04x04 - Shutdown

[bunniefuu]

- HENRY: You're ready early.
- Hey.

Have you seen a report
on economic growth

in Central Asia? I...

Thought you fell asleep
with it last night.

No, it's not up there.

Call me a dummy, but I thought
the government shutdown's

- supposed to slow things
down a little bit? - Ha.

Well, it turns out when Congress

att*cks foreign aid

and furloughs a third of my staff,

it's not much of a vacation.

Sorry, I'm not snapping at you.

Ugh! It's okay there, tiger.

I understand the frustration.

Two weeks of one senator

holding the entire government hostage

over some ideological notion

of eliminating the national debt?

We're two days out from Paris, babe.

- Smell the butter.
- Oh, sure.

You can be all Zen about it...
your budget wasn't affected.

"Intelligence is essential
for national security,"

but international programs
that save lives...

the world's most vulnerable

gov... ernment... Wow.

I booked us a table
at this beautiful little place

- in Montmartre.
- Oh, that's good.

And you're gonna get all the churches

our of your system while
I'm at the conference, right,

so we can have all day Sunday?

Well, there is a mass
on Sunday at St. Gervais,

which I'm totally skipping

so that we can order room service

Okay, good. We can have
croissants on the balcony.

Afternoon walk in the Tuileries.

Mm. And I want to get
that hot chocolate

from the place
with all the tourists. Oh...

Oh, go deeper.
Right there, even deeper.

Oh, wow. Oh...

- Jace.
- Hey. No.

- Mom just has a few kinks.
- Come back.

No, Dad...

No, it's-it's worse when
you talk about it.

- Don't...
- Come here. Come here.

I'm gonna miss you this weekend.

Listen, don't worry
because Stevie and Ali

- will be here...
- No, don't say "babysit."

- Hey, he's years old.
- I was <i>just</i>

going to say "to peer supervise."

Oh, hey, so I'm doing a big report

on U.S. history right now on the CIA,

and I'm not asking you
any questions you can't answer,

but if there's any help you can get me

between now and next Wednesday

that's not gonna compromise

your security clearance,

it might help me get an "A."

Not that I'm begging.

Sure, I'd love to sit down

- and talk about it.
- Really?

How's, uh...

I don't know, how about tonight?

Awesome. Thanks.

You know what would be great for this

is, uh, the Spy Museum.

That is an excellent idea.

HENRY: I've been meaning
to check it out.

I'm sure I could learn
a thing or two myself.

JASON: Oh, right,

because you have no
experience in intelligence.

I have some time this afternoon,

like : ... you want to meet there?

Yeah. Cool.

All right.

Look at the two of you
bonding over espionage.

It's the D.C. equivalent of
building a pinewood derby car.

(Elizabeth chuckles)

Oh, ah... Look at that.

Look at that catch. (laughs)

(elevator bell dings)

ELIZABETH: <i>Uh-oh.</i>

Something elevator-worthy?

Itinerary for the Global
Economic Conference

in Paris this weekend,

top five résumés for your
new chief of staff,

and a latte, extra foam.

Oh, that is definitely
elevator-worthy.

But you didn't pay for this out
of your own money, did you?

There's a slush fund
for essentials, ma'am.

Beginning to wonder if I
need those résumés, Blake.

No, no, please don't joke.

Just filling in for Nadine
during this shutdown

is giving me a stress rash.

Put in some years in the field

or making policy, and you, too...

- I mean it.
- Yeah.

- You could do it.
- I've seen these résumés.

But my mother thanks you
for believing in me.

JAY: Morning.

Morning. Morning.

- Wow.
- (phone ringing)

I am not used to how
empty it is in here.

Yeah. It's like we missed

the last chopper out of Saigon.

Office of the Secretary of State.

That's a little grim.

Sorry, I was just on with
my ex-mother-in-law.

Abby's at a work conference this week,

which I told her
she could go to months ago,

but now the state's day
care is shut down,

and I'm leaning on
her mom pretty hard.

- Well, that sounds sticky.
- (phone ringing)

You know what they
don't do at Diplotots?

Give me passive-aggressive
guilt trips about my work hours.

(chuckles)

Well... (sighs)

You know what?
Bring Chloe in tomorrow.

- Really?
- Yeah.

I mean, why not?

We could use a little
life around here.

Hey, will you, uh, do me a favor

and take a look at these
résumés, will you?

Sure. New chief of staff?

- Well...
- Ooh, not him.

Big blur of accomplishments.

I don't know.

I think I have to figure out

what it is I'm looking for.

Okay. What are you looking for?

Well, you know...

a total pro who's called to serve.

Team player, but also a leader.

And then... something else.

I don't know.

My money's on the head of the
Committee for Human Rights.

She's essentially Nadine . .,

complete with "creative
professional" styling.

