The Diplomat (2023) s04e04 Episode Script

1
[Kate] We fucked up.
The Brits think
they're burying the Poseidon and the sub.
We have to budget for the lie.
We pulled that thing
out of their water for free
before it turned their coastline
into a science experiment.
They should be thanking us.
They don't know the weapon's not there.
They can't thank us
for something they don't know we did.
My guy is not inclined
to collaborate with yours.
She got shot. She has PTSD.
Mine isn't inclined
to collaborate with yours.
He has narcissistic personality disorder.
[Kate] I'm not jealous.
Todd is jealous.
He thinks I'm fucking his wife?
They found the shooter.
[softly] Jesus.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- [Grace] Careful with the abdomen.
Billie's hoping now they caught the guy,
you'll sleep more.
If Billie is worried,
she should say it to my face.
I can feel your heart rate on my chest
when we're in bed.
Then sleep someplace else.
[frustrated screaming]
- You should get Dennison involved.
- [Kate] He's in India.
Can you come here?
- Sorry to keep you waiting.
- [Hal] Not at all.
Prime Minister, the president's
not prepared to play games anymore.
Perhaps this isn't the time.
You pulled this with the president.
It was rude then, and it still is.
The Poseidon is not on the sub.
We took it.
"She's here."
Austin Dennison was killed in Amritsar.
I was hoping
to tell his wife before I told you.
She's here.
[applause]
[“Vesti la giubba”
from Pagliacci playing]
[Nicol sings along gently]
[singing intensifies]
[music builds]
[Nicol sings passionately]
- [music ends]
- [audience applause]
[camera shutters clicking rapidly]
Good afternoon.
Any minute, I imagine.
I think I might knock out some work
until the prime minister's ready.
[Libby] Please.
- Sorry.
- It's fine.
He's establishing dominance.
[man] We were not able to contact
the foreign secretary's wife,
but we believe
she may be attending a lecture
round the corner at Lancaster House.
We sent Nigel
to wait outside the building.
As soon as he finds her,
he'll bring her to Number 10.
We've sent word to the palace.
His Majesty will want to speak with you.
Mr. Vice President,
sorry to keep you waiting.
Not at all. Some days are like that.
[Roylin] Did you send him?
Did you send Austin somewhere horrid
and then pray he wouldn't make it back?
- How is the president?
- She's well.
Something about her Nordic constitution.
She seems energized by the whole business.
Does Lydia know?
- I'm gonna send your regards
- She'll be gutted.
- [Hal] We need to press on.
- My goodness.
The way she stared at his pectorals.
Perhaps this isn't the time.
I'm sorry?
To discuss it.
- Not today.
- Prime Minister.
I flew here to speak to you.
I'm not spending the week.
- [Roylin sobs]
- Neither of us should be in this room.
This is a trivial misunderstanding,
way out in the weeds.
We agree on aims,
means, and funding structure.
The only point of contention
is accounting.
Your proposal will bankrupt my country.
[all laughing mockingly]
[Hal] Sir.
Absolutely not.
Sit down.
Rude.
Rude to the president.
Rude to my idiot wife.
Sit.
And pay as we've asked you to pay.
I married a monster.
You should hold me.
Your eyes are diamonds.
The Poseidon is not on the sub.
We took it.
[singing] ♪America, America! God♪
[Hal] It was dangerous.
- You would dither and poison your people.
- [Roylin sobs]
And bake their babies.
We bagged it.
[Eidra] thy good with brotherhood
- [Kate] Prime Minister.
- Austin Dennison was killed in Amritsar.
And I sent him there.
[shocked silence]
[Roylin continues to sob]
[somber orchestral music playing]
- [Neil] Afternoon, Mr. Vice President.
- Good to see you.
Your staff is set up
in the conference room.
- Where's Stuart?
- [Neil] Out of office.
We're gonna need the SCIF in ten minutes.
