05x14 - Something Better

[bunniefuu]

("BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE"
BY TALKING HEADS PLAYS)

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Watch out ♪

♪ You might get what you're after... ♪

Do you mind? I can't hear anything.

Well, just trying to pass the time.

Besides, there's nothing
to hear yet, bud.

El Presidente ain't home.

Got to admit, though,

I'm impressed these rebels
can tell asses from elbows,

let alone infiltrate and bug
Sandino's palace.

- We're good teachers.
- (CHUCKLES) Damn straight.

God bless the CIA.

♪ A way ♪

- ♪ Burning down the house... ♪
- Show time.

♪ Here's your ticket, pack your bag ♪

♪ Time for jumping overboard ♪

♪ Transportation is here ♪

♪ Close enough but not too far ♪

♪ Maybe you know where you are ♪

- ♪ Fighting fire with fire ♪
- (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

♪ Ugh, all wet ♪

♪ Hey, you might need a raincoat ♪

♪ Shakedown ♪

♪ Dreams walking
in broad daylight... ♪

Yeah, they're in.

♪ Sixty five degrees ♪

♪ Burning down the house ♪

♪ Ugh...

Bug's still not up.

♪ Sometimes I listen to myself ♪

(expl*si*n)

What the hell? God...
What just happened?

♪

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

I think our rebels
decided to rebel on us.

♪ Burning down the house ♪

Go.

♪ No visible means of support ♪

♪ And you have not seen nothing yet ♪

♪ Everything's stuck together. ♪

JAY: A recent wave
of student-led protesters

have begun calling for
President Sandino to step down,

and he's been responding
with brutal v*olence.

Hundreds of civilians have
already been arrested or k*lled

in clashes with the police and
pro-government paramilitaries.

So Sandino continues

his slide into authoritarianism

and the populace is teetering
on the brink of open revolt.

Is about that the gist
of the situation?

Well, and if Nicaragua
devolves into civil w*r,

we could end up with the next
Syria in our own backyard.

Complete with refugee crisis.

ELIZABETH: We've reached
out to President Sandino,

but he's refusing to engage.

- Recommendations?
- ELIZABETH: Travel ban, to start.

That'll get his attention.

Hundreds of thousands
of Americans travel there

every year, a travel ban
would be a significant blow

to Nicaragua's economy.

American business interests
in Nicaragua as well.

Well, I think a little short-term pain

that may incentivize Sandino

to stop k*lling his own people...

DALTON: Relations with
Nicaragua have been a shambles

since Sandino's father
was president in the '80s.

I doubt that Junior would respond well

to unilateral U.S. pressure.

I think it's worth finding out, sir.

DALTON: Based on our track record,

I'm not too comfortable with it.

Well, if I could put together
a coalition of countries

willing to jointly condemn

and take action against Nicaragua,

will the White House reconsider?

Bring me a coalition with a plan,

we'll see.

Adele, get me a report on U.S.
business interests in Nicaragua,

and I want the latest whip count

on the children's health care bill.

You've got a call in
to the whip's office,

and Barry from Comms
is waiting in yours.

RUSSELL: That meeting was
supposed to start an hour ago.

Has he been in there this entire time?

We've rescheduled so many times,

he thinks you're trying to avoid him.

All right, five minutes,

then POTUS needs me
on an urgent matter.

Understood.

You. With me.

- I'm not avoiding you, Barry.
- I'd dispute that,

but I only have a couple minutes

before Adele comes in here
saying POTUS needs you.

Well, then by the time she does,
it'll probably be true,

- so hurry up.
- Okay, then.

I've just about got you set
up on Twitter and Instagram.

Wonderful. I'm delegating social media

- to my intern, Stevie.
- What?

I mean, uh, great,

- but... what?
- Ever since that video

of me yelling at that homeless
protestor lady went viral,

Comms has been nagging POTUS

that I need to "rehab"
my online image.

Sadly, he agreed.

America doesn't want a bully
in the White House,

so we're gonna introduce them

to the real Russell Jackson,
someone who's likable,

funny, human.

You know, all the traits one looks for

in the president's hatchet man.

Anyhow, think you can handle it?

Absolutely. Yes.
Um, wh-what's involved, exactly?

I'm emailing you a PDF
of the White House guidelines,

but it's really pretty simple.

Feel free to share posts
from other official accounts.

