Madam Secretary season 5 episode 17 review: Views on vaccinations
Take, for example, trying to deal with displaced migrants due to an incident in climate change. This storyline pushed forward last week, but what many of these islanders found themselves dealing with were prejudice, sickness, and other frustrations. While Elizabeth was off at a retreat preparing for her Presidential campaign, this left some of her staff to find ways to protect some of these migrants and make sure that they were safe, and not subject to prejudice or any hardship because of their situation.
Luckily, what we saw tonight were many of the advisers finding a way to pull this off and encourage these foreign countries to allow in migrants — while doing so may have its risks, it can also cultivate and enrich the larger global community.
In a lot of ways, the storyline with the islanders was a good bridge into some of the personal storylines happening elsewhere — especially with Daisy, as her daughter found herself sick following a measles outbreak. This was an outbreak that brought along a number of questions about vaccinations and making sure that as many parents as possible were doing right by their kids. These were the same questions being asked in the migrant storyline, as many of these young kids needed vaccinations in order to be safe within their new countries — in particular, Australia.
We don’t think that we have to tell you that this issue was as hot-button as they come, and one that even some viewers may even disagree with. This is probably why Madam Secretary decided to hone in on this subject in the first place; they know that there are important, divisive things going on that can’t just be ignored because they make things uncomfortable. The important thing for Daisy now is that her daughter Joanna is okay, and that the two can move forward and actually find a way to have somewhat of a happier, healthier future together.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s brother decided to move out of the McCord house tonight, making a decision to be a little closer to home. That came about following a series of funny, at-times awkward moments with the rest of the family … and it also felt necessary, since we never thought that he was sticking around forever in the first place.
CarterMatt Verdict
We always give Madam Secretary credit for its risk-taking and in taking on vaccinations, the show proved yet again that it knows how to tackle a nuanced subject in a way that isn’t altogether cut-and-dry. It approached it from different angles, whether it be what was going on at home for Daisy, but also how vaccinations can help save lives all over the world and work to keep everyone a little bit safer.
Obviously, it would’ve been nicer to get a little more time on Elizabeth’s actual routine — Tea Leoni was a ghost for most of this episode — but at least we know that it’s coming soon enough! (Rest assured, it’ll be a huge component for the show later this season.)
Where is Madam Secretary going to go from here?
If you do want a little more insight on the subject, be sure to visit the link here.
What did you think about Madam Secretary season 5 episode 17 overall? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)