04x14 - Refuge

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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04x14 - Refuge

Post by bunniefuu »

(SHIP HORN BLOWS)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN):

(LIVELY CHATTER NEARBY)

(CHUCKLES)

♪ ♪

Maryam!

MARYAM: Oh, Ana.

(RUSSIAN DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)

♪ ♪

(LOUD POUNDING ON DOOR)

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

(SHOUTS)

(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)

(SCREAMS)

JAY: All countries participating

in the free speech resolution summit

are confirmed and should be
in Vancouver by tomorrow.

China agreeing to come back
to the table is a huge deal,

so this will be a
sizeable press event.

I've already sent you your remarks.

Though, technically,
you could say whatever you want

because that's the whole
point of the conference.

- Free speech.
- JAY: And, of course,

the assistant secretary for
East Asia and Pacific Affairs

will be by your side.

But if-if you need
anything at all from us...

Guys, thanks. I really
appreciate all of your concern,

but believe it or not,
there was a time in my life

when I travelled without you.

- Good morning, everyone.
- JAY: Good morning.

Sorry I'm late, ma'am,
but I was on a very,

very troubling call with
our embassy in Abkhazia.

What's up?

Um, the police raided an
LGBTQ nightclub in Sukhumi.

They locked everyone up
on trumped-up charges

of prostitution

and resisting arrest.

Isn't that, like, the
fifth raid this month?

That we've heard about.

Exactly.

Um, there are reports
of beatings, t*rture

and, in some cases, death,
all while in police custody.

All of these people
disappeared after the raid

and even if they were lucky
enough to evade the authorities

and are in hiding,
it's only a matter of time

before they're hunted down.

I'm alarmed, but not surprised.

Abkhazia legalized
h*m*, what, a year ago?

After they gained full independence.

Not like they're happy about it.

Ma'am, asylum seekers at our embassy

are saying this is a pogrom
against the LGBTQ community.

Well, let's find out if that's true.

I can reach out to Brent Rosen.

He's now the executive director
at the Human Crisis Foundation.

They usually have solid,
on-the-ground Intel

with LGBTQ issues.

Okay, good.

I'm gonna have a chat
with President Lakoba.

Let him know that we're watching.

- Kat, would you please join?
- Absolutely, ma'am.

ELIZABETH: We have it

on good authority that
your LGBTQ citizens

are being targeted for persecution.

LAKOBA: These are false tales
made up by devils.

I'm assuring you,

no innocent citizens have been target

or harmed in any way.

"Innocent citizens"?

Mr. President, in your country,

h*m* is not a crime.

I strongly recommend

your government respect its own laws

and allow your LGBTQ citizens

to live freely.

LGB... letters, letters, letters.

Well, maybe you'll
respond better to numbers.

So, here's a big one:

$ million.

The amount that your country agreed

to give us in aid each year.

Then you're also aware
that aid is contingent

on meeting certain
human rights conditions,

including ensuring the
rights of gay people.

Are you understanding me better now?

I'm afraid it is you who doesn't
understand, Madam Secretary.

What you are saying is impossible.

We don't have gays in Abkhazia.

No gays in Abkhazia?

It's sick.

The guy could've passed a polygraph,

his hate was that true.

You know what I hate?

His hair.

His hair!

- I mean...
- Ugh!

I just want to get in there or blech!

Hey, shouldn't you be packing
for this conference thing?

No, come on. It's more fun
just hanging out with you,

drinking wine and complaining.

(CHUCKLES) How was your day?

Well, I got a lot of important
work done down in the basement

- after the great flood.
- Uh-huh.

What? What?

No, it's just... since
you quit the CIA,

you've been spending a lot of time

down in the basement, alone.

Just tell me you're not going
crazy and writing a manifesto.

They called me today.

CIA?

Mm-hmm. They want to give me
a commendation for some reason.

Like, because you deserve it?

Yeah, or they know I was driven
to quit by political BS.

They didn't back me up

and now they want to
make themselves feel better.

Yeah, no. CIA doesn't
really do regret.

Yeah. Well, anyway, um,
it's a small ceremony.

Timing's up to me.

So, what are you thinking?

I haven't decided, but probably,

you know, never.

