| 1. | | One Year In |  Ukrainian nationalists hijack a Russian Air flight.
Now, one year into office, Kirkman is a Commander-in-chief determined to rebuild the capitol and capture the terrorists behind the catastrophic attack on the United States. When Ukrainian nationalists hijack a Russian Air flight, the president is faced with a hostage situation in which his diplomatic skills are put to the test. více |
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| 2. | | Sting of the Tail |  FBI Agent Hannah Wells finally closes in on Patrick Lloyd, but when the president decides to take action during the White House Correspondents Dinner, members of the Homeland Security Council threaten to derail their plans.
Chuck is able to identify on surveillance footage that Patrick Lloyd has returned to Washington, DC. The team is easily able to track him without ever seeing his face. Having tracked him for several months now, Hannah and Damian realize that he has either truly eluded them or is leading them into a trap of some sorts. Lloyd's reemergence is at a bad time for Tom who, with Alex and Alex's mother Eva, is going into the annual correspondents dinner, which is supposed to be light-hearted. That light-hearted tone is not helped by Seth being the speech writer, he who has to insert a few jokes, in the process realizing that he has a different sense of humor than the average Joe or Jane. In the Lloyd matter, Tom has to balance the need for national security against his vow to the public to be transparent in the matter. He does however understand that he is not a one-person show as government and has to keep Congress and a Homeland Security Senate Subcommittee abreast of what's happening. When Hannah and Damian believe they have Lloyd cornered, Tom has to make an even more difficult decision to do what he believes will be the best thing for public safety - especially if thousands of lives are at risk - against doing something potentially considered illegal. If they get wind that he is contemplating doing the latter, civil libertarians may make the decision for him. That decision for Tom becomes even more difficult when he believes Lloyd's grudge is now personal against him, which also means against his family. více |
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| 3. | | Outbreak |  President and the team try to fight a virus outbreak while Hannah investigate the breadcrumb left behind by Patrick Lloyd.
The activities at the White House this day include Kendra's first major assignment of mediation between affected stakeholders of what to do about a statue of a Confederate war general in Tennessee, he who is now deemed a racist - keeping the statue at its current prominent location which has an unexpected supporter - and the unveiling of a creature biologically named after Tom. Lyor finds the choice of creature offensive to his boss while Seth has to figure out a way to spin it positively to the public. These issues take a back seat when a public health crisis occurs, with a deadly avian flu outbreak in South Carroll Parish, Louisiana. First reports are that there is a forty percent fatality rate of those infected. Dr. Tammy Bruner with the CDC believes the outbreak will spread throughout the country in the matter of days if not contained despite the relatively isolated nature of South Carroll Parish. Dr. Bruner heads to the front line to deal with the outbreak. Although she reports back that there are no current pharmaceuticals to prevent the flu and that the development of a vaccine would take months, she believes there is an experimental drug developed for a different purpose by a pharmaceutical company owned by Carlton Mackie that may control the flu. Although Mackie is somewhat cooperative in his initial meeting with Tom, Tom learns that Mackie has different priorities, such as making money and ensuring the long term viability of his company, which, if he gets his way, would result in unnecessary immediate deaths in South Carroll Parish, a relatively poor and predominantly black community. The other goings-on in the White House this day could affect what happens between Tom and Mackie. Meanwhile, Chuck is trying to decrypt the file Lloyd sent to the cloud before the drone strike, while Hannah and Damian continue to follow up on the incident at the First Lady's mother's house. They know that Lloyd's actions there were not by accident, he leaving a trail of bread crumbs to what he wants them to discover whatever it is. více |
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| 4. | | Equilibrium |  Tensions rise between America and Mexico when a Mexican citizen is shot during a border dispute regarding Mexican trade imports; and Kirkman and his staff must work quickly to resolve the situation and create a new trade deal.
Trade negotiations between the US and Mexico are going badly, with no one on either side happy with what the other has put forward, and certain negotiators on both sides taking hard lines. This standoff has led to American truckers placing roadblocks at the US-Mexico border crossings, not allowing specifically Mexican truckers to cross into the United States with their goods. A Mexican trucker by the name of Jose Menez runs one of those border crossings, in the process being shot dead by the gunfire by border officials and civilians on both sides of the border. It is eventually determined that he was killed by an American bullet. Tom and those in the White House have now not only to deal with the trade impasse but the fact that a Mexican citizen was killed on American soil by an American bullet. Tom has to decide how far to go to deal with the issue, including if he should exploit the grief and suffering of Menez's wife, an undocumented Mexican long having lived in the States. Although Aaron knows that his first priority is to carry out the President's agenda, he gets caught in the middle of this issue as a Mexican-American, certain people who he thinks are trying to exploit that fact for their own benefit. With this issue dominating the goings-on in the White House, Emily can't be distracted by the work of an officious bureaucrat named Maya Dunning, whose sole purpose in the White House at this time is to deal with a broken vase, albeit an expensive one, in the office wing of the building. Maya is determined to discover who broke it, she, based on circumstantial evidence, believing that it was Penny. As it a matter that crosses the line between his professional and personal life, Tom has to take the time out of his busy schedule to deal with the matter. Meanwhile, Hannah, in figuring out what to do with the circumstantial evidence that looks like Alex's mom accepted a bribe thirty years ago in the awarding of a government contract, speaks to John off the record. Despite Hannah's first priority being to protect the President, she still needs to find out the truth and in the process has to protect herself in how she proceeds solely in carrying out her job responsibilities. více |
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| 5. | | Suckers |  When a senator appears on the national news and misrepresents a private conversation with the president, Kirkman must win back the American people's trust, while MI-6 Agent Damian Rennett joins forces with FBI Agent Hannah Wells to help solve an international murder.
Tom and those at the White House are facing two crises. First, British MP Charlotte Thorn, in DC for a G20 meeting, is shot dead while jogging in a local park. In addition to Hannah, Damian returns on behalf of the British government to investigate. Because Thorn was scheduled to make a damning speech on the illegal arms trade, Hannah and Damian, stemming from a discussion with the Brits, turn to Darius Cray as their first suspect, he an arms dealer who coincidentally also happens to be in town. And second, Tom is looking for bipartisan support for a pension bailout package sponsored by the Democrats. He turns to a friend, Republican Senator Alan Rouse with who he plays recreational hockey, for that support from the other side of the aisle. Despite believing such a bailout is charity in which the government should not be involved, Rouse gives Tom his support behind closed doors. However, Rouse goes to the media speaking against the bailout, but more importantly makes a statement of fact of something Tom said in that behind closed door discussion which makes it sound like Tom believes the American public is a bunch of suckers as Rouse takes the statement out of context. Previously seen as being an advocate for the average Joe and Jane, this statement by Rouse could derail Tom's entire agenda as his base begins to desert him. Hannah and Damian finding Thorn's killer could help change the channel to a positive message. Beyond discovering why Rouse, a supposed friend, turned on him, Tom, with Lyor and Emily's advice, has to decide what to do, and whether he should shoot below the belt against Rouse as a defense as Lyor wants. Meanwhile, Alex is looking for the appropriate legal counsel to represent her mother in the bribery case, which John has launched. Alex is not totally comfortable with who she eventually chooses based on Tom's suggestion. She does not realize that she may harm her mother's case more than help it as she becomes too emotionally involved in the proceedings. více |
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| 6. | | Two Ships |  When a U.S. Navy ship containing secret surveillance becomes stranded in enemy waters, President Kirkman must negotiate the crew and ship's release. If captured, the technology on board would create a massive threat to national security. Meanwhile. Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes reconnects with someone from her childhood.
