‘Madam Secretary’ season 3, episode 5 video: Subtle notes of paranoia

Sometimes, the power of a scene is what isn’t said more so than what is, and that’s part of what makes the new sneak peek below from Sunday night’s new episode of “Madam Secretary” all the more interesting. On the surface, it’s easy to get one particular read from it, when in reality there is something so much deeper going on underneath the surface.

Let’s start with the surface-level reading of the scene: Elizabeth McCord trying to make breakfast for her family while her children fight, argue, and question as to when their father is going to be back. You could just see this as the standard case of family bickering.

Now, let’s go a little bit deeper because there is so much more going on here. Namely, what we’re looking at here is a situation in which the entirety of the McCord family is still being stalked and targeted by a mysterious entity, and you can read almost every action within this preview as one motivated by fear in one form or another. For Elizabeth, she’s trying to put on her best face of normalcy, and understandably so since she wants her children to feel as though there is nothing that is going to harm them. They do have Secret Service protection to help ensure that, but nothing serves as a complete replacement for their father. That’s why they are so adamant about where he is.

Fear, in the end, can be a powerful thing, and it may be moments like this where Elizabeth wonders as to if everything that she’s been through for the sake of her country and her position is truly worth it. We’d argue that it still is, and she would also feel that way; she just wants what is best for her family in the process, and a big part of that is wanting them to feel normal and as cared for as humanly possible.

Want to get some other news on “Madam Secretary”? Then head over here to read our most-recent episode review now! (Photo: CBS.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTEyGIRG4g