Oh. 'Cause you're too busy
alone down in the basement?

I'm not gonna be alone.

I'm gonna get the kids to help me.

Hey, kids! Come here a minute!

- Uh-huh.
- JASON: Yeah?

- Putting in a new floor, babe.
- ALISON: Coming. One sec.

- Whoa.
- Here, check this out.

Anything speak to you?

Oh. That one.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Hey, Blake.

Uh, what's the name
of the opera that, uh,

the musical Rent's based on?

- La bohème.
- Oh.

And what's the holiday
that Chandler hates?

Chandler Bing? Thanksgiving.

And what's the name of
the American songwriting duo

that wrote "Hound Dog"
and "Jailhouse Rock"?

I know what you're doing.

I heard you grilling Daisy
in the break room yesterday.

And just because I know the
answer... Leiber and Stoller...

doesn't mean I have any desire

to join your sad little trivia team.

Sad? Buddy, I am proud
to say that we are

one of the top teams
in D.C.'s pub circuit.

You do know what the word
"proud" means, don't you?

And believe me, crushing
those smug Ivy Leaguers

for that sweet trivia "W"
is quite an achievement.

Considering I don't like
who you just became,

- I'm gonna pass.
- Okay.

Do I get competitive?

Sure. That's why Pete quit.

Also, Pete's a quitter and a baby.

Lesson learned.

Captain Ronnie and I
are down a teammate...

- Stop.
- ...during the week of an invitational.

Captain Ronnie Baker from CYBERCOM?

Okay, to be clear,

she is not the captain of
The Bill of Right Answers.

That would be me.

(LAUGHING): Oh, Matt.

When did it all go so wrong?

Oh, come on.

Don't you want to put
your powers of pop culture

and theater to better use
than just making references

that fly over the secretary's head?

You're right. They kind of do.

- Yeah.
- All right.

- Mm-hmm?
- Theoretically, what's in it for me?

Well, first prize is dinner
for the entire team

at Le Petit Chien.

Michelin star, Le Petit Chien?

Stupid expensive, impossible
to get reservations,

except for the winners of
O'Reilly's Pub Trivia Night.

I told you this was serious business.

So?

Fine, I'm in.

Yes! To victory!

Viva la vida bohème!

That's from La bohème.

It's the opera that
Rent's based off of. That's...

Wow, you need me more than I thought.

TRANSLATOR: The police yelled

that I should be k*lled for being gay.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

TRANSLATOR: And threw me
into a cell covered in blood.

I waited four hours,
certain I was going to die.

They b*at me

all over my body.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

TRANSLATOR: Pliers were
connected to my genitals.

They electrocuted me.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

TRANSLATOR: They wanted me to confess.

Say I'm gay.

And wanted names of others.

(CRYING)

The police left this man
outside his family's house,

bloody and beaten...

and then they outed him
to his parents.

My God.

Somehow, he got himself

to an Abkhazian LGBTQ coalition.

They've moved their offices
underground.

So, how do we make Lakoba stop?

Withhold aid, look at sanctions.

Economic levers take time.

Is the coalition in communication

with the people in hiding
or on the run?

Yes, they are.

Secretly, over a website
for a fake T-shirt company.

So, how many are they in touch with?

Well, between the coalition
safe houses and the website,

only about . Why?

Is there any chance that
we could give them asylum?

JAY: Homeland Security is backlogged.

There's no way to fast-track

the three to five year
processing time.

Yeah, so we're gonna go through

our refugee resettlement program,

but that could still take

- to months.
- Of course.

Okay. First, we need to
ratchet up pressure on Lakoba.

Talk to the White House

about issuing a statement
condemning these activities,

formally withdrawing aid.

Meantime, we need a mechanism
to save the lives

that we can save.

Uh, like, uh, like what?

Find an LGBTQ-friendly country
to take them in

while Homeland Security
reviews their cases.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Ma'am. Your motorcade is waiting
to take you to Andrews.

In today's climate, i-it's not easy

to find a country that's willing
to take in any refugees at all.

Then find one that owes us, and fast.

DRAGOVA: It's just so ironic.

You're asking Bulgaria to open
its borders to hundreds,

potentially thousands
of unvetted foreign nationals

so that the United States
can have time

to complete its own vetting.

