The Diplomat (2023) s04e05 Episode Script

1
The Poseidon is not on the sub.
We took it.
Austin Dennison was killed in Amritsar.
The Russians are combing the seabed
for this thing.
You unilaterally disclosed
what those with small minds would call
our gross disregard
for British sovereignty.
Dennison isn't around
to talk sense into him anymore.
We have a tape of him
with his hands around Roylin's neck.
You're instructing me to blackmail
the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
- You do this a lot?
- It's a standing lunch with the VP.
- Just you and Hal?
- I'm not sneaking around.
[Grace chuckles]
Hi.
- Hey, babe.
- I'm gonna do some work overseas.
- Where?
- Anywhere.
I gotta get out of here for a while.
Howard!
Stuart and I are having a relationship.
We're taking it slow.
[Kate] Ms. Palmer?
Could you join us for a moment?
The prime minister will rely
on your counsel.
I want to be sure you have
all the pertinent information.
- All right.
- Margaret Roylin
orchestrated the attack
on HMS Courageous.
He wasn't involved.
She thought he was incompetent.
- Stop!
- He tried to kill her. We have it on tape.
- [Hal] How'd it go?
- I did what you said I should do.
One hour ago,
I spoke with His Majesty the King.
He has accepted my resignation
as prime minister.
[plane engines whirring]
- [Hal] How'd you do last night?
- [Kate] Not bad.
- What's that mean?
- Means what it sounds like.
Eight hours?
When was the last time
you got eight hours?
-Seven?
- I slept, don't worry about it.
-More or less than four?
- Four.
- Katie!
- I am trying.
One Benadryl.
It makes my mouth dry.
I swear to fucking God.
Are you eating?
- Yeah.
- Are you lying?
Look, I'm calling Frances.
- Do not!
- This is not okay.
It's reflux, and if you tell her,
she'll have them make even heavier food,
which is terrible for reflux.
It's not your fault
that Trowbridge resigned.
Okay.
- And it's gonna be fine.
- They're on the fourth ballot.
If it was gonna be fine,
it'd be over already.
It's a different system,
the parliamentary system.
I think that's why she made you VP,
that kind of insight.
It's not gonna be Thixton.
He doesn't have traction
with the membership.
Another couple ballots and he will.
This is what happens.
We thought Trowbridge was bad. This guy
- He's not gonna be PM.
- So who?
- The The woman. What's her name?
- Vaughn.
Consensus pick.
Never gonna happen.
- [serious music playing]
- [engines gusting]
Is that him?
Yeah.
- Have fun.
- Fuck you!
Love you too.
- [reporter 1] Mr. Penn!
- [reporter 2] Mr. Penn!
Welcome.
Thank you for your everything.
- Nice to see you.
- Got a PM yet?
- Nope.
- Still?
- Soon.
- Taking their time, huh?
- They sure are.
- [reporter 3] Mr. Penn!
[reporter 4] Ambassador!
- Get it over with.
- Yeah.
Hello, everybody!
Thank you.
- [reporter 5] Ambassador!
- Okay.
Hey, why don't you come in?
[reporters continue shouting]
[serious music fades]
Exciting time to be here, huh?
See the process unfold.
Yeah.
I mean, if you spend
a bunch of time making contacts,
and then suddenly they're all gone,
you're starting from scratch again.
But this is still exciting.
Why'd he resign?
Trowbridge? A lot of theories.
- Health?
- I think probably.
My sister has lupus.
I'm so sorry.
Was he puffy? In the face?
- Uh I don't know. Is that a?
- Lupus.
Our schedule is still in flux.
- Always. [scoffs]
- Yeah.
If there's a new government,
we'll do a lot of meet and greets,
and if there's not, we'll do other stuff
and pretend we're not worried.
- Are we?
- What?
- Worried?
- No.
[phone vibrating]
- Hey.
- [Stuart] It's down to Thixton and Vaughn.
- Fuck.
- Yeah.
- You on your way?
- Yeah.
- See you there.
- Mm.
Did the Nazi win?
No, nobody won.
Going to a party membership vote.
Ian, could we pull over, like right here?
- There's an exit--
- Just side of the road. Right now.
Immediate stop.
- You okay?
- Mm.
- [sirens beep]
- [curious music playing]
Ooh. That's no good.
- Jesus Christ.
- [Kate] Thanks. [sighs]
- [music fades]
- [exhales sharply]
- Sorry.
- You all right there?
Yeah. Reflux.
