04x19 - Thin Ice

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Madam Secretary". Aired: September 2014 to December 2019.*
Watch/Buy Amazon  Merchandise


"Madam Secretary" follows a former CIA analyst and college professor who is promoted to United States Secretary of State as she tries to balance her work and family life.
Post Reply

04x19 - Thin Ice

Post by bunniefuu »

Ugh. I am dreading this trip.

Come on. You love Montreal.

Not when the hosts
are stabbing me in the back.

That was Jay with

the advance team.

Last week, this group

of Canadian divers
discovered this wreckage

of the HMS Wanderer,
disappeared in

while trying to reach the North Pole.

With a name like that,
I'm not surprised.

They're claiming it planted a flag
for Canada in the Northwest Passage.

Because it sank there in ?

Right? And meanwhile,

Russia, Norway, Denmark
are all calling dibs.

On the North Pole?

Well, I guess Santa will be next.

The fact is,

the melting ice cap is,
among other things,

a massive strategic opportunity.

Shipping lanes, natural resources,

fishing rights.

What we achieve at this
summit could well determine

the balance of power for
the next... hundred years.

Assuming the world exists.

Not a given, at the rate
the ice is melting up there.

Thanks, Dr. Doom, but I
actually have to just focus

on one monumental
global issue at a time.

JASON: Has anyone seen my passport?

The one I found in the dryer
after the India trip?

- Possibly.
- Yeah, I have it.

So, are you getting
psyched for Montreal?

Ah, not as much as Piper.
She's all about Bella Rossi

and the big scoop
for the school paper.

How cool is it that Mom is letting you

tag along with your girlfriend

so she can interview
the woman who's gonna be

outside the hotel protesting Mom

and the summit?

It's pretty cool, I guess.

Gosh, I'm overwhelmed.

HENRY: Well, listen, there are some

beautiful churches up there

you guys might want
to check out. You know,

the Jesuits were
the first missionaries

- to New France.
- First?!

Wow! I should finish packing.

Yeah, they were the radical
reformers of their day.

You... ah.

Oh, honey, I think that Jesuit
churches are pretty cool.

Well, I don't know how

the Canadians are gonna
be able to resist you, eh?

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

- Hey.
- Hey.

Oh, the secretary said she wants
to stop by the Chip Harding

- meeting on the way to Andrews.
- Hmm.

But she said to get
started without her.

Copy that.

You ready for your part
of the Future Energy pitch?

- Oh, of course.
- Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey.

You're the one that wanted
to get more involved in policy.

And I'm very thankful to the secretary

for allowing me to spread my wings

under your expert
supervision, of course.

It's just... it just burns me

that we have to suck
up to an oil magnate.

- Blake, Congress cut our...
- Cut our funding. I know.

The last word on practically
every state initiative.

And I get why the World
Expo is a critical showcase

for American companies in a
ferocious global marketplace.

It's just...

It's just a tad ironic
that our big opportunity

to promote American
renewable energy at the expo

is being sponsored by Big Oil and Gas.

Dude, this is not the irony hill
you want to die on.

If Chip Harding doesn't pony up,
we'll be saying "Buy American"

with dioramas and sock puppets.

So let's get on board,
'cause this is our only sh*t

to compete with China
at the expo, okay?

Yeah.

- Come on.
- Okay.

- We got this.
- Okay.

BLAKE: And then the Hall
of Renewables is here.


I heard China has a holodeck,

robot dancers, and free hoverboards.

Well, we have food by Rachael Ray.

And a pre-taped video
of Jennifer Lawrence

personally lobbying world leaders

on behalf of American
companies like yours.

- Mm-hmm.
- But your pitch

has a fundamental problem.

The nuclear power section?

It's taking up a lot
of real estate here,

and you've neglected
good old natural gas.

Well, nuclear power produces
carbon-free electricity,

while natural gas does not.

And most climate scientists
see nuclear

as the key transition technology

until renewables
become more efficient.

The bridge to renewables
is not nuclear, my dear.

It's gas.

It's cheap, has half
the emissions of coal,

and most importantly,
it won't melt down

and make the neighborhood
children glow in the dark.

Uh, due respect, Mr. Harding,

no child or anyone has ever
glowed in the dark from any...

- Ma'am.
- Mr. Harding.

So good to see you again.

I'm on my way to Montreal,
but I couldn't leave

without stopping in to say hi.

I'm happy to hear that
the Arctic is a top priority

of the Dalton administration.

It's a brave new world.

Everybody wants a piece,
myself included.

