05x04 - Requiem

[bunniefuu]

MAN: Go! Go! Go!

Go! Go! Go! Go!

Back up! Back up! Go! Go!

I.A.S. holding steady at knots.

Altitude , feet.

We're taking heavy a*tillery fire.

MAN (OVER RADIO): Ground support's
targeting enemy batteries.

Maintain compass heading, Captain.

Roger that. Paley out.

WOMAN: All right. Pull them up closer

to the carrots, Gloria.

Oops. Yeah. Like that.

Oh, I can't get them full...
Yes, Mommy.

(VEHICLES APPROACHING)

Got it.

(DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE)

Found a worm.

Susan Paley?

- Yes?
- Good morning.

Hello.

I'm Major Garrett.
This is Chaplain Licitra.

Yes?

We have a letter
from the Secretary of w*r.

(CRYING)

(PHONE RINGING)

I'm coming. Hold your horses.

Hello.

Yes? This is Gloria Paley.

MAN: Ma'am? Ma'am?

RUSSELL: Five days until midterms.

That's hours,
, minutes, and counting.

Look at you, with the math.

I'm saying we're up against it.

If the president's bloc
doesn't take the House,

you know what happens
to our legislative agenda?

So how do I figure into
this doomsday scenario?

Ever heard
of the David Paley Foundation?

Yeah. Big advocates
for P.O.W.'s, right?

Yeah. And M.I.A.'s.

The foundation head, Gloria Paley,

held a presser in front of the
Capitol yesterday afternoon.

- All cued up.
- Thanks, Adele.

- You bet. Madam Secretary.
- Good morning.

years ago, a plane
my father, Captain David Paley,

was piloting
went down in the Philippines.

service members were presumed dead.

Three weeks ago,
I received word that the remains

of those brave Americans
have finally been discovered.

(APPLAUSE)

Since that hopeful day,

the families of these patriots
have waited anxiously

for their return.

But our entreaties
have met with silence

- from the Dalton administration.
- (CROWD BOOING)

These men sacrificed everything
for their country.

The government must bring them home...

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

...right now!

(CROWD CHEERING, WHOOPING)

CROWD (CHANTING):
Right now! Right now! Right now!

Right now.

Three million hits
on YouTube in one day.

Footage is already
being cut into att*ck ads

against Dalton's allies
in swing districts.

Getting those remains here

should be an administration priority

regardless of optics.

Which is where you come in.

Except repatriation falls
squarely in DoD's bailiwick.

Fell. Gordon stalled out.

POTUS has asked for your intervention.

He feels your diplomatic
savoir faire might resolve this.

My relationship with Andrada is...

a little fraught.

Courtesy of your pugilistic skill.

Punching him for grabbing you.

That's a muscular foreign policy.

That's your wallpaper?

Yeah. I tried to have it rendered

- in -D.
- I'm not amused.

Well, neither was Andrada.

But fisticuffs notwithstanding,

the president believes you're the one
(PHONE BUZZING)

to get these soldiers
home, and I agree.

Especially since I assured him

you're not gonna go
full Ronda Rousey this time.

Which means you will
handle this at arm's length.

But you will handle it.

How did Gordon take it
when he learned that you were

- turning the matter over to State?
- You'll have to tell me.

Sure, Elizabeth,
you go get our w*r dead back.

And then I'll go to Oslo

and negotiate that treaty
on global warming.

Gordon, this isn't a referendum
on your effectiveness.

No. It's a referendum
on my ineffectiveness.

The president simply believes

State taking the lead on this
might expedite things.

I haven't been sitting on my hands.

Those remains
would not even have been found

were it not
for new infrared technology

that we used
to scan the jungle canopy,

technology I lobbied for.

My dad d*ed at Khe Sanh.

This issue means a lot to me.

So I can tell the president

that I have the full
cooperation of DoD?

(SCOFFS)

Postmaster general
can run point on this.