- [music fades]
- [Kate sighs]
[Hal] Jesus. Kate.
I didn't know.
Yeah, of course.
You couldn't.
[Hal sighs]
- We need to get you on with Grace.
- Not now.
Then we need to reclassify
all documents that reference the Poseidon,
so it looks like
the White House authorized the disclosure.
I'm gonna be talking to her
in person in a couple of hours.
A number of people are now read in.
Any one of them,
Nicol included, could leak it.
She needs to hear it from you first.
Hit the head, then get to the SCIF.
- Stop.
- Come on.
- Kate.
- This isn't the time.
Kate.
I'm so sorry.
He was a great man.
Thank you.
I know that you liked him.
Are you upset about Dennison
or that I told Nicol we took the Poseidon?
I'm really not.
I am sad about Dennison.
I wanna make sure you don't get fired.
You need to pee?
- Yeah, but
- I'll meet you upstairs.
Anu.
Oh, Mr. Hayford.
How's it going, my friend?
The ambassador's gone.
She and the vice president.
- Already?
- Yeah. The meeting was cut short.
[sighs] Well, how'd it go?
Oh, I don't know. I didn't attend.
Any kind of read
on the PM's face as he came out?
Peppy? Surly?
Mr. Hayford, there was an accident.
The foreign secretary was in India
meeting with the foreign minister.
They traveled in a helicopter
from Pathankot to Amritsar.
There was no weather situation.
But, um
Apparently, there was a pocket of air.
Somehow.
They were all killed.
This is, uh, civilized.
They do a nice job.
- You do this a lot?
- Once a week.
You should have them tell me.
I can join you.
Usually, it's booked.
Yeah, it's gotta be
the hottest ticket in town.
It's a standing lunch with the VP.
- Every week?
- Mm-hmm.
Just you and Hal?
It's on the schedule.
I'm not sneaking around.
I don't read your schedule.
I don't read mine.
I do this once a week,
so I don't have to worry
about including him in every meeting.
Guy like that,
you gotta make sure he feels involved
without letting him get too involved.
Where is he?
Out of town. UK, I think.
- With the wife?
- Mm.
God help him.
Want some of my soup?
- I'm good.
- It looks bland.
But they put something in there
that's giving it real body. Try it.
- Oh shit!
- Whoa. [chuckles]
Don't know my own strength.
[Todd] No, it's fine. I got it.
- [Grace] Miriam?
- Uh
- I got it.
- Mr. Penn could use a spoon.
No, I have a spoon.
In that case, I can use a spoon.
I hurled mine across the room,
and Todd rescued it.
I'm just gonna have one bite,
and then you can you can use mine.
- We've got 2,000 spoons.
- [clears throat] Okay.
You try it?
I I just sat down.
Okay, no rush.
Nice, right?
- Have some more.
- No, I'm good.
I've got a massive salad to tackle.
I don't want the soup. It's oversalted,
which means you think it has body.
And I think it's inedible.
[door knocking]
- [Billie] Sorry to interrupt.
- Don't be.
This is nice. You got the VP lunch.
- [chuckles] Sure did.
- He's on the phone.
- Hal?
- Yeah.
- Tell him I'll call him after.
- Maybe now.
Tell him his weekly slot has been filled
by the president's husband,
who would appreciate another ten minutes
with his sloppy seconds.
- Really?
- It's important.
Thank you.
That's, uh It's for the president.
Will she be coming back?
No. I don't think she is.
[Hal] He was obstreperous,
unbending on the numbers,
threatening to scuttle the whole thing.
And normally I would say
that was posturing, but
knowing his history
of pulling a grenade from his behind
and lobbing it into the middle
of a civilized conversation,
I decided to explain the reasoning
behind our figures.
You decided to explain
the actual reasoning.
That's what you decided.
His behavior today seemed, uh,
even for him, aggressive and, uh
erratic.
And it was explained later,
but in that moment,
it seemed like one of those times
when he was gonna blow.
