Original subtitles

Hal, I'd like you to be my vice president.

Should've been you. I don't want this unless you want it.

Tell me what to say.

Say yes.

Vetting you for vice president is going to be

an extremely complicated process.

- What about Kate? What's her portfolio? - Um...

Don't play chicken with me, Billie.

What do you want?

A job for Kate. A real one.

The president is appointing me special envoy to Europe.

I couldn't ask you to come with me as second lady, but this...

I could be an ambassador.

It's what I've been working toward for 20 years.

Yeah. Me too.

I haven't quite figured out how to say

a British citizen killed herself in a CIA safe house she wasn't supposed to be in.

- Are you... - Gonna get fired? Probably.

We had a secret relationship for 14 months. We can have a secret divorce.

Make it official in a couple of years when I'm a has-been.

As a hypothetical, what if she stayed in London as ambassador?

She can fly to DC for the big things.

Is that what you want? To be 3,000 miles apart?

No.

- Welcome. - Thank you.

- How was the flight? - Long.

Did he tell you what this is?

We haven't talked much the last couple days.

- Yeah. - My calendar says "reception."

I assume it's a soft launch of the dynamic duo for leadership?

We're calling it a gathering.

"Reception" sounded a little festive for before a funeral.

But this is the pre-gathering.

So, same, but sooner.

I can grab him for a quick pull-aside before we go in.

- I'm good. - This can be a lot.

- If you need a minute to-- - Get you to relax?

No.

- Hal and I have done this 1,000 times. - That's a lot of times.

I got the one sheet, I read the bios. I am okay.

Would you like a mint?

No. I need to have a quick meeting tomorrow morning.

- We can talk schedule after the-- - Gathering?

- And he can take your bag. - Oh.

- Anything else we want to adjust? - No.

...functional democracy, rule of law, neither of which has had an easy decade.

If we start a conversation about membership--

Beijing's hair'll be on fire. Is that the worst thing?

It's something concrete to worry about.

We'll take it off the table the minute they stop playing bumper cars

with Philippine ships and Second Thomas Shoal.

Exactly.

- Good to know. - Excuse me.

There he is.

You haven't had the chance to meet Congressman Rob yet.

Where are you from?

- Phoenix. - Hmm.

- Look who's here. Welcome. - Thank you. I feel welcome.

- You'll be a great help. - I hope so.

And we will sort it all out, the back and forth.

We've done it for years.

- Let me know if there's anything you need. - Nothing.

You sure? I want to make sure this works for the both of you.

There is actually one trade meeting with commerce that I was... It's not even...

Ambassador Wyler, have you met Senator Pikorski?

- You come with the other one? - Hal, yes.

He's gonna be a great VP.

Second she nominates him, he's got my vote.

- Any day now. - So you were somewhere. Where?

- London. - London.

England. They don't air-condition over there.

- Not as much as we do. - Fucking barbaric.

- I... like both places. - I'm gonna give you my card.

The office can hook you up with David, my better half.

- He knows schools up, down, and backwards. - Oh.

You think you're gonna go public, you're not. You can't feel bad about it.

No kids.

- Good for you. - I'm gonna be going back and forth a lot.

- Back and forth where? - London.

- Oh, you're keeping the London gig. - Yes, I am.

- Like your style. Fuck this place, right? - No, no.

- It's rough on the marriage, though. - We've done it before.

I mean, separation's not the worst thing.

- Oh, you're separated? - No, no. Not separated.

We are out in two.

- I like this one. She's got balls. - Yeah.

Sounds like you're gonna have to be the second lady.

- What? - No.

- Friends. Please... - Hey.

- Hi. - Can ask you to pause...

- You're okay? - Yeah.

Thank you.

Some of you have been quietly wondering what my plans are.

So let me be clear.

This is Bill Rayburn's presidency.

I am simply here to fulfill its promise.

My office is calling.

- Ambassador! How's the White House? - Hey, is Stuart still in the Zang?

Yeah. Just got started, but I can pull him.

No, no. That's okay. I was just, uh, checking in.

Seeing how everything was going.

Back-to-back-to-back, but I can slip in a message. It's no problem.