Long as it gets our people home.

MAN: I share
Secretary Becker's frustration.

I've done everything
but storm Malacañang Palace.

I'm gonna need you to take
me through it, Martin.

Andrada's staff
won't engage me on this issue.

They claim it's beyond the
purview of an acting ambassador.

That doesn't make sense.

They know you have plenary authority

to speak on behalf
of the administration.

A fact I've repeatedly

reminded them of.

But they insist that our failure

to appoint a full-time ambassador

is a slap in the face.

But his office did send me this.

A sampaguita.
The Philippine national flower.

ELIZABETH: Thanks, Martin.

We'll take it from here.

MARTIN: Thank you, Madam Secretary.
- (COMPUTER BEEPS)

I'm smelling pretext.

Andrada's flexing.

Using the remains to remind us

that the Philippines is our partner,

not our subordinate.

And the absence
of a full-time ambassador

has given him an excuse
to squawk about respect.

His administration wants respect?

Let's see how they feel
about dealing with me.

I'll get Ambassador Carpio in here.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Yes, Mrs. Lee. Candidate Pavano feels

that elder abuse
is an overlooked issue.

He will make it a part of
the national conversation.

WOMAN: All right, everybody, look alive.
- Thank you for your vote.

- Eyes up. Let's focus.
- Hello, hello.

Can I have everyone's attention
just for a second, please?

I just want to thank you all
for your hard work.

There is no campaign
without you, because change

is a collective endeavor.

- Every single person matters.
- Yeah?

All right.

Now, the next few days
will be decisive.

Okay, we'll need
a social media onslaught.

Door-to-door for every undecided.

And keep working those call lists

till the polls close.

All right, let's make
a better world together.

(ALL CHEER)

All right.

ELIZABETH: Respectfully,

Ambassador Carpio,
, Americans d*ed

defending the Philippines
against the Imperial Army.

So expediting those remains
doesn't begin

to cover the debt your country owes.

Madam Secretary...

The only thing that
President Andrada has done

since those bodies were
found is send flowers.

JAY: Sampaguita, which, as you know,

means, "I promise you."

So, what...

what promise have we broken
that makes you think

you can hold our w*r dead for ransom?

$ million in advanced weaponry,

which we need to fight

the Mindanao Freedom
Brigade insurgency.

Islamic Fundamentalists.

We share your interest
in containing them.

JAY: Which is why we've
been pushing H.R. .

Hard.

But appropriations

are the exclusive purview of Congress.

I understand, Madam Secretary.

JAY: Then instead of
using our dead patriots

to shake down the president,

why aren't you mobilizing
your army of lobbyists?

Because President Andrada

doesn't want to make a public stink

about needing U.S. aid.

Makes him look weak.

You want those bodies,
get us that aid.

Well, unfortunately,
it's not my purview

to tell Congress what to do

or when to do it.

Your midterms are coming, right?

What's that Yankee expression?

"Where there's a will, there's a way."
(TAPS DESK)

(GASPS) Holy hell.
Stuffed French toast

is back on the menu.

I don't know what
you see in that. It's...

Peanut butter. Nutella. Cream cheese.

- I see God.
- I see an amateur.

Oh, I'm getting the Pynchon burger.

Triple cheese, bacon, avocado.

Juice it with some onion
rings and jalapeños.

Hey, Mitzi, think
we're ready to order.

I'm afraid I can't serve
you guys today.

Yeah, my wife hates this tie, too.

Dad. Oh, my God.

I'm not kidding.

Uh, what Mitzi's trying to say is, uh,

your family's not
welcome here anymore.

(CHUCKLES) Trevor, what's going on?

As a veteran, I'd expect
the Dalton administration

to give a damn about their w*r dead.

But it doesn't. And your
wife is complicit in that.

My wife?

TREVOR: Yeah, that's right.

Trevor, we've been
coming here for years.

I'm aware of that.

