S04.E20: The Things We Get to Say

[CooperTV]

Quote

Elizabeth must watch what she says and does when she deals with a refugee situation while being shadowed by Neal Shin, a newspaper reporter who may use his access to write a tell-all book.

Promos

[MerBearHou]

Love Tim Kang.  Great to see him again.  

[Netfoot]

WHAT is with the wet/dry vac fetish?!??

[mwell345]

11 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Love Tim Kang.  Great to see him again.  

I don't know anything about him, but he really made the episode.   Very little speaking, and yet he really stood out.

Overall, I thought it was a good episode, because it was different (having a journalist shadow Elizabeth).  I also liked the way Henry turned the conversation when the reporter asked him if he did government work.  Also Stevie's realization  that she may have said too much.   There were alot of subtleties in this episode and they all worked.

[Xantar]

Hi Tim Kang! This is quite a change from the FBI Agent from The Mentalist or that special forces guy in Rambo. I really liked his performance here. He was equal parts bitter, cynical, and still compassionate anyway. 

I also really liked Wallis Currie-Wood's performance when Stevie was talking to the reporter and slowly realizing how little of her shit she has put together.

[MaryHedwig]

Did Blake take a chocolate pastry off of Bess' plate?

[HurricaneVal]

4 hours ago, Netfoot said:

WHAT is with the wet/dry vac fetish?!??

I think Bess has locked onto a gift that she knows has been incredibly useful to her in the past, but which isn't often thought of as a "gift" for celebratory occasions.  My mom sent me off to college with a Dustbuster hand  vacuum, and that thing got LOTS of use, since the shared vacuums in the dorms were always lost or broken when we needed them.  Since then, every time a niece or nephew or a friend's kid goes off to college, that's what I send with them.  I always get this puzzled look of "Huh?" when they open it, but the gift has been universally appreciated (based on feedback) by those I've given it to.  I've also been known to mail off random packets of large safety pins to my nieces, which always gets a "how did you know!" email back.  I'm down with the wet/dry vac fetish...

I loved this episode.  Just loved it.   Sometimes having an outside observer come in gives a different perspective on our familiar characters.  It is a common trope, but I don't mind it.  M*A*S*H used it very effectively several times, and Hawaii 5-0 had an episode like that in the early seasons.  If done right, it can give insights as well as advance the plot.  I'm not sure it advanced the plotline last night, but it certainly gave some very good character perspectives.  Loved the family interactions with him, Stevie's insecurity and Admiral-Professor Arm-Candy's deflection, loved that Bess owns her past, warts and all, and is open minded enough, or committed to the truth enough, that she strives for transparency and openness, even to her detriment.  

Tim Kang!  Oh, I had a terrible "who is that guy?  I know that guy?  From where?" moment, then y'all nailed it with The Mentalist.  He played it just right.  He was so stressed, and so dedicated.  I loved his quiet surprise at Bess owning her past, and refusing the thumb drive with the incriminating evidence.  And also his surprise at his warm-ish reception by her even after his article was less than completely flattering.  Kat's suspicion of his note writing, and his wry surrendering of his notes were spot on. 

 

Also?  I...think there's something else on that thumb drive that Bess either doesn't know about, or is deeply, deeply personal, because Tim Kang didn't bat an eye when she openly copped to her morally spotty past CIA activities, but his soft hesitation, then ultimately giving it to Blake for that mysterious "someday" tells me there's something more than Bess thinks on that drive.

[mythoughtis]

I would love to see him brought back for a recurring role of some sort. If not as a reporter, somewhere in the administration. 

[ThisIsMe]

This was not my favorite episode.  The reporter's presence changed the whole dynamic.  I get it that this was the point -- for us to view the characters and plot through a different lens ... but, for me, one of things I really enjoy about the series is the chemistry of Elizabeth's team.  It was a great acting by Tim Kang but he sure did kill the vibe among the other cast members this week.

[Mellowyellow]

Loved loved loved this episode. It was such a quiet and understated episode but beautifully written. I watch a fair bit of garbage during the week so this is like a cleanse. 

I just adore Bess. She's compassionate, honest and somewhat idealistic even though her actions are always grounded in reality. I love that the way they write her, she's genuinely trying to do her best, be her best self (owning her past actions, won't use oppo research) but yet she thinks of practical solutions and works with what she's got to do what she needs to do. 

