apology to Foreign Minister Dubois, but he may require more than contrition.

Understood.

For now, Madam Secretary, I hope you like crow.

'Cause that's the only dish on the menu today.

It is upsetting and deeply concerning when so-called friends are uncivil, condescending and downright mean-spirited.

I-I understand.

Please accept my heartfelt apologies, Ambassador Reinhart.

Petty name-calling has no place in our discourse.

I have such great respect for all the work that you've done on behalf of women and the elderly.

I'm very sorry.

Very well, Madam Secretary.

That's all we have for now.

Only 47 apologies?

I was just getting warmed up.

(chuckles)

How'd I do?

No one's launched any missiles at us, yet.

(chuckles)

But Ms. Fisher's announced that she's posting another set of Viper's cables tomorrow afternoon, and she's claiming they're much worse than the first.

Any headway on Viper?

No I.D.

But INR estimates he's no more than Secret level clearance.

They doubt he even had access privileges to the seventh floor.

Then why is the Washington Chronicle making such a big splash?

Reach out to Fisher.

I want her in my office first thing in the morning.

Tell her I'll give her an interview if you have to.

Isn't that beneath your dignity, Madam Secretary?

The dignity train has already left the station.

Have Daisy put together background on her for me.

How deep?

The Constitution shouldn't be violated.

Let's make that an assumption from now on.

Hey! I can't believe you're still up.

I heard all about your day.

It was all over the news.

Tell me about the kids.

(falsetto): They're great.

Seriously? The high voice?

What's wrong?

I didn't want to pile on your problems.

Josh broke up with Alison.

Oh, no.

Is she a puddle?

She hasn't really mentioned anything about it yet.

You didn't.

I did.

I thought we said we weren't going to do that anymore.

I know.

So the little dweeb broke up with her in a text?

Yeah, with all kinds of weird auto-correct things, but, yeah, his intent was clear.

Honey, Alison's 15.

W-We can't be spying on her texts anymore.

Can we?

Hey, was it really our fault that my iPad somehow tied in with her phone?

And it's not like these were icky diary entries.

They're stuff that she's sharing with her friends.

That's true.

We're great parents.

We are.

It's our responsibility to balance her privacy with her safety.

She's at a precarious age.

Fifteen.

We spy because we love.

Like the U.S. on France.

Much, much too soon, right?

Ugh. At least we'll know what to expect from Hurricane Alison.

Yeah. Oh, and don't be surprised by the giant "V" that Jason painted on his door.

Viper's his new hero.

Not surprised.

And Stevie?

Quietly reveling in your problems.

Remind me again why we had kids?

They were supposed to be cute.

Come on, Mom, you got to admit that government transparency is worth you getting a little b*at up over.

No, I don't.

You wrote scholarly papers slamming the CIA for t*rture.

That was different... it was t*rture.

So, you think spying on our allies is a good thing?

No, I think it isn't t*rture.

Feta and spinach omelet up.

Thanks, Dad.

You got it. Hey!

How's school, Noodle?

It's fine.

Why don't you ask me about school?

Because you would just rail against the oppression of learning.

Yeah, your words.

So, I got a job yesterday.

Hey, that's fantastic.

The copywriting job?

No, the hostessing job.

Hostessing? As in?

As in, "Party of four? Right this way."

Frank's Steak House.

Oh.

Oh.

Frank's...

Yeah, a lot of important people go there.

Yep, and I will be showing them to their tables.

Cool. Do we get free steak?

No. Just like no free rides.

I'm the one who decided to drop out of school.

I can't blame you guys for making me pull my weight.

(phone rings)

Hello.

It's the Russian Foreign Minister's office.

(sighs) Great.

How did they get our home number?

Russia.

Uh, really?

Okay, yeah.

Hold on one second.

Not for you.

He wants to meet me.

Gorev?

He wants to talk about my Orthodox Church schisms article.

Cool.

Come on, it's obviously a ploy to get to you.

Go. Guy's a powerhouse in Russia, second in line for the president.

It'll be a kinky story that you met him.

Just don't give away Latvia.

You have another 23 apology calls to make this morning.

