04x18 - The Friendship Game

[bunniefuu]

ELIZABETH: Good night, Frank.
- HENRY: Good night, Frank.

Thank you.

(YAWNS) Ow...

- Sorry, okay...
- God, my feet hurt.

I can only do this because I stopped

matching the Panamanian
foreign minister

drink for drink.

Oh, I know. I heard you guys

laughing and clinking glasses.

Yeah, he's... Turns out,

he's former m*llitary, used to teach

foreign relations.

And I asked him to speak

at the ethics symposium
next month at the w*r College.

He said yes, so, yeah,
I'll drink to that.

I don't know how you manage
to have fun at these things.

Well, babe, I don't have
the burden of the job.

Let's face it, I'm a guy
that can have fun

doing pretty much anything.

I know, I used to love that about you.

Oh, God, Henry.

I'm not fun anymore.

You're still fun. Here, give...

(SIGHS) You know what the problem is?

- Huh?
- We don't...

we never see our friends anymore.

I mean, what happened to our friends?

Where are the Rasmussens?
We've been friends with them

since... since Melissa and Stevie were

in preschool together.

When was the last time we saw them?

- I don't remember.
- See?

And we used to have a regular
Cranium night with them.

You used to make people
cry at Cranium.

Look, it's not my fault that
I can still spell backwards

after two drinks.

Wait a minute, didn't Dolly
just have a birthday?

We were always invited to that party.

(SIGHS) I think we
dropped off their list.

What?

- Why?
- We canceled on 'em a bunch.

- Oh, so? That happens.
- Like eight times.

- Eight times?
- Or nine.

Nine... Wow.

That is bad.

Well, I'll fix it.

I'll write 'em an e-mail,

and I'll try to set
something up for next weekend.

And we won't cancel.

- No matter what.
- No matter what.

And then I can be fun again.

Absolutely.

- You said I was still fun.
- (GROANS)

Former pilot... should have
seen that propeller coming.

- I'm kidding.
- (MAKES CHOKING SOUND)

See, I'm-I'm fun already.

Yeah, you are. Okay, do my feet.

They're big.

DAISY: Jay.

Hey, what's up?

You read the latest polls
coming out of Honduras?

Yeah, bad guy's gaining ground.

- So?
- So what?

So, how you gonna tell M-Sec?

I'll just tell her.

Look, we're convening a conference

on regional security in
Central America today.

Right.

The United States very much
needs this deal as a lynchpin

for our border security.

And having Honduras on board is vital.

Yeah. And President Tejeda is
only two points ahead

of her rival, Maynor Fonseca,
who's threatening

to pull out of the agreement
if he's elected.

Okay, so President Tejeda is
going to be at that conference...

again, today... freaking out
about these same crappy polls

and trying to figure out
what to do about them.

Maybe boost her standing by appearing

to stand up to the U.S.

Yeah, by threatening to pull out
of the security deal,

as one example.

- Okay.
- So, when Nadine

had to give M-Sec bad news
first thing in the morning...

She also pitched her a fix.

So, do you have one?

And then the conference will
culminate in a signing ceremony

with POTUS and the other
heads of state,

but you'll officially open
with some remarks

that Matt is putting
the finishing touches on.

Do you want to give us an overview?

Uh, yeah, sure.

Um, so the big idea is
that, even though

the countries of Central America
and the U.S. are very different,

we all have one common enemy... gangs.

Drug trafficking, v*olence,

social and economic problems
in Central America

create untenable living conditions

- for their good citizens.
- Thanks.

Which causes said good citizens

to flee from the gangs

and seek refuge in the U.S.

Now, this agreement facilitates

intelligence sharing,

raises law enforcement standards,

and suggests social reforms

that will help alleviate
these problems.

DAISY: So, helping
to solve the g*ng problem

in Central America

is in America's best interest, too.

In short, we're all
in this together... go, team.

Sounds good. Have you all seen

the latest polling out of Honduras?

We have, indeed, ma'am.

President Tejeda is only up by two.

Over an ex soccer player

who hates America.

Hey, there is so much more
to Maynor Fonseca than that.

He's also semi-literate.

JAY: And proud of it. He and his party

portray President Tejeda
as a weak woman

who's soft on crime and needs
Mean Daddy U.S. to prop her up.

ELIZABETH: Look,
I've known her a while,

and I admire her.

My concern is that in order to combat

Fonseca's accusations
that she's a U.S. puppet,

she walks away from the agreement.

So, what do we do about that?

How about a pull-aside
with her at the conference?

Encourage her to stay the course,

and let her know that,
short of putting our thumb

on the scale of the election,
the U.S. has her back.