Well, I am eager to
negotiate a contract

that will be fair to all of us.

And I wanted to thank you again
for your generous pledge

to our World Expo pavilion. Wow.

- Yeah.
- Yeah. Yes.

- Yes.
- Yeah.

It is being held
in my home state of Texas.

Wouldn't want to fumble the ball
on the home field, right?

Not at all, which is why
I'm so concerned

there's no section on natural gas.

If we're talking future energy,
we need to tell folks

that gas is cheap,
has half the emissions of coal,

and most importantly,
folks won't glow in the dark.

Let me tell you something else.

So, wait, nuclear's gone,
just like that?

Well, it's not gone, it's just,

it's not a part of "future energy."

Okay, well, can it be part of...?

Kat, have you heard anything
from Jay at the summit?

Deputy talks suggest that Canada
is still holding firm

on the HMS Wanderer.

Crap.

Okay, I have spent weeks
with those briefing books.

- I know full well...
- I know. Hey, kids!

You excited about your trip?

- Yeah.
- Do you need anything?

- I'm good, thanks.
- Uh... snacks, juice.

How about a bedtime story?

- Uh, have a great trip.
- Thanks.

- Yeah.
- BLAKE: I'll apologize later.

Okay.

Look, of the of the
hottest years on record

have occurred since .

The North Pole is the hottest
it's been in , years.

Did you see the video
of that starving polar bear?

- Because it is just awful.
- No. I did, I did,

because you showed it
to me several times.

- Okay.
- Let's just go right into my...

Well, look, natural gas
is better than coal...

I will give you that...
but that's still a lot of CO .

And-and renewables are great,

but you need, like,
billion solar roofs

just to match the projected growth

in energy consumption by ,

which wind and solar won't
even come close to filling,

unless something magical happens,

which doesn't seem like
a very good plan to me.

You are preaching to the choir, man.

Do you know how many
Americans have d*ed

from commercial nuclear power
accidents since World w*r II?

- Zero.
- Zero.

And that includes Three Mile Island.

People only d*ed at Chernobyl

because they didn't have
a containment dome.

And when it comes to waste,

the world's entire
supply of spent uranium

from reactors could fit
on a single football field.

Meanwhile, this expo has the potential

to generate thousands of green jobs.

I know. I guess it's
picking our battles.

Besides, we can't even begin
to turn the tide on nuclear

until we have backing from
a major environmental group,

like the... I don't know...
NRDC or Climate Defense Force.

- (SIGHS)
- Yeah.

All right.

I'll give the heads-up to
the ECA and the Expo Unit

about the redesign.

- All right. Hey, Blake?
- Yeah.

You've done really good work.

Thank you.

Yeah.

The British ship Laconia
was carrying more

than , soldiers,
crew and passengers

when it was torpedoed and sunk
by a German U-boat.

And the German crewmen
were actually in the process

of rescuing the survivors
when they were spotted

by USAAF bomber pilot
Lieutenant James D. Harden.

Even though the Germans

broadcast their humanitarian intent

on open channels and were flying
the-the Red Cross flag,

what did Harden do?

- He bombed the sub.
- That's right.

The panicked U-boat crew threw
the survivors off the deck

to make their escape.

More than a thousand people
d*ed, including civilians.

It was hushed up at the time,
and Harden even

won a medal, but in today's world,

would his actions classify
as a w*r crime?

Yeah.

Yes. There were clearly
innocents aboard the sub.

Harden and his senior officer

who issued the order
should have been prosecuted.

MAN: Prosecuted?

For not taking the word
of an enemy U-boat commander?

The sub had just sunk
an Allied vessel.

Harden knew if he didn't
destroy the sub now,

it would just go on
to sink more ships,

cost more lives.

As a fellow fighter pilot,

I sure know what I would have done.

Thomas Aquinas said that w*r is just

if the ultimate goal is peace.

Harden was acting
for the greater good.

Well argued, Lieutenant Hill,

but with all due respect to Aquinas,

there were women and children

in the lifeboats that Harden bombed.

Was k*lling them
in support of the greater good?

Just something to consider.

All right, that's it for today.
That was a very good discussion.

Thanks. Oh, and papers, please...

Stoic strength and
Epictetus' teleology.

Hard copies and PDFs, okay?

Uh, is it okay if I drop off my paper

- later, Dr. McCord?
- Yeah. Is everything okay?

Yeah, I just want to read
over it one more time.

Okay, just make sure I get it

before my last class ends at : .

Uh, nice Aquinas reference,
by the way.

(PROTESTERS CLAMORING)

These governments scramble

for the last drops of oil,
and who suffers?