JAY: Unfortunately,

we can't accelerate the United
States's resettlement policy

just for one group of refugees.

Lucky for them,
Bulgaria is so free and easy.

KAT: We would be extremely grateful

for Bulgaria's cooperation.

And again, the secretary regrets

she is not able to join us today,

but hopes that we can find a way

to help these people.

You are asking Bulgaria to risk

taking in unvetted dissidents?

Uh, refugees seeking
political asylum, Minister.

- Due to persecution...
- Technically, yes, we're asking you

to assume an element of risk.

Just like last year,
when Russian troops

were on your shores
and the U.S. stepped in

and helped prevent your
nation from being invaded.

As a fellow member of NATO, Minister,

we're now asking
for Bulgaria's cooperation,

not based on your gratitude
for us saving your butts,

but because of your compassion
for those in need.

But either works.

I'll talk to the prime minister.

We will allow the UNHRC
to set up refugee camps

outside of Plovdiv.

Thank you, Minister Dragova.

Give my regards to the secretary.

(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)

Oh. Thank you.

Jason McCord,
you're wanted in the office.

STUDENTS: Ooh!

All right, settle down, settle down.

- (STUDENT WHISTLES)
- Okay.

- Whatever it is, I didn't do it.
- (STUDENTS GRUMBLE)

MATT: Hey, man.

Hey. You get the material yet?

Yeah, I'm putting together
a binder on Bulgaria as we...

No, I meant the study packet
for team trivia night.

Look, I e-mailed it to
you a couple hours ago.

Uh, yeah. I-I got it.

Did you look it over?

You know what?

- What?
- I actually did.

- It's so cool.
- Oh, way to go, teamie...

I'm lying, you idiot.

We're trying to save refugees

from a h*m*, murderous dictator.

Okay, yeah, yeah. Work.

I know you think you got
this team trivia stuff,

but I promise you, you don't got this.

Ivy League overachievers who've
been obnoxiously dominating

dinner conversations

since they were four years old?

Please. I went to class with them.

I avoided joining...

clubs with them.
I'm probably unwilling to admit

that I actually am one of them.

Believe me, I got this.

Okay.

Play it like you don't care.

That's cool.

Different is good.

The best teams are spice racks.

Do you hear the words
coming out of your mouth?

We will be the tagine of trivia.

Tagine is a Moroccan stew.

It's in the packet. I...

Okay. Get back to work.

Hey. You're gonna be great.

(SIGHS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

HENRY: Jace?

Yeah.

Perfect timing.

I'm just about to start on the floor.

You can give me a hand.

Look at this. Mom
chose, uh... and Ali...

chose this wood-look porcelain tile.

What do you think?

Yeah, looks great.

You okay, pal?

Yeah, um...

Yeah, sorry, I'm just out of it.

Well, grab something to drink.

Sit down for a minute.
I don't want to break

any child labor laws.

Mm. Oh, there's pizza in there.

My advice to you is
eat as much pizza as you can

before you're .

Ah, hell, bring me a piece, would you?

You know what?

(BOX SHUFFLING)

I just remembered
I have debate practice.

What?

Yeah. No.

Uh... (CHUCKLES)

They-they changed my
schedule this morning.

It's my fault, I-I totally spaced.

But I'm sorry, I got to...

ELIZABETH: That was it?

He just took off?

HENRY: Yeah, he didn't
even try to argue

his way out of it, he just
pulled this debate story.

Something is up.

- Yeah, well, he's a teenager.
- Welcome.

You know, something is-is always up.

Hey, I'm just trying
to get the basement finished.

I mean, yeah, okay, I'm annoyed.

He said he would help me out.

He should keep his word.

I totally agree.

I mean, I hated helping
my father with projects.

He was the worst.

I would lie like hell
to get out of it.

But that's why I try
to be better, you know?

I talk, I'm patient, I offer snacks.

I think he's just a teenager,

and we are a l-little
less interesting now.

It's nature's way
of making him leave the house

when he graduates.

Yeah. That didn't work out
so well with the other two.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

I love you, I got to go. Bye.

(KNOCKING ON GLASS)

KAT: I feel like we should celebrate.

