04x06 - Loophole

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Madam Secretary...

Jareth and I broke off the engagement.

We've been compromised.
Initiate evacuation

procedure Delta.

The ambassador may have
been hacked by GRU.

Nafisa Samadi's disappeared.

Her Russian contact
has also gone missing.

It was the Taliban.

The Taliban were tipped off
by someone on our side.

(BIRDS CHIRPING,
DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)

- Ah.
- Morning.

When did you get home?

Oh, about half an hour ago.

But I'm just here to take a shower,

then I got to head
right back over there.

- Well, did you get any sleep at all?
- Absolutely.

I crashed for at least minutes

on the couch in the office.

I'm gonna make you breakfast.

- You don't... (GROANS)
- You have to eat.

I am not going to the
nursing home alone.

All those dirty old men? Forget it.

I'll be one of them.

Yeah, but you'll be mine. (CHUCKLES)

Oh.

- No word yet on Nafisa?
- No.

But intelligence finally
combed through all the data

from the leak at the Kabul embassy.

Uh, the report came out last night.

I know... it was my bedtime reading.

Plenty of hacked e-mails

revealing the safe house location,

but nothing about Nafisa's identity.

She must have been b*rned
by another source.

The most obvious explanation is

their asset, Osip Bakunin,
was a double agent.

Huh.

- STEVIE: Hey, you guys up?
- Yeah.

And decent?

We're in here. Come on in.

- Hi, babe.
- Sorry to...

bust in at the cr*ck of dawn,
but I've actually been trying

to catch you together,
and, believe it or not...

We haven't been in the same room together
for three days? Yeah, we're aware.

- Yeah.
- Work stuff.

Yeah, it's... I get it. Um...

Okay, so there's not
really an easy way to...

to say this.

I'm sitting down.

Um...

Jareth and I broke up.

- Oh, honey, I'm so sorry.
- Oh. What happened?

Lots of stuff, but mainly just...

I don't know, it wasn't right.

We were really trying
to make it work, and...

I guess he just decided
to stop... trying,

so...

Oh, baby, I'm so sorry.

(WHISPERS): Goodness.

Oh.

I'm gonna make breakfast.
I'm gonna make your favorite.

- Banana pancakes wrapped in bacon.
- No, Mom, it's okay.

I got to... I have to get to
work, but, uh, I'll be fine.

I just hope you guys
aren't too disappointed.

You know? I-I just know how much

you liked him, and... and you were...

boot buddies and everything, and...

We're over him already.

- (CHUCKLES)
- If you're over him.

Well, yeah, I've-I've stopped...

bursting into tears every time
I pass a relationship landmark,

so that's...

something.

Maybe you're ready to make the list.

List of all the things

that you secretly hate about Jareth.

That's not very productive, is it?

Well...

Okay. So, um...

well, he used to call
washcloths "flannels"

- Well, that's...
- That's... Mm.

I mean, he did... he did clip
his toenails into the sink.

(BOTH GROANING)

That's disgusting.

- HENRY: Yes, I'm throwing up.
- (MOCK RETCHING)

Okay, I see how this
could be... helpful.

It's time-tested.

Yeah.

Um, I got to...

Aw, honey.

Thanks, Pop.

I love you guys.

ELIZABETH: Love you, sweetheart.

You sure you're okay?

He broke up with her?

(SCOFFS) Jareth who?

NAFISA (ON VIDEO): My name

is Nafisa Samadi.

I am an agent of the CIA,

sent by the corrupt
American government

to spy on the Afghan people.

As a prisoner of the Taliban,

my captors have demands for my return:

$ million...

and the release
of six Taliban fighters

currently being held
in Parwan Detention Center.

Ebadullah Gulbaz, Abdul Sadat...

It was uploaded an hour ago

somewhere in the Wardak Province.

(SIGHS): Media will run
wild with the CIA angle.

Nafisa's cover was as
an English teacher in Kabul.

The press will have a trail to
follow to Chindawal High School.

But that doesn't change the
fact that the Taliban knows

exactly who she is and how
much she's worth to us.

We need to get her back
as quickly as possible.

HENRY: Then I think

we should consider paying the ransom.

RUSSELL: The United States government

does not give in to extortion
demands from t*rrorists.

I understand the policy, Russell.

If we pay, Americans abroad will
have a target on their backs,

we'll be working
against our own interests

by potentially funding the very
groups we're trying to destroy.