The USS Verona, a naval destroyer, runs off course in bad weather and ventures three miles off the coast of Kunami, considered an unfriendly regime to the US, in the Persian Gulf. There, the ship collides with a Kunami garbage barge, rendering the Verona disabled, the Captain killed in the process in being sucked out of one of the resulting holes. The ship, regardless of the reason for it being in enemy waters, is seen by the Kunami government as a hostile act by the US. Tom, whose first priority to is bring the sailors home safely, wants to take a diplomatic approach so as not to escalate the rhetoric and thus the potential for war. Tom has to decide how far to go with diplomacy, especially if it doesn't seem to get them anywhere, before taking a more drastic approach. Things could change if Tom finds out the reason for the destroyer being where it is, and the true nature of the accident. Thrown into the mix are the actions of the acting Captain, Will Griffin. Meanwhile, Emily is overly preoccupied with the thought of reuniting with someone she has not seen in twenty-three years. That reunion switches between being bitter and sweet as that reunion extends to a tour of the White House. Despite Kendra quashing the subpoena against Eva, the legal battle for her continues, which Tom understands in John's need to seem impartial in his work for the FBI. Kendra thus wants unfettered access to Eva. The discussions between the two take a turn when Eva divulges some information which could place the Kirkmans in a bad light in the matter. And Hannah and Damian focus their attentions on Catherine Cray as the probable mastermind within the family of illegal arms deals and thus the chief suspect in Charlotte Thorn's murder. An incident outside of Hannah and Damian's interrogation of her may change the course of that interrogation. více |
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| 7. | | Family Ties |  When a Turkish activist ignites protests in the U.S., Turkey's president demands his extradition while the first family unknowingly finds themselves in the center of a battle that could threaten Leo's future.
Tom is being hit on multiple sides, with Lyor, Emily, Seth and Aaron trying to mitigate the problem by trying to push whichever they deem the least harmful item to Tom and the administration to the top of the news cycle. Leading into a NATO summit in DC, they learn that Turkish president Fatih Turan, who Tom does not much like, wants to raise significantly the leases on strategic air fields in Turkey, they believing to build up a war chest for an upcoming election. If Tom doesn't agree, Turan may hand the leases over to the Russians which would give them the upper hand in the Middle East. At a joint press conference with Tom and Turan where the prepared scripts are exchanges of diplomatic niceties regarding the items to be discussed at the summit, Turan blindsides Tom by going off script, accusing Tom of harboring who Turan sees as his primary political opponent, Nuresh Sahin, who he wants extradited back to Turkey to face charges of treason for an unsuccessful coup. Tom, who has seen no concrete evidence to support Turan's claim and knows that Sahin will be immediately executed if he is sent back to Turkey, has to decide if Sahin, one man and a non-American at that, is expendable within the bigger picture, Sahin who is in the US as a visiting scholar. Secretary of State Moss is supposed to represent the US at one of the summit's more important meetings, however Hannah informs the administration that Moss is now a person of interest in the still unsolved Charlotte Thorn assassination. Moss not being forthright in that investigation led by Hannah and Damian may further tarnish the administration. At one of the protests outside the Turkish embassy, Leo, who is walking to a restaurant with his new girlfriend Sibyl, is approached by one of the protesters. Their resulting altercation has Leo pushing the man to the ground in an effort to protect Sibyl. That man, Peter Jan, presses assault charges against Leo. Eva, on Kendra's counsel, decides voluntarily to be questioned by Forstell in the hopes that he does not know about Eva running into Eric Little six months ago. Concurrently, Tiffany Gimble of the White House press corps, she representing one of the smaller but more determined media outlets, approaches Seth wanting an exclusive with the President regarding some information she has about the investigation of Eva, Seth and Tom not knowing what Tiffany does or does not know most specifically with regard to that issue with Eric Little six months ago. If Tom and his staff discover truths in any of these matters, they may find that some of the issues are interrelated and can be dealt with by exposing those connections. více |
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| 8. | | Home |  Kirkman embarks on a secret mission to Afghanistan.
While on a secret mission to Afghanistan, President Kirkman meets with two infamous warlords and must determine whom he can trust to hand over territories to the United States, while Seth has a run-in with Washington D.C. police that puts his job, reputation and future in the White House on the line.
Tom, accompanied by a small contingent - Aaron as assistant/strategist, and Mike as security - is on a secret two day mission to Afghanistan, specifically Bagram. Outwardly, the trip is for Tom to thank personally on behalf of the American people the troops serving the country. The concurrent secret mission, with strategic issues handled by Hannah, is to meet individually with two feuding Afghan warlords, Mullah Bahri and Mullah Fayad, arguably the two most powerful in the region. Tom wants to set up a strategic alliance with one in an effort to take control of the conflict and hopefully bring the American troops home in the thus far close to twenty year American involvement. However, Hannah and her team have discovered through monitoring of chatter that one of the two is planning an attack on US soil, it uncertain which one. If Tom makes the wrong choice of with who to set up the alliance, he could be handing that person a free pass for that attack to happen. When a major incident occurs on the trip, further circumstantial evidence begins to point to the one planning the terrorist attack, which is one more factor but not a decisive piece on which to make a definitive decision. Hannah and Mike are tasked with another aspect of dealing with the incident, which may not be a comfortable working relationship in their differing views of how holistically to serve and protect the President. Meanwhile, Emily is in charge at the White House, her main task, with Seth and Lyor's assistance, to ensure that the goings-on in the President's absence run smoothly, but perhaps more importantly that the press corps and thus the American people do not know that Tom is away at all. Emily's tasks end up being made all the more difficult as issues arise concerning both Seth and Lyor, legal issues which require Kendra's expertise to mitigate. While Lyor's is more a personal one that would cost him financially and be more of an embarrassment than anything, Seth's is one, if it comes to light, which could cost him his job, that specific incident which includes being stopped by a DC police officer while out with his visiting brother, Mike, the two celebrating Mike's recent MCAT results. více |
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| 9. | | Three-Letter Day |  The White House takes action on letters to Kirkman.
After sorting through thousands of letters all requesting something of the president, the White House staff are assigned three, with Emily, Seth, Aaron, Lyor and Kendra joining forces to get answers and possibly save a life. Meanwhile, Hannah and Damian continue to chase down leads to exonerate the first lady, but in the end, Hannah learns the truth may be closer than she thinks.
It's three-letter day at the White House, the day every month the President chooses three from among the thousands of letters addressed to him from the public for senior staff to investigate directly to advise him in how to proceed in answering the letter. Emily and Aaron are assigned to investigate a letter by Allison Goff, the widow of Sergeant First Class Daniel Goff, asking why her husband was denied the Medal of Honor despite a fellow soldier informing Allison of Daniel's heroics during his final mission. Mike, as former special ops, may have some insight into this letter and what Emily and Aaron find on the surface. Seth and Lyor are assigned to investigate the letter of beekeeper Eddie Adamson, who believes the actions of the FAA are killing his bees, an indicator species. While Lyor relishes this assignment, Seth reads something into why he was assigned this seemingly low-level letter. And Kendra, on what is her first three letter day, is assigned to investigate an anonymous letter requesting the pardon in the death penalty case of pharmacist Chandler Dern, convicted of killing a DEA agent who suspected him of selling ketamine on the black market. The unusual aspect of that letter is that is Dern previously appealed the sentence but not the conviction. Kendra has an extra discussion with both the President and First Lady about the FBI's case against her, where Forstell is willing to seal the proceedings in exchange for Alex not moving to quash the subpoena. The only damning evidence against her is the St. Lucia bank account, which Hannah is assigned to investigate. They may find that Forstell has ulterior motives in all his recent actions. With all three letters, Tom has to find a balance between justice and what is best for those involved, which may not be justice in a legal sense. více |
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| 10. | | Line of Fire |  It's Christmastime and President Kirkman is alerted to a group of religious extremists who refuse to evacuate when a forest fire threatens to engulf their cabin. Deploying Emily and Aaron to help diffuse the situation, Kirkman must act quickly to save multiple lives at stake. Meanwhile, the First Lady finally gives her testimony to the FBI director, while what happens next changes the lives of the Kirkman family forever.