Chinese?

Oh, hell yes.

The number of my meals that
come out of that vending machine

would make the mothers
of the world cringe.

Yikes. Well, as a parent
and sometime-farmer,

I'm telling you: you... yeah, you
got to eat real food. That is...

Uh...

You have a kid?

Yeah.

Desi.

Short for Desear.

A moody, adorable threenager.

So you with me in the single
parent club, or...?

Uh, no. No.

Actually, I co-parent
with Desi's dad, Adam.

He's consulting at the moment.

But um, you know,
he's finding his way,

now that I, uh,
dragged him back to D.C.

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)

What?

I just... I assumed,
that with the refugees,

it was personal.

It is. I'm bisexual.

Uh, you can also say
pansexual, or-or fluid,

or non-monosexual,
but, uh, yeah, I'm q*eer.

(BOTH LAUGH)

Okay. Okay.

I know I'm wandering into
foot in mouth territory here,

but q*eer is really... sorry...

is really just about...
it's about worldview, right?

Or is it more sexual preference?

Um...

You know, I think it means

different things to different people.

But for me,

it's about the freedom
to live my gender identity,

and expression, as well as
my sexual orientation.

I'm just gonna say stuff now.

Mm, okay, go for it.

So when you, uh...

were in your U.N.
chief of staff days...

Mm-hmm.

You know, you looked, uh...

Feminine?

You can say it.

- Different.
- Oh.

Yeah, I like that. "Different."

Yeah, I... yeah,

I had long hair and, uh,

wore dresses and heels and makeup.

- And, um, sometimes it felt like me.
- Yeah?

And sometimes... (SIGHS)

it felt like a costume I had to wear

in order to survive, and gain access.

So what made you... this you?

I survived and gained access.

(BOTH LAUGH) Fair.

So, now I don't have to
fit in to play the game.

I make my own rules, and number
one is being my authentic self.

Somehow, becoming a parent

only made it feel
more vital, you know?

- Yeah. I get that.
- Yeah?

Having Chloe was, like,
a total reboot for me.

It's amazing
how it affects you, right?

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

From the first moment I met Desi,

this precious little spirit

looking right into me...

(SIGHS)

...living my truth became
nonnegotiable.

'Cause I want Desi
to live Desi's truth.

So crazy that people want to destroy

other people for this...
yeah, get in there.

Yeah. Well,

at least we try to get
to do something about it.

You know, it's not the first
time I've worked with Brent.

No?

You know, the nuclear treaty
with Iran?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Historic deal.
- (LAUGHS): Damn right.

So, on the same day as the signing,

Iran held a public
execution of a gay man.

Azad Ahmadi.

There was a protest in D.C.

I didn't want it to happen.

The execution or the protest;
they were the same in my mind.

Just obstacles to getting
this thing that we'd been

trying to land for years.

Yeah, it's understandable.

Not really.

As Brent made very clear.

- By the time I got "woke..."
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

and tried to stop the execution,
it was too late.

We all have to put up walls
sometimes to do this work.

That one had a cost.

He was stoned to death.

I made myself watch the video.

Oh, my God. Why?

So I'd never forget.

Hey. Lakoba responded

to the president's public statement.

He just closed the borders.

- No.
- What?

Yeah, the refugees
are trapped in Abkhazia.

Oh, my God.

(SCOFFS)

We found out that
they're putting people

in a specially designated
prison center.

Oh. Well, that sounds eerily
similar to a concentration camp.

Our contacts on the ground
are all scrambling.

President Lakoba is now threatening

to expel all U.S. headquartered NGOs.

And now, the LGBTQ Coalition
is worried that the authorities

are gonna find out about
their underground office

and their website,

and so they're shutting it all down.

They can't do that.

We won't be able to reach
the people in hiding.

That's why we need State to intervene.

Time is running out.

We're dealing with a guy who says

his country has "no gays."

We can't negotiate with that.

And there's no legal
way to get them out

without violating
Abkhazian sovereignty.

Then maybe we need to start
finding other ways.

(QUIETLY): Okay, human traffickers?

You're kidding.

Yeah, of course I'm kidding.

I mean, t-they're the
most evil monsters

belched from Hell the
Earth has ever known.

