Secretary - Season 4 - Madam

In the SitRoom, the air was cold and smelled of stale coffee. President Dalton looked tired. "Elizabeth. Tell me I don’t have to sink a Russian ship today."

"You don't, sir," Elizabeth said, taking her seat. "The Russians didn't cut that cable to start a war. They did it because they want us to acknowledge their new claim on the Lomonosov Ridge. It’s a land grab, not a declaration of hostilities. If we go in guns blazing, we play right into their 'Western aggression' narrative." "So what's the play?" Dalton asked. Madam Secretary - Season 4

Elizabeth took a long sip and leaned against the counter, the weight of the day finally lifting. "Still turning. For today, anyway." In the SitRoom, the air was cold and smelled of stale coffee

The digital clock on Elizabeth McCord’s bedside table read 3:14 AM when her secure phone began its insistent, rhythmic chirp. Beside her, Henry groaned and pulled a pillow over his head—a practiced move after years of being married to the Secretary of State. Tell me I don’t have to sink a Russian ship today

"A silent exchange," Elizabeth proposed. "We have a Russian spy in federal custody—a deep-cover asset we picked up in Seattle last month. He’s low-level, but his father is a high-ranking Admiral in their Northern Fleet. We offer a quiet trade: their 'research vessel' experiences a sudden mechanical failure and retreats, and their boy comes home without a headline."

Elizabeth laughed, the Secretary of State replaced by the wife and mother. "Suddenly, the Kremlin seems much easier to handle."