After a short break Madam Secretary was back on our TV screens with another episode. And it not only gave us answers to the cliffhanger, on which last episode ended, but also gave us a whole new one to think over until next Sunday. So lets look at Madam Secretary episode 9.
Warning, spoilers ahead!
Challenge of the week
This Madam Secretary episode started right where the last one left off – Elizabeth and her Fab Five hard at work to make sure that their peace deal doesn’t fall apart. And it was hard thing to achieve, too.
Just as they were celebrating, that they got the remaining P5 countries namely France, China, Russia and UK to agree to reinstate the sanctions on Iran, everything fell to bits. The French announced, that they are not on board with snapping back the sanctions, and Israel were preparing for military action against Iran.
That posed a whole new set of problems, because now Elizabeth had to prevent another conflict in the Middle East. In the end Elizabeth, with the help of Walter Nowack, figured out that the Iranian leader wasn’t behind the smuggling of the Russian centrifuges. It was a rogue member of the Iranian government. So Elizabeth saved the peace deal, by giving Iranians a confirmation, that Sam Evans will honor the peace deal, if he becomes the president. And she also helped Dalton in his run for the presidency in the process.
How? Well she got Sam Evans, Dalton’s main rival, to admit that he doesn’t intend on following true with the promises he is making now. For example, that his talk about ripping up the Iranian peace deal is just bluff. And the way Elizabeth did it was not only very sneaky, but also genius. Go Elizabeth!
Secondary story line
But their jobs weren’t half as hard as Russell Jackson’s, who continued to campaign for president Dalton with the presidency vote drawing near. This episode we truly got to see how hard Russell is working, and we also saw the consequences of that. Russell was running all over town to get congressmen on Dalton’s side, because that is the only way to ensure that Dalton gets his second term.
If in previous episodes Russell looked over-worked or worried, then this episode brought it to a whole new level. To be perfectly honest, I had a feeling that something will happen to him. You just simply cannot live on few hours of sleep, stress, worry and endless hours for long. And I was right, as in the midst of promising Stevie her Harvard recommendation Russell collapsed.
I still can’t get over how well Madam Secretary does cliffhangers. They truly know how to keep their viewers on the edges of their seats. And thank God we won’t have to wait long to see what happens to Russell, as the next Madam Secretary episode is on Sunday, December 18.
Family affairs
On the family affairs front, we saw Stevie trying to get a recommendation from Russell for Harvard. And it brought us some new revelations about the eldest McCord daughter.
If in the previous seasons we saw her struggling with figuring out what she wants to do with her life, as many young adults do, then in this episode, we saw her admitting to Russell Jackson, that she wants to ho to Harvard to be able to help those, who can’t afford it on their own. As Russell put it, she is one of those bleeding hearts, who is ready to work for dimes just to help others.
I think this choice Stevie made was the true testament of not only what kind of person she is, but also on how good of a job her parents have done raising her. Throughout the series we have seen both Elizabeth and Henry help those who need it the most, without asking anything in return, so now it’s Stevie’s time to prove, that she is a true McCord.
And can I just say how much I loved when Stevie stood up for herself to Russell, telling him that she doesn’t share his world-view. In just further proved, how strong Stevie’s intentions are. I just hope that she will get into Harvard and we will see her growing even more as a character. Although, that could turn out to be a bit complicated, thanks to the cliffhanger of this episode.
Last thoughts on this Madam Secretary episode 9
Finally, can we take a moment to appreciate Tim Daly and his portrayal of a hangover? It was one of the funniest moments of the episode, and it truly showed how many of us feel after a night of partying. And the reactions of the McCord children, who were enjoying their dad’s hungover state a little too much, was just priceless.
I will end the review on this lighter note, because I have a feeling, that the next episode will be anything but light. Russell’s faith unknown, the House of Representatives vote imminent and the Iran peace deal falling apart. We will see how our characters deal with it all.
Episode highlights:
- Allison stealing Elizabeth’s jacket
- McCord breakfast ritual
- Stevie finally knowing what she wants to do and going after her dreams full force
- Russell asking Henry a favor
- Henry’s hangover after his reunion with his army buddy
- Conrad pondering his legacy
- how Elizabeth got Sam Evans to confess his actual plans if he wins the election
- Stevie standing up for herself
- the cliffhanger at the end of the episode
Episode let-downs:
- Henry’s old Air Force buddy blaming him for his own problems
- Russell Jackson rescheduling the meeting with Stevie again and again
Quote of the episode:
Elizabeth: Guys, your father is a little tired this morning.
Allison: Oh my God, dad, are you hungover?
Henry: Yes.
Elizabeth: No! Okay, yes. Remember this the next time you think about drinking.
Allison: I will!
Henry: Okay, show’s over. Get out of here. Go on, go on.
Elizabeth: Remember, he did it for America!
Jason: Wait, what does that even mean?