Although...

- Stop.
- Th-They... well...

We may not have any legal options,

but we're not going
to straight up immoral.

Right. So just plain illegal.

Extralegal.

Okay. So... (SIGHS)

who can help us transport
humans extralegally

who isn't a human trafficker?

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Kurdish smugglers.

Now you're kidding.

Sure, the Turks might be a little mad

that we're working
with their archenemies

- on their own soil...
- Yeah, like "thr*aten-thr*aten NATO" mad.

(SIGHS) True.

(CAR ALARM CHIRPS)

- They could.
- (KAT LAUGHS)

They could. They could
transport our refugees

by ground from Abkhazia to
Bulgaria via Georgia and Turkey.

Are we really having
this conversation?

- Just hypothetically.
- Okay, okay.

So, hypothetically, the tricky part is

- how do we pay them?
- Yeah.

(CHUCKLES)

Unless we don't.

Oh, my God.

(CAR ALARM CHIRPS)

You want me to convince an NGO

that's working in Eastern Europe

to accept a grant

that they will then use
to pay Kurds to transport

LBGTQ refugees through Turkey?

Another country that hates
LBGTQ people?

Yes. Except the NGO will never
know where the money came from,

and we never had this conversation.

Aside from being completely insane,

your-your plan has a-a Turkey problem.

Under President Kozlu,

it's basically an authoritarian state,

and they hate the Kurds.

Like "attempted to ethnically
cleanse them" hate.

- We're up to speed.
- We know the risks.

Did the secretary sign off on this?

Brent, the secretary's
not your problem.

Right now, this is our only option,

and the clock is ticking.

If we do nothing, these people die.

I'll have my team start making calls.

Thank you.

We better notify the secretary.

It's : in Vancouver.
She's still in negotiations.

Right. She'll be tied up
a few more hours.

(EXHALES) And we can't wait.

Let's get everything in motion,

and I'll fill her in
as soon as they break.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

PUNKAJ: I am Dr. Punkaj,

but I'm not a medical doctor.

So no bumps, bruises or contusions.

What have you gotten me into?

Now, on to our first question.

Get you something? Popcorn shrimp?

Oh, uh, yeah.

- You know, I...
- Now's not the time, lady.

PUNKAJ: In the s, which artist

sold more albums than the Beatles?

Where's the buzzer?

Oh, no, this isn't Jeopardy!, dude.

Okay, we write it all down
and then turn it in at the end.

Well, that's not exciting.

- Blake, the question. Jay-Z?
- Yeah.

- Eminem.
- Eminem. I should have known that.

PUNKAJ: Who wrote the hit

Mean Girls?

- BOTH: Amy Poehler?
- Oh, please. Tina Fey.

Oh. Tina Fey.

This How I Met Your Mother star

also played Toby...

In Sweeney Todd.

No, no, no.

This is my night off.

I'm not answering any more questions

until you two loosen up.

We're-we're loose.

- Who played Toby, Blake?
- Yeah.

Could we have a round
of sh*ts, please?

Surprise us.

You know, I once ate fried beer.

(ALL LAUGH)

- No.
- Yeah, it's a thing.

- My family's from Texas.
- Oh.

We figured that out
when you said "fried beer."

- Hey, you better watch it, Matty.
- No judgment.

- Just a little judgment.
- Oh.

Shh!

- Okay, what is your problem?
- Hey, no, no, no.

PUNKAJ: % of the brain

is made up of this.

- Ooh, um...
- Oh...

- Uh, it's a plasma...
- It's a liquid, clear, uh...

- Waters? Waters.
- Yes!

I think we've had a few
too many sh*ts.

PUNKAJ: Edgar Allan Poe d*ed

in this mid-Atlantic city.

- "The Raven." Uh, "Nevermore."
- No, that's, uh...

BOTH: Baltimore.

BOTH: Boom!

JASON: Thanks for seeing me,
Uncle Will.


WILL: Anytime, okay?

I won't make you say it.

I know why you're here.

Really?

Yeah. Yeah, I get it.

You can't talk to your parents
about everything,

and it's embarrassing
to buy them yourself.


- Oh, God, no.
- No, it's okay.

- I got 'em from the clinic.
- No, no, no, that's...