Tea Leoni is perfect in this role. 

The wet dry bag thing is hilarious ?

[betsyboo]

On 5/7/2018 at 2:21 PM, HurricaneVal said:

I think Bess has locked onto a gift that she knows has been incredibly useful to her in the past, but which isn't often thought of as a "gift" for celebratory occasions.  My mom sent me off to college with a Dustbuster hand  vacuum, and that thing got LOTS of use, since the shared vacuums in the dorms were always lost or broken when we needed them.  Since then, every time a niece or nephew or a friend's kid goes off to college, that's what I send with them.  I always get this puzzled look of "Huh?" when they open it, but the gift has been universally appreciated (based on feedback) by those I've given it to.  I've also been known to mail off random packets of large safety pins to my nieces, which always gets a "how did you know!" email back.  I'm down with the wet/dry vac fetish...

I loved this episode.  Just loved it.   Sometimes having an outside observer come in gives a different perspective on our familiar characters.  It is a common trope, but I don't mind it.  M*A*S*H used it very effectively several times, and Hawaii 5-0 had an episode like that in the early seasons.  If done right, it can give insights as well as advance the plot.  I'm not sure it advanced the plotline last night, but it certainly gave some very good character perspectives.  Loved the family interactions with him, Stevie's insecurity and Admiral-Professor Arm-Candy's deflection, loved that Bess owns her past, warts and all, and is open minded enough, or committed to the truth enough, that she strives for transparency and openness, even to her detriment.  

Tim Kang!  Oh, I had a terrible "who is that guy?  I know that guy?  From where?" moment, then y'all nailed it with The Mentalist.  He played it just right.  He was so stressed, and so dedicated.  I loved his quiet surprise at Bess owning her past, and refusing the thumb drive with the incriminating evidence.  And also his surprise at his warm-ish reception by her even after his article was less than completely flattering.  Kat's suspicion of his note writing, and his wry surrendering of his notes were spot on. 

 

Also?  I...think there's something else on that thumb drive that Bess either doesn't know about, or is deeply, deeply personal, because Tim Kang didn't bat an eye when she openly copped to her morally spotty past CIA activities, but his soft hesitation, then ultimately giving it to Blake for that mysterious "someday" tells me there's something more than Bess thinks on that drive.

all of this. thank you for saving me the time of having to type it myself!! :-)

[sinkwriter]

The minute I saw the journalist, I was all, "It's CHO! I've missed you!" LOL. I loved him on The Mentalist. He was my favorite character (along with Simon Baker's, of course).

I know it's not the usual type of episode, and they can't do that kind of thing all the time, but I liked the fresh take, seeing him observing them all, and watching them do their best to protect Madam Secretary and protect and defend the work that they do, even when it's difficult. And I thought Tim Kang did a fantastic job. It made for a very interesting episode.

On a side note, I thought he was going to give the drive to Daisy (which might make her lighten up on him a little, LOL). But giving it to Blake is good, too. (And I liked Blake's wary eyeballing of the flash drive and saying carefully, "What is it?" That was fun.)

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Did Blake take a chocolate pastry off of Bess' plate?

Yeah! What was up with that?? I thought maybe they'd explain it eventually, but they never went back to it. (I think it was a brownie, or something like that.) I loved the look Elizabeth gave him as he kept right on walking away with it, too. Funny.

[CheshireCat]

40 minutes ago, sinkwriter said:

On a side note, I thought he was going to give the drive to Daisy

So did I.

 

40 minutes ago, sinkwriter said:

Yeah! What was up with that?? I thought maybe they'd explain it eventually, but they never went back to it. (I think it was a brownie, or something like that.) I loved the look Elizabeth gave him as he kept right on walking away with it, too. Funny.

Maybe they had an explanation in that or another episode and it had to be cut for time? I'm thinking that it was somthing along the lines of Bess having made a comment to Blake that she needs to eat healthier or Blake simply looking out for her since she is eating a lot of pastries.

It was definitely a cute, fun moment.

[shapeshifter]

Was that an entirely real baby, or was there some CGIing going on to make it look at Tim Kang so alertly and so directly and to smile right at him with perfect timing?

 

On May 8, 2018 at 2:02 PM, CheshireCat said:

I missed the McCord's dysfunctional family dinners. They're fun to watch.

