Madam Secretary season 5 premiere: An attack on the White House
In the midst of Elizabeth McCord trying to resolve a crisis situation regarding India and a nuclear deal, there was an attack on the White House, one that left Stevie in need of some major surgery. We didn’t foresee this coming entering the premiere, especially since so much conversation in advance was over the guest spots for Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright.
Leading in the crisis at the White House, we also saw a major difference of opinion between Elizabeth and Henry McCord over how to handle the crisis in India. We wondered if their difference in opinion was going to 1) interrupt international relations forever and also 2) hurt Elizabeth’s chances to run for higher office down the line. (This was certainly written into much of the premiere episode.) Yet, the crisis at the White House and also the status of Stevie was enough to put any of the differences that they had to the side.
While Stevie did survive the attack, thanks to the talented team at the hospital, there was still another casualty in June (Linda Lavin), another important staffer tied to Russell. Right when we were starting to get to know this character, something terrible happened to her. For the immediate future, we imagine that Stevie is going to be in recovery … but we don’t expect Wallis Currie-Wood to be leaving the show anytime in the near future.
As for the Secretary of State cameos…
There really wasn’t all that much from any of them. We knew that we weren’t exactly going to see a lot of Colin, Madeleine, and Hillary, but they had a tiny role at the end of the episode as they advised her through the nuclear crisis she was dealing with. They did a reasonably good job with their appearance — they aren’t actors, but they handled the material relatively well. It was low-key but also added a little bit of authenticity to the show. These people, after all, are a major part of United States history, regardless of whether or not you agree with their opinions on the matter.
CarterMatt Verdict
Tonight, Madam Secretary season 5 delivered a solid premiere that presented some threats and some major conflicts for Elizabeth and the rest of her team. While there isn’t a whole lot of movement forward in the story to make Elizabeth President right now, she is starting to carry with her more of a Presidential air.
Yes, we know that there were many people who were concerned about the Secretary of State cameos, but they were really just window dressing as they offered up advice. That’s it.
Related – Be sure to get some other news when it comes to Madam Secretary right now!
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