The untold millions
in the developing world,

who are the least responsible

for this global warming catastrophe.

- That's right.
- We call on the Arctic Council

to enact a permanent ban
on all drilling

in the North Pole region!

- (CHEERING)
- ELIZABETH: We've always

insisted that
the Northwest Passage was in


- international waters.
- With good reason.

JASON: An ice-free passage

could shorten shipping routes
between Asia

and the Eastern U.S.
by up to , miles.

(PROTESTERS SHOUTING)

Piper let me

read the notes for her article.

You see that?

Even high schoolers get it.

But now Canada's flexing with
the stupid HMS... whatever.

- Wanderer.
- Wanderer.

Right. They ought to wander
over to the Pentagon

where they'd see that our
force projection in the Arctic

is lame.

How many icebreakers does
the Coast Guard have again?

- Two.
- And one of them's in dry dock.

JASON: That's what you get for

failing to invest
in the end of the world.

Don't you need to go
downstairs somewhere?

- Yeah...
- (KNOCKING)

The point is, we need
to project a united front

to keep Russia at bay, and I think

- we should Le...
- Hey, let's do it.

- Hey, Piper.
- Hi.

Are you ready

for your big interview?

Absolutely. Thanks again for the
opportunity, Madam Elizabeth.

- (LAUGHS)
- I mean... Elizabeth.

Sorry. I know you want me
to call you by your first name.

No. Actually, Madam Elizabeth...

I think that's kind of badass.

- I like it.
- JASON: Okay, we're... let's...

Okay, we're gonna...

And thank you for the hotel room.

Of course.
You guys have fun, all right?

- Don't get arrested.
- JAY: Oh, heads up.

Word among the staff is that
Minister Chen is on the prowl.

Flew in last night.

Of course he did.

CHEN: Secretary McCord.

Another auspicious crossing of paths.

Minister Chen, it is
lovely to see you again.

(LAUGHING): Yes, I'm sure.

But you must know that China
has recently declared itself

- a near-Arctic power.
- I don't even know what that means.

Probably has something to do
with all the nuclear-powered

icebreaker ships
they've been secretly building.

If you are referring
to our research vessels,

they make vital contributions
to the study of marine life,

including the language
of k*ller whales.

Okay. It's nice to see you.

We are no longer content with mere

observer status.

Our access to the Arctic is
vital to the global economy.

The designation
"Arctic power" is based

on simple geography, Minister.

Due respect, but
"near" doesn't cut it.

Unless you want
to include Poland, Mongolia.

- Kazakhstan, Netherlands.
- Yeah.

This isn't a question of latitude.

ELIZABETH: Actually, it is.

The latitude that borders the Arctic.

If you'll excuse me.

NISSEN: We all appreciate the
urgency of climate change.


Progress cannot be made

until Canada drops
their aggressive new claim

on the Northwest Passage.

WARREN: Our claim goes back

to the HMS Wanderer.

Please. Enough
with your magical sailing ship.

Which sank in .

KONSTANTIN: When Canada
was a part of Britain.

I'll remind you that Canada
has the world's

longest Arctic coastline.

KONSTANTIN: %

of all Arctic land area is in Russia,

along with %
of the Arctic's population.

But Greenland's continental
shelf extends to the North Pole.

According to whom? You?

ELIZABETH: While we're at it,

America has its own claims
on the Chukchi Ridge.

Which is Russian.

We recognize the ambiguity.

Which is why we propose
an independent survey

of the Arctic seabed,

administered by the U.N.

and funded by the members
of this council.

The domestic reaction

to such an agreement
could be complicated.

Which is why I suggest we keep
the terms classified. For now.

We Norwegians would consider
such a proposal.

In principle, Denmark agrees.

Russia has no objection.

Provided that Canada withdraws

its latest far-fetched claim.

A sunken ship. Preposterous.

It's hard to argue
with a neutral survey.

The people of Canada are willing

to provisionally withdraw
our perfectly reasonable

and genuine claim based on the
sinking of the HMS Wanderer.

In that case, I'd like
to propose a short recess

so we can read the American proposal.

- Seconded.
- KLEVAN: Adjourned.

Hey. Just under the wire.

Yeah. My mom says my
head's in the clouds.

She has no idea.

Thinking about flying even when
you're on the ground, huh?

Yeah. I remember.

Was it hard to give it up?

(SIGHS) Pulling six Gs
in a Split S? Brutal.

But lucky for me, there were
other things I wanted to do.

Spend more time with my family,
write, teach.