The McCord family dinners are the antithesis of the near perfect Reagan family dinners (on Blue Bloods)—in a good way.

 

5 hours ago, sinkwriter said:

Quote

Did Blake take a chocolate pastry off of Bess' plate?

Yeah! What was up with that?? I thought maybe they'd explain it eventually, but they never went back to it. (I think it was a brownie, or something like that.) I loved the look Elizabeth gave him as he kept right on walking away with it, too. Funny

I missed this entirely, but if several of you saw it, I really hope it wasn't a poison brownie meant for Elizabeth that will kill off Blake! ???????

[Calvada]

Best part of the episode - so little of Henry.  

I would hope given the current climate of cyber threats, no government employee would accept a flash drive from a reporter (or anyone else!) and ever consider checking it out on their government issued computer.  That's a really good way for a staff person to get fired.  I know that Blake just dropped it into his desk drawer, but there's no way he should have taken it or kept it in his desk.  It should have been treated as the potential weapon it could be.  

Agree with the usefulness of a gift like a wet/dry vac.  I've given the following to friends when they are moving - a box with toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, Band-Aids, a package of 60-watt light bulbs, a pair of utility scissors, a container of chocolate chip cookies, and a gift card for Target or Menards or a local greenhouse.   All have been greatly appreciated. 

[CheshireCat]

20 hours ago, Calvada said:

I would hope given the current climate of cyber threats, no government employee would accept a flash drive from a reporter (or anyone else!) and ever consider checking it out on their government issued computer.  That's a really good way for a staff person to get fired.  I know that Blake just dropped it into his desk drawer, but there's no way he should have taken it or kept it in his desk.  It should have been treated as the potential weapon it could be.   

For a moment, I had that thought as well: what if he accepted the book deal offer and there's a virus of sorts on the flash drive that gives those from the book deal access to the computer? Or even if he didn't accept the offer and they gained access to his computer and would accidentially gain access to the State Department's.

But, I think that while this is a possibility in the real world, I don't think MSec is that kind of show. And if the drive were plugged into the State Department's/government's computers, it would likely trigger an alarm/firewall. I would imagine that the journalist has a pretty sophisticated firewall/virus program as well since he'll likely get a lot of spam and in our day and age, possibly also flash drives from sources, so he'll want to be protected.

[shapeshifter]

21 hours ago, Calvada said:

Agree with the usefulness of a gift like a wet/dry vac.  I've given the following to friends when they are moving - a box with toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, Band-Aids, a package of 60-watt light bulbs, a pair of utility scissors, a container of chocolate chip cookies, and a gift card for Target or Menards or a local greenhouse.   All have been greatly appreciated. 

That's a great suggestion list, @Calvada. Would a gift card for at least a large pizza +delivery at the local place be a good idea too? Or is that just for my family?

 

21 hours ago, Calvada said:

I would hope given the current climate of cyber threats, no government employee would accept a flash drive from a reporter (or anyone else!) and ever consider checking it out on their government issued computer.  That's a really good way for a staff person to get fired.  I know that Blake just dropped it into his desk drawer, but there's no way he should have taken it or kept it in his desk.  It should have been treated as the potential weapon it could be.  

I don't know why that didn't occur to me while watching, but Blake not only plunked it into his drawer, but had a deer-in-headlights look. I wonder if actor Erich Bergen was trying to convey some of those concerns that were missing from the script. 

The place where I work—a library filled with computer labs used by students—is a great place to check out a suspect flash drive's contents (rather than my home computer). During a recent IT audit, the one thing they were doing right was cyber security. But, yeah, if it wasn't a work-related flash drive, I would look at it on one of our a public computers that doesn't require a login and that is not in view of any security cameras, heh, but from the days of 5¼" floppies to the present, Neil Shin-types have never shared files with me.

Edited May 13, 2018 by shapeshifter

[Anela]

I'm just coming back to this, I don't know why I waited so long. 

[MerBearHou]

On 3/22/2022 at 10:01 PM, Anela said:

I'm just coming back to this, I don't know why I waited so long. 

Same here, Anela— my husband, younger son, and I are all re-watching the entire series.  It’s as great as ever on re-watch and it’s absolutely uncanny to us how many topics they dealt with then that we are absolutely living through now.  The writers seemed to have crystal balls to tell the future, in several cases.