BWW Recap: MADAM SECRETARY's 'Mysterious' Third Child Arrives

Welcome back Stranger Friends, and I hope you enjoyed week two of MADAM SECRETARY as much as I did. I think this episode really emphasized the balance the writers are achieving in mixing the politics, and the family life. While the episode and the title, 'Another Benghazi,' may be pulling from the current headlines a bit soon in my opinion, I think going at it from the private security angle was a winner. Myself, and quite a few others that saw the pilot, were questioning the mention of a third child at the Secretary's dinner last week with the King of Swaziland and his many wives. We only met two children that first episode, and I am glad our questions were answered.

We find the United States Ambassador to Yemen and his family gathering around their breakfast table as the sounds of gunfire and loud banging erupts, sending the children and mother under the table, and the Ambassador peering out to see a growing group of protesters at the gates of the embassy. As our MADAM SECRETARY works to get him some protection after chiding him for not leaving with his family immediately, I am already hearing a slight buzzing in the back of my head.

I am sure that the Conservatives that have already labeled this show as a vehicle for Hilary Clinton's Presidential campaign, are going to take the writers to task for having THIS Secretary being overly concerned about the Ambassador as they feel our current government wasn't for the real Benghazi.

Regardless, it leads to another great example of her character breaking protocol by interrupting the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee's golf game, to ask for 50 troops to help protect the Embassy. After getting a firm no, she is tested by the Chairman as he insists she "play through," doubting her interest in golf and the chance meeting. Of course her drive is high and far, right up the middle of the fairway!

We learn about the McCord's third child as being a college student, who was dead set on not having her personal and academic life involved in her mother's new job, so was simply brushed over in the confirmation to the Secretary position. The reason we learn about it, is posted photos everywhere of her leading the charge in protest of one of her college's newest admission policy changes. Wallis Currie-Wood plays eldest daughter Stephanie, and we can tell out of the gate that she is definitely daddy's little girl, and probably more like her mother than she wants to admit. I was definitely taken by her big smile and in a lot of angles, is very reminiscent of a young Julia Roberts. There are a lot of heartfelt bonding talks with Dad and. soon again, with Mom, and I loved how she showed the contradiction she feels of being the daughter of the Secretary of State, as she applies for a new job after leaving college because of the notoriety she has received.

MADAM SECRETARY's last resort in trying to keep the U.S. Ambassador in Yemen safe, seems to be the use of a private security firm with the State Department's "discretionary fund." The fact that when she was a college professor, she railed against the very organization she needs to hire, brings some humor, and a nod to the debate these security forces create in current politics. The private troops arrive in a show of force, with guns drawn and quickly disburse the protesters back from the property, and as the Secretary talks with the Ambassador over video conference, we hear a loud boom and the connection goes dead. (Does every private security outfit have a contract with a black SUV manufacturer?)

After meetings with the President and the leader of the Vesuvius private security forces, it seems all communications are out at the Embassy. The Yemen press is blaming the bombing on the security forces, who they say fired on the protestors without reason. Soon the U.S. Special Forces arrive, and reports that no one is accounted for or can be found, that the Embassy is in ruins, and that nobody should have been able to survive that blast. The Secretary is getting fallout from everyone, including daughter Stephanie, about using the Vesuvius forces.

Finally, the Vesuvius Security Director has contact with his men, and we see the President and advisors in the War Room waiting for the Secretary to arrive, because the Security Director won't begin his briefing until then. The video chat opens with the Ambassador as we find that he was rescued after the first small explosion by the Vesuvius forces. All but one member of Vesuvius survived.

MADAM SECRETARY again show's her class after the President chastises the Security Director for his theatrics, but thanks him for his service, and follows him out to offer that she will contact the deceased's relatives to pay personal and professional respects. She acknowledges the respect he showed her in the briefing room, while reminding him that it was the President he was antagonizing, and he admits that it was her writing as a college professor that made him reexamine his company's use of force and restraint.

The day ends back at home as the Secretary finds her daughter with a bowl of some favorite snack she bribes to have a bite of. (Looking back, this episode had a lot of food references,) They go over the day's events and the daughter points out the reception invitation to George's memorial service and they laugh over his bad magic tricks he used to use on the three kids. The episode again ends with reference to her former CIA agent and friend, George's death by the auto accident, of which she surely does not believe it was (Again this is the only plotline I do not like as it brings the show into a more soap opera feel, than the great writing and drama it can be).

Best Questions:

"He can hide an entire Top Secret Operation and make it Disappear into thin air, but not a quarter."
MADAM SECRETARY on her friend George's bad magic tricks he used to perform for her family.

"I didn't actually call you Satan."
"No, just my life's work."
MADAM SECRETARY trying to explain her comments made about Vesuvius Private Security to its Director, when she was still a college professor.

Questions:

Do you think this show is trying to serve as a campaign vehicle for Hillary Clinton?
Will daughter Stephanie end up working for her mom in the State Department?
What was that she was eating at the end that needed a recipe? Didn't it look like cereal?

I really appreciate everyone commenting on last weeks article, and hope you will do so again this week. If you have Twitter, myself and some members of the cast are live tweeting during the episode and this week, the Secretary's aide Blake, actor Erich Bergen, was giving a lot of behind the scenes info on where what was shot, and more. You can tweet me directly at @LeftofStr8 or here all of us at @BWWTVWorld would love to hear from you. Until next week Stranger Friends

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