Ginger mint?
- No.
- Okay.
Thanks.
[curious music resumes]
Thank you.
Hello.
[Todd] Hello, everyone.
This is Frances Munning,
our residence manager.
May I say, Mr. Penn,
on behalf of the Winfield staff,
having you in the United Kingdom
on the precipice of a new government,
it's a wonderful show of goodwill,
particularly after the terrible incident
at Windsor Castle.
My pleasure.
How is the president feeling?
Good as new. Forgot all about it.
I'm quite sure she didn't,
but it's kind of you to say so.
- Fit for a king.
- [women chuckle]
- I'm gonna introduce
- Okay.
- Hi.
- [man] An honor to meet you, sir.
Have you heard anything?
Membership vote.
The groundswell behind Mr. Thixton--
- I know.
- It's so alarming.
He's a xenophobe, an anti-Semite.
Really not great.
Unkind to animals.
He's not gonna win.
- Thank you so much.
- [Frances] Please.
[Todd] You don't act like a person
who lives in a palace.
- Neither do you.
- I don't.
The White House is a museum
with a couple of couches.
This place is legit.
Whoa.
Frances.
For the first gentleman.
Did Hal call you?
No.
We have dinner in, like, an hour.
We have an oolong gifted to the late queen
from the Chinese premier Li Keqiang.
[Stuart] Vaughn.
Hi.
Vaughn. Thixton withdrew.
Story just broke that he's been taking
money from the Russians.
- He's out.
- Oh my goodness.
Halle-fucking-lujah.
- New PM?
- Bethan Vaughn.
- We like her?
- [Stuart] Love her. Globalist.
Smart.
- Sane.
- Sane.
- Rare.
- Oh my God. What a relief.
- [Frances] Some tea to celebrate?
- Bring it on.
[curious orchestral music playing]
I'm actually starving.
- Good to see you, man.
- [Stuart] Sir.
[Stuart] We'd love you
to do a town hall with the staff.
Give everyone a chance to meet the celeb.
[Todd] Sure.
[Stuart] The White House sent a speech
for you to give.
We'll base our social media messaging
on that unless you wanna tweak it.
- No, tweak as you see fit.
- Yeah.
The focus of the trip is
the Royal Society award?
I think it's an honor, official honor.
Congratulations.
From the oldest science organization
on the globe.
Which puts it neck and neck
with science. [chuckles]
Knowledge.
- Bridging nations? Mm.
- Okay.
Anything else?
What?
Other goals for the trip?
No, I mean
No, we'll
get into it later.
[Stuart] Okay, so Royal Society gala
tomorrow night,
town hall in the morning,
and then the ambassador accompanies you
to get a custom-made Savile Row suit.
British tradition.
A long list of visiting heads of state
have been fitted for one.
They know I'm not a head of state?
I won't tell if you don't.
- [Todd laughs]
- [Stuart] I'll touch base with Number 10.
If she's not swamped, I'm sure
the new PM would like to meet with you.
Both of us.
- He's the bigger draw.
- Nah.
Well, uh
[giggles] What a time to be here.
It really is.
It is definitely more fun
than it could have been.
- [men chuckle]
- Dodged a bullet.
Uh, we did.
Oh my goodness. I am so sorry.
[Todd] Don't be.
My wife did, in fact,
fail to dodge a bullet.
- Oh.
- Not what I was saying.
Little to the left,
she would have been fine. Yeah.
[Hal] First G7?
Yep. How many have you been to?
Couple. Five.
I wanna announce the Chinese legacy chip
ban while we're there.
At the G7?
That should keep it fresh for you.
Well, yeah, it will.
You sure you wanna go there?
I don't look sure?
Well, it'll sound
like the other G6 are joining the ban.
- Exactly.
- They're not.
Not yet.
They think it'll shred their GDPs.
If we announce,
they have to explain to the world
that they're letting Chinese tech
into everything with an on-off switch.
- Or
- Or they join the ban.
[door knocks, opens]
The briefers wanted me to let you know
that the Kremlin has called Vaughn,
the new British PM.
So did I.
After her call?
- We don't know about the timing.
- Congratulatory, probably.
Maybe, but we didn't get a heads-up
from the Brits.
Have Langley call MI6.
Remind them we like to be kept in the loop
on all state-to-state contacts.
All?
Well, Russians certainly.
Good. Good plan?
I don't need a plan. Um
Kate's meeting with Vaughn tomorrow.
She'll simply ask.
So what was this?