What's your quibble?

The world is not so black
and white anymore.

Americans have always
been taken by radical groups.

Only now, when we don't pay,
they're more likely to be m*rder*d.

And their execution videos
become a recruiting tool.

France, Italy, Germany,
Spain, Switzerland,

South Africa, they all pay...

directly or by proxy.

And their people come back alive.

Yes, we are holding the
line for a principle,

but we're doing it alone.

And Americans are dying.

ELIZABETH: We all know
how complicated it is.

It's just...

a rethink on policy might not
be helpful at this juncture.

DALTON: I appreciate your
alternative view, Henry,

but it's a nonstarter.

The United States does not
negotiate with t*rrorists.

And that's a policy I'm
not prepared to end today.

Let's talk about other options.

There's a SEAL team in
Bagram that's ready to go.

All we need is a location.

Our contacts on the ground
have yielded nothing.

Well, maybe a reward for information

would shake something loose.

Have Rewards for Justice

authorize up to $ million
for any Intel

that leads to a favorable resolution.

Are you okay?

'Cause I can easily
switch over to wife mode

- if you want to rant.
- (CHUCKLES) I'm good, but thanks.

I mean, I get why we all
need to be on the same page.

- It's just a m*llitary option is expensive
- I know.

... and risky. We'll be spending
more than the ransom demand,

- putting more American lives at risk...
- It's complicated.

Do you know that that
same Taliban faction

released a French hostage yesterday?
An aid worker. Gisele Durand.

And even though the
French are denying it,

the rumor is they paid
ten million euros.

Any chance we could talk to her?

If she crossed paths with Nafisa,

she might know something that could
help us nail down a location.

Well, yeah, I can...
schedule a debrief

- as soon as possible.
- Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Bye.

♪

MATT: I know you're interviewing

candidates for your old
job as policy advisor.

I have someone I'd like to pitch.

Almost at the end
of the process, but sure.

Ashley Haines. We went
to Yale together.

She's been a fellow at the
Talmadge Institute for five years.

But she reached out when she heard
there was an opening over here.

She's tired of just
talking about policy

- and is ready to help implement it?
- Exactly.

She's uber-smart,

socially committed,
and has a terrific arm.

- State softball team.
- State softball team. With Daisy out,

we need help at third
base... send me a résumé.

Thanks, buddy.

♪

(BELL DINGS)

- Good morning, ma'am.
- Morning.

Uh-oh, this doesn't look
like a baby announcement.

Daisy's at two centimeters.

Which is like nowhere, apparently.

She's eating spicy foods,

- (CHUCKLES)
- taking lots of baths.

They're supposed to be jump-starters.

All things I didn't know
before this morning.

Yeah, those final days are the worst.

Nature's way of curing
your fear of childbirth.

Hey, any ideas

- on Nafisa Samadi?
- Hmm, yes.

After talking it over,
we think our best option

- is Pakistan.
- Hmm.

No, n-now, I know
what you're gonna say.

The ISI is untrustworthy at
best, deceptive at worst.

Any information they
give us is suspect,

and any intelligence we give them

ends up in the hands of our enemies.

- But...
- Yeah. You, uh...

well, you might want to rethink
your use of the phrase

- "best option." Yes.
- "Best option."

But you have given me an idea.

Call the Pakistani embassy.

Get me an urgent meeting
with Sameet Akhtar.

He's the deputy chief of mission.

Off the books.

(LIGHT KNOCKING)

Yeah.

Interpol just sent over security video

taken near where Nafisa
was meeting with Bakunin.

It shows a black van
speeding north at : a.m.

DMITRI: It's registered
to a Russian corporation.

A front for the GRU.

Now they're lending them
vehicles for their kidnappings?

Any Intel on Bakunin's whereabouts?

- Not yet.
- Because he's back home in Mother Russia,

being rewarded by his
handlers for handing over

a CIA agent to the Taliban.

There was nothing in his profile
to indicate he was sympathetic

- to the current administration.
- Well, then maybe they leveraged him

and he's back home in prison.

Either way, the guy clearly
wasn't cut out to be an asset.

- It was a screw up.
- Nafisa sat across the table from him,

looked into his eyes,

and believed he could be trusted.

If a seasoned agent

can be fooled, then anyone can.

Our job is to find her...

let's stay focused on that.

Okay?

I think the last time
we saw each other,

you were digging your
car out of a snowbank

at the top of the Dorah Pass.

