Madam Secretary Episode 1.08 Need to Know

After a few months on the job, Madam Secretary has gotten used to the international seesaw of political infighting, late night phone calls and urgent crises. But what is she supposed to do when the one person she usually confides in -- her husband, Henry -- has secrets of his own?

Secretary McCord is angry that the President called Henry back into service with the NSA without her knowledge. She's hoping he'll return to his normal life of being a religion professor soon, before they both have so many secrets, they won't be able to talk to each other.

Initially, Henry seems to enjoy his double life, wearing a wire to spy on a former colleague who he meets at a religion conference. But when he's forced to visit the colleague's home, changing a chess piece for a fake with a wire implanted inside, Henry realizes the level of danger he's actually in.

At the White House, Secretary McCord is faced with a fraught political situation in the small country of Moldova. An ethnic separatist (who seems to have a thing for the Secretary of State) is killing off innocent Moldovans. Fortunately, Madam Secretary has a staffer, Jim, who's former CIA and a native Moldovan. She decides to send Jim with a Moldovan diplomat to settle the ethnic disputes threatening to tear the small country apart.

Suddenly, the Moldovan situation becomes dire, when the plane carrying the diplomat and Jim goes down. Are they alive? If they are, can Madam Secretary save the former CIA agent before he's captured and killed? It's another life or death issue that can only be discussed with her top staff. Madam Secretary's husband Henry will have to remain out of the loop.

Madam Secretary decides to take advantage of the Moldovan separatist's fancy for her. She arranges a video call, pretending to play ball while being forced to entertain his rude comments about her legs. Yet, it turns out that this skype is a stall tactic. With the separatist ring-leader engaged, Madam Secretary has simultaneously sent Navy Seals to infiltrate Moldova, to save Jim while the Separatist remains distracted.

The plan works and Jim is rescued before the separatist can react. He's flown back to the US and reunited with his wife, in front of some very impressed and grateful staffers.

Secretary McCord comes home to learn that Henry's latest mission with the NSA will be his last. Or at least, that's his promise. Henry knows that his wife saved the former CIA agent from a certain death in Moldova. But neither of them can confirm or deny what's actually happened. It's a strange thing about working in government. Whether you're married or not - the nature of your job ensures that you're truly on your own.