- Um, no, that's okay. - Should I let him know--

Yes, ma'am.

- Kate. - Madam President.

- Thanks for hopping across the pond. - Of course.

I hope Hal told you I will hop on over for all the big things.

I'm sorry. I probably generated

an awkward moment or two in your household.

Not at all. I like my job.

- Didn't want to leave in the first place. - Good.

Hal is gonna be fantastic.

- He was made for this. - I sure hope so.

Um, sometimes he starts talking, and he can't stop himself.

He has no idea he's doing it.

But if you pinch him really hard, right above the elbow, he will stop.

- Okay. - Come up with your sign.

But, um, you have to really spell it out.

You'll think you're mean when you say, "When I tap my nose, you gotta zip it."

But if you don't, it's like... ...right over his head.

Thanks, Ambassador.

- Here's the good news. - Please.

Not a single red flag in the coroner's report.

That's very good news.

It says Roylin died in her own home... of apparent suicide.

Nothing about the body being moved?

See, that would come under the category of red flag.

Fair.

- Not a single one of those. - Good.

Did you talk to Downing Street?

I didn't.

Okay.

When are you planning to?

I'm not.

I'm planning not to.

I didn't know you had Roylin, because you never fucking read me in.

I didn't know who I could trust.

That's hardly a winning talking point, is it?

For my own government?

If your government doesn't want me here...

I'm done.

What case could I make?

Trust my counterpart, even though she doesn't trust me enough

to tell me what in holy hell is going on.

You looking for new blood?

Maybe a counterpart who doesn't know that "yes" means "maybe,"

and "we'll look into it," means "absolutely not"?

I'm looking for a way to save you without sacrificing myself.

I've yet to find one.

What do I do now?

Should've fucking read me in.

Blair House is Hal's base of operations till he's confirmed.

- Schedule. Map of the building. - You'll have full run of the place.

And if I wanted to use one of its 109 function rooms for a little sit-down?

- How little? - A chat with the USTR in Commerce.

- Get the ball rolling. - On?

- A deal. - So a major trade negotiation?

No, it's talking about thinking about a roadmap to a process.

Historically, Blair House has been better suited

for hospitality, not so much--

Hauling in a bunch of bureaucrats

and implying it's a five-alarm White House fire.

I was going to say policy, but sure.

So by run of the place, you mean...

- Maybe don't use it for anything. - I'll push it to your next trip.

There's a lot I like about your proposed schedule.

- It's not a proposal. - I'm canceling Congressman Siegel.

Slotting in Moran in his place.

- Moran won't even meet with the president. - I texted him. He's bringing donuts.

He's a backbencher who doesn't believe in evolution. Your whip count is fine.

I haven't been nominated. My whip count is theoretical.

They always are.

You don't set a meeting like this, and then cancel it.

It's bad form. Plus, I like a donut.

Call if you need me.

- Are you the welcome wagon? - I am.

I want to talk about our messaging.

- I'm gonna take a call. - With both of you.

I hear you had a nice chat with Senator Pikorski.

That was nothing.

If she's not second lady, who is?

He's a nice man. He talks a lot. Doesn't stop to breathe.

What did you say?

Just that I would be doing both jobs. Exactly like we discussed.

If you two came up with some language you think works,

I'd love to hear it.

Make sure we're all singing the same song.

Um...

Yeah, I mean... Go ahead.

No. You... You... You've given it some thought.

I... I've had a lot going on the last couple of days.

Um...

Yeah. We...

We have two careers.

Um...

I have two jobs.

And, like many couples...

- Most couples. - Yeah, uh...

We...

make it work, like people do.

I'd add a little something something about love.

Um, how difficult it is, because you miss each other so terribly.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Yeah, we... we miss each other, and, uh, it's very difficult.

We do it for the country.

- What's the cadence? - For?

When you're here.

Whenever you need me to be here.

Well, if you're asking what we need...

No, we will, with respect for the other role that Kate is inhabiting,

ask her to come for any high-visibility events,

and she will say yes.

- Yeah. - Couples have rules.

We don't like to go a week or a month without seeing each other.

- A week is a lot of flying. - We need you here more than once a month.

