04x05 - Persona Non Grata

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Madam Secretary". Aired: September 2014 to December 2019.*
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"Madam Secretary" follows a former CIA analyst and college professor who is promoted to United States Secretary of State as she tries to balance her work and family life.
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04x05 - Persona Non Grata

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on Madam Secretary...

You're going to need a Chief of staff.

Okay. Then I'd be honored
to be considered.

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

There will be a partial shutdown
of the federal government

in a matter of days.

You're playing a more
dangerous game than you know.

You played a pretty
dangerous game yourself.

I am not letting that puny ideologue

dismantle Conrad's
agenda piece by piece

over the next four years!

ELIZABETH:
I wanted you to meet a mother

whose daughter was taken
by the criminals

we're trying to stop.

The Russians are stepping
up their efforts

to bolster the Taliban

and undermine the democratic
government in Afghanistan.

I don't have to tell
you how disastrous

that would be to the United States...

well, the entire Western world...

if they were to succeed.

HENRY: Russian support for the Taliban

- _
- is growing in intensity.

According to our source,

this latest transfer included
lethal weaponry,

including RPG- s,
PKs and Kord machine g*ns,

which were used in an att*ck
on an Afghan police station

in Mazar-i-Sharif last night,

leaving dead.

CARPENTER: Terrible business.

I've read the reports.

But, well, why do you think
the Kremlin is arming

- the Taliban?
- Well, one, because it undermines

American interests in the region.

And two, because it
establishes a relationship

in the event the Afghan
government falls.

And you think that's likely?

If the infiltration continues, yes.

That's why Special Activities
Division is requesting

emergency funding,
so that we can hire personnel,

develop sources,

and launch new operations

against Russian targets in Kabul.

So you're trying to nip
this thing in the bud

- before GRU gets a foothold.
- Yeah, exactly.

Then I'm inclined

to support your request.

We must defend our allies

in Kabul.

With all due respect
to the majority leader,

I am not ready to sign
a blank check here.

Our Afghan partners
are divided and weak

because so-called best efforts
of the Dalton administration

have failed.

I'm afraid I didn't hear a
question in there, Senator.

Well, isn't this Russia thing
just an attempt by the president

to deny blame for a failed policy?

I assure you, the thr*at is real.

Well, maybe the fault lies
with the secretary of state.

She's the one that executes

that policy.

I'm more interested in
finding solutions

than assigning blame,

but the secretary can only do
so much with the budget

approved by this Congress.

Senator Morejon,

you ran your campaign on a
platform of national security.

So I'm asking, respectfully,

for you to put your money
where your mouth is.

ELIZABETH: "Put your money
where your mouth is"?


You actually said that?

Guy went after my wife.

So you went full Godfather.

Yeah, and I got my funding.

I guess I made him a request
he couldn't refuse.

Yeah, a smart one.

Oh, hey, listen,

while you're on the Hill,
will you stop by Colonial Gelato

and get some pistachio for Ali?

She texted me she's gonna
come over tonight.

Again?

She was just there.

I mean, is it normal for
a freshman in college

to want to spend so much time at home?

No, stop.
I like it when she comes home.

And she's not an
intelligence asset, Henry.

You don't have to
question her motives.

She's my daughter.

- I question everything.
- (ELIZABETH CHUCKLES)

Two tubs of pistachio, Don Corleone.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Good morning, Madam Secretary.

- Morning.
- Hey!

- Oh, here.
- Oh.

- Matt, welcome back.
- Thank you so much.

It's great to be here,
with consequential work

and fresh pastries.

There's fresh pastries?

- No.
- Yeah.

Morning, Madam Secretary.

Good morning, Mr. Chief of Staff.

How's your first major
initiative going?

Finally got the Summit team assembled.

They're waiting
in the portrait gallery.

- Okay.
- He's been herding the G/TIP Program Officers

since : this morning.

Happy to be sleep deprived

for a landmark deal
on human trafficking.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, hey, wait.

Has anyone heard from Daisy?
What's the news?

Oh, she's great. She's binge-watching

Real Housewives, about ready to pop.

Oh, tell her to skip Potomac,
it's the worst one.

I... I heard.

- Tell her to hang in there.
- I will.

Diane.

It's good to see you.

Proud to serve, Madam Secretary.

Uh, good morning.

ALL: Good morning.

To those of you who were
ON FURLOUGH: welcome back.

And there are fresh
pastries on Uncle Sam.

- In that room.
- (SCATTERED LAUGHTER)

Um, I-I just wanted to acknowledge

the incredible work you have done

to prepare for this
Human Trafficking Summit

in Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asia is still one
of the last strongholds

of forced labor and
sexual exploitation.