Senate Foreign Relations
Chief of Staff?

Oh, yeah, that...

that came from, uh, from Russell.

He thinks this guy could give us
the inside track on Congress.

We could promote
our acting chief of staff.

Wh-what? Really? You want the guy

who does coffee and phone calls

in charge of setting the
U.S. foreign policy agenda?

This is like that nightmare
where I walk on stage naked

in a play I've never heard of.

- (chuckles)
- He's getting a stress rash.

Yes. Can we please just sit down?

Okay, there has been
a surge of protests

from international students
attempting to enter the U.S.

to begin their studies,
who are unable to

due to the suspension
of the visa programs.

Getting pressure from Commerce, too.

They're asking for special visas

for highly skilled workers.

Well, we can tell Commerce
to put pressure on Congress.

They're the ones
shutting down the government.

There have been several
cases of Ebola diagnosed

in Sierra Leone.

That's horrifying.
Who do we have on it?

Ambassador Henderson was the
Ebola Coordinator in ,

but she's on furlough, so
we can't even reach out

for a list of her
international partners

or we violate the rules
of the shutdown.

(gasps) Oh...

- You're not supposed to be home yet.
- Ah.

Lovely to see you, too.

Sorry.

This was supposed to be a surprise.

It's steak and kidney pie.

Except, you know, with
no steak and no kidney.

That is oddly adorable.
You can just say it.

I... I have way too much
time on my hands.

Well, I had a thought
about that, actually.

Mm-hmm.

So, it's my grandmother's
th birthday next week.

- Fun grandma or tough grandma?
- Imogen.

Fun after a couple
of glasses of sherry.

Any case, she offered
to fly me out weeks ago,

and I said no.

But then I was thinking
you're not working...

Maybe we could go together.

I'd use my air miles for your flight.

You want to fly to England
in less than a week?

Oh, I'm sorry to impinge
on all of your pie making.

- (chuckles)
- It could be good for us, you know.

- See the family.
- Yeah.

You know, 'cause they love me so much.

They haven't spent
enough time with you.

Jareth, I don't know.

I know you're miserable in
England, so I was thinking

if at any point anyone's
being horrible to you,

you can just do this.

Huh?

I've been working on the gesture.

Is it a bit much?

Uh, no, I like it.

More wrist.

Okay.

Throw up the distress signal,
I will promptly come rescue you.

I mean... you know,
sure, okay, what the hell?

- Let's go to England.
- Yeah!

(laughter)

The British foreign secretary
has requested that you...

Morning. Bess, could I have a word?

It's like a hawk
catching a field mouse.

(phone ringing)

JAY: Are you gonna get that or what?

I'd, uh, offer you some coffee,

but, well, apparently
we don't have any.

I don't need any help
ratcheting up my blood pressure.

Mm.

No movement on the budget amendment?

Senator Morejon's got his whole
party wrapped up in his web.

Or maybe we're the ones wrapped
up, I get lost in the metaphors.

We offered to put Conrad's
VA hospital on hold,

agreed to a pay freeze
for senior civil servants...

Oh, yeah, 'cause they're so overpaid.

They still want to gut Medicaid
and housing, education...

Well, I'm guessing this isn't
the time, then,

to ask for emergency funds

to stop another outbreak of
Ebola in West Africa...

Not until we take care of Morejon.

Research has it that the
rest of his cabal caves

if we can take out their dark leader.

Do I even want to ask
what you're planning?

It's a multiple-front as*ault.

Everyone's got a part to play.

What's the one thing you
have and Morejon doesn't?

A conscience?

An approval rating.

No, I don't have
the instincts for this.

We'd like to get you out in public...

- I don't...
- ...shining a light on all the ways

the shutdown hurts
the American people.

- Make sure you put the blame
squarely on Morejon. - I can't...

- I can't talk politics, Russell.
- Why?!

Because I can't... I can't, I...

What about the % of Americans
who think I'm a m*rder*r?

% find you likeable for some reason.

I'm not asking you
to run for office... yet.

Just get out there.

Put some public pressure on Morejon.

He wanted a shutdown. Let him own it.

I don't know if you noticed,
but Matt and Daisy,

they're on furlough.

I don't have
a communications staff, so...

It's done, it's done.

I had my office set up
a press conference for : .

Knock 'em dead.

- I thought that was your job.
- (phone ringing)

BLAKE: I'm on it.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I hear you're headed
to Paris tomorrow.

Yeah, just for the weekend.
I'm joining my wife.

I like a nice Bordeaux,

in case you are curious.

(chuckles) I'm not, but thanks.

So, you got something on Afghanistan?

Agent Nafisa thought she
was making first contact

with our guy, Osip Bakunin,

but it turns out he was ready to talk.

- What's this?
- It's a complete list of weapons

from the last three
Russian arms deliveries

to the Taliban.

