Madam Secretary

All right, here's the plan.

I... am going to eat

and hydrate like crazy

until sunrise.

Surf that wave till around 10:30,

when I will become

very hungry and thirsty.

Not to mention edgy from lack of caffeine.

Thanks for that.

Then, you know, I'll just ride it out till sundown.

My guests and I will...

break the fast and commence iftar dinner by eating

the traditional three dates.

At which point, informed by a tiny bit of personal experience,

I'll give a few remarks about Ramadan.

You know, you could talk about the mental and spiritual fortitude

it requires, the...

the solidarity it engenders with the hungry and deprived

- around the world. - And then...

I can stuff my face with a bunch of kabobs.

Yeah, easy-peasy.

You don't think I can make it.

Dare I bring up the infamous Florida road trip of aught-six?

Not if you want to have sex in the next month.

H-Hey, hey, I... if you want, go for it,

but I'm just saying if things get hairy,

don't be a martyr... no pun intended.

Do you know who held the first iftar in Washington?

Thomas Jefferson, 1805.

That's right.

- Do you know what Jefferson didn't do? - Fast.

That's right.

Which means that I am about to outdo

one of our Founding Fathers.

Why don't you chew on that, Jefferson.

What are you doing?

Buddy system... we'll fast together.

I really scared you with that no-sex comment, didn't I?

Just eat your eggs.

No.

- No, no, no. - Okay, I-I know that you're fasting.

- I just wanted to be sure... - That I wasn't going to bail?

You know, I'm starting to think those closest to me

really don't know me at all.

It's just, you know I don't like to be caught up short.

I do. And I wanted to talk to you about exactly that.

But... first, to be clear,

that's the last I want to see of that today.

No purse muffin?

Oh. Enjoy it. Thanks.

Okay, about the iftar.

Uh, yes. Jay is into the final details

with the Chief of Protocol's Office.

I want you to take over.

Oh.

Okay, sure.

Uh...

is this because Jay thinks

Cyril and his team are too uptight?

Because I personally think all they're trying to do

is get critical details right to better facilitate diplomacy.

I mean, if that makes them sniffy, then...

- call me sniffy, too. - Which is why

I think that you would make a great fit over there.

You're still planning to fire me in six months?

I fire because I love.

Move up or move out, Blake.

- Ticktock. - Yes, ma'am.

I know how important this dinner is,

- so I won't let you down. - I know you won't.

Sniffy.

Mm-hmm.

So, tonight's invitees will include staffers

of the Muslim faith, local community leaders

- and some special guests. - Yeah, inspiring charity founder,

hero cop, adorable science girl.

And of course,

our guest of honor, Turkish foreign minister

Hakan Uzun and his family.

Obviously, U.S.-Turkish relations

are at an all-time low.

Whatever our personal feelings are about Turkey's slide

toward autocracy under President Kozlu,

they are a NATO ally

and a critical strategic partner.

Ma'am, again, if my actions with the refugees from Abkhazia

- Kat. - Contributed to our current issues

with Turkey, I am truly sorry.

Nevertheless...

we need to get the relationship back on track.

Well, we're hoping that this dinner will be a good start.

I've been in communication with the Office of Protocol

to make sure that we get all the details just right.

I am handing the last-minute liaising

with Protocol over to Blake.

Really?

Yes.

I mean, you know, I accept... your decision.

Well, I for one am looking forward to working with them.

Great. Here's some changes to the seating chart.

- Buckle up. - Excuse me, ma'am,

you're needed in the White House right away.

Jay and Kat, walk with me, please.

We're getting reports in from Iraq

that a group of ISIL dead-enders have seized control

of Fakhiri Dam.

They're threatening to blow it up.

My God, millions of people depend on that dam for water and power.

Yeah, and most of them will be in the path

of the flood wave if it collapses.

My God, we're talking about massive levels

of devastation from Mosul to Baghdad.

Well, if they haven't blown it up already,

- they must have demands, right? - I don't know. I'll know more

when I get to the White House. Thank you.

Military options?

Not great, I'm guessing. We need ideas.

I'll call you from the car. Excuse me.

- Understood. - Yes, ma'am.

Oh, man.

The situation with the dam in Iraq

is even worse than we thought.

Well, you know what else is even worse than we thought?

My blood pressure.

The aptly named Dr. Stern made that very clear.

Because you're not doing anything about it.

I take beta-blockers,

I don't eat anything I like...

You heard her.

You need to lower your stress level dramatically.

I golf. Sometimes.

To arm-twist congressmen.

That's hardly the relaxation practice

she was talking about.

'Course, you know what I think.

- Oh, here we go. - You want to live?

- Quit. - Carol...

Retire to a cabin by a lake

- in Vermont like we always talk about... - You know I can't do that right now.

While you still have some good years left, Russ.

Do you understand what's happening in Iraq today? Do you?

Don't you crisis-guilt me, okay? I operate on children.

If we don't handle this right, hundreds of thousands of people

- could die. - And you could be one of them.

I need to hear a real plan here.

Yoga, Pilates,

sensory deprivation tank...

- That sounds awful. - People say it's relaxing!

And here's your apple-cheeked enabler.

Honey, she saved my life.

Why are you giving him coffee?

Look, I love you,

I hear you, and I'm into it, okay?

Hey.

Okay?

Tell Stevie I'm sorry.

So, find you some kind of relaxation activity. On it.

That I'll stick with... that's very important.

Options by this afternoon would be appreciated.

- Absolutely. - Keep this between us, will you?

I don't want anyone getting the idea there's blood in the water.

- Of course. - Thank you.

Oh.

I don't want to do anything, uh...

touchy-feely or, you know, weird, okay?

Define "weird."

Like the Supreme Court said about pornography...

you'll know it when you see it.

They chose to attack at night under cloud cover

so our drones weren't operating at 100%.

And lastly, a small but well-armed force

attacked the dam

right as many Iraqis were breaking their fast for Ramadan.

Their own little Tet Offensive.

Has CIA authenticated

that ransom video?

The IC's down and dirty assessment is that it's real.

They want their leader, Abu Kaebi,

released from prison in Iraq,

along with 2,000 of his fighters, within 24 hours,

or they'll... destroy the dam.

And what does Prime Minister Arif say to that?

I spoke with him briefly.

He feels that Iraq has spilled too much blood

fighting ISIL to give in

to these demands.

Can't argue with him there.

Meanwhile, he's ordered

the evacuation of the potential flood zone, but...

well, given that the area's so large,

- the effort is... - Pandemonium.

Yeah.

So...

Iraq wants to stage a raid.

What do the generals think, Gordon?

The dam is not heavily defended, sir,

but it's obviously a huge installation.

And we have very high confidence

that the enemy has placed large amounts of explosives

down there, by the turbines.