- Should see you through the month.
- No, Uncle Will...

There's a big jump
in STDs in your age group.

- Syphilis is back.
- No, no, no.

No, I'm good, thanks.

Well, what's on your mind?

You okay?

I got a perfect score on the PSAT.

What?

(CHUCKLING)

- That's it.
- Okay. Wow.

Do you have any idea what Elizabeth

and Henry McCord are going to do

- when they find out?
- They will be very proud.

No, they'll freak out...

and start having all
these expectations.

Ah.

And you won't don a mask
of faux ambition

to appease the herd?

Thank you.

I have a plan.

Piper's looking at colleges.

And once I graduate, I'm just gonna go

wherever she is, and I'll
get a job in the same town.

And...

No "and."

Steve Jobs,
Howard Hughes, Lady Gaga...

none of them had a college degree,

and they built empires.

But if they didn't have an "and,"

they wouldn't have
accomplished anything.

You need an "and."

I just don't want to be forced
to be someone I'm not, you know?

You get it.

JASON: I came to you

because you gave up your
life to be with a woman.

All right, you get it, man.

Look, I-I gave up kidnapping threats,

air raids, / g*nf*re,

but I'm still doing the thing
that-that makes me tick.

Okay, yeah.

And you're near Aunt Sophie,
and I want that.

(SIGHS)

This perfect score has just
thrown everything up in the air,

and I can only keep it hidden

from Mom and Dad for so long...

and then it's just gonna be nonstop

Harvard this and Stanford that.

And, "Why don't you apply
for this internship

and that fellowship?" And I...

I don't want any of it.

Come here, I want
to show you something.

Brent's connections came through.

- They found a willing NGO?
- Yep. Rainbow Georgia.

They already had some
ties to a Kurdish group.

We can get about
people out of Abkhazia.

When? When are they... when?

It's happening now.

(SOFTLY): Wow.

(PHONE VIBRATES)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN): _

(BRAKES HISS)

(SOLDIERS SHOUTING IN TURKISH): _

_

_

(SPEAKS RUSSIAN)

(SHOUTING IN TURKISH)

What up, champ?

- BLAKE: Oh, boy.
- Give me some.

We high-fiving now?

(LAUGHING): Oh, damn straight, teamie.

We were on a trivia team
together... it was very exciting.

- We won.
- Okay, that's good.

So, Captain Ronnie and I
are thinking Monday night

- for our winner dinner.
- Yeah.

Well, all right, well, I'll be there.

I have been dreaming, dreaming about

the cheese cart at Le Petit Chien.

Cool. And Wednesday,
we keep the dream alive

at Ken's Bar and Grille.

(LAUGHS) Oh, no, no, no.

That dream is over.

I had a great time. I really did.

But I was just in it for
the free Michelin star meal.

I actually have a life.

Whoa, dude.

You're acting like I'm using trivia

to fill some void or distract myself

from feeling a little
stalled out lately

'cause my love life is
nonexistent, and sometimes

the loneliness in my apartment
feels like a prison.

Matt, do you not realize

that Captain Baker is into you?

Ronnie?

- Yeah.
- No. (LAUGHS)

Y-You think?

Let me put it to you this way.

This popular ' s movie
is a modern adaptation

- of Jane Austen's Emma.
- Clueless.


(WHISPERS): That's you.

I can't ask her out.

She... it'd be too weird.

We're on the same trivia team.

What if I just happen to
be sick on Monday night?

Wait, no, you'd miss out

on Le Petit Chien's cheese cart

and-and the famous crabe royal

to give me a personal
round with Ronnie?

You should walk away
before I change my mind.

Hey. Um, any word?

No. Brent said he'd call as
soon as he hears anything.

Yeah, but shouldn't he have
heard something by now?

Okay, the secretary's on her way back.

Vancouver did not go as
well as we had hoped.

Yeah, because we hoped for
a free speech resolution

and didn't get one.

MATT: So more like it
didn't go well at all.

Guys, China agreed to resume
talks in a few months.

So, for the press briefing,

make sure it doesn't sound
like we're just

spinning our wheels
with the resolution.

Even though we are?

What? Is it really
worth trying to sell

abject failure as anything else?

