BWW Recap: 'Elizabeth the Unethical' Blurs Lines on MADAM SECRETARY

Hello Stranger Friends. It looks like we are back to being, "Ripped from the Headlines," in our third episode of MADAM SECRETARY, as our favorite Secretary of State is ambushed at a photo-op with the French Foreign Minister, by leaked memo's and emails from the hallowed halls of Washington D.C.. Tony nominee Marin Ireland guest stars as Gina Fisher, a State Department reporter for the Washington Chronicle, who follows an Edward Snowden type informant to South Africa, where she is handed all of the damning stolen and hacked memos.

I loved, loved, loved the way that the writers were able to bring a counter point to the leaking argument right back into the home life of our MADAM SECRETARY as we get another funny exchange between the Secretary and husband Henry. We find out that somehow Henry's iPad got linked with daughter Allison's cell phone, and they can read all of her texts and emails. Henry reads that their daughters' boyfriend has broken up with her and their patter basically boils down to, "We are spying because we love."

There must be a clause in Erich Bergen's contract that allows him to deliver at least one great line a week, and he never disappoints. After meeting with reporter Fisher, and successfully tricking her into giving up information on the source for the leaks, Secretary McCord quickly calls both Bergen's Blake and her Chief of Staff into the office to give them the new information. As her Chief of Staff wonders how she got the information, Blake deadpans, "You Jedi Mind Tricked her, didn't you ma'am?"

I was wondering how long before the writers would put a little more meat onto the bones of Tim Daly's character, and this episode definitely satisfied. Along with providing the quick wit to riff with his wife as they discuss their family situations and what politics she can still talk about, he now is put in the crosshairs of the number two man to the President of Russia, when the man calls to meet with him over lunch. Instead of him looking to earn some leverage or admiration from the Secretary as Henry initially thinks, the real reason for the meeting has to do with his daughter failing one of Henry's lectures and potential blackmail to get the daughter an A to get her into Harvard.

Any other show, done any other way, and that could have potentially been a "jumping the shark" moment, where there is a good amount of disbelief as to if that would ever really happen. However, to the writers' credit, they were able to make that entire interaction pivotal to the episode's conclusion. The writers' skill makes you forget about how silly of a request it actually is by giving it some gravitas into Henry's character, and how the job is not always black and white for the Secretary herself.

The real drama kicks into gear as Secretary McCord's prediction comes true, and 37 covert agent's are blown by the next round of leaks. All but one are safe, as the agent gets cut just short of the safety of the American Embassy in Pakistan. This situation with the captured spy leads into our ethical dilemma between the Secretary and Henry. I think this show is very fair in portraying some accurate pictures of how we are seen in other parts of the world, and how the State Department has to deftly handle those feelings along with diplomacy and providing for the interests of the United States.

On the other hand, I don't feel the need to always have balance of the good we do with the bad. The plotline of the leaker getting sick over in South Africa, and that the US must now help him get back into the country may have been over played. I did enjoy where it caused Fisher to accuse the Secretary's leaking his name as the problem and the irony of that laying heavy in the room. The writers also get double irony bonus points for making the illness a worm eating disease.

All in all, it was another pretty satisfying week for our favorite Secretary. Wrapping up this week's events back at the McCord's home, we get to come full circle back to the mysteriously linked Ipad, as they find the latest saga in their daughter's life. After another discussion on ethics and how her job seems to be slowly shaking hers, they sever the connection and all is well again for the time being. My favorite thing about the whole episode is that we did not have one reference to George and the conspiracy theory concerning the previous Secretary. Are the writers reading BroadwayWorld? I sure hope so. Until next week Stranger Friends.....S.

Quotes of the Week:

"Do you want a non-apology apology, or a full swaggered Kanye apology?"
Speech Writer Matt Mahoney asking the Secretary how to respond about the leaks

"How deep of a background check?"
"The Constitution shouldn't be violated, in fact, let's make that an assumption from now on."
The Secretary's Chief of Staff asking about what they are looking for on the Washington Observer reporter, and the Secretary answering her for that and for all time.

"He plays Varsity football, his name is Flint Summers, he has no boundaries"
The Secretary discussing their daughter's new crush and what they must be on the lookout for now.

Questions of the Week:

• Are we going to be following daughter Stephanie to her new Hostessing job?
• What will Blake's snappy line be next week?
• Are we finally rid of the conspiracy storyline?

We are always looking for your reactions to each episode of MADAM SECRETARY, so please leave comments below, and you can tweet me at @LeftofStr8 or all of us at @BWWTVWorld.

Photo Credit: CBS

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