You can't be serious.

- Dead serious.
- STEVIE: My dad,

- he's a veteran, too.
- He's...

He's willing to take
our business elsewhere.

- Come on, let's go.
- What?

- Let's go, Stevie. Come on.
- Dad...

ELIZABETH: Ms. Paley.

Thank you for coming.

I'm here out of respect
for you, Madam Secretary.

Well, that respect is shared.

Please. What you and
your organization do

to keep a spotlight

on those who sacrificed
so much for our country...

well, it's critically important.

It is.

I want you to know that my
team is working tirelessly

to bring those missing soldiers home.

I'm glad to hear it.

I fear...

that our efforts aren't being helped

by your public statements.

These are delicate negotiations

with an overreaching ally.

I appreciate that,

but more than , Americans

who d*ed in World w*r II

still remain unaccounted for.

, families

have never healed,

and mine was one of them.

The last time I saw my dad,

he took me by the hand,

he looked me in the eye

and promised he was coming home.

I'm going to do everything it takes

to help him keep that promise.

DALTON: So, how long do we have

before Gloria Paley takes
to the airwaves again?

She agreed to stand down until
the morning of the midterms.

If the remains haven't left
Manila by then,

she is going to hold
another press conference.

Which will sink our allies
running for office.

I don't blame the woman at all.

Where are we on those remains, Bess?

Andrada's playing hardball until
we deliver his m*llitary aid.

So who's holding up the bill?

The new senator
from Kentucky, Owen Callister.

He's the swing vote
on foreign relations

who won't let the bill get
to the Senate floor.

Elizabeth, see if you can

bring Callister to heel.

If you can't, then tell Andrada

we're slapping him with sanctions.

Oh, sir, I would advise against that.

He's gonna take it as an affront.

Says the woman who shattered his nose.

ELIZABETH: Which is how I know

that he is particularly sensitive

to an American display of power.

Carrot or stick, whatever it takes,

because "no man left behind"
is not just a credo.

It's a pledge we make to the enlisted,

and every second
those soldiers aren't back

is a breach of faith
to those who serve.

I'll lean on Senator Callister.

Lean hard, Bess.

- (CHEERING, CLAPPING)
- Where are you?

No, get off the Beltway
and take the local streets.

Just get here as quickly
as you can, okay? Bye.

Thank you so much. Yeah, for sure.

Nice turnout, Ali.

Thanks for helping organize it.

You're welcome.

Um, I'm afraid I messed up.

I gave the sign language
interpreter the wrong address...

Boulevard instead of Avenue.

He's still minutes out.

I'm supposed to speak
on federal initiatives

to increase educational access.

It would be ironic if some of
the audience couldn't hear.

I know. I'm so sorry.

(SIGHS)

It's not a problem, Ali.

WOMAN: Okay, everyone,

please welcome Craig Pavano,
our candidate for Congress.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.
Thank you for coming out.

(PEOPLE GASPING, MURMURING)

I'm Craig Pavano,

- and I'm running for Congress.
- WOMAN: Yes!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

I'm here to speak about our children.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

BLAKE: Good morning, Madam Secretary.

You know, I have this fantasy
that one morning

I'm going to step off of that elevator

and be greeted by a genie.

Or a masseuse,
or maybe a wayward puppy.

Well, would you settle
for a stray Kat?

(LAUGHING): I would.

- I had to go there.
- Hi.

- Welcome back.
- Thank you.

- How was the U.N.?
- It was good. It was good.

We made progress on
the refugee protocol.

However, they do not care
about coffee over there.

- Philistines.
- Oh, it's so good to be home.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Uh, Senator Callister
is prepped and waiting for us.

Uh, and I... I did some digging.

It turns out his state houses
Paraverse Industries.

They manufacture much of the weaponry

that we'd send Andrada's
way if H.R. passes.

- Ah.
- Yeah, Paraverse has over employees

in Lexington alone,
meaning opposition to this bill

takes food out
of his constituents' mouths.