Good morning, Nadine.

Oh. You really want to start with that every morning?

I guess I'm old-fashioned that way.

Good morning, Madam Secretary.

Ms. Fisher from the Washington Chronicle is waiting for you.

Thank you.

Do I need to remind you that anything you say to her could wind up all over the news?

Don't worry.

I'm pretty good at talking to people.

Have a seat.

I get why you brought me in here.

So I'll feel intimidated.

To soften me up.

That thought might've crossed my mind.

You think I'm a traitor.

I don't know what to make of you, Ms. Fisher.

The latest Gallup poll has 52 percent of Americans thinking that Viper is providing an important perspective on what's really happening behind American power.

They think he's a patriot.

I'm all for transparency, but not this.

Not giving away state secrets haphazardly.

And isn't it beneath you to print the petty, trite garbage of a Secret-level analyst?

Who says he's only Secret level?

INR analyzed the cables.

They're nothing more than the TMZ of political reporting.

INR has it wrong.

You won't be saying that after the next release.

Oh, come on, Gina.

Your source wouldn't be invited to sit in the Situation Room on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons.

He's Top Secret SCI.

Cleared for compartmentalized access to more programs than I can count, and you're going to have to do a hell of lot more than apologize when the next cables hit.

I am so sorry, Madam Secretary.

So long I have you on the defensive, will you give us a week to review the cables before you release the next batch?

I knew you had an agenda.

No. Not a chance.

Well, then, I think you need to leave.

Okay.

Viper is more of a thr*at than we realized.

He's Top Secret SCI.

She gave you that?

You Jedi mind-tricked her, didn't you, ma'am?

There's no time for a victory lap.

This next batch of cables could blow covert operatives all over the world.

Elizabeth: Counsel's informed me that there's no legal recourse to slow down the impending document release.

Damn First Amendment.

Elizabeth: I think we need to get ahead of this one, Mr. President.

What do you have in mind?

Call in all covert operatives until we know what we're dealing with.

All?

That's thousands of human assets.

It'd be an unprecedented move.

One that I believe is warranted, given the downside if I'm right.

All on the word of this reporter?

I mean, ODNI said it's all froth.

You sure she's not playing you?

90% sure.

Based on my profiling of her.

I-I think Fisher purposely released milder cables first, in order to create an even bigger story with the second release.

Journalistic showmanship.

I got a good read on her, sir.

She's a reporter.

She deals in facts.

I don't believe she'd lie.

I'm going with Elizabeth on this one.

Foreign Minister Dubois is back in Paris and calling for my dismissal.

I'm not surprised.

You had to pick on a NATO ally, nuclear power, Security Council member?

Madam Secretary, part of my job is advising you that you should fire me.

I'm a little busy right now, and I don't know anyone else who can do your job.

Don't be too flattered.

I was a CIA analyst for 20 years and then a college professor, so I literally don't know anyone else who can do what you do.

Oh.

Look...

I need you to be okay with being dead-man-walking for a while until I can find someone else.

I'll draft my resignation letter and dust off my résumé.

And keep doing my job.

Thank you.

We just ID'd Viper.

He's Jed Heller, former INR analyst.

Left five months ago.

What was his clearance?

Top Secret SCI, just like Fisher said.

Where is he now?

SIGINT from NSA has him in Guinea.

With whom we don't have an extradition treaty.

You want me to hold his identity?

No.

You can't give away American secrets and then sip piña coladas on the beach while you negotiate your book deal.

Put it out there.

Uh, Madam Secretary... this Viper guy Heller bolted on Secretary Marsh's watch, before you took office.

You want me to play that up?

No.

This is a matter of national security.

I want you to play that up.

(phones ringing)

Oh, let me guess...

Oh, the next document dump just hit.

(phones ringing)

It is as your article suggests: Religious traditions breed cultural divisions, but they can also dissolve national borders.

Look at the Middle East of today.

I'm impressed, Minister Gorev.

You've obviously read my article and thought deeply on this subject.

Not as deeply as you, Professor McCord.

Clearly, my daughter is in good hands.

Excuse me?