Just say Rome wasn't built in a day,

and, like Rome, this too
is an ongoing process, okay?

I know how to handle
the briefing, Jay.

Of course. Sorry.

What's the status of
the Abkhazian refugees?

Something up?

We're still waiting on an update.

Well, considering our lack
of progress with Vancouver,

maybe we should mention our
efforts with the refugees.

It's humanitarian headline gold.

If we're successful.

We need to keep the story on ice

while we help others escape.

Hopefully, this is just
the first wave of many.

- Copy that.
- Thanks.

(SIGHS)

I keep telling myself
we did the right thing,

but Brent's voice is stuck in my head

saying if this thing goes sideways,

we thr*aten our foreign policy.

(SIGHS) I talked to
the secretary, and basically,

as long as the refugees make it
to Bulgaria, we're good.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Welcome back, ma'am.

I need Jay and Kat in my office, now.

ELIZABETH: Couple of miles
from the border,


a Turkish army unit raided
a Kurdish transport vehicle.

The refugees you were trying
to save are being detained.

President Kozlu plans

on deporting them back
to Abkhazia within the hour.

- What? He can't do that.
- He is doing that.

And he is furious that
we worked with the Kurds.

You know, being that they're
sworn enemies and all.

Ma'am, there's no proof that
they worked at our behest.

H-Here's the funny thing:

you know that LGBTQ-friendly NGO,

Rainbow Georgia, that you worked with?

One of their employees gave us up.

Why? He hates Kurds.

You see, being righteous
in one area doesn't mean

that you are righteous in all areas.

Which is why you have to know
who you are working with.

Ma'am, I take
full responsibility for this.

No, no, no, no. I made the call.
It's my fault.

- Well, I brought it...
- It's my fault.

I'm not listening to this

because right now,

we need to save these refugees

and our relationship
with a vital ally.

Okay, I'll gather the team,
and we'll put together...

No need.

This is how this is going to play out.

I'm going to browbeat President Kozlu,

using our historic
alliance as leverage.

Course, he has the upper hand

because he knows we will
never allow those refugees

to return to Abkhazia.

Not to mention China and Russia,

who are looking to exploit
even the slightest fracture

in our relationship in order
to peel the Turks off of NATO.

So, sorry, Jay,

your garden-variety
inducements of more F- s

and monetary aid
just isn't gonna cut it.

Instead, I will be forced
to offer up something

that hurts.

Like softening the language

in State's next human rights report.

If President Kozlu

allows the Abkhazians

to continue on to Bulgaria,

we will give him the
credit that he deserves.

And then we will look for other areas

to less harshly
condemn Turkey for abuses.

Ma'am, anything less than
a full-throated condemnation

will only encourage Kozlu

to keep crossing lines.

It would look like we're reneging

on our commitment to democracy

and getting in bed
with a burgeoning autocrat.

If either of you has a better idea,

I am all ears.

Great.

(INTERCOM BEEPS)

Blake, get me President Kozlu.

Thank you. That's all.

Hey, Dad, I've, uh,
got something to tell you.

Let me guess, you got
a perfect score on your PSAT.

- Uncle Will sold me out?
- Nope.

I got a congratulatory e-mail
from your principal.

The only thing I can think
of is that since you're...

you know, you, instead
of being thrilled,

you'd think that somehow
Mom and I are gonna have these

crazy expectations of you.

First of which is:

we expect honesty and, well,
at least not outright lying.

- I know. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry.
- No, no, hey.

No, it's just I...

I wasn't ready to tell you

and I didn't want to lie by omission,

so I just avoided
spending time with you.

- Which was, obviously, pretty dumb...
- Okay, first of all...

...because I ended up
lying to you anyway.

Congratulations.

And I promise that the next
time you do something great,

I will think as little
of you as possible.

I assume you already told Mom.

Yeah, she's pretty proud.

Uh, but she has no expectations

- it'll lead to anything.
- No.

It's-it's not that. It's...

I don't know what I want to do yet.

You know, my-my "thing."

I don't want to be
bombarded with options

that I'm gonna have to
choose from and then live up to

only to find that, like, I don't want,

I don't want to do that thing.