Set it up. Yeah. Thanks, everybody.

You may be a little
faster than Nadine.

Thanks for the heads up.

PANAMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER:
I so enjoyed meeting

your husband, Madam Secretary.

I appreciate his invitation
to visit the w*r College.

He feels that you'll be
the perfect speaker

for the symposium.

If you'll excuse me a moment.

Am I wrong, or does
President Tejeda look

a lot more serious
than she did yesterday?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Mr. Mahoney, your mother called again.

She said to tell you that
she's not afraid to stop by.

So subtle, like a torpedo.

- Thanks, Maggie.
- Hi.

- Hey, what was that about?
- Nothing good.

- Oh, no. Family emergency?
- Yeah.

I'm, uh, almost and still single.

(SCOFFS) You're not single.

- You and Captain Baker have...
- Are over.

What, you broke up with Ronnie?

Look, I'm really trying
not to think about it.

It's painful. I'm sure you understand.

- But why?
- Thank you for understanding.

I'm sorry, Matt.

Look, she's...

she's going to South Korea for a year,

and after that she can be
assigned someplace like Qatar.

It's the nature of the job.

It's not conducive to
a long-term relationship.

So, we decided
to rip the Band-Aid off.

And whose idea was
the Band-Aid ripping?

I know you think I'm a dreamer,

- but I'm a pragmatist.
- No.

- I think you're an idiot.
- Wait, she was crazy about you.

You really couldn't make it work?

Yeah, I never really considered that.

Dude, I agonized over this.

This was one of the hardest
decisions of my life.

Just... I believe that we both
deserve to be with someone

who we can actually be with.

Now that I'm single again,
my mom's on the job.

As in arranging a marriage?

BLAKE: Well,

no offense,
she can't possibly do worse

than you're already doing.

He has a point. And who loves you

and knows you better than anyone?

And isn't an app on your phone?

You know, there's a
really decent chance

that your mother knows what
you need more than you do.

There's a decent chance that anyone

knows what you need more than you do.

Dude, I know you're a fan of Ronnie.

- So am I. She's amazing.
- No, no, I just...

But long-distance
relationships do not work.

Everybody knows that.

Okay, so, give the fix-up a sh*t.

- Call your mom.
- (SIGHS)

Hey.

Outgoing President Tejeda.

DAISY: So, M-Sec and Tejeda:

friendly chat or t*nk the agreement?

Cross your fingers.

Jay, thanks.

Daphne, I just wanted to tell you that

I'm aware of the pressure that
you are getting back home,

and, as your friend, I sympathize.

So, have you seen the latest polls?

Yeah, I have, and I'm sorry.

But it's also why I have to ask

about your commitment
to this agreement.

- I believe in the agreement.
- Good.

But you have to give me something.

Something that I can
point out with pride

that I was able to get
from the mighty U.S.

What, exactly, are you asking for?

I want the aid money
that's been allocated

for this security
agreement fast-tracked,

so we can receive it as soon
as the agreement is signed.

Meaning today?

That money can only be released

after certain benchmarks
have been met.

You know the terms.
You helped draft them.

What do you think that
soccer hooligan Fonseca

is going to do with your benchmarks

if he gets elected?

Getting you that aid money early

will earn you votes.

You are asking us to help tip
the election in your favor.

And I am telling you
that President Dalton

would never do that.

So, now the U.S. is timid about

meddling in our affairs?

Por favor.

How many elections
has the U.S. subverted

in Latin America?

How many coups and dictatorships

have you backed?

Indeed, how many times

have you intervened in Honduras?

At least seven, I believe.

Correct. And why?

Because when it comes to Honduras,

the U.S. has always done
what it views as

its own interest.

(BIRDS TWITTERING)

(POWER SAW WHIRRING)

(SPANISH HIP HOP PLAYING)

(g*nshots)

DALTON: It is with great hope

and pride that I sign the first

Central American Security Agreement.

The cooperation it enshrines

will give us the chance to break
the stranglehold of gangs,

unleash the incredible
economic potential

of Central America,

and to witness the dawning
of a new day

in our hemisphere.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

- Is everything all right?
- There's been an incident.

One of our worst gangs,
FT- , has taken a group

of NGO workers hostage.

I'm so sorry.

Is there anything that
we can do to help?

There's more.

All the hostages
are Honduran, except one.

Her family's Honduran,
but she's an American citizen.

What are their demands?

$ million in cash...

or they will k*ll the hostages.

President Tejeda,
I'm sorry that this crisis

has shortened the celebration for this

groundbreaking security agreement.