It's the Christmas season. There's a group of young carolers trying to bring cheer to those at the White House, the President and staff who are all too preoccupied to enjoy the festivities as of yet. Tom and the senior staff are dealing with a wildfire in Virginia that has been burning now for close to a month. The decision has been made to let the fire burn itself out as the most ecologically friendly course of action. However, there is a group of Christian religious extremists in the path of the fire, they who refuse to leave their forest retreat as a pseudo means of protest against the court decision to let the authorities take custody of Grace Morgan, the six-month old daughter of congregant Carey Morgan. Grace requires a surgery to save her life which involves a blood transfusion in which the church does not believe. The small group of twenty will voluntarily leave once Grace is returned to Carey's custody before any medical intervention is done that goes against their teachings. Tom and his staff have to find the right balance between respecting religious freedoms, respecting the role of a parent and wanting to do what's "right" for a baby who otherwise has no power in the matter, all the while trying to save lives, whether it be the twenty holed up in the woods, those on the front line who are dealing with the twenty and are risking their lives in the process, or baby Grace. And Kendra and Alex continue to deal with the subpoena for Alex to appear before the FBI, with the two and Tom also continuing to differ on the best approach to take. Alex's main priority in the matter is to end it all as quickly as possible. These competing priorities flavor their proposal to Forstell and what they do about Forstell's counter-proposal to them. Meanwhile, Hannah begins to suspect that it was Damian who tipped off Lang and thus may be working against her and the White House in the investigation against the First Lady. Hannah needs to bring Aaron into the fray. She, however, wants to lead the investigation against Damian as the one person in authority closest to him and who he may trust the most, and as she has a more personal stake herself. více |
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| 11. | | Grief |  After 10 weeks of grief, the President's senior staff insists he see a therapist to help deal with his loss. Hanna and Aaron are part of a trade delegation to Cuba but the trip doesn't go well.
It's been ten weeks since Alex was killed in a tragic traffic accident. Since, Tom has been a ghost of a president, he not having made any significant decisions which is crippling the country. Although his senior staff realizes it, Tom himself doesn't, and as such they have recommended that he go into therapy with Dr. Adam Louden. The outcome of that therapy will be tested concerning a trade mission to Cuba organized between US Senator Sanchez and Cuban President Ortega. Beyond a bipartisan group of senators and congresspeople, the mission includes key business people hoping to do business in Cuba, with Aaron and Hannah, the latter on probation due to the point blank shooting of Damian Rennett, providing White House staff services. That mission turns into a crisis when the American trade representatives, including Aaron and Hannah, are taken hostage by a rebel group opposed to Ortega and his dealings with the Americans. The situation is already difficult enough due to the tenuous nature of the relationship between the US and Cuba without Tom's hesitancy, his world view now to keep as many people safe which in the long run may actually jeopardize more lives. Something that Hannah secretly learns as a hostage may be key if she can only get that information back to the White House. Meanwhile, Lyor has gone through yet another assistant, the next candidate, Tricia Sims, who he dismisses before she even really begins, which may be a mistake on his part. And Emily and Seth's personal relationship seems to be stalled, at least on Emily's side. více |
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| 12. | | The Final Frontier |  After a missile intending to bring water to the stranded astronauts in space is hacked, the President must work with the Russians to help save their lives and find the culprit.
Damian, coming in from the cold, is being interrogated by Hannah and Aaron regarding his status as a double agent working for the Russians. Because of what happens external to the interrogation, Hannah and Aaron have no other option but to believe his assertion that he has information and can assist in following up on leads on an issue with which Tom and those in the war room are currently dealing. A software malfunction - what ends up being a computer hack - with the Soyuz space capsule at the International Space Station (ISS) has led to a depletion of potable water at the ISS, they needing to get over the malfunction even to get a capsule to the ISS to deliver fresh water. The astronauts at the ISS are in imminent danger if the situation cannot be overcome. While Hannah and Damian work on the issue of the hack which does involve the Russians peripherally, Tom calls in a consultant from the business community, that act which has unintended consequences in the White House in Lyor's previous dealings with her. On the diplomatic front, the Russians cooperating with whatever the White House decides may not be easy, despite there being two Russian astronauts at the ISS, those difficulties due to national security issues. This diplomacy may have some negative fallout with which Tom may not fully comprehend in his continued grief. Meanwhile, Tom also has to deal with some issues concerning Penny, who, unlike her general sensitive nature, has lately been getting into fights at school. While knowing that the fights have something to do with Alex's death, Tom just telling Penny not to get into the fights may not deal with the core issue on which Penny's principal may be able to shed some light. více |
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| 13. | | Original Sin |  The team must minimize the fallout of the President visiting a prison. A surprise White House demonstration has a closer tie to the President than anyone first realizes.
The leaked surveillance footage of Tom's visit to the prison to confront Evan Beeman is causing him and the White House PR problems, Tom who refuses to address the "unpresidential nature" of the footage publicly. Hannah and Aaron are following up on the leak, they figuring that it may be connected to the ISS hack, meaning that they still need Damian's assistance, he who purports not to know anything about the prison footage hack. As Hannah and Aaron follow up on leads regarding that issue, Lyor believes that another emerging issue may overtake the prison footage on the news cycle. A group on a White House tour stage a sit-in, they being members of the Ocheole Nation, a non-recognized native tribe based in the Florida panhandle. Their leader, Lacy Cousins, wants to meet with Tom. Their issue, which is not federal jurisdiction, is that they are being displaced in the next phase of a land development, this not the first time it has happened. The initial phase was contracted to Tom's architectural firm eighteen years ago, the displacement of the Ocheole at that time of which Tom was not aware when he signed the contract. With each displacement, the Ocheole become more dispersed as a people to the point of near extinction. Tom has to find a way to make this right, which may require bringing in his old right hand man at the firm, Billy Winton, and the developer, Alton Prast. The negotiation is not as clear cut as he would like. Through the process, Lyor gets sidetracked by something he sees with one of the Ocheole at the sit-in. Meanwhile, the initial meeting of the trustees of Alex's foundation post her death are meeting at the White House, all the trustees hand picked by her. One of those trustees is Trey Kirkman, Tom's younger brother from whom he is virtually estranged, despite Alex having kept him in Leo and Penny's lives. Trey's actions at the meeting may bring to a head the issues that exist between the brothers. více |
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| 14. | | In the Dark |  President Kirkman enlists the aid of D.C. mayor Eleanor Darby to help curb panic when a blackout threatens to shutdown the government. But, is that the extent of the relationship?
A power outage, caused by the latest computer hack, has left the entire Washington DC area in the dark, the generator at the White House which can provide power for eight hours. While Chuck deals with the hacks themselves including this one and trying to work to figure out a technological solution to overcome it, the power outage has caused major problems. With his ankle bracelet not functioning, Damian is able to escape from the safe house. With what surveillance is still operational, Hannah goes on his trail and finds something about his goings-on that hit her a little more personally. Emily and Lyor are MIA after a meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Omono to rubber stamp a deferment of payment on a Japanese loan of $600 million due at midnight. However, without information from the missing pair, Omono has denied the request. The power outage has made electronic transfer of the moneys before the deadline near impossible. With Emily missing, Aaron is doing double duty being officially Acting Chief of Staff. The outage delays interviews Tom would have had with potential vice-presidential candidates, Tom who has to be careful in his choice of nominee following the issue with Peter MacLeish's treason as VP. Tom, who would gladly go without a VP until the next election especially as he has not yet had a satisfactory interview with any of the choices Emily and Lyor have brought before him, has a deadline to beat a damning article to be published on the vetting process. And without power at city hall, Tom offers the White House to DC Mayor Eleanor Darby as a command center to deal with issues concerning the outage. In the process, Tom and Mayor Darby, who have generally had a cordial enough professional relationship, butt heads in how to deal with the looting and what looks to be the imminent rioting. On a good news/bad news item, Tom at least has Trey, with who he has reconciled and who has just moved to DC after being fired from his New York job, to be his personal support especially for Penny. With Emily missing, Seth learns that despite what he thought was their official break-up, that Emily has bought him something for their six month anniversary. He not only has to buy a reciprocal gift, but has to figure out what it is and how to get it within the circumstances of the work commitments and the power outage. And in reality, Emily and Lyor are stuck in a darkened, powerless elevator. In their confinement, they may either bond as human beings in learning more about the other - something difficult for Lyor - or kill each other in their differences. více |
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| 15. | | Summit |  President Kirkman travels to Camp David to broker a peace treaty between East and West Hun Chiu, while Seth and Emily take a look at their relationship and decide how and if to move forward as a couple.