Looks like Alexander chose
the right guy to flip.

Hey, how's he doing?

Alexander? He's fine.

You know, he hates
getting stuck at home.

I know technically we can't go to him

while he's on furlough,

but there's a name in the report...

- the officer who delivered the weapons.
- Yeah. Woland.

- Who is this guy?
- Exactly.

I mean, he's high-ranking,

but there's nothing on
him anywhere in the IC.

It could be an alias.

That's what we were thinking.

You know, Alexander might
have a take on it.

What if I happened to stop by,

see him over the weekend?

Just off the books,
run the name by him.

You know what, I'll take it to him.

I don't want you guys

taking any heat for
violating the furlough.

Thanks, this is good work.

Thanks.

You can repay me with free wine.

The shutdown of the federal government

over Senator Morejon's
proposed budget amendments

does far more
than postpone travel plans

and close public libraries
and national parks.

It threatens to plunge us all
into a world

further destabilized
by conflict and chaos.

It is no less than a betrayal
of who we are.

I'll take questions.

(camera shutters clicking,
reporters clamoring)

J-Janine.

Secretary McCord,

how would you answer
Senator Morejon's charge

that your many global trade agreements

are the direct result of
lost jobs here at home?

These global trade agreements

were congressionally
negotiated and approved.

Throwing them back at me is just...

that's just campaigning.

REPORTER: Secretary McCord,
do you know a woman

named Rosa Salama,
who entered the United States

as a Honduran refugee?

I'm...

Uh, sorry, I'm not sure;
are you asking me

if I know this individual?

Rosa Salama was jailed
last night in Louisiana

on the charges
of first degree homicide

for sh**ting and k*lling
an American citizen.

- (whispers): Can you...?
- I'm on it.

How can you defend
spending U.S. tax dollars

to bring a m*rder*r with
known g*ng ties to the U.S.?

ELIZABETH: Can I answer the question?

While I don't know
the particular details

of this incident,

I will emphasize that all
individuals seeking refuge

in the United States

go through extensive vetting...

JAY: <i>The whole thing gets h*jacked</i>

by some idiot blogger
who thinks he scored

his big "gotcha" moment with
a bunch of made-up nonsense!

Let's just get
the details of the case.

Blake's on with
Shreveport PD right now.

And if I didn't say this before,
I'm-I'm extremely sorry, ma'am.

Wha...

We're all doing the best that
we can without Daisy here.

Let's stay on top of the story.

I mean, I'm supposed to be
putting pressure on Morejon

to end the shutdown,
not giving him more amm*nit*on.

(door opens)

Ma'am, Russell Jackson's on line one.

Yeah, I'm sure he is.

I didn't totally fail to
change the narrative, did I?

You shifted it, definitely.

Yeah. From an inspiring
defense of foreign policy

to right-wing refugee panic.

(sighs)

Okay, what-what, why?

- Water glasses go on the left.
- Which makes no sense

- for right-handed people.
- I don't even know why it's a thing.

- I... just...
- Russell Jackson's right.

I got spun by a blogger.
This is why I hate politics.

Mom, the only people retweeting
that clip are other reporters.

There's a clip?

HENRY: Can we eat? Alison!

Coming. We have veggie sauce
and non-veggie.

And for what it's worth, Mom,

if anyone was talking
about it at school,

all they would be saying
is how obviously r*cist

that stupid question was.

I love having you home.

- At least <i>you</i> get to escape to Paris.
- (chuckles)

Oh, where they know nothing
of refugee panic? Ow!

Looks like I'm gonna be
traveling, too.

Um, Jareth invited me
to his grandmother's

th birthday celebration
in England, so...

- Ooh, well, that's fun.
- Well, that's cool.

When do you go?

We haven't booked our flight
yet, but probably this weekend,

- or maybe Monday.
- Whoa. Soon.

Yeah, it's kind of a last-minute idea,

'cause I'm on furlough
and everything, but honestly,

I'm just really dreading
seeing his family again.

Look, if your mom
can win over my family,

you can win over those Brits.

ELIZABETH: It's all
about flatter and pivot.

Say something sweet...
it has to be true...

and then, boom, you're out of there.

So does this mean I'll be
all on my own this weekend?

- No.
- ELIZABETH: No. Ali will be here.

Uh, yeah, but you're not granting her

any actual authority over me.

Oh, you wait and see. I'm totally
policing your game time.

What? Uh, wait, no. This is
a flagrant abuse of power.

ELIZABETH: Okay, stop the uprising.

We'll call it mutual supervision.

- How's that?
- See, Mom?

You still got it.

(both click tongues)

(distorted voice): There's a new
thr*at to the American people.

(g*nshots)

Elizabeth McCord and her
team of Washington elites

- want to spend your tax dollars
- "Washington elites."

bringing gangsters and criminals
across our borders.