I appreciate you
pitching in with a shovel.

It's all part of the unwritten rule...

be willing to help out a fellow spy

whenever possible.

You are here for a favor.

An American woman was
kidnapped in Afghanistan.

We want to get her back
as quickly as possible.

I need you to convince President
Sahi to intercede on our behalf.

It will be expensive.

Money isn't changing hands.

If we financially compensate Pakistan,

there's a good chance

the cash will be passed along

to the Taliban through weapons or aid.

Ah, such sticklers, you Americans.

It's your Puritan heritage.

Look, it would be one thing

if this kidnapped woman
were an aid worker

- or a journalist, but she is CIA.
- She was in Kabul teaching

English literacy to high schoolers.

- Elizabeth.
- (CHUCKLES)

(SIGHS)

This is an opportunity

for Pakistan to stand on
the world stage with us

and condemn terrorism.

Yes, well, we've been looking
for a way to do that.

I will do my best.

Hey. Can you guys
check me on something?

All right, look,

she's clearly reading
from a scripted statement,

and there's no way to tell

where she's being held.

So maybe I'm looking too hard

for clues, but look at her hands.

You see how they're moving
on the table? And then her eyes.

It's almost imperceptible,

how they're glancing to the side.

It's not CIA tap code.

DMITRI: Maybe...

maybe Morse.

You know, I-I remember there's a
story from the Vietnam w*r era.

There was a P.O.W.,
Jerry Denton, who...

was forced to film a piece
telling the American government

that prisoners in Hanoi
were being treated well.

He used Morse code.

He blinked out the word "t*rture."

She's trying to send us a message.

Anybody home?

(SIGHS)

Anybody?

STEVIE: Mom?

Yeah, yeah, yeah!
I'm down here in the kitchen!

Come have dinner with me?

- Please?
- Hi.

Hi.

Dad just texted me from work,

asking how I was doing.

It was very sweet.

Oh, uh, also, Jason
is having dinner at Piper's.

Again?

Well, Piper's mom said that he's

the son she never had, so...

But he's the son I did have.

I'd like him to start

hanging out here more.

Well,

I'm happy to see you.

What did Jareth do?

It's creepy how you do that, Mom.

Okay, so I'm scrolling
through Facebook,

- just to relax, you know.
- Uh-huh.

And I see that Jareth has posted

some pictures
from his grandma's birthday.

This is the first time
he's posted anything

since we broke up.

- He's smiling.
- Yeah!

He's smiling.

Really, really big. And he's wearing

the Ted Baker shirt I got
him for his birthday.

I mean, just, like, h-how can you end

- a two-year relationship
- I-I don't know.

And then smile big,

wearing the shirt that I bought him

like it's nothing?

Here's the thing,

you're gonna have to unfriend Jareth.

I can't do that.

Well, you're never gonna be happy

as long as you're staring
at pictures of him

smiling too big in
shirts you bought him.

(SIGHS)

There's no closure, baby,
if he never goes away.

(SIGHS)

It just sucks.

Yeah.

It does.

And...

it's gonna suck for a while.

You can't let yourself do things

that are just gonna make it suck more.

Yeah, I know.

But I still have to go
to his apartment

and pack up all my stuff,

leave my key.

Not without me, you don't.

We're gonna do it together.
Friday night.

Chimichangas after. Don't argue.

I won't.

Morning. What do you got?

DYLAN: This is it. It was Morse code.

This is what Nafisa
was trying to communicate.

Yeah, it turns out she wasn't
using her eyes, just her hands.

The question is, what does it mean?

And they're not
geographical coordinates.

It could be part of an address
or-or a phone number.

But then what's the "M" for?

She risked her life
to get us this message.

Let's have Interpol run a search.

Let's get it out to the
entire intelligence community.

We've got to figure this out.

Morning.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Stevie,

that, uh,

history of the DAR you put
together for my upcoming speech

was, uh...

was very helpful.

Who told you?

What?

About my breakup. Was it my mom?

ADELE: I didn't mean
to speak out of turn.

I just thought we should
all be sensitive.

No, no, it-it's okay.

And I'm fine.

Of course you're fine.

And in a few months,
you're gonna be saying

this was the best thing

that ever happened to you.

Well, I don't know about that.
(CHUCKLES)

Let me tell you a little story.

I was dating this,
uh... this woman once.

