President Dalton asked Elizabeth to become his new Vice President in the season 2 finale of MADAM SECRETARY. She was understandably surprised by the offer, but she seems ready to accept the new position when the show returns for its third season. Here’s five things to know about the upcoming season premiere:
Decision Day. It’s the end of the primaries in the US and the networks are officially declaring the winner. The first two minutes of the episode will tell you President Dalton’s fate and whether he secured his party’s nomination versus the Pennsylvania governor who is running against him.
The Campaign Trail. Flashback to two months earlier, as Elizabeth is heading to a pig judging contest. It’s an opportunity to do some glad-handing with Virginian residents. Her impending Vice Presidency hasn’t been publicly announced but Elizabeth is trying to help Dalton’s reelection, with a Jane Pauley interview the day after, along with a donor dinner. But this campaigning is slightly interrupted by a cyclone hitting their base in Bahrain, which occupies the attention of Elizabeth’s staff.
Getting the Band Back Together. Jose, one of Henry’s former Murphy Station co-workers, approaches Henry about having him join a new anti-terror group to track down remaining members of Hizb al-Shahid. Henry is hesitant because he’s just gotten back to teaching, but it’s also clear that he’s a patriot and eager to help his country. Still, his upcoming position as the Vice President’s husband could impeded his chances of joining the group.
Inside the Family. Life is already changing for the McCord family as they await the public announcement of Elizabeth’s new job. Elizabeth wonders if being Vice President is worth it, especially if Henry has to cut back on his work. But the biggest problem emerges when Henry brings his son’s malfunctioning computer to the White House’s chief cyber technician (Oliver) and learns that someone hacked into the webcam. Oliver suggests Henry take the laptop to the FBI for further analysis. He does, but he’s accosted on the way over and the laptop is stolen, indicating that something larger is at play.
Climate Change and International Policy. Elizabeth gets on the warpath when she learns that every leading climate change scientist warned that the Bahraini base (along with other military bases) were at risk for damage due to climate change and natural disasters. Unfortunately, her party and Julius Burton (a defence contractor and one of Dalton’s biggest supporters) doesn’t believe in climate change and refused to do anything about the warnings. Adding to that, she doesn’t believe that the US should be in Bahrain at all any longer. She wants a complete change in US foreign policy, but Dalton says that’s an insane strategy during primary season. When she appears on Jane Pauley’s show and tells Jane that she does believe in climate change, it sets off a firestorm in her party.
MADAM SECRETARY returns for its third season tonight (October 2) at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS (U.S.) and Global (Canada).