Information.
[Ganon] Traffic. Apologies.
He's been to five G7s.
It's not a competition.
[Ganon] It's always a competition.
We're announcing
the legacy chip ban from Lucca.
Ma'am, we already tried
for an international ban.
Our allies wouldn't bite.
The vice president seemed
to find it inspiring,
but by all means, Miguel,
tell me why you think it'll fail.
[gentle piano music playing]
[Kate] Thank you.
[Todd] Thank you.
I'm gonna
say something
that's kind of weird, but just
Yeah, go for it.
[music ends]
I need a job
of some sort.
Preferably one
with an international component.
Okay.
Something that periodically takes me away
from my spouse.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
And I've talked to a bunch of people.
Billie, Miguel,
and
Don, on my detail,
of all people,
had an idea that
sounds wacky, but there's
sense in it.
Well, I mean, your detail knows you
better than anyone, so
Yeah, London
was his suggestion.
Really?
Great.
- Is it?
- Absolutely.
- Complicated.
- No.
Don likes the idea
because there's already an army
of Secret Service here for you,
so it's all set up.
Totally makes sense.
And in Don's scenario,
am I still here?
Of course! God.
- I'm just checking.
- You're the ambassador.
I mean, you could be.
No, no, no, no.
- No.
- Okay, so
you're
Yeah.
That's the question.
Did Don have any ideas?
The Don part is over.
Sorry.
Special envoy.
That's a thing, right?
Sure, yeah, um
It could be many things.
Uh, it's really what you make it.
I really don't wanna step on your toes.
No, not at all.
I feel like I flew in here
and sat on your lap.
Don't even think about it.
It's great to have you here.
Good.
'Cause when I'm in the White House,
my wife acts like I'm sitting on her lap
all the time.
That's not easy.
Since the shooting,
it's been impossible.
- Oh shit.
- It's fine. I'm
trying to take care of her.
Sure.
Which makes her insane.
Leaves me wandering around the building,
trying to avoid her.
That sucks.
I'd rather irritate you than her.
Please do. [inhales deeply, exhales]
Yeah, it's a big house,
and this is a big mission,
and there's room for both of us.
It's not a done deal. I just
figured since we're spending
the day together,
maybe you could show me the ropes.
- I'd love to.
- Whatever ropes a special envoy swings on.
- [both laugh]
- Yeah. We'll swing you around.
[Hal] Todd?
Wants to move into this house.
No.
He wants to crawl up my ass
and take up residence.
Grace thought this was a good idea?
He's testing it on me
before he takes it to her.
So what do you think?
I think I have to love it. No?
I think you do.
- Fuck.
- Yeah.
But Bethan Vaughn.
Oh my God. What a relief.
See, you're a good influence.
I don't want the word "influence"
bandied around here.
- I'm not.
- Nobody influenced anything.
Your presence in the nation
was a salutary wind.
Yeah, but not like a typhoon
that blew Nicol Trowbridge out of office.
[Grace] Knock, knock.
On the phone with Kate.
Guess who's here.
Hi, ma'am.
Oh, gimme.
Very impressive, young lady.
Vaughn's the real deal.
I think you two will hit it off
like gangbusters.
You. You made this happen.
I really didn't.
I just observe and report.
I'd say there's an ambassadorship in it,
but that violates criminal code
and you've already got one.
Feels good.
Vaughn will be a real partner.
Speaking of which, I have a guest.
The president.
For you.
- Hey, there.
- Hey.
So! Bethany Vaughn.
Bethan.
- What?
- Bethan.
- I said that.
- It's Bethany, but without a Y.
- Bethan.
- Yeah.
It's exciting.
She sounds like a real crackerjack.
Hey, babe. I've gotta dash. I'm sorry.
We're planning the G7.
We've stalled on the opening statement.
- Go.
- Have fun.
- Is he here?
- [Kate] No.
Town hall.
[Eidra] Ah.
Why aren't you there, applauding?
He wanted it to be an open forum
where people could speak their minds
about the mission.
He thinks they're gonna complain to him?
- About you?
- God bless.
The Kremlin called the new PM last night.
Langley got word.
- Okay.
- We didn't get a heads-up.
Which means the PM will probably
bring it up when you meet her.
- Todd's gonna be there.
- The whole time?
Think it's about the sub?
No, I think
they called to congratulate her,
like every other foreign leader did,
but without a readout, I don't know.
- Yeah.
- Billie's asking.
- I'll get into it.
