Spoilers and Speculation

[CheshireCat]

I've finally crawled out of my Castle bubble and am slowly catching up with all the other shows...

On ‎30‎.‎05‎.‎2016 at 6:36 PM, VinceW said:

That might be the case if the creator changes the show about Elizabeth from SoS to a VP candidate and the show becomes about a presidential election. I hope that Barbara Hall is smarter than to go in that direction. IMO

Just out of curiosity, why?

When I first saw the finale, I was pretty much like, no I don't think I want her to become VP. I'm not a big fan of changes, the experiences I've had with changes on other shows have not been good, and while VP sounds pretty cool, I had read that it's the most unimportant job in the US government, so I thought I'd prefer that things stay as they are. But then I read this article http://zap2it.com/2016/05/madam-secretary-season-2-finale-elizabeth-mccord-new-vice-president/ and watched the episode again and someone pointed out that the VP is as important as the President make the position to be and I started to warm up to the idea.

I like what the article is suggesting about how it could structure the seasons. I also like that they're saying that it would mean that the show would sort of shake up the show before it needed to shake something up. Often times, by the time they realize that something needs to change it's too late.

I have to say, I was surprised they already went there. I think they could have waited another season. But I think it opens up a lot of avenues and possibilities of story-telling. It'll also give them a lot of possibilities of where the character can go and grow. Bess has pretty much settled into being SoS, so  they have to figure out where they take the character next. The thing is, if she declines now, then they'll close the door on that and she's stuck as SoS for the next 4 years. Of course, they could speed things up, it's a TV show but they seem to pretty much have followed "real time" up until now and it would be kind of odd if they sped things up because then they'd basically have to skip over events which happened during the time. It could create a weird dynamic.

Anyway, if she stays SoS for the next 4+ years, can they keep up the intensity of the story-telling? I think, while there are many issues in the world that need solving, you can only do so much on TV before it gets repetitive. And I do like the serialized aspect, too, so they'd need to find several more stories which all only tie to the SoS. Can they do that? Can they do it in such a compelling way they have done up until now?

Making Bess accept and eventually become VP gives them a lot more material to work with. It would give them a lot more situations to put her in, they can use national and international stories, they can give her more decision power as she'd have more executive power.

With how MSec has been written up until now, I think they have the ability to make it interesting and compelling and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I think I would be disappointed if they didn't go there. Mostly, I think, because of what I mentioned above - if they didn't go there now, they'd leave her stuck in that position for the next 4+ years. There'd be nowhere to go really, and I think, I like for the character to go somewhere and I'm actually curious to see what they would do with it and where they would take it. And, as I said, I love all of the possibilities it gives them.

[VinceW]

15 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

 ON 5/30/2016 AT 6:36 PM, VINCEW SAID:

That might be the case if the creator changes the show about Elizabeth from SoS to a VP candidate and the show becomes about a presidential election. I hope that Barbara Hall is smarter than to go in that direction. IMO

 I've finally crawled out of my Castle bubble and am slowly catching up with all the other shows...

Just out of curiosity, why?

When I first saw the finale, I was pretty much like, no I don't think I want her to become VP. I'm not a big fan of changes, the experiences I've had with changes on other shows have not been good, and while VP sounds pretty cool, I had read that it's the most unimportant job in the US government, so I thought I'd prefer that things stay as they are. But then I read this article http://zap2it.com/2016/05/madam-secretary-season-2-finale-elizabeth-mccord-new-vice-president/ and watched the episode again and someone pointed out that the VP is as important as the President make the position to be and I started to warm up to the idea.

zap2it is not the best resource for speculation.They suggested many times over the years that Castle would last 10 seasons. The VP angle will last as long as the Beckett in DC story lasted: 2 episodes. Changing the premise of the show to domestic politics at this point in time makes no sense aside from the changeover needed to support the secondary characters. IMO

Edited June 2, 2016 by VinceW

[Guest]

I mean, if she becomes VP, they could always kill of the POTUS if they wanted to go that route.  Have her become President.

BESS FOR PRESIDENT!

Only, I can imagine if they did that, they would have to add 50 new titles to Henry and he would be like an astronaut who finds a way to cure cancer and fix global warming in addition to everything else.