Thanks to you, we now
have a framework agreement

which includes advanced
prevention efforts

and reparations to the
victims and their families.

Which means justice
for people like Diane Cramer,

who, despite losing her daughter Lara,

is personally serving on
our negotiations team.

On that note,

I will turn it over
to my new chief of staff,

- Jay Whitman.
- Okay.

(APPLAUSE)

Copies of my latest draft agreement

will be arriving in your
inboxes any minute.

There'll be a travel briefing
at : in Conference Room F

where there will be
even more pastries.

- (ALL LAUGH)
- Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(KNOCKS)

Hey.

Look who's back.

And he brought a blankie.

Are we really so scary?

I, uh, I made this for Molly.

She's on bed rest.

Looks like the kiddo's coming early.

But I'll see that she gets it.

You seriously, you knit this?

Had way too much time on
my hands during the furlough.

Morning, team.

Meet Agent Nafisa Samadi.

She's our Chief of Station in Kabul.

Dylan Larsen.

- Hi.
- Alexander Mehranov.

Hi there.

HENRY: Nafisa's in D.C. to coordinate

strategy on our intelligence
operations in Afghanistan.

Which so far have been
focused on our primary asset,

Osip Bakunin.

HENRY: But now that Congress
has loosened the purse strings,

I want to expand our options.

So, where are we
on Andrei Yarmolinsky?

Well, everything continues to point

to him being the principal
GRU agent operating in Kabul.

But we have no idea
who he's working with.

Well, if we're really serious

about deterring Russian
aggression in Afghanistan,

we need to uncover his network.

Which means ramping up
our staff in-country.

Nafisa, how quickly can we
set up a safe house,

increase our surveillance
operations in Kabul?

hours to select the personnel,

another to set up the site.

Okay, let's get started.

That's it.

Uh, Alexander, hang back
for a second, would you?

How you doing?

Um...

my rehab counselor says
that I should try knitting.

You know, focuses the mind.

And, uh, now all I can do is
have dreams about cable stitch.

Well, it's an effective therapy.
Keep it up.

Is there something else?

No.

Just wanted to say
I'm glad to have you back.

(DOOR CLOSES)

President Nogoyev will
be right in the middle

of the table, here.

Mrs. Cramer, you'll be
seated over here.

Directly across from him.

Are you sure that's best?

Well, if he tries to
backtrack on reparations,

- he'll have to do it to your face.
- Huh.

That is, uh, if you're
up for it, of course.

Madam Secretary,

when Lara d*ed in that truck, I...

(SIGHS)

When you offered me the chance

to work on behalf of her
and all the victims,

it gave me my life back, so,

yes, I'm up for anything

that will help get this deal done.

Thank you.

The secretary will be
next to you on your left,

and seated to your right
will be Julia MacDonald,

our ambassador to Kyrgyzstan.

ELIZABETH: She personally
hammered out the agreement

on local police cooperation.

She's relentless.

Well, she's also a former
Olympic athlete.

She took medal at steeplechase.

Speaking of, ma'am,

I have Ambassador MacDonald on SVTC.

Ah. This'll just be a second.
Thank you.

ELIZABETH: Julia...

I have a bone to pick with you.

Really, Madam Secretary?

What's this Olympic medal
you never told me about?

(SCOFFS) It was only a bronze.

And, honestly, the hurdles I'm
currently facing are far worse.

All right, what's the trouble?

I have been getting the cold shoulder

from President Nogoyev
since yesterday.

Then this morning, he
cancels all press visas

and ceases data sharing with Interpol.

Sounds like the cold shoulder is
attached to a pair of cold feet.

JAY: You think he's
having second thoughts

about paying reparations?

Well, he was a hard sell on
the Summit from the beginning.

We finally pinned him down

on the framework agreement,

but he was clearly unhappy
with the outcome.

So now he's posturing
for a better deal.

Or avoiding one altogether.

Either way, I'd say our
mission is in trouble.

Thank you, Julia.

Keep me posted.

Will do, ma'am.

Okay, I'll say it for argument's sake.

Should we offer Nogoyev
some kind of inducement?

No way.

We fought tooth and nail
for every provision

in this framework.
If this is a shakedown,

I don't want to make any
preemptive concessions.

Ma'am.

Neither do I.

Which leaves only one good option.

- You've got to be kidding me.
- I know it's short notice.

Short notice is a same day appointment

with my cardiologist.

Not an international trip
for a president

burdened with the aftershocks
of a government shutdown.

It's only for a couple of days.