The rogue dictatorship regime of East Hun Chiu, led by Chairman Kim, fires a missile as a test over the west backed West Hun Chiu - led by President Han - the two countries who are already at official war, a demilitarized zone separating the two countries. East Hun Chiu's actions are just before Tom is to host a summit at Camp David between the two countries to start the negotiations to peace, Tom who has to advance the summit due to Chairman Kim's provocative action. Tom knows that the key to peace is each country feeling safe from the other, which may require military styled steps to achieve. As such, Tom calls in a new friend for a favor in advancing the talks. But when the talks look like they may be derailed by an issue external to the talks themselves, Tom has to decide if he should/could call in the assistance of Cornelius, who may still be smarting after being fired by Tom, especially as a former President himself. Adding to the complicated situation is that the US administration learns Kim's son, Joon Kim, wants to defect to the west in feeling his father's paranoia which has already led to him killing anyone he felt disloyal to his regime. Tom can't let Chairman Kim know what's happening with Joon, Tom who feels Joon would be an asset to inform them if Chairman Kim is working on a nuclear program, which he has long denied. Joon has his own demands before cooperating, namely to get his girlfriend, Jung-Min, out as well, as once the Chairman learns of Joon's defection, Joon fears Jung-Min would not be safe. The problem is that Jung-Min is ensconced behind the fortress that is the East Hun Chiu consulate. Meanwhile, Lyor runs into an old colleague, Greg Bowen, at the summit, he who is officially part of the East Hun Chiu delegation, the two men who detest each other. What is obvious to Seth but to which Lyor seems totally oblivious is that the two men are alike in their idiosyncrasies. By the end of the summit, Seth will learn just how much alike the two men really are. And for insurance purposes, Kendra is asking both Seth and Emily to sign official disclosures as to their relationship in light of the White House's non-fraternization policy, the disclosure to prevent issues such as Seth, Emily's official subordinate, from ever claiming anything like sexual harassment. This process places their relationship into a different light, especially for Emily. She is dealing with this issue as she also has been tasked with finding the mole in the administration who has been leaking sensitive information to the media. více |
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| 16. | | Fallout |  President Kirkman and his team receive credible intelligence that a dirty bomb is on U.S. soil, Emily asks Chuck to help her with something that has dangerous and illegal consequences.
Following the Camp David summit with Chairman Kim and his entourage still in the US, Tom and his staff learn that there is a dirty bomb on American soil, the evidence pointing to Kim and the East Hun Chiu regime the ones behind the bomb. Although Kim denies the direct accusation, Tom is able to keep Kim in the US on the guise of his own safety of not knowing where the bomb is, keeping him in the hope that his operatives will not detonate it in fear of what would happen to Kim in the hands of the Americans. While the White House staff follows the leads of how any of the radioactive materials could have made their way into the US, Hannah and Detective Blakey, who still have Joon in protective custody, hope to pry him for information into further activities of his father related to the matter. When the bomb is discovered to be somewhere in the metropolitan DC area, Tom, the senior members of the executive branch and his senior staff have to go into lock-down into the bunker. Tom, however, believes it still better not to make a public announcement of a bomb until they know the exact location in fear of mass panic. As such, Seth has to run interference especially with the media, which may not be that easy seeing as to the tenacity of reporter Simon Day, who had previously been made privy to other government secrets. As the White House goes into lock-down, Hannah and Blakey believe the origination of the bomb is not quite what it appears on the surface, albeit it still originating with East Hun Chiu. This event marks the first direct contact between Forstell and Tom since the First Lady's death, Forstell who believes his relationship with his Commander-in-Chief boss strained because of the events with the First Lady. And Emily wants Kendra to to begin the proceedings to appoint a special prosecutor to deal with President Moss and what could be considered his treasonous activities. This item could place a wedge between Emily and Kendra, the latter who needs the process to follow the letter of the law. více |
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| 17. | | Overkill |  President Kirkman declares war on Kunami after a deadly explosion, while Hannah Wells finds that the Kunami ambassador is hiding something that could have deadly consequences.
Tom has ordered missile strikes on Kunami in retaliation for the dirty bomb the Kunami government detonated in the Washington DC metro station, and against Lyor's advice Tom has no qualms about calling it a declaration of war. The strikes will continue until the Emir of Kunami unconditionally surrenders, which includes an admission that he was behind the bombing. Those diplomatic discussions with the Emir are being handled through the Kunami Ambassador to the US, the discussions which seem to be stalled. Through the process, Tom has to decide what the end goal is, namely if the abdication of the Emir is sufficient to stop the missile strikes. The US receives intelligence as to a means to contact Amal Hamzi, the Kunami opposition leader who has been in hiding, his ascension to power which would end the conflict. Being in hiding, he is incommunicado via modern technological means. As such, Hannah, acting on behalf of the President to make an official offer of support, accompanied by a Navy SEAL team, need go clandestinely into Kunami territory to find Hamzi, they needing to trust that their Kunami handlers are indeed leading them to Hamzi. Tricia is unaware that her brother, Sgt. Royce Sims, is part of the Kunami mission, she turning to Mike as former special ops for some reassurance that not hearing from Royce of late means nothing. Meanwhile, Damian and Chuck continue to work on finding out the source of the hacks. While they do make some progress, Chuck does not take too kindly to sitting side-by-side with someone who tried to kill Hannah and who will be provided immunity if his efforts do indeed find the source of the hacks. více |
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| 18. | | Kirkman Agonistes |  As more leaks surface from President Kirkman's confidential therapy sessions, Vice President Darby meets secretly with the Cabinet, leading to attorney Ethan West looking into the president's past.
The latest issue in the continuing series of computer hacks has Dr. Louden's private recordings outlining Tom's therapy sessions made public, those therapy sessions which were not known to the public let alone the salacious nature of what snippets have been released thus far, which portray Tom as being possibly unstable mentally. With Dr. Louden admitting that there are about seven hours of recordings, Tom knows the leaks of the recordings will only continue and probably get worse in terms of what is divulged. To deal with the recordings, the White House staff want to portray Tom as the victim and that the recordings were meant to be for Dr. Louden's own use within the context of the private sessions. Dr. Louden, in turn, has to decide how much he will state publicly in the sanctity of taking the Hippocratic oath which is meant to protect patients, such as Tom. The staff also needs to find Tom's political supporters to bolster the administration under these trying circumstances. They may not only find that those supporters are hard to come by, but that the recordings will have a negative impact on the day-to-day dealings the White House has with government as well as non-government officials. In the process, Tom finds that he will have a fight for his political life. Under the circumstances, one staffer contemplates falling on the proverbial sword for some past misjudgment, which if it comes to light, would further damage Tom's credibility. The staff in general also advises Tom to cancel all public appearances, including at the National Science Fair which he was supposed to co-judge with Dr. Frost at the White House. Meanwhile, Aaron, Hannah, Damian and Chuck continue to investigate the source of the hacks. Because senior staff comprises the majority of the people who knew about the therapy sessions, they the ones who advised him to go into therapy, they move to the top of the suspect list as being behind the hacks. All the team knows is that the hacker goes by the handle "Gamine", an anagram for Enigma in reference to Dr. Alan Turing. Damian turns to an old source for some intel, this move which if known may further place Damian's credibility in jeopardy. více |
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| 19. | | Capacity |  As attorney Ethan West's investigation begins, he calls upon President Kirkman's closest advisers and staff.