[CheshireCat]

7 hours ago, VinceW said:

zap2it is not the best resource for speculation.They suggested many times over the years that Castle would last 10 seasons. The VP angle will last as long as the Beckett in DC story lasted: 2 episodes. Changing the premise of the show to domestic politics at this point in time makes no sense aside from the changeover needed to support the secondary characters. IMO

They listed pros and cons, so it wasn't meant to be a source for anything that was going to happen :-) It also came out right after the finale aired. I just liked what they wrote and it was one of the reasons I changed my mind and am actually leaning more towards wanting her to become VP than against it because I liked their suggestion of how the show could structure their seasons. Among other things.

[CheshireCat]

Quote

A recent change in the laws covering VP protection only mandate for children 16 years or younger. Stevie is 21, but if I were her parents, I would want her to have security as well.

I would, too, especially if she ended up in England (no matter for how long).

Quote

From early season 1 episodes, the writers always implied that security issues influenced how the kids felt about Elizabeth's job and how her safety impacted their daily lives. I just don't think that the VP story will get any traction past the first episode.

I think it depends on how it's done. They've managed to whip out some very intense episodes so far - someone recently recommended I watch The West Wing, which I have been doing, and they're dealing with foreign policy issues and I find that those episodes aren't nearly as gripping as the majority of the MSec episodes have been so far. I like them, they're well written and the characters are great but they don't feel as intense as so many of MSec episodes felt last seasons and the season before, too. Which leads me to believe it's about the writing and how the episodes are handled rather than what they deal with per se. Of course, there are some issues which may not be as gripping but they don't have to deal those. I'm sure that a real life MSec doesn't only deal with crisis after crisis and encounters some issues which aren't as gripping as all of the issues we get to see on the show. So, why would they divert from that if they make her VP?

To be honest, I have no idea what they have in mind. Did they write the finale and had already made up their minds that they would make her VP? Did they want to test reactions? Do they plan to keep her MSec for the time being (until the election) if she accepts to be VP? In that case, she'd be MSec for probably another season but her decisions would be influenced with the election in mind. I think, from what I've seen so far, that could be interesting to see. We've seen Bess skirt around several issues, remember how she stuck it to Sterling in episode 4 with the observatory she managed to get green-lighted in Nepal? (Was it Nepal?) If she stayed MSec but also accepted she would probably have to get creative like that on more occasions. She probably could do that/would have to do that as VP, too. I don't think that's a bad thing.

I think if she accepts (and stays MSec for the time being), we can still expect to see Dalton involving her more in other decisions. Personally, I find that that holds some interesting potential. Episode 18 was one of my favorites of S2 because of the dynamic between Dalton and Bess (and Russell).

Maybe it's just me and what Bess would do was already a done deal by the time the finale aired but I didn't get the impression that one outcome was more likely than the other.

I'm also curious to see where they're going with Henry - whether Bess stays MSec or not.

 

Quote

The Jane Fellows character and Henry have good chemistry together. I would not be surprised if she is kept on as recurring in some intelligence or security role.

I actually think that Fellows fits nicely in general so I wouldn't mind if she stays. But I also wouldn't mind if she goes. Mainly because it simply would remove "the other female" . Of course, there are no signs which currently point to anything of the sorts, but you just never know (and I'm currently a bit wary of showrunners/networks and their need for unncessary drama ;-))

Edited June 7, 2016 by CheshireCat

[betsyboo]

Ask Ausiello 7/15/16

Quote

Question: You haven’t spilled anything on Madam Secretary in a while! —Nicki
Ausiello: You’re in luck, Nicki: One of TVLine’s intrepid Outer Borough Spies tells us that the CBS drama recently filmed in the Bronx, and the location shoot seemed to involve some kind of major, scary event that happens at Jason’s school in the Season 3 premiere. Téa Leoni, Tim Daly and Evan Roe (who plays Jason) were on set, as were director Eric Stolz and exec producer Morgan Freeman. On a related note: Can’t the McCords have a “quiet evening in” every once in a while?!

[CheshireCat]

 In the season premiere, Morgan Freeman and Jane Pauley reprise their roles as Chief Justice and herself respectively. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/01/madam-secretary-morgan-freeman-CBS?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter

[VinceW]

From KSiteTV.com:

Madam Secretary: Details About The Season 3 Premiere

Aug 10, 2016 Craig Byrne, Editor-In-Chief 

Madam Secretary returns for Season 3 on Sunday, October 2 and CBS has released details on where the show left off as well as some spoilers for the Season 3 premiere.