- [door knocks, opens]
- Hi.
- All done?
He's still taking pictures with the staff.
Speech was good.
They love him. He's personable.
- [Stuart chuckles]
- [Kate] Hmm.
- [Eidra] Later.
- Actually, hang on a sec.
Maybe shut the door.
The management office says
you let them know you're moving in
together, which is yay.
Yay.
We thought about a housewarming, but
formally reporting our relationship
to HR just felt right.
That part's a drag, but I'm happy for you.
Thank you.
The management office was
a little confused
as to who was moving
into whose flat or house.
They shouldn't be bothering you.
I talked to them about it.
So did I.
Apparently, you gave different answers?
[awkward silence]
So have fun with that.
Lot of good options.
Love is a miracle.
[serious piano music playing]
So you said
I said my place.
[music fades out]
[door opens]
[aide] The first gentleman and
the ambassador from the United States.
Come in.
Come in, please.
- [Kate] Good afternoon.
- [Todd] Thank you for seeing us.
What an honor.
The honor is mine.
I have impeccable timing.
Ambassador.
I am so happy to meet you.
- You know this place better than I do.
- No.
Pretend you don't notice
when I can't find the light switch.
- [Kate chuckles]
- Please, sit.
I understand you are being feted tonight.
- [Todd] So
- Royal Society.
- Oh yes.
- Congratulations. I'll be there.
- You really don't have to.
- No, no, you're the ideal first evening.
- Oh yeah?
- Science.
History.
An American of the highest rank.
Makes me look substantial and game.
If you were Austrian, it wouldn't work.
I'm I'm happy to help.
I'm gonna step out.
Oh, have I frightened him off already?
You have a big day,
you two have affairs of state,
and I I need to find a restroom.
Oh goodness.
It's left and left and down the stairs.
- Then we'll show you the Goetze murals.
- Thank you.
- He's lovely.
- [Kate] He is.
- It's so wonderful to meet you.
- And you.
Seeing you in this office is--
A change.
- It's an inspiration.
- Thank you.
Oh for heaven's sake.
Did you hear that?
- What?
- Pardon me.
- Was that you?
- It was.
I barely heard you.
The ambassador thinks
I'm chasing phantoms.
You must knock with conviction.
Sorry, I don't wish to disturb.
And I'm grateful,
but I think you do wish to disturb.
- Is it time?
- It is.
I need a moment with the ambassador.
She knocks with the pad of one finger.
It sounds like a mouse
in a distant corridor.
Takes a few minutes to get settled in.
A number of minutes, I'm afraid.
I'm so looking forward to our work.
And now I'm gonna have to be
awfully rude and hurry you out.
I have a list of things
they were hoping we would discuss.
I'm not sure
if my office drafted or yours.
I'm sure it was mine.
They have high hopes
for what a person can accomplish
in a four-minute block of time.
- Russia.
- Yes.
- They called.
- They did.
Bloody hell, she's done it again.
Pardon me.
[Vaughn sighs]
So sorry, what's your name again?
- Elaine.
- Elaine.
With conviction,
or it does nothing at all.
- Yes, ma'am.
- I was not political when I was young.
I was an acid house devotee.
It's left me with no hearing whatsoever.
- The telephone. Devon Clark.
- With conviction.
Devon Clark is on the telephone.
Brilliant.
Forgive me.
Such a pleasure.
- This is the prime minister.
- [Elaine] Ambassador.
- Mr. Wren will show you the way.
- Devon.
I tried to say it
without smirking and failed.
It's good you can't see me.
Ah, you are kind.
Thixton did me a great service,
threatened to be sensible,
then lost his nerve.
- [Elaine] Gone.
- Excellent work.
No trouble at all.
clashing with any sort of announcements
for next week and this week.
[serious music playing]
You done?
- Yeah.
- That was fast.
She's got a big day.
Did you get through your agenda?
- Uh no. None of it. [chuckles]
- Really?
- [chuckles nervously]
- Really?
I thought she was gonna show me a mural.
Yeah, I did too.
- Reflux?
- Yeah. You want one?
No, no. I'm good.
You wanna use the bathroom?
No.
Maybe.
[Kate] Nothing.
- At all?
- Zero.
That's fucking odd.
About anything or just about Russia?
She's going to Todd's gala.
She was happy to talk about that.
Where's he?
He wants to be a special envoy.
To where?
Here.
- What?
- I don't wanna talk about it.
Libby, what did he think
about the Russia call?
He's not answering. I can try again.