Yeah, well, that's cute,
but we're already weeks behind

on our "Pave America" campaign

to repair our nation's
decrepit infrastructure.

As far as I'm concerned,
you can get on board

- or get out of the way.
- With respect,

Mr. Jackson, that isn't your call.

Is he gonna be talking to me that way?

Get on board.

DALTON: You want me to fly

- to Kyrgyzstan.
- Yes, sir.

An egomaniac like Nogoyev
is vulnerable to flattery.

And there's nothing more flattering

than a visit from the
President of the United States.

This man is supposed to be
giving a speech on a bridge

over the Ohio River
tomorrow afternoon.

You want him to go to a
country whose biggest exports

are wool and yak cheese?

Gold and cotton, actually.

I don't care!

And neither do the actual voters

who are sick of crashing into potholes.

Sir, you know how our
enemies will spin this.

They'll say we're
ignoring crime at home.

Crime doesn't respect borders.

That's why Diane Cramer's
-year-old daughter

suffocated in the back
of a delivery truck,

, miles from home.

Fair enough,

but the president can only be
in so many places at once.

ELIZABETH: True.

But this is an exceptional
opportunity.

We have a chance to strike a
blow against human trafficking

that will last generations.

Come with us, sir.

Clear my schedule, Russell.

We're going to the land
of gold and cotton.

- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you, sir.

REPORTER: Senator,
the president has called for


a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan.

Are you willing
to work with him on that?

Would you trust the man
who cancels a trip to Ohio

to stump for one of Elizabeth
McCord's pet projects

in Kyrgyzstan?

It's a hollow promise when
the globalist rot runs deep.

- (REPORTERS CLAMOR)
- (TV CLICKS OFF)

HENRY: That guy... I mean...

I need another scoop.

I mean, who knew that
trying to end human sl*very

- would be so controversial?
- Have more.

- I definitely want more.
- Hello!

(GASPS)

- HENRY AND JASON: Hey!
- Oh!

Our fashionista!

What can I say? I'm a sucker for
free food and fabric softener.

Yeah, and-and room

- to spread out, I understand.
- Oh, yeah.

Lucinda's converted our room
into a theater for sock puppets.

- (CHUCKLES): Oh, God.
- Ooh, pistachio?

- Yeah!
- Have some.

How's your midterm coming along?

My dress? It's going okay.

Ooh, Vampire Nerds is on demand...

- you guys in?
- That pretty much slays my demo.

- You know I'm down.
- I'm down.

You sure you have time, Noodle?

Yeah. Right now I need
to turn off my brain

- and watch teenagers bite each other.
- (LAUGHS)

Please. All she has to do is
pull down a shower curtain

and cut out some arm holes.

- Oh, would you just... (EXCLAIMS)
- What?

Not necessary.

- (PHONE RINGS)
- It's called upcycling...

- it's all the rage right now.
- I've been home for five minutes.

Come on. Let's-let's walk... Come on.

No, no, no, no, no,
you have to watch this one.

Mom?

- You have to watch this one, Dad.
- Hmm?

Uh, Ambassador MacDonald for you.

Oh.

Thank you.

Julia?

You psyched to meet POTUS?

Uh, I'm afraid not, ma'am.

What's happening? Are you okay?

I'm being expelled from the country.
I've been declared

persona non grata.

No, they can't do that.
On what grounds?

They haven't said, ma'am.

They-they forced their
way into the residence.

Oh, my God. Did they hurt you?
I mean, are you...

- _
- I'm gonna call POTUS,

have him issue a démarche.

They can't do this.

- Hey!
- No, you can't do that!

Julia? Julia.

Thanks, buddy. Hang in there.

That was Jay. Julia MacDonald's
on her way over here,

should be here any minute.

What'd the Kyrgyz say?

Radio silence.

And the Summit is in limbo

until we're back on speaking terms.

You'd think they'd offer
some kind of explanation.

Normally, they wouldn't have to.

Persona non grata is a
response to something noisy,

like declaring w*r

or committing m*rder.

While we're on ominous developments...

I just checked the
radiator in Alison's room.

Radiator's fine.

I just wanted to see how she was
doing on her design project

- while she's out to breakfast with Stevie.
- (LAUGHS)

You spied on our daughter.

As far as I can tell,
she hasn't even started yet.

What?

Yeah, there's a whole
lot of materials,

but no sign of construction.

She watched the entire Vampire
Nerds
trilogy last night,

including Revenge of the Were-Jocks.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

We don't have to worry
about an empty nest.

If Ali fails her midterm,
next thing we know,

she'll be , still living at home

and driving us to colonoscopies.

I'll talk to her.

Thank you.