So you blew preemptively?
[Hal] Ma'am.
[Grace] Or have I misunderstood?
The Russians are combing the seabed.
Eventually they're gonna trip on it.
[Grace] On the offhand chance
their luck improves,
you unilaterally disclosed
what those with small minds would call
our gross disregard
for British sovereignty.
I assessed the room
and the prime minister,
and with all the information
available to me in that moment,
I decided I had no alternative
but to declassify that information.
We'll consider the request
for reclassification.
If we can produce it quickly,
that would help--
I know it will help.
That's why we'll consider it.
I'm feeling helpful.
Anything else?
[inhales deeply] Yes.
There's an element we didn't anticipate.
Something's happened
to the foreign secretary.
[Kate] Any word from Liaison?
[Hal sighs]
[Eidra] About the weapon
or the foreign secretary?
The weapon.
Not yet.
I imagine the Brits will want
to verify the story first.
[Hal] Talk to your guy.
We need a window
on Trowbridge's next move.
Now?
If he makes noise about going public,
we need to preempt the backlash.
The White House is reclassifying
all information pertaining to the Poseidon
as Secret Release UK,
so you'll be clear
to discuss it with Tom Libby.
I just learned it.
I'm not sure I'm in the best position
to discuss it with anyone.
Least of all Tom Libby.
I am sure the situation is frustrating.
You put a great deal of work
into burying something that--
Wasn't there.
It was a compartmented op.
You didn't need to know,
so you didn't know.
Ma'am.
I understand the meaning.
That's not the issue.
I just lost a big chunk
of credibility with Libby,
who thinks I either hid the fact
that the US stole a superweapon
or had it hidden from me.
It's not clear which is worse.
Meanwhile, he lost
a bigger chunk of credibility
with his prime minister
for the same reason.
I'm not sure Libby is the right approach.
If I could talk to my counterpart,
I would.
- My counterpart--
- Your counterpart is skeptical.
Mine is dead.
I could try Trowbridge directly,
request a one-on-one.
Yeah, if he thinks it's an apology,
he might get in the room.
But it's not an apology.
It's a demand that he keep his mouth shut
about a US op against the UK.
It wasn't an op against the UK.
We extracted a high-radiation device
that was endangering their population.
Then we hid it from them.
The White House had valid concerns
about the prime minister's discretion.
Until they didn't.
The situation changed,
so the strategy changed.
Ma'am, I was in the room.
That wasn't strategic.
He called an audible.
The vice president.
- Kate.
- No, no, no, it's okay.
We wanna get on the same page.
Yes.
The vice president.
Didn't call an audible.
He served as emissary
for the wishes of the president.
I'll talk to Libby.
We need to clamp this down
to the people in the room.
[Kate] Make it clear
that if Trowbridge goes public,
our protection and intelligence support
is not a foregone conclusion.
Thank you.
[serious string music playing]
Ma'am.
Good evening, sir. Good to have you back.
Good evening, Frances.
[music fades out]
- You coming up?
- Soon.
We should toast him, right?
- Austin.
- I'm I'm good.
When's it coming?
What?
The flood.
It's not.
It's making me uncomfortable.
- Me
- You not berating me.
Eh [sighs]
The timing was awful.
But
you didn't have a choice. He was--
He was, but you're still gonna
slice my skin off.
- No, I'm not.
- Why?
- Hal, can, mm
- You're
You're being weird.
This is what it looks like.
- What?
- Me.
On your side. I'm--
I don't think the silent treatment is
what I was asking for.
- That's not what I'm doing.
- You sure?
I'm here. I'm I'm talking. I'm
How about some eye contact?
- [serious music playing]
- [Kate sobs softly]
[sighs]
[Roylin] Do you think they fucked?
She and Austin.
I'm sure she denies it,
but that doesn't mean anything at all.
She lies effortlessly.
Always has.
It's quite beautiful.