SEASON FINALE: Elizabeth received word from Russia’s foreign minister that Henry’s trusted political operative, Dmitri Petrov, could be alive. However, in return for Petrov, Russia wanted the U.S. to return a notorious spy. Elizabeth got a reluctant President Dalton to agree to the deal, and she and Henry traveled to Finland to make the trade. Despite risking that it could all be a trick and he was actually dead, Petrov was released to Henry and they had a tenuous reunion. Also, President Dalton asked Elizabeth to run with him as Vice President in the next election, and Stevie decided not to rush into marriage after her boyfriend, Jareth, proposed to her.

COMING UP: This season, Elizabeth will encourage President Dalton’s campaign for re-election, but a proposed shift in foreign policy in response to climate change jeopardizes his candidacy. Henry and Elizabeth worry their family is being stalked after a series of incidents involving Jason terrifies the McCord family. Also this season, Henry returns to work for the DIA and reunites with Dmitri.   Academy Award winner and MADAM SECRETARY executive producer Morgan Freeman directs the premiere episode and guest stars as Supreme Court Chief Justice Wilbourne in the episode. CBS News’ Jane Pauley returns to guest star as herself.

Edited August 13, 2016 by VinceW

[CheshireCat]

2 hours ago, VinceW said:

 Also this season, Henry returns to work for the DIA and reunites with Dmitri.  

I can't say that I'm surprised.

 

Quote

but a proposed shift in foreign policy in response to climate change jeopardizes his candidacy.

And this makes it sound like you were right, that she's not going to be VP. And that it'll happen because of something she does/proposes. I had hoped that they wouldn't go down that route because I find it kind of lame. (Not that she's not going to be VP but the predictability of how it's likely going to happen). Maybe they'll have Dalton lose the election and Bess will stay Sec of State? Or will she save the day and Dalton's re-election?

Edited August 10, 2016 by CheshireCat

[VinceW]

7 hours ago, VinceW said:

COMING UP: This season, Elizabeth will encourage President Dalton’s campaign for re-election, but a proposed shift in foreign policy in response to climate change jeopardizes his candidacy. Henry and Elizabeth worry their family is being stalked after a series of incidents involving Jason terrifies the McCord family. Also this season, Henry returns to work for the DIA and reunites with Dmitri.   Academy Award winner and MADAM SECRETARY executive producer Morgan Freeman directs the premiere episode and guest stars as Supreme Court Chief Justice Wilbourne in the episode. CBS News’ Jane Pauley returns to guest star as herself.

ON 8/10/2016, CHESHIRECAT SAID:

And this makes it sound like you were right, that she's not going to be VP. 

ON 6/7/2016 AT 0:41 PM, VINCEW SAID:

From early season 1 episodes, the writers have always implied that security issues influenced how the kids felt about Elizabeth's job and how her safety impacted their daily lives. I just don't think that the VP story will get any traction past the first episode. IMHO.

Edited August 11, 2016 by VinceW

[VinceW]

From E!News (Entertainment News):

2016 FALL TV SPOILER-RAMA

MADAM SECRETARY (CBS)

When to Watch: Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m.
What to Expect: Morgan Freeman is back in the fold as Chief Justice Wilbourne and he directed the third season premiere. In the first episode back, a storm destroys a naval base in Bahrain and Elizabeth (Téa Leoni) urges President Dalton (Keith Carradine) to reexamine his climate change and foreign policy practices—but will that jeopardize his re-election campaign? Plus, the McCord family fears for their safety when Jason's (Evan Roe) laptop is hacked and Jose Campos (Carlos Gómez) tries to bring Henry (Tim Daly) back into the DIA fold. CBS News' Jane Pauley returns to guest star as herself.

[VinceW]

From TVLine.com : Fall TV 2016 Spoilers

MADAM SECRETARY

If you thought Clinton vs. Trump was fraught, wait until Madam Secretary‘s presidential contest heats up. Before you ask: No, executive producer Barbara Hall isn’t going to reveal whether Elizabeth agreed to run as Dalton’s veep… at least, not yet. “The question that we left Elizabeth with has to be addressed in the season opener, but I will say that it’s not simple,” Hall previews, describing the election as “quite complicated” for many of the show’s mainstays. The faux presidential campaign will wrap not long after the real one does — within “the first eight or nine episodes,” per Hall — and it won’t even be the most dramatic part of the McCords’ lives in the first half of the season. As previously reported, Jason will experience a major trauma; what’s more, “There is an event that is much more personal for the McCord family that has to do with their security being breached,” the EP teases. Henry will continue his DIA work, and fans of Chris Petrovski will be happy to hear that returned Russian captive Dmitri will have a presence, so we can “get a glimpse into what his life is like following his reentry into American life,” Hall says.