Nice work, everyone.

- Still holding out for a puppy.
- Yes, ma'am.

Senator.

So nice to meet you.

Likewise, Madam Secretary.

- Kat.
- Come on in.

ELIZABETH: This administration likes

to work very closely with Congress,

which is why we called you in
to talk about H.R. ,

which I understand you oppose?

Yes, ma'am.

KAT: Okay, well, that bill
provides m*llitary aid

to an important ally in
a region of the world

we don't want to see fall under
China's sphere of influence.

I understand that.

H.R.

is also tied
to the release of the bodies

of missing American soldiers.

An important priority.

Yes.

And given the fact that
this legislation would support

Paraverse, a major defense contractor

in your own state, we're hoping

that you'll reconsider your position.

I will not. (CHUCKLES)

Would you please explain why?

Andrada is a ruthless dictator

whose government
is a notorious violator

of human rights.

Funneling money to his regime
is inconsistent

with American values.

But not as inconsistent
as letting that country fall

into the hands
of fundamentalist extremists.

The intelligence I've seen suggests

that is an unlikely scenario.

Only if Andrada remains in power.

We are very aware

of Andrada's obvious shortcomings,

but this Mindanao Freedom Brigade

makes him look like Churchill.

And sometimes you do have to
choose the lesser of two evils.

No.

The Dalton administration does.

I have to look
my constituents in the eye.

(LAUGHS) Please, um,

tell the president I'm sorry.

You bet.

Okay. Thanks.

Golly. Wow.

(LAUGHS) Did we just meet

one of the few elected officials

who puts principles first?

That, or someone
dropped him on his head.

(SIGHS)

I'm not buying either scenario.

(SCOFFS, SIGHS)

Who is Paraverse's chief lobbyist?

Hmm. Kah... Kah...

Mickey Kensington.

You know what? I'll tell Jay.

- He's worked with him.
- Great.

Hold on, Mickey.

You're saying that Callister
doesn't care about donors?

Well, he's made a fortune
in high-tech.

He doesn't need Paraverse's money.

But he damn sure needs their
votes in the next election.

And Paraverse is one of the
state's largest employers.

He won't support foreign companies.

What could be more apple pie

than an American
munitions manufacturer

headquartered in Kentucky?

One that's not founded by

an immigrant from New Delhi
named Arjun Bhatt.

Wait. What are you telling me?

Once you get past the glossy facade,

Callister gets dark in a hurry.

He's got deep ties
to nativist organizations,

but since he's not taking PAC money,

the connections are well concealed.

So he won't help Filipinos
or naturalized Americans.

Or anyone who doesn't come
from Anglo-Saxon stock.

If you want to get those bodies back,

Callister's not your solution.

- He's our problem.
- Mm.

Thanks, Mickey.

It's on me.

Thank you.

Ma'am, I think calling
President Andrada directly

is not a good idea.

By "not good," he means
apocalyptically bad.

Well, I appreciate the sage counsel,

but you two just told me

that Senator r*cist Obstruction
isn't going to help us,

so we need a new strategy.

Ma'am, if I could put
a finer point on it:

Andrada is a chauvinist who is
unlikely to meet with a woman

whose last interaction with him
left him with a deviated septum.

ANDRADA: I wish I could help you,

Madam Secretary, but the bodies
are in a remote jungle location.

It's the rainy season.

They will take time
to safely excavate.

And we don't want
to endanger your men,

so we have a detachment
of Marines at the ready

who will conduct the recovery mission.

It's not just the weather.

The jungle
where the bodies are located

is a stronghold for
the Mindanao Freedom Brigade.

I know how concerned
you are about the insurgency.

President Dalton has authorized

a detachment
of U.S. m*llitary advisers...

I don't need advisers.

I need as*ault r*fles,

armored personnel carriers, drones.