Olga.

My youngest.

She is in your Ethics and Eastern Religions class at Georgetown.

Oh, I had no idea.

It's a lecture, so there are a few hundred students.

There is a Saudi prince in there, but the keffiyeh is a dead giveaway.

Olga is very private girl.

Wants real university experience without attention because of me.

I get it.

I have a daughter around that age in a similar circumstance.

So you know what it's like.

Having daughter.

I will look for her. Olga.

That would be nice.

She is having a hard time in this class.

Getting "C"s on her papers.

Well, ethics is a sneakily deceptive subject.

Especially seen through the lens of religion.

She wants Harvard for graduate school.

A "C" would k*ll her GPA.

She needs an "A."

You are aware that it's an ethics class?

And you are aware that I can make life very difficult for your wife?

It would be shame, given all her current problems, if she were to have troubles in Eastern Europe as well.

Matt: Who knew we spied on Liechtenstein?

We spy on everybody, dummy, we just don't advertise it.

They have no standing army, and their biggest export is false teeth.

They literally have no bite.

Where are we on the security assessment?

Munsey is on his way to brief you.

Jay is compiling reports from INR and all the other intelligence services.

I guess that means he still works here.

Matt: Well, we heard about Dubois's crise DE colère.

That's hissy fit, in French.

I am aware. Just... let's worry about our own jobs.

Madam Secretary? Director Munsey.

How bad is it?

37 agents blown.

Tell me we got 'em all.

All but one. Roy Schaeffer.

That's his file.

Our top asset in Balochistan.

His cell service was patchy, so he got word late.

Where is he now?

In a van on his way to the embassy in Islamabad.

Elizabeth: His cover is State Department. USAID.

His real job is keeping tabs on their nukes.

He'll be ex*cuted if he's caught.

Where is he?

General: Nine blocks from the embassy, Madam Secretary.

About three quarters of a mile out.

He's going to make it.

Man: I got eyes on you, Schaeffer.

- Turn left at the next corner.

That's Colonel Delaney.

He's watching from the embassy roof.

Damn it, I just picked up a Pakistani m*llitary jeep on my tail.

(tires squealing)

Delany: Open the gate!

We got you, Schaeffer.

Eye on the prize.

Schaeffer: Closing on me.

Delaney: Don't let them in front of you.

- Don't let them cut you off.

He's got to be getting close, right?

Quarter mile.

Delany: Schaeffer, you've got a m*llitary vehicle at nine o'clock, going to cut you off.

He's not gonna make it.

Request permission to leave the embassy to grab him up.

Denied.

We can't get into a firefight with the Pakistanis.

Hold your ground.

Delaney: Schaeffer, you've got another vehicle at three o'clock, approaching.

(tires squealing)

There he is.

Delaney: They got him.

They got him.

We can still engage.

(men speaking Urdu)

No.

No engagement.

Tell my parents and sisters I love 'em.

(men shouting in Urdu)

(truck door shuts)

(engine starts)

(tires squealing)

Where is he?

We believe Sahiwal Jail in Lahore.

We're working on confirmation.

Assuming he's there, do we have any access points?

No one inside.

I have a couple field agents who've infiltrated the sanitation company that services the prison.

Elizabeth: Sahiwal has hundreds of cells on five floors.

We'd need intel on exactly where he is.

I think we need to take an exfiltration op off the table.

Can't afford it getting messy.

We could thr*aten to cut their aid.

Then we might have to cut their aid.

Which would be just as bad.

I can reach out to Ambassador Hesbani, offer a public apology.

For what?

We're not admitting our guy's in The Company.

For the misunderstanding.

It's a Hail Mary, at best.

The Pakistanis' hands are tied.

They have to manage unrest in the streets.

We're not exactly winning any popularity contests over there.

You have any better ideas?

Give it a sh*t.

Thanks, everyone.

Jackson: Elizabeth!

What, I sh**t you down too hard in there?

I can take it.

No, I just wanted to say sorry about your policy guy.

Yeah, I'm going to hold onto him until I can find somebody else.

I know a guy.

Really?

Worked for me on House Armed Services.

