Madam Secretary

Good game, Mr. Vice President!

Hello. Good to see you.

Gentlemen, I'm glad we could provide a perfect day for golf.

The least we could do

given that you're stuck with the understudy.

The president is very sorry to miss out

on the Pacific Rim Economic Forum, but

he and Prime Minister Welton shared a close friendship.

Of course, he had to be on hand for the state funeral,

and is just flying home today.

Our hearts go out to our Australian brothers and sisters

on this solemn occasion.

The good news for all of you is

that the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership has been high

on my agenda since I was a young senator.

The bad news for all of you...

I'm a much better golfer than the president.

Minister Chen, I believe we're in the first group?

Good luck today, Mr. Vice President.

We're assuming

this is why Australia did not send a delegate

to the conference this year?

They are a country in mourning rather than protest.

Absolutely.

Because we are well aware that several members

of the Asia-Pacific Nations are not entirely comfortable

with the inclusion of China at this forum this year.

On the contrary, Minister Chen.

We need China in this discussion,

given that much of the framework is about counterfeit issues.

We, uh... we want to see some progress there.

It's a little warm today, isn't it?

It's quite pleasant.

It's warm to me.

And I usually run cool.

Are we speaking in metaphors?

What?

If that is the case, Mr. Vice President,

then let me remind you

that a fish rots from the head.

Please don't say that.

I thought you had this idiom, the fish rots from the head. Please.

Just as the top part of the fish rots...

(people gasping)

I'm so sorry.

We need a medic on the green...

There's something wrong. (Groans)

That's as far as I got.

Madam Secretary?

I'm so sorry.

I was hoping this is the part where I wake up.

It's a first draft, and you know, it'll...

it'll sound a lot better when you do it.

Mm. Of course, you'll have some of the staff backing you up.

I know it's cheesy,

but the Pacific Rim Economic Forum is important,

and the delegates love the talent show aspect.

The hosting country

always performs.

Look, it would be bad form to skip it.

And it really comes down to the Cambodians.

They're the swing vote on the Trans-Pacific agreement.

And they are huge fans of Billy Joel.

Oh, well, that's good. That's... Here's the thing.

Yeah. I don't sing.

I mean, a little bit in the shower,

Do you guys sing?

Mm, well. Yeah, I do.

College. A capella.

It's a résumé builder.

Madam Secretary, the whole thing is ludicrous,

but it has a lot more diplomatic importance

than you might think.

Just tell me that I have time

in my schedule to work on this.

Uh, no, ma'am.

But I'm certain that Daisy has a plan.

Uh, look, I'm sure you're better than you think.

That's your plan?

Well, she's right. I mean,

if you can speak, you can sing.

Unless you're tone deaf or something.

I'm sure you're not.

That's like two percent of the population.

Excuse me, ma'am.

The vice president has been taken to the hospital

following an incident on the golf course

with the Pan-Asian delegation.

Flu-like symptoms.

He'll be undergoing tests.

His condition is stable, and they'll keep us informed.

Flu-like symptoms.

Sounds contagious.

Madam Secretary, you're going to be great.

E.M. Forster said, "If I had to choose"

"between betraying my friend or my country,

"I hope I would have the courage

to betray my country."

Anybody want to expand on that?

It demonstrates his distrust of larger institutions.

As an outsider. How an outsider?

Gay in England at the turn of the century?

Okay, so you're suggesting

that his outsider status gave him a unique perspective

on nationalism, but does this statement

make him unpatriotic? Yes.

Why? The point

of serving your country is,

you put the greater good ahead of the individual.

Okay, Ivan.

Okay, but what about fighting for your buddy in the foxhole?

I feel like that might be more of an American concept.

Well, I-I disagree.

All of those soldiers fighting shoeless

and without weapons on the Russian front

in World War II

were not serving the common good.

They were being forced

into the battle, and they did it... (phone buzzing)

To keep themselves and their families from going to prison.

That's an oversimplification,

and you can't reduce Russian patriotism to that.

It took real idealism to defeat Hitler.

And the Russian Army almost accomplished that

single-handedly.

All right. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

Reign it in. Reign it in.

Uh, who won World War II is an entirely different class,

and I don't teach it, thank God.

Uh, so let's talk for a minute

about the ethical role of the individual in a commonwealth.

Sorry to call you in on such short notice.

We like to give more of a heads-up as a rule.

I'm Jane Fellows. I'll be your you main contact at DIA.

This is Cooper Ralston, Perry Thomas.

Hi. How are you?

Hello. Have a seat.

This is one of our safe houses.

It's smarter for you not to come to the office.

Uh, you look a little thrown.

I was told General Sarno briefed you

on how this would work once you joined

the faculty at the War College.

I was informed

there'd be some overlap with DIA, but that's it.

Occupational hazard, being stingy with information.

I'm sorry about that.

Uh, getting right to the point,

we have an eye on one of your students.

Ivan Kolashkov. Do you know him?

Yes, of course. He's in my Military Ethics class.

He's training to serve under General Doroshevich,

one of the highest-ranking members of the Russian military,

and a close advisor to President Ostrov.

I believe that all the Russian students

in my classes are under his direction.

Yes. But we like Ivan.

He seems pretty steadfast in his nationalism.

Good.

Observe and assess him. We need a basic

psychological profile, character analysis.

What are you looking for?

To see whether or not he can be an asset for us.

We feel we could redirect all that fiery patriotism.

Do you want to let me in on the idea?

He's a closet homosexual.

Russian Military takes a dim view of it.

Mean the end of his career, possible prison time.

What do you need me for?

There are other criteria to consider.

Uh, you're familiar

with the checklist of intelligence modalities?

Inter and intra personal skills, situational awareness, so on?

So, you want me to tee him up so you can blackmail him?

All while teaching Military Ethics.

National security is a vast network,

and it's all part of the same fabric, Dr. McCord,

but... you know that.

It's a corrupt government which forces him into the shadows.

Let's start there, or maybe

you're squeamish because you're still new at this

and thinking about the person, and not the politics.

But Russia continues to be our next real nuclear threat,

and he's a very ambitious officer in their army.

No matter how cuddly he might seem in your classroom.

Perry, is it?

I think it's best we don't talk.

Just get to know your student, Dr. McCord.

Tell us what you think, that's all.

MAN (on TV): The White House released a statement

saying that Delgado is undergoing

emergency gallbladder surgery.

The VP reportedly collapsed...