S05.E13: Proxy War

[thewhiteowl]

When Syrian children are killed by an American made bomb, Elizabeth must figure out what went wrong. Russell argues with a homeless man.

[NUguy514]

Henry was at his self-righteous worst tonight, and Jason yet again demonstrates why his parents should've stopped at two kids.

[Dowel Jones]

It's ordnance, not ordinance, Mr. Defense Industry guy.

I had to laugh when Bess was lecturing the Syrian diplomat.  She says "You'll have to answer to your own people for your actions."  The Syrian would have just shrugged and said "Yeah, so?"

[TVForever]

5 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Henry was at his self-righteous worst tonight, and Jason yet again demonstrates why his parents should've stopped at two kids.

It's as though they recognize how awful he is, but are secretly impressed by his "brilliance".

Also, I know how self-centered teenagers/young adults can be, but did what did Ali think that calling the Secretary of State in the middle of her workday was going to do about slow internet at home? I know she's your mom,  but still.

[shapeshifter]

I'm so depressed after this episode because $800 is a typical electric bill? 
Crap.
I'm never going to be able to afford to live anywhere else.

 

43 minutes ago, TVForever said:

Also, I know how self-centered teenagers/young adults can be, but did what did Ali think that calling the Secretary of State in the middle of her workday was going to do about slow internet at home? I know she's your mom,  but still.

She probably should have called Dad, but not if she thought she'd get more traction with Mom. 
Anyway, yeah, Ali should have first called Comcast herself before bugging the 'rents.

[Netfoot]

7 hours ago, NUguy514 said:

Henry was at his self-righteous worst tonight, and Jason yet again demonstrates why his parents should've stopped at two kids.

Total agreement with both points.

[MaryHedwig]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 12:17 PM, thewhiteowl said:

When Syrian children are killed by an American made bomb, Elizabeth must figure out what went wrong. Russell argues with a homeless man.

That was a homeless woman.

[thewhiteowl]

1 hour ago, MaryHedwig said:

That was a homeless woman.

Oops! I just used the blurb from TVDB and it wasn't clear. Apologies.

[HurricaneVal]

I kind of liked the detente that Russell forged (maybe...) with the passionate homeless protestor.  Despite his frustration with her personally confronting him and the fallout of that, she was democracy in action, and he had to admire that.

There was some serious tension ratcheting through that plotline.  Israel and Syria felt protected by their "sponsoring" allies, so they felt they could play fast and loose while still being able to run and hide behind mommy and daddy.  It was delicious when Bess gave their reps some tough love and sent them packing. 

Now, if she could only do that with Jason....

[Calvada]

I dozed off - TWICE - during this episode.  After returning to the last point I remember, and spending the last 15 minutes of the show standing while folding laundry, I managed to stay awake and finish it.  I guess you could say it didn't hold my interest.  

An $800 electric bill?  For a month?  Really?  Plus, Elizabeth opening envelopes with their bills, and is that a checkbook on the table that she flips open?  What is this - 1975?  

I really hate it when they portray supposedly intelligent people as complete morons.  There is no way someone as politically savvy as Russell would ever get into a public confrontation with a homeless person as dozens of onlookers had their phones out.  

Is Jason a senior?  I would be encouraging him to attend a college far, far away.  And I would have collected all his devices and held them until he demonstrated the ability to pay the cost of operating them in a sustained manner.  Henry and Elizabeth are all tough, bringing the hammer down, making him pay the difference between that bill and the one for the month before, and all I could think was hey idiots!  The next month's bill is accruing as you speak!

[TigerLynx]

Russell needed to add Turkey and the Kurds to his diatribe.

Henry just needs to shut up.  There is always collateral damage and civilian deaths in war.  Not only bad guys get killed, and the good guys don't always win.  Also, who the good and bad guys are is very subjective.

Dumb episode.

[mythoughtis]

Raises hand... I still pay most of my monthly bills with an actual check. There’s only certain companies I give access to my checking account. 

Did I miss an explanation of why Jason lost his financial aid?  Was that the failure to fill out the applications incident? 

[shapeshifter]

37 minutes ago, mythoughtis said:

Did I miss an explanation of why Jason lost his financial aid?  Was that the failure to fill out the applications incident? 

I can't imagine that IRL Jason would qualify for financial aid. A scholarship, sure. But his parents' incomes should disqualify him from any needs-based funding.

[mythoughtis]

30 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I can't imagine that IRL Jason would qualify for financial aid. A scholarship, sure. But his parents' incomes should disqualify him from any needs-based funding.

True. But he specifically said ‘ since I lost my financial aid...’

[rur]

5 hours ago, Calvada said:

An $800 electric bill?  For a month?  Really?  

I wrote it off to added electronic communication,  security,  and monitoring devices needed because of her position. (And three kids who probably never turn off a light when they leave a room.)

[MaryHedwig]

2 hours ago, rur said:

I wrote it off to added electronic communication,  security,  and monitoring devices needed because of her position. (And three kids who probably never turn off a light when they leave a room.)

I also assume that must have an electric forced-air heating.

[bros402]

So, uh, what kind of cryptocurrency is born and dead within 48 hours like that? Because in order to get enough to make 3k, he would've had to have been in on the ground floor - then he would've had to sell it, which takes a few days with most coins. Then it suddenly dropped to zero - which if he had enough to buy all of that stuff... uhhh, he'd at least have a few bucks left of coin.