Anything policy-intensive,
run it past me, and beyond that,

focus on making the COS feel...
relatable

to the average American.
And here we go.

Good God, where'd you
get that picture?

I look like J. Alfred Prufrock.

STEVIE: I'll find a different one.

- Please.
- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Russell, POTUS urgently needs you.

Never mind, Adele.
Clever Barry's onto us.

I was just leaving, actually.
DM me if you have any questions.

Copy that.

Sir, I just want to thank you
for this opportunity.

It's an honor.

It's really not.

Giants once held this office,

strode these halls.

I won't make you look stupid.

'Course you will.

That's what social media does.

Al Hague is laughing at me
from Valhalla.

(PHONE RINGS)

Hey, Shane. How are you? What's up?

Hey, big brother. Just checking in,

see how my little girl's doing.

Sarah got to the house this morning

just in time for breakfast.
It's gonna be really great

to spend some time with her
before she ships out.

About that, do...

deployments ever get...
postponed or, uh, cancelled?

Sure. But I don't think
that'll be the case with Sarah.

Medical units are always in demand.

She's gonna be fine, Shane.

Come on, man, she's going to Iraq.

To a hospital in the Green Zone.

Look, things are much quieter there

than they were in the bad old days.

Most of her patients will be evac'd in

from Syria or other parts of Iraq.

It's highly unlikely that she'll be

near any real combat.

She put me in charge of her will,

in case she is.

Oh, man.

(SIGHS) Well, that's got to be hard.

She chose to specialize
in trauma medicine,

and she knew where
she might be deployed,

and she made that brave
and noble choice anyway.

Some comfort that'll be if, um...

Look...

can't you call in a favor?

Or... just walk down the hall

and ask your buddy,
the commander in chief,

to change her orders? Please?

You know I can't do that.

Right. Professor Ethics would
never engage in something

so unseemly.

Did Sarah tell you
that she was concerned?

She didn't have to.

My gut is telling me
that she's not up for it.

Hey, how about we be

battle buddies?

If you're worried about Sarah,

you call me, and we'll
get through it together.

Or you pull a few strings,
we don't have

to get through at all... more
important, neither does she.

I'm there for you, Shane.
I'm there for Sarah.

You know, I'm sorry
I wasted your time.

(SIGHS)

- So?
- So what?

So, what's the plan?

We've been trying to corral
Nicaragua's neighbors

while M-Sec makes a play
to get China invol...

Nobody cares about that.
Buddy, don't hold out on me.

Uncle Matty's here to help.

- What's Uncle Matty talking about?
- Nothing.

Go away, Uncle Matty.

Annelies is in New York this weekend.

Annelies... Oh, the woman
from the airport in Ireland.

The chess player.

Chess champion.

How many other Annelieses do you know?

Three.

She's gonna be up there
for a chess convention.

They have those?

And our boy is taking the
Acela up after work to meet her.

Now, because I'm his friend
and I want him to be happy,

I want to make sure that
he has a sound plan.

We're about to brief M-Sec.

Could we not talk about this right now?
That's so great

that you two have
been staying in touch!

Oh, they've been more
than staying in touch.

They're texting all the time,
Skyping every night...

Look, I appreciate the support,

but I'm trying to manage
expectations, which...

also means managing the
flow of information.

Okay, first of all, ouch.

Okay, look, if you must know,

hopefully, I'll be able
to jet out of here early.

The plan is to meet up tonight
for a drink, and if that

goes well we'll go out for our
official first date tomorrow.

- You're staying at the same hotel?
- No, I'm trying

to keep the whole thing casual,
just let it breathe.

You realize for someone
trying to keep things casual,

you're being incredibly
uptight right now?

Also hurtful.

Well, maybe that's because I'm trying

to maximize the potential for success

as much as my stupidly
complicated life will allow,

ideally without
the whole State Department

breathing down my neck,
so can we just get back to work?

- Please?
- Sure.

Since apparently, we're
just... work friends

- who don't share things.
- Oh, my God.

- All right, buddy. Keep me posted.
- Yeah.

A civil w*r in Nicaragua

would be disadvantageous for everyone,

our business interests
in the region included. But...

China doesn't believe
that the situation

is that precarious.

And, I think, perhaps,

President Dalton feels the same,
or you wouldn't need China

to make your threats for you.

If we wait for the situation
to become that precarious,

then it may be too late
for either of our presidents

to intercede.

Agree to disagree.

