Ripped & Corrected By mstoll
For the 9:30am National Security Council meeting,
you'll need the memo on cyber security, which you took home.
Worst bedtime reading ever.
- I can get you another copy. - Ha! No need. OK.
So staff briefing after NSC, then what?
At 2:15 there's a reception for the departing Finnish ambassador.
I hope he brings that salty licorice. God, I love that stuff.
- We'll look into that for you. - Oh! Hey.
Don't let me forget Henry's interview on Book TV on C-SPAN tomorrow.
It hath been ordained.
That's a small biblical joke for Henry.
OK. I'm hanging up now.
- Thanks, babe. - You guys should check it out, too.
A Z-SPAN interview on Dad's book about St Francis
that I already hear too much about?
If you actually read your father's work instead of trashing it,
you'd know how totally un-Franciscan that was.
- Oh, word. - I humbly and meekly apologize.
He was also a revolutionary, completely rejected any form of material wealth.
Also led the first environmental movement.
Wait. You guys read it?
- I'll make you an autographed copy. - You'll love it.
Ooh, burn.
Wow, that is one manly breakfast you got there, slugger.
Jason is trying to bulk up for football. Isn't it cute?
"Cute" isn't what I'm going for. And "slugger" is baseball, Mom.
Oh, OK.
Stevie, why are you getting a call from the White House?
Oh. It's Harrison.
He's trying to ditch my caller ID. I'm not engaging.
Ooh.
You're allowed to be relieved.
Good, 'cause, well, we're just happy that you're making some good choices.
I know. I totally deserve some bacon, alright?
- I thought you were vegan. - Bacon is my downfall.
Could you save some for the linebacker?
I'm off to the White House to eat more crow about Russia.
I don't get how that's your fault.
You happened to be in Russia when Ostrov's widow made a power play.
Exactly. I was there.
They're mad because you made a better president.
Acting president.
No way, man.
The best ramen is Noodle Noodle Dumpling on H Street.
No, hands down. Yes!
- It jammed last night. - I see that.
- I can take a look at it. - I don't have time.
OK. I'm not talking to you.
Hey, buddy, can I call you back? OK.
- I'm sorry about the printer. - It's fine.
Are you sure?
I appreciate you're willing to share an office in spite of everything,
but I don't think this is working.
Look, you can totally have the printer,
and I don't have to be so loud on the phone.
I think we'd both be better at our jobs if we did them separately,
now that we're broken up.
Hang on for a sec. Can we talk about this?
What is there to talk about? It's over. I need to move on.
- Have you seen this? - Bold graphic.
It's Inside Lowdown. Their below the fold is cops twerking.
It's bad enough we had to endure Maria Ostrov
accusing the US of conspiring against Russia.
But this makes it look like some Real Housewives episode.
I'll push back, but it's hard to stand
against a paper that equates a diplomatic crisis with...
Cops twerking?
I was gonna say naked-lady mud-wrestling.
That sounds fun. What did I miss?
Catfight? Really?
We'll push back on that, ma'am. Why don't we move into the items of the day?
At least I don't look chinny.
Good morning, Madam Secretary. The Polar Research Institute of China...
Oh, prick.
...began construction on a new weather station
in the Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic.
As long as the station is researching the effects of climate change,
like it claims, it doesn't warrant further scrutiny by the Arctic Council.
But if they try and claim drilling rights
or lay claim to any of the new waters opening up,
due to the melting of the polar ice cap...
We'll be mad because they beat us to the punch?
- Basically. - We need to send a cable
to the foreign ministry
cautioning the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic administration.
Let's draft it. So when did you lose the lumberjack look?
Is that new baby or neo-hipster?
- A little of both. - Welcome back.
In some positive news, I just got inside word from the Hill.
Looks like our disaster relief bill for Nepal is going to pass tomorrow.
- Awesome! Wow! - Amazing.
Hey, uh, who caved?
Senator Fenworth seems to have been persuaded.
We don't persuade. We inform.
The Tin Man that voted against subsidized school lunches?
Apparently, he was quite moved by his visitation
with the Royal Kumari of Nepal.
Seeing all the devastated villages didn't do it,
but five minutes with a 12-year-old goddess convinced him?
A 12-year-old goddess who does not speak.
Oh, uh, the Kumari is mute only when she's in full ceremonial dress,
and she's inhabited by the goddess Taleju.