It is very unfortunate.

Particularly in these

few days before the election.

Nevertheless, I must leave immediately

and deal with the situation.

We would be more than happy

to offer you the help of the FBI

to locate the hostages
and aid in their rescue.

But your aid would only give
my opponent more amm*nit*on.

Isn't our main goal here
to get the hostages freed?

Surely, Fonseca couldn't
shame you for that.

I assure you he would.

If Secretary McCord was
correct in estimating that

the release of our aid
package ahead of schedule

could tip the election my way,

sending the FBI would
unfairly help Fonseca.

And I don't think any of us want that.

Of course, Madam President.

We'll, uh, have a team standing by

in case you change your mind.

TEJEDA: I assure you we
can handle the situation

and we will return
your citizen very soon.

Now, I must go.

Thank you again, Mr. President.

Madam President.

Well, that was frosty.

She's unhappy that I couldn't
release their aid package early.

Oh, you think?

Well, it's up to the two
candidates to duke it out,

even if it means the good guy...
or in this case, woman... loses.

RUSSELL: Well, sure,

but Honduras is still
the m*rder capital

of the Western Hemisphere.

If we leave this in the hands
of their security forces,

there's a good chance
that American aid worker

comes home in a box.

A small FBI team working a covert op

might be a prudent backup plan, sir.

Let's get Deputy Director
Sanchez in here, hmm?

- Hi.
- Hi, Henry.

I'm Frank, Piper's dad

and sometimes driver/personal assistant.

(CHUCKLES) Good to meet you, Frank.

And I know how you feel.

Jason's at debate practice.

Apparently, he needs this book
immediately when he gets home.

Probably 'cause he, you know,

put off studying till the last minute.

I wonder who they think is gonna
do all this running around

after them when they get to college.

Well, you know, eventually,

they'll lose something important
and get in trouble.

That's what we used to call
a poor man's education.

Yeah, but not at the colleges
on Piper's list.

All her lessons
are gonna be expensive.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Listen, uh,

Regina mentioned that the
parents of the perfect couple

should get together sometime.

Definitely. Uh, we'd love that.

Great. Well, we'll be in touch.

- Okay. Thanks again.
- Nice meeting you.

- You know...
- Yeah?

Why don't we, uh,

just pick a date and
pencil something in?

Great. Uh, how does tomorrow look?

Looks like we're having
dinner with you guys.

- See you later.
- Thanks again.

(EXHALES)

Mr. and Mrs. Pedilla, hi.
I'm Jay Whitman.

Oh, we know.

You're Secretary McCord's
chief of staff.

We are so glad to have you help
us get our daughter back.

Yeah, I told Olivia not to go.

There's a reason
my family left Honduras.

But she wouldn't listen.

She wants to change the world.

What would we do
without people like Olivia?

Please, please.

Well, first of all,
I speak for the secretary

when I say how sorry we are
for what's happened.

People who do the important work
like your daughter

face challenges

and dangers that... well,
they aren't for everyone,

and we need more like her.

How long does it typically take

for the State Department
to pay the ransom?

Well, the thing is, the United States

doesn't do that, Mrs. Pedilla.

We have a strict policy
of never paying for hostages.

That's the policy
for t*rror1st groups.

- But this is a g*ng.
- I'm sorry,

but the policy is the same.

There's no money for hostages.

Wha...

But let me assure you

that your daughter's whereabouts
and ultimate release

are receiving the full focus
of our embassy in Tegucigalpa,

as well as that
of the whole department

and other agencies.

We are exploring

every option available to us.

Except the one
that will get her released.

I'm... I'm very sorry.

Listen...

Mr. Whitman, we appreciate
your fine sentiments

and your fine Spanish, too,

but words don't matter to
the thugs who have our daughter.

Only money does.

And if you can't spare that,

then words are all you're offering.

Thank you for your time.

(CRYING): Oh, my God.

(THOMAS SHUSHING)

(CECILIA CONTINUES CRYING)

THOMAS: Don't worry. Shh. It's okay...

How's the Pedilla family?

Mrs. Pedilla left in tears.

I tried to connect with them, but...

I wound up making it all about me.

I completely failed.

At what, exactly?

Reassuring them.

Olivia Pedilla chose to live and work

in one of the most dangerous
places on Earth.

We may not be able to save her.

You think there's a good way
to tell her parents that?

I don't know.

Look, Jay, you have been
around here long enough

to know that this job is just one

impossible situation after another.

Sometimes we can't fix it;
all we can do is take it.

I can take it, ma'am.

I know you can.