All of which will be forthcoming

when Congress passes the aid bill,

which we expect will be before
the end of the current term.

(ELIZABETH SIGHS)

President Andrada, my...

my advisers were concerned

that... after our last encounter,

you wouldn't be receptive to me,
but...

but I disagreed,

because I know that you're a leader

who wants what's best
for your country...

Mm.

...meaning you won't let
our unfortunate personal history

be an impediment.

You are correct.

Our history is irrelevant.

What is relevant is that aid package.

And when it arrives,
you can reclaim your dead.

Good luck with the midterms.

(BEEP)

I have no update yet,
and I have to cancel lunch.

Well, I'm not here to pressure you,

but the polls open in a few days.

I'm flying to Manila
to meet with President Andrada,

and I need to prepare, okay?

Mm... not okay.

Diplomacy at a distance is one thing,

but the last time...

The next person who brings up
Andrada's nose... I'm gonna

- punch him in the face.
- I'm saying,

you're not exactly the poster
child for détente here.

We are out of options and time.

President Dalton asked me
to get involved for a reason.

Just the most modest
vote of confidence

in my ability to do my job
would be great.

- (UNZIPPING)
- Aah!

Sorry. My confidence

in your ability is
anything but modest.

Believe it or not, my anxiety
isn't just about the midterms.

- It's-it's...
- Also about the midterms.

Yes, about the midterms.

But I care about this issue.

Same reason everybody else does.

Andrada has been harping on
about disrespect.

It's a pretext to shake us down.

The Secretary of State shows up
in Manila, the pretext is gone.

We now have leverage to call him out.

Well, can't argue with that.

I'm gonna bring 'em home, Russell.

I promise.

Godspeed, Madam Secretary.

Russell.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Whatever it is, I got to pack.

- So if it can wait...
- JAY: It can't.

- This is an intervention.
- The important thing to do

is to keep centered and calm.

About what?

Ma'am.

(CHUCKLES)

"A forcible and noisy expulsion

of the Secretary of State's family."

We know your first instinct
is to publicly respond.

And we are all here
to urge you not to.

I'm not going to respond publicly.

It would be beneath the administration

to att*ck a private business.

Well put, ma'am.

Well put.

I'm going to ignore it.

MATT: That's good.
- That's good. Good.

KAT: Okay. Well done. Just ignore.
- Hear, hear.

Just ignore.

(SIGHS)

(CLEARS THROAT)

- Did that work?
- MATT: I don't know.

- I can't read that lady.
- Yeah, me neither.

- She's either chill...
- Or she's gonna k*ll someone.

ELIZABETH: Coming after my family?

- I...
- HENRY: Babe,

this is just a taste
of the kind of stuff

we're gonna have to
get used to if you're

- throwing your hat in the ring.
- I know.

But I just feel like every day
that I do this job

undermines my chances

to do that one.

Our restaurant eviction
is hardly a scarlet letter.

No, it's not just that.

A Secretary of State's mandate
is to compromise.

Lose the battle to win the w*r.

Nowadays it seems like
a successful candidate

has to appear resolute,

unyielding.

You know the last Secretary
of State to become president?

James Buchanan.

years ago.

Well, even the Cubbies eventually won

- the World Series.
- (CHUCKLES)

Streaks are made to be broken.

By the way,

I need to thank you.

Don't get used to it.
You're on dishes next week.

(CHUCKLES)

No.

- Thanks, Frank.
- You got it.

I got to thank you for bringing
home those dead soldiers.

I mean, you know that I lost
some friends from basic.

The thought of leaving
those guys where they fell is...

It's an important mission.

And I'm the one entrusted with it.

That should be a declaration, babe.

That sounds like a question.

You don't have misgivings
about me going

- face-to-face with...
- Yeah, I have misgivings.

I hate that you're gonna be
in the same room as the guy.

You're gonna be okay.

Yeah, I got this.

Good.

Bring our heroes home.