Julia, hi. Come on in.

Oh, this is my husband Henry.

Hi. It's a pleasure.

Hi. Nice to meet you.
I'll leave you guys.

Can I get you something to drink?

No, thank you.

Okay. Uh, come, sit, please.

Uh, how was your flight?

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

I've had better.

Listen, I-I know that you've
been through hell, but I...

I need to know what
I'm dealing with here.

Do you have any idea
why you were expelled?

It's much simpler
if I offer my resignation.

No. Not a chance.

But the Human Trafficking Summit...

I'm not gonna let Nogoyev
abuse my diplomats.

It's humiliating.

And he is cruel and arbitrary.

It isn't arbitrary, ma'am.

I, uh, I was... I was
involved with Feliks Karimov,

the Minister of Health and
the president's brother-in-law.

What?!

He runs a series of clinics
for indigent children.

Oh, my God.

At the time, the-the embassy

was involved with
health care diplomacy.

One thing led to another, and...

Nogoyev must have found out.

(SIGHS)

I know it sounds crazy,
but we had plans.

It made sense.

Yeah, this is the part
that I am struggling with.

How did you allow it to make sense?

Feliks isn't like his brother-in-law.

He's-he's patient, funny.

Oh, Julia, this is,
this is bigger than you.

I mean... (SIGHS)

We got here on the backs
of decades of women

who worked their whole lives to
be trusted and taken seriously

and you just...

(SIGHS)

Our mistakes are magnified.
It's not fair.

We owe it to each other
to remember that.

I know.

And it sickens me.

I'll take that letter now.

Can I make one request?

I haven't heard from Feliks,
and given Nogoyev's reputation,

I'm worried for his safety.

Can you check on him, please?

I'll see what I can do.

Thank you, ma'am.

RUSSELL: I can't
decide which is worse,

sleeping with a foreign
president's brother-in-law

or being dumb enough to get caught.

She's in love, Russell.
It's a human mistake.

It's a stain on this
whole administration.

What's our response?

Julia confessed right away.
We have a chance

- to clean it up.
- RUSSELL: (SCOFFS) Oh, yeah?

If Morejon finds out

about this little affair,

he'll roast us over the flaming
hot coals of cable news.

We can kiss our
infrastructure deal good-bye.

Here's the thing, I don't think
he will find out about it.

Kyrgyzstan hasn't
released it to the media.

There's a reason for that.

Nogoyev is incredibly
protective of his family.

He doesn't want his dirty
laundry out in public

- any more than we do.
- It's the diplomatic equivalent

of mutually assured destruction.

Pro tip:

when you're trying to reassure,

don't use a metaphor
for nuclear holocaust.

We can put out a statement
that Julia resigned

for personal reasons.

Yep, then make a side
deal with Nogoyev

to have the Summit
go ahead as scheduled.

All right.

Bess, you can explore
rapprochement with Kyrgyzstan,

especially if it means
saving the Summit,

but, uh, you'll have
to do it without me.

Yes, sir.

Politics are too radioactive,
so to speak.

Russell, put the bridge back
on the original schedule.

Pleasure, Mr. President.

Hey.

Hey, Noodle.

How was breakfast?

Good.

I thought you'd be at work.

I thought you'd be spending more
time on your midterm project.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Look, your mom and I know that
you haven't started your dress.

You were in my room?

Technically our room.

And house.

And come to think of it, we're paying

- for your tuition, too, so...
- That does not make it okay.

Uh, okay, fair enough. Look...

I just want to make sure you're okay.

I don't know what I was
thinking with this design class.

What are you talking about?

Fashion, it... it's your thing.

Fashion was my thing in high school.

But Bayard, it's everyone's thing.

Most of my classmates
grew up summering in Milan

and drinking spritzes
with Dolce and Gabbana.

(SIGHS)

What if I'm not good enough?

You know the most important
thing I learned in the Marines?

It wasn't how to fire a g*n,
or scale a wall,

or even how to fly jets.

Hospital corners.

They taught me how to make a bed.

That's not where I thought
you were going with that.

Okay, the point is...

... if you can accomplish one thing,

even a small thing,

it gives you the boost you
need to finish the mission.

So what is the simplest
part of your project

that you can do right now?

Mount the sleeves.

So, go do it.

Even if they suck?

Absolutely.

Look, the most important part of any
project or assignment is to finish.

You'll never know what you're
capable of until you start.

So, get up there and,
uh, mount the sleeves...

- (CHUCKLES)
- ... and-and, you know,

make something in
the shape of a dress.

Okay.

- Thanks, Dad.
- Mm-hmm.

But you are not off the
hook for going in my room.