A world-class political operative.

We were just at the point
where I needed to figure out

if we were going to the next level.

And she went out of town,

and I agreed to watch her dog.

A little teacup... something.

Name of Gigi.

Anyway, one day, I'm
walking Gigi, and she gets

spooked by a cab.

Starts chasing it, yanks
the leash right out of my hand.

I'm running down the
street yelling, "Gigi!

- Come back, Gigi".
- (BOTH CHUCKLING)

But... she's gone.

Well, my girlfriend came home,
and she was furious.

And after an hour

of her shrieking about my immaturity

and lack of good sense, I finally

got down on one knee and begged her...

to marry me.

Wh...

I was just looking to make it stop.

(LAUGHS) Which proves

she was right... I was not yet

husband material.

But it took six miserable years
of marriage to figure that out.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Anyway, my advice to you

is... don't think of this period

of your life as an engagement
ending... think of it as...

the time you dodged a b*llet.

Okay.

Thanks.

Uh, just to confirm, you're
meeting with the secretary

Monday at : p.m.
Have security call when you're

on your way up, and I will
meet you at the elevator

on the seventh floor.

Okay. Great. Thanks so much.

Bye-bye.

Setting up, uh, interviews
for the policy job?

Uh, yeah.

When's Ashley Haines coming in?

Uh, she's... not.

What? No.

Jay told me that he'd consider her.

Then you have to
take that up with Jay.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
- Good morning, ma'am.

Good morning, Blake. Baby?

I'm sorry?

Has Daisy had the baby?

Oh, no. Not yet.

But Mr. Akhtar, from the
Pakistani embassy, called.

Well, let's get him back.

Uh, apparently, a return
call isn't necessary.

He apologizes but says
he's unable to help.

All right, when are we debriefing

- the French hostage, um, G...
- Uh, Gisele Durand.

- Gisele Durand.
- That's this morning.

Dr. McCord should be here
in about, uh, minutes.

Great. Ask Jay if he'll join us.

Just put on his policy cap,
just for an hour.

Uh, I'm afraid he's already
wearing his, uh,

chief of staff bowler at the
deputy committee meeting

for the disaster relief of Sudan.

When are the new
policy advisor interviews?

That's scheduled for Monday.

(GRUNTS)

Director McCord, a moment?

- Sure.
- One of my contacts in Afghanistan

got back to me with a lead.

Go ahead.

He says he can hook us up with
someone who not only knows

where Nafisa is being
held, but will walk her

out of the Taliban hideout and
deliver her to us personally.

And what does this
magician want in return?

$ million and amnesty.

Okay, who is this guy?

Akbar Haq Raquib.

The Taliban deputy minister
of foreign affairs.

He says he wants out.

This could be the break that we need.

Or it could be a trap.

Either way, the U.S. doesn't

negotiate with t*rrorists,
and Raquib more than qualifies.

I understand.

But, you know what,

there's no harm in determining
if the information is solid.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Oh! Uh, good morning, ma'am.

Morning, Matt.

You didn't happen to see
a stray bear claw, did you?

I-I missed breakfast.

- Ma'am, it's me.
- (MICROWAVE BEEPS)

I skipped breakfast in the hopes

that I might find a stray bear claw.

But... (CLEARS THROAT)

Oh, here's one.

Oh, thank you.

Oh, now can you find me
a new policy advisor?

Well, actually, uh, I do have
a friend who's interested

in the position. Ashley Haines.
I think you'd really like her.

Ma'am, the SVTC call
with Gisele Durand is ready,

and Dr. McCord is on his way up.

Okay. Thank you, Maggie.

Sorry.

Give her information to Blake
and he'll set it up, okay?

Thank you, ma'am.

Ms. Durand, thank you so
much for talking with us.

You're very welcome, Madam Secretary.

I am happy to do whatever
I can to help Nafisa.

How long were you two held together?

Just my last few days
before being released.

I am praying you can get her out soon.

We're doing the best we can.

Did the American consul
give you a code to look at?

Yes, uh, the numbers with
the letter "M" in the middle,

but I'm afraid it didn't
mean anything to me.

Uh, if you can tell us anything
else that you remember

about your time in captivity,
uh, no detail

is too small.

They kept us in a windowless room,

usually in the dark,
so I didn't see much.

But...

sometimes we heard things.

Explosions.

You mean...
like there was combat nearby?

I don't know.