That's why I hired you.

So go take a walk and clear your head.

Because I'm not ready to
throw the towel in on this,

- and I need your help, okay?
- Will do.

- Thank you, ma'am.
- Yep.

(DOOR OPENS)

Hey.

Whoa. Stir-fry?

Yeah, it's almost ready.

I am starving.

- Or-or it's ready now. Okay, here.
- Mmm.

Just... have it.

(MOUTH FULL): Thank you.

I've got good news and bad news.

Um, and I'm gonna tell you
the bad news first.

So I don't want you to freak out.

Okay?

That never helps.

I got a curt e-mail
from the Rasmussens

saying that they're "booked solid"

for the next several months.

And they send the best
to you and the kids,

and they wish us well.

Wow.

Well, did you grovel sufficiently?

Well, I apologized
for our cancellations.

I took all the blame.

I said we missed them and we
were turning over a new leaf.

But, babe, I think the
Rasmussens have moved on.

Moved on?

That's crazy.

Moved on. They're on our bookshelf.

Do you know how many
non-relative people

have made it to our photo
collection on the bookshelf?

Exactly two.

The Rasmussens.

Oh, Henry, we are terrible friends.

We-we just dropped the ball a little.

And, plus, they're really judgy.

- It's like eight strikes, and you're out.
- Yeah.

Who does that?

The good news is that

we have a second chance with
another couple, the Boroumands.

- Piper's parents?
- Yeah.

We're having dinner with them
tomorrow night.

Oh. Not a weekend.

It's our first date.
We got to work up to it.

Yeah, I guess.

Well, okay, this is good. Yeah.

They're interesting people.

They're aid workers,
lived all over the world.

We got that in common,
and our-our kids.

Yeah, I am digging this relationship.

In fact, you know what,
who are the Rasmussens?

No, no. No way. No possible way.

You guys can't do this to me.

(WHISPERS): Guess who
got a text from Piper.

Hey. I'm serious. Okay?

Out of everybody in D.C.,

you guys can't hang out
with Piper's parents.

I just need you guys to swear to me

that you're not gonna talk about us.

Okay? And-and no embarrassing stories.

So just... God, this is a nightmare.

We turn to Honduras.

MAN: Corrals the ball.

- Wait, wait, wait. Go back.
- Dribbles, sends it

- into three-point territory.
- Go back.

President Tejeda's Secret Service

unleashed a violent crackdown
on local gangs.

Word is, the crackdown was
spurred by the kidnapping

of aid workers,
including one American.

A spokesperson for President Tejeda

says the president
is enacting a widespread

search-and-detain operation

that will not end until
all the hostages are freed

and their captors caught and ex*cuted.

Caught and ex*cuted?

What happened to tried
in a court of law?

Well, maybe it's just hyperbole
to put pressure on the FT- .

But if she pushes too hard, she
could get those hostages k*lled.

- Good morning, ma'am.
- Oh, hey.

I was kind of hoping maybe
you'd be Blake with a pastry.

No offense.

So, what's up?

Uh, there's some interesting
news on the hostage situation.

It turns out that
Olivia Pedilla's father

manages a warehouse facility
for Shelton Anderson.

The Shelton Anderson?

The very one.

He's willing to pay
the ransom personally

to get the hostages released.

Wow, it must be nice
to be a billionaire.

Well, I'm gonna have
to talk to the FBI.

But potentially good news, huh?

Uh, yeah.

If the g*ng will hold up
their end of the bargain.

Which they don't always do.

You'll have to do your best

to manage the Pedillas' expectations.

And your own.

Will do.

We just received
this surveillance video

from our team,
who got it from a gas station

in the Parque La Leona area
of Tegucigalpa.

Oddly, the vans then traveled north.

In the opposite direction
of FT- territory.

Well, could it be some kind
of a head fake?

Maybe. We're expanding our search.

You know, FT- made a statement

claiming they had nothing
to do with the kidnapping.

They're saying it must
be some other g*ng.

It's their way of reducing culpability

in case one of the hostages
is k*lled accidentally.

Anyway, the reason I stopped by...

Shelton Anderson,

he's willing to pay the
ransom demand personally.

- Can he...?
- He's free to do that.

Recent legislation has made it
possible for private individuals

to pay a ransom without fear
of breaking the law.

We're happy to facilitate,
let's just hope...

Has anyone looked at
ISR satellite photos

of Northern Honduras?

Most of it is government land.

So why are the bad guys

heading straight for the good guys?

I'll check it out.

Thanks, Marguerite.
Thanks for your time.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- Oh, I-I...
- Sure thing.