- For what? - Things go on here.

At least once a month. Mm-hmm.

We'll load up on joint events when you're here,

and do what we can to downplay your absences.

What do you mean by downplay?

- What it sounds like. - I'm not in witness protection.

I'm an ambassador. Isn't that an asset?

We are two people with two careers. Both matter, if we're messaging something.

You're right.

Yeah, we should play a little offense.

A fresh take on political marriage. You do important work.

Let's shine a light on it.

Plus all the joint events.

I like the idea of the first truly equal marriage in the White House.

Well, half in the White House.

We'll take it to the communications shop.

Maybe a think piece in the Times or Post highlighting your own initiatives.

I don't have initiatives. I have one of the G7.

Okay.

We'll get you a draft once it's been staffed out. Thank you.

I'm sure it's not easy.

- What'd you say to him? - The guy?

The guy runs Senate Foreign Relations.

He wanted to help me pick private schools for our children

and then had to backpedal mightily

while trying not to ask me about my fertility.

- That's it? - Well, I don't have a transcript, but...

Well... guy probably knows more about my marriage than I do.

I was five minutes off an airplane.

I was pissed when Billie first showed up,

but then I realized that might be the only briefing I get

on the state of our union.

Sorry there isn't another bedroom.

Whatever.

I mean, there is, but...

What would the staff say?

Well, yeah, it matters.

I know it matters. That's why I flew across an ocean.

I mean, thank God for the staff.

They had to remind you to pretend to love me.

Please don't act like it's that simple. Please do me that one favor.

I'll take the couch.

Well, you can't sleep on that.

- Now you're worried about my comfort? - I'm worried your back's gonna go out.

Then I'm gonna have to scrounge for meds in the middle of a funeral.

The... The pressure point thing makes it stop,

underneath my shoulder blade.

What?

- I'm not massaging your back. - I didn't ask you for--

It is historically a stepping stone to sex,

and I think that is no longer part of the plan.

Where's my fucking copy of the plan?

Or has it been staffed out and waiting for sign-off?

- Public marriage, private divorce. - We're talking about a back spasm.

So the shit we do in private

should look like the actions of people who are divorced.

- Divorced people fuck all the time. - Back to the trough a couple times a year.

I despise that phrase. I've told you that more than once.

I'd love if you didn't use it around me again.

Oh, you would love it?

Can we or can we not sleep in the same bed and just keep our hands to ourselves?

Why are you acting like I'm a sex offender?

I'm talking about both of us, or me, or I know myself.

Touching leads to more touching.

And then, if this is how it starts, it can get out of control.

You're worried you're not gonna be able to control yourself if you touch my back?

- Yeah. - Then why the fuck are we splitting up?

Because you're more than a pogo stick.

You are a full-time job. Two full-time jobs.

- I'll roll up a towel down the center. - You're being a real shit.

I am trying to make this work, Katherine. I really am.

But I... I fell asleep

with your left boob in my hand for the better part of ten years.

Mistakes may happen.

Are you gonna fuck people?

Divorced people do that.

Yeah, I guess so.

Have you already?

In the last 48 hours? No.

I don't work that fast.

Well, you're a hot commodity.

Second you're back on the market, you're gonna get snapped up.

I am the Second Lady of the United States.

I'm not changing my relationship status on Facebook.

Thanks.

- A little discretion is probably in order. - Yeah.

- What time is the watch party? - Please don't call it that.

What time is the funeral viewing gathering?

9:30.

Mm.

- What else? - Nothing.

You want me to leave?

- No, just... - You're super-duper busy.

Yeah. I have to set up the funeral watching thing.

And then I have 23 heads of mission who all want me to hold their hand

and promise them that the new president

won't scrap the very special agreement their nation had with the old president.

Dead president.

You're a bucket of sunshine.

Tom Libby won't vouch for me.

- At all. - Why?

Because I'm a shitty counterpart, and he doesn't trust me.

- Kate'll take care of it. - Do you have the secret hotsies for her?

She'll be back on Thursday. She'll call Diane.

And unicorns shit cupcakes.

Actually, she's in DC. She doesn't have to call Diane.