She calls it "refuge."

But when they turn
their weapons on us,

Senator Carlos Morejon calls
it what it is: m*rder.

It's time to send
Globalist McCord a message:

this land is our land.

I hate it when they give away
the whole movie in the trailer.

Jay? I'm calling the FEC.

That has to be a violation.

It's Morejon's own PAC.

It's perfectly legal.

(clears throat)

He's still trying
to justify the shutdown.

JAY: All you did was defend diplomacy

- and humanitarian aid.
- (Chloe babbling)

BLAKE: We don't offer
refuge to criminals.

Rosa Salama fired in self-defense.

Did I mention I hate politics?

What about a counter ad, okay?

- CHLOE: Hi, Dada!
- Hi.

Uh, citing... citing the
crime rate for all refugees,

which is virtually nonexistent.

Let's get the details

of the case out there.
We need positive,

inspiring refugee stories.

I mean, that can't be hard. Okay?

Your next interview's here.

- We'll get into it.
- Thanks, guys.

Hey, you!

Come here, you little
Washington elite.

Daddy!

This place is not so bad.

Not at all. (chuckles)

I'll admit, I... I didn't
come much with an open mind.

- (chuckles)
- Really?

You know, Greg, my primary
counselor, says that

I need to accept that there
are problems I can't fix myself.

And it makes me stronger
to accept help.

Well, given everything
you've been through,

it's not hard to understand
why that's difficult.

There's so much more to see
when you lift your head

from the problems right
in front of you. You know?

I'm like a giraffe,

putting my head above the
trees for the first time.

(chuckles)

It's beautiful.

Glad it's helping.

Thank you for coming to see me.

Of course.

I have to tell you,

um...

one of my steps is to make
a list of the people I've hurt.

And the second name on that list
after my sister's was yours.

Come on.

I-I put you at great risk
with my arrogance.

After all you've done for me.

Let's just say that, uh...

I have my share
to account for as well.

You gave me my life, Henry.

Even if I can't get my job back,

I will always be grateful to you.

If you keep making such good progress,

there's no reason to believe
you can't come back to work.

And, uh...

to that end,

would you mind if I
ran something by you?

Uh, a name came up with
some Intel we got from Bakunin.

Uh, of course.

This guy...

Woland.

We have no record of him anywhere

in the upper Russian ranks.

It's Yarmolinsky.

Andrei Yarmolinsky.

It's a reference to his favorite
novel <i>The Master and Margarita</i>

by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Um, Professor Woland
is basically Satan.

That's quite a reference.

- You feel sure?
- Of course.

He's a high-level operative
for G.R.U., and he happens

to be General Doroshevich's cousin.

Yes, I'm sure.

Thanks for your help.

Of course.

I, uh... Come see me any time

you need help. Um...

I should get back.

(knocks on door)

How was the interview?

Another super-accomplished candidate

who really wants the job.

I'm sensing ambivalence.

Yeah, I don't know.

I just wasn't feeling it, you know?

Then again, I wasn't feeling it

with Nadine at first, either, so...

Where's Chloe?

Taking a nap.

At least, in theory.

Not sure she's feeling it, either.

(chuckles) So, I found something.

CHLOE: Ma... Mama!

Uh, it's a... it's a...

a toy manufacturing plant
in Peoria, Illinois.

The, uh, owner employs
a huge percentage

of Honduran immigrants
making giggledoodles.

Ooh! I had one of those.

- See, those are just the kind of happy
associations that could... - CHLOE: Mama!

- ...play well on camera.
- (Chloe wailing)

We could set up a tour
with a small gaggle of press.

- Yeah.
- BLAKE: Jay.

- Chloe... - Yeah.
- I'm on it. Yeah.

- I'm on it. Yes? Fine.
- Yeah.

- Yes? Hmm.
- Yeah. Listen,

will you set up a tour of
that toy factory in Peoria?

Okay? Maybe invite some press, and...

We'll do it Monday, first thing.

- Okay?
- Yeah.

What is it?

As your acting chief of staff,

I feel it's my duty to suggest
this event might play better

in the press than, I don't know,

a global economic conference in Paris?

Somewhere, Russell Jackson
just got a warm, fuzzy feeling.

You're totally right.

Okay. Call Deputy Secretary Cushing.

Tell him that he's going
to the conference.

Let's do Peoria tomorrow.

And find out where Russell Jackson is.

So you can ambush him
without warning, I hope?

Who am I kidding?
We always call first.

Blake, Blake, what'd you do
with the wipeys?

Uh, the bag underneath the desk?

(elevator dings)

Oh, man, man, man.

Yo, thank you so much.

Uncle Matthew to the rescue.

Hey, Chloe.

Hey, what's this guy?

Thanks for getting me past security.