But, uh, the freedom, the rush...

oh, man, I still dream about it.

First time I went up,

my dad snuck me into a Lockheed Vega

at a county air show.

It was my fifth birthday.

I guess he was hoping I'd like it.

Join the family business, you know.

But when I saw the earth fall away

and disappear beneath the clouds,

I knew I was never gonna feel
at home on the ground again.

I'm sure he'd be very proud.
I know your mom is.

Thanks, Dr. McCord.

Lieutenant Hill.

Paper.

Thank you.

JAY: Initial responses

seem promising, even
with the fine print.

Good. As soon as we can

resolve the territorial claims,

we can pivot to climate change.

- Cover Bluebird!
- Wait...

- Jason!
- Ma'am, ma'am.

No, Jason!

- Ma'am!
- Jason and Piper.

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

- Jason. Wait, Jason's out there.
- Ma'am.

- The conference is under att*ck.
- Wait.

(ALARM BLARES)

ELIZABETH: Come on. Come on.

- Come on, Jason.
- Bluebird is secure.

Repeat. Bluebird's secure.

- DS AGENT : Evac team inbound.
- It's just going straight to voice mail.

- What about Piper?
- Nothing. How about your tracking app?

No. It's just
"Locating phone." It's...

The network must be overwhelmed.

RCM reports lacerations and burns.

No word on fatalities.

That's it. We are finding Jason.

The Mounties and local PD
are looking for him, ma'am.

- That's bull...
- There's nothing more we can do.

I got a hit! I got Jason.

- Jason's in the hotel.
- (ALARM BLARES)

- He's in the hotel.
- Backup, backup.

Jason?! Jason!

DS AGENT : Jason.
- DS AGENT : Jason McCord!

Somebody check the shops
and the restaurants downstairs.

- I lost the signal. I lost it.
- Can we get a on Jason?

I want to check Piper's room.
Is he in there?

Ma'am. Ma-Ma'am.

I'm going to have to
insist that you stay...

Yeah, insist while we walk.

- (GROANS)
- Ma'am.

Ma'am, I'm sure he's
gonna be all right.

Piper! Jason.

Honey, are you guys in there?

Pipe... Jason!

(GASPS) Oh. When did you get back?

Hi. What-what are you...? Who-who...?

- Where's Piper? Did she get back?
- Yeah. No. She's fi...

- I-I don't... You don't...
- Okay.

You don't have to...

She's okay. She...

Is that Luther Vandross?

("IF ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT" PLAYING)

♪ To ease away your fear... ♪

Ooh.

♪ It would be so nice... ♪

Oh, God.

♪ If only for one night... ♪

Got it.

Understood.

Ma'am.

Summit's been postponed indefinitely.

Looks like a small group
of masked protesters

from CDF started the riot

by breaking down the barriers
and setting off this IED.

They arrested Bella Rossi

for facilitating a t*rror1st activity.

All right. Um, I want
you to stay here.

Liaise with Consular Affairs,
talk to Rossi.

If she'll cooperate fully

with the local authorities,
then we'll do whatever we can

to keep her out of Canadian prison.

I mean, assuming she wasn't complicit.

JASON: I'd rather be in prison.

I'm sorry. Did you say something?

I said I'd rather be in prison.

PIPER: Jason, stop.

(SIREN WAILING)

(DOOR OPENS)

Thank you, Frank.

Hey.

Hey.

You just gonna ground me,
get it over with?

You're not getting off that easy.

Okay. f*ring squad?

Yeah, that's warmer.

Go upstairs.

We'll have "the talk" tomorrow.

You might want to consider getting rid

of the wise-ass routine.

(SIGHS)

Glass of wine?

No. Scotch.

Hmm.

(SIGHS)

So I talked to Regina
when we dropped off Piper.

Piper takes full responsibility

for the deception.

Says that she just
wanted their first time

to be special and
romantic, and I guess

Jason went along with the plan,

right down to Luther Vandross

and chocolate-covered strawberries.

It's like they wanted
to have sex in the ' s.

(EXHALES)

But Piper's apology does not
get Jason off the hook.

- Oh, not by a long sh*t.
- Okay.

(SIGHS)

He's the son
of the secretary of state.

We were on an official
U.S. diplomatic mission.

What happened to taking responsibility

for your decisions?

To thinking before you act?

Here I was, thinking that my son,

or at least his... girlfriend,

would be interested
in what I was doing.

Turns out it was all a
ruse just to have sex

in a country that speaks French.

And what, are we supposed
to just continue

to clean up their messes
for the rest of their lives

because they turned out
to be lazy and entitled

and self-destructive?