The secret 25th Amendment proceedings are underway, with Ethan West only officially calling four witnesses: Dr. Louden, Aaron, Emily and Tom himself, although he is free is call whomever else he wants as the proceedings progress. Despite Kendra's assurances that they will win, Tom knows that his chances of ending the day as President are slim at best, especially as it is incumbent on them to prove that he deserves to keep the job. As things go from bad to worse, other testimony may have other repercussions on Tom's presidency regardless of the outcome. Some of the senior staff also muse about the "what if"s as they too may be out of jobs by day's end. Meanwhile, Tom still has to finalize the budget by the end of the day, failure to do so which will cause the government to shut down. Getting wind of the 25th Amendment proceedings, the majority Senate leaders decide to play hardball in requesting some last minute changes to the budget to which Tom had not previously agreed. Tom has to decide within this matter what he wants his legacy as president to be in either caving in to the demands or holding strong forcing the shutdown. And Hannah is certain that Dr. Frost is behind the hacks despite not having that conclusive piece of evidence. The evidence that Hannah does have is not enough to convince either Aaron or more importantly Tom, whose directive to Hannah is to find that conclusive evidence. Hannah has to decide what to do under the circumstances, as friends have died in service at the hands of the hacker, as there is the national security aspect making stopping the hacker of some urgency, and as Dr. Frost herself ends up having some connection to the 25th Amendment proceedings. více |
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| 20. | | Bad Reception |  President Kirkman negotiates with a foreign government to release an American being held overseas while the investigation of the hacker continues.
The US is in sensitive unofficial talks with the government of Bhutan regarding Bhutan's want to extract oil from an ecologically sensitive neighboring island which requires bipartisan approval and which the US will not grant. As leverage, Bhutan is holding an American citizen, Matthew Jennings, for some minor graffiti he did in Bhutan, he possibly sentenced to a lengthy and harsh prison term. While the US administration will not negotiate Matthew's release using the oil development as a bargaining chip, a diplomatic incident occurs at the White House which only inflames the situation, with the Bhutanese government blaming the American's for the incident. Matthew's life is at risk because of it. Mike and Chuck are tasked with trying to find out who was the cause of the incident at the White House and how to diffuse the issue with the Bhultanese government based on whatever their findings. Tom also learns that Matthew has new pro bono counsel whose sole mission is to free Matthew at any cost which may work against US policy on the matter. Meanwhile, Steven Flannery, Kendra's former boss and a mentor, is approached by Emily on Kendra's advice to fill a judge vacancy on the DC appellate court. In vetting Flannery, White House staff finds one "blip" in his history. In White House staff investigating that blip to see if it will affect his nomination, Kendra, based on that discovery, reviews her friend's nomination and their own history in a more critical light. And despite being fired, Hannah, in her loyalty to the President, continues to try and find conclusive evidence that Dr. Frost is the behind the series of hacks. In the process, she calls in help from a friend of Tom's and a White House staffer, the latter whose career could be on the line if it is discovered that he used White House resources to assist Hannah. více |
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| 21. | | Target |  White House Counsel Kendra Daynes ends up in a dangerous situation putting another staffer's life at risk, while Hannah Wells unexpectedly takes a trip to find answers.
Tom, Emily and Aaron have managed to achieve bipartisan support for the ambitious defense plan and associated budget. But by the time it comes ready to approve the budget, both the Senate majority and minority leader renege on that support all having to do with both parties trying to woo Tom in being their presidential nominee in the next election sixteen months away, the likelihood of an incumbent winning being higher, and Tom turning both of them down, he preferring to remain an Independent if he does decide to seek reelection. The team has to decide how Tom should handle the situation as if both the Republicans and Democrats will continue to play hardball with him unless he sides with one of them, he will be a lame duck president for the remainder of his term with the likelihood that he won't see a second term even if he wants one. In the process, they learn that one side does have a fallback candidate which would also make Tom's run for a second term more difficult. Another problem that Tom is facing is that President Moss, despite not being the hacker, is making waves about Tom's inexperience making him a poor Commander in Chief. Tom is still angry about what he sees as Cornelius' disloyalty in leaking classified information to the press to further his own agenda. Tom, on feedback from Lyor and Emily, thinks he has a way to deal with Moss using an independent third party. Meanwhile, Kendra takes some time for herself to go on an unexpected date, the first in quite a while, but one that has larger repercussions within the White House. This aspect of her life coincides with a break-in at her apartment. With some information that comes to light, the investigators and Kendra believe the break-in was targeted and has something to do with one of her old cases. The investigation has the possibility to lead to tragic consequences on multiple levels. And Hannah has handed in her badge and gun so that she can go after Valeria Poreskova without placing a black mark on the White House. She will find that not having the backing of her usual supports in an official capacity may be problematic as she discovers that Valeria has her own game plan already in place to combat Hannah's moves. více |
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| 22. | | Run |  A natural disaster endangers two White House staffers while President Kirkman makes an announcement no one saw coming, as well as dealing with turmoil from the hacker and congressional investigation.
As President Kirkman continues to deal with the turmoil surrounding the hacker and Congressional investigation, a natural disaster threatens the lives of two White House staffers. Meanwhile, Kirkman's closest allies are surprised when the president makes an announcement no one saw coming.
Tom's presidency receives another blow as his decision to hire Ethan West to conduct an impartial investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing by President Moss backfires, Ethan who is recommending the Attorney General instead press charges against Tom, largely for activities conducted by Hannah on his behalf. Tom has to decide if he will accept the bipartisan senate compromise to avoid those criminal charges, either option which would effectively end his political career. Before Tom decides how to proceed, he has his senior staff of Kendra, Emily and Aaron try to devise other means to save his presidency while avoiding the charges. Whatever senior staff comes up with cannot involve Hannah who has gone off the grid. Unaware to Aaron who is her primary contact within the White House, where she has gone is London to protect Damian's teenaged daughter, Amy Bleecker, who Valeria is after. Hannah has to try and convince Amy that she is there to help her - not an easy task as Amy has no idea of her father's true work - while discover what Valeria's end game is, which involves something that Damian was hiding. Back with the White House staff, Lyor and Seth are tasked with dealing with an issue with the American territory of Taurasi, where a vote was held in favor of independence. Lyor and Seth have to convince the Governor of Taurasi not to sign the independence declaration, they seeing such a move for other strategic American territories to follow suit. And Leo hears back from the colleges to which he applied, he afraid to divulge to his father his true want for his post-secondary life. Against this backdrop of activity, a natural disaster occurs which affects the US directly and more close to home the lives of two White House staffers. Beyond finding and ensuring that those two staffers are alive and safe, and to provide aid to any US citizens to return back to the States, Tom wants to provide meaningful humanitarian aide. To do so, he will have to overcome political obstacles, which are placed in front of him with the pending charges against him. více |
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Sdílet
Ukrainian nationalists hijack a Russian Air flight.
Now, one year into office, Kirkman is a Commander-in-chief determined to rebuild the capitol and capture the terrorists behind the catastrophic attack on the United States. When Ukrainian nationalists hijack a Russian Air flight, the president is faced with a hostage situation in which his diplomatic skills are put to the test. 
FBI Agent Hannah Wells finally closes in on Patrick Lloyd, but when the president decides to take action during the White House Correspondents Dinner, members of the Homeland Security Council threaten to derail their plans.
Chuck is able to identify on surveillance footage that Patrick Lloyd has returned to Washington, DC. The team is easily able to track him without ever seeing his face. Having tracked him for several months now, Hannah and Damian realize that he has either truly eluded them or is leading them into a trap of some sorts. Lloyd's reemergence is at a bad time for Tom who, with Alex and Alex's mother Eva, is going into the annual correspondents dinner, which is supposed to be light-hearted. That light-hearted tone is not helped by Seth being the speech writer, he who has to insert a few jokes, in the process realizing that he has a different sense of humor than the average Joe or Jane. In the Lloyd matter, Tom has to balance the need for national security against his vow to the public to be transparent in the matter. He does however understand that he is not a one-person show as government and has to keep Congress and a Homeland Security Senate Subcommittee abreast of what's happening. When Hannah and Damian believe they have Lloyd cornered, Tom has to make an even more difficult decision to do what he believes will be the best thing for public safety - especially if thousands of lives are at risk - against doing something potentially considered illegal. If they get wind that he is contemplating doing the latter, civil libertarians may make the decision for him. That decision for Tom becomes even more difficult when he believes Lloyd's grudge is now personal against him, which also means against his family. 