(NOGOYEV SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(TRANSLATING): ... maniacal, crooked,

two-faced, foul, rotten.

You probably get the picture.

Please tell President Nogoyev

that when he runs out of adjectives,

I'd like to offer my sincere apology

on behalf of the United States

for the conduct of our ambassador.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Yes, but what about my sister?

Has anyone apologized to her?

I am happy to do that.

We sincerely regret any harm

that was done to the
first family of Kyrgyzstan.

(TRANSLATING IN RUSSIAN)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Very well.

Wait, uh, Mr. President,
Mr. President,

I-I hope that we can agree that
it is in our mutual interest

to have the Human Trafficking
Summit proceed as scheduled.

(TRANSLATING IN RUSSIAN)

Why?

There is no human
trafficking in Kyrgyzstan.

Are we really back to that?

Then why did you agree

to pay reparations to the
families of the victims?

(TRANSLATING)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

I did that out of the
charity of my heart.

Much like Madonna adopted
those children from Africa.

ELIZABETH: Motivation aside, you must

recognize how this Summit

will bolster your reputation and...

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Will President Dalton
come to my palace

and personally apologize to my sister?

Well, I'm sorry.
He's no longer coming.

Then the Summit is canceled.

Ooh, Mr. President,
before you go, I want to check

on the welfare of your
brother-in-law, Feliks Karimov.

(TRANSLATING)

(LAUGHS)

You dare discuss that
adulterer with me?

Adultery isn't a crime
in your country.

You have a responsibility
to treat him humanely.

(TRANSLATING)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

You don't tell me
how to run my family.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

... Madonna, "The Power of Good-bye"?

Do you know that Madonna song,
"The Power of Good-bye"?

Good-bye!

That-that's it? The Summit's dead?

Breathe, Jay.

We can still salvage a lesser

regional accord that'll
do plenty of good.

Start looking for
an alternate host country.

Tajikistan is a no.*

Turkmenistan, too.

Kazakhstan is open to hosting,

but they want to
renegotiate carbon emissions

under the Stockholm Protocol.

With the entire UN? Forget it.

What about Uzbekistan?

Stalling for time,
want to see how this plays out.

All right. I'll update POTUS.

Well, get back with Kazakhstan.

See if they'll accept
something more bilateral.

And I want you to run a
check on Feliks Karimov.

We after anything specific?

Ooh. Just make sure
he isn't being tortured.

Not condoning t*rture,

but is that really the
best use of our time?

Is there a problem, Jay?

Sorry, ma'am, but
we're circling the drain.

Arranging this Summit was hard enough

before our ambassador was
declared persona non grata,

but now it's like putting
out a five-alarm fire

with a coffee straw.

I'm not exactly keen
about our prospects here.

I didn't ask you to be keen.
I asked you to get it done.

Of course.

Hey. What the hell was that?

What are you talking about?

(SCOFFS) My friend...

(CLEARS THROAT)

That was almost a rant.

Well, I might have let my
frustration show a little.

Yeah, here's the thing.

You can't do that.

Excuse me?

It was fine when you were
the policy guy, but come on.

Look around you.

You're in the big office now.

And when people come to you,
they expect solutions,

especially the secretary.

I mean, of all the times that
you were in here, did you...

did you ever once see Nadine complain?

You need to get it together

before you make an
impression you can't fix.

Ma'am, ma'am, Kazakhstan just
agreed to host the Summit

in exchange for a fast track
on bilateral trade talks.

Well done.

And we found Feliks Karimov.

Is he safe?

INR tracked him
to a resort villa in Bora Bora.

Well, then why hasn't he called Julia?

Right, well, it's not
exactly a hard labor camp.

But get this.

That villa is being rented by
a front company in Curacao.

(CLICKS TONGUE) Which, as I recall...

Is a first choice haven
for money launderers.

Call the White House.

I want ODNI brought in on this.

HENRY: A teak deck and plunge pool?

ELIZABETH: It's $ , a night.

(SPUTTERS) Clearly, I'm
working for the wrong people.

There is no way Karimov isn't dirty.

So, who's paying him off? Nogoyev?

Likely.

Spying on Julia would give
Kyrgyzstan an edge

into our human
trafficking negotiations.

NSA's into it now.

I still can't believe
you're going to Afghanistan.

Believe me, I'd prefer French Polynesia.

I guess I thought
that a leadership role

meant you didn't have
to jet into w*r zones.

This from a lady who
corkscrewed into the middle

of a Libyan civil w*r last month.

Here.

Take these.

Uh... why?

Because now you have to come home safe

because you have my reading glasses.