Pretty serious about the furlough.

Uh, are you sure you're cool with this

for the rest of the week, honestly?

Dude, you're saving me
from staring at my novel.

And I would much rather hang out

with my favorite girl.

Don't tell my niece I said that.

So... nap didn't really happen.

There's some leftover
squash in there for dinner,

She likes to have it with
ham, if you have any.

Squash <i>and</i> ham?

That's my favorite, too.

I assume you're all right if
we, uh, watch that att*ck ad

and hash out some media strategy?

Please send me ideas. Seriously.

It's not like we're
talking shop or anything.

All right. Fist bump?

I'll see you later.

Mwah.

All right. : at the latest.
I got to go try and stop

an Ebola outbreak with
no money or staff.

- Ooh.
- All right.

See you soon. Be good.

Honduran refugees making toys?

It reminds Americans
that we offer safe sanctuary

and hope for a better life. Plus,

giggledoodles.

I had one of those.

See?

I never played with it.

(sighs)

We already tried appealing
to America's better angels

with the press conference.

That got us an att*ck ad that's
polling disgustingly well.

My Spidey-sense says
it's time to go low.

Do you have something?

As you know,
that's not always a requirement.

So, trick Morejon into thinking

we have something that we don't
and hang him on the cover-up.

Worked with Craig Sterling.

Not our proudest moment.

(sighs)

Fine.

Try Santa's toy factory.

(mouthing silently)
Plays a hell of a lot better

than a trip to Paris, anyway.

But if Morejon manages
to throw this one

back in our face, I'm taking him out.

I'll bring you back a giggledoodle.

(electronic beeping)

Hey, you made it just in time.

Oh, that looks good.

- Smell that. Oh, mac and cheese, baby.
- (chuckles)

I was gonna make boeuf bourguignon,

but I switched the menu
from Paris to Peoria.

No, listen, you-you don't
have to go to this thing.

Yeah?

- And miss my weekend with you? Mm-mm.
- Oh.

Well, we're gonna have to trade in

our little table at Montmartre

- for some cute pancake house.
- Mm-hmm.

That's a sad change in itinerary

for a globalist like yourself.

- Mm, is it?
- Would you set the table, please?

Mwah. Hey, how was the Spy Museum?

HENRY: I had to postpone.

I needed to go see Alexander
at the treatment center.

STEVIE: Mom! Do you have a carry-on

I can borrow?

Yeah.

My zipper just broke.

Let me see what I have.

This place has a serious
case of the cutes.

Well, wait till you see the
bed-and-breakfast we're in.

That's Angelo Bianchi right here.

He's the owner and operator
of Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.

ELIZABETH: Okay.

I'll see you at... what's it called?

Kettle and Biscuit.

- Good luck.
- Kettle and Biscuit.

Can you stand it?

Who needs the Champs-Elysées?

Hi, Angelo.

Madam Secretary, it's a pleasure.

Thank you.

On behalf of my employees and staff,

welcome to Whiffle-Whaffle Toys.

- I have something for you.
- Oh!

- A giggledoodle!
- (laughs)

Just like the one I had as a kid.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Please, come in.

Okay.

<i>(knock on door)</i>

Come on in.

Hey, baby girl. Hi.

- I'm so sorry.
- No worries, man. It's cool.

More time for beatboxing,
right, Li'l C? Drop it.

(beatboxes)

Exactly what Abby's mom
thinks I'm doing with her.

Ah, I think Grandma is
going to be very impressed

- by your sick beats.
- (sighing): Okay.

Thank you.

Is everything okay?

Uh, y-you know, it's just, you know...

Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone,

M. Sec's doing this
press thing in Peoria,

so I had to scramble to
cover Paris. It's just...

So, typical day at State.

Pretty much.

Look, it's none of my business,

but it's obvious M. Sec loves you.

She gets family.

And I think she can handle
you drawing the line.

You think I wanted to work late?

I mean, we're in the middle
of a shutdown, so...

When is it not one crisis
after another?

I mean, that's the job.

You can't be a parent in crisis mode.

You got to know when to say stop.

I know.

You're right.

REPORTER: <i>Of the nearly
employees here</i>

<i>at Peoria's
Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory,</i>

<i>almost a third are Honduran refugees.</i>

<i>They were hired by owner and
chief operator, Angelo Bianchi.</i>

My grandfather came here from Italy

in with nothing.

But thanks to a government program,

he got a small loan and started
the Whiffle-Whaffle Toy Factory.

So, when I heard about
the refugee program, I thought,

"This is how this whole
business got started."

This is great.

I know, right?

So, I mean, this is the way you
move into the future, you know?

REPORTER: <i>Secretary of State
Elizabeth McCord...</i>

(whispering): That's you.

