Madam Secretary – Breakout Capacity

By starrymag | November 30, 2016

By: Taylor Gates

 

The Dalton administration anxiously prepares for election day. Sam Evans (J.C. MacKenzie) is looking strong, but if the electoral college goes into deadlock the House of Representatives will choose and then it’s anyone’s game between Evans, Fred Reynolds (Michael Potts) and Conrad Dalton (Keith Carridine). Stevie (Wallis Currie-Wood) is banking on the deadlock that night and a win in January. Alison (Kathrine Herzer) worries they will lose and have to move, but Elizabeth (Tea Leoni) and Henry (Tim Daly) promise they won’t move even if they do both lose their jobs if Dalton gets beaten.

 

Jason (Evan Roe) comes down for breakfast wearing a Fred Reynolds shirt. Stevie and Alison are irritated. Henry finds it disrespectful, but Elizabeth tells him it’s his right to wear it if he genuinely believes Reynolds is the best candidate.

 

Russell (Zeljko Ivanek) gives Dalton’s campaign team an intense pep talk—they have to deliver Ohio for Dalton in order for him to have shot at winning. They must either make history as an independent or get fired.

 

Elizabeth and Henry vote together. Elizabeth is afraid Evans will win and take their legacy apart. She pushed Dalton to embrace new policy and run as an independent so if he loses, she feels it will be because of her. Henry tells her she can’t blame herself.

 

Daisy (Patina Miller) tells Nadine (Bebe Neuwirth) that her boyfriend got a new job in California, but she won’t go with him since there isn’t career opportunity for her there. He doesn’t want to do long distance so they broke up. Nadine offers her condolences, warning Daisy that elections in D.C. are like New Years and The Hunger Games rolled into one. The two of them plus Matt (Geoffrey Arend) and Blake (Erich Bergen) decide to watch the results together at a bar.

 

Frequent bearer of bad news Walter Nowack (Rene Auberjonois) informs Elizabeth and Jay (Sebastian Arcelus) that nuclear powerhouses have met up in Moscow to visit Russia’s top nuclear facilities. This is a direct violation of the US’s deal with Russia. Elizabeth says to keep this between the three of them—any further evidence is to be brought directly to her. Blake tells Elizabeth she needs to get ready for Dalton’s event and hands her a paper from Walter and Jay. Elizabeth runs off to talk the two in secret, leaving Blake stressed and confused.

 

Elizabeth tells Walter and Jay that the nuclear gang is shopping, as she has spotted the name of an Iranian banker she knows from her time at the CIA. Walter adds that they’re likely purchasing nuclear centrifuges from Russia. Elizabeth says they need to track every shipment the plant has had lately. Elizabeth’s team hits the bar together—it’s like political Comic Con. Daisy gets a little flirty with Matt and Nadine informs him that she’s single again. The four toast and take a shot of Fireball.

 

Elizabeth briefs Dalton and Russell. An Iranian ship is likely carrying dangerous supplies to build more nuclear weapons. US forces could possibly stop them, but their window is only two hours until they reach the Iranian coast. All the evidence is circumstantial, which concerns Russell. Elizabeth says if she’s wrong they’ll be embarrassed, but if she’s right and they do nothing then Iran will be at breakout capacity. Dalton tells Elizabeth to call in forces to stop the ship.

 

At the bar, Matt stares longingly at Daisy while debating to Nadine whether or not he should try and get back together with her.

 

In the control room, they order the soldiers on the US ship to fire a warning shot at the Iranians. The Iranians don’t respond and call for backup—they won’t attack the US in international waters, but once they cross the line into their territory they will fire at them. The US calls their marines on standby to step in and stop the Russians before they reach Iranian turf. They kill Russian soldiers aboard the ship and the Iranian boats turn around. The soldiers open the cargo to find centrifuges.

 

Russell is scared Dalton’s chances of reelection are dead considering both the Russian and Iranian deals are now in jeopardy. Dalton is more concerned that Iran will still be able to build dangerous weapons. According to their deal, if Iran breaks any part of the contract the UN can request inspection. If Iran comes clean about what they did, they can still keep the deal. However, Russia has veto power and holds a grudge since two of their men are now dead—they likely won’t be okay with the UN inspecting Iran even with the evidence.

 

Back at the bar, Nadine and Mike B. (Kevin Rahm) bicker about economics. Win (Sam Daly) tells Matt that even though Daisy is amazing, dating your ex is always a bad idea. Everyone celebrates when the news calls Ohio a win for Dalton—it’s a big, important victory that will allow the winner to be chosen by the House. Matt heads over to talk to Daisy, but she and Win leave the bar together. Matt drowns his sorrows with alcohol.