Just finished a fancy PhD, he's looking to get back in the game.

I'll send you his résumé.

Thanks.

Henry: So there I am,

Mano a Mano with one of the most powerful men on Earth and he wants me to compromise my integrity or else.

Not exactly High Noon, Dad.

Yeah, okay, wise guy. It felt like it.

So what'd you do?

Well, uh...

I have to admit, I was a little thrown.

But then... there's no other way to describe it... this rage built up inside me.

Like the Hulk.

Yeah, kind of.

And then, the next thing I know, I'm pushing my chair back, I stand up and...

Don't tell me you flipped the table.

No, but I needed to face him down.

And then everything just fell away, the other people, the food, the sounds...

I just laser-focused on Gorev, and I ripped him a new one.

Go, Dad!

So gangster!

How big of a new one?

(laughing) Uh... pretty big new one.

(all laughing)

I told him that I would not compromise my ethics and that his daughter had to live with whatever grade she earned.

Oh, and then I told him, that "My wife can handle herself, pal.

And you better not underestimate her."

Ooh...

Stevie: All right.

That's sweet.

Go, Mom.

Well, Ali's still suffering in silence.

Ah, the poor thing.

I could barely get a smile out of her.

If we didn't know, I'd ask her, "What's wrong?

Why you being so quiet?"

So ask.

I'm afraid she'll make me.

You're ex-CIA.

She won't.

Well, I'd feel even more guilty using those skills on her.

Whatever happened to "We spy because we love?"

I don't... I don't know.

You okay?

Yeah.

No.

Work is tough.

And I have to be able to turn it off before I come back here.

You were very present with the kids before.

And now I want to be present with you.

Hey.

I hope I didn't really make things difficult for you with Gorev.

No, I like that you stood up to him.

It's sexy.

Is it?

Yeah.

Your ethics are... even sexier.

Really?

Mmm.

Man with a solid moral compass?

Big turn on.

Who says you have to be a bad boy to get the hot girl?

(men talking indistinctly in distance)

All right, there's obviously been some kind of mistake.

What is your job for the CIA?

I'm not CIA, dude.

I'm with the USAID Safe Drinking Water Project.

I'm doing you guys a solid.

The cable says you are a CIA operative in Balochistan.

Cable got it wrong.

Ask me about the effectiveness of decontaminating crystals in preventing the spread of cholera.

Then why were you in such a hurry to get to your embassy?

I was just running late on a buddy, man.

Come on, I'm an American aide worker.

I'm an American aide work...

Hey. Hey! Hey! Wait!

Wait, wait! No, n-n-no!

(screaming)

This balushahi is not quite as good as my mother's.

(laughs) But close.

Well, you'll have to give our pastry chef your mother's recipe.

Family secret.

You'll have to b*at it out of her.

I appreciate you making time for me, Ambassador Hesbani.

My pleasure, Madam Secretary.

I speak for the president when I say we'd like to find a solution to our current situation as quickly and as amicably as possible.

Of course.

But what can be done?

An apology.

From me.

In public.

As you're of course aware, public prostration by any American official at my level is... it's almost unheard of.

But this is how much we value our relationship with Pakistan.

Generous offer.

But I-I'm afraid my government's hands are tied.

After Bin Laden, all the drone strikes.

We can't appear to be appeasing America.

Our people simply won't accept it.

I understand.

But can I ask that you bring this to President Masood?

Thank you.

I'm also asking for humane treatment and time.

If you could hold off on a trial.

We treat all our prisoners humanely.

But I will make a special inquiry.

As for a trial, it has already been scheduled for next week.

I see your intelligence services haven't penetrated our legal system.

Can you postpone the trial?

Madam Secretary, your country has shown it can disrespect our sovereignty with impunity.

The prerogative of the greater power.

But when you are caught, you must accept the consequences.

Madam Secretary, Schaeffer's capture by the Pakistanis hit the wires.

It's wall-to-wall on the cable outlets.

Everyone needs to stop ambushing me on my way in.

We thought you'd want to know right away.

Well, might need to redefine "right away."

So, how do you want to spin it?