BONUS SPOILER!: Why does EP Morgan Freeman reprise his role of Chief Justice Frawley in the season premiere? The judge “tends to show up in [Elizabeth’s] life in very important moments and make an impression on her,” Hall hints.

From my own perspective, good to know that the election story won't last long. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by VinceW

[VinceW]

On ‎9‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 8:00 PM, VinceW said:

......The faux presidential campaign will wrap not long after the real one does — within “the first eight or nine episodes,” per Hall — and it won’t even be the most dramatic part of the McCords’ lives in the first half of the season.....

From my own perspective, good to know that the election story won't last long. 

September 18, 2016  From TVOvermind.com:

TV News - 'From Quantico to Madam Secretary; What to Watch this Fall'

"When the series returns, we will flash forward to the middle of election season. We will quickly find out if Elizabeth will be President Dalton's running mate."

Edited September 20, 2016 by VinceW

[VinceW]

From BroadwayWorld.com :

September 22, 2016   ?by TV Scoop

MADAM SECRETARY

"The Linchpin" (3x2) - With Algeria on the brink of a civil war, Elizabeth delicately negotiates a regime change, but her plans go awry when Roy Curtis (Dakin Matthews), the trusted U.S. Ambassador to Algeria, dies unexpectedly. Also, Henry fights to save religious antiquities in Algeria when he discovers they are being destroyed by Hizb al-Shahid, and the McCord children get their own security detail after Jason's computer is hacked, on MADAM SECRETARY, Sunday, Oct. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Michael Boatman guest stars as FBI Director Keith Doherty, who helps the McCords investigate the hacking of Jason's computer.

Edited September 24, 2016 by VinceW

[VinceW]

From KSiteTV.com:

Madam Secretary Preview: “South China Sea” (3x3)

Sept 29, 2016 Craig Byrne Editor-In-Chief 

After U.S. environmental activists protesting China’s damage of a South China Sea reef are arrested for spying, Elizabeth finds herself in a stalemate with the Chinese foreign minister as she lobbies for their release. Also, Henry pushes the FBI to investigate one of Elizabeth’s former students who he suspects is his family’s cyber-stalker and President Dalton’s trade visit to Vietnam brings back memories of serving there during the war, on MADAM SECRETARY, Sunday, Oct. 23 (9:30-10:30 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.

It will be interesting to see how the ratings hold up if late starts persist because of NFL football over runs. Many times last season in the 9PM time slot 'The Good Wife' didn't start until almost 10PM.

Edited October 1, 2016 by VinceW

[betsyboo]

From TVLine, via CBS press release.

Quote

SUNDAY, MAY 21
Madam Secretary (season finale): Elizabeth heads to Brussels to seek NATO’S support against Russia when it threatens to invade Bulgaria, but when France refuses to cooperate, it threatens the alliance’s existence. Also, when Henry’s new government role has him dive into the Russia issue, he turns to his former operative for help.

[VinceW]

3 hours ago, betsyboo said:

From TVLine, via CBS press release.

SUNDAY, MAY 21
Madam Secretary (season finale): Elizabeth heads to Brussels to seek NATO’S support against Russia when it threatens to invade Bulgaria, but when France refuses to cooperate, it threatens the alliance’s existence. Also, when Henry’s new government role has him dive into the Russia issue, he turns to his former operative for help.

Murphy Station 2.0 or Henry joins Elizabeth working in the State Department?

Edited April 20, 2017 by VinceW

[betsyboo]

1 hour ago, VinceW said:

 Also, when Henry’s new government role has him dive into the Russia issue, he turns to his former operative for help.

Murphy Station 2.0 or Henry joins Elizabeth working in the State Department?

I wondered as well. Maybe they just mean his FBI work...? AND do they mean Dmitri?????

[CheshireCat]

29 minutes ago, betsyboo said:

I wondered as well. Maybe they just mean his FBI work...? AND do they mean Dmitri?????

That's what I thought.

[Guest]

I think it's got to be Dmitri.

[VinceW]

2 hours ago, deaja said:

I think it's got to be Dmitri.