Good day, Madam Secretary.

God, I hate it when he does that.

Please tell me
you guys had better luck.

BLAKE: Guatemala,

Costa Rica, even Honduras
have all agreed to join

- a coalition to sanction Nicaragua.
- All right, that's a start.

- What about Russia?
- JAY: I struck out.

Avdonin was almost
as apathetic as Chen.

Yeah. Well, it's no secret

that President Sandino
is cozy with Russia,

so... that was a big swing, anyway.

JAY: A coalition

without the U.S., Russia or China

won't pack much of a punch.

Forgive me if this is
a rookie question, but...

isn't the obvious move here to...

lead with a...

muscular position
from the White House?

Why is POTUS being so
g*n-shy about this?

Well, I don't know. But, uh...

let's try and come up with other ways

to de-escalate the v*olence
before I go back to him.

If we can't get a travel ban,
then we should at least issue

a travel warning
to protect our own people.

Do it.

And let's start
putting together a plan

in case U.S. citizens
in-country need to evacuate.

DAISY: It may be too
late for that, ma'am.

This video posted
by an American student

working with a missionary group
in Nicaragua,

it's blowing up the Internet.

My name is Bethany James,

and I'm standing
in Iglesia de Santiago

in Managua, Nicaragua,
where college students

are fleeing for their lives
from the police.

Forces controlled
by President Sandino opened fire

on a peaceful protest against
his oppressive government.

Many are now seeking sanctuary
in the church

to avoid being gunned down
in cold blood.

I'm posting this video
so the world will know

that Sandino is a m*rder*r
and a dictator.

Security forces have
barricaded the church,

but the students
are refusing to surrender.

So it's a standoff.

With American missionaries
caught in the crossfire.

(TAKES DEEP BREATH)

♪

(BUZZER RINGS)

Buddy, this is all gonna be fine.

What are you talking about?

The boss is about to hand us our asses

because the rebels we vouched for

planted a b*mb instead of a bug.

But he's not the last word on this.

Trust me, the brass at Langley

will call us heroes.

Something tells me
he'll beg to differ.

(BUZZER BLARES)

(KNOCKS ON DOOR)

Come in.

What the hell happened out there?

We don't exactly know yet.

- Sir.
- Let me tell you what I know.

Thanks to your screw-up,

the president of Nicaragua
is badly injured.

His wife is dead,

and he's gone into hiding
with his eight-year-old son,

who saw the whole thing.

I'm so sorry, Chief Dalton.

We vetted our assets for months.

- (expl*si*n IN DISTANCE)
- (VOICES SHOUTING)

You hear that, gentlemen?

That's the sound of a country
on the brink of civil w*r.

This, uh, fiasco

will only send President Sandino

further into the arms of the Soviets,

and cement his hatred
of the United States.

CODY: Due respect,

Sandino's just another commie bastard

like the rest of them.

The whole country's
crawling with Cubans.

Everyone from POTUS on down

knows the endgame here
is regime change.

Personally, I think those
rebels did us a favor

by speeding up the process.

I'm kicking you both off the case

and out of the country.

Langley can figure out
what happens to you next.

- You can't... you can't do that.
- But...

The hell I can't. Now get out of here

so I can start trying
to undo the damage you've done.

Go!

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SIGHS)

WARE: Our latest Intel indicates

that somewhere around
200 protesters have taken refuge

in the church, including

14 American missionaries.

Several dozen of the protesters

- appear to be wounded.
- RUSSELL: Gordon,

what are our tactical options?

(SCOFFS) Not great.

We could send in a SEAL team
with close air support,

or tactical drone strikes

to take out the forces
surrounding the church.

No.

I'm not deploying the
United States m*llitary

against
the Nicaraguan National Police.

WARE: Mr. President, if I may,

there's a bigger picture here.

Russia has

become heavily invested in Nicaragua

during Sandino's presidency.

In fact, they are constructing

what we believe to be

a covert listening post in-country.

Unbelievable.

It's like we're fighting
the Cold w*r all over again.

WARE: The current
political instability

could prove perfect cover

for us to counter Russian influence

by increasing our own
intelligence assets

on the ground.

What are you suggesting?

That we send in CIA

to train these protesters
in guerrilla warfare?

BECKER: Our adversaries are
exploiting the chaos, sir.

So should we.

Let me be perfectly clear.

We are not going back to
the CIA Cold w*r playbook

for Nicaragua or anywhere else.

