S02.E11: Unity Node

[CooperTV]

Elizabeth tries to salvage a peace deal with Russia after an unexpected turn of events threatens to dissolve the agreement; at the same time, she gets dragged into dealing with an emergency situation aboard the International Space Station

 

[shapeshifter]

Elizabeth...gets dragged into dealing with an emergency situation aboard the International Space Station

Does her spacesuit have 3/4 length sleeves? Oh, you promo monkeys!

[CooperTV]

Does her spacesuit have 3/4 length sleeves? Oh, you promo monkeys!

As questionably fashionable as ever!

[mythoughtis]

Well, no need to be worried about Elizabeth surviving the sniper

[whatsatool]

Well acted and many Emmy worthy performances, especially the President.

[missbonnie]

I really, really liked this episode. This is easily in my top 5 shows of the roughly 22 I watch.

[kwnyc]

Yeah, Keith Carradine's monologue about leading troops in Viet Nam was beautifully written and played. And I'm glad Dr. Captain Arm Candy made a sort of apology/accepted responsibility for Dmitri's fate. 

 

The wacky hijinks at the Quaker school still sucked. 

 

And when in doubt, count on astronauts/cosmonauts to be heroes.

[shapeshifter]

I agree it was a good episode. It made me realize that I can do without comic relief if there is a believeable heartwarming scene. And there actually was a little LOL moment when Bess said "I love you" as she went upstairs to bed, and both her daughter and the young assistant said "I love you too."

Anyway, I figured out why they tend to dress her in odd suit pieces. Tia Leoni has a way more attractive body than any other powerful woman in politics that I can recall. So, IMO, it's good that they don't flaunt that for this show.

[K-9]

Dr. McCord heard that getting out isn't as easy as his "I quit."  Too bad he didn't listen.  Can't wait to see how this plays out.  To be continued... 

[candall]

Well, Dmitri's end was a hard.  Thought Dr. Candy had the right amount of guilt directed at himself and anger directed at the higher-ups, as represented by his wife.  Glad they didn't stretch out the estrangement over half a season, which is what I expected. 

 

Going to tell the sister was strange--impossible to deliver that news sympathetically and convincingly while maintaining his neutral "just friends" pose.  So. . .she'll wind up half-knowing that her brother betrayed their homeland, is dead, and maybe it was all to save her?  Terrif.

 

The astronauts made me weepy.

[Beden]

Maybe I missed it but did the sister agree to go to the US for her safety?

[Bobcatkitten]

I really hope the husband is out of the spy business for good and there is no follow up complications. That storyline has been a weak link for me and has soured me a bit on the show.

[MissLucas]

Why exactly were there Swiss Guards present at the peace-talks in Geneva? Was the reasoning that they're called Swiss guards and Geneva is in Switzerland - so we must have some of these cool looking dudes in their pseudo-Renaissance gear present to add local flavor? Their full name is Pontifical Swiss Guards for a reason. Geneva used to be known as the "Rome of Calvinism" but I think this is pushing things a tad too far.

Edited January 11, 2016 by MissLucas

[kwnyc]

Maybe the Pope was the secret facilitator behind the meeting ;-)

 

 

[AncientSand]

Maybe one too many "Madame Secretary, you're going to want to see this" moments but that was a pretty thrilling hour of TV.

[shapeshifter]

Maybe I missed it but did the sister agree to go to the US for her safety?

Nope. And it seemed like they left her waiting for him to return without ever knowing what happened to him.

If she had come to the US to prevent them using her to get Dimitri to spill secrets, wouldn't that have been the end of her life-saving drug trial?

[secnarf]

Nope. And it seemed like they left her waiting for him to return without ever knowing what happened to him.

If she had come to the US to prevent them using her to get Dimitri to spill secrets, wouldn't that have been the end of her life-saving drug trial?

Henry went to go deliver the news. How he was able to get to Sweden twice, I have no idea.

I got the impression she wasn't actively receiving treatment at this time, but I could be wrong - I don't think they explicitly said.

[buckboard]

I would hope that the U.S. would continue the sister's treatment, either in Sweden or the U.S. as a tribute to her brother's service to America. The purpose of the U.S. bringing her to the U.S. was so that the Russians couldn't use her as leverage while they held her brother. With him dead, I don't think Russia really cares about the sister anymore.

Henry could have just told the sister that Dmitri was able to get her to Sweden to drug trials with the help of the U.S. government because Dmitri was in his class in the military college and he (Henry) was the husband of the Secretary of State and she had pull with the Swedes. Henry didn't have to tell the poor woman that not only was her brother dead, but he was spying for America on his own country inorder to get the sister healthcare.

[bros402]

Why exactly were there Swiss Guards present at the peace-talks in Geneva? Was the reasoning that they're called Swiss guards and Geneva is in Switzerland - so we must have some of these cool looking dudes in their pseudo-Renaissance gear present to add local flavor? Their full name is Pontifical Swiss Guards for a reason. Geneva used to be known as the "Rome of Calvinism" but I think this is pushing things a tad too far.

 

Maybe they were swiss military - or some swiss guards there because of the foreign dignitaries.

 

Or the pope wanted to get some lunch in Geneva.

[MissLucas]

They were none of the above. The Swiss military does not have such fancy uniforms not even when foreign dignitaries visit (plenty of news footage from the annual WEF available). Swiss Guard is a term reserved for historical military units created as body-guards for foreign rulers. They've all ceased to exist with the exception of the Pontifical Guard. Guards in that get-up belong to the Vatican and nowhere else. (When the Pope was visiting the US last year there were Swiss Guards present but they wore suits.) It's a minor quibble like the Russian accents but a surprising one.