Seems logical since Dmitri was his only operative with connection to Russia. I think that Dmitri is still under the arm of the FBI to help with his assimilation to US life, but as part of the spy exchange, the US agreed with Russia that he can't be involved any further with intelligence work.

Edited April 21, 2017 by VinceW

[CheshireCat]

Henry's former operative is Dmitri

Edited April 22, 2017 by CheshireCat

[VinceW]

On 4/22/2017 at 11:58 AM, CheshireCat said:

Henry's former operative is Dmitri

 

It is good to see Daly walking while using just the one leg brace and no walking boot. However, I expect that he will be using a cane to support the injured knee for some time. I am sure that Tea will take good care of him over the hiatus.

Edited April 24, 2017 by VinceW

[CheshireCat]

Has anyone else seen the sneak peak between Matt and Daisy for tonight's episode? I totally did not see this coming at this point in Miller's pregnancy. I thought the ships of writing it in had sailed. (I'm also wondering why they'd put that in a sneak peak but that's another matter).

[CheshireCat]

I've just seen the link so far but there are some photos from the first episode on Spoiler TV. Looks like Will might be making an appearance in the premiere. I certainly wouldn't mind, I like to see more family.

Not a fan of Bess' hair though, though that's just an aside.

[VinceW]

Two ExecP's (Stoltz, Freeman) in the same episode? Maybe Barbara Hall makes a cameo appearance as well. I wonder if sister Talia becomes recurring since Dmitri will be working with Henry in DC. What happened to Jared/Stevie relationship? Did I miss something from last season.

Edited September 13, 2017 by VinceW

[thewhiteowl]

2 hours ago, VinceW said:

Two ExecP's (Stoltz, Freeman) in the same episode? Maybe Barbara Hall makes a cameo appearance as well. I wonder if Talia becomes recurring since Dmitri will be working with Henry in DC. What happened to Jared/Stevie relationship? Did I miss something from last season.

I don't recall it being stated but it seemed as if they were drifting apart.  The last I saw them together they were sitting on a bus, looking like complete strangers. Stevie seemed to be busy and the guy hasn't been around. 

[VinceW]

6 minutes ago, thewhiteowl said:

I don't recall it being stated but it seemed as if they were drifting apart.  The last I saw them together they were sitting on a bus, looking like complete strangers. Stevie seemed to be busy and the guy hasn't been around. 

I recall the scene with them both on the bus as well, but I believe there was a mention on screen by Bess in a later episode about their engagement. It seems odd how the writers have handled their story after Stevie started working for Russell.  

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On September 12, 2017 at 4:29 PM, VinceW said:

Two ExecP's (Stoltz, Freeman) in the same episode? Maybe Barbara Hall makes a cameo appearance as well. I wonder if sister Talia becomes recurring since Dmitri will be working with Henry in DC. What happened to Jared/Stevie relationship? Did I miss something from last season.

 

On September 12, 2017 at 6:50 PM, thewhiteowl said:

I don't recall it being stated but it seemed as if they were drifting apart.  The last I saw them together they were sitting on a bus, looking like complete strangers. Stevie seemed to be busy and the guy hasn't been around. 

 

On September 12, 2017 at 7:03 PM, VinceW said:

I recall the scene with them both on the bus as well, but I believe there was a mention on screen by Bess in a later episode about their engagement. It seems odd how the writers have handled their story after Stevie started working for Russell.  

Jareth (with T-H, not Jared; remember, the McCords joked about him having the same name as the Goblin King) last appeared in "Gift Horse", where he helped Stevie wrangle a drunk poet and went on about how physics is a worthier pursuit than poetry. That was after the episode where they were together on the bus, which was the same one where he decided to stay in America for Stevie's sake and was cut off financially by his parents. There's been no mention of them drifting apart, but he hasn't appeared in person much. In the season finale, he was in the limo while Stevie went back inside the house to get something before they went to the concert and met Dmitri. So it's quite possible he'll be phased out.

[VinceW]

1 hour ago, Noneofyourbusiness said:

Jareth (with T-H, not Jared; remember, the McCords joked about him having the same name as the Goblin King) last appeared in "Gift Horse", where he helped Stevie wrangle a drunk poet and went on about how physics is a worthier pursuit than poetry. That was after the episode where they were together on the bus, which was the same one where he decided to stay in America for Stevie's sake and was cut off financially by his parents. There's been no mention of them drifting apart, but he hasn't appeared in person much. In the season finale, he was in the limo while Stevie went back inside the house to get something before they went to the concert and met Dmitri. So it's quite possible he'll be phased out.