Those people down there
are not our puppets.

Well, I-I think

the most important thing
right now is that we get

as many people out of
that church alive as possible.

And, sir, maybe you would reconsider

instituting the travel ban,

or any other financial means
necessary to force Sandino

to negotiate with us before...

well, before it's too late.

Do it, Bess.

That'll be all.

(SIGHS)

Good news. You're already up
to 6,000 followers on Twitter.

I'm so happy.

Got a sec to approve some posts

that are a bit more on the fun side?

Absolutely.

The president of
Nicaragua is threatening

to commit mass m*rder in a church,

and the ghouls in
Congress are plotting

to take away health care for
millions of children, but sure.

Seems like the perfect
time to tell the world

@RealRussJackson has
a new set of golf clubs

he just can't wait to try.

You do? So, yeah. You know what?

You're right. We can
circle back on this later.

Adele, I'm going off the grid

for ten minutes. Look, just

post whatever.

I'm sure it's fine.

Going off the grid?

He's gonna go watch the
Panda Cam from the National Zoo.

Helps his blood pressure.

Wait. That's real?

He really does that?

He contains multitudes.

What is happening?

Everybody's working together?

That is a nice surprise.

Sarah McCord, you're a good
influence on your cousins.

- Oh.
- Seriously, Dad.

Does it look like Jason's helping?

- Well...
- The attitude isn't helping.

HENRY: Elizabeth apologizes, by the way;

she's not gonna make it for dinner.

- She's stuck at work. What else is new?
- Oh.

So, how was your day?

Oh, it was great. Alison treated
me to a much-needed spa day.

I doubt I'm gonna have very much time

for pampering in the Green Zone.

ALISON: But I will send
you care packages,

- just the same.
- (PHONE CHIMES, STEVIE GASPS)

Russell's Twitter
just reached 10,000 followers!

HENRY: Isn't Russell just a little

hotheaded to be trusted
with his own Twitter account?

ALISON: Well, Dad, no one important

manages their own social media.

Yeah. Check it out. So,

his feed really started blowing up

after the National Zoo
retweeted this post

that I wrote about their Panda Cam.

"Happy Birthday, Bei Bei!!

"Love watching this little guy grow up

"live via the @nationalzoo

Giant Panda Cam!!"

Birthday cake, birthday cake,

balloons, smiley face with heart eyes?
(LAUGHS)

Yeah, Russell is definitely
not managing that himself.

JASON: You know, students
are being k*lled

for opposing a corrupt dictator
in Nicaragua.

You want to maybe tweet about that?

Have you seen the latest Bethany
James video? Here, look at this.

BETHANY: Hour six, and we've triaged
the wounded as best we can, but

we're low on supplies and people
with actual medical training.

It's possible that not everyone
here will survive the night.

But the resistance will not be
intimidated, right, Oscar?

The people of Nicaragua elected
a president, not a dictator.

- We will not yield.
- (CHEERING)

Kind of makes me feel guilty
about going to college

instead of, you know,
actually getting out

and changing the world.

I mean, this whole generation of
McCords... we're all just kind of

- sell-outs. Sorry.
- Well, I think that might be a little...

STEVIE: Hey! Excuse me.

I just work in the White House.

ALISON: Yeah, Sarah's
about to get out there,

and save lives and kick ass.

That's pretty cool.

Look, seriously, please
don't put me on a pedestal,

or them, either, okay?

Because based on the conditions
I just saw,

that girl Bethany is right
about one thing.

Some of her friends
will definitely die.

And assuming she survives,

she's gonna have to live with the fact

that she and her beliefs failed
to save them.

So what part of that is cool,

exactly?

Sorry. I'm...

I didn't mean to snap like that. I...

Getting organized to leave
is really hectic.

And I guess

it's just making me tense.

(SIGHS) So...

should I set the table?

- That'd be great.
- SARAH: Yeah.

Uh, Jason, give her a hand, would you?

ELIZABETH:
How did it go with the calls

with the families of the missionaries?

Better than my Skype call
with their new lawyer.

She's publicly calling for the
U.S. to take stronger actions

against the Nicaraguan government.

Well, at least President Sandino
finally agreed to take my call.

I'm sorry this turned out to
be such a late night, ma'am.

I know you wanted to
spend time with your niece.

No, I'm sorry for you.

I-I heard you had to cancel
a hot date up in New York?

