Veep Episode 5.01 Morning After

The morning after the tied election, Selina gives a speech assuring the public the country is still in good shape -- with a massive stress pimple on her cheek. Catherine films from the sidelines of the Oval Office, attempting to capture footage for her college thesis documentary.

Mike tells Selina that he and Wendy are adopting a daughter from China, but Selina tells him now's not the time for fatherhood, and advises him to see if he can get his money back.

Bill Ericsson joins a meeting, much to the surprise of Selina and her staff. Ben pulls Ericsson aside and reminds him that as he's about to be indicted for the data breach, he's "as welcome as a swastika-shaped shit in a synagogue." He tells Ericsson Selina will reconsider a full pardon if he surrenders quietly.

Selina heads to her Symposium on Race, which has been moved up to improve her public image. Meanwhile, Mike, who's in a Fitbit competition with Sue, runs up and down a nearby stairwell.

Selina meets with her Symposium panel members and discovers that all of them are white. Ben tasks an assistant with rounding up as many black staffers as possible to diversify the event. Mike heads into the Symposium, but sets off an alarm on the stairwell door, prompting the Secret Service to rush in and surround Selina. Sue enters the room, only to have an agent point his gun at her. She raises her hands and shouts, "I work here!"

Mike leads a press conference after the symposium, but instead of addressing the media's questions about the incident with Sue, he announces Bill Ericsson's arrest and reveals a pardon is not on the table. Before Mike leaves the stage, he blames Bill for the trouble at the symposium as well.

The head of the Secret Service introduces Selina to her new body-double, Marjorie, who is a "perfect match from behind." Selina and Gary claim not to see a resemblance.

Selina and her team are delighted to learn Senator O'Brien's lead in Nevada is less than half a percent, allowing for a possible recount. If Selina wins the recount, the state's six electoral votes will win her the presidency. Richard rattles off a succinct explanation of the complicated recount process (revealing one of his two doctorates is in constitutional law), and Selina decides to make him her recount specialist -- and Jonah, his former boss, his new underling.

During a press conference about the recount, a strand of Selina's hair gets caught in the massive glob of coverup Gary applied to her zit. With the stress pimple discounting Selina's reassurances about the state of the nation, the stock market crashes.

Tom James gives a statement to the press about the importance of counting all the votes from military members serving overseas -- knowing full well the military hates Selina. As punishment, Selina decides to make him her "economy czar". Tom is quick to refuse the job, knowing he'd be blamed for the economic crisis if he took the position. Selina interviews Candi Caruso, a young up-and-comer she's using as bait to get Amy to head up her team in Nevada. Despite Amy's earlier claims that she doesn't want the job, she interrupts the meeting to tell Selina she'll take it.

Selina ignores Tom's refusal and announces to the press he's accepted the position of Economy Czar. Tom confronts Selina about the appointment, but she tells him to "suck it".

Amy calls Dan, freshly fired by lobbyist Sydney Purcell, and demands he join her in Nevada. "Right now, you're about as toxic as a urinal cake in Chernobyl and I'm offering you a job," she tells him. "You have no seconds to decide".