I will.

Be safe.

Mm.

(DOOR CLOSES)

MARJORIE: I need you to copy

talking points for Craig's
next round of interviews.

Wait, there's a mistake here.

Candidate approved it.
There's no mistake.

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

Craig, can I have a second?

Sure. What's up, Ali?

One of the cornerstones
of your campaign

- is student loan forgiveness.
- Right, right.

But someone forgot to include
it in the talking points

- for your upcoming appearances.
- (CHUCKLES)

Well, that someone was me.

But I promise you I didn't forget.

Uh, latest tracking polls
show that this issue

is a... a third rail for the voters.

You know, unfortunately,
the many funding the few.

But-but, in time, the
few become the many.

Right. And, in time,
I hope to revisit the issue.

But job one is to get
a seat at the table.

Then we can talk about
how to divvy up the food.

Yeah?

Hey, keep up the good work, okay?

Sure. Thanks.

(GRUNTING)

President Andrada,

we had a meeting calendared

this morning at your office.

Yes.

But I needed some exercise.

(EXHALES)

(SHOUTING, GRUNTING)

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

(EXHALES)

Mr. President, I traveled
, miles to make an appeal

on behalf of President Dalton
for the return

of our w*r dead.

Well, I hope you did
not come empty-handed.

I come with a promise.

We will eventually push
that aid package through.

But you need to give us
those bodies back right now.

(CHUCKLES)

You do not show up in my country

and step into my gym

and tell me what to do.

No.

But you're on record

saying that the U.S.
was disrespecting you.

But I'm here now,

showing you more respect
than you deserve.

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

Talking to me this way,

that is respect?

Surrender those bodies, Mr. President,

or your people find out
that you begged for U.S. aid,

which will make you look
as weak as you really are.

You are the weak one,
standing there, begging.

If you prefer...

to fight,

we can settle this in the ring!

(GRUNTS)

(SIGHS)

I hung up my gloves.

You will release a statement

that those bodies are being extracted.

Or I'm going to release one

about how you really broke your nose.

Meaning how I broke it.

Understood?

Great.

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

Bye, Mr. President.

How's the jetlag?

I'm too tired to talk about it.

There's a C- transport over
the Philippine Sea right now

carrying the remains
of American soldiers.

You brought our people home.

And without precipitating
an international incident.

- Oh, please.
- (CHUCKLES)

The summit was handled with...

(INHALES, EXHALES)

(CHUCKLES): ...restraint and decorum.

(CHUCKLES)

Good work, Elizabeth.

- Thank you.
- Now the bad news.

(SIGHS) Come on.

David Paley isn't getting
a m*llitary funeral?

I'm afraid not.

We dug up personnel
files on all the dead.

Came across something troubling.

He went AWOL?

Right before his last mission.

hours unaccounted for.

Suspected desertion.

Came back to his post
in time to be deployed.

So then why'd they let him fly?

Didn't realize his
transgression until after

- his plane went missing.
- With Paley declared

a combat death, there was no reason

- to throw dirt on his memory.
- No.

But now everything's come to light.

Department of Veterans
Affairs does not want

to afford him a burial with honors.

Well, who can overrule that?

This is Gloria Paley's father.

He's a w*r hero, Mr. President,

who gave his life for his country.

And he also went AWOL,
an act which would have resulted

in his court-martial

had he not d*ed in combat.

But he did die.
And instead of paying tribute

to his sacrifice,
we're disgracing his memory.

No. We're just not honoring it.

Henry,

you are conspicuous by your silence.

I'd like your input,

as a Marine and an ethicist.

Well, Mr. President,

I think a life has to
be looked at in toto.

Paley flew missions
with distinction.

After three years in combat,
he reached his breaking point.

But he didn't break. He bent.

Which would urge

commendation, not censure.

What kind of message would it send

if his daughter's
tireless efforts were rewarded

with this kind of rebuke?