Nobody else reads the briefs?
Ma'am, we should probably leave for the NSC meeting.
Right. They keep starting without me.
You've got a press meet-and-greet with the Kumari after the vote tomorrow.
I'll be sure to thank her for charming Congress out of its compassion fatigue,
all without saying a word.
I'm sure there's a few cabinet members
who believe I could learn a thing or two from her.
So, really, cyber security is just the tip of the iceberg.
Pretty big tip.
Let's catch Elizabeth up.
Craig has come up with a new defense initiative. Go ahead and lay it out.
Of course.
When my grandfather went to the Philippines in World War II,
he was armed with a rifle that was designed in 1904.
The next years saw a transformation of US Defense
that changed the shape of geopolitics forever.
And we pretty much haven't touched it since then.
So while we're still spending billions on aircraft carriers and submarines,
we're getting cut off at the knees
by a backroom criminal with malware and a laptop.
- Or a weather station in the Antarctic. - It was approved by the Arctic Council.
How are we seeing it as an act of aggression?
Exactly. It's under the radar.
It's cheap. And for the cost of one weather station,
China gets complete access to our satellite communications,
and quite possibly shares them with our adversaries on the Arctic Council,
who, as you pointed out, didn't exactly protest this thing in the first place.
So we're thinking China and Russia are working together?
To undermine our global security interests?
- Does that seem so impossible to you? - Look, I get shifting our focus
to cyber offense after what happened with Air Force One,
but battlefield robotics, laser weapon systems?
What about the impact this is going to have on diplomatic relations?
Well, to that I would say, Madam Secretary, you had your turn.
And you see where that led us.
This is a done deal, Bess.
Figure out a way to make it work.
Looking at our budgetary goals, this is a three-phase process.
First and foremost...
Military transformation.
So that's our new foreign policy?
It's that damn Air Force One attack.
I realize this is a shift in focus, but it's long overdue.
I mean, NASA got a total overhaul, what, 20 years ago?
Meanwhile, Defense is lumbering along with World War ll-era technology
while we're being hammered by cyber attacks?
When you say "shift in focus," what does that mean for State?
Reprioritizing the budget. Some programs will be affected.
- How long are we? - I can't speak to that.
Let me understand this.
Initiatives that actually build peace and stability,
like trade agreements, supporting education and economic growth,
building partnerships and alliances,
we're just gonna push some of that aside
so we can focus on spying on everyone better?
There could be an upside. We'll have less oversight.
Exactly. Think of this as an opportunity. We can be creative.
Fly under the radar, lay groundwork for when things swing back in our direction.
- Until we're fired for being redundant. - I get that this is frustrating, OK?
But this is what's happening, so we all need to get on board.
Read the proposal and come up with some ideas and solutions! Thank you.
We'll reconvene after lunch.
I'm guessing this is Sterling's work, ma'am?
You know that he thinks that the Chinese research station
is a collusion with Russia to intercept our satellite communications?
Thank you.
Do you think it's a possibility?
Well, put it this way.
I read that one of the projects at the research station
is to extract an ice core that's just a little longer
than the one extracted by the US.
It always comes down to who's got the longer core, doesn't it?
I also think we've done our share of spying on other nations.
And I'm not so sure one research station warrants a complete military overhaul.
But they don't ask me these questions.
They don't ask me either anymore.
You'll find a way to be heard.
I'm sorry to interrupt, Madam Secretary.
The tablet of doom. Make it quick while we still have a budget.
It's actually somewhat personal.
Oh. Excuse me.
One of my contacts at the Chronicle forwarded a query that's going around.
It seems to...
Well, it seems to be from someone in possession of...
Spit it out, Daisy.
Someone is trying to sell photos
of your daughter and the president's son being intimate.
- What? - They included one photo as proof,
but once the seller gets paid, they're promising more.
- More than this? - Everything.
Find out everyone who got this query. I want a full list.
- Does Russell Jackson know yet? - I found out two minutes ago.
I want us in front of it with him. Come on, Henry. Pick up.
- We can kill this, right? - We'll do everything we can.
But with the teaser photo already out there...
- Teaser photo? Like an ad campaign? - I'm sorry.
Ma'am, Russell Jackson wants to see you in his office.
- He says it's extremely urgent. - So much for getting in front of it.
We've contacted every outlet that got the query.
If they make the purchase, they'll feel the full force of the Executive Branch.