<i>...to visit these Hondurans
and see how they're settling</i>

<i>into their new town.</i>

When I was a kid,
I-I loved my giggledoodle,

which I might have just

permanently borrowed from my brother.

I love knowing that
giggledoodles are still made

right here in Peoria,

first by Angelo's grandfather
from Italy

and now by a whole new
group of Americans.

I like to think you're not just
making a classic, American toy.

You're making a new America,

because America was
built by immigrants.

And as long as we continue
to provide a safe environment

for everyone to work and thrive,

well, then we're building our future.

Hopefully with a lot of giggledoodles.

(laughter)

Thank you.

(singing in Spanish)

See, this is politics
I actually enjoy.

Here's to changing the narrative.

(cell phone vibrates)

Blake says, "Don't check Twitter."

He knows that's just gonna
make me check Twitter, right?

Or you could not check Twitter.

I find President Dalton
incredibly tone-deaf,

that he's sending
his secretary of state out there

to brag about giving away
the few manufacturing jobs left

in this country to
refugees from Honduras.

Well, I'll say this: he has
impressive response time.

Uh, yeah, speaking of which,

I am turning this off right now

before Russell Jackson calls
and totally ruins our night.

Not ruined at all.

Here's to Peoria.

So, what's it gonna be?

Family steak house or barbeque?

Duh.

Barbeque. I'm gonna text security.

Hey, can I just say
one thing so it's not

hanging over me?

Yeah, sure.

It bothered me that
you cancelled on Jason

to go see Dmitri at rehab.

Alexander.

I'm sure there's a perfectly
good explanation.

I just thought it was crappy for Jason

and I didn't want to sit on it.

I didn't cancel. I postponed.

And-and there was a good explanation.

But good enough to let Jason down?

Babe, I'm not even sure he noticed.

Are you kidding?
Did you see how he was

when I asked him?

Something came up
at a briefing at work

that couldn't be postponed.

I'll make it up to him.

Okay.

"Okay" what?

No, I'm gonna go get dressed.

Well, it's just, this-this whole thing

with Alexander. I mean, you...

Could we not?

You're putting him above our son.

How many times have you pushed
the kids and me aside for work?

And have I ever

thrown it back at you once?

No. Fair enough.

Then can you please trust me

that if I had to cancel on Jason,

it must've been something
pretty damn important?

Okay, I-I hear you.

I'm just worried about you.

I'm sorry, worried about
me or blaming me?

Look at how you get
when we talk about him.

You're all twisted up.

I know it was terrible that
we abandoned him in Russia.

How many times do you
have to rescue him?

I mean, when is it
finally gonna be enough?

I don't know. Maybe never.

But what that kid went through,
the trauma that he...

that changes you forever

and I did it to him.

It's not about whether or not

you had a part in it.

This is mine to carry.

I'm not crossing any lines.

I am not pushing the kids away.

But I need to ask you
to let me figure out

how to live with it, okay?

Can you do that much?

- Ma'am, ma'am.
- Yeah?

Ebola. First case in
the U.S. just showed up.

- Where?
- Dallas hospital.

An aid worker developed symptoms

shortly after she returned
from West Africa.

Well, did she expose anybody?

She was with her family.

CDC has them all under quarantine.

They've agreed not to
go to the press yet.

Screw the furlough.

Call Ambassador Henderson.

- I want her on this.
- All right, but what if she...

Yeah, I will take the heat for it.

- I'm going to the White House.
- All right.

I think I have a way
to end the shutdown.

No, we're done playing games.

Ebola. There's a woman
in Dallas in quarantine.

This could be the ace
you've been looking for.

I mean, they have to end it now.

It's too late.
I'm going with plan "A."

Russell, we don't have time
to play out a scandal.

People are gonna die.

(quietly): We could be
looking at an outbreak.

And let that weasel
look like a white knight

who stopped Ebola? No.

My plan is faster and
gets rid of him for good.

For God's sakes,
when is it going to stop

being about perception?

You think this is a beauty contest?

I am not letting that
puling ideologue dismantle

Conrad's agenda piece by piece
over the next four years.

- (sighs)
- What I have will be fast and painless,

like putting down a sick dog.

The rest of his little faction
will run for the hills.

So you have something real?

His wife.

- Oh, God.
- Turns out she worked without a visa

when she first came here in ' .

As soon as we corroborate it,
we're dropping it to the press.

Why not use it as leverage?

Why drag the family into it?

Because I want him destroyed by
the same monster he created.

He wanted to whip up his base
against refugees and immigrants,

let them rip him apart.

(laughing): Thought you'd
appreciate the poetic justice.

If we were neutralizing
a foreign adversary, maybe.

I guess I thought we were
all on the same team.

All enemies, foreign and domestic.

Ebola is not the only virus
we're fighting here.

As soon as we get rid of Morejon,

the rest of us can get back
to governing the nation.