You ooze moisture when you lie.
Humiliating.
She adored him.
Austin.
She'd mutter his name
like she wanted to hold onto it.
Didn't want to give it away.
Ready?
[Nicol] Did you fuck him?
What on earth are you talking about?
No point pretending. I know you did.
- Incorrect.
- Your eye twitches when you lie.
My eye twitches
when you drift into the astral plane.
[scoffs]
There was a kiss, bit of fumbling about.
That was the end of it.
Long time ago.
- Not that long.
- Long enough.
[inhales angrily]
He looked skillful.
You were.
[Nicol] We've taken too many blows.
Too much has been torn from us.
Yesterday,
another proud Briton died
in the service of his nation.
Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison
was killed in a senseless accident
far from the country that he served
and loved.
Today we mourn a great man.
The last time we spoke, Austin and I,
we had emerged from a bruising encounter
with an erstwhile friend
Austin had wanted to trust.
That was his way.
But he warned me then.
And now I warn us all.
Against beasts of prey
that would seek to enter our home.
[ominous music playing]
Swaggering bullies still roam the street.
Wolves dress in wolf's clothing
and call it honesty.
To those who would strong-arm the brave
and browbeat submission.
To those who are
without grace.
Motherfucker.
[Nicol] We will fight
as Austin fought.
For justice.
- Prime Minister Trowbridge!
- Prime Minister!
[overlapping questioning]
[female reporter 1]
What was he doing in India?
[reporter 2] What do the Americans say?
Nigel, can I call you back? Thanks.
Hell of a dog whistle.
Ah, the speech.
Yeah. He's been on his best behavior
since the shooting.
I don't know. I guess, Dennison
They have a history. Maybe it's grief.
It's not.
What do you know about the sub?
We're burying it. It's complicated.
There was a a budget gap.
- I bet.
- It got contentious.
Trowbridge dug his heels in.
I was summoned to lower the boom,
which I did yesterday afternoon.
- He'd just heard about Dennison.
- Yeah, bad timing.
- We didn't know.
- Of course.
I feel terrible about the way it's landed,
but rhetoric's getting heated.
Yeah. He's like that.
I want Kate out of the spotlight.
Up her detail.
No public appearances.
Okay.
Uh, she's signing the condolence book
at the Foreign Office.
- That's public.
- Secure building.
Take it off the schedule.
I think she'll notice.
I said some stuff.
The man is angry.
Last time he went off like this,
the woman standing next to me got shot.
I'll take care of it.
[door closing]
I should hit the road.
If it's all right,
I'd like clearance to disclose
whatever we learn
about the weapon to Trowbridge
when we reverse engineer this.
- Yeah.
- It might calm him down.
Yeah.
I'll tell the NSC.
Thank you.
If that doesn't work,
play the Roylin card.
I'm sorry?
He cannot repeat what I told him.
If you think he's gonna, then
Play the Roylin card.
Dennison isn't around
to to talk sense into him anymore.
So
threaten him?
- Kate.
- I swear to God I'm not objecting.
I'm just
I just wanna make sure I understand.
Margaret Roylin thought he was so inept
he would preside over the disintegration
of this kingdom.
We have a tape of him
with his hands around Roylin's neck.
Remind him.
Okay.
Okay?
I will let you know if I think
we're getting there.
Okay.
Thank you for coming.
- Jesus Christ on a cross. Katherine.
- What? What?
Out with it.
- I--
- No, come on.
I I hear you.
I understand my marching orders,
and that's that's it.
I made a liar out of you.
It was my idea to go to the Brits
in the first place. I I pushed for it.
I love you. I love that you're trying.
[chuckles] I am.
- There's a vein that's gonna pop.
- Don't. I mean it.
- It's a safety hazard.
- Don't make a joke.
- It's really not a good idea.
- I'm sorry.
I know you're trying and I'm grateful.
But I can't leave the country with a peck
on the cheek from my Stepford wife.