Isn't Harrison enough of a public figure that they can claim fair use?
Not if I have anything to do with it.
Half an hour ago, I thought Maria Ostrov was the only thing
that could hijack the news cycle, and run down our poll numbers.
You thinking this is another hack like Air Force One?
This wasn't a hack! The president's son lost his phone last week.
- Didn't bother to tell anybody. - Didn't it have a password or?
Apparently, he thought they were inconvenient.
We need to move forward.
I need you to talk to Stevie, find out what else we're looking at.
God forbid, there's video.
You're gonna talk to Harrison, too? So we're clear on who did what.
I don't really give a damn who did what!
Yes, we're talking to Harrison, the heroin addict!
We need to corroborate so we can contain the blast.
Get me a report.
This is a matter we need to treat with the highest degree of sensitivity.
This is a potential criminal act against two people
who happen to be related to public figures.
The incident is under investigation, and we have nothing more to add.
- This is assuming the photos get out? - We're up against freedom of the press.
We're doing everything we can to find the source and lock this down.
Legally. Thank you.
Everybody, sit back down.
I'm not here to tell you what to do in your off hours.
But you know what I'm about to say.
If any of you have any digital evidence on any of your devices
anywhere that you don't want everyone to see,
now is the time to delete it.
Print out a copy for your private records, lock it in a drawer,
but no digital footprint.
OK. Thank you, everyone.
So, if I'm on Tinder, that's not a problem, right?
Um, I would say, unless there's something obscene in your profile,
then, by all means, date away.
OK, cool.
It's not weird that I asked you that, is it?
Of course not. I appreciate the heads-up.
OK.
- I'm gonna... - Yeah.
That was weird.
But how?
Apparently, he lost his phone and it fell into the wrong hands.
Now I know why he was calling from all those other numbers.
Sweetie, it's completely wrong that this happened,
but now we have to deal with it. Can you tell me what else is on there?
I'm gonna get us some coffee.
Um, what do you mean, what else?
Well, the guy, whoever took the phone, sent out one of the photos.
It's already out there?
Not yet.
Sent more like proof that there's more.
Oh, my God.
You're both in bed. Nothing's showing.
But I need to know what else there is so I can manage it.
Um...
I don't know. I-I don't remember.
Baby, I get that this is hard, but the White House needs to know.
Harrison said he was gonna delete them.
He promised me. We were just goofing around. It was not a big deal.
- It was one time. - So there is nudity?
Nothing gross, but, yeah, we were in bed, so yes.
Were you guys?
I mean, they're gonna probably ask. Were you guys doing anything?
Of course not. It was after.
Thank you.
Mom, I'm sorry.
So am I.
- Hey. - Hey.
You remember that weekend at Falls Lake?
Oh. Of course.
Thank God there was no internet.
- This is different. - Is it?
Yes. I work for the president of the United States,
who's running for re-election.
She can't just pretend she's not aware of that anymore.
And I mean, how many dumb moves are we gonna give her?
How far does it have to go for her to realize what's at stake,
and not just for her, but for all of us?
It sucks that this happened, I get that, but is it really her job to prevent it?
Yes, everybody knows you don't put nudey pictures on your telephone.
- Cellphone. - Whatever.
This puzzle is ridiculously hard.
What?
If these pictures get out, you know what the world will do to Stevie.
I'd just hate to see you do it first.
- What's that? - Blame her.
Morning.
I have a draft of that diplomatic cable
about the Chinese weather station in the Arctic.
- But we can do this another time. - Are those donuts?
- Bagels. - That'll do.
We're already using, "Welcome to the Arctic research community,"
to say, "Don't even think about drilling up there."
But you want to try to implicate Russia for letting them in on top of that?
Just a whiff of it.
Something like, um,
"Protecting the diplomatic integrity of the Arctic
is a chief objective of the Arctic Council and the United States,
so, you know, don't try anything with Russia."
First of all, Russia's almost as territorial as China is.
There's no way they're gonna share
all their new shipping lanes with another superpower
- once the polar ice cap melts. - I know, right? Total fiction.
- Can I ask why we're ringing that bell? - I'm told it'll play well.
You're just in time. He's introducing Henry.
Madam Secretary, I am so sorry.
Oh, no.
The photo that was sent with the query has appeared online.
Where?
For the moment, a user-generated news site.