(SNORTS, LAUGHS)

(LAUGHS) What are you gonna
do for reading glasses?

You give me a pair of yours.

I feel better already.

Whoa! Gol... Lord...

(CHUCKLES)

Listen, as long as you're
gonna be in Kabul,

you should meet with our
ambassador, Pat Findlay.

He's got a deep bench of connections.

Sure. I'm still building up my bench.

(SIGHS)

- (MECHANICAL WHIRRING)
- Okay.

What?

You hear that?

- (WHIRRING)
- She's really working.

You know, you should consider

the motivational speaker
circuit, Professor.

I'm happy with my roster of clients


- right here in this house.
- (LAUGHS)

Okay.

You get home fast.

You have my...

And you have mine.

Bye.

Bye.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

- ELIZABETH: Thank you. Morning.
- Morning.

Any new information on Feliks Karimov?

Not yet.

What? What now?

Ambassador MacDonald's

persona non grata status
just broke in the press.

- How much do they know?
- Everything.

WOMAN (ON TV): ... a
surprising new treatment

for cancer, but right now,
we're following...

- Diane.
- Madam Secretary.

... of an alleged affair involving

the American ambassador to
Kyrgyzstan, Julia MacDonald,

and a member of the ruling family.

Mrs. Cramer.

Tell me this isn't happening.

I wish I could.

The bottom just fell out, ma'am.

The Kazahks canceled the deal

- to host the Summit.
- Of course they did.

The ops center is being flooded

with calls from other
signatory countries.

They're dropping out.

All of them?

This affair is the perfect excuse.

The moral authority
of the United States

was the only thing keeping
most of the countries

in the agreement in the first place.

Now they can label us
as corrupt and unethical

while avoiding any commitment
to prosecute human trafficking.

It's flagrant hypocrisy,
but they have us in a corner.

What if we postpone the Summit,

uh, try again in a few months?

Under different circumstances, maybe,

but unless President Nogoyev

and Kyrgyzstan get back on board,

I don't see how the other countries

come back to the table.

- (PHONE RINGING)
- I'm so sorry.

I understand.

- Hello?
- You're welcome to stay in my office

until we know more.

Okay, thanks.

They need you at the White House.

I promise you,
we are not giving up on this.

STEVIE: I can't believe how
quickly you finished this.

Well, I already had the
design and the fabric.

All I had to do was sew.

(FABRIC RUSTLING)

You're not saying anything
about how it looks.

Just promise me I'm
not gonna get mocked

and fail and then mocked more.

Ali.

It's awesome.

Really?

You don't hate it?

You're crazy.

I love it.

So you would wear it?

Absolutely.

Like, in public?

I mean, you know, obviously
for the right occasion,

but... totes.

Maybe like a fashion show?

At Bayard tonight?

In my paralysis and panic

about my adequacy as a
designer and human being,

I forgot to book a model
for the presentation.

(SCOFFS) Um...

Yeah, I don't know, I...

I'm already late for work,

and I've been putting in pretty
long hours these days, so...

It starts at : .

Please?

I just really hate being on stage.

I mean, I'll probably trip.

(SIGHS) Okay,

I will do it, I will do it.

Oh, my God. Thank you!

You're very welcome.

- Can you undo the thingy at the top?
- Yes.

WARE: NSA was able

to spearfish the shell corporation

that Feliks Karimov was using

to pay for his villa in Bora Bora.

Our suspicion that
he's a foreign agent

has been confirmed.

So he was spying for Kyrgyzstan.

WARE: No, Mr. President.

His payments were coming from the GRU.

You're telling me
one of our top diplomats,

with the same security
clearance as a four-star general,

was seduced by a Russian spy?

The thr*at was much more
significant than

- we initially realized.
- We have to find out

exactly what she told him.

Is she in custody yet?

FBI is detaining her as we speak.

But pillow talk is the
least of our worries.

Cyber Division found a cryptoworm

implanted on the embassy
servers in Bishkek.

So they hacked us, too?

Sir, they could have accessed

our entire m*llitary
and political strategy

in Central Asia.

Ephraim, have FBI forensics

tear into every server
and fiber optic cable

between here and Bishkek.

We need to know how deep this goes

and just how vulnerable we are.

Yes, sir.

He asked a lot about our
regional vaccine program.

He was the Minister of Health.

His curiosity seemed normal.

FBI AGENT: And at any point

did you leave him alone
with your computer?

JULIA: Yes.

Many times.

This is heartbreaking.

Yeah, for national security.

Not to mention our entire
political agenda.

Senator Morejon's people have
already cut an att*ck ad.

"Diplomats gone wild."