Did you ask her directly?
I said, "You got a call from Russia."
She said no words.
Maybe there was nothing to say.
Then you'd say, "There's nothing to say."
Or you've been PM for less than an hour
and you got a lot on your mind.
Russia should be on your mind.
She's been to Russia.
She's met him before.
She's probably more excited
to talk to Grace Penn.
You think?
Sisterhood.
Big day.
- Big day.
- Libby's keeping his head down.
She's started firing people.
[Ganon] There's a clear consensus
among member states.
There's not a consensus.
I've spoken to them.
- We don't agree.
- Everyone but us.
They say a ban would damage
their economies as much as China's.
They should be worried
about their supply chain.
I know the talking points.
I tried them
on every allied head of state.
We all agree the chip ban has value,
but the secretary's right,
we can't force it down their throats.
No one's forcing anything.
- We made it an opt-out decision.
- [Ganon] Ma'am.
We would be humiliating them publicly.
And for what? To get Chinese tech
out of coffeemakers?
And pacemakers?
Civilian aircraft?
Those things can do some damage.
- All due respect
- None taken.
We would be upending years of consensus.
Can we stop pretending
we're not in charge?
I find it exhausting.
[door knocking]
- Yeah.
- Ma'am, Mr. Penn.
Sorry, people. [clears throat]
Give me a minute.
Hey, babe.
- How go the wars?
- [chuckles]
Well
The secretary of state
and vice president are having a footrace
around my table.
- Who's winning?
- Who do you think?
Tell Miguel,
Hal is your second favorite man.
He lost the race before it started.
That's exactly how I'm gonna handle it.
Is there a possibility
the second lady is pregnant?
- Kate?
- No?
Did she say something?
- No, but she's puking a lot.
- No!
Is she pooched out in the belly?
I don't know. I'll look.
How fun would that be?
A baby in the White House.
- Fun.
- I could do anything I wanted.
I could march that baby out
in front of the press.
Uh, we met the PM.
- Do you like her?
- I did.
Kate was sort of thrown though.
Why?
Beth What is it?
- Nnnn.
- Bethan didn't wanna talk shop.
- At all?
- Kate had a list.
They didn't touch any of it.
Not even the Russia call?
What Russia call?
Kemper-Waithe.
He's gone?
And Anu, gone.
Who fires Anu?
- Bloodbath.
- Vaughn's cleaning house.
I called Callum.
Apparently, she said his counsel was
at the present time unnecessary.
She wants her own people.
Or she's dumping all the people
who she thinks were close to us.
Why would she do that?
See if the foreign secretary's there.
- Or if she got fired too.
- Palmer?
Nicol didn't like her. Maybe that helps.
Robyn Palmer. Sole survivor.
Huh.
Ready to watch
a grown man suck his stomach in
while another grown man kneels
before him, mouth full of pins,
and everyone acts like it's comfortable?
Can't wait.
Palmer. Get me a meeting.
Yes, ma'am.
[Billie] The risk is
you are flouting the very idea
of multilateralism at a multilateral.
We're using a global economic forum
to announce a global economic position.
- It's profoundly multilateral.
- Can we float it at the dinner?
Every item on the agenda was prenegotiated
by seven Sherpas in seven countries.
We can't just lob it in over soup.
Todd says the PM gave Kate a runaround.
a chance to open the door
to a conversation
- Really?
- Didn't mention Russia.
[clears throat] Hi.
Continue.
To announce a position
and expect everyone else
in the G7 to follow suit
[Billie] Not a great opener.
Anything special happening
that I should know about?
- With Russia?
- Or anything?
Never mind. Continue.
- If we can just stay on the agenda
- Call Kate, see if anything's up.
Ma'am.
Continue.
[Billie] Okay.
[Ganon] There has to be a better way
to make our point.
[phone vibrating]
Hey.
[Hal] Are you pregnant?
What?
Todd suggested to Grace
that you were with child.
[crowd yelling]
What the fuck?
No?
No!
And why's the PM giving you a runaround?
- What the fuck is happening?
- Todd said she wouldn't talk about Russia.
Okay.
Todd isn't coming to any more meetings.
If we have a problem
- We don't.
- with Russia
I am working.
If I discover a problem with Russia,
I will alert the White House.
Special Envoy Todd is not a great idea.
- Ya think?
- [Todd] Thanks. It's great to be here.
Great to see you.
[curious orchestral music playing]
[chuckles]
[music ends]
This is good.