We would hear a huge
boom in the distance,

and then nothing.

For hours.

Sometimes not for a day or two.

Then there would be another.

(QUIETLY):
That's controlled detonations.

The code that Nafisa
tapped out had no context

until we put it together
with the sound

that Gisele Durand heard
during her captivity.

Land mines

- going off.
- There are old minefields

in eastern Afghanistan,

some even left over
from the Soviet occupation.

Army Corps of Engineers

has been working for
decades to clear 'em.

HENRY: We believe that Nafisa caught
a glimpse of a control marker

when she was being transported
that indicated a field

meters away at a magnetic bearing

- of degrees.
- I'll have the DoD

synthesize the information,

and once we pinpoint
the location we can discuss

- the option of a raid.
- SEAL Team can transport

to Chapman and be
ready to go in hours.

Do we have any other options

- to discuss?
- Well, I've hit a diplomatic

- brick wall.
- HENRY: There is an analyst

in my department who's identified

a possible source in Afghanistan,

one who's intimately
connected with the Taliban

and their methods.

We're still verifying the information.

DALTON: Well, as soon as
you've vetted the contact,

we'll get into it. In the meantime...

it looks like a, uh, m*llitary rescue

is the most expedient way

to get Nafisa Samadi back home, so...

...let's do it.

What's the word from the
recon team, Admiral?

Two guards are posted out front.

Our fireteam will take them out

- and breach the door.
- Before we risk any lives,

is there a way to determine for
a fact that Nafisa's in there?

HILL: No visuals,

but IC surveilled a phone
conversation from this location

in which Nafisa's name was mentioned.

Heat signatures indicate
three people congregated

in a back room.
We think she's one of 'em.

Let's go.

Take the house.

Copy. Go, Team.

(GRUNTS)

(g*nf*re)

(g*nf*re CONTINUING)

TEAM MEMBER:
Front clear. Two tangos EKIA.

TEAM LEADER: Go, go, go, go!

(RAPID g*nf*re)
(SHOUTING IN DISTANCE)

Go!

HENRY: Where is she?

(g*nf*re CONTINUING)

Room two clear.

(HELICOPTER BLADES
WHIRRING IN DISTANCE)

RUSSELL: Come on, come on.

It's a t*rture room.

TEAM MEMBER:
Sir, I think I found something.

That's Nafisa.

What's next?

It's possible we could track them

if they're still in country.

Possible but not likely.

Henry, where are we on your informant?

Well, my guys have
confirmed he's legitimate,

but it's... complicated.

He's close enough that
he would have been read in

to Nafisa's current
location. And he claims

he could walk her out
and deliver her right to us.

Anyone that close would have
to be a member of the Taliban.

RUSSELL: Yeah, I suspect that's why

Henry's saying it's complicated.

It's Akbar Haq Raquib.

HILL: You're suggesting
that we engage the services

of a Taliban minister?

HENRY: I'm suggesting
that we take advantage

of a loophole.
He's looking to leave the group.

How much does he want for Nafisa?

$ million. And amnesty.

Oh, is that all?

Wh-What about a Domino's franchise,

- get him started in his new home?
- Look, we're talking about

someone who could give us intelligence

that would be impossible
for us to gather otherwise.

True.

But... he could also take our money

and form his own t*rror1st faction.

Nixon paid airline hijackers.

Jimmy Carter unfroze eight billion

in Iranian assets during

- the embassy crisis.
- That was before / .

I just have to ask...
is holding to the letter

of this policy more important

than saving citizens that it was

designed to protect?

DALTON: I understand your frustration.

But as commander in chief,

I can't, on the one hand,

ask our m*llitary and
intelligence communities to risk

their lives in pursuit of these
criminals, and with the other

potentially fund att*cks against them.

Let's keep looking.

Hey.

I could have used
a little help in there.

Well, I'm not gonna support

the abandonment of a
policy that I agree with.

years ago it could have
been me in Nafisa's position.

I was in Iraq when John
Marino was kidnapped.

In , Conrad was
stationed in Beirut.

None of us are armchair
warriors, Henry.

We all know that there are
real, real-life consequences

to holding the line.

And yet, if the worst
had happened in Iraq

and you'd been taken, I can
tell you without hesitation

that I would have paid the ransom.

Somehow I would have found a way.

Yes, and if, God forbid,

your brief time on the
ground in Pakistan with José

hadn't had a happy ending,

and someone had come to me
and said, "I can get him out.