And that's just for the affair.

Wait till they get a
whiff of the IC breach.

How bad is the breach looking,

by the way?

Our initial assessment is...

cautiously optimistic.

It looks like the GRU only
gained access to local intel

at the Confidential level.

Fortunately, our strategic interests

in Kyrgyzstan are limited.

(SIGHS)

All right. I'll update POTUS.

Let's pray to God we keep
this thing contained.

(DOOR OPENS)

HENRY: So does this mean

your human trafficking summit is dead?

ELIZABETH: Uh, the preferred term

is "on life support."

(CHUCKLES)

How's it going over there?

Rather smooth so far.

- _
- I'm just finishing up the official briefings.

Then I'm gonna head
straight over to the embassy

to meet with Ambassador Findlay.

Stay safe.

I will. Oh, wait.

How did Ali's dress turn out?

Oh, I got intel from Stevie.

- Thumbs up.
- Nice.

(CHUCKLES)

You got your own deep game.

Yeah. Motherhood.

Ambassador Findlay.

Henry McCord.
Thanks for seeing me so late.

Of course. Please.

I was glad to hear that
Special Activities Division

was ramping up operations in-country.

Oh, so you're up to speed.

CIA posted the briefing
on JWICS an hour ago.

You're establishing a safe house.

Yes. A-And what we're trying to do

is build a picture of GRU recruitment

within the Afghan government,

so anything you may have heard...

Well, my face-to-face
interaction with the Russians

is pretty minimal, but, um,

we do have mutual contacts
in the business community.

This is...

... Ali Muslimyar.

He's a local construction magnate

who buys heavy equipment
from the Russians.

I can introduce you.

Uh, is that you with Julia MacDonald?

Yes.

That's from the vaccine program

we've been coordinating together.

Shame what happened to her.

I-I never got the full...

Excuse me, this coordination.

Did it take place over e-mail?

Sometimes, yes.

And the briefing
you just saw on JWICS,

did it include the location
of the safe house?

Yes, but... What?

(LINE RINGING)

HENRY: Come on. Pick up, pick up.

This is Scepter.

We've been compromised.
Initiate evacuation

- procedure Delta.
- Delta. Acknowledged.

Code Delta! Lock it down! Go, go, go!

What the hell happened?

The ambassador may have
been hacked by GRU.

And he had access to our
safe house location.

I'm half a block away,

I've got room for five in my vehicle.
Get out of there.

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

(TIRES SCREECHING)

- Damn it.
- (HORNS HONKING)

(TIRES SCREECH)

(TRUCK HORN BLOWS)

(CHICKENS CLUCKING)

(CAR ALARM BEEPING)

(PEOPLE SHOUTING, SCREAMING)

Our drone is coming into position now.

God. The size of that thing.

Must have been a truck b*mb.

Dr. McCord said it was a su1c1de att*ck,

followed by a sweep
of Taliban fighters.

Yeah, if anyone was still inside...

DALTON: Has Henry made
contact with his team yet?

Burn protocol calls for radio silence.

We'll be in the dark

until he reaches his
predetermined rendezvous point.

Call Admiral Parker.

I want Taliban decapitation
strike options on my desk

within the hour.

I have Dr. McCord.

DALTON: Put him on speaker, Colonel.

(PHONE BEEPS)

Henry?

Uh, is, uh... is your team okay?

HENRY: Uh, some cuts,

and burst eardrums,
but we're all standing.

Guards closed the perimeter
just in time.

DALTON: CENTCOM has a pair of
Chinooks en route to the embassy.

I've ordered the evacuation

of all American high-ranking
personnel until further notice.

He means bring your ass home, Henry.

(SOFT LAUGHTER)

Yes, honey.

And Mr. President.

All right, listen up.

We need to know who orchestrated
these att*cks from Moscow,

and see if they're planning any more.

I'll signal Bakunin,
see if he knows anything.

Good. The rest of you, do the same.

Question your assets, get them to safety

and let's go.

TRANSLATOR: I am outraged

to hear that my brother-in-law

was working for the Russian GRU.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(TRANSLATED):
But I see no reason to reinstate

this Summit on Human Trafficking

or to pay these
outrageous reparations.

Seriously, not a hint of remorse?

If anything, the fault lies
with your harlot

of an ambassador.

She is the one who corrupted him.

ELIZABETH: Here's the thing.

Feliks Karimov is a member
of your government.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Minister of health, so what?

I'll fire him tomorrow.

Feel free.
But that won't change the fact

that your brother-in-law
helped the Russians

cyberattack the United States.

And for that, I'm holding you
personally responsible.

Please, Madam Secretary.