I am so sorry.

HENRY: Come on, babe. I really,
really wanted to be on time,

at least for our first date.

Don't give it a second thought.

- (SIGHS): Oh, gosh.
- I'm Frank.

- Frank.
- Hi, Elizabeth.

I'm Regina. I'm so glad
that we're getting together.

ELIZABETH: Us, too.

- Really.
- Oh, babe.

Oh, no, no, no, no. Don't.

Oh, my phone! I, I left my phone.

- (LAUGHS)
- That's so...

Matt, thank you. This is Frank.

And Matt is my DS agent,

- and that's so kind of you. I'm so...
- Have a good dinner, ma'am.

Thank you. I never leave my phone.

I can't believe it.
That's so embarrassing.

Normally, those guys just wait.

How funny, you never even know
that they're there, and then...

Thank you, that'd be perfect.

We just love Piper, by the way.

What a doll. She's...

enlightened Jason
to gender politics, which is...

- Yeah.
- I'm just relieved

she has someone else to lecture.

It's so adorable.
I mean, Piper is so type A

and Jason is so laid-back.

- Our Jason? Laid-back?
- Wow. Well...

- I have so many stories to dispute that...
- (LAUGHS)

...but I've been sworn to silence

by our laid-back son. Wow.

We've been threatened, too,

so maybe we should
just change the subjects.

I just have to ask you about
the hostage crisis in Honduras.

Those poor people and their families.

Yeah. It's-it's very scary,

but we're working very hard

to resolve it quickly and peacefully.

Elizabeth is at dinner, Regina.

- She doesn't want to talk shop.
- Oh...

No, no, no, no.

It's just there isn't much
to talk about at this point.

That's all. Really.

Anyway, just so you
know, we have dined

with high-ranking
government officials before.

Oh, you so don't need
to tell that story.

No. It's good. So, uh,
we were in Burkina Faso.

Oh.

And, uh, the foreign minister

suggested that we
come over to his house

and try fermented locust beans.

And I said "In!"

- Oh, no.
- Exactly.

(CLEARS THROAT) Those beans
were not Frank's friend.

Eh, but the toilet in
the guest bathroom was.

(LAUGHTER) For three hours.

In-in some cultures,
that's considered a compliment,

like, burping after the meal.

- You're making that up.
- She so is.

(LAUGHTER) You never know.

Afia?

You made it.

Why? Did my mother say
I was unreliable?

Because I'm not.

It's just that sometimes
I'm late to meet her

because it's not somewhere
I really want to go.

- Which is not the case here.
- Uh, no, it's okay.

I heard about the kidnapping
in Honduras on the news

and I thought you might have to work.

No, I-I'm a speechwriter,
so I'm sort of

the caboose in any crisis.
Clean-up detail.

But in a way that's vital and sexy.

(SIGHS)

So, you want to talk
about how awkward this is?

Is this your first time?

I can honestly say I've never
had a woman ask me that before.

But yes.

So I'm assuming it's not yours.

What happened to the other guys?

Didn't quite work out,

but my mother is running
out of patience.

- Mine, too.
- Oh, I have an idea.

- Yeah?
- Why don't we take a selfie

and send it to our moms so
they don't text us all night

to make sure we found each other?

- So smart. Okay.
- Okay.

Honestly, it probably
won't stop my mom.

(LAUGHS)

- Okay, I am sending this to you.
- Great.

Let me ask you something.
Did you, um...

choose a three-hour doc
on baseball to impress me?

Maybe. Do you like baseball?

Less than sewing.

I don't know anything about it either,

but maybe we could learn something.

Hey, I'm off the clock.

I got two words for you: Iron Man.

I love those words.

Oh, wonderful.

I know driving Piper around
seems like a drag,

but you will miss it, believe me.

I knew so much more about
Jason's life when I was

his full-time chauffeur, it was...

(CHUCKLES) I loved when she

used to sit in the back with
a friend and forget I was there.

That's how you learn everything.

I hate to sound the alarm bell,
but we're talking about them.

I think it was unavoidable.

Oh, hey, do you guys want to try

these crazy delicious macarons

that the French foreign
minister sends me?

- That sounds wonderful.
- Henry, will you give me a hand?

Be right back.

That was too much,
the foreign minister thing?

I think they were charmed.

- Right? It is going well.
- Yeah.

Second location with the Boroumands.

Take that, Rasmussens.

Here, put 'em on a plate.

The box is fine. It's from France.

Yeah, it's folksy.

Here you go.

Wait till you try these.