Schaeffer? I don't.

So, we're going with, "Yeah, he was spying on their nukes, our bad"?

We expect Pakistan to treat all prisoners, including U.S. citizens, humanely and in accordance with the third and fourth Geneva Convention.

Got it.

Copy that.

You have a visitor, Madam Secretary.

God, where did you come from?

I'm always with you.

All right, who's visiting?

And why are we allowing it?

Our favorite reporter, Gina Fisher.

Says it's urgent.

Really?

Put her in conference East and don't offer her a beverage.

Oh. Also, Russell Jackson's office asked me to put this résumé in your hands.

Is it any good?

Rhodes scholar, Peace Corps, PhD in International Studies from Yale.

Well, if you like that kind of thing.

There are 200 more of them.

They've been pouring in all day.

Have Nadine go through them.

Ms. Fisher.

Jed Heller is sick.

He's not going by Viper anymore?

He didn't get immunizations before going to Guinea, and the medical care there isn't great.

He can't stop vomiting and he wants to come home.

He's welcome to come back and stand trial for espionage anytime he wants.

Tell that to Guinea.

Because your office leaked his identity, now they don't want to let him go.

They think he's too valuable.

Did you just call me a leaker?

He's an American citizen. You have to do something.

I don't need you to lecture me on civic responsibility.

Fine.

But if he dies, it's on you.

Madam Secretary.

We've confirmed with the Guinea health ministry that Mr. Heller has been admitted to the Ignace Deen Hospital in Conakry.

How bad is he?

He has, uh, schistosomiasis.

It's a rare African disease caused by an... infestation of worms in the skin.

A worm disease.

Fitting.

He's also developed a secondary meningococcus.

CDC says he needs a regimen of ceftriaxone, which isn't available in Guinea, or he could die.

And I was starting to think maybe we didn't want him back.

A trial would put this whole mess back in the news.

True, but there's justice to consider, ma'am.

Well, yeah, there's that.

And he is an American citizen, deserving of our protection, regardless of what he's done.

That, too.

Have our Guinea ambassador reach out on humanitarian grounds.

Any inducements?

No, the inducement is I'm asking.

Nadine, did you get a chance to read that résumé from Jackson?

Yes. Ben Rosenthal.

He's more than qualified.

So, should I meet with him?

Or will I have to worry that he's always gonna be Jackson's guy?

Everyone is someone else's guy, until they're your guy.

The Islamabad court just sentenced Roy Schaeffer to death.

What?

Hesbani told me the trial wasn't until next week.

Pakistan.

Elizabeth: He's scheduled to be hanged in two days.

Jackson: That's fast.

Even for that part of the world.

Well, they're making a point.

I'm open to ideas.

Maybe that op that Munsey was talking about.

That you were against?

Well, that was before the execution was set.

And we've confirmed that he's at Sahiwal.

We've penetrated their sanitation system.

Maybe we can turn a prison guard?

Well, then we'd have to get him out, and his family, too.

I can have Munsey get into that.

The Secretary of State's job is to offer diplomatic solutions, not cowboy operations.

Oh, I resent that characterization, especially coming from someone who's never even run an op.

Bess, it has to be a diplomatic solution.

What if there isn't one?

Then what's our response after they execute Schaeffer?

We're disappointed, but Pakistan is still an important ally.

Let's keep thinking on it.

Prisoner swap?

Who do we got?

Five Pakistani nationals at Guantanamo on various terrorism charges.

Do the Pakistanis want 'em?

Families do.

Have made inquiries.

(cell phone beeps)

The Guineans are refusing to hand over Jed Heller.

His health is declining.

He's been moved to intensive care.

Let's stay focused on the guy who didn't betray his country.

I want an answer on what will move Pakistan on Schaeffer.

You want an answer?

An SC-RAM defensive system.

(snickers) That is not an answer, dude.

She asked what would move the Pakistanis.

What, you're telling me it won't?

Of course it would, but we can't give one to the Pakistanis.

What are you talking about?

Strategic Counter Rocket, a*tillery and Mortar system, also known as Steel Cage.