Willing to risk everything
that's important

in their lives, while we just

whistle past their...

deception and misconduct?

Are we still talking
about Jason and Piper?

(SIGHS) I'm sorry.

I-I-I also had a crappy
situation with a student.

And it's more than a little fraught.

You mean that someone
else's kid screwed up?

I'm all ears. Let's hear it.

He turned in a paper,

and sections of it were
lifted from an essay

by a student of mine from Georgetown.

I guess he found it on the Internet

and didn't realize
it was from my class.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

Has he ever done anything
like this before?

No. That's the thing.

The kid is a rock star.
First in his class

at Air Force Academy,
first in officer's training.

He's a natural pilot and he loves it.

And now I'm gonna have to
report him to the commandant.

Punishment starts with NJP

and could lead to a court-martial.

And, babe...

It's Ellen Hill's son, Andrew.

Oh, my God.

Anything less than making general

or even president will be

- a bitter disappointment to Ellen.
- I've got to report him.

Things are gonna be a little
awkward at the next NSC meeting.

- (PHONE BUZZING)
- (SCOFFS)

Jay, tell me you have some good news.

JAY: Bella Rossi

turned over the names
of the violent protesters

to Canadian authorities.

Great. Are they in custody?

No, ma'am. The names were all aliases.

Canadian Intelligence traced one

to a Twitter handle controlled
by an Internet research agency

in the Olgino district
of St. Petersburg.

You have to be kidding me.

They're Russian agents, ma'am.

Russia spiked the summit?

Using GRU assets planted inside

an American NGO for more than a year.

That's some deep game.

That's Russia.

Whatever they're up to in the
Arctic, it's just the beginning.

KONSTANTIN: These charges are absurd.

Once again,
you make Russia your bogeyman.

No, that's all on you.

CIA confirmed Canadian
Intelligence findings,

so you can skip the denial.

Our Treasury Department is preparing

to levy retaliatory sanctions

under Executive Order .

This is a serious escalation.

I'm sorry, what?

You infiltrated a peaceful protest

and set off an antipersonnel b*mb.

And it is a miracle that no
one in the crowd was k*lled,

including my son and his girlfriend.

I didn't realize Jason
was at the conference.

I can't imagine what you went through.

No, you really can't.

(SIGHS) And I could not have imagined

inviting you back to the table

after what you did,
but the planet can't wait.

So you need to get serious
about negotiating.

You may have bought Alaska,

but the Arctic is in our blood.

Your sanctions won't deter us.

I'm glad your boy is okay.

They've already been caught.

What do they have to gain

by continuing to obstruct?

Blake, get me Ephraim Ware.

I'm gonna put whatever
Intel assets we have

in the Arctic on high alert
until we can find out.

(ORGAN MUSIC PLAYING)

Hope I'm not intruding.

No, it's fine.

How'd you find me?

Former spy.

Look, Andrew.
I can't accept your paper.

I think you know why.

Thought I'd give you
a chance to explain

before I go to the commandant.

I have no defense.

You should do whatever
it is you have to do.

Really?

So no plea for leniency, no do-over?

I have too much respect
for you, Dr. McCord.

You're an ethical man.

Yeah, that's the reputation I have,

and you were counting
on that, weren't you?

I don't know what you mean.

Look, Andrew...

at first I thought that in
addition to being lazy,

you were also incredibly careless.

But then I realized

those two words
are the last I'd ever use

to describe you.
You did it on purpose.

I just don't know why.

You know that poem by John Magee?

"High Flight"?

"Oh! I have slipped
the surly bonds of Earth

and danced the skies
on laughter-silvered wings."

Yeah. Why?

Ever since I joined the Air Force,

I was trained to k*ll.

Simulations, training runs.

You know it isn't real,

and you tell yourself that maybe
by the time it is real,

that it'll just feel a*t*matic.

Follow the orders.

Fly home.

The last lines of that poem,

"And, while with silent,
lifting mind I've trod,

"the high, untrespassed

"sanctity of space,

put out my hand
and touched the face of God."

I feel like I've touched
the face of God.

I can't do it.

I can't k*ll.

Yesterday you cited
Aquinas and just w*r.

k*lling in w*r
is different than m*rder,

and, sadly, there are times
when it's necessary.

I get that.

And I thought that maybe
by taking that position,

I could chase away my doubts.

I'm not a pacifist, Dr. McCord,

and I'm not afraid of dying,

but I can't reconcile

the questions you've been raising

in class, and that made me realize

that I can't live with the
guilt of taking a life.