Oh, um, somebody's phone
was ringing a lot

when you were in the kitchen.
(PHONE VIBRATING)

That's mine. I'll be right back.

- These look great.
- So I have a question.

Blake, hi.

BLAKE: Sorry to disturb,
but Shelton Anderson is in town

and he wants to meet
with you right away.

Okay, set it up.

First thing tomorrow morning.
I'll come in early, okay?

No, ma'am, he's there now.

There... here? As in,
(WHISPERING): outside my house?

Yes, ma'am.

Hello, entitlement.

Yes, ma'am.

(SIGHS) All right. Thank you.

I shouldn't, but maybe this one.

There's this work thing
that I have to...

This guy is here and I just

need to meet with him
really quickly. I'm...

Oh, don't worry, we have
drinks and French macarons.

We'll be fine.

- No, we should go.
- No.

No, no, no. It'll be
really quick. I just...

Take a minute, it's not, it's not a...

Come on, we'll just take
this stuff in the other room.

This never happens.

It happens all the time,
just so you know.

- (LAUGHS)

- Hi.
- Well, this is a first.

Trying to give someone
millions of dollars,

and they won't take it.

Mr. Anderson, Elizabeth McCord.
Welcome to our home.

Yeah. Yeah, cute place.

We like it. Thank you.
Um... So what happened?

You tried to pay the ransom...

The FBI put me in touch
with some people in Honduras,

and we offered to pay
the ransom money to FT- ,

but they had no way to accept
the money. No routing numbers

for banks. No bitcoin. Nothing.

Hell, they don't even have Venmo.

Well, that is peculiar.

Look, I'm trying to
be the good guy here.

- Yeah...
- But this is insane.

You think you can help me
get to the bottom of this?

- Uh, yes. Absolutely.
- All right. Clock's ticking.

I'll get that.

Guys, I am so sorry,

but I've got to head back
into the office to...

- What happened?
- Well, they had to go.

Out the back door?

Yeah, they didn't want to disturb you.

Well, were they upset?

Not at all. It was just getting late.

They said to say thank you,
they had a wonderful evening,

and we'll do it again sometime.

Sometime. Not soon?

Soon. They definitely said "soon."

Do you have to go to the office?

Yeah, I just...

But that was good. We were fun, right?

We skated a clean program.

We even got a ten from
the Russian judge.

Okay, that's too far.

- Go.
- Right.

ELIZABETH: A ruthless, cut-throat g*ng

kidnaps a group of aid workers.

Not unusual.

One turns out to be American,
also not unusual.

But then they take off
with the hostages

in the opposite direction
of their own turf.

That is unusual. Also, "turf"?

Isn't that what they call it?

In West Side Story.

Anyway, they demand a ransom,

but then have no way for the
ransom to be delivered to them.

Very unusual.

And if they're not all that eager

to get $ million,

- it's not about the money.
- Exactly.

Ma'am. Sorry. Marguerite
Sanchez is here to see you.

Yeah, send her in, please.
Marguerite, hey.

- You're here late.
- Yes, Madam Secretary.

You suggested checking
the northern part of Honduras,

where the vans appeared to be headed.

Turns out the hostages are being held

on government land, an operational

m*llitary base, no less.

JAY: FT- took over a m*llitary base?

From the satellite photos it appears

President Tejeda's Secret Service

are in control of the base,

and thus the hostages.

There's no sign of FT- at all?

None.

Tejeda kidnapped her own people...

so then she could be the
hero who rescued them.

This whole thing is a setup.

(CHUCKLES)

Well, don't bother denying,
Madam President.

We have satellite photos

of your own Secret Service
guarding the m*llitary base

where the hostages are being held.

I believe it was a rogue
group of my officers

acting on their own.

More like a plan you hatched
to look tough on crime

to help you win the election,
but that doesn't matter now.

What matters is that your
forces have those hostages,

including our citizen, Olivia Pedilla.

Maybe it's time
for the Honduran people

to know what desperate
lengths their president

will go to to retain power.

This is all pure speculation,
Mr. President.

But even if it were true,

I believe it would be unwise
to take such an action.

And why is that?

Because you will not just
be putting your thumb

on the scale of the election.

You will be handing the victory
to Maynor Fonseca.

So now tampering with
the election is a bad thing?

Are you the same woman
I met four years ago

who wanted nothing more
than to improve

the lives of the Honduran people?

Your country's history in
Honduras has made it impossible

for anyone's hands to stay clean here.

DALTON: Enough.

This isn't a chance
to justify yourself,

and this isn't a negotiation.

The United States demands
that you release all hostages

immediately, and that
Olivia Pedilla be delivered

to the United States
embassy in Tegucigalpa.

