S02.E05: The Long Shot

[thewhiteowl]

 

In the wake of President Ostrov’s death, Elizabeth and President Dalton fear a power grab within the Russian government. Also, the government’s Cybersecurity Coordinator Oliver Shaw (Kobi Libii) works to identify the hacker who interfered with the communication system on Air Force One, and Jay devises a plan to fight Russian propaganda.

 

[whatsatool]

I feel like Madam Secretary needs a stronger support system. And that she needs to be tougher. Also shouldn't she be traveling more?

Edited November 2, 2015 by whatsatool

[Xantar]

Man, this show moves fast. I thought the episode would end with the deal being struck to get Gorev his money and start his election campaign. I should have realized there was still a lot of time left in the episode. I certainly didn't see the assassination happening.

 

Allison may be feeling neglected, but she really needs to tone it down a little. Her mom is dealing with a potential World War III, and she wants to talk about fashion. It's true that she's been a background character because she's not a crisis, but let's not turn her into one in order to hog the spotlight, ok?

 

I've decided that where I come down on this show is that many of the plots are ridiculous and absurd, but the actors are very good and they manage to find the character beats within the stories anyway. For example, all the spy shenanigans with Dr. Col. Professor Arm Candy Esq. Who Also Folds Laundry are patently absurd. You'd never see a civilian handling an asset like that. But Tim Daly and the actor playing the Russian officer are exploring the characters involved in the situation, and they manage to make me want to watch them anyway.

 

Can I also just say that I find it amazing that this show exists on CBS? This is the network with three NCIS series, CSI, Hawaii 5-O, Limitless, and even The Good Wife has a case of the week structure. And yet Madam Secretary is a straightforward serial drama where nearly every episode plotline is a continuation of an ongoing storyline of some sort. How did that happen?

[buckboard]

When Professor Arm Candy brought home Olga, but told his wife - the Secretary of State - that he couldn't tell her why she was coming to their house or how he knew that she needed their help at this time, it seemed odd to me that she accepted his answer without wondering what he was involved in.  

Didn't question how her professor husband knew Olga was in danger.  Didn't worry that this might put her own family in danger.  Didn't seem too concerned that something that was so confidential might affect her position in the Cabinet, not to mention the image of the United States when it came out that the Secretary of State was harboring the daughter of someone Russia viewed as a dangerous dissident.

[33kaitykaity]

When Professor Arm Candy brought home Olga, but told his wife - the Secretary of State - that he couldn't tell her why she was coming to their house or how he knew that she needed their help at this time, it seemed odd to me that she accepted his answer without wondering what he was involved in.  

Didn't question how her professor husband knew Olga was in danger.  Didn't worry that this might put her own family in danger.  Didn't seem too concerned that something that was so confidential might affect her position in the Cabinet, not to mention the image of the United States when it came out that the Secretary of State was harboring the daughter of someone Russia viewed as a dangerous dissident.

She knows that Professor Arm Candy is doing some sort of off-campus work.  He cleared that with her before he took the job.  But, yes, the link between Professor Arm Candy and the Russian student is like a big, loud bell.  He's his adviser, sure, but he talks to the kid and then minutes later he gets to Olga just before the Russians?  Kind of not very covert.   

[SparedTurkey]

I do not understand how Professor Arm Candy has a higher clearance than M-Sec. That just does not ring true at all - particularly when it involves bringing home ostracised Russian-Oliarch daughters and the potential impact that may have on current state affairs. There is no way she wouldn't be told if she asked.

 

That said - I love that their marriage isn't suffering for it. That would be boring and something I have seen before.

[betsyboo]

did anyone else expect her to hold it against Henry that he knew Allison was sketching but she didn't? As in a knee-jerk "You didn't tell me!!!"  I'm not saying that is the correct response, but in the heat of the moment while she's feeling fragile and guilty, I expected her to lash out. (Maybe because I would have! Irrational is my go-to emotion!)

 

That being said - am very glad she didn't. Another example of the great portrayal of this marriage.

[Guest]

Overall, it was good. But the Henry handler stuff is starting to grate. Especially when he wouldn't tell Bess why Olga was there- a simple "It might be better if you didn't know" would have sat better than acting like the person who was acting President 4 episodes ago didn't have enough security clearance to know. And OF COURSE his book made the best-seller list.  Maybe we should also give him a Pulitzer.

 

I think Allison's angst was pretty realistic and handled as such.  

[Netfoot]

I thought best-selling author Henry behaved like an arsehole towards his student, and repeatedly put the young man in danger.  Parking in plain view outside his house or wherever he was, then conspicuously dragging him down an alley are probably not in his best interest.  And after all, he is the man's teacher, so there should be nothing suspicious about them meeting and having a brief chat.  So why all the Spy vs Spy bull?

