Madam Secretary Episode 1.02 Another Benghazi

When you're Secretary of State, your job isn't just 24/7. It's worldwide. In the middle of the night, Secretary Elizabeth McCord is woken up to news of a violent protest on the other side of the world, against The United States Embassy in Yemen. Secretary McCord knows the Yemen Ambassador, Paul Wellington (Tim Guinee), from her days in the CIA so she feels a special duty to ensure his safety.

The trick is - The Head of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Burke (John Bedford Lloyd) won't approve military action. With her hands tied, Secretary McCord resorts to hiring a private army, known as Vesuvius. They're organized, lethal and a mercenary group once called "Satan" by the Secretary herself, when she was still in the CIA. Yet, protesters have breached the Embassy perimeter, leaving the Secretary little choice but to rely on the upstart private army.

Meanwhile, Secretary McCord also has to deal with her eldest daughter, Stephanie/"Stevie" (Wallis Currie-Wood), who's gotten media attention for protesting the removal of need-blind admissions at her college. Before her current post, the Secretary might have praised her daughter's convictions. But now any hint of impropriety in her family is a serious matter - and a grave distraction. The Secretary's daughter decides to drop out of college, much to the chagrin of Elizabeth and her husband, and return to the family until she decides on her next move.

In Yemen, Ambassador's Wellington's family has already been safely removed from the volatile country. But Wellington himself remains, determined to see the issue through, even as the protests intensify. Will they be able to get the diplomat out in time? Wellington sees dogs and guns arrive outside the Embassy window. It's Vesuvius.

For a moment, they lose signal with the Ambassador while communicating via Skype. Has he been captured by the rebels? Luckily, Vesuvius does their job, rescuing Wellington. While successful, Vesuvius loses one of their own during the rescue mission. Never a believer in protocol, Secretary McCord goes to visit the family of the man who lost his life during the mission, to pay her respects. As any Secretary of State knows - in international affairs, there is no success without sacrifice.