If Olivia doesn't pass
through the embassy gates

within six hours, the consequences

will be swift and dire.

Do you understand?

(SIGHS)

Six hours, Madam President.

Oh, I thought you were
a true fan, okay.

A true fan would've known.

That the new Iron Man
is, what, years old?

- Uh, he just turned .
- (CHUCKLES)

I mean, I heard someone
in the theater say that.

See, this, this is
why I hate prequels.

I'm staring at those muscles,

and then I look up at his face
and he looks like a little boy.

So, you're upset that you
weren't sexually attracted

- to baby Iron Man?
- (LAUGHS)

- Oh, no.
- What?

Just, um, a guy that I used to date...

for a long time.

So an ex-boyfriend?

Oh, that cannot be a guy

your mom set you up with.

Hey, how afraid should I be?

I have no idea why he's here.

Okay, great.

- I'm Ryan.
- Okay.

I'm Afia's ex-fiancé.

You have to be kidding.
We were never engaged.

- You wouldn't even say the word.
- We talked about marriage.

I talked about marriage.

You kept saying how we didn't need

to label and define everything.

You hid me from your family

for the eight months
that we were together.

I had to be totally
silent every single time

that your mother called
so she wouldn't hear my voice.

It was kind of difficult to figure out

how that was gonna work

for, you know, a lifetime.

But I get it.

You're the "right guy"...
you're Pakistani.

I'm half Pakistani.

I think my mother saw that
as a compromise.

I'm the compromise?

- Wow.
- Look, man,

I didn't mean to come up on you
like this.

I'm not a stalker or anything.

I just had to see the guy

that Afia wouldn't be ashamed to love.

MATT: Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Come on. This is a first date.

Nobody's talking love.

Unless this is going better
than I thought.

Ryan, how can you show up like this

when you were the one
who didn't even want to talk

about our relationship?

I was waiting for you
to take the leap.

I wanted you to choose me over them.

I... Isn't that how
this is supposed to work?

But I see it's a lot easier
for you just to move on, so...

Move on?

I can't even listen to the radio.

Every song reminds me of you.

I can't even go to Adams Morgan
and walk by our favorite places.

You weren't too upset
to come out tonight.

It's Georgetown.

We never came here.

Don't you get it, you idiot?

You broke my heart.

RYAN: Look, man, I'm... sorry.

I didn't mean to derail your night.

I'll get out of here.

(SIGHS)

REPORTER: We are outside
the United States embassy

as U.S. aid worker
Olivia Pedilla is finally freed

after being kidnapped
and held for ransom

- by g*ng members of FT- .
- JAY: Wow.

- Mommy!
- Olivia!

(LAUGHING, CRYING)

DAISY: You did good

getting the Pedillas there so quickly.

Nadine would be very proud.

Her parents have traveled here
from the United States

to bring their daughter home.

Let's go now to President...

Thank God.

There's President Tejeda.

This should be good.

(TEJEDA SPEAKING SPANISH)

TRANSLATOR: I am pleased
to announce that after

an extensive and exhaustive
crackdown on g*ng members,

we were able to locate the whereabouts

of the selfless aid workers
being held hostage.

I personally spoke
to the leader of FT- ,

and when he tried to reason with me,

I stopped him and I said,
"This is not a chance

"to justify yourself.
This is not a negotiation.

I want those hostages released now."

(TV CLICKS OFF)

Can you believe
the nerve of that woman?

More and more by the minute.

Question is, can we work with her?

Sure as hell beats the alternative.

Isn't that for the Honduran
people to decide?

RUSSELL: Seriously?

You think we should out her
to her constituents?

Talk about putting your thumb
on the scale. Huh.

She'd be toast after that.

Or maybe she'd find
a way to explain it,

or to justify it.

Let's game out a Maynor Fonseca
presidency, shall we?

Honduras quickly turns
away from the U.S.

Democratic norms

erode further,

thanks to Fonseca's
authoritarian tendencies,

which, in turn, causes thousands
of people to flee north

to the U.S.

Which is exactly what
we're trying to stop.

ELIZABETH: I'm just not sure

that President Tejeda is any better.

I mean, this stunt of hers

clearly exposes her

to be a less than reliable
and stable leader.

RUSSELL: Which reminds me,

if she loses, you can kiss

that Central American
Security Agreement good-bye.

DALTON: Up until now, President
Tejeda's been a good leader

and a reliable ally for the U.S.

Eh, that's got to count for something.

And if an American hadn't been
kidnapped, maybe it would.