 

Did Jay actually believe that they would get the movie moguls to agree to a quid with no quo?

 

Didn't see the assassination coming until the last minute.  Did the killer run off with the 80 million?  If so, poor Olga!  At least they got Dash's real name out of the mess.  Maybe he can be persuaded to throw something nasty at Maria?  Or is she the Big Bad that gets defeated in Episode 22?

[CooperTV]

I couldn't watch the whole way through, I was laughing too much at Henry the Worst Spy Ever plot and the Russian nonsense plot. How in the hell does Henry even manage this job, him being an ethic professor and the public figure?

 

As usual, I've no idea what kind of language those "Russians" were speaking. I mean, the only one dude at the Russian embassy that sounded like an actual Russian was the intelligence service guy in the blue shirt. And by the way, Russian surnames actually have feminine gender endings. So Maria Ostrov would be Maria Ostrova. And noone would call Dmitri "Dmitri" all the time. He would be Dima. But seeing as his sister is somehow called Talia in the show, it's just another complete lack of research.

 

Jay's histrionics about World War III and tv producers' lack of patriotism were extremely hilarious, as well.

 

I miss Russel. Actually, I miss season 1 of Madam Secretary. This incoherent mess is just not it.

Edited November 2, 2015 by CooperTV

[whatsatool]

I like the subversive husband. Really can't think of anything like it in the history of TV.

[HurricaneVal]

Did anyone else think that the truncated awkward profile photo of the scary hacker dude somewhat resembles Dr. Col. Professor Arm Candy?  There's something around the slope of the nose....

 

Now, wouldn't that be something?  Dr. Col. Professor Arm Candy Terrorist Hacker Spy

[Brian Cronin]

Were they seriously playing the board game Sorry with two teenagers? That was a weird story idea.

[Texasmom1970]

Boy spy Daddy really is a renaissance man. He is a professor, author, spy-handler and super Dad. Am I missing anything? What's next is he going to suddenly get super powers. Getting to be a bit over the top!

[tom87]

Boy spy Daddy really is a renaissance man. He is a professor, author, spy-handler and super Dad. Am I missing anything? What's next is he going to suddenly get super powers. Getting to be a bit over the top!

Surprises he isn't a coach for the boy's football team a an adviser for the girl's school newspaper. You know he use be the star quarterback in college and Managing Editor of his college newspaper. 

[Texasmom1970]

Surprises he isn't a coach for the boy's football team a an adviser for the girl's school newspaper. You know he use be the star quarterback in college and Managing Editor of his college newspaper.

Oh dear Lord I did not know that. I am sure they will manage to shoe horn that and more in soon! Maybe they will even have him foil an assassination plot as well ☺

[tom87]

Oh dear Lord I did not know that. I am sure they will manage to shoe horn that and more in soon! Maybe they will even have him foil an assassination plot as well ☺

I was kidding about the college activities,  it just seems like he would be due to  the way they write him.

 

Due to an act of Congress he is now the 7th in line for the Presidency.  hahaha.

Edited November 3, 2015 by tom87

[SparklesBitch]

Allison may be feeling neglected, but she really needs to tone it down a little. Her mom is dealing with a potential World War III, and she wants to talk about fashion. It's true that she's been a background character because she's not a crisis, but let's not turn her into one in order to hog the spotlight, ok?

 

Yes! I thought the scene was well done and the actors handled it well, but good lord, kid, that seemed to come out of nowhere. I get how she's feeling because she's not wrong, but I feel like she overreacted just a bit. Her immediate conclusion is that her mom is totally uninterested in her as a person? Wow.

 

Also, I thought it was a little ironic for Stevie to be the one commenting that Allison gets shortchanged when it comes to attention. How about, Stevie, you stop being such a crisis all the time so that maybe your parents can focus a little more on your well-adjusted sister? Ever think of that? I feel like she was judging Elizabeth for not knowing about the fashion stuff. Shut UP, Stevie.

 

Boy spy Daddy really is a renaissance man. He is a professor, author, spy-handler and super Dad. Am I missing anything? What's next is he going to suddenly get super powers. Getting to be a bit over the top!

 

This is starting to bother me too. I would have liked it better if neither parent knew about Allison's sketching. They implied it has been going on for years, meaning before Elizabeth took the MSec job, meaning that she's been "neglecting" or just "unplugged" from her kid for longer than just the year or so she's had the job. So, that means that both parents were about equally busy being professors of various things at the same school, and Henry's still the only one who noticed the sketching. Ugh. I don't like how that makes Elizabeth look (as compared to Henry) as a parent. Doesn't Henry have ANY flaws?