President and the team try to fight a virus outbreak while Hannah investigate the breadcrumb left behind by Patrick Lloyd.
The activities at the White House this day include Kendra's first major assignment of mediation between affected stakeholders of what to do about a statue of a Confederate war general in Tennessee, he who is now deemed a racist - keeping the statue at its current prominent location which has an unexpected supporter - and the unveiling of a creature biologically named after Tom. Lyor finds the choice of creature offensive to his boss while Seth has to figure out a way to spin it positively to the public. These issues take a back seat when a public health crisis occurs, with a deadly avian flu outbreak in South Carroll Parish, Louisiana. First reports are that there is a forty percent fatality rate of those infected. Dr. Tammy Bruner with the CDC believes the outbreak will spread throughout the country in the matter of days if not contained despite the relatively isolated nature of South Carroll Parish. Dr. Bruner heads to the front line to deal with the outbreak. Although she reports back that there are no current pharmaceuticals to prevent the flu and that the development of a vaccine would take months, she believes there is an experimental drug developed for a different purpose by a pharmaceutical company owned by Carlton Mackie that may control the flu. Although Mackie is somewhat cooperative in his initial meeting with Tom, Tom learns that Mackie has different priorities, such as making money and ensuring the long term viability of his company, which, if he gets his way, would result in unnecessary immediate deaths in South Carroll Parish, a relatively poor and predominantly black community. The other goings-on in the White House this day could affect what happens between Tom and Mackie. Meanwhile, Chuck is trying to decrypt the file Lloyd sent to the cloud before the drone strike, while Hannah and Damian continue to follow up on the incident at the First Lady's mother's house. They know that Lloyd's actions there were not by accident, he leaving a trail of bread crumbs to what he wants them to discover whatever it is. 
Tensions rise between America and Mexico when a Mexican citizen is shot during a border dispute regarding Mexican trade imports; and Kirkman and his staff must work quickly to resolve the situation and create a new trade deal.
Trade negotiations between the US and Mexico are going badly, with no one on either side happy with what the other has put forward, and certain negotiators on both sides taking hard lines. This standoff has led to American truckers placing roadblocks at the US-Mexico border crossings, not allowing specifically Mexican truckers to cross into the United States with their goods. A Mexican trucker by the name of Jose Menez runs one of those border crossings, in the process being shot dead by the gunfire by border officials and civilians on both sides of the border. It is eventually determined that he was killed by an American bullet. Tom and those in the White House have now not only to deal with the trade impasse but the fact that a Mexican citizen was killed on American soil by an American bullet. Tom has to decide how far to go to deal with the issue, including if he should exploit the grief and suffering of Menez's wife, an undocumented Mexican long having lived in the States. Although Aaron knows that his first priority is to carry out the President's agenda, he gets caught in the middle of this issue as a Mexican-American, certain people who he thinks are trying to exploit that fact for their own benefit. With this issue dominating the goings-on in the White House, Emily can't be distracted by the work of an officious bureaucrat named Maya Dunning, whose sole purpose in the White House at this time is to deal with a broken vase, albeit an expensive one, in the office wing of the building. Maya is determined to discover who broke it, she, based on circumstantial evidence, believing that it was Penny. As it a matter that crosses the line between his professional and personal life, Tom has to take the time out of his busy schedule to deal with the matter. Meanwhile, Hannah, in figuring out what to do with the circumstantial evidence that looks like Alex's mom accepted a bribe thirty years ago in the awarding of a government contract, speaks to John off the record. Despite Hannah's first priority being to protect the President, she still needs to find out the truth and in the process has to protect herself in how she proceeds solely in carrying out her job responsibilities. 
When a senator appears on the national news and misrepresents a private conversation with the president, Kirkman must win back the American people's trust, while MI-6 Agent Damian Rennett joins forces with FBI Agent Hannah Wells to help solve an international murder.
Tom and those at the White House are facing two crises. First, British MP Charlotte Thorn, in DC for a G20 meeting, is shot dead while jogging in a local park. In addition to Hannah, Damian returns on behalf of the British government to investigate. Because Thorn was scheduled to make a damning speech on the illegal arms trade, Hannah and Damian, stemming from a discussion with the Brits, turn to Darius Cray as their first suspect, he an arms dealer who coincidentally also happens to be in town. And second, Tom is looking for bipartisan support for a pension bailout package sponsored by the Democrats. He turns to a friend, Republican Senator Alan Rouse with who he plays recreational hockey, for that support from the other side of the aisle. Despite believing such a bailout is charity in which the government should not be involved, Rouse gives Tom his support behind closed doors. However, Rouse goes to the media speaking against the bailout, but more importantly makes a statement of fact of something Tom said in that behind closed door discussion which makes it sound like Tom believes the American public is a bunch of suckers as Rouse takes the statement out of context. Previously seen as being an advocate for the average Joe and Jane, this statement by Rouse could derail Tom's entire agenda as his base begins to desert him. Hannah and Damian finding Thorn's killer could help change the channel to a positive message. Beyond discovering why Rouse, a supposed friend, turned on him, Tom, with Lyor and Emily's advice, has to decide what to do, and whether he should shoot below the belt against Rouse as a defense as Lyor wants. Meanwhile, Alex is looking for the appropriate legal counsel to represent her mother in the bribery case, which John has launched. Alex is not totally comfortable with who she eventually chooses based on Tom's suggestion. She does not realize that she may harm her mother's case more than help it as she becomes too emotionally involved in the proceedings. 
When a U.S. Navy ship containing secret surveillance becomes stranded in enemy waters, President Kirkman must negotiate the crew and ship's release. If captured, the technology on board would create a massive threat to national security. Meanwhile. Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes reconnects with someone from her childhood.
The USS Verona, a naval destroyer, runs off course in bad weather and ventures three miles off the coast of Kunami, considered an unfriendly regime to the US, in the Persian Gulf. There, the ship collides with a Kunami garbage barge, rendering the Verona disabled, the Captain killed in the process in being sucked out of one of the resulting holes. The ship, regardless of the reason for it being in enemy waters, is seen by the Kunami government as a hostile act by the US. Tom, whose first priority to is bring the sailors home safely, wants to take a diplomatic approach so as not to escalate the rhetoric and thus the potential for war. Tom has to decide how far to go with diplomacy, especially if it doesn't seem to get them anywhere, before taking a more drastic approach. Things could change if Tom finds out the reason for the destroyer being where it is, and the true nature of the accident. Thrown into the mix are the actions of the acting Captain, Will Griffin. Meanwhile, Emily is overly preoccupied with the thought of reuniting with someone she has not seen in twenty-three years. That reunion switches between being bitter and sweet as that reunion extends to a tour of the White House. Despite Kendra quashing the subpoena against Eva, the legal battle for her continues, which Tom understands in John's need to seem impartial in his work for the FBI. Kendra thus wants unfettered access to Eva. The discussions between the two take a turn when Eva divulges some information which could place the Kirkmans in a bad light in the matter. And Hannah and Damian focus their attentions on Catherine Cray as the probable mastermind within the family of illegal arms deals and thus the chief suspect in Charlotte Thorn's murder. An incident outside of Hannah and Damian's interrogation of her may change the course of that interrogation. 
When a Turkish activist ignites protests in the U.S., Turkey's president demands his extradition while the first family unknowingly finds themselves in the center of a battle that could threaten Leo's future.
