Madam Secretary Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Need to Know
Tanya Moat
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#ThisWasAGoodEpisode. Hashtags ruled on Madam Secretary Season 1 Episode 8 when a militant General took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Elizabeth McCord. Well, not so much Elizabeth, but more her legs.
#WearMiniSkirts. Somehow I don't think that's a hashtag that has ever been used in regards to a Secretary of State before.
Fortunately, Elizabeth is savvy enough to know when to ignore what people are saying about her and when to use it to her advantage.
Let's start with the best news - Henry is really working with the NSA. The bad news? He plans to continue working with them. I'm curious if that was always the NSA's plan, regardless of Chief of Staff Russell's claim of a one-time mission. To hook him with tales of sarin gas and terrorism, knowing that Henry is not the type of man to walk away.
Even when it has the potential to create problems in his marriage.
Elizabeth: So what really happened today?
Henry: I can't talk about it.
Elizabeth: Really?
Henry: Really. How about you?
Elizabeth: Same. Can I say that I'll be glad when this is over?
I can't even begin to imagine what's it like when you can't talk about your work with your spouse. When you have to lie to each other and your children every day. I understand why, but it has to eat at you. Elizabeth and Henry are a couple that have had to keep secrets from each other before, but it's not something they enjoy.
But it is something both of them will be doing a lot longer by the looks of it, even if Henry was initially old school when it came to spying.
Henry: I thought you were going to tape something to my chest.
Tech: We haven't done that since the 80's.
It will be interesting to see what effect this has on their marriage because as his handler told him, he cannot tell Elizabeth what he is doing. I don't expect her to respond well when she finds out.
Elizabeth: Hey, about that ... is it over?
Henry: Is what over?
Elizabeth: The end in sight thing.
Henry: Yes, it's over.
Elizabeth: Thank God. I was afraid maybe you liked it.
Henry: No. I was glad I could help, but it's not for me.
While Henry was playing with the NSA, Elizabeth had her hands full with a Twitter-addicted General who hijacked a plane carrying the Prime Minister of Moldova and one of Elizabeth's former CIA colleagues that she had assigned to help the Prime Minister.
The General scheme to eliminate political foes was actually pretty darn good, which seemed a bit in conflict with his public persona. He came across more stupid than smart, which worked in Elizabeth's favor.
Her plan to sneak a Seal Team into his air base was quite brilliant, and I liked how she kept him occupied by calling him under the pretense of negotiation. We also got to see the rescue rather than be told about the outcome, which happens far too often. It's much more exciting to watch the action unfold and see things blow up.
Given the fact that we are so often removed from the action in both proximity and knowledge the characters, I don't always find myself that interested or vested in that part of the show. It helps when we can at least get a connection with someone directly affected by the event as we did with Jim's wife.
Elizabeth: If you need anything, just ask.
Clare: I need my husband back.
Simple and impactful. They do those scenes very well.
The other big news was that Elizabeth finally shared her suspicions about Vincent Marsh's suspicious death and her belief that he was murdered with her two CIA friends. They were surprised and quick to remind her that George was paranoid, but just as quick to concede that his death never felt right to them, either.
We found out George sent Isabelle a message via a $5 bill he mailed to her on the day he was killed. The message was Tamerline. Neither of them know what it means. I have no idea either, but I can wait to find out.
All in all, we saw one of the strongest episodes thus far. The Daisy/Matt stuff still annoys, but I'm choosing to do deep breathing exercises every time they are on. Henry's continued involvement with the NSA should provide some interesting storylines for him, and the family scenes remain stellar.
What did you think of tonight's episode? How do you think Elizabeth will react when she eventually finds out that Henry is still working with the NSA? What do you think Tamerline means? If you are new to the show, don't worry! You can watch Madam Secretary online via TV Fanatic and get caught up at your convenience.