You can tell me what you think.
I think you're instructing me to blackmail
the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
I think you've held national office
for less than half an hour,
and already you're a mafioso.
I am going to try everything
I've learned in 20 years
and see if I can convince him
to work with us
like I was trained to do by you.
And if it all fails, I will hold a gun
to his head and say,
"Obey or we'll ruin you."
Thank you for coming.
I don't recommend that.
[Hal exhales slowly]
[Grace clears throat]
Anything we didn't expect?
No. He made it mostly about himself.
A little bit about us.
Did you watch Trowbridge?
Sasha told me you said
if we're renovating the Oval,
we should do a ceiling
like the Sistine Chapel.
I said I don't wanna be involved.
Are we talking Bill Rayburn on a cloud
reaching out to touch my hand
like he's God and I'm Adam?
She didn't watch.
The speech was about you.
- Not Dennison?
- He pivoted.
He called you a bully. A graceless bully.
Clever.
Your vice president chose
to poke a stick in the man's eye
the day his colleague
went down in a plane.
- Helicopter.
- I don't think that was his question.
I want to talk about this.
You've come to the right place.
- [Todd sighs]
- [door closes]
Replace him.
Billie.
I'm thinking about it.
How you doing?
- Uh, you know.
- [exhales] Yeah.
Must be tough
to say goodbye on a day like this.
To the vice president.
I want to go over everything we're doing
for the passing of the foreign secretary.
Yes.
The White House message
of condolence will go out first,
then State, then us.
Make sure the press secretary reads it
from the podium at the daily brief,
not just dump it online.
- I'll confirm.
- Did we send flowers to his wife?
She's asking for donations
to a charity he supported in lieu.
There are political affiliations,
so we gotta skip that one.
I should call her.
- His wife?
- Right?
I'm not sure. Hmm.
- We knew each other.
- Sure.
I mean, you just met.
We had dinner.
First few days, you want just family.
Close friends.
Is Ganon signing
the condolence book in DC?
As soon as the British Embassy opens.
Should be about 3 o'clock our time.
I will do the one at the Foreign Office
a couple hours later,
so I don't step on his media coverage.
Or I could do it.
The signing.
Of course. Both of us.
Or just me.
There are some security questions.
Says who?
The book's in a public place.
Emotions are running high.
Secret Service is going
to be leaning on us.
It's ten minutes in a secure building.
He'll have a funeral. You'll be there.
A respected partner
of this administration just died.
Tragically.
The young, vibrant heir apparent
to this government.
The vice president's remarks
to the prime minister yesterday
- That was a private meeting.
- I don't know what was said.
But I just heard tensions were escalated.
- They were escalated by Trowbridge.
- Okay.
Who was insulting the president
while she was trying to do him a favor.
- Hal had no choice.
- I'm sure he didn't.
You've seen a lot of ups and downs
in my marriage.
And I appreciate the instinct to try
to protect me from Hal and his actions.
But this is important.
Ma'am, this was not my idea.
It was the vice president's.
[Eidra] I'm so sorry for your loss.
[Libby] More than you know.
More than you know.
Who's replacing him?
No fucking idea.
[Eidra sighs]
The vice president
Knows how to put on a show.
If I had any idea,
I would have warned you.
You didn't know?
- Nothing.
- I don't buy that.
[Eidra scoffs] I wish to God I was lying.
Really?
Humiliating, right?
Brutal.
I'm sad.
We had some nice times together,
you and I.
It's not over.
- We still gotta bury the thing.
- Yeah.
But now we know
we'll be burying an empty shoe,
and every time we meet,
we'll quietly wonder
how much of our lives
have been puppet theater.
Yeah.
Less fun.
Actually, I may find someone else
to finish off this business with the sub.
Distance myself from you for a while.
I get that.
You think he's gonna
widen the circle?
Nicol? Makes him look like a wally.
Even more than before,
which is saying something.
