Is Erich Bergen leaving Madam Secretary, character of Blake?
Early on in Sunday’s installment, we learned that Blake was under pressure when it came to trying to find a new job. Why? His time serving in his current post alongside Elizabeth was coming to a close. The idea of losing Bergen at this point was certainly not something that we were willing to embrace for a lot of different reasons. He’s a unique performer who brings a lot of fun to this show that you don’t get from anyone else in the cast. Also, we’re still reeling from the loss of Bebe Neuwirth from the show last season.
Even at the start of the episode, though, the series made it clear that Blake was counting down the days until the end. He understood that there was only a limited amount of time that he would have in the position and, given that this was Washington, he was understandably paranoid that the end could be here. Yet, he did receive some (possible) good news from Elizabeth’s fellow staffers — nobody was aware that she was even thinking about letting him go. Even if his job had a supposed end date, if she wasn’t thinking about it, that’s certainly a good thing. He absolutely didn’t want to leave this position. (We don’t blame him — it’s a busy job, but certainly a rewarding one.)
Blake was, luckily, thinking about other ways that he could help the administration. He was preparing for an interview at a higher position but because of that, he started to become incredibly nervous while at work. He was screwing up with things that he’d nail at any other time, even to the point where Dalton was coming down on him.
Yet, in the end, Elizabeth decided to let him get a new job! Blake is now an Assistant Policy Advisor, a job that qualifies him to be a senior aide! With that, Bergen is officially not leaving the show, and there is much rejoicing over that.
The Haiti mission
What we also saw tonight as an opportunity in order to see Elizabeth try her very best in order to resolve a crisis in Haiti, one in which there was a lot of political upheaval over an election that went awry. After the country’s longtime ruler decided that he didn’t want to step down, she navigated some tough waters in order to figure out how to install the rightfully-elected new leader. This took a lot of negotiation — and also compromise. Suffice it to say, the new leader didn’t get everything that he wanted. Yet, at least he does get a new title and that’s something that he can carry with him as he tries to carry the torch moving forward.
CarterMatt Verdict
This episode of Madam Secretary focused a lot of Blake’s status, but then also a story that was about dealing with upheaval and then also tackling death as Elizabeth and Henry debated as to where their final resting place will be. Elizabeth struggled with the finality of death, which is why she didn’t visit her parents’ graves for many years after their death. She did that in the closing minutes of the episode, and that seemed to help her understand that it was okay to be buried at Arlington alongside Henry. Nothing is decided yet, but that may be where she is heading down the road.
Related – Be sure to get some other news on Madam Secretary, including what’s coming up
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