Meantime, I'll put in for
emergency funding for Dallas.

(groans lightly)

He's gonna try and get us funding.

JAY: One of the family members

is sick now, too.
It's out in the press.

While I would normally
suggest you avoid

Carlos Morejon's Twitter,
you should probably

see that.

"Runaway spending and POTUS
still can't keep Americans safe.

Ebola in the U.S.
Thank you, Mr. President."

There's nothing he won't say.

ELIZABETH: Both of them.

They can't stop.

"Both," ma'am?

ELIZABETH: Russell and Morejon.

They're lined up on either side.

It has to stop.

JAY: Well, Russell is not gonna stop.

Yeah.

Change of plans, Joe.

Senator Morejon's office.

ELIZABETH: Excuse me, Senator Morejon?

Secretary McCord, I'd be happy
to schedule a meeting.

Yeah, you're gonna want to talk
to me right now, Senator.

I've got quite a few colleagues
waiting for me.

Then I'll make this quick:
Russell Jackson has some

highly personal information
about a member of your family

and he's about to go to press.

I'd like to work with you
to stop that,

but it needs to be now.

I'm flattered that you took time

- out of your campaign schedule...
- (laughs)

...to bring me his threats in person.

Russell doesn't know I'm here.

And it isn't a thr*at.

He has proof that your wife
worked illegally in the U.S.

before she was a citizen.

Tell Russell to call me when
he's ready to settle the budget.

You ever seen somebody
die of Ebola, Senator?

They call it hemorrhagic fever because

you literally bleed to death
inside your body.

The virus breaks down your
organs and your cells explode.

Every minute that I am standing here,

we are one minute
closer to an outbreak.

All the more reason
to have President Dalton

take the deal...

This is the thing about a deal.

A deal is when each side

gives something and
meets in the middle.

What you and your colleagues are doing

is nothing less than extortion.

Quite an accusation
coming from the woman

who came here trying to blackmail me.

Oy...

And while you're
schooling me on deals,

explain to me how a $
trillion national debt

and a $ billion trade deficit

is a deal that I or any
American should want, huh?

That is gonna sound great
in your stump speech.

But I think you should take the deal

that POTUS offered two weeks ago.

You can tell your base that you
stopped balancing a spreadsheet

so you could save some lives.

I guarantee you it
will play in Peoria.

Madam Secretary, I want to remind you

I'm a senator
in the United States Congress.

I'm not some foreign despot
that you can strong-arm.

It seems to me it's your own
strong-arming that got us here.

- (laughs softly)
- (sighs)

Look, you can either
dare Russell Jackson

to do his worst,

or you can stand down and we can
all live to fight another day.

You tell Russell Jackson that
this is how enemies are made.

JAY: How'd it go?

ELIZABETH: Well, we'll see.

I either put out a fire or lit a fuse.

Hey.

Do I strong-arm foreign despots?

I would describe you
as firm, but reasonable.

I can live with that.

What's the news from Dallas?

No new cases as of yet.

Not so lucky in Sierra Leone,

but Ambassador Henderson
is doing what she can.

Off the record, of course.

Well, that means
our only hope right now

is an end to the shutdown.

To that end, ma'am,

when the State Department does resume

full operations, you're gonna
need a chief of staff.

- A real one.
- Yeah. I don't know.

I don't know why I'm being
so indecisive about that.

They're all so qualified.

If I may?

Russell Jackson's guy

from the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee

looks perfect on paper,
but I worry about his loyalties.

The Human Rights CEO
is an interesting outlier,

but she has no idea
what the job entails,

and one of her staffers
hesitated when I asked

how she does under pressure.

Oh. This job is nothing but pressure.

I'd put my money on Gwen from
the Office of Foreign Missions,

but her peers will think
it's a demotion, so...

That.

- Right there.
- What?

That's what I've been looking for.

Gwen.

No, you.

You don't have divided loyalties.

You won't feel like
you've been demoted,

and I do not have to wonder

about whether or not
you'll cr*ck under pressure.

Uh, he's already been kidnapped.

You've already been kidnapped.

And you didn't quit.

Uh... that right there, I mean,
you're either totally nuts,

or the most loyal person
I will ever find.

I'm not trying to talk
myself into a job here.

Right there. Another
reason you're so perfect.

Then I'd be honored

to be considered.

There's no consideration.
You are it, pal.

Just hang on, okay?

I'm...

It... Uh...

Chloe's little, and she
needs more of me, not less.

- And I have to be there for Abby.
- Of course.

No, really, like, I have to
leave by : on Tuesdays

and Thursdays, like, out the door.

We can make that work.

And I can't always
work on the weekends.

Listen, are you forgetting?

I raised three kids in this job.

- I know all about it.
- With a spouse.

And, due respect, ma'am,
my situation's different.

