Madam Secretary

How great is this?

Fresh air and the endorphins.

Ooh, and the cute little babies and dogs.

This puts everything in perspective.

I ought to do this every day.

I swear, I don't know why I don't.

I need to stop.

We just started.

Gordon hates running.

Then why did Gordon say "yes" to running?

Because he's insanely competitive?

What are you looking at?

And yet, here you are, wallowing in defeat.

This is a hard thing for me to watch.

You'll get over it.

And I sense you need to talk to me about something

that requires a working brain,

so I'd rather not risk a stroke.

Well, at least walk with me, you big baby.

Strangely turned on by you abusing me.

This is sensitive.

Something I haven't read my staff in on.

Okay.

I'm starting to normalize, go.

Last time I saw Foreign Minister Avdonin,

he proposed a trade with me.

Do I need context?

No.

Peter Buckley for an American asset

with a great deal of personal significance to Henry and me.

Previously, they told us he was dead.

Now they're saying he's not, and we could get him back.

Now, I know the politics of a trade can be complicated,

so I'm asking if you could imagine a scenario

where Dalton might agree to that deal.

No. Breakfast?

Come on.

You're really gonna make me step this out for you?

First, to clarify, Peter Buckley,

the most notorious American spy in history.

- Responsible for the deaths - I know that.

of six CIA agents,

Two of whom, Dalton,

former Director of the CIA, knew personally.

That Peter Buckley? I'm sorry,

I actually do need context

as to why you would ask me anything so stupid.

Because it is incredibly important,

and there's a clock on it.

You really made me step that out?

Okay. Even if Dalton would consider it,

Russell Jackson would throw his body in front of that train.

Making a trade like that

with the Russians, in an election year?

Even if you had monkey pictures on both of them,

- and got them to agree, - What are monkey pictures?

I highly doubt your prisoner exchange is even legitimate.

If you think your asset is dead, he's probably dead.

But by even

considering a trade for Buckley,

you've revealed your attachment to your asset.

Now, Avdonin's using that to his advantage,

claiming this dead person is alive

without having to provide any proof.

So brilliant negotiating strategy there.

I he... I hear you,

when you say you think this is a terrible idea.

But I haven't had a moment's peace

since I realized this was possible.

I have to try.

Can't... can't you just do your thing...

to find out exactly how suicidal this mission is?

I guess I could talk to some

of my data-wonk pollster friends,

and see what the favorability stats

would be on a Buckley trade.

And it has been almost 20 years

and people are idiots.

Long-term memory is at an all-time low,

so we've got that going for us.

Well, see?

Things are looking up already.

Hey, babe.

Hey.

Hey, Mom. How was your run?

It was great. I feel so clean

and healthy and... Waffles!?

Yeah, Dad fixed the waffle iron.

Yes!

It just needed a new switch.

And he built a firepit in the backyard.

- I dug a hole and put some bricks around it. - What?

Course, the Secret Service won't let us use it.

Aw...

And now he's talking mini-golf.

Ho! So this is Henry McCord on sabbatical, huh?

I'm enjoying the time.

It doesn't happen that often.

And come on, we love mini-golf.

It was a Friday night thing for like...

A summer.

Two summers, at least.

You sure have been jazzed

about all these life-affirming activities

since your weekend with a think tank

- in San Diego. - I've got the time off.

I think I should take advantage of it.

So, come on,

who's in? Mini-golf tonight.

Um, I can't.

I have to see Jareth tonight.

'Cause he just accepted a...

two-year fellowship in Oxford,

so we have to talk about how we're going to do the...

long-distance thing.

Gosh,

honey, that... that's rough, but you know what?

Your dad and I did it.

A lot of people do it.

Yeah.

You'll-you'll figure it out.

- Hey, uh, you know what would really clear your minds, - STEVIE: Dad.

- Give you some perspective... Mini-golf. - Don't... Dad.

I'm serious. Just ask Jareth.

He's British. He's got to like golf.

Mini-golf.

Hey, help me out.

Alison, Jason.

- All right. Fine. I'm in. - Yeah, me, too.

I'll ask him.

Joe and Mimma's after

- for gooey calzones, yeah? - They bought.

Stop selling.

Well, they'll get into it once we're there.

I'm sure.

So aside from fixing the waffle iron,

and building a firepit,

and obsessing about mini-golf,

everything okay post Islamabad?

It's fine.

'Cause, you know, we could always go back

and see Dr. Sherman.

Honestly, I just want to immerse myself

in mindless activities for a while.

Okay.

Not counting on me for mini-golf, are you?

Uh, after the last time, I don't think you're allowed back there,

- 'cause you threw... - I did not throw that club.

All... all right.

I...I...

- ...was gesturing. - Yeah, tell that

- and it slipped. My hands were wet. - to the lady who's...

- We'll miss you. - I think it was raining.

Our intel is that

all remnants of Hizb Al-Shahid have gone underground.

Even the remaining stolen uranium

has been found and seized by American forces.

Yeah, their press releases

are all full of optimism, and national pride.

Global response has been positive,

with just a handful of the usual suspects

grumbling about U.S. aggression.

From a polling data and optics perspective, we're on course.

Okay. Good. Um,

No Matt, today?

Commencement season. He's holed up.

Apparently, he's agreed to write six speeches this year.

Yeah, including mine.

Oh, who are the lucky graduates?

UMASS Pittsfield.

They have quite a respected foreign policy program.

And they asked first.

The Secretary's a big fan of "asked first."

Was that Dr. McCord's strategy, ma'am?

Possibly.

I have an appointment.

It's personal. Spontaneous.

Whimsical, even.

It's fine. I'm reachable.

I know what that is.

Madam Secretary.

Yeah.

Oh, you're leaving?

I'll be back.

I was working on your commencement speech,

and I was hoping you could give me

some personal anecdote

that-that proffers some nugget of wisdom

that we could give the kids.

Uh, saving the Pacific Rim Trade Agreement, for example.

Détente with Russia.

Dropping the embargo with Cuba.

I mean, there's a lot of good options.

Yeah, I-I-I don't know if any of that

really jibes with my overall message.

You have an overall message?

I don't know. Do I?

I'm just data-gathering, but I'm open to your ideas.

I... let me... let me mull it over.

See if I can come up with a message,