Yeah, but he's got an unusually high
tolerance for looking like a wally.
- He does.
- Hmm.
He did ask me to find out
who your people have read in
and what it'll take to keep them quiet
and to keep my own mouth shut
on pain of incarceration in the Tower.
Which could mean
he wants to keep it quiet.
Or he's gonna tell the whole world
and doesn't want anyone else
to get there first.
True.
If I hear anything
You won't tell me.
'Cause you're distancing yourself.
Robyn Palmer.
With a Y.
Pardon?
- Robyn with a Y.
- [Robyn] Yes.
Who was that young man
with the floppy hair? Very tall.
We had a Robin.
Male.
I don't know where he's gone.
Do you use the Y
so that everybody knows you're not male?
No.
Austin wanted this office.
Despite the fact that his is majestic
and mine is drab and full of vermin.
I speak of the staff.
Well, I'm sure they're well-meaning.
They're not.
You're here for one reason only.
[Roylin] Breasts.
You attract no attention at all.
Plucked from the Department of Transport.
Public's never heard of you.
Commons can't remember what you do.
Breasts.
This is not a win for women.
This is not an opportunity
or a springboard.
Your time has not come.
No one should congratulate you.
No one has.
Mm, saucy.
Precisely what I'm talking about,
do you understand?
I have no interest in clever.
I do understand.
I find that unlikely.
The foreign secretary was a partner
at a time when perhaps that was apt.
You're no longer finding
your footing here.
There's work to be done across the street.
My task is to manage it, not you.
I'm not a guardrail.
[papers land on desk]
[door opens]
Ma'am?
I'd like to explain what happened.
I'll tell you what happened.
I extracted a fragile, painstaking peace
in London at a steep cost.
I know.
You not only undid that work
with one sentence,
you convinced our closest ally
I'm a neo-imperialist dictator.
An opinion he is whisper-screaming
to all the world.
Yes.
I don't need an agent of chaos on my team.
Scott Brantlee asked
if I was ready to step in.
- To what?
- Your job.
Brantlee and Keegan and Wu.
Quiet little pull-aside in the cloakroom.
You were right to be worried
about Brantlee.
He's spinning a narrative
around the shooting. They're eating it up.
Around the assassination attempt?
What's the narrative?
What was she doing there
in the first place?
Trip was a big mistake.
You survived a center mass body shot
sustained while brokering peace
for your country.
That'd be enough
to make any man a national hero.
Made you a naive girl who wandered
into a bad neighborhood in a short skirt.
- And got hurt.
- [under breath] Jesus.
And they asked you to
Be ready.
And what did you tell them?
I could deny you're weak
till I'm blue in the face,
but that's the same thing
I'd do if I agreed.
So I've been looking for a chance
to make someone else say it and, uh
I found one.
You leaked a covert gray zone military op
to an unstable foreign leader.
Not a solution.
Trowbridge got on television the next day.
Instead of talking about his dead friend,
he was talking about you.
You're a bully.
A wolf in wolf's clothing.
He called you a beast.
You can't buy that kind of coverage.
Nicol's gonna stomp around for a while.
He's not gonna tell anyone you swiped
a nuke out from under his nose.
It's embarrassing.
Meanwhile, I got a note from Brantlee.
Hold on. I don't wanna get this wrong.
"She's something. Wear a cup."
[gentle classical piano music playing]
- [Frances] Ah.
- [Stuart] Is she here?
[Frances] She's having her meal
in the study.
- Let me fetch her.
- That's all right. I can drop this off.
Stuart?
Hey. Come on in.
- I didn't wanna disturb dinner.
- No, no, not at all. Do you want a plate?
- Perhaps in the dining room.
- No, please.
[Kate] Or just in here.
She can bring you a plate,
and we can have a drink in his honor.
Oh, uh, that would be lovely,
but, uh I have a dinner.
Ah.
Yeah, of course. Good.