Relatively low-profile.
All of the other photos are still under wraps.
But now that word's out...
It's only a matter of time till someone buys the rest.
There has to be something we can do.
I've reached out to Russell Jackson's office.
We can move your afternoon commitments and make a task force.
Don't change the schedule. The president wants everything to move forward.
It might be best to reschedule the meet-and-greet
- with the Royal Kumari of Nepal. - Why is that?
Um...
It's a devoutly religious country.
She's a virgin goddess.
Well, let's just hope the prepubescent virgin goddess who lives in a temple
doesn't spend much time on the internet.
Meeting stays.
There really is so much to mine
in this little border between the Christian and the Muslim worlds.
Well, it's precisely the blurriness in this moment of transition
where we can see the common sources
behind so much of our cultural and spiritual conflict.
Mmm, like stumbling onto a wealth of scrolls preserved in a cave.
Well, sure, yeah.
Why don't we open things up to our callers?
Jeff from Fair Oaks.
- Yes, hi. - Go ahead with Dr McCord.
Hi, Jeff.
I've been listening to you talk
about the moral codes of Christianity and Islam.
I think it's so interesting you hold yourself up as an expert on morality
when all I'm finding online about you is a photo of your daughter
rolling around in bed with the president's son.
- Excuse me? - I'm sorry.
No, let me finish. Is that your definition of "moral parenting"?
- Is that your definition? - No. No. I'd like to answer that.
You ask an interesting question, Jeff.
I'd like to make a distinction that I usually make
on the very first day of my morals and ethics class.
A lot of people say that morals are how we treat the people we know,
and ethics are how we treat the people we don't know.
So, morals are what make us a good parent, a good friend, a nice neighbor.
But ethics are how we build a society.
That's the true test of our higher self.
But what happens, Jeff, when society is ruled by the subjective morals
of, say, you and your family,
and you choose to project that onto complete strangers
is we all end up with a society that's governed by self-aggrandizement.
Oh.
So by calling to make sure you're the first pedant to jump off your chair
and teach me a lesson with smug superiority
about your own particular moral point of view
when you know precisely nothing of the situation,
you've done your part to contribute to the erosion of our entire social fabric.
Pat yourself on the back. Bravo!
So we are going to take a break.
I'm gonna go make some calls.
Do I want to know how bad it is?
Just the one photo. Somebody leaked it.
The rest are still under wraps.
I mean, how bad did I make things for you?
- You're still my hero. - No, I'm not.
I went off like a hopped-up undergrad.
You did what I have been wanting to do all day.
Instead, I have to listen to my staff
imply that I shouldn't be sitting down with a virgin goddess from Nepal
while my slutty daughter is all over the internet.
Not you.
You have a meeting with a Kumari?
He knows what a Kumari is. Don't ever change.
- How old is she? - 12. Almost ready to retire.
OK. I'm getting more bad-news face. Hold on.
No further news on your daughter, ma'am. But I just got word from the Hill.
It now looks like the disaster relief bill is not going to pass.
Henry, I gotta go. Bye.
What happened to the Tin Man? I thought we had the Tin Man.
This morning, when the president's numbers dropped,
three more senators took the opportunity to flip their positions.
- Over a photo sex scandal? - The vote will be up again in January.
By which time, thousands of people will have died of exposure and disease.
Well, at least now you have a good excuse
to cancel my photo op with the virgin goddess.
The Kumari and her entourage have already arrived.
I will send the press away and break the news privately.
No.
I'll tell her. Thank you.
It is an honor, Kumari.
Kumari is pleased to meet you, Madam Secretary.
We were expecting a bit more press.
I know the honor of the presence of the Kumari
brought a great deal of attention to the plight of Nepal
after the terrible disaster you've endured.
But unfortunately, support for the additional aid package
will not be approved by the US Congress today.
That is not what we were led to expect!
The conditions have changed, unfortunately.
We will revisit the proposal as soon as we can.
I hope you will accept my deepest apology and sympathy for your people.
It is her blessing.
Nope. I'm done. No more bad news.
The president has invited you and Dr McCord
to join him and the First Lady for dinner at the White House this evening.
Is that it?
I can try to find some bad news.
No need.
I'm pretty sure that dinner invitation is bad news enough.
- What's up? - Uh, would you close the door, please?
So, I'm trying to delete a file of old photos...
Hm-hmm.