It's no big deal.

I warned Annelies this could happen.

Comes with the job.

Well, you're being very stoic.

That's his thing now, so...

NINA: Madam Secretary, I
have President Sandino

on the line for you now.

Thank you, Nina. (BEEPS)

President Sandino,

thank you for speaking with me.

I am sorry that this call had to be

under such dire circumstances.

If you mean

the t*rror1st coup
that is threatening my country,

then I am sure you'll understand

I'm a little busy right now,
Secretary McCord.

You keep calling them "t*rrorists,"

but the social media videos
being posted

from inside that church show...
a group of scared kids.

If you send in a negotiator

to guarantee safe passage
for the wounded and due process

for anyone arrested, um, I'm confident

this situation could be resolved
without further v*olence.

Is that what the U.S. would do?

Hmm? Negotiate with t*rrorists?

President Sandino,
as I'm sure you're aware,

there are 14 American missionaries

also trapped in that church.

We want them back.

Or what?

Like my father before me,

I refuse to be bullied by the U.S.

From what I understand, your
father is currently undergoing

medical treatment in Florida.

Isn't it time
we learn to work together?

You lost that chance when
your CIA m*rder*d my mother.

We alone shall handle
our internal affairs

as we see fit.

(BEEPS)

Get me the CIA files
on Sandino and his father.

Maybe if I understand better
what happened to them

in Nicaragua's first civil w*r,

I can find a way to
stave off a second.

- Yes, ma'am.
- Okay? Thank you.

- Yeah.
- I just took a call from Ephraim Ware.

Intelligence has clocked
a group of Chinese operatives

that they believe might be a hit squad

entering Nicaragua through Costa Rica.

I guess maybe China's decided

that Sandino is bad
for business after all.

ELIZABETH: So,

what do you think
is going on with Sarah?

You think maybe seeing
all those wounded people

near to her own age...
maybe that's shaken her up?

Could be. I didn't want to get into it

in front of the kids.

You know, maybe
Shane's right to worry.

I feel like I should talk
to her, but honestly,

I don't know what to say.

I mean, when I deployed, it
was to potentially take lives,

and Sarah's going in to save them.

Maybe you just need to let her
know that you're there for her.

Maybe I should take her to see Will.

Ooh, I don't know about that.

Why?

He's been in combat zones.

Heck, he teaches trauma medicine.

He's bound to have some good advice.

I love my brother.

But he's got a very particular

take on things.

And how it's going to land
on other people...

isn't usually much
of a factor in his thinking.

(PHONE BUZZES)

I've got to do something;
I feel a responsibility

to Shane and Sarah.

Want to make sure she's in
a good place when she deploys.

Yeah, okay, well... (CHUCKLES)

Don't, don't...

don't say I didn't warn you.

Well, after you downplayed
my earlier concerns

about Nicaragua,
I was surprised to hear

that a group of Chinese
operatives were spotted

in Costa Rica near the border today.

CHEN: You grasped the situation there

more clearly than I.

President Sandino's
behavior has proven to be

unacceptably destabilizing.

To the Nicaraguan people,

or to Chinese investment
in the region?

Pick whichever answer suits you.

If you're saying what
I think you're saying, Ming,

I strongly urge you to reconsider.

Nicaragua, i-it's...

it's a powder keg right now.

One stray spark
could ignite a civil w*r.

That is exactly what
China wishes to avoid.

Well, then we can still work together

to negotiate with Sandino.

Sandino doesn't want
to negotiate, Elizabeth.

And neither do I.

If the U.S. cannot bring him to heel,

then China will do what it must.

At least try and buy me
a little bit more time.

I'll do what I can.

Good night, Madam Secretary.

Morning...

What is that doing here?

It's a gift for Russell.

From Carlos Morejon.

RUSSELL: Stevie! Get in here.

Bring the bear.

- Is this all from Senator Morejon?
- (SIGHS)

Thanks to your little
social media stunt,

half the city is mocking me.

Okay.

I didn't see this coming.

Um...

On the plus side,
you're-you're trending

with-with normal, uh...

non-political...

panda-loving Americans.

Fat lot of good that does the
millions of children

about to lose health care.

You... (SCOFFS)

Do you not understand
how my job works?

I can't whip votes if
people in this town

think I'm soft and cuddly.

They have to be afraid of me.

Let me ask you a question.

Are you afraid of me?

A little.