A civilian life. An innocent.

Not even an enemy.

Have you told your mom?

My mom was chairwoman
of the Joint Chiefs.

Now she's national security advisor.

Service is everything to her.

I can't.

So rather than tell her,

- you plagiarized your ethics paper.
- In the moment,

it seemed like it was
better for her to believe

that my career ended
over a lapse in judgment.

I don't know how to tell her

that this is my choice.

Andrew, if there's one thing
I know about you,

you're not a coward.

There are things that you can do,

steps to take.

But your mom deserves
to hear about it from you.

Petroleum, natural gas,

and other fossil fuel innovations

will be center stage right here.


American geothermal,
solar, and wind companies

will also be featured
in the annex here.

More like broom closet.

But still represented.

By the way, I-I'm sorry
we didn't have time

to make a new model, ma'am.

No, I'm sorry

that circumstances have
put us in this position.

We need to be doing more
to fight climate change.

But that's a great poster.

Jay just called. Bella Rossi
is being released now.

You mean actual not bad news?

- Let's see it.
- (CROWD CHEERING OVER TABLET)

BELLA: I would like to thank...
I would like to thank

the U.S. Department of State,

especially Chief of Staff Jay Whitman,

for helping to secure my release.

For any part my group
played in the v*olence

at the summit, I am truly sorry.

I cooperated with the authorities

because I stand against v*olence,

but silence is not a
condition of my freedom.

We will never stop denouncing
the corporations and governments

who continue to suppress
the truth about global warming

- and continue to poison the planet.
- What is she doing?

- She was just supposed to apologize.
- Well, you can lead

- an activist to an apology...
- (PHONE RINGING)

Until we end our addiction
to oil and gas,

future generations will suffer

- unimaginable flooding, pollution,
- Hello. Please hold.

- and poverty.
- Ma'am, Chip Harding would like a word.

CHIP: I sponsored

the expo to boost my image,
and what do I hear?

Bella Rossi name-checking
your chief of staff

while she trashes my business.

We assist all citizens,

regardless of their perspectives.

Yeah, try telling that to my board.

My inbox is filling up

with some very unhappy perspectives.

I want a public statement of support

for drilling in the Arctic Circle.

The administration
has taken no such position.

Well, it's about to.

With no drilling, there's no gas.

With no gas, there's no future.

Your company has been saying that

for years, Chip,

and it is as false now as it was then.

Yeah, well, the money's just as green,

so what's it gonna be?

Chip Harding is no longer our sponsor.

MAN: What did I say?

Because of Bella Rossi?

Because I refused to endorse
Arctic drilling.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

And I may also

have mentioned
his company's long history

of hiding data
and denying climate change.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER) And violating

the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,

so that probably did it.

That explains it.

I like your style.

Andrew filed for Class O- .

Permanent change in status.

I know how much
his service meant to you.

"There are things you can do,
steps to take."

Did you really tell him that?

Yes.

Knowing where it would lead.

- Ellen, he followed his conscience.
- No.

He's in the thrall
of his ethics professor,

- and you're going to talk him out of it.
- I can't do that.

When he was six,

he begged to quit karate.

Said he didn't want to hurt
any other kids.

Then he won state title. Twice.

Your class...

You've turned him into a philosopher,

and that might be fine

for an ethics professor,

but it is not the job
of a fighter pilot.

- Ellen...
- Please.

If anyone can change his mind,
it's you.

Okay, before we start,

I just want to say
that this whole thing,

the whole...

Canada hotel underage sexcapade thing

is all Piper's deal,

and nothing even happened.

You know, and even if you hadn't
walked in when you did, Mom,

nothing would have happened, anyway,

because Piper freaked out.

And-and now she's ghosting me,

so still nothing's happening.

And so I...

think I've learned my lesson,
so good talk.

Sit down.

(SIGHS) I told you everything.

What do you want from me?

We want you to acknowledge
that you conned your mom

into taking you and your
girlfriend to a foreign country

while she was on official
government business

so you could sneak into
Piper's hotel room.

Which we paid for, by the way.

Yeah. Not only did you deceive us

but also the Boroumands,
who are trusting Mom

to chaperone their daughter.

And...

I-I totally understand that.

Okay? But...

have you guys even thought that
if we did go to the protest...

which we were gonna do, by the way,

because she was gonna do
her interview after...

then...

maybe we would have
d*ed in the expl*si*n.

- I don't know, okay? I...
- Are you really gonna go there, pal?

Come on.