She can go over to Langley and see her in person.

She's gonna be second lady.

Diane doesn't want to pick a fight with the White House

on day three of a new administration.

That girl's gonna break your heart.

She can get in line.

The funeral procession starts at the house

and goes up Oak to the Presbyterian Church

It's three-quarters of a mile.

- Procession looks bigger than the town. - It is.

Why are we eight cars back?

You're riding ahead of the cabinet and the court.

No one's looking at the court. They're looking for VP.

You haven't even been nominated.

It's fine.

Sorry. Am I supposed to... not talk?

No.

- Feel free to weigh in. - Yeah, absolutely. Weigh in.

No, I'm... I'm good.

She and I are just establishing a working relationship.

It would help if she didn't get mixed messages.

Pretend I'm not here.

Can you please not... You're allowed to talk.

Well, if I'm talking, the procession is locked.

This is a briefing, not a workshop.

- Let her move on. - I don't want to move on.

The procession is the soft launch of my nomination.

Delivers a message. This is the wrong message.

The gathering was the soft launch for your nomination,

as was the walk off the plane, the walk into the White House,

and the lingering outside of Blair House whenever there's press around.

Soft launched.

Mine. I'll take this.

Eight cars back is not a launch. It's hiding.

Not at all. We want you prominent, not dominant.

Prominent looks like four cars back.

- Hi. - How's it going?

- How'd it go with the Croatian guy? - Uh, his president doesn't like Grace.

He doesn't trust Grace.

He'll feel better if she spends a week on his yacht for relationship building.

- We gotta go. - She's no. I'll go.

I said the same thing.

Ma'am, Eidra's getting iced out by MI6.

- Shit. - Diane's gotta show some sack here.

I can't invite the director of the CIA to Blair House

unless it's a Tupperware party.

- Can we do it at Langley? - You wanna schlep out there?

- Well, if it's important. - It is.

I don't wanna take you out of the mix that long.

You know what? Take me out of the mix.

Seating chart for the church.

- You can't seat us here. - We can. We did.

- These are obstructed view. - You'll see plenty.

You don't introduce a VP nominee as a guy holding a lighter

in the nosebleed seats.

Who's PA? Governor of Pennsylvania?

- Should I raise my hand before I speak? - Don't make it weird.

- You're making her uncomfortable. - I'm fine.

PA is Governor Synar of Pennsylvania.

Why's he row five? The other statewides are further back.

- He's a friend of both presidents. - So is everyone else.

Billie's office did the seating. It's unspeakably complicated.

- I think we should move on. - Put me in Synar's seats.

You're staying where you are.

Hey. Sorry this has to be quick.

I've got a concurrent budget resolution with a nine-figure typo.

Why is Governor Synar sitting right in the middle of the cutaway shot?

Bob's a friend of the Rayburns.

Why is half the Pennsylvania delegation still wavering on Hal?

They're not.

I saw the whip count.

The president's thinking of dumping Hal and picking Synar in his place.

The president expects to announce her nominee next week.

You would be humiliating Hal. Publicly.

- Spectacularly. - Nobody wants that.

When Grace passed me over, she didn't tell The Washington Post

and the entire legislative branch first.

- You want to talk humiliation? - I do.

Let's start with Tyler Moran getting a one-on-one at Blair House.

Hal makes his own meetings. It's annoying as fuck, but no reason--

Senator Moran called the president the kind of choice a man only makes

on a night when it's raining and he doesn't want to get wet.

Hal believes in talking to everyone. He's known for it.

Does he believe in promising Ag subsidies and light rail projects

and blank fucking checks for their home states,

which he appears to be handing out like lollipops?

Not that I know the extent of it, because he makes his own meetings.

I'm sure everyone knows that Hal cannot make budget commitments.

He can only pledge support.

The president is trying to pass Rayburn's agenda.

Not even her own.

If he would like to pledge his support to that, he is more than welcome.

But he doesn't know what's on that agenda, because he's busy courting the alt-right.

- You can't wanna do a 180 on this. - The president's keeping her options open.

- So how do we get her off the fence? - We?

You think I'm pushing for Hal?