4x2 "Off the Record"

RECURRING CAST:

Chris Petrovski (Dmitri Petrov)

GUEST CAST:
Christopher O'Shea (Jareth Glover)
Masha King (Talia Petrov)

It is a shame the way the writers have handled his character. IMO.

Edited September 28, 2017 by VinceW

[Noneofyourbusiness]

2 hours ago, VinceW said:

It is a shame the way the writers have handled his character. IMO.

I hope they're not bringing him back just to send him off.

[CheshireCat]

I don't think we knew that yet, but Morgan Freeman was on Stephen Colbert and they showed an MSec clip and he's in the premiere again. (And as indifferent as I can be during the off-season of a show, even this short clip got me totally excited about the new season. Still the best show out there. (If only the Henry issue wasn't there ;-))

[VinceW]

On 10/6/2017 at 1:03 AM, CheshireCat said:

I don't think we knew that yet, but Morgan Freeman was on Stephen Colbert and they showed an MSec clip and he's in the premiere again. (And as indifferent as I can be during the off-season of a show, even this short clip got me totally excited about the new season. Still the best show out there. (If only the Henry issue wasn't there ;-))

What issue?

http://cartermatt.com/262901/madam-secretary-season-4-henry-mccord-character-spotlight/

[CheshireCat]

On ‎07‎.‎10‎.‎2017 at 3:12 PM, VinceW said:

What issue?

http://cartermatt.com/262901/madam-secretary-season-4-henry-mccord-character-spotlight/

Well... ;-) (Though I'm all for more Bess-Henry scenes (that have little to do with his job, unless it's a teaching job or about a book))

Edited October 8, 2017 by CheshireCat

[CheshireCat]

Not sure if it's a spoiler or not but just in case, so I don't ruin anything for anyone.

Neuwirth did indeed leave the show :-( 

 

 

 

I wonder who's going to be Bess' new chief of staff. Will they bring in someone new? I don't think I've ever not known about a character/actor leaving beforehand.

Edited October 23, 2017 by CheshireCat

[VinceW]

27 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

I wonder who's going to be Bess' new chief of staff. Will they bring in someone new? I don't think I've ever not known about a character/actor leaving beforehand.

So, you knew about Linda leaving 'Blue Bloods' beforehand? At least Nadine got a worthwhile standoff from the writers. This is why it is best to NOT invest too much in a TV show in the long run. IMO.

Edited October 23, 2017 by VinceW

[CheshireCat]

29 minutes ago, VinceW said:

So, you knew about Linda leaving 'Blue Bloods' beforehand? At least Nadine got a worthwhile standoff from the writers. This is why it is best to NOT invest too much in a TV show in the long run. IMO.

I don't watch Blue Bloods ;-)

ETA: Yeah, I always try not to get invested. And then the show is written well, the characters are great/the actors are, the cast gels and poof, there goes my resolve ;-)

Edited October 23, 2017 by CheshireCat

[CheshireCat]

Sara Ramirez is joining the show as a political strategist https://tvline.com/2017/10/24/madam-secretary-sara-ramirez-cast-season-4/

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 10/24/2017 at 4:40 PM, CheshireCat said:

Sara Ramirez is joining the show as a political strategist https://tvline.com/2017/10/24/madam-secretary-sara-ramirez-cast-season-4/

Good. Someone needs to do Jay's job now that he has Nadine's, and it wouldn't be right for Daisy to be the only female member of Bess's main staff.

[CheshireCat]

A Facebook ad for the next MSec episode announces disagreement between Henry and Bess and Dalton when Bess and Dalton refuse to negotiate with terrorists to free the kidnapped agent. Seriously? Haven't we been there already? How about someone tell Henry that this is the freaking job! It gets frustrating.

[CheshireCat]

[MerBearHou]

5 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Huge relief.  Blake is one of the very best aspects of this show.  

[CheshireCat]

Looks like this might have been the last we saw of Dmitri, for the time being anyway.

[CheshireCat]

Thought this was better answered here since it's not really episode related and does involve some speculation

4 hours ago, VinceW said:

Agree. The ongoing 'Elizabeth for President ' mantra that has been prevalent for weeks now points to that kind of finale because the series will end after this season. IMO. If the series was going to run past this season, I doubt that viewers would have been given so many early revelations in recent episodes on her possible ambitions for President. Really, how else can it end since the SoS position only persists at the wishes of the President in power. 