And then I have to,
like, find other stuff

that I'm into and-and then
I have to live up to that.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

- And it just keeps...
- Whoa, here, slow down.

Have a seat. Sit down.

Nobody is making you do anything.

And I get it.

I-I was just as confused as you are

when I was your age.

Really?

Because you and Mom are, like,

the two least confused,

most successful,

amazing people I know.

- Jace...
- It's true.

(SIGHS) Well, that must
feel pretty intimidating.

- Yeah.
- Well, look.

Mom and I each had our own journey,

and you're gonna have a journey
that's unique to you.

The big difference between you and me,

besides you being much smarter,

is that, when I was your age,

I was certain of one thing,
I wanted to stick it to my dad.

So the first chance I got,
I joined the Marines

without any idea where
it would lead to, none.

Wait, you did that with no plan?

Yup.

(LAUGHS) And, oh, did I get lucky

'cause I-I found that
I liked the challenge.

I liked being part of something
bigger than myself.

Maybe I should join
the m*llitary. (LAUGHS)

Maybe.

You don't have to decide anything yet.

Life...

doesn't come looking for you.

At a certain point, you just
got to go out and find it.

I should've just talked to you first.

Uncle Will was far less patient.

- Oh, boy.
- Yeah.

Uh, what-what?

Well, he took me to the
rehab floor at Walter Reed.

Wow. Dose of perspective.

Yeah, but...

Some of them are just
a few years older than me.

Like, they're heroes.

A-And I don't even feel like
I deserve to see them like that.

You're gonna find your thing.

And I promise to expect nothing

if you promise to get in the game.

When you're ready.

Thanks.

ELIZABETH: That would explain

the text I got from Will:
"You're welcome."

I mean, I appreciate
that he's there for Jace,

but maybe next time he
won't use wounded soldiers

as shock therapy.

ELIZABETH: I don't know.

I'm still stuck on this.

I don't know, him feeling
all this pressure

because of us? I mean, that stinks.

Well, look, we all have
baggage from our parents.

Having your mom be Secretary of State

is pretty cool baggage.

He'll figure it out.

Yeah.

Hey, speaking of figuring it out...

any more thoughts
on that commendation?

I'm trying not to think about it.

They want to give me

the National Intelligence
Distinguished Service Medal.

Henry! That is an incredible honor

and hugely deserved.

But it's for individual achievement.

It just doesn't feel right.

Well, what would feel right?

WARE: It is with great privilege
that I present


the National Intelligence
Meritorious Unit Citation

to recognize the accomplishments

of this group

that significantly benefitted

the intelligence community.

Thanks, Ephraim. (CHUCKLES)

Uh, Henry, you can say
a few words if you'd like

for the record.

Oh, um...

We... appreciate this honor and...

you know, a leader
is only as good as his team.

And... Dylan, Molly,

and Alexander, Nafisa,
those who couldn't be here,

they all made me look
pretty damn good.

You know, to say this job is
difficult is an understatement.

We put our lives
on the line every day,


trying to achieve something

that all too often seems impossible.

Working in gray areas

that make us confront
our sense of right and wrong.


And sometimes, it makes it
pretty hard to sleep at night.


But we keep doing it, every day,

because we believe that,
in our own small way...


(ALL CHEERING)

...we're helping make the
world a better place.


I can only hope that we are.

ELIZABETH: Good news.

Abkhazians just
arrived at the U.N. camp

- in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
- Thank God.

- Thank you, ma'am.
- That's great news.

Yeah, they will be safe there

while the DHS reviews
their applications

for resettlement.

Then there's the bad news.

I just came from
Acting President Hurst's office.

Apparently, President Lakoba
feels that we violated

his country's sovereignty,

and he is making threats

to end the m*llitary cooperation

that we launched when they
gained their independence.

So now,

instead of working on how to help

the thousands of LGBTQ citizens

still in Abkhazia,

I have to save our strategic
position in the caucuses.

For the record,

we believed it was the only
way to save the refugees.

I'm sure you did.

But diplomacy is about
the big picture,

and you lost sight of that.

You are both important to my team.

You don't get to make
a mistake like that twice.

Understood?

- Yes, ma'am.
- Yeah, yes, understood.

Blake, get me President Lakoba.
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