How about now?

I see your point.

- Fix this!
- Yeah.

WILL: Uh, so, Sarah, Henry says

you've got some
pre-deployment jitters.

What? N... No.

Uh, I asked Will to join us

because I thought
it might be nice for you

to talk to someone who's
had some background

in combat medicine, you know,
in case you have any

last minute questions or...

concerns.

(SIGHS) Look, Uncle Henry,
I know I freaked out

for a second last night, but...

I-I'm not afraid.

For yourself.

It's the safety of your patients

that you're worried about.

That despite all your training,

when the gurneys from some IED att*ck

start rolling in,
you won't have what it takes.

- Am I right?
- (SIGHS)

What if I'm not good enough?

What if a patient dies
because I screwed up?

Well, let me...

let me put your mind at ease.

You are going to screw up,

and some of your patients

are going to die.

Okay, should we just order?

Now, hopefully those two
things won't overlap.

But you can't let fear of either

paralyze you.

Let me... let me ask you something.

When it comes to being
a successful trauma nurse,

what do you think
the most important trait

- to have is?
- (EXHALES)

Training, obviously.

Well, I'm told you were
near the top of your class,

so I'm not worried about
training. What else?

Staying cool under pressure.

Hmm, getting warmer. (CHUCKLES)

And the biggest determinant
of whether or not you'll be able

to stay cool under pressure is...?

HENRY: Sleep.

Booyah.

How do you sleep, Sarah?

Are you a... are you a good sleeper?

(CHUCKLES) I can power down anywhere.

- Airplane. Nurses' lounge.
- WILL: Wow.

Back of a Humvee.

- Well, that's great. Great.
- Anywhere.

You'll-you'll be fine.

HENRY: Great. Let's order.

WILL: That's it. That's all I got.

(CHUCKLES) The vast majority
of medical errors

happen when the provider
is too tired to think clearly.

So if you don't want to make mistakes,

just get all the sleep you can.

But what if I had told you
I wasn't a good sleeper?

Then I would have said to
take your nursing degree

and-and go work in a nursing home,

'cause trauma medicine ain't for you.

Believe it or not, I find
that oddly comforting.

(CHUCKLES): Yeah. Oddly comforting.

That's me.

- So, can we order?
- SARAH: Yeah.

So, how bummed was Annelies
that you had to cancel on her?

Actually, she took the
train to D.C. this morning

with some chess friends,
do some sightseeing.

If we can get Sandino to back down,

then I'm gonna meet up with them.

Why don't you sound happier
about that?

Because she's in my city
having a great time,

just not with me. And look.

Look at her Instagram.

Wh-What's the deal with that guy?

He's got his arm around her
in every picture.

BLAKE: Big arm.

Okay, buddy, speaking
from personal experience,

do not go there.

Any update from inside the church?

BLAKE: Yes. It's not good.
Bethany James

just posted another video.

Four of the wounded
have d*ed since last night.

They are running dangerously low

on food and water, medical supplies.

And the Chinese hit squad?

JAY: Laying low.

Maybe knowing that we had eyes
on them slowed their roll.

Sounds like Chen was able
to talk some sense

into President Li.

Any ideas in Sandino's CIA file?

Maybe one.

I got to talk to the president.

(BIRDS CHATTERING)

(PANTING)

(GRUNTS)

State Department Political Officer

Conrad Dalton, I've always been

so puzzled by your title.

Tell me,

when the State Department returns

your dismembered corpse to Washington,

will they go through the pretense

of holding a memorial,

or will that fall
to your comrades at the CIA?

President Sandino,

I came here to tell you
that the attempt on your life

wasn't sanctioned
by the U.S. government.

It would be unwise to
insult my intelligence.

You know we've been in contact
with some of the rebel cells,

but that bombing
should never have happened.

For whatever part
we might have played,

both my government
and I personally am truly sorry.

I will tell that to my son

when he's crying at night
for his dead mother.

I know there's nothing I can ever do

to make this right for you.

Or your son.

But we still have the power
to save Nicaragua

from more v*olence.

If you publicly start
to distance yourself

from the Soviet Union
and announce your willingness

to work with the United States...

- With the United States?
- I believe

- my government will back yours.
- You train rebels over our border.

- You mine our harbor.
- I believe

I can convince
my government to back yours.

Your country has been the
source of my country's misery

for a hundred years.

Together we can end this conflict

before it spirals out of control.