It's a high-tech defensive weapons system that we deployed two years ago.

The Pakistanis practically begged us for it.

Why?

Because India has it.

The Pakistanis made their case for m*llitary rebalancing and improving strategic status quo here at State, at Defense and at the White House...

Dalton k*lled it.

And if we give it to them now...

Too arms for hostagey.

Does anyone else have it other than India?

The Chinese and the Russians each have their own versions.

But neither are interested in selling it to Pakistan.

Elizabeth: I worked the phones for hours and finally got everybody on board with a deal that the president and Pakistan signed off on.

Wow. Congrats. You're amazing.

Well, Jay, my policy guy, provided a huge piece of the puzzle, but I pulled the rabbit out of a hat.

I told you you'd be great at this job.

Thanks.

But aren't you curious about what the rabbit is?

Your big idea? Of course.

I'm just so used to not asking 'cause I assume it's confidential.

It is.

But not for you.

Why is that?

It's a three way deal.

And it actually has Russia giving Pakistan something that they really want.

Secretly, of course.

Okay, so why am I privy?

Because we need to give Russia something that they want.

Something really special.

What?

An "A."

I floated to Foreign Minister Gorev that you would give his daughter an "A" if he would convince his government to sell Pakistan a certain defensive weapons system.

I was totally skeptical that he would go for it, but then, I mean, you know how important his daughter's grade is to him.

I know! It's crazy.

Nuts!

Arms for A's.

Please tell me you're kidding.

No, not kidding, babe.

Gorev's office is holding on my secure line right now, waiting final word that you'll do it before shipping the weapons system to Pakistan.

Gorev can deliver a weapons system?

Second most powerful guy in Russia.

And you actually put me in the middle of all this?

Rabbit out of the hat.

How dare you.

Henry.

I know, I was desperate.

If this got out, my entire life's work would be discredited.

I would be ruined.

Well, that's why it's top secret.

I feel really good about that after your whole Viper mess.

Well, now, technically, that was Marsh's mess.

What happened to my ethics being so sexy to you?

They are! This is a one-off!

It's just a crazy situation that trumps ethics.

The very nature of ethics is they can't be trumped.

Please don't make me argue with a religion professor.

So, your work is more important than mine?

Of course not.

But you're willing to risk my entire career.

A man is going to be k*lled.

Who's gonna get k*lled?

No one.

Then why'd you say it?

Go back to bed, please? Come on.

Josh broke up with me.

At 2:00 in the morning?

Oh, my God.

Aw, Noodle.

He's a doofus anyway.

Hey, Jason!

Shut up.

Elizabeth: Alison, listen.

Your dad and I just have something really important that we need to talk about, okay?

More important than my shattered existence?

No.

Henry...

Okay, look, Noodle, I'll be there in a minute, okay?

Do you know the guy getting k*lled?

Back to bed!

Upstairs!

Yeah, whatever you say, mein Secretary.

Come on, dude.

Thank you.

Henry?

Henry... this is important.

So is my integrity.

As an academic, that's all I have.

Oh, come on!

I compromise my ethics every single day in this job!

That's not entirely true.

I don't have time to worry about my decaying moral fiber.

I moved heaven and Earth to get the president and Pakistan and Russia all on board, and the entire thing falls apart without you.

So, please, just say yes.

No.

You shouldn't have involved me in this.

You're gonna have to find another way.

Now, I'm gonna go and comfort our daughter.

How's Ali?

Extremely upset.

Understandably.

Yeah.

I'm gonna check on her later.

I've been on the phone with Gorev, and...

I got him to move off the "A."

Oh, my God. Now we're gonna be fighting over a "B"?

No.

All Gorev cares about is his daughter's GPA.

If you would consider giving her an incomplete, that wouldn't affect it.

She can retake the course next semester and you don't give an undeserved grade.

The deadline for incompletes has passed.

Henry, I'm out of rabbits.

This operative will really die if you don't make this deal?

Yes.

Does he have family?

A mom, a dad and three little sisters.

That you didn't shove in my face before to try to move me?

Well, even Elizabeth the Unethical has her lines.

Okay.

(softly): Thank you.