There are not enough people in the federal government to manage him.

I was pushing for you, not him.

Hal is made for this. You know that.

It's just going to take him a minute to... find his place.

I will rein him in.

You can try. But we're still vetting Synar.

And you better believe he's staying in the cutaway shot.

Did you promise someone a light rail system?

- Promise? No. - Who?

- Dan Richter. - Who the fuck is that?

He's a senator from the great state of Iowa... Idaho.

Is he now or has he ever been a member of the Nazi party?

He makes fun of the pronouns thing. It's a sop to his base.

But we... we were spitballing. It's, uh... No hard commitments were made.

Get him on the blowhole

and tell him this administration will not discuss infrastructure projects

unless they were blessed by Bill Rayburn.

Um... no.

I... really endorse you separating from me

by rejecting every word that comes out of my mouth.

But right now, I am yet again saving you from yourself.

Please call Richter.

Public marriage, private divorce.

That is a closed door, which means you're no longer obliged to hang over my shoulder

and shit on every idea I have just to prove you're a superior intellect.

They're vetting Synar. That's why he has better seats.

Grace Penn wants to dump you.

You're right.

You have to build your identity here on your own terms.

With Nora, with everyone.

Grace, certainly.

I will be silent... whenever possible.

But you have these instincts you're not even aware of.

- I am. - You're not, and it's self-sabotaging.

These are behavioral habits that served you once upon a time.

They made you who you are, but they don't work anymore.

And I am the only one who's gonna call you out on it.

And I'm here to tell you that Grace noticed, and so did Billie.

Th... These are not my pet peeves. You are driving them insane.

I'm three votes away from passing the Law of the Sea Treaty.

No.

How?!

By promising a light rail project to a Holocaust denier.

- Four presidents failed at this. - Five.

If Grace passes this week one, she's gonna look like such a fucking baller.

What?

- Why didn't you tell her? - She'd say no.

- No, she wouldn't. - Rayburn's agenda.

Law of the Sea!

She doesn't want to plant her flag this early.

She's worried it makes her look grabby. And what if it fails?

Better she doesn't know.

Three votes away?

Four. But they're... they're tough ones.

But if I get them...

You can.

Who are they?

I'm gonna need a couple of days, but...

Show me the list.

Is she dumping me?

You can't talk about anything but the weather.

And how sad you are that Rayburn's dead.

Actually, just the weather. And let me make all the phone calls.

I'll talk to staff about the treaty. We have to be careful.

- And? - Subtle.

Yes, you have the subtlety of a kidney stone.

Up the brightness, I can't see.

It's not even open yet. Give me a second to find it.

Hey, did you set up a meeting for the ambassador at Langley?

- Really? - What?

Can you tell Eidra Park to calm the fuck down?

I mean, don't say that, but she really needs to calm the fuck down

and entertain the shadow of a possibility that I'm handling it.

The meeting?

- Yeah. - She didn't ask me about it.

Don't tell her to calm the fuck down.

My friend Terry works at the director's office.

He sent the following text.

"Diane had a meeting with your lady ambo,

that got slapped on her calendar at the last sec,

and then Wyler stood her up,

which she thinks is some sort of girl-on-girl misogyny

slash lack-of-respect thing."

"And now I got to hear about women supporting women for the rest of my life."

"WTF, dude? Who stands up Diane Clack?"

"Your gal better wear shades,

or she's going to get a poison dart

shot right in her eyeball."

- Classy. - Did you?

- No. - Oh.

No, I thought it was just us and Billie.

Me too. We're missing a plate.

- Hi. - Hi.

- We're gonna get another plate. - No, it's just you guys.

I wanted to let you catch up.

These trips, you're in the same room,

but you never really have a chance to talk.

- That's not necessary. - But very kind.

It is. Thank you.

Jordan Dini?

- I know. - I don't think you do.

Can I just--

You don't set a meeting that doesn't come through Nora.

Nora can't handle it.

I told her I needed 30 minutes at Commerce and 10 minutes at Langley.

- Her head blew off. - You are not her job.

Fuck.

- Shit. - What?

Langley. I missed a meeting at CIA. Shit.