But ever since I switched to the cloud...
- They keep coming back. - Like a bad penny.
I've had this. OK, let's go to your cloud preferences.
- Did that. - OK. Select the ones you wanna kill.
Uh...
What we're gonna do is we're gonna create a ghost file.
- Um, I'm not looking, I swear. - There's nothing unsavory.
I just thought I get rid of the hanging chads, so to speak.
Oh, I get it. You don't wanna be looking at these things at 2am
after a glass of wine and too much Adele.
Not that I speak from experience.
Scotch and Joni Mitchell for me.
For what it's worth, it's only brutal for the first year.
OK, can I ask?
How can I be his ideal woman and, five minutes after we break up,
he's dating some barista who can't even properly use the possessive apostrophe?
- Did you Facebook stalk? - No. A little.
Well, whoever she is,
she's probably very simple and very needy,
and that's exactly what he wants right now.
You know you could do the same.
That cyber security guy clearly has an eye for you.
No, he doesn't. Does he?
So, that's my problem? I'm not needy enough?
It's in their DNA.
They wanna feel like we need them.
The feminist movement would have us hung for this conversation.
Well, a fish may not need a bicycle,
but Gloria Steinem probably never spent a Saturday night alone
at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Whoa. The good suit, huh?
Well, I figure mea culpa dinner with the president, you know.
Yeah, I don't know that's it's your mea culpa.
Kids! Pizza!
Don't get me wrong, that was a spectacular rant,
but I haven't heard any fallout.
So, if a tree falls on C-SPAN, does it make a sound? Is that it?
Oh, pizza.
Listen, we're going out to the White House tonight for dinner.
Dad's getting called in to the principal's office?
- What does that mean? - Please, your epic TV rant?
- What epic rant? - Check it out. Dad's a gif.
You've officially made it.
- Great. - Jase, are you OK?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm just sore from practice.
I don't know how much you know, but something uncool happened to Stevie.
We know. The picture is everywhere. I don't see what the big deal is.
Well, the big deal is that it is a gross invasion of privacy.
But it's something that we may have to deal with,
'cause our family is in the public eye, and all that,
but we are doing what we can to keep it from moving forward, OK?
Just be sensitive. It'll all blow over as soon as a cooler gif comes along.
- Hey, guys. - Dude, pizza.
- Oh, I'm not doing cheese. - Oh, and we're back to vegan.
We're going out, so you guys are on your own.
Get to bed on time. I'm speaking to you, sir. Bye.
- Goodbye. - Bye, sweets.
OK. Who wants to watch a movie?
- Oh, I'm down. - Not me.
My mother always insisted that vichyssoise was only for summer,
but I find it very comforting.
Well, we could certainly use a little comfort. Thank you, Lydia.
Again, Conrad, I'm so sorry for losing it today.
We're all on edge. How's everybody doing at home?
- Holding our breath, I'd say. - Any news who on has the photographs?
Not yet.
Which is why we need to be ready for this to get worse as early as tomorrow.
- Sounds ominous. - What are you thinking?
Well, we'd, uh, like to put Stevie and Harrison on the morning news.
Just a short interview, as a couple. Get out in front of it.
As a couple?
The team thinks it plays best if we see them as two young people in love,
regretful for their choices, but laughing it off.
We'd have to hit the right tone. Our people can work with them.
You are aware they broke up a few weeks ago?
Does their relationship status need to come up?
Not if they're posing.
This thing has put us in a tough spot, Bess.
It's a five-minute interview.
- Harrison has already agreed. - Of course he has!
I'm sorry, but we all know that Harrison has nothing to lose.
At worst he's a recovering addict with a hot girlfriend.
But Stevie will be the slut who loses everything.
For crying out loud, Bess!
Will you help me solve one damn problem that you've caused?
Conrad, our kids took naked pictures of themselves in bed.
What does that have to do with Elizabeth?
It's Russia, it's Russia.
I was there when Maria Ostrov seized power. Now everything's my fault.
Do we need to bring matters of state into this?
- You opened Pandora's box over there. - Now I'm Pandora?
- Did they chain her to a rock? - That was Prometheus.
You had to push your agenda with Ukraine.
- Which almost worked. - It was too big a risk!
Last I heard, that's why you brought me in here!
- Guys, we're getting off topic here. - We need to right the ship.
And I'd love a little cooperation for both our kids' sakes.