So... (GRUNTS)

compassion over... process.

In this instance,

that would be my recommendation, yes.

This is not an academic matter.

It has consequences.

If you don't follow orders,
people die.

If you don't punish deserters,

they desert.

And if you don't recognize heroism,

you discourage heroics.

DALTON: Maybe. But as
commander in chief,

it falls to me
to enforce m*llitary protocol.

That takes precedence.

I'm sorry, Bess.

Gordon, you'll have
to inform Ms. Paley.

Yes, sir.

If it's all right with you...

Of course.

It's fine.

ELIZABETH: Mr. President.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

- STEVIE: Hey.
- Hey.

What you watching?

My Uncle William.

It's the only footage we have of him.

Right before he shipped out.

Can I...?

Yeah.

Did you know that
Uncle William was scouted

by the Washington Senators
his senior year of high school?

- Was he really?
- Yep.

- Wow.
- They offered him

a minor league contract

for the day he got home from the w*r.

So much to live for.

Doughnuts. They're still hot.

- Hi, Dad.
- Bye.

Bye.

- Where you going?
- Out. I'll be back.

Okay, sweetheart.

No. We haven't had dinner yet.

You don't want a doughnut?
What's wrong?

(DOOR CLOSES IN DISTANCE)

David Paley.

The truth is going to break
his daughter's heart.

Yes, it will.

So give me the case
for keeping her in the dark.

Well... (CLEARS THROAT)

(SIGHS) Aquinas suggested that...

- Oh, that guy again.
- ...honesty wasn't an absolute virtue.

Uh, what he was getting at
was that the damage

that truth can inflict

should be factored into
the ethical calculus.

Well, I'm not Aquinas;
I'm the Secretary of State.

And my remit is not
to shine that woman on

after years of waiting.

Fair enough.

But...

there might be a way
to soften the blow.

It has to do with
Captain Paley's file.

Why don't you have a doughnut,
and I'll tell you about it.

Come on.

Who are we kidding?
I'm gonna have six.

Well, have six.

Oh, God. It makes me want to cry.

RUSSELL: Great job, Bess.

You brought honor to our dead.

So...

why the "we've got trouble" face?

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

Not "we" this time.

Just you.

L'affaire Pynchon.

I've been doing this long
enough to know the public

doesn't usually take cabinet
secretaries' families to task

for administration policies.

Well, it's a brave new world.

Yeah, and a treacherous one.

So I played a cynical hunch.

Had one of my people dig into the guy

who gave Henry and Stevie the boot.

Pynchon owner Trevor Bentley
was college roommates

with Senator Owen Callister.

Yep.

Well, that doesn't necessarily...

Keep reading.

They share season tickets to the Caps.

And... vacation together

every summer in Rehoboth.

Well, it looks like I need
to have a little talk

- with the senator.
- Yeah. I'm gonna urge against that.

He took a cheap sh*t
at my family, Russell.

Because he wants to draw you out.

You know why?

Because he suspects I'm running.

And he probably is, too.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

Which is why he's taking sh*ts,

hoping you'll defend yourself,

which you can't do
until you've declared.

Because there's a difference between

being a Secretary of State
and a candidate.

You're debating him
on the campaign trail,

you can call him out on anything,

but a cabinet secretary
getting personal, well,

that smacks of bad judgment
and plays into his hands.

- I can't let this go unanswered.
- No.

But you don't have to be
the one who answers.

OWEN: Hey, Kat. Come on in.

To what do I owe the honor?

Oh, just the Secretary of
State's sense of restraint.

I'm sorry? (CHUCKLES)

Senator, you've been a vocal critic

of the Dalton administration.

And, uh, I will continue to be so.

I'm assuming you're familiar

with the concept of loyal opposition?

Oh, I'm very familiar with it, sir.

Except the only thing you've opposed

is our foreign policy.

Yeah, trade deals, peace treaties,

immigration initiatives.