- Kate needs staff here. - She doesn't.

We are turning ourselves on our heads

to make this cockamamie arrangement work,

and you are both making a stirring case for Bob Synar.

Have you seen the manifest for the funeral?

Yeah.

Every congressional leader will be there. Every ranking member--

- I will be seen and not heard. - Both of you.

Ye...

This is not what we talked about.

This is the opposite of what we talked about.

- You have to tell her. - About the treaty? No.

- She's leaning towards Synar. - Was Dini a yes?

He'll get there.

- He gonna be at the funeral tomorrow? - One day of silence.

- Who says no at a funeral? - Hal.

Fine.

- She got us a nice bottle of wine. - Yeah?

Very.

She probably thinks we'll be quieter tomorrow if we're hungover.

Well, she's not wrong.

Madam?

I gotta go make a bunch of calls, deal with this Eidra thing.

Well, should I wait?

You know, I'm not really all that hungry. Just jet lag.

I'm not gonna touch you in the night.

- Two glasses of wine, I'm gonna start it. - Yeah, it's not me, it's you.

I just... I think clarity is our friend.

Could you leave, please, before this gets even more humiliating?

Diane, it's Kate Wyler from Embassy London.

I am so sorry about the schedule mix-up yesterday

that resulted in me standing you up.

It is really the opposite of the message I was hoping to send.

Eidra Park is tremendously valuable to the mission in the UK,

and I believe, to the agency in general--

If you'd like to rerecord your message, press one.

If you're satisfied with your message, please hang up or press two.

- Goodbye. - Uh. F...

Shit.

Are you hungover?

No.

Thank you.

- May I take your coat? - Thank you.

- Sorry. - Thank you.

- Seen and not heard. - Would you do me a favor and stop?

- Good afternoon, ma'am. - Where's Todd?

Upstairs, talking to Carolyn.

Grace.

Bob.

What a loss.

He was a titan. But thanks to you, his work is gonna live on.

That'll take all of us, and we'll make it happen.

- I'm a phone call away, day or night. - That's good to hear.

You're our eyes and ears in the Rust Belt. Rayburn was grateful.

I think I can help even more, but if you're open to it.

It's a question for that party...

What?

Know who that is?

- No. - Bob Synar.

Go. Put yourself in there.

- What happened to seen and not heard? - Just hello and sad-faced nodding.

Excuse me, Governor, do you know Hal Wyler?

- Of course. - Good to see you, Bob.

- And Kate Wyler, Ambassador-- - His wife. Nice to meet you.

Bob is the only governor in America who isn't coming to me for a handout.

Just the opposite.

The Air Force Aeronautics Plant outside Pittsburgh,

I'd like to call for its closure.

- Really? - It's an obscene waste of tax dollars.

And I'm not afraid to say so.

Two of your predecessors lobbied so hard for that plant,

I think they broke wage and hour laws.

It only builds one thing, the F-35, which is a gilded piece of junk.

It has a few problems, certainly.

Software problems, hardware problems, doesn't even work in the damn rain.

- Let it go. - DOD is looking for efficiencies.

And you'd be giving up, what, 75,000 jobs in your state?

- I can't ask you to do that. - Well, we can't have jobs at any cost.

It's time to look beyond Pennsylvania.

I'm glad to hear you say that, Governor. "Time to look beyond Pennsylvania."

They might be starting the procession--

Because letting Turkey buy the F-35

is how we got to use their airspace to fight ISIS in northern Syria.

Okay.

Letting the UAE buy it is how we got them into the Abraham Accords.

- Yes, but-- - And I guess it never rains in China.

Since they mounted a decade-long campaign of bribes and espionage

to steal the technology and stick it in copycat fighters.

- Hal, I don't think that-- - Flawed does not mean worthless.

And it'll work once we get the bugs out. But we don't need it to work.

We just need our enemies to think it works

so they're afraid to come at us in a modern-day air-to-air environment.

If you don't get why your own state is building it,

why the security of everyone in the Rust Belt

and every other belt depends on it, then I agree, sir.

It's time to move beyond Pennsylvania.

- Katherine, stupidity that profound... - I didn't say anything.