So, putting Stevie on national television
to apologize for the horrible crime of being violated,
that's gonna right the ship?
Or is she just apologizing for being sexual? I'm a little unclear.
No one will think anything less of Stevie.
That's a big relief.
We're trying to manage the embarrassment.
Oh, Lydia, I think that ship has sailed.
- After your outburst, I have to agree. - What?
Now, we're blaming Henry for defending his daughter?
Why don't we talk about the fact that your son has an unsecured phone?
- Who'd like another cocktail? - I would.
Well, thank God for Lydia Dalton.
That woman is a first-class WASP.
Never underestimate the power of gin and denial.
You know, actually, I would love a nightcap,
while I write my letter of resignation.
Oh, come on. Conrad doesn't wanna lose you. Just let the dust settle.
Henry, I all but called the president's son a junkie loser.
Hi.
Oh, hey. I didn't see you there, sweetie.
It's OK. He is a loser.
And for five minutes tomorrow morning, he will still be my boyfriend.
- No, sweetie. You're not gonna do that. - I already told Harrison I would.
No. Your mom and I killed it.
They're gonna come up with another strategy.
I don't wanna be strategized. I don't wanna be managed.
- I don't even care what's true anymore. - Hey.
One of the feminist groups on campus made posters of me,
like I'm some kind of hero.
And then one of the fraternities
went around and put? TeamMcCord on all of them.
That stupid photo is everywhere.
Dad's losing it on TV. Jason won't even look at me.
I just want my life back.
I recommend the puzzle.
Well, it's a defense budget proposal.
If this can't put me out, nothing can.
Wait a minute.
- Oh, hey. Admiral Hill. - Oh, Madam Secretary.
I wonder if I might get a minute with you to go over the budget proposal.
I'm still catching up on it myself, but, yes, of course.
Oh, great. OK, 'cause I wanna show you right here...
on page 204, we get into the breakdown on specific weaponry.
- Yes. - I know what Sterling said
that we're looking to go all stealth and cheap and fast.
But what's all this?
It's old-school heavy duty military gear.
It's aircraft carriers, tanks, dozens of choppers.
Sterling knows that he has to sell this to the brass.
And this is what the generals understand.
But it's more than half the budget.
This old ship turns slowly.
Let me ask you something, Ellen.
You agree with Sterling's initiative?
Do I think that Chinese weather station is a spy outpost?
Probably not.
But I do think that this is how wars are gonna be fought in the future.
Thank you, Admiral.
Shakya, I'm glad I caught you.
Could I possibly get two minutes with the Kumari?
I'm afraid not, Madam Secretary. We're just leaving.
Pramila, can I speak with you for a minute?
I'm sorry.
I wanna help your county.
- You have one minute. - Thank you.
Pramila, listen to me.
Very soon after you return home, your time as a Kumari will be finished,
but you still have time to help your people.
You still have great power and I want to help you use it.
Go on.
All I need is your blessing.
If the prime minister comes to you about a building project in the Himalayas,
smile upon it.
Madam Secretary, the Kumari is a divinity.
She does not rule in matters of state.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Madam Secretary.
You can do a lot more than they say.
Your blessing could save thousands of lives.
There's my linebacker. You up for a breakfast burrito?
No, just, uh, cereal. I'm laying off the protein.
Best way to heal sore muscles.
I'm dropping football.
What? You just made the team, like, two weeks ago.
I wanted to make friends. These idiots aren't my friends.
You're telling me there's not a single kid on that team that's not a jerk?
They made fun of Stevie, Dad, right in front of my face.
And I did nothing, which makes me even worse than they are.
- You just wanna smash 'em, right? - Yeah.
And just can't stop thinking about how great it would feel.
Pretty great.
It would for... maybe an hour.
Here's the thing... it wouldn't change anything.
And then there's the whole part
about you getting kicked out of another school for fighting.
Letting them talk about Stevie that way, that's the right thing to do?
Jase, every group you're ever gonna be in is gonna have at least one jerk,
and you're gonna have to learn how to deal with it, OK?
Not by quitting, and definitely not by beating anybody up.
Have a burrito.
Take it out on the other team.
I'm sure I'm being overly cautious
with all the breaches that have been happening.
Oh, no, we like overly cautious. Uh, where's the zombie file?
Uh, right here.
I've put it in the trash ten times, but every time I open the application...