Please.

You see this man right here?

(CHUCKLES)

He thinks I should k*ll you.

And so does this one over here.

They all think

that I should chop you
to pieces with my machete

and dump your corpse in
front of the U.S. Embassy

to send the message

that this is what w*r
with Nicaragua will look like!

But this... this is not

the kind of leader that I
want to be for my people.

Or the kind of parent

that I want to be for my son.

And I want you to deliver

a message to your government:

that I will never stop
fighting for my country!

(GRUNTS)

ELIZABETH: I knew that you
were in Nicaragua in the '80s,

but until I read the file,
I had no idea

that you attempted
to negotiate with Sandino

after the assassination attempt.

Not that it did any good.

(SCOFFS)

It was courageous.

It was futile.

The civil w*r raged on,

cost the lives of tens of thousands

of Nicaraguans.

Still, you were right

to believe that he was a leader
to be reasoned with.

Despite constant undermining
by the U.S.,

he managed to do some good
for his people.

And when he lost an election,
he gave up power.

More than I can say
for a lot of the folks

we backed in the region.

There were no easy answers then.

Take yourself back to the Cold w*r.

Deaths under Stalin
and Mao and Pol Pot,

either by privation
or outright m*rder,

numbered in the hundreds of millions.

How could we not push back?

True enough.

But my God,

did we make some awful
mistakes along the way.

Myself included. I mean...

Sandino Jr. might not have
turned out to be such a monster

if his mother hadn't
been k*lled on my watch.

I understand second-guessing the past,

but we are on the verge
of a disaster in Nicaragua now.

Sandino Jr. is showing
no sign of backing down.

And when the country finally implodes,

you can bet Russia and China
will be ready to swoop in

and capitalize on the chaos.

So then, we let CIA off the leash.

And on and on it goes.

I get that this must
feel like déjà vu,

but you still have a chance
to break the cycle, Conrad.

And how would I do that?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

What's going on here?

Cancer survivors, here
for a photo op with POTUS...

...to help drum up support for
the children's health care bill.

Now that I'm tainted by Pandagate,

we have to stoop to
emotional manipulation.

Hey, mister.

Aren't you the Panda Cam man?

I guess that's me.

I love pandas, too.

Bei Bei is my favorite.

Can I take a selfie with you?

Actually, um... come with me.

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

There we go.

I hope I'm not imposing but,
it would mean the world to her

if you'd post
that picture on Instagram.

Please?

Absolutely. Uh, uh,

this is Stevie, my
social media director.

Just give her your Instagram...

- (MOUTHING)
- ...handle, and she'll...

tag you. (CHUCKLES): Okay?

Thanks, Mr. Panda.

(EXHALES)

Conrad Dalton,

you always seem to come calling
when it's already too late.

You once told me you would never
stop fighting for your country.

I hope that's still true.

An old piece of shrapnel

was migrating towards my heart.

Luckily, they were able to remove it

without much trouble.

I am truly sorry

for everything you went
through that day, Mateo.

And for everything
the Nicaraguan people

went through afterwards.

I know what you want from me,

but I cannot help you.

My son...

he keeps his own counsel now.

I understand that.

I have a son, too. Harrison.

He's battled addiction
since high school.

It's devastating to watch a child

you raised and love going down
such a destructive path.

I was so proud of my son

when he was elected president.

I thought he would finish
the work that I started.

But now it seems he's becoming

the sort of dictator
I fought to overthrow.

And you fought too hard and
suffered too much for Nicaragua

for that to be its fate.

Please,

for the sake of your people,

talk to your son.

I have been out
of my son's inner circle

for many years.

I don't even know
if he would listen to me.

Well, I wasn't sure
you would listen to me,

but here we are.

MATT: I don't know why you're being

- so coy, Jay. I don't get it.
- Hey, guys.

- Thanks for coming in on a Saturday.
- Good morning.

- And Chloe's here!
- Hi!

- Hi, M-Sec!
- (LAUGHTER)

Okay, that does make things better.

Tell us you got to spend some
time with Annelies last night.

I got home a little late.

Her train leaves in a couple hours.

- Sorry, buddy.
- It's fine.

Uh, ma'am, so I take it
that the president's

overture to Sandino Sr.
was unsuccessful?

Actually,

President Dalton was able
to convince Sandino Sr.

to reach out to his son,

but Junior wasn't willing to blink.