I am a powerful man.

How-how do you say, uh... ?

Bang, bang. Untouchable.

ELIZABETH: Maybe.

But your money isn't.

Feliks Karimov was a
member of your cabinet,

which gives us the legal authority

to apply targeted sanctions.

You're bluffing.

JAY: Treasury is freezing
your accounts as we speak.

This is a one-time offer that'll
expire when we end this call:

reinstate the Summit
on Human Trafficking

and bring all signatory countries

back to the table immediately.

You know that Madonna song, "Hung Up"?

I am about to hang up on you.

Da.

(NOGOYEV CHUCKLES)

I'll have my people reach out.

Great.

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

- ♪
- Two-minute warning.

This was a bad idea.

(EXHALES)

This was a very bad idea.

You ready to rock?

Uh, I just need to, um...

I just need to sit down for a minute.

You're gonna be great.

Remember, they're judging me, not you.

Jareth and I broke off the engagement.

What?

Oh, my God. When?

A few days ago.

Um...

I thought we were gonna
just take some time.

(CRYING): But he called,

and he... he pulled the plug.

So, I just, I haven't
really been sleeping

and I just, I get stage fright

even when I'm really well-rested

and... happy.

So... (SNIFFLES)

I just don't think I can do this, Ali.

I'm really sorry.

(CRYING)

I can't imagine what
you're going through.

And I really feel terrible,

and I promise I want to talk about it

and watch dumb comedies and trash him,

or not, if you're not ready.

But right now, I need you
to walk across this stage

and smile with your
eyes so I don't fail.

Okay.

(ANNOUNCER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

Like this?

(BOTH LAUGH)

Let's go, ladies. You're on.

- Okay.
- (EXHALES)

- Am I good?
- Don't...

- (SNIFFLES)
- Let me get that. Ooh.

- Perfect.
- Okay, okay.

ANNOUNCER: From fashion
designer Alison McCord,

our next look is a
white scoop-neck dress

with three-quarter length sleeves

and chiffon coral ruffles.

Ma'am.

- Yeah.
- It's done.

I need more.

All the original signatories
are back on board.

All we have to do is gas up the jet.

- That's a big win.
- Yeah.

(STAMMERING): Yeah, and
that should give Dalton

the cover he needs to revive
his infrastructure plan.

Not exactly how I scripted it.

Oh, I'll take it.

I wanted to, uh,
apologize for yesterday.

I know, uh, grumbling isn't
part of the job description.

I won't let it happen again.

Oh. Don't make promises
you can't keep, Jay.

I love your passion.

That's why you got the job.

Yeah, maybe, just...

would prefer it
attached to a solution...

Otherwise, it's just grumbling.

It's a process.

You'll figure it out.

But do you like the job?

Because if you're having
second thoughts...

No... second thoughts?

No second thoughts, no.

I think you're stuck with me.

Great. That's exactly
how I scripted it.

Now let's go deliver the good news.

Diane...

This guy...

- he made it happen.
- It's happening?

- It's happening.
- Thank you!

(LAUGHS): Thank you.

Thank you.

STEVIE: Oh, my God!

(ALL LAUGH)

ELIZABETH: That was...

what was that?

(LAUGHS): I don't know.

Fourth position, maybe?

It's like reaching deep
into my preschool ballet.

Yeah, you-you definitely,
you went deep for that one.

Yeah, I did.

But, Ali, this is the dress
that you were so worried about?

I'm stunned.

Uh, it's just...
even your brother is impressed.

Well, it's definitely
not a shower curtain.

- Thanks, Jace.
- (PHONE BEEPING)

When's Dad getting home?

Uh, he'll be back
first thing in the morning.

He is gonna be over the moon for you.

Okay, listen, I have
something that I've got to do.

I will see you budding artists...

(GROANS) in the morning.

Good night.

- Night.
- Good night.

- Hey, babe.
- Hey, baby.

- I expected to see you at home.
- Yeah.

This is not the reunion I had hoped for.

Blake said it's an emergency.

Nafisa Samadi's disappeared.

That's your agent in Kabul, right?

Her Russian contact
has also gone missing.

DALTON: What's the sitrep, Ephraim?

NSA picked up chatter that suggests

the kidnapping was the Taliban.

HENRY: Are they alive?

Unknown.

DALTON: Let's have DOD

form a crisis action cell. I want Deltas

on every checkpoint out of the city.

Yes, sir.

They knew exactly where to find them.

How?

Computer breach?

No, that's not possible.

Their locale was too
compartmentalized.

Henry's right.

There's only one other option.

The Taliban were tipped off
by someone on our side.
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