(SIGHS)

Every second she won't talk to me,

it's like a dagger in my heart.

So...

I don't know why you
guys expect me to be...

thinking straight right now.

So...

innocent by reason
of love-induced insanity?

(PHONE BUZZING)

You gonna get that?

No.

(BUZZING CONTINUES)

Mom.

If it's important, they'll get me.

In two days, Jason, I haven't heard

anything even resembling an apology.

You need to take responsibility
for your actions.

You're right.

(SIGHS)

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I lied to you.

I really messed up.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

(SIGHS)

Listen,

- Piper is just...
- (ELIZABETH SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

she's upset and embarrassed.

And... she'll get over it.

It's just gonna take her some time.

She'll call you
when she's ready. Okay?

- Come on.
- Okay.

And everything you're
feeling is normal, okay?

(SIGHS)

Thanks so much, Frank.

(SIGHS)

Is he all right?

Yeah. He'll be writing
bad poetry in no time.

But we still need to punish him.

We will. But I got to get to the...

emergency NSC meeting.

Bye.

Bye. Good luck with Ellen.

Ellen.

Listen, I-I, uh...

I'm sorry about Andrew.

You should feel sorry
for our m*llitary.

Countless hours of instruction,

the millions spent on training,

and it's all for nothing.

I-I, I think you're wrong about that.

Young man like Andrew,

he'll find a way to make his mark.

Sometimes these kids that we love

make decisions we don't.

Ellen.

Bess.

It's worse than we thought.

WARE: Per our conversation,

we concentrated intelligence
assets in Eastern Russia.

That's how we learned
their Northern Fleet

secretly left base
in Kamchatka an hour ago.

Six destroyers, four frigates,

and three next-gen
icebreaker corvettes

armed with Kalibr
anti-ship cruise missiles.

All on a direct course
for the Chukchi Ridge.

ELIZABETH: It's a...

region of dispute at the summit.

PARKER: They're escorting
the Kaliningrad,

a mobile offshore base

with potential to stay
on station for months.

We're looking at an occupation.

Explains why they bombed the summit.

They wanted to strike while
all the other Arctic powers

were still divided.

Sir, this fleet is a
clear and present danger

to the people of Alaska,

and not to mention a brazen violation

- of international law.
- I agree.

If the Russians are allowed
to claim the Chukchi Ridge,

they could dominate the Arctic
for the next hundred years.

Options?

The Third Fleet is
a day's steam to the south.

But without icebreakers,
there's no way

it reaches the disputed zone in time.

HILL: The Polar Star's in dry dock.

The Healy's in the Southern Ocean.

What about our allies?

They'll never get there in time.

ELIZABETH: There is one

"near-Arctic" power that can help us.

Madam Secretary,
I share your distress,

but China has no m*llitary
vessels in the Chukchi Sea.

Well, the Xue Long is miles
north of Saint Paul Island.

Yes, with a pod of our beloved orcas.

Did you know they only sleep
with one hemisphere

of their brain at a time?

I did not.

Such inquisitive creatures.

Yet we have much to learn from them.

Ming,

the Russians are mere hours
from claiming the Arctic.

What a shame.

But our mission is peaceful.

Is that why
your marine biologists are armed

with Yu- torpedoes

and C- cruise missiles?

Elizabeth, I don't see
how we can help.

You said it yourself.

China is not an Arctic power.

It's... simple geography.

Name your price.

DALTON: So now China's

in the Arctic Council.

With full voting power,
not that we had a choice.

But will Russia play along?

Only if they blink first.

DALTON: What's the sitrep?

Captain Prosky, report.

Sir, thanks to the Xue Long ,

we've been able to set
an intercept course

for the Russian fleet.

Have we warned 'em off?

Yes, but they're ignoring our calls.

They're not backing down.

Russian jets have already
buzzed our ships at close range.

How long do we have, Captain?

Their anti-ship missiles
should be in range

of our aircraft carrier
in less than three minutes, sir.

What about countermeasures?

The Wayne Morris has the
SSDS Mark II system,

but if even one
of those missiles gets through,

there are , sailors aboard ship.

And in these waters, they'll die
of exposure in minutes.

HILL: Forget battle losses.

If there's a naval engagement
with Russia,

it could lead to retaliation
in Europe.

Salnikov would never let it
get that far,

not with China involved.

Call again, Captain.

Russian Commander,
this is Captain Joseph Prosky

of the U.S. Navy.

Your occupation of this sector
is illegal

under international law

and a violation
of American sovereignty.

Heave to and alter course.

This is your final warning.

Fire one across her bow.