Edited January 12, 2016 by MissLucas

[secnarf]

I would hope that the U.S. would continue the sister's treatment, either in Sweden or the U.S. as a tribute to her brother's service to America. The purpose of the U.S. bringing her to the U.S. was so that the Russians couldn't use her as leverage while they held her brother. With him dead, I don't think Russia really cares about the sister anymore.

Henry could have just told the sister that Dmitri was able to get her to Sweden to drug trials with the help of the U.S. government because Dmitri was in his class in the military college and he (Henry) was the husband of the Secretary of State and she had pull with the Swedes. Henry didn't have to tell the poor woman that not only was her brother dead, but he was spying for America on his own country inorder to get the sister healthcare.

It's not as simple as the US just "continuing" her treatment as tribute. It's a clinical trial, you can't just participate in that from any place on the planet.

If it's only in Sweden, you have to be in Sweden.

 

I don't know if Henry was going to tell her that Dmitri was a spy - my guess is no but they never made that clear. I do think that somebody needed to tell her that her brother is dead, though. You can't just leave her thinking her brother is alive and missing.

[Guest]

I can only hope that this episode marked the end to Dr. Arm Candy's spy career.  Let him be a professor - that is what he seems to be good at and enjoys doing.  

[betsyboo]

Yeah, Keith Carradine's monologue about leading troops in Viet Nam was beautifully written and played.

Yes - this was lovely.

 

I wanted to punch the Quaker principal in the face. yes- they should have to volunteer. But c'MON - you've never had children of dignitaries/diplomats before that needed to be accommodated from time to time??

 

I thought Bess was fantastic both with the Chinese ambassador (prime minister?) when asking for space help ("Let me enjoy this delicious minute..." "YEAH YEAH..") and with the Ukraine diplomat toward the end (on the phone) - she certainly scared me! He looked like he crapped his pants.

 

I was so glad (and don't care how trite or happy-happy it was) that the new president of Russia told the general - NYET! I am done sending young men to their deaths.

 

Where was Russell???? Is this a harbinger of potential health issues? Two huge things going on without the Chief of Staff?

 

So the Pres hasn't appointed a new NSA?

 

Not gonna lie - every time they show Dalton in the Oval, I wait for Mrs. Landingham to come in. (RIP)

[CooperTV]

Henry's issues were dull, as usual. The writers clearly more invested in "poor heartbroken Henry lost his poor bb!Dmitri" story-line than I do. And yes, I was convinced Henry and Bess would just divorce! Sooooo convinced! *rolls eyes*

 

The POTUS had his generic Vietnam was memory/flashback life lesson. Good thing Keith Carradine could elevate the material. This was a nice scene between him and Bess.

 

The threeway between Elizabeth, Russia and China, with side-show with Ukraine was engaging. I like the Chinese Foreign Minister the way I like Russell (where's Russel in all of this, BTW?). They're both amazing sarcastic bastards. But in many ways this sub-plot reminded me of that Cuba episode where everything was little bit on-the-nose.

 

Did they give Jason for adoption? Or I just missed him being in the house?

[kwnyc]

I like the Chinese Foreign Minister the way I like Russell (where's Russel in all of this, BTW?). They're both amazing sarcastic bastards.

 

Me too. That's a recurring role that's become a good scene/sparring partner for Bess (still love the scene when he told her that China had no interest in going to war with the US, they'd rather own it). And, of course, he got thrown up on by the VP.

[picklesprite]

Ooo, good one! I do like this show very much, and I usually like Keith Carradine in whatever he plays, but until this episode I have never once bought him as the Prez. The Vietnam speech convinced me, though. To me, he's much more convincing with the soft stuff than when he has to play tough.

 

I keep hoping the young spy ain't dead, but then I also cling to hope that Downton Edith's lover will return, so. . .

[shapeshifter]

It's not as simple as the US just "continuing" her treatment as tribute. It's a clinical trial, you can't just participate in that from any place on the planet.

If it's only in Sweden, you have to be in Sweden.

 

I don't know if Henry was going to tell her that Dmitri was a spy - my guess is no but they never made that clear. I do think that somebody needed to tell her that her brother is dead, though. You can't just leave her thinking her brother is alive and missing.

Agree on both points--and I did think they left her hanging.

[KLovestoShop]

I don't believe that whole story about the Quaker school demanding parental involvement or have the kid expelled.  There have been recent Presidents who's children have gone to that school, and I highly doubt they could handle the negative publicity of expelling a Chelsea Clinton because President Bill or First Lady Hillary didn't do carnival night at the school.  Just the protection factor for something like that would be troubling.  This part was the weakest of the whole show and not necessary.

[innocuouspuff]

The astronauts plot was touching, and the kind of hopeful story this show used to be all about.

I hate everytime a tv show does a drug trial plot, omg. (Looking at you, Shonda Rhimes.) They're called trials because they're being tried for the first time! All sorts of problems and side effects could be found, nvm they could just not work. And it's considered unethical for a drug that is obviously drastically helping the test patients to be withheld from the control group who are taking the placebo, so such a situation will actually end the trial earlier. But they're always presented as a magic cure being withheld from all but a few special patients for...reasons? Drives me up the wall.

[sinkwriter]

I knew Dmitri was a dead man since the start of the stupid plot line, but I had hoped they would manage to do better by him. It makes me mad that they forced him into spying and then didn't care enough to back him up better. That was bullshit. (Clearly I'd never be a good spy or spy handler.)

 

Please let Henry be done with his spy stuff.