Madam Secretary Episode 1.10 Collateral Damage

When a deranged gunman gets too close to the State Department, the whole building goes on lockdown, with Madam Secretary and her eldest daughter, Stevie, inside.

Secretary McCord was entertaining the visiting Iraqi delegation when Stevie came by to visit. Suddenly, it's a lockdown and everyone is trapped. Madam Secretary tries to play hostess to the Iraqis but she can't help but chime in when they start speaking Arabic. It seems Secretary McCord has some proficiency with the language. But she says she's never been to Iraq. Something's not adding up.

While Madam Secretary tries to keep peace, Matt comes face to face with Daisy's fiance, Win, who was visiting at the same moment of the lockdown. Now Matt's stuck in close quarters with the guy about to marry the love of his life. It's a tense situation for both parties.

In another office, Madam Secretary's Assistant, Blake, is stuck with Stevie, who grills him about her mother. Stevie assumes that she must be a family disappointment after dropping out of college. But Blake paints a different picture - of a mother who loves her eldest child, but just wants her to find her place in the world.

Back in Madam Secretary's quarters, one of the Iraqi translators recognizes Secretary McCord, accusing her of having not only visited his country, but also involvement in his cousin's death. Madam Secretary assures the translator he's mistaken. She's never been to Iraq -- and the conversation must end there.

Yet, Madam Secretary looks preoccupied. She's hiding something. While working with the CIA she did visit Iraq on a top-secret mission, which included questioning the imprisoned cousin of this translator. Madam Secretary didn't kill anyone, but she approved the torture tactics used to get information the government needed.

In Matt's office, his conversation with Win starts off friendly enough. But eventually, Matt breaks, telling Win that he had an affair with Daisy. Win is devastated and decides to leave his fiance. Matt can have her - but if she cheated on Win, she might not be a safe bet for Matt either. At the end of the day, Matt declares his love to Daisy. She deserves someone who'll fight for her. And her former fiance is not that guy. Daisy kisses Matt. But we don't know if it's the start of something - or goodbye.

Once the gunman outside is apprehended, the lockdown is lifted. Luckily, everyone is safe and sound. But Secretary McCord's relationship with her daughter Stevie is now on tenuous ground, once she reveals the truth to Stevie about her involvement in Iraq. Eventually, every child learns that their parents aren't perfect. But it's a whole other ballgame when a parent's misdeeds involve international acts of violence.