[Stuart inhales]
- You know what? Sure.
- No, no, you should go.
[Stuart] No, yeah. I
Dinner's not for an hour.
I'm not driving, so, uh, let's have one.
Good. Come on in.
- Should I
- No, no, no. I got it.
I brought you some of that coverage,
just in case you wanted to take a look.
I brought that, uh, quote we discussed
to Rebecca Flynn, BBC.
We got liquor, all kinds, or they opened
a nice red for me, if you're interested.
Sure.
I think they feel bad.
Oh yeah?
They know we were friends.
Or Frances knows.
Oh, Frances knows everything.
She sure does.
Please.
[Kate sighs]
How was it? Was it tough?
No. I mean
Yeah, a little.
- Of course.
- Yeah.
- You
- Yeah. He and I, we
shared some things in common.
We stuck out in those rooms.
Yeah.
It's not nothing.
No, it's not.
It's a big loss.
It is.
- The dinner, you covering for me again?
- No.
- It's not work.
- Good.
- Life.
- It is.
Eidra and I.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Oh! That's so nice.
I'm I'm so glad.
- You didn't know?
- No.
I knew you were, then weren't.
Well, you got a memo
saying that we were again.
- Really?
- Yeah.
From Patty. HR.
Oh, I don't read things from her.
I hear you.
[chuckling softly]
So you two are
Good. I like her.
Of course you do. She's amazing.
She is. Yeah, we're gonna try to, uh
shack up.
- No way.
- Way.
Wow. This is exactly
what I needed to hear tonight.
Yeah.
- Life-affirming.
- Yeah.
Makes a difference.
You should get married.
- Oh!
- [Kate giggles]
Slow down there, partner. [chuckles]
Dennison and Thema
barely had a minute.
You know, you should call her.
When I said not to
- You were right.
- No, you should call.
It's a lovely sentiment.
You worked closely with him.
You saw eye to eye.
It'll be meaningful to her.
Maybe in a couple weeks.
Well, Trowbridge. Tomorrow morning.
Yep.
[sighs] See if we can hit reset.
Not gonna be easy without
Yeah. [inhales deeply]
Dennison was a calming presence.
You think
What's her name? Uh
- Who?
- All I got is Robert Palmer.
- Robyn.
- Robyn, yes.
Robyn Palmer.
Think he's gonna just eat her alive?
He's never gonna listen to anyone
the way he listened to Dennison.
Yeah, you don't promote
a deputy undersecretary
and fill shoes like that.
She's from the Department of Transport.
He wants a doormat.
We are so fucked.
We are.
Austin Dennison.
Austin Dennison.
What did you tell them?
Oh, just that I try to avoid eye contact.
You get upset and that makes it worse.
- I don't want you to overdo it.
- Oh, I'm not.
I don't wanna be known
as a castrating gorgon.
No, I was subtle.
I don't believe that for a second.
- No, I-I-I was. I
- Even you don't believe it.
[both laughing]
Hi.
- Hey, babe.
- May I?
Sure, yeah, I'm gonna skedaddle.
Don't go on my account.
Oh, I hear you're doing
great things with the Oval.
- The renovation?
- Yeah.
Not involved.
They ask me questions out of courtesy.
I try to make it clear
I don't plan to answer.
- Really?
- Not my bag.
All those paint chips
and great big books with all the fabric.
Upholstery?
Yeah, me and Kate, we moved around
so much, we never really did up a house.
So when I procrastinate,
I kind of go down a rabbit hole with the
Architectural Digest.
You should take on the Oval.
That's not a terrible idea.
Sure, I mean, if you don't want to.
Take it off your plate, babe.
He's being hounded by someone named Sasha.
Oh, no, she's great.
She's very knowledgeable.
She was telling me
about a painting in my office.
I was gonna swap it out.
But when she explained it
- The Cole?
- Yeah.
So much going on.
- The detail.
- Tiny, tiny.