Maybe I'm just not in the right
place in my life for this.

We'll be fine.

We'll delegate.

Yeah?

Do you want this job or not?

Well, hell, yes I want it.

- Oh, thank God.
- (laughs) Let's go.

Ah, just... right there,
the whole time.

(sighing): Oh...

(chuckles)

You have no idea how
good you look right now.

I might.

(laughs)

Figured we had a
weekend to make up for.

I ruined that.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
gone after you about Alexander,

- that...
- Oh, stop.

Can I say again what a fantastic
father I think you are?

For what it's worth,

I'm taking Jace to the
Spy Museum tomorrow.

Oh, good.

We're still sort of dancing around

his suspicions about my job.

Uh, honestly, I'm... not quite
sure how to handle that one.

Well, we're honest in all
the ways that count.

And someday, his therapist
will be able to buy a boat.

(laughs softly)

Here.

What is that?

Uh, it's a little something I've
been working on for a while.

I was gonna pick it up in Paris
and give it to you there,

but, uh, I found a colleague
who was flying back yesterday.

He grabbed it for me.

How did you get my father's watch?

It was lost in the car accident.

It's a recreation.

I found the guy who made the original.

He's in his s.

He's still at it.

Here. (chuckles)

But how, I mean... wait...

(stammers) You always talked about it

and pointed it out in photographs

and told me he bought
it on his honeymoon.

It wasn't that hard to figure out.

I love this watch.

Well, here's a promise.

I'll always find time
for you and the kids.

Thank you.

(phone ringing)

- Is that Russell Jackson?
- Mm-mm. Mm-mm.

- Mm-mm.
- Ugh. It is. He's here.

(groans)

Hold that thought.

Russell.

What an unexpected surprise.

Thought I'd share the
good news in person.

Senator Morejon just agreed to
the terms of our original offer

on the budget amendments.

Both houses are expected to sign off

on the new CR in the morning.

That is felicitous.

It is.

Just when I'm hours away

from eliminating the number one
thr*at to our agenda,

the guy caves out of nowhere.

He was probably persuaded
by the thr*at

of a pandemic, or... (scoffs)

...getting blamed for one.

Speaking of,

I should probably call my Africa desk.

- Gonna be a busy morning.
- Stay in your lane,

Bess.

Understood?

You asked me to help end the shutdown.

So what I think you
mean is "thank you."

Glass of wine, Russell?

(sighs)

- I got to get home.
- Okay.

Uh, where are you on the
new chief of staff?

- I sent over a good guy.
- Oh. Yeah, you did.

Uh, but I'm gonna go with Jay.

Who in the hell is Jay?

Whitman.

My policy advisor.

Well, that's dumb.

Good night, Russell.

STEVIE: You have your passport, right?

Okay. Twice is helpful.

Three times, a bit excessive.

Why is Russell Jackson
telling me to bring donuts?

What?

If you're calling to
warn me about donuts,

that's my wife's job.

I'm sorry. Is the shutdown over?

Your mother didn't mention this?

I haven't seen her.

Also, I'm supposed
to be leaving for England

in three hours.

Well, I guess this means no donuts.

I can come in if you need me.

How long are you gonna be gone?

A week.

Well, I suppose we can survive.

It's up to you.

Okay. Uh, I guess I'll
see you in a week, then.

Thanks. Bye.

Thank God.

Okay, right.

I think this is everything.

You ready?

I don't know. Um...

I kind of feel like I should go in.

Why? What did he say?

He said it's up to me.

And you're going to choose
to go to work.

I'm just not sure I really
want to go on this trip.

I'm sorry. What?

Wh... You're telling me this now?
We...

Uh, it's just hitting me.

Well, you did agree to it.

- That kind of implies consent.
- I know. I'm sorry.

Is this about my family?

Can I reassure you

on the way, because we
really do have to go.

Jareth, I feel terrible, okay?

I mean, especially 'cause
you've given up so much

- just to be with me.
- Okay, wait. What are you saying?

I'm saying... that...

I never listen to the voice
in my head, you know?

I... Anytime I've done
something I don't want to do,

there's always a voice telling me

"Don't do it. Don't
join the lacrosse team

"because you want
Gina Marek to like you.

"Don't quit college because
you're freaked out

- about your mom"
- Okay, no, no, no.

This is just the voice of fear.

- No. I don't think it is.
- It is.

And you don't have to be afraid,

because we're together.

Are we? I mean, are we?

Well, this is what this
trip is meant to be about.

I just... I think I need to think
things through a little bit.

Oh, my God. I can't
believe this is happening.

I'm not saying anything definitive.

Okay? I just... I need
a little bit of time.

Sure.

Jareth...

(sighs)

I'll see you in a week, okay?

We'll talk.

I just wish that the
voice in your head

was telling you to go with me.

♪ ♪