Right. What we're gonna do is we're gonna create a ghost file.
Hmm. A ghost file.
It's surprising the press coordinator of the State Department
doesn't know how to delete a file from the cloud.
I-I probably could have figured it out, but I've been really busy.
No, it's cool.
I mean, yeah, I'll go out with you.
We can go to lunch right now.
I've been working on this awesome new encryption software.
I promise to only talk about it for ten minutes, tops.
- I think I could be free. - Cool. Shall we?
So you know, I knew how to do that.
God, I hope so.
Look who's first to school.
Oh, Lucy let me in. I hope that's OK, Mr President.
So, what's this proposal?
Yeah, um...
So, going over the proposed budget
for Craig's military transformation initiative,
I, uh, saw an opportunity
where I thought the State might be able to contribute
using our diplomatic relations with Nepal.
I proposed to their prime minister the idea of an observatory in the Himalayas.
It is a highly strategic spot
for optical, infrared and gamma ray observation.
It's strategic, alright. It's on the border with China.
Nepal will never sign off on it. They've got a relationship to protect.
They also have needs in the wake of the earthquakes.
I've gotten word back from the prime minister that he's open to the idea,
provided we pay a yearly fee for use of the land,
roughly the same amount we were hoping to approve in the disaster relief bill.
The question, of course, is budget.
Just one second.
Um, for the cost of ten joint light tactical vehicles,
we could invest in the peaceful observation of the heavens
with three new telescopes,
and also answer China's encroachment of the Arctic with a message of our own.
Ten JLTVs, huh?
Yeah, the budget calls for 400. I think 390 should do it.
What do you think, Craig?
Well, it's strategic, it sends a message to China and it's cheap.
What's not to like?
Reach out to NASA.
- Get it in motion. - Absolutely, Mr President.
And, uh, Elizabeth, if I could, uh, get a moment...
Mr President, I am sorry about my behavior last night.
It was totally inappropriate.
Lucy, could you have, uh, Henry come in?
Hello, Conrad.
Hi, there.
I wanted to tell you both there was a breakthrough in this photo situation.
The query letter was traced back to a former Secret Service agent
who was released from duty last month.
It seems this was his, uh, way to even the score.
So, that's it? The photos are contained?
We've stopped the sale of the photos,
and the guy's being held at a local precinct for questioning.
- But we're sure they're gone for good? - As sure as we can be.
I owe you both an apology.
I don't think this situation brought out the best in a lot of us.
I'm sorry for the way we handled it.
Thanks, Conrad.
- May I make a request? - And what is it?
Before you finish questioning this guy,
15 minutes alone with him, off the radar.
You got it.
Well, that was very Godfather.
Are you thinking piano wire or bare hands?
I haven't decided yet.
Is it wrong that I find it kind of hot?
Don't answer that.
You good?
- I'm Stephanie. - I'm Ronald Watson.
I don't really know what to say.
I've been having a bad time, but that's, that's not an excuse.
I heard about your misdemeanor.
I was kind of surprised that's all you got, actually.
And a fine.
Oh, and a fine.
How much?
500.
So, that's like, what, half a month's rent or a new camera?
You could have taken your own pictures.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
So, did you not think about that
when you were trying to sell my privacy to the highest bidder?
Was I just not real to you?
- Elizabeth. - Here we go.
Craig.
I wanted to thank you for that proposal on Nepal.
Oh, good. Glad it found your support.
It's exactly the way we need to be moving forward.
I'm so glad we're finally finding a way to work on the same team.
Thanks, Craig, me too.
Which is why I don't ever wanna hear you say it's not my turn again.
We should grab that lunch, though.
Absolutely.
Mr Sterling, that meeting is in ten minutes.
I was mad about other things.
- Again, it's not an excuse. - I heard that you lost your job.
They said that I was intoxicated on duty.
But I wasn't. I would never do that.
I've worked for three presidents.
It must be hard on your family.
Oh, my son's out of the house.
So, it's just me now.
How old is he?
He's 20.
Is he in school?
Taking some time off for the moment.
Look, I don't know what exactly you want from me.
I don't want anything, Ronald.
We're just talking.
I just wanted to get to know you as a person.
So I wouldn't...
reduce you to one stupid thing that you did.
See how that works?
- Hey. - Hey.
You OK?
Yeah... I am.
Ripped & Corrected By mstoll
Subtitles: BTI Studios