President Sandino refused to
negotiate with his own father?

- Yeah.
- Hmm.

So he's going full despot.

So,

if anyone has any great idea
in their back pocket

on preventing
an incipient m*ssacre, boy,

would be a great time to share.

Wait, ma'am,

you have to see this.

...development in Nicaragua today.

Former President Mateo Sandino Sr.

came out in support of protesters

trapped inside a church

and against
the country's current president,

his own son.

JOURNALIST: Señor Presidente...

- You guys, are you watching...
- TRANSLATOR: Mr. President,

- Oh, you are.
- Do you have any message

for the current president?

If my son wishes to talk,

he knows where to find me,

here, with the Nicaraguan people.

Today and always.

My God, will you look at that?

Por favor...

Please, let us pass.

Yeah, major news outlets

are picking this up
all over the world.

Sandino Jr. will never
be able to spin this

as a t*rror1st incident now.

He won't risk opening fire
on that church

with a beloved national hero inside.

- So, it's over?
- Well, um, we still

have to closely monitor
the situation until

all those missionaries are

safely back on U.S. soil, but it is

no longer an "all hands
on deck" situation.

(MATT CLEARS THROAT)

What?

- Imminent crisis averted, man.
- Go.

- Hope has been restored. Go!
- Get out of here.

- I got Chloe.
- Oh, Chloe,

how would you feel
about hanging out with me

- for a while? Right?
- Ooh.

- Are you serious?
- Now... Oh, yeah, I am.

'Cause I still got it. (CHUCKLES)

I mean, what are you waiting for?

I appreciate it, ma'am.
Seriously. Guys,

I-I really do.
But I think it's pretty clear

that I don't have space to date.
And even if I did,

what if... what if we
don't really have a spark

between us and I'm just
romanticizing a night

stuck in an airport, of all places?

Do you have to work

- at being this pitiful? Okay.
- What?

(LAUGHS) I mean...
This may be the first time

I utter these words in this office.

Stop thinking! Please.

Just go! You'll never know

until you try. And you'll
know when you see her.

- Just... come on.
- Like, right now. She's leaving

- in two hours, Jay.
- Go. Get out of here.

Go, Jay! Go!

Honey?

- Go, Daddy.
- (LAUGHTER)

- MATT: Go! Go!
- Okay. Okay.

- Yay! Bye! Bye.
- I love you!

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

- Yeah.
- (DOOR OPENS)

You wanted to see me?

Sit.

I'm sure you're wondering why
I called you in on a Saturday.

Nope. Just happy to be here.

Where I'm hopefully still welcome.

I noticed that when you posted
the photos of me

handing out the pandas to those kids,

you also tagged the jackals
who sent me the stupid things

in the first place.

It made me furious.

Sorry.

I just thought it would be a
good way to generate publicity

for the children's health care bill.

Well, as it turns out,

you were right.

Parents around the country
put so much pressure

on Morejon and the others,
they were forced to throw

their support behind the bill.

Looks like it's gonna pass after all.

Really?

It worked.

Worked so well

they even renamed it.

The Pediatric, Adolescent,

and Neonatal Doctor Accessibility Act.

The PANDA Act?

(CHUCKLES)

Wow.

You still got a lot to learn, Stevie.

But...

you got good instincts,

and that's something
that can't be taught.

So, I called you in on a Saturday

to thank you for a job well done

and invite you to watch
the floor vote with me.

I would be honored, sir.

ELIZABETH: Sandino's agreed to meet

with some of the student leaders,

with his dad

acting as intermediary.

And if the old man stays
in his son's good graces,

he might be able to help us
thaw our diplomatic relations

with Sandino Jr. as well.

Good call, Bess,

- bringing him in.
- Eh, it was

your idea first.

I just... nudged you
to give it another go.

(CHUCKLES)

If at first you don't succeed,

wait 35 years and try again.

Hopefully,

China won't be as slow
to learn as the rest of us.

Chen heeded my warning

about pulling the wrong
strings this time, but...

there's no guarantee they
won't consider it again.

But, you know, Bess,

on a day like today,

we can hope.

♪ ♪

Just because history

repeats itself
doesn't mean we're doomed

to make the same mistakes.

Not as long as people are willing

to fight for something better.

Takes time and courage to...

step outside our comfort zones

and forge new paths.

ELIZABETH: Yes, sir.

But the end result
is almost always worth it.

♪ ♪