She's a brand-new president. She needs protecting.

Allowing that fucking shitwit

in or near her office is a dereliction of duty.

- You're stabbing yourself in the face. - Okay, fine, so I'm not VP.

At least she knows who the guy is.

She can dump the both of us. Happy?

Ecstatic. Saves me a whole lot of trouble.

She's gonna reschedule the meeting with Diane.

It'll happen.

Hey, I've got a great idea.

It'll cheer you up.

Wanna join me for a funeral watch party?

I would love that.

If I get fired, you should take my shredder.

It's fast and it's quiet.

If you get fired, I want your couch.

- You have a couch. - It has a smell.

It does. You can have mine.

But if you put your feet on it, it will develop a smell.

Fair. That's fair.

You wanna put your feet on there, you put down some newspaper first.

Yeah?

Gannon made some notes. He's still around.

He'd love to go through them.

Tell the secretary of state that his written feedback

is even more valuable than his physical presence.

You wanna talk about Hal?

He's an acquired taste.

But you give it time, you might find you're a real fan.

Some people like cilantro.

I find it tastes like Ivory soap.

- The president would like a word. - In the den?

Just the ambassador.

That was some performance. With Synar.

- He's not wrong. - Of course he's not wrong.

That's not the point.

Now I don't have a fucking vice presidential nominee,

because he made it clear that he can't control himself

and equally clear that Bob Synar can't use his own ass

without an instruction manual.

Not gonna invite me to sit down?

Nope.

- She's giving me the boot, isn't she? - If there's a merciful God, yes.

Well, you used to be nicer.

That is the truth.

Is she asking Kate?

I don't know what she's doing.

She doesn't tell me. She tells Nora. Because she trusts Nora.

But Nora's supposed to be running you.

So Nora's all over the place, and the president's all over the place,

and I am running an extremely inefficient hen house.

Fucking women. Everywhere.

Ah, just give it a couple of days. You'll all find your feet.

Friend to friend.

A Rayburn agenda's not gonna cut it.

Everyone's sad that he's gone.

But they want a president, not a tribute act.

Yeah.

Yeah, she needs more time.

- Must have put in a lot of hours here. - Almost never.

I thought he came here all the time to do big think. Wasn't that your area?

It was, but... ...he didn't want me here.

Wouldn't allow it.

You wanna know why?

The President of the United States had a cheat house?

Wouldn't let Secret Service near the kitchen. He knew I was on to him.

No wonder the wily son of a bitch keeled over.

A lifetime of using his body as a trash can.

- Two minutes with you didn't help. - We all pitched in.

Yes. It's a team effort.

To Bill Rayburn.

Born in a split-level suburban, he built himself.

Clung fiercely to his shag carpet and vending machine diet.

Until I brought the whole thing crashing down.

- Amen. - Amen.

You knew Hal's reputation.

Yep.

- What did you think was gonna happen? - I don't know.

I thought maybe it was an act or that it was under his control. Is it?

Sometimes.

Because if he's choosing to do it,

if he's choosing to mow down a political rival ruthlessly in public,

I'm not sure if that's better or worse.

Yeah. I know how you feel.

I guess I just need to know that he can be trained,

because that and the one-man appropriations committee,

it can't happen again.

It's definitely gonna happen again.

Then he's not my guy.

I appreciate your honesty.

Ma'am, Hal is three votes away

from Senate ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

What?

- Three votes? - Haspel, Young, and Dini.

I spoke to Dini myself. He's gettable.

Hal stopped lobbying,

because I made him promise he wouldn't so you wouldn't dump him.

- I guess he is trainable. - Why the fuck didn't he tell me?

- You would've shut him down. - Four presidents have failed.

- Five. - Fuck me.

So you think that outweighs the rest of it?

No. I don't.

I'm just trying to lay out the facts.

He is infuriating.

But just when you think you can't take a second more, he...

Makes history.

It's a personal choice.

Many,

many

have chosen less history and less headache.

But you choose more.

I do.

How we doing?

- Can I get you a glass of... - No.

Is this gonna be a mistake?

No.

Ride back with me tonight. We'll talk strategy.