And, uhhh, $800 for an electric bill? I know it is a city and that is a pretty big place.... but $800 a month? Maybe some of it is security measures? Has to be.

[torqy]

On 1/28/2019 at 5:30 PM, mythoughtis said:

Raises hand... I still pay most of my monthly bills with an actual check. There’s only certain companies I give access to my checking account. 

 

Hey, come sit at my table. I do too, and with all the ongoing massive data breaches, I probably will for a while. Just wish the price of stamps would stabilize for a while. It's almost cheaper to drive to the electric co. and hand them the payment.

Re: the $800 power bill, this seems odd. We live in Phoenix in a 60 year old, average size home (i. e. not energy efficient) and the highest bill in the summer is usually just under $300. That beautiful row house looks like it could have had upgrades to the windows etc.

[Dowel Jones]

On 1/27/2019 at 11:54 PM, NUguy514 said:

Henry was at his self-righteous worst tonight,

 

14 hours ago, torqy said:

Re: the $800 power bill, this seems odd.

The difference probably comes from powering the halo that is continually over his head.

[shapeshifter]

On 1/28/2019 at 8:31 AM, shapeshifter said:

I'm so depressed after this episode because $800 is a typical electric bill? 
Crap.
I'm never going to be able to afford to live anywhere else.

28 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

15 hours ago, torqy said:

Re: the $800 power bill, this seems odd.

The difference probably comes from powering the halo that is continually over his head.

Whew! Then there's hope for me to relocate on a fixed income, 'cause I'm sure not an angel.

[mojito]

Quote

 Plus, Elizabeth opening envelopes with their bills, and is that a checkbook on the table that she flips open?  What is this - 1975?  

It might not just be Elizabeth being a little old-fashioned, but the cleaning people, gardener, electrician, etc. who have to be paid by check. I have to write checks to the small business people who do services for me.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, mojito said:

It might not just be Elizabeth being a little old-fashioned, but the cleaning people, gardener, electrician, etc. who have to be paid by check. I have to write checks to the small business people who do services for me.

I recall my mom needing to pay her house cleaner under the table in cash, but not by check. Anyway, I get that the writers probably put that in the script because having Bess look at a spreadsheet or bank statement on a computer screen wouldn't signify much, but, really, to me it says that the intended audience is people old enough to have been paying bills in the 80s.

[Calvada]

20 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I recall my mom needing to pay her house cleaner under the table in cash, but not by check. Anyway, I get that the writers probably put that in the script because having Bess look at a spreadsheet or bank statement on a computer screen wouldn't signify much, but, really, to me it says that the intended audience is people old enough to have been paying bills in the 80s.

It probably frustrated the writers not to have the perfect Henry handle this on top of being the one indispensable factor in Bess and POTUS saving the world on a weekly basis, but they probably thought that would look sexist.  To Hollywood, a powerful, successful woman must always be shown to balance work and home life, and there's rarely the same type of compulsion to show men doing so.  Bess works 12 to 15 hour days, is constantly traveling around the globe, and also makes breakfast, helps get dinner on the table, loads the dishwasher, does laundry, and now pays the bills.  I couldn't be Secretary of State; doing it all would kill me in a matter of weeks.  

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Calvada said:

Bess works 12 to 15 hour days, is constantly traveling around the globe, and also makes breakfast, helps get dinner on the table, loads the dishwasher, does laundry, and now pays the bills.  I couldn't be Secretary of State; doing it all would kill me in a matter of weeks

Gosh, I hope the kids are doing the laundry. Mine did, or I would be dead now.

[RealReality10]

I'm fairly new to this show and started binge watching on Netflix and then ordered season pass on Amazon.

I have to say that you all are right about Henry and once the over the top ridiculousness of his character and the situation are pointed out it cannot be unseen.

I don't know how Russell, the head of defense, the head of the FBI and the NSC don't all roll their eyes everytime he starts spouting off about something he knows nothing about in a position that makes no sense.  I vote for.someone because of their ethics.  Your ethics are part of.who you are and they are a part of your decision making process.  Having an ethical advisor is.like saying you can't trust your own decision making skill.  

I just can't with him.  Man did I ever want russell to tell him to go suck an egg when he started pontificating and having a hissy fit.

I generally like this show but Henry is making me hate it.  Why couldn't they just have him work for an NGO or maybe one of those giant charitable foundation that does good work around the world like the gates foundation.  That way he could be involved in world issues without being so very preachy and annoying.

[TigerLynx]

On ‎2‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 9:25 PM, RealReality10 said:

I have to say that you all are right about Henry and once the over the top ridiculousness of his character and the situation are pointed out it cannot be unseen.

The show is called Madame Secretary.  I don't watch to see Madame Secretary's husband.  If the situations were reversed, would the Secretary of State's wife be an advisor to the President?  It doesn't help that Henry is such a self-righteous jerk.

I'm still baffled at the "Oh no civilians are being killed, there's collateral damage" outrage.  Duh, it's called war you morons, and it's been happening for centuries.  I thought it was also very arrogant of the USA, China, and Russia to think it's all about them.  Other countries go to war with each other over things that have nothing to do with the Superpowers or wanna be Superpowers.

Edited February 17, 2019 by TigerLynx