All right.
Any preference in the shoulders, Mr. Penn?
Sharpest right angle you can, and
give it some padding.
More commanding.
No?
Yeah, whatever you like.
These guys invented military shoulders.
I feel like I should get the house red.
Great.
Grace does this too.
If you start inspecting the carpet
when there's nothing on your mind,
there's something on your mind.
Shirt shoulder.
Shirt shoulder?
- Very good.
- Is she right?
She is.
Why?
Well, less structure.
Less padding.
A freer drape. Excuse me.
Hides any padding of your own.
Ah.
You brought that up.
I wouldn't have clocked it.
Why didn't he say so himself
if the shoulder
was gonna make me look wide?
He did. With his face.
- Oh, I missed it.
- Yeah.
Well, between the two of us,
we have a viable brain.
You know, I think
we could make a great team.
- Really?
- I do.
But if you're gonna be involved
officially or unofficially,
you can't go calling
the president with updates
when we have no idea
what's actually going on.
I'm sorry.
No, you don't have to be sorry.
I'm just getting panicked calls from
the White House about a lot of things.
Like Russia.
Grace told me.
Are you read in?
On?
Actually, we
we shouldn't be talking about this here.
I don't know what there is to know.
I just know everybody is wondering
about Russia, which is not news.
Okay.
She shouldn't have told me?
She can do
whatever she wants. [chuckles awkwardly]
Maybe she should get the lecture too.
- I'm sorry.
- No, I understand.
It's It's tough. You and Hal have had
20 years to work out a system.
And we still fuck it up.
[chuckles softly]
- Four people
- Fucking it up.
is a lot.
- I don't wanna discourage you.
- You won't.
I wanna set you up for success.
No, I appreciate it. Lesson learned.
Zip the lip.
You can still talk to your wife.
Just don't talk to the president.
Exactly.
Also, I have reflux.
It makes me vomit.
Yeah.
Is my wife
Babysitting my husband?
- No.
- I think she is.
Well, and that's fine.
Are you aware it may evolve
into a longer-term arrangement?
Is that a terrible idea?
No.
I planted it
with the head of Todd's detail.
Figured he could sell it
with a straight face.
Well, I think he succeeded.
Is Kate freaking out?
No.
I just thought she's so good at managing
Egos?
Male?
Absolutely. She's a pro.
I just I can't stand it.
I can't stand him looking at me,
saucer eyes, wondering how he can help.
- Is that a Todd problem or a you problem?
- I don't have a problem accepting help.
For Christ's sake,
you've been sitting here for 7 hours.
[serious piano music playing]
[door opens]
Forgive me.
No, I can't believe you made time.
I am grateful.
[music ends]
You met the PM.
I did. She's wonderful.
Isn't she?
What a relief.
An opportunity, I hope.
And the two of you, together.
We get along well.
I think I zig where she zags.
You must be having a day yourself.
- First gentleman?
- Yes.
Running you ragged?
He is a bundle of energy.
I
said some things to you
about Trowbridge and Margaret Roylin.
I had a long and candid conversation
with Prime Minister Trowbridge
before he resigned.
He filled me in on a great many details,
all of them disturbing.
Once Prime Minister Vaughn's
government finds its feet,
we will look at our next steps.
Sure.
- And if I can, in any way--
- Thank you.
So few people knew the details.
I was concerned
without Secretary Dennison--
Of course.
If no one inside the Trowbridge government
had any idea what had happened--
Untenable.
You seemed to be the right person to tell.
I hope I was.
You were.
It was not in any way intended
to destabilize Prime Minister Trowbridge.
Did he interpret it
as pressure from the United States?
We didn't discuss the American role.
We didn't want to have any role
in his decision-making about his future.
Prime Minister Vaughn got a call
from the Kremlin yesterday,
which I am sure was congratulatory.
But when I asked her about it,
she seemed reluctant to engage.
- It was a big day.
- Her first.
But it felt odd.
- We usually get a heads-up.
- Hmm.
Well, I'm sure it's nothing,
but I will bring it up.
May I be candid?
Please.
I'm concerned she doesn't trust me,
and so, wasn't forthcoming.
Because you disclosed information
about the former PM.
Yes.
That led to his downfall.
That's not the way
I would choose to describe it.
But she heard it from you.
So is that how you chose to describe it?
I'm not sure exactly how I phrased it
or how she heard it.
You must have some idea.
There was a relationship
between the two events.
Whether or not it was causal is,
I suppose, up for debate.
