Madam Secretary

Hey. I came up with a better cover story.

Defense Intelligence Liaison to the CIA.

Is that a thing?

No. (chuckles) But it should be.

Why would they go with a religion professor for that?

Well, then again, why would they go with a religion professor

for the actual job?

- POTUS wants you. Coffee? - No, thank you.

Let's just see if I pass this final review

before we start worrying about a cover story.

Oh, my God.

You have literally been shot by terrorists,

and you're nervous about a job interview?

- I'm not nervous. - Uh-huh.

I just have this thing about bureaucracy.

I hate it. I have enough of it in academia.

Now I'm wading back into it up to my neck.

Do I even want this job?

Special Activities Division?

SAD.

I'm sure there's not a bounty of jokes

about that floating around the cafeteria.

You're gonna be fine.

- I'm not nervous... Mom! - ALISON: Mom!

Yeah?

Mom, are you kidding about the text you sent us?

Let's put it this way. You might as well be.

- Did I miss a text? No.

Do you remember that cabin that we used to rent

on the Staunton River when the kids were little?

I saw on Airbnb that it's available.

This weekend. The same one.

- Cabin 12. How cool is that? Yeah.

Because, you know, maybe the last family that stayed there

got ax murdered.

Stop.

You don't even remember it.

But the girls will tell you how much fun it was.

Do you remember?

Fly-fishing

and art projects,

cooking out over an open flame.

I mean, we used to play board games

by candlelight. You remember that?

Because the place has no electricity.

- What do you mean by that? It's a box

with cold running water.

- What? - You loved it.

The "back to nature" thing.

Getting in touch with those off-the-grid skills.

You know, it is very empowering to know

that you can survive without all the amenities.

Yeah, that's gonna be a hard no for me.

Would you do your mom a favor, please?

I mean, before you all fly the coop.

When are we gonna get a chance to do something like this again?

I'll bet you that Stevie's on board.

Did you see her text?

No.

Wow.

That's a lot of "ha's".

Why don't we just go to the horse farm

if you're jonesing for nature?

That's boring, too, but at least it's comfortable.

Because that has all the amenities.

That's totally on the grid.

The Wi-Fi's spotty.

Yeah, that's plenty wilderness for me.

Okay, you know what, I'm not gonna drag

anyone kicking and screaming into my beautiful dream.

Okay, great. Thanks, Mom.

Okay,

I got to go be SAD.

See, I'm doing it already.

...and in international news,

military observers are alarmed by a sudden buildup

of Russian naval forces in the Black Sea,

- a strategic waterway bordered by... - What the hell, Russia?

Can't take our eye off you for a second. Just like my son.

Self-destructive boneheaded move after another.

Are you talking to me?

Well, yeah. Who'd you think?

Joining us to comment on the situation...

I don't know. It's been years

since anybody yelled at me from another room.

Well, welcome back, gorgeous.

You want breakfast?

- I have to go to work. - Dinner?

- I have to stay at work. - Does Bess ever let you eat?

Do I need to have a conversation with her?

I'll call you.

Hey, what did the satellite say to Mission Control?

I don't know, Mike.

"I feel like you're keeping me at a distance."

You can do better than that.

I know. It was a Hail Mary. You were headed for the door.

We agreed this was an experiment.

And it's going pretty well, don't you think?

I mean, even Gordon's happy. Right, Gordon?

I'm keeping this quiet.

Especially at work.

I need you to respect that, okay?

For how long?

Foreseeable future.

So that's how it's gonna be, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Okay. Just, you know, go

straighten out the world, will ya?

She's killing me.

Put it all together, and you have

- a very volatile situation on your hands. - (exhales)

Tensions between Russia and NATO are already at an all-time high.

What on earth is Russia up to?

Russia? The Black Sea Fleet?

I was just thinking about that.

- (elevator bell dings) - Really?

You seem to be in a pretty good mood today.

Considering everything.

I guess I just got a good night's sleep.

FYI for your press briefing

this morning. I'm going to be meeting later this afternoon

with Audrey Stewart.

She's the mother of Philip Stewart.

The American serviceman who died last year in Ukraine.

That's right. His body was mistakenly interred in Russia.

Please emphasize we are doing everything we possibly can

to bring him home.

But, in reality, they're stalling us.

Of course.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet

just steamed out of Sevastopol.

Four frigates, eight assault ships,

and a guided missile cruiser.

And they're on a direct course for the Bulgarian coast.

What's the word from the Russian Foreign Ministry?

Avdonin says it's routine military exercises

to test new equipment.

Yeah, testing their readiness

to invade a NATO country.

We could issue a démarche.

Demand they return to port

and condemn their behavior as hostile

to the safe navigation of the Black Sea.

Well, the rhetoric coming out of their propaganda channels

has been pretty hot.

Ma'am, Russell Jackson wants to meet right away.

And he's requested you wear flats.

Why?

I didn't ask.

I thought it might be classified.

Or weird.

It's probably both.

I hope you don't mind.

My wife still checks my steps.

She wants me alive for some reason.

Eh, I'll agree with her on that.

So do I. I just wish I could do it in a hammock

- with short ribs. - (chuckles)

You're going to Brussels.

The president wants you to participate

in a NATO ministerial about this Bulgaria crisis.

We're there already?

What's Ambassador Newman saying?

Newman's a tenor who sits on a phone book to drive.

He can't help us.

The situation requires some brass balls.

So you're sending me in.

Well, there's a compliment in there somewhere.

Half an hour ago, a group of armed men calling themselves

the Citizens Rightful Army

seized the Defense Staff Building in Sofia.

Citizens Rightful Army?

I've never heard of that.

Well, no one has. SIGINT intercepted

some handheld radio communications

between the insurgents.

Which would be normal,

except for the fact that they were speaking Russian.

- It's a false flag. - Yeah.

DIA ID'd the insurgents as Russian Naval Spetsnaz.

We're looking at Crimea all over again.

Except this time it's an attack against a NATO ally.

Hence your trip to Brussels.

We want to invoke Article 5.

"An attack against one

is considered an attack against all."

Yeah. Only the second time in NATO history.

9/11, that was a no-brainer.

But this one, this one may take more persuasion.

I understand.

If this thing spirals,

we could be looking at the rest of Eastern Europe

through an iron curtain.

Mrs. Stewart.

Oh.

I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. Stewart.

I'm Nadine Tolliver. We spoke on the telephone.

I, um, thought the secretary was coming.

Unfortunately, she was called to the White House.

But she sends her regrets, and she asked me to tell you