Wow.
- Put it in the Oval.
- No, you keep it.
But please work with Sasha.
She'll be thrilled to have someone
enthusiastic to talk to. Todd's been
Completely uninterested.
- Well, yeah, sure. I'll talk to her.
- [Grace] Do.
- Good to see you.
- You too, man.
Sit.
I'm gonna be a minute.
Take a load off.
Five minutes.
I'm gonna do some work overseas.
- Where?
- I don't know. Anywhere.
I gotta get out of here for a while.
[door opening]
Ambassador, do you know Robyn with a Y?
- I don't, but I've heard wonderful things.
- Pleasure to meet you.
You and Ambassador Wyler will have
chitchat galore.
In fact, you should wait for her.
We won't be long.
Then the two of you can form a bond.
Wonderful.
[softly] You don't have to.
[whispering] It's fine.
[Kate clears throat]
Sir, thank you for seeing me.
You may sit.
I'm here to apologize.
The way Hal spoke to you
is not representative
of his feelings or the president's.
- No?
- Absolutely not.
He couldn't be bothered
to set the record straight himself.
I prepped Hal for yesterday's meeting.
I told him you stonewalled me with staff
and you would do the same to him.
Neither of us knew
you were in shock.
He thought you were goading him.
He took my advice
and tried to match your tone.
So had I walked in and kissed the ring,
he would have politely force-fed me
the same lie
that you failed to pass off
to my underlings.
No.
Hal came to tell you the truth
with the president's blessing.
The Department of Defense insisted
we couldn't leave the Poseidon unsecured
while we negotiated with you.
It was an intolerable risk.
Most of all, for your citizens.
You have the thanks of a grateful nation.
Hal would have met with you himself,
but he had to get back.
He will fly in for the funeral.
And he's hoping
that you and he can find
a moment to reset.
Mm-hmm.
He won't be at the funeral.
Neither will you.
- Sir.
- Don't trouble yourself.
It's no trouble.
The foreign secretary
and I worked together closely.
- There is no way I'd miss it.
- So closely.
Yes, I saw that.
I loved the man like a brother.
But he is what kept me under your thumb.
He sold me on compromise after compromise
with our great and good friend,
the United States.
They haven't sent you to apologize.
They want you to extract
an assurance from me
that I will behave now that he's gone.
You are not welcome at the funeral.
He saved you.
More times than you can imagine.
He wrapped you around his finger
more ways than you can imagine.
That was one thing he was good at.
Would've made a terrible PM.
Thank God
that dream didn't come true, but, uh
what a way with the ladies.
Robyn Palmer, sadly, has less to offer.
- Ms. Palmer?
- [Robyn] Yes.
- [Kate] Could you join us?
- [Robyn] Of course.
[door closes]
The prime minister will rely
on your counsel.
So I want to be sure you have
all the pertinent information.
All right.
Margaret Roylin
- Yes.
- [Roylin] What is she doing?
orchestrated the attack
on HMS Courageous.
- Stop her!
- He wasn't involved.
- She thought he was incompetent.
- Stop!
When he found out, he tried to kill her.
We have it on tape.
[painful screaming]
[tense music rises]
[phone vibrating]
Hi.
[Hal] How'd it go?
You there?
I did something.
I did
what you said I should do.
Oh.
He's upset.
No, it's
That's fine.
You gave him a gentle reminder,
and now he'll remember.
Right?
Yeah.
Good.
Yeah.
- [door knocking]
- Yeah?
Press conference.
[door closes]
[reporter] Street where Prime Minister
Nicol Trowbridge is expected momentarily.
[dramatic operatic music builds]
You okay?
[male opera singer belting]
Good afternoon.
[music softens]
One hour ago,
I spoke with His Majesty the King.
He has accepted my resignation
as prime minister.
[music comes to an end]
[audience applauding, cheering]
[applause fades]
[somber orchestral music playing]
[music fades out]