But the relationship is
difficult to miss.
[serious piano music playing]
Ambassador, Mr. Penn is dressing.
We don't have much time,
but perhaps a light bite
before you change?
No.
I'm the problem. From the horse's mouth.
Which horse?
The foreign fucking secretary.
Oh, come on.
Toppling the PM, I believe, was her issue.
Nicol didn't need you to bring him down.
He was perfectly capable of that himself.
Not how they see it.
They can't put it on you.
I told you to lean on him.
And I told you it was a criminal act,
so you backed down,
which I should've taken as a signal.
Katie, he tried to choke a woman
with his bare hands.
- I'm okay if it's on me.
- Know what?
We agreed I was gonna take
responsibility for things,
and I'm doing it,
so for one minute, don't argue with me.
I'm not keeping score.
It's not a court of law.
Let yourself off the hook.
This is how dictatorships behave.
- They write their own rules.
- Trowbridge was a criminal.
And that bright woman is now
prime minister because of you.
She owes us.
If you don't sit her down
and remind her, I will.
- So, more coercive tactics.
- Stop.
You're asking me to double down
and demand loyalty.
No, I'm not.
Just remind her we're on the same side.
I don't want your house or your job.
I want my wife to look at me
without disdain.
- [reporter 1] Evening, Mr. Penn.
- [reporter 2] Congratulations, Mr. Penn.
[reporters continue indistinctly]
[serious music fades out]
Fiona runs the Crick Institute,
right here in central London.
I know it well. I gave a talk there.
Nine years ago.
I was front and center. We've missed you.
Well, I've missed myself.
Oh goodness! [chuckles]
Did your wife send a video message?
- For the gala?
- It's just me, as honoree.
In years previous,
the president sent a video.
I'm here. I'm the message.
[woman chuckles]
And a very good one at that.
[man] So what is it
she's asked you to say?
Excuse me.
[Todd] I don't want to ruin the surprise.
[Vaughn chattering indistinctly]
Thank you for your support.
It's been much appreciated.
[Kate] Prime Minister.
Ambassador.
Perfect bookend to my day.
It means so much to the first gentleman
that you're here, and to the president.
It's a pleasure.
I was hoping to take
just a quick moment of your time,
uh, maybe somewhere else?
[Kate] I owe you an apology.
[Vaughn] Oh dear. Already?
I'm sure you don't.
I spoke with the foreign secretary.
I know that you've heard
some things about the way
the Penn administration interacted
with Prime Minister Trowbridge.
- Me, in particular.
- Did Robyn tell you to apologize?
- No, but
- She can be a bit of a prig.
That may or may not be the case--
Are you familiar with something
called Churchillian Drift?
I am not.
It's when quotes are attributed
to dear old Winston
that he never actually said.
"The fascists of the future
will call themselves anti-fascist."
Not Churchill at all.
But it's just been used against me,
in his name, on the floor of the Commons.
That's terrible.
I don't have the discipline to be
a fascist, so I don't take it to heart.
I believe Nicol has ascribed
a number of punchy statements to you.
I'm sure you said nothing of the kind.
Mm.
That's generous, but--
Don't give it another thought.
I think it's affecting
your behavior with me.
I said what I said to protect your country
from an individual
whose motives are, at best, mixed,
and who has a track record
of reckless behavior, really dangerous.
- I understand.
- You're sure?
I think we all find comfort in the notion
that if my behavior is dangerous,
you'll step in to protect
the people of the United Kingdom.
- You got a call from the Kremlin.
- I did.
You seemed unwilling to discuss it.
And you're concerned that's punishment
for the things you said to Nicol?
- Is it?
- Ambassador.
I have only good things
to say about my predecessor.
But if all goes well,
my behavior in office
will resemble nothing about his.
I'm sure it won't.
They say the first thing
that goes under tyranny
is our capacity for surprise.
Churchill?
No, Nicol was such a slave to his tempers
that we all grew accustomed
to hasty decisions
made with no deliberative process
of any kind.
I take my time.
Consult the graybeards.
My staff tells me
I look disapproving when I go quiet.
But it just means that I'm thinking.
We support that.
I knew you would.
But now I've thought,
and I'm happy to share all the juicy bits
of my conversation with the Kremlin.
- I don't wanna pressure you to disclose--
- Not at all. That was my plan.
Think, and then speak to you.
Great.
Our friends in Moscow have located
their missing submarine.
They didn't happen upon it,
but they seem to know exactly where it is.
