'Madam Secretary' Season 4 Episode 17 Spoilers: Elizabeth to Go Against an Antagonistic Senator
Elizabeth's (Téa Leoni) mettle will be tested when she goes head to head with an infuriating senator in the upcoming episode of "Madam Secretary."
In the episode titled "Phase Two," the synopsis reveals that Elizabeth and the State Department will be brokering the next stage in the arms agreement between the U.S. and Iran. They are almost finished with the deal when an assertion from Senator Morejon (José Zúňiga) puts everything on hold.
According to Senator Morejon, the Iranians took advantage of the Americans' good intentions and used the money in the first phase to fund a recent bombing. What made it worse was that the blast killed an American citizen. Elizabeth's squad will have to find a way to see if what Morejon was claiming is true or not. If he is lying, they will investigate his motives for putting the entire negotiation in jeopardy.
Elsewhere, Henry (Tim Daly) will be given an opportunity to further his career in the National War College. The board will offer him the chance to become the chairman of the new military ethics department. Elizabeth's husband will have to decide what the promotion will entail professionally for him.
Henry has been enjoying his time off from the stress of the political arena. After he quit his work in the CIA/NSA, he was able to spend more time with his kids. Henry was thankful that he was there for Jason (Evan Roe) when the teen was having difficulty with his girlfriend.
In the previous episode, Jason told his father that he wanted a break from Piper (Salena Qureshi). He said he felt suffocated in the relationship because she was too clingy.
Piper was Jason's first girlfriend, and he did not know how to address the issue with her in case he ends up hurting her badly. With Henry's guidance, Jason realized that while he did want space, he did not want to split up with her. They talked about their relationship and agreed to be more open about their feelings. Jason was thankful that he listened to Henry's advice to not be hasty in making decisions.
Also in the episode, Elizabeth and her team hosted the 20th anniversary of the American embassy bombing in Mali. It was an emotional moment for the State Department crew as they knew some of the victims personally. Elizabeth did not want the event to just be a small commemoration of the attack. She insisted that all of the names of the dead, whether American or not, be mentioned in her speech.
The secretary also heard the orders from the White House that the sanctions on the country deemed responsible for the bombing be lifted, but she begged to differ.
Although Kat (Sara Ramirez) explained that the Sudanese government already showed sufficient indication that they regretted what happened, Elizabeth said it was not enough. After learning that a terrorist group called Albosha was still very much active in the country, she called the Sudanese foreign minister and explained that they would need another year before lifting the sanctions. The official promised that in that span of time, they would find the bombers and close that painful chapter in the Mali history.
"Madam Secretary" season 4 airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.