Could be a red herring. Or just a plot point. Granted, they did a good job of keeping Neuwirth's exit a secret but is there really a reason to keep it a secret if Hall decided to end the show after four seasons? Yes, the ratings aren't spectacular but Elementary gets renewed and renewed, MSec was sold into syndication even before S4 has ended and they have a lot of on-set shoots, which I would think isn't as expensive as a lot of outside shoots. They also don't seem to need a lot of special effects. What I'm getting at is that, unless Hall decided the show would only run for four seasons, they don't know yet if they get renewed or not, so even if it is a possibility that they'll get cancelled they must have a Plan B in case they don't.

Personally, I hope that this Plan B still leaves the possibility for a presidential run open and that they won't shut it down like they did the VP position. Because one way or the other, even if they get a S5 (after this season, they'll only need 11 episodes or so to reach 100, which I've read is another mile stone for TV shows (88 is syndication, no clue what exactly 100 is but it seems to be something) and depending on how well the show is doing overseas and how much money it makes CBS, they might not want to pass up on that), I'm convinced they won't get to season 7, and I'm sure they will need an "early exit" plan and it's the only one that seems to make sense. And I would find it satisfactory, too.

Edited January 10, 2018 by CheshireCat

[shapeshifter]

Maybe the VP will run for POTUS with Bess as her VP? 

ETA: Or vice versa?

Edited January 10, 2018 by shapeshifter

[CheshireCat]

17 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Maybe the VP will run for POTUS with Bess as her VP? 

ETA: Or vice versa?

Something that has crossed my mind, too. What has also crossed my mind is that Bess and our favorite Senator could somehow end up on a ticket. I can't really see him asking her but if he lost the primaries within his party for whatever reason then I could totally see her asking him. And in the fictional world of Madam Secretary, that could be a winning ticket (or rather a "not losing in the GE and then winning in the House ticket") even if Bess ran as an Independent.

Edited January 10, 2018 by CheshireCat

[CheshireCat]

Hall said that it's unlikely that we'll see Dmitri back this season. (The links contains several spoilers, Madam Secretary is the third paragraph) https://tvline.com/2018/01/12/big-little-lies-season-2-spoilers-bonnie-family/

I suppose that means that they are not planning to let the show end after 4 seasons and that it's up to the network. Curious to see where they'll go with Bess and a potential presidential run in that case. I wonder if the show lost something if they build up to it and then Bess just decides she won't run. Wouldn't that take away all political enemies? I mean, if she decides she won't run and is done after Conrad's term is up, there'd be rather little to worry about in terms of pleasing people and popularity etc.

I think a potential presidential run is a clever way to push her to continue thinking outside the box right now. She's become used to the job and she doesn't want to be President but Russell wants her to be so there are things she has to work around that she otherwise wouldn't have to work around and that require her to come up with creative ideas.

[CheshireCat]

Secretaries Albright, Powell and Clinton are going to be in the season premiere.

[CheshireCat]

You can find mild spoiler for the upcoming season along with picture #26  https://tvline.com/gallery/fall-tv-2018-season-premiere-spoilers/#!26/madam-secretary-fall-tv-preview-2018/

I could do without Dmitri but I'm far too excited and ready for the show to return that I don't really care at the moment. ;-)

Edited September 6, 2018 by CheshireCat

[CheshireCat]

So, Henry's going to be ethical advisor to Conrad? My enthusiasm just died. This just feels wrong. He's supposed to be Bess' moral compass, not Conrad's. If I were Bess, I'd feel betrayed. (It also seems ridiculous - Conrad only has two years left. So, now he suddenly wants an ethical advisor? It's a little late for that, isn't it? (Okay, maybe they'll explain that. Hopefully. Otherwise, they're just trying too hard because they don't know what to do with Henry)).

I'm surprised they changed Henry's role again though. Given that he's doing "double duty" until December I thought they'd keep him as a college professor only as that would require him to be in fewer scenes. Hopefully though, his new role won't be at the expense of Bess and Henry scenes as I think that Bess needs him now more than ever since her role is changing dramatically (from a non-politician and diplomat who wants to run for President). I think Henry would have his hands full supporting her and I wish they'd have kept it that way.

Edited October 5, 2018 by CheshireCat