 

That being said, I did really like (as others have mentioned) that Elizabeth didn't lash out at him over that, and that their marriage didn't take a hit because of the Henry's secrecy surrounding Olga's "visit". Well done, show!

 

Also, I loved that Elizabeth and Allison actually talked it out like mature, rational human beings and that Elizabeth was honest and that Allison was willing to work with her. It was realistic and sweet, I thought.

 

I still feel bad for poor Dimitri. That poor kid is going to get killed because Henry is an awful handler.

 

I was totally taken off guard by the assassination and am totally going to miss Gorev, I thought he's make a good president, and I was proud of him for not selling out and agreeing to hand over secrets to our government just to get his money released. Him giving Elizabeth info on the hacker was a good compromise, I thought. Also, on that note, poor Olga! I wanted to give her a giant hug.

 

Did Jay actually believe that they would get the movie moguls to agree to a quid with no quo?

 

Right??? As much as I wanted Jay to get his way because he's so passionate and I have a soft spot for him, it just would not have been realistic at all for them to give in. Really glad they didn't.

 

So, it appears that we'll now be headed into World War III with Russia at the helm? Very interested to see where this will go.

 

Where was Russell? I missed him!

 

Lastly, I got a huge kick out of Elizabeth being a whirlwind of closet cleaning/fashion discussing activity in the middle of the night while she was feeling all emotional and guilty over not keeping up with Allison's life and Gorev's death, because that is exactly how I handle emotional stress and it cracked me up to see someone on TV doing it. Henry handled it a lot better than people in my life have, though, so kudos to him. All I've ever heard is something like "OMG, the stove does NOT need to be scrubbed at two in the morning, what is WRONG with you???!!!" 

Edited November 5, 2015 by SparklesBitch

[Guest]

Yes! I thought the scene was well done and the actors handled it well, but good lord, kid, that seemed to come out of nowhere. I get how she's feeling because she's not wrong, but I feel like she overreacted just a bit. Her immediate conclusion is that her mom is totally uninterested in her as a person? Wow.

 

Personally, I thought that was pretty realistic for teenage angst.  I used to work with a lot of teenagers and it would be like switch would flip on things like that. Overall, I really love the MS family dynamics. Stevie annoys me sometimes, but other than last week, the majority of the family conflict is never over the top.  I also really like that they show her trying to realistically balance her family life and work life.  She's not constantly pushing her family to the back burner, but it is still acknowledged that she works a lot of hours and can't be there for every second of her kids' lives. 

[Netfoot]

I thought he's make a good president, and I was proud of him for not selling out and agreeing to hand over secrets to our government just to get his money released. 

 

Yes, and I thought it was very stupid of POTUS and his new BFF from NSA to think that they should attempt to extort the next head of Russia into becoming their covert intelligence asset.  Really?  Maybe next they should try blackmailing the Queen of England.

[secnarf]

Doesn't Henry have ANY flaws?

...

I still feel bad for poor Dimitri. That poor kid is going to get killed because Henry is an awful handler.

 

That's a flaw! Henry really isn't a good handler :P

[kwnyc]

It just occurred to me that maybe Bess calls her middle kid "Noodle" because she can't remember her name! (I couldn't, until this week.)

[Dowel Jones]

Did Jay actually believe that they would get the movie moguls to agree to a quid with no quo

 

It reminded me of  an interesting scene in Argo, where John Goodman's character tells Ben Affleck's character "We have to go see (some guy) so we can get the clearances for the movie rights."  Affleck has no idea who he is, and Goodman says something like "You want to make a movie, you go see this guy first.  You think the Ayatollah is rough?  Try crossing him and see what happens."

[candall]

Well, all I know is, Tim Daly was pretty convincing and totally hot when he removed his glasses and turned toward those Russian thugs.  Woof.

 

[28 years ago, I had an overnight layover in New York and it was a major disappointment that the (one!) play my friend picked for us to see was some little weenie short-lived production consisting of two unknown actors scrabbling around onstage in a big pile of sand with some monkeybars as the only set.  The actors were good enough, though, for me to remember their names:   Annette Bening and Tim Daly.  Ha.]

Edited November 8, 2015 by candall

[kwnyc]

You might have seen the off-Broadway production of "Painting Churches" at Second Stage. That show was a hit, and it transferred (with Bening & Daly) to Broadway (where I saw it) to the Circle in the Square Theater. It got a Tony nomination for Best Play, Best Director and Best Featured Actress (Bening) and ran for almost a year. The main set piece was a lifeguard stand, though in the Broadway production, there was a scene with a dead whale. It had a rather large cast, including Heather Macrae and Angela Goethals.

 

(I'm a playwright, and this is a play I know well!) ;-)

Edited November 10, 2015 by kwnyc