But we know what happened

and if we don't tell the truth,
then it's a cover-up.

You say cover-up, I say classified.

- That's a stretch.
- I'm nimble.

ELIZABETH: It's going to get out.

And why should we risk
taking a b*llet for her?

'Cause we've got her
under our thumb now.

Better the devil you know

than the devil you don't.

(SIGHS)

Ma'am, I don't mean to overstep,

but I think this is a mistake.

She kidnapped people

so that she could pretend to
free them and win an election.

The people deserve to know.

Even if they end up

with an authoritarian,
know-nothing soccer player

as their president?

Even then.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb

"voting on what to have for lunch.

Liberty is a well-armed lamb
contesting the vote."

Benjamin Franklin.

A good quipper.

And only the truth can give
the lamb a fighting chance.

Correct.

- They're ready.
- Okay.

Okay.

Morning.

(REPORTERS MURMUR GREETINGS)

Unfortunately, I am here this morning

to reveal some disturbing information

that has recently come to light

during the Honduran hostage situation.

Early intelligence had indicated

that the captured aid workers
had been taken by FT- .

We have now learned that it was

President Tejeda's own Secret Service

that carried out the crime
at her direction.

That's all we are able
to tell you right now,

so, unfortunately, I'm not going

to be able to take any questions.

Thank you for your time.

Well, there goes Honduras
for another generation.

Maybe the new Honduran
president won't be so bad.

Yeah. A man with no political
experience, who hates the U.S.

What could go wrong?

Speaking of things going wrong,
how was your date?

Okay, I'm out.

It was fine
until her boyfriend showed up.

- Seriously?
- Wait, what?

Yeah, you're gonna want in on this.

This is the date
that their Pakistani parents

- set them up on.
- Pakistani.

What happened to Ronnie Baker?

They broke up because
she's moving away.

Go on.

MATT: So this guy, Ryan, was white,

surfer brah white, okay?

And Afia's family was
not down with that.

So, because Afia was hiding Ryan

from her family, he was
unwilling to commit.

You can't try the long distance thing?

Shh. We moved past that.

- Continue.
- She was like,

"You wouldn't commit,"

and he was like,
"You wouldn't fight for me,"

and she was like,
"You broke my heart."

Starts sobbing.

So I sit them both down

and give them a good talking-to

about how they're missing the point.

- You did?
- Yes.

'Cause it was crystal clear.

They were in love

and if they didn't take
a good, hard look at that,

they could be losing something

that they might never find again.

I mean, with matters of the heart,

it's all about risk.

Do you hear yourself?

What?

Okay, now I'm out.

Wait!

Hey, wait!

(PANTING): Just wa...

Hey.

Hey, what are you doing here?

(BREATHLESS): Just...
just hold on a second.

Are you okay?

I will be.

Just, yeah... give me a minute.

Look, I'm sorry,
but I've got to catch a flight.

Okay. Uh... just l-listen.

I really like you.

And I know, uh, I said
we should be adult and...

Clear-eyed and level-headed.

Right.

Everybody thinks you're a dreamer,

but you're really a pragmatist...

Okay, we don't have to go
through the whole thing.

Something happened

that made me realize

I'm an idiot.

I mean, every relationship
is challenged by something.

And-and long distance isn't
the end of the world.

I mean, people do make it work.

I think I was just
trying to protect myself

from getting hurt, which is dumb,

because caring about someone enough

to risk getting hurt is, like,

the best thing in the world.

Captain Ronnie Baker,

I want to take a chance

on getting my heart hammered with you.

Do you have any interest
in that at all?

(BOTH LAUGH)

(ENGINE STARTS)

- Bye.
- Bye.

Hey, careful driving, guy!

That's my girlfriend!

I think they'll want to hang
out with us again, right?

Yeah.

Soon, they said.

I mean, interrupting the evening

for a work thing, that's not
the same as canceling.

Interrupting at the second location.

- That's right.
- Yeah.

Look, our lives are going
to be what they are

and our friends are just gonna
have to understand.

And we're gonna have to, you know,

make a little extra effort.

Right.

Did you get the really good cheese?

- The one I told you about?
- Mm-hmm.

Triple cream.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

- ELIZABETH: Dolly, hi.
- HENRY: Hi.

Happy... We missed your birthday,

- so we thought...
- We were in the neighborhood.

...we would... Happy...

- We have...
- Hi, John.

- ...a lot of... John. Hi.
- JOHN: Well,

this is a surprise.

HENRY: Here.

Well, enjoy th... that...

Get in here, you two.

(CHUCKLES)

ELIZABETH: Okay.

(LAUGHTER)