Tom is being hit on multiple sides, with Lyor, Emily, Seth and Aaron trying to mitigate the problem by trying to push whichever they deem the least harmful item to Tom and the administration to the top of the news cycle. Leading into a NATO summit in DC, they learn that Turkish president Fatih Turan, who Tom does not much like, wants to raise significantly the leases on strategic air fields in Turkey, they believing to build up a war chest for an upcoming election. If Tom doesn't agree, Turan may hand the leases over to the Russians which would give them the upper hand in the Middle East. At a joint press conference with Tom and Turan where the prepared scripts are exchanges of diplomatic niceties regarding the items to be discussed at the summit, Turan blindsides Tom by going off script, accusing Tom of harboring who Turan sees as his primary political opponent, Nuresh Sahin, who he wants extradited back to Turkey to face charges of treason for an unsuccessful coup. Tom, who has seen no concrete evidence to support Turan's claim and knows that Sahin will be immediately executed if he is sent back to Turkey, has to decide if Sahin, one man and a non-American at that, is expendable within the bigger picture, Sahin who is in the US as a visiting scholar. Secretary of State Moss is supposed to represent the US at one of the summit's more important meetings, however Hannah informs the administration that Moss is now a person of interest in the still unsolved Charlotte Thorn assassination. Moss not being forthright in that investigation led by Hannah and Damian may further tarnish the administration. At one of the protests outside the Turkish embassy, Leo, who is walking to a restaurant with his new girlfriend Sibyl, is approached by one of the protesters. Their resulting altercation has Leo pushing the man to the ground in an effort to protect Sibyl. That man, Peter Jan, presses assault charges against Leo. Eva, on Kendra's counsel, decides voluntarily to be questioned by Forstell in the hopes that he does not know about Eva running into Eric Little six months ago. Concurrently, Tiffany Gimble of the White House press corps, she representing one of the smaller but more determined media outlets, approaches Seth wanting an exclusive with the President regarding some information she has about the investigation of Eva, Seth and Tom not knowing what Tiffany does or does not know most specifically with regard to that issue with Eric Little six months ago. If Tom and his staff discover truths in any of these matters, they may find that some of the issues are interrelated and can be dealt with by exposing those connections. 
Kirkman embarks on a secret mission to Afghanistan.
While on a secret mission to Afghanistan, President Kirkman meets with two infamous warlords and must determine whom he can trust to hand over territories to the United States, while Seth has a run-in with Washington D.C. police that puts his job, reputation and future in the White House on the line.
Tom, accompanied by a small contingent - Aaron as assistant/strategist, and Mike as security - is on a secret two day mission to Afghanistan, specifically Bagram. Outwardly, the trip is for Tom to thank personally on behalf of the American people the troops serving the country. The concurrent secret mission, with strategic issues handled by Hannah, is to meet individually with two feuding Afghan warlords, Mullah Bahri and Mullah Fayad, arguably the two most powerful in the region. Tom wants to set up a strategic alliance with one in an effort to take control of the conflict and hopefully bring the American troops home in the thus far close to twenty year American involvement. However, Hannah and her team have discovered through monitoring of chatter that one of the two is planning an attack on US soil, it uncertain which one. If Tom makes the wrong choice of with who to set up the alliance, he could be handing that person a free pass for that attack to happen. When a major incident occurs on the trip, further circumstantial evidence begins to point to the one planning the terrorist attack, which is one more factor but not a decisive piece on which to make a definitive decision. Hannah and Mike are tasked with another aspect of dealing with the incident, which may not be a comfortable working relationship in their differing views of how holistically to serve and protect the President. Meanwhile, Emily is in charge at the White House, her main task, with Seth and Lyor's assistance, to ensure that the goings-on in the President's absence run smoothly, but perhaps more importantly that the press corps and thus the American people do not know that Tom is away at all. Emily's tasks end up being made all the more difficult as issues arise concerning both Seth and Lyor, legal issues which require Kendra's expertise to mitigate. While Lyor's is more a personal one that would cost him financially and be more of an embarrassment than anything, Seth's is one, if it comes to light, which could cost him his job, that specific incident which includes being stopped by a DC police officer while out with his visiting brother, Mike, the two celebrating Mike's recent MCAT results. 
The White House takes action on letters to Kirkman.
After sorting through thousands of letters all requesting something of the president, the White House staff are assigned three, with Emily, Seth, Aaron, Lyor and Kendra joining forces to get answers and possibly save a life. Meanwhile, Hannah and Damian continue to chase down leads to exonerate the first lady, but in the end, Hannah learns the truth may be closer than she thinks.
It's three-letter day at the White House, the day every month the President chooses three from among the thousands of letters addressed to him from the public for senior staff to investigate directly to advise him in how to proceed in answering the letter. Emily and Aaron are assigned to investigate a letter by Allison Goff, the widow of Sergeant First Class Daniel Goff, asking why her husband was denied the Medal of Honor despite a fellow soldier informing Allison of Daniel's heroics during his final mission. Mike, as former special ops, may have some insight into this letter and what Emily and Aaron find on the surface. Seth and Lyor are assigned to investigate the letter of beekeeper Eddie Adamson, who believes the actions of the FAA are killing his bees, an indicator species. While Lyor relishes this assignment, Seth reads something into why he was assigned this seemingly low-level letter. And Kendra, on what is her first three letter day, is assigned to investigate an anonymous letter requesting the pardon in the death penalty case of pharmacist Chandler Dern, convicted of killing a DEA agent who suspected him of selling ketamine on the black market. The unusual aspect of that letter is that is Dern previously appealed the sentence but not the conviction. Kendra has an extra discussion with both the President and First Lady about the FBI's case against her, where Forstell is willing to seal the proceedings in exchange for Alex not moving to quash the subpoena. The only damning evidence against her is the St. Lucia bank account, which Hannah is assigned to investigate. They may find that Forstell has ulterior motives in all his recent actions. With all three letters, Tom has to find a balance between justice and what is best for those involved, which may not be justice in a legal sense. 
It's Christmastime and President Kirkman is alerted to a group of religious extremists who refuse to evacuate when a forest fire threatens to engulf their cabin. Deploying Emily and Aaron to help diffuse the situation, Kirkman must act quickly to save multiple lives at stake. Meanwhile, the First Lady finally gives her testimony to the FBI director, while what happens next changes the lives of the Kirkman family forever.
It's the Christmas season. There's a group of young carolers trying to bring cheer to those at the White House, the President and staff who are all too preoccupied to enjoy the festivities as of yet. Tom and the senior staff are dealing with a wildfire in Virginia that has been burning now for close to a month. The decision has been made to let the fire burn itself out as the most ecologically friendly course of action. However, there is a group of Christian religious extremists in the path of the fire, they who refuse to leave their forest retreat as a pseudo means of protest against the court decision to let the authorities take custody of Grace Morgan, the six-month old daughter of congregant Carey Morgan. Grace requires a surgery to save her life which involves a blood transfusion in which the church does not believe. The small group of twenty will voluntarily leave once Grace is returned to Carey's custody before any medical intervention is done that goes against their teachings. Tom and his staff have to find the right balance between respecting religious freedoms, respecting the role of a parent and wanting to do what's "right" for a baby who otherwise has no power in the matter, all the while trying to save lives, whether it be the twenty holed up in the woods, those on the front line who are dealing with the twenty and are risking their lives in the process, or baby Grace. And Kendra and Alex continue to deal with the subpoena for Alex to appear before the FBI, with the two and Tom also continuing to differ on the best approach to take. Alex's main priority in the matter is to end it all as quickly as possible. These competing priorities flavor their proposal to Forstell and what they do about Forstell's counter-proposal to them. Meanwhile, Hannah begins to suspect that it was Damian who tipped off Lang and thus may be working against her and the White House in the investigation against the First Lady. Hannah needs to bring Aaron into the fray. She, however, wants to lead the investigation against Damian as the one person in authority closest to him and who he may trust the most, and as she has a more personal stake herself. 
After 10 weeks of grief, the President's senior staff insists he see a therapist to help deal with his loss. Hanna and Aaron are part of a trade delegation to Cuba but the trip doesn't go well.