I can bring him home," well, then

I would have moved heaven and Earth

to make that happen.

But that's my heart, Henry.

That's why policy is written
in the cold light of day.

Handing over millions of dollars

to the people that I
was fighting against,

that wouldn't have been what I wanted.

And yet you and Conrad are fine
handing over millions of dollars

to an informant with some details

- about Nafisa's whereabouts.
- Because that person

- If it goes through rewards for Justice.
- wouldn't be a t*rror1st.

You're certain about that.

Or do you think it's possible

that during the time this
program has been in existence,

money might have gone to a wrong guy?

- I mean...
- Yes. Yeah, I know.

I know. It's complicated.

I got to go back to work.

And by the way,

policy can be rewritten
in the cold light of day.

- Hey, do you have Ashley Haines' résumé?
- Yeah.

Why?

Matt pitched her to the secretary,

I'm supposed to get her information,

but Matt's not here,

so I just thought...

I'm sensing none of this
is okay with you. Okay.

What about asking India

to remove non-tariff trade
barriers that block Pakistan

from doing more pharmaceutical
business in the area?

India considers Pakistani visa
restrictions a security issue.

You can add it to the wish list,

but it's too big of an ask right now.

MATT: Since we're on the subject

of Pakistan, um,

I spoke to a friend of mine
from my mother's mosque.

Guy's uncle is pretty
tight with President Sahi

from their university days.

Now, word is, an ISI agent
was captured in India

almost ten years ago, Maarif Baqri.

Now, it turns out he

and President Sahi are cousins.

Now, the family matriarch
is dying and is, uh,

looking to say good-bye to
her nephew one last time.

Sahi's been using back channels,

trying to get India to cut him
loose, but so far no dice.

So your idea is that we could

put pressure on India to release him.

And they're so grateful

to get this one guy back,

they agree to leverage
the Taliban on our behalf?

Doesn't that seem somewhat naive?

Well, it's a, it's an
unspoken exchange of favors,

no money involved.

- A loophole.
- Yeah.

But how are we gonna get the
Indians to release Baqri?

I haven't worked out that part yet.

Yeah, well, that's a very big part.

If you'd come to me beforehand,

we could have worked out
a genuine proposal.

I don't know what you're
hoping to accomplish,

but not for the first time today,

you're wasting the secretary's time.

Okay, I think it's a
good time to take ten.

(CLEARS THROAT) Let's chat.

So is there something going on
that I should know about?

Matt's been bypassing
the chain of command.

I'll take care of it.

Okay. Maybe, uh,

in a more appropriate fashion.

Sorry, ma'am.

I'm just, you know, uh,

still working the kinks out.

No. I-I get it.

You know, when I'd been
at CIA for about...

I don't know, five years,
I was promoted

to task force leader.

That meant that I oversaw
a small department.

I already knew most of the agents.

And they were all very smart,

talented people, great at their jobs.

So I decided that I would stand back

and let them do their work.

I'd help out where I could but
otherwise leave them to it.

And how'd that go?

Huge disaster.

No one knew what was expected of them,

or what the boundaries were.

Everyone was miserable.

And in the end,

I realized that, smart and
talented as they were,

they still wanted a leader,
so I had to give myself

permission to lead.

Yes, ma'am.

I understand.

And I like Matt's crazy idea.

Think you would, too, if you
weren't so pissed at him,

That's why I'm tasking you
with making it work.

TV REPORTER: In other news
under the Capitol dome,

the House Armed Services Committee

met with the top army generals

about the army's tactical
modernization...

(SIGHS)

You wanted to see me?

Yeah, uh, close the door.

- Okay.
- Have a seat.

Uh, look.

I wanted to, uh, apologize

for losing my cool

in the staff meeting. That was wrong.

You had a bad day.

No.

You did an end run around
me to the secretary

about your friend Ashley,
and that ticked me off.

If you had come to me,
I would have told you

that I did look at her
résumé, and while she has

a lot of great qualities,
she just didn't rise

to the same level of expertise

and experience as the
other five candidates.

The secretary and I

were in the break room together.

I-I honestly didn't think
it was that big of a deal.

Well, it was.

Look, a week ago, you told me
I needed to step up if I wanted

to do this job, and, as
tough as it was to hear,

I appreciated the advice.

But I don't think
either of us realized

that meant me acting like your boss.