They know that none of the mariners
on board would have survived.
No.
They have asked
to come and retrieve
the bodies of their dead.
That is a
very consequential request.
- Their weapon
- Isn't there.
I was told the vice president said so.
But perhaps that's just drift.
If the Russians find
their weapon is not there,
we'll be in a major security crisis.
That's what I told the graybeards,
one of whom is called Ann
and has almost no beard at all.
And they assured me
that were we to say yes,
we would not be
in a major security crisis.
You would.
And while I do not take that lightly,
the last thing I hope to do
is make security calculations
on your behalf,
just as I know you won't do on mine.
You're setting up my country
for armed conflict with Russia.
I don't think I did that though.
I think your president did.
- Ma'am.
- Coming.
Mothers have lost their sons.
The Kremlin would like
to collect their dead.
I couldn't possibly say no.
So I didn't.
[somber musical flourish]
- [footsteps retreating]
- [door opens, closes]
The thinking was--
[Eidra] The thinking that happened
in Patty's office?
You didn't wanna run it by me
before you laid it all out for Patty?
Do you or do you not want me
to explain the thinking?
Go ahead.
The thinking was
why not renovate Wychwood?
Clean out the back entrance.
Make sure your creepy dudes can reach it
without being seen from the street.
You're gonna put
a secure phone booth in Wychwood?
And a weapons locker?
- Why not?
- Because it costs money.
I believe your organization
can cough it up.
- Mine?
- Your budget is much bigger than mine.
I just spent a big chunk of it
kitting out my flat.
- State's not paying for it.
- Why not?
I can't ask them to spend that money,
so I can shack up with my girlfriend.
Tell them we're getting married.
Are we?
We can if it's the only way to get
a phone booth in that house.
I'm not popping up a portable SCIF
every time I get a call from Langley
in the middle of the night.
If you think it's weird,
I will ask Dianne to pay for it.
But I don't love the idea
that one of the very few conversations
I have with her
is me asking for a handout
in service of my sex life.
It's a bad look.
Particularly one woman
in a leadership position
asking another woman
in a leadership position.
"Hey, work-life balance is hard."
"Can you help me try and have it all?"
Ew.
Yeah.
Ew.
Stuart.
Come on.
Seriously?
Hey.
How was it?
Well, you fled,
which tells me you got the idea.
- I'm sorry. Did they explain?
- Yeah.
Affairs of state,
urgent phone calls to be made.
I wanted to be there.
Well, you forget, my whole life is
showing up somewhere,
shaking hands,
finding my date is long gone.
If you didn't eat,
Frances is threatening to feed me again.
She'd be thrilled if you were hungry.
No, no. No, I'm good.
- Uh
- Okay.
[clears throat]
So what happened?
It's
- Classified?
- Yeah.
Good classified or bad classified?
I don't I don't want any secrets.
Just wondering how how it works.
I'm trying to learn.
Which is so great.
Uh, right now, I need to get
my thoughts together, so I can--
- Talk to my wife?
- Yeah.
Can I sit in?
I'd have to check.
Or I can wait ten minutes,
call home, get her version.
That might be better.
- Sorry.
- [keyboard clacking]
Dickish comment.
- Don't worry about it.
- She and I don't do that.
Well, sometimes we do.
But if I was working here, we would not.
You would. As soon as you got home,
you definitely would.
[Todd groans]
Well, this was a bad idea, huh? [chuckles]
All of it.
It's just not a great time.
Yeah.
Not because I'm pregnant, by the way.
I have reflux.
- I did not--
- Yeah, you did.
Look, I have reflux.
I'm not puking all over the place.
Maybe it's lupus.
- That's not a symptom.
- Neither is a puffy face.
- Did you see a doctor?
- Oh my God.
You are a kind man,
and we're gonna do great things together.
But I have to gather my thoughts
before I talk to the president,
who I am begging you
not to confuse with your wife.
Well, if it's a health thing,
I'm not qualified,
but I can sit here and keep the chair warm
while you go home and see your GP.
I don't need you to take my job.
My health is fine.
I threatened the prime minister,
and he resigned,
replaced by a really great gal
who doesn't trust people
who practice political extortion,
like your wife,
and my husband, and now me.
I blackmailed Nicol Trowbridge,
and toppling foreign governments
gives me intestinal distress.
It's not pregnancy or lupus.
It's just the garden-variety
wave of nausea people get
when they've overthrown
a democratically elected leader.
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[music fades out]