- C.I.C.
- Aye, sir.

PROSKY: Fire one five-inch shell
across her bow.

OFFICER: f*ring.

(WHOOSH)

They're not turning.

One minute until m*ssile range.

Your orders, sir?

PARKER: seconds

- until m*ssile range.
- HILL: Mr. President,

I recommend moving to DEFCON .

Do it.

Get me NORAD.

Russian radar is locked.
They're lighting us up.

We need a decision, sir.

Mr. President?

Pull back, Captain.

Get out of there.

Disengage and deploy from theater.

CSG- , I repeat, disengage.

OFFICER: Aye, sir.

They're turning.

The Russians are turning.

Belay that order, Captain.

- Belay, belay, belay.
- The Russian fleet is bugging out.

CSG- , belay and resume course.

I repeat, resume course.

I ordered a retreat.

Was that the right call?

With thousands

of lives at stake...

Honestly, I don't know.

(GRUNTS)

My father was a sergeant
with the th Armored

when they liberated Buchenwald.

(SCOFFS, CLICKS TONGUE)

His generation fought
for something existential.

We just played chicken
with the Russians

over a slice of frozen wasteland

that spends six months
of the year in total darkness.

The world is changing rapidly.

We're all just struggling to keep up.

Yeah.

Teaming up with the Chinese.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

Have to admit, I did
not see that coming.

You know what I can't
get out of my head?

That Chinese icebreaker

can push through -foot-thick ice

at seven knots for two years

before refueling.

And you know why?

Because it runs on nuclear power.

We let a transformative,

carbon-free technology

get buried in fear

and ignorance.

And now we're suffering
the consequences.

It doesn't have the clarity
of battle lines on a map,

but climate change is the
existential thr*at of our time.

And we have to do more
than provide moral leadership.

You want to revisit
our nuclear energy policy.

I do.

And I know exactly where to start.

The CDF is still worried
about the thr*at of a meltdown.

JAY: That thr*at has
always been way overblown,

if nonexistent.

And barring some technical moon sh*t,

which isn't going to happen,
we are not getting

to % renewables
before the ice caps are gone.

Between us,

I get that modern nuclear plants

using light-water reactors
are virtually accident-proof.

Then what's with all the "bathe
the planet in radiation" stuff?

Official party lines.

Our members,

they think any support of nuclear

- takes money away from renewables.
- So educate them.

It's not that simple. I need
to think about my donor base.

Actually, it is.

I need to fight global warming,

and I cannot do that without them.

You can't win that fight
without nuclear power.

ELIZABETH: And we can't sell

the public without you.

So sponsor our pavilion
at the World Expo.

BLAKE: Admittedly,

it's a stripped-down version.

ELIZABETH: But one that will showcase

a future where carbon-based fuels

are actually a thing of the past.

(SIGHS)

HENRY: Lieutenant Hill was raised

to join the family business.

He loves flying. He loves flying

more than anything in the world,

and he would never
willingly give it up

unless he had no choice.

He never wanted to be a
conscientious objector.

He wanted to be a fighter pilot.

But he knows that

his participation
in the death of others

would leave him with a
guilt he couldn't bear,

a-a moral wound from which
he would never recover.

He's heartbroken that he let down

his commanding officers
and his loved ones, but...

he is determined to serve this country

in ways outside the m*llitary,

and I have every confidence
he'll find a way

to do that.

I believe that Lieutenant Hill's

motives are pure,

and I support his application

for conscientious objector status.

Thank you, Dr. McCord.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Hey.

- Hi.
- Where is everyone?

Mom wanted to have dinner
at, uh, Mazzarella's

to celebrate her new partnership
with the Climate Defense Force.

Viva la nuclear.

Ah, indeed.

- Ali is taking one for the team.
- Mm.

And I got out of it
by playing the work card.

As you can see.

I thought you were having
dinner at Piper's.

I did, too.

What happened?

Um...

she broke up with me.

What?

Jason.

I'm so sorry.

I just...

(SIGHS)

I just don't get it, you know?

Like... (SIGHS)

last week she wanted to take our
relationship to the next level

and now she's ending it?

Yeah.

(SIGHS) I mean...

I don't know...
if-if relationships made sense,

I would've been married,
like, three times by now.

That doesn't make any sense.

Exactly.

Aw.

God.

(EXHALES)

(CLICKS TONGUE)

(SIGHS)

How do I make the pain go away?

You kinda don't.

You just got to wallow in it

for as long as it takes.

Well, this sucks.

(CHUCKLES)

I know.
Post Reply