I'm a member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.

Oh, you're also on agriculture.

And one of Kentucky's biggest
industries is farming,

and yet, not a word about
subsidies or price controls

or anything that would
play to your base.

Just foreign policy.

For the senator of a landlocked state.

- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.

You didn't block that aid
package out of principle;

you did it because you knew
the mess you were making

would land on Secretary McCord,
and she'd be stained by it.

What's your point?

You're running for president.

(CHUCKLES) And you're
trying to eliminate

someone you're afraid
could be your competition.

Whoa. What... Whatever
I may or may not be doing,

I certainly don't have
to explain myself

to a cabinet secretary's
policy advisor.

And a q*eer Latinx woman at that. Wow.

Everything you hate.

(CHUCKLES): It must be
really hard for you.

Squeezing you in today,
Kat, was a courtesy.

- Oh. - A concept you seem
relatively unfamiliar with.

If you have a message for me,
I suggest you send it.

Well, then here it is.
You've made this personal.

And if you ever use my
boss's family again,

the next visit you will
get will not be from me.

It'll be from her, and she won't
be here as Secretary of State

or as a candidate; she
will be here as a mother

protecting her own.

And believe me, that is the one way

you do not want to
meet Madam Secretary.

Is that a thr*at?

Oh, no, Senator.

That was a gift. (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

My father d*ed for this
country, Madam Secretary,

and this is the way
his nation repays him?

I'm so sorry.

But the all-powerful bureaucracy

has spoken, right?

And they've branded
my father a coward.

He wasn't a coward.

He was a hero!

The only thing that I have control of

is what I tell you.

I chose to tell you the truth,

because I think
it is the least you are owed.

But it doesn't take away the pain.

No. I don't imagine that it does.

But I think that
we may have found a way

to cushion the blow just a little bit.

Your father's file
will remain classified.

But when people ask...

why he's not in Arlington,
like everyone else,

what do I say?

You tell them that you opted
for a private family funeral

in your hometown.

And because his record is sealed,

the David Paley Foundation's work,

the work that you
have devoted your life to,

will continue in his name.

So his legacy is secure.

Forever.

And he's coming home, Gloria.

Preliminary results
from congressional races

have started to roll in.

- Oh, hey.
- I thought you were headed to Dover.

Yeah, I am. I've got about...

three minutes to get
dressed and grab a bar

and get out the door.

Don't you have an
election party to get to?

No, I quit.

Why?

You know that student loan
forgiveness thing?

Yeah.

Pavano bailed on it.

Oh. (SNIFFS)

Your guy had clay feet, huh?

Not my guy. Not anymore.

I didn't even vote for him.

You voted for Winter?

No. I didn't vote for anyone.

What?

All of these guys
are exactly the same, Mom.

How much of what

Pavano stood for did you believe in?

It doesn't matter.

That jerk bailed on his
loan forgiveness initiative.

And my generation isn't putting
up with hypocrites anymore.

It's a new day.

So, say, %?

You're not even listening to me.

Oh, I got the gist.

Y-your guy compromised,

and...

now you're checking out
of the process completely?

- Look, there will be other elections.
- No. Uh-uh.

Nope.

I am sorry that you
were disillusioned.

Get used to it, Alison,

because democracy is flawed.

And the next candidate
who doesn't let you down

will be the first.

I just flew halfway around the world

to recover the bodies of patriots

who gave their lives to
protect this country.

They d*ed along with
hundreds of thousands

of Americans in too many wars

so Alison McCord could
have the right to vote.

And you won't honor that

because your guy caved
on a single issue?

My polling place is in Silver Spring.

- I won't even make it in time.
- That's what a motorcade is for.

I'll drop you off on my way to Dover.

- Get dressed.
- Oh.

♪

♪

SOLDIER: Present...

arms!

♪

♪

SOLDIER: Ready.

Down.

Ready.

Cover.

Order...

arms!

♪