 

A Russian Ambassador (Nick Gracer) yells at Elizabeth as two Russian soldiers are dead. Elizabeth tells him the US soldiers were acting in self-defense during the routine search and seize. Plus, they found centrifuges hidden in wheat on the ship. She needs Russia to support their vote to send inspectors into Iran, but Russia refuses saying the United States will pay for what they have done.

 

Henry tells Elizabeth that Jason plans on going to a Reynolds rally that afternoon. Elizabeth says that he has lost the right to a normal life with her job and she doesn’t want to take away his right to react to it as well. Elizabeth tells Henry that Iran is saying that the centrifuges were intended for civilian use, which is obviously a lie. Henry thinks Russia’s conspiracy theories reek of desperation—if they really wanted to give Iran nuclear weapons, wouldn’t they be ready with a more plausible cover story?

 

Elizabeth calls Nadine, asking her to get Walter in her office. Nadine has slept over at Mike’s house and Mike offers to make her waffles before work.

 

Win drives Daisy to work, telling her he had an amazing time last night. She tells him not to expect it to happen again—it was end-of-the-world sex because she didn’t know if she would have a job the next day. He says that what happens on election night stays on election night.

 

Walter tells Elizabeth and her team that the Russians didn’t authorize the shipment to Iran. The Russians don’t want to come clean because it’s embarrassing and difficult to save face.

 

Russell tells Dalton that Evans is stealing a lot of his votes and he would win if the House had to choose that day. Their solution is to try and get Reynolds on their side. Reynolds won’t win, but if they can get his endorsement that Dalton will. Unfortunately, they have vastly different plans and values. They hope Reynolds’ hatred for Evans trumps those.

 

Henry sees a video Jason has uploaded supporting Reynolds and his fight against the status quo. He orders Jason to take it down and questions him about Reynolds’ stances on foreign affairs. Jason doesn’t know how to defend him, causing Henry to tell him to educate himself or be quiet.

 

Dalton meets with Reynolds, complimenting his speeches and offering him the Department of Education and a mandate to run it as he sees fit if he endorses him. Reynolds wants Dalton to endorse him instead, as Dalton’s numbers have been dropping since the Iran debacle. Reynolds says he’s fighting for all the people that can’t afford four more years of establishment and he will continue with his campaign until the end. He will not endorse Dalton.

 

Elizabeth tells the Russian ambassador that they know Russia had nothing to do with the centrifuges. They are willing to corroborate Russia’s story and say the shipment was a joint operation, offering the families of the killed soldiers condolence payments. None of this happens; however, unless they let UN inspectors into Iran. The ambassador promises to take the proposal to the president.

 

Russell sends Elizabeth to try and flip Reynolds supporters over to Dalton. If she can convince Representative Vazquez (Olga Merediz), Mike B. assures her that the rest will follow. The representatives need Dalton’s pledge that he will not allow another war in the Middle East under any circumstances—that’s the only way they will abandon Reynolds, as it would be for the greater good since Evans is chomping at the bit for another war. They tell Elizabeth if she can resolve the Iran issue peacefully before they vote in January, they will switch to Dalton. If not, they will take their chances with Reynolds.

 

Henry shows Elizabeth Jason’s video. They are relieved that it is not playing on CNN or any major news sites, but Elizabeth is sad that he feels the need to get under her skin and doesn’t believe in her anymore. There’s also a real chance now that Dalton that could lose the House if the Iran deal dies.

 

Mike shows up to Elizabeth’s office, saying she needs an escape plan from this administration. She; however, refuses to give up on Dalton and resign. Her staff informs her that Russia has agreed to go forward with their agreement. When the rest of the staff leaves, Mike asks Nadine to dinner, but she declines. He asks if he can call and she tells him he could try.

 

Elizabeth makes a speech with the Russian Ambassador, warning that if Iran doesn’t accept the inspection their deal is off and they can expect full sanctions.

 

Henry takes Jason to go see a location where a bricklayers’ strike took place over one hundred years ago. Henry tells him that he has an incredible gift for thought and speech—that makes him powerful. However, he has to use that power to fight for things he truly believes in or his gift is wasted and nobody will take him seriously.

 

The control room anxiously watches a live feed of the inspectors trying to go into Iran. The Iranians refuse entry and Dalton orders Elizabeth to call the security department to allow them to sanction Iran. He tells Russell not to try and spin this—Iran can’t get a nuclear weapon. Their administration; however, might have to accept defeat when it comes to the election.