The United States is very sorry for the misunderstanding between our two countries.

Pakistan is an important ally and friend.

Where are we?

It's the live image of the embassy gate in Islamabad. No sign of them yet.

They were supposed to deliver Schaeffer half hour ago.

They could be backing out.

Call Hesbani.

I want him in my office.

What's that?

That's him. That's Schaeffer.

(mouthing)

Nadine: Madam Secretary, protocol explicitly states that foreign gifts remain in the gift room.

Noted.

I decree an exception.

Oh, thank God.

(whoops)

(laughs)

I second the decree.

Daisy: Uh, uh, decrees don't need seconding.

Uh, this one felt like it did.

Let's have a toast to Roy Schaeffer.

Welcome home.

All: Welcome home!

Smooth.

I don't know what Jefferson's problem was.

Now that Schaeffer's back, can you tell us how you got the Russians to move on giving an SC-RAM to the Pakistanis?

Guess I was just convincing.

Guinea handed Jed Heller over to the U.S. consulate in Conakry.

He's on a medical plane heading to Ramstein.

That's a quick change of heart for the Guineans.

The Russians hold a lot of sway over them. They put in a word.

The Russians must've really wanted whatever you gave them.

The good news is Heller's gonna face the music.

After he's de-wormed.

(all groan)

You know, speaking of Heller, I want to make an actual decree.

Matt, draft a memo to the staff.

From now on, I expect all correspondence at every level of confidentiality to be civil and respectful, worthy of the office being represented.

How wide do you want it to go?

How many people work here?

31,822.

That'll do it.

Now take your cocktails and the rest of the day to yourselves.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Secretary, can I have a minute?

Ah, sure.

Now that, uh, things have settled down.

Well, unless that's great seats to the Kennedy Center, I don't want it.

What about Dubois?

I called him this morning and told him that while I was very sorry that he was insulted, he doesn't get to make decisions about my staff.

How'd he take it?

I had to pardon his French.

(laughs softly)

What about Jackson's guy?

Your idea helped to save a man's life.

You got it over the finish line.

So... we're a good team.

All due respect, I was on Secretary Marsh's team.

I was his guy.

I know.

I was hoping to ride him to the White House.

You don't have such ambitions.

You're right.

But clearly you can make a difference here at State.

And I am a sucker for anyone who's good at their job.

But if something comes along with a presidential contender, I'll understand.

Okay.

Oh, and, uh, Jay, one other thing.

As long as you're here, you're my guy now.

Henry: Stevie got home a little while ago.

Seems like she had an pretty good first night hostessing.

If humbling.

Cool.

Did you notice that Ali's in much better spirits?

Oh, I noticed.

Check this out.

What?

Fresh intel on Ali's better spirits.

Flint Summers.

Who's that?

They've been texting all afternoon.

Clearly she's moved on from Josh.

So I did a little digging.

He plays on the varsity football team.

Flint is two years ahead of Ali.

That makes him 17.

I know. Whole new world from 15.

Yeah, and by whole new world, you mean... he'll... sex.

He'll push for it.

Of course!

Name like Flint Summers? There's no boundaries.

(stammers)

What are we doing?

Losing our minds.

Pretty much.

We have to stop this, don't we?

Okay, if I push this button... we sever the link forever.

Yeah.

(tablet dings)

Now, it begins.

Parenting without a net.

Well, Stevie turned out all right.

She quit college.

She's not a meth addict.

That's a high bar.

Listen, about last night?

Oh, I'm over it.

I saw the video of Schaeffer reuniting with his family.

Well, good. I wasn't apologizing about that.

It's this job.

Is it turning me into a morally compromised version of myself?

Because I am worried that I'm gonna become someone that you can't be with anymore.

Whoa, whoa.

I talk a good game, but I am no pillar of virtue.

You're a good man.

I-I need you to be my touchstone.

Uh, to tell me if I'm crossing lines.

I'd quit this job in a heartbeat if it threatened what we have.

Hey.

That's not gonna happen.

But if you're asking me to be the man beside the woman?

I'm in.

"The man beside the woman."

Yeah.