Outside of here? I'm your buddy.

In here? Your boss.

Copy.

You need to.

Because if you go around me again...

Unemployed buddy. I got it.

Good.

Also, I think I figured out

how to make your crazy
Pakistan idea work.

I called my counterparts in
India, and they were emphatic.

They won't just give
Maarif Baqri to Pakistan

without something in return,
so we started thinking about

- what they might want.
- What they might want. And ever since

India agreed to stricter
carbon emission protocols,

they've been desperate

- for clean, cheap, energy sources.
- Mostly solar panels.

Solar panels, but guess what.

Surprise, surprise,
China's gouging them.

But then I remembered Rafaeli Solar.

Yeah, after they lit up that
Lebanese refugee camp for us,

we basically told them they
had a return favor coming.

So I arranged for some
cheap loans for India

through U.S. banks,
and they agreed to a contract

with Rafaeli to build
these solar fields

- in Andhra Pradesh for half - Half.

What the Chinese are charging.

And in exchange they'll release Baqri.

- JAY: Okay, well, they're willing
- MATT: Sh...

- to release him and it will...
- Yeah.

- Coincidentally be around the same time
- Coincidentally.

That these solar deals get made.

Publicly, they'll say

that Baqri was cooperating
with the government,

and they're, you know,

JAY AND MATT: commuting
his sentence in return.

But I know what you're thinking:
How do we get the Pakistanis

to keep up their end of
this unsigned agreement?

The details of which no one
is willing to spell out,

and most importantly,
aren't enforceable.

So we were hoping...

- That you...
- Might have...

- JAY: The answer to that.
- MATT: An idea.

Blake, can you get me...

Sameet Akhtar. Yes, ma'am.

(DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)

(DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING)

_

_

(GRUNTING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(THUNDER BOOMING)

(PHONE BUZZES)

(PHONE BUZZES)

What's happening?

(SIGHS) Nafisa's been released.

What?

Is she okay?

Yeah. She's bruised and traumatized,

but basically, yeah.

(SIGHS)

I know you moved a lot of
chess pieces around the board.

- Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm just glad everything worked out.

Mmm.

Your arguments played a
big part in my thinking,

- and they've had an effect
- (CLEARS THROAT)

on the president as well.

He told me last night he's ordering

a comprehensive review
of our hostage policy.

I don't know if anything
will change, but...

least we'll make sure
that our thinking is up-to-date.

I told you we could do this.

Jobs or the marriage?

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

It was... pretty rough.

We're just glad you're free.

We can have a full debrief

when you get home.

We really could use your help

figuring out how we went
so wrong with Bakunin.

Wait, wrong how?

Well, we've been trying to figure out

who blew your cover.
Bakunin is our prime suspect.

No, Osip was just as shocked as I was

when the Taliban busted in.

But he'd been in touch
with Ahmad Taheri,

a Taliban informant.

Taheri also owns a transport business,

and Osip had contacted him

as part of his day job
as an embassy attaché.

He disclosed that to me
before we were grabbed.

Do you know where Bakunin is now?

Yeah.

He's dead.

They pulled him out of the van
somewhere outside of Kabul,

sh*t him by the side of the road.

Last bird to Ramstein's
wheels up in five minutes.

Okay. Safe flight.

(SIGHS)

We know the leak didn't
come from the embassy,

and apparently it didn't come
directly from Bakunin, either.

It's possible he could have slipped up

and they got onto him,

but, I mean, he'd been working

with us for such a short time.

Someone turned in

Nafisa and Bakunin to the Russians,

and they used the Taliban
to do their dirty work.

We still need to find the
leak and shut it down.

I'll do it.

(SIGHS)

(GROANS)

- Oh, it's a tough week.
- (DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

- (SIGHS)
- Kind of week

that would rattle someone
who's newly sober.

(SIGHS)

Uh, I won't be going back to that.

Hmm.

Hey, why don't you come over
to my house for dinner tonight.

My family's out, and we could
grill a couple steaks.

Play chess. Or...

my son has Future Slayers.

Oh, okay. Uh, but I have to warn you,

- I, I crush in the robot depot.
- Okay.

Big man.

We'll see.

- Remember, I'm with Stevie tonight.
- Yes, ma'am.

So if anyone needs me...

I will make sure
that no one needs you.

Thank you.

I just got word the
contracts have been signed

between Rafaeli Solar and
the Indian government.

Panels will start
going up this winter.

- (SIGHS)
- MATT: Meanwhile, I got an e-mail

- from my friend at the mosque.
- (TABLET CHIMES)

He has it on good authority

that Maarif Baqri
is due to be released

and repatriated back to Pakistan

- within the month.
- And Nafisa Samadi's on her way home.

Wow. Isn't it great

when people decide
to do the right thing?

Certainly is, ma'am.
And I have one more bit of news.

- (GASPS) Oh!
- Ah!

Daisy had her baby.

Oh.

- Meet Joanna Grant.
- Gosh.

Joanna.

Named after her father, Joseph.

Oh, I can't take it.

I know.

Life is such a beautiful mess.

What's that Joseph Campbell thing?

Um, just say yes
to the whole catastrophe?

It's my life in a nutshell, ma'am.

- (CHUCKLES)
- (TABLET CHIMES)

- Aw.
- Wait.

- Aw.
- Oh.

You're so lucky to be
living in the Digital Age.

You can skip

the hours of arguing

over books and CDs.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

Millennials just, uh, split custody

of their favorite coffeehouse.

I get Tuesdays, Thursdays,

every other weekend,
and acoustic nights.

That's very civilized.

Hey, take this one, will you?

All right, I'm gonna
check the bedroom again.

Okay.

So...

Jareth gave me this, like,
little box for my birthday,

and, uh, it's just...

it's not to my taste...

because it's ugly.

But I feel like if I leave it,

it might come off as hostile.

What do you think?

Although, taking it with me

just so that I don't come off
as hostile

feels like I'm trying to appease him.

And I don't have to do that anymore.

(EXHALES)

I should leave the box.

I should leave the box, right?

(CRYING): Right.

Mom?

Are you okay?

I'm fine. I'm totally fine.

- No, you're not.
- (SIGHS)

Are you Cr... are you crying?

I just... I think it's really...

It's mostly the wine that's...

- No, it's the boots.
- (SIGHS)

Mom, I knew that you were upset.

Well, I wasn't until...

- until I saw the boots.
- Aw.

And it's-it's not about
me missing Jareth.

Or the boots.

It's about me missing the time
when you were so happy.

- Aw.
- And I know you are...

totally going to be
happy again. I just...

Well, if it makes you feel any better,

he did only wear those boots, like...

maybe once.

He said they pinched his toes.

Okay, now I really am over him.

(LAUGHS)

- Wow.
- (PHONE BUZZES)

Yeah.

Is that work?

Well, sort of.

Everybody's going to go see Daisy.

- Aw.
- But I'm gonna go see her tomorrow, so...

- No.
- let's finish up.

Go now. W-We're almost done.

And I'm fine. Go... go
hold the baby, Mom.

Well, she's probably
not even gonna let us hold it.

Just have to look at it
through the glass

- Mom. Mom.
- In the nursery with everybody, so...

- (SIGHS)
- Go look at a baby.

It's okay. It's okay.

- (SIGHS)
- I'm okay, I promise.

DMITRI:
Well, thanks for having me over

and kicking my ass at Future Slayers.

I told you, man, you've got
to k*ll all the vampires

before you activate the time jump.

(LAUGHS)

You know, if someone
told me a year ago

that this is the life I'd be living,

I wouldn't have believed it.

- I still can't believe it.
- Well, believe it.

- Good night, Alexander.
- Good night, Dr. McCord.

- See you.
- See you.

Alexander?

Hi. (CHUCKLES)

Were you having dinner with my dad?

I, uh, was stuck on an assignment

that's-that's due tomorrow.

Uh, you are back from a trip?

The trip that was gonna
be the rest of my life.

Sorry. Uh, no.

- Yeah, my fiancé and I, we...
- Oh.

I'm so sorry to hear that.
Are you okay?

(CHUCKLES)

Could be the wine talking, but yeah.

I don't know.

Well, it's his loss.

That's... that's for sure.

Thanks.

Take care, Stevie.

Hey, um...

Do you want to get some coffee?

It's just, if I go to bed
like this, I'll...

get a headache.

I... I can't.

Caffeine this late,
I'll be up all night.

Drink?

(CHUCKLES) Keep the party going.

I really can't.

I have to be up very early.

Maybe another time?

- Can I see your phone?
- What?

Can you unlock... unlock your phone?

Now you have my number.

Call me sometime.

(SIGHS)