It's been ten weeks since Alex was killed in a tragic traffic accident. Since, Tom has been a ghost of a president, he not having made any significant decisions which is crippling the country. Although his senior staff realizes it, Tom himself doesn't, and as such they have recommended that he go into therapy with Dr. Adam Louden. The outcome of that therapy will be tested concerning a trade mission to Cuba organized between US Senator Sanchez and Cuban President Ortega. Beyond a bipartisan group of senators and congresspeople, the mission includes key business people hoping to do business in Cuba, with Aaron and Hannah, the latter on probation due to the point blank shooting of Damian Rennett, providing White House staff services. That mission turns into a crisis when the American trade representatives, including Aaron and Hannah, are taken hostage by a rebel group opposed to Ortega and his dealings with the Americans. The situation is already difficult enough due to the tenuous nature of the relationship between the US and Cuba without Tom's hesitancy, his world view now to keep as many people safe which in the long run may actually jeopardize more lives. Something that Hannah secretly learns as a hostage may be key if she can only get that information back to the White House. Meanwhile, Lyor has gone through yet another assistant, the next candidate, Tricia Sims, who he dismisses before she even really begins, which may be a mistake on his part. And Emily and Seth's personal relationship seems to be stalled, at least on Emily's side. 
After a missile intending to bring water to the stranded astronauts in space is hacked, the President must work with the Russians to help save their lives and find the culprit.
Damian, coming in from the cold, is being interrogated by Hannah and Aaron regarding his status as a double agent working for the Russians. Because of what happens external to the interrogation, Hannah and Aaron have no other option but to believe his assertion that he has information and can assist in following up on leads on an issue with which Tom and those in the war room are currently dealing. A software malfunction - what ends up being a computer hack - with the Soyuz space capsule at the International Space Station (ISS) has led to a depletion of potable water at the ISS, they needing to get over the malfunction even to get a capsule to the ISS to deliver fresh water. The astronauts at the ISS are in imminent danger if the situation cannot be overcome. While Hannah and Damian work on the issue of the hack which does involve the Russians peripherally, Tom calls in a consultant from the business community, that act which has unintended consequences in the White House in Lyor's previous dealings with her. On the diplomatic front, the Russians cooperating with whatever the White House decides may not be easy, despite there being two Russian astronauts at the ISS, those difficulties due to national security issues. This diplomacy may have some negative fallout with which Tom may not fully comprehend in his continued grief. Meanwhile, Tom also has to deal with some issues concerning Penny, who, unlike her general sensitive nature, has lately been getting into fights at school. While knowing that the fights have something to do with Alex's death, Tom just telling Penny not to get into the fights may not deal with the core issue on which Penny's principal may be able to shed some light. 
The team must minimize the fallout of the President visiting a prison. A surprise White House demonstration has a closer tie to the President than anyone first realizes.
The leaked surveillance footage of Tom's visit to the prison to confront Evan Beeman is causing him and the White House PR problems, Tom who refuses to address the "unpresidential nature" of the footage publicly. Hannah and Aaron are following up on the leak, they figuring that it may be connected to the ISS hack, meaning that they still need Damian's assistance, he who purports not to know anything about the prison footage hack. As Hannah and Aaron follow up on leads regarding that issue, Lyor believes that another emerging issue may overtake the prison footage on the news cycle. A group on a White House tour stage a sit-in, they being members of the Ocheole Nation, a non-recognized native tribe based in the Florida panhandle. Their leader, Lacy Cousins, wants to meet with Tom. Their issue, which is not federal jurisdiction, is that they are being displaced in the next phase of a land development, this not the first time it has happened. The initial phase was contracted to Tom's architectural firm eighteen years ago, the displacement of the Ocheole at that time of which Tom was not aware when he signed the contract. With each displacement, the Ocheole become more dispersed as a people to the point of near extinction. Tom has to find a way to make this right, which may require bringing in his old right hand man at the firm, Billy Winton, and the developer, Alton Prast. The negotiation is not as clear cut as he would like. Through the process, Lyor gets sidetracked by something he sees with one of the Ocheole at the sit-in. Meanwhile, the initial meeting of the trustees of Alex's foundation post her death are meeting at the White House, all the trustees hand picked by her. One of those trustees is Trey Kirkman, Tom's younger brother from whom he is virtually estranged, despite Alex having kept him in Leo and Penny's lives. Trey's actions at the meeting may bring to a head the issues that exist between the brothers. 
President Kirkman enlists the aid of D.C. mayor Eleanor Darby to help curb panic when a blackout threatens to shutdown the government. But, is that the extent of the relationship?
A power outage, caused by the latest computer hack, has left the entire Washington DC area in the dark, the generator at the White House which can provide power for eight hours. While Chuck deals with the hacks themselves including this one and trying to work to figure out a technological solution to overcome it, the power outage has caused major problems. With his ankle bracelet not functioning, Damian is able to escape from the safe house. With what surveillance is still operational, Hannah goes on his trail and finds something about his goings-on that hit her a little more personally. Emily and Lyor are MIA after a meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Omono to rubber stamp a deferment of payment on a Japanese loan of $600 million due at midnight. However, without information from the missing pair, Omono has denied the request. The power outage has made electronic transfer of the moneys before the deadline near impossible. With Emily missing, Aaron is doing double duty being officially Acting Chief of Staff. The outage delays interviews Tom would have had with potential vice-presidential candidates, Tom who has to be careful in his choice of nominee following the issue with Peter MacLeish's treason as VP. Tom, who would gladly go without a VP until the next election especially as he has not yet had a satisfactory interview with any of the choices Emily and Lyor have brought before him, has a deadline to beat a damning article to be published on the vetting process. And without power at city hall, Tom offers the White House to DC Mayor Eleanor Darby as a command center to deal with issues concerning the outage. In the process, Tom and Mayor Darby, who have generally had a cordial enough professional relationship, butt heads in how to deal with the looting and what looks to be the imminent rioting. On a good news/bad news item, Tom at least has Trey, with who he has reconciled and who has just moved to DC after being fired from his New York job, to be his personal support especially for Penny. With Emily missing, Seth learns that despite what he thought was their official break-up, that Emily has bought him something for their six month anniversary. He not only has to buy a reciprocal gift, but has to figure out what it is and how to get it within the circumstances of the work commitments and the power outage. And in reality, Emily and Lyor are stuck in a darkened, powerless elevator. In their confinement, they may either bond as human beings in learning more about the other - something difficult for Lyor - or kill each other in their differences. 
President Kirkman travels to Camp David to broker a peace treaty between East and West Hun Chiu, while Seth and Emily take a look at their relationship and decide how and if to move forward as a couple.
The rogue dictatorship regime of East Hun Chiu, led by Chairman Kim, fires a missile as a test over the west backed West Hun Chiu - led by President Han - the two countries who are already at official war, a demilitarized zone separating the two countries. East Hun Chiu's actions are just before Tom is to host a summit at Camp David between the two countries to start the negotiations to peace, Tom who has to advance the summit due to Chairman Kim's provocative action. Tom knows that the key to peace is each country feeling safe from the other, which may require military styled steps to achieve. As such, Tom calls in a new friend for a favor in advancing the talks. But when the talks look like they may be derailed by an issue external to the talks themselves, Tom has to decide if he should/could call in the assistance of Cornelius, who may still be smarting after being fired by Tom, especially as a former President himself. Adding to the complicated situation is that the US administration learns Kim's son, Joon Kim, wants to defect to the west in feeling his father's paranoia which has already led to him killing anyone he felt disloyal to his regime. Tom can't let Chairman Kim know what's happening with Joon, Tom who feels Joon would be an asset to inform them if Chairman Kim is working on a nuclear program, which he has long denied. Joon has his own demands before cooperating, namely to get his girlfriend, Jung-Min, out as well, as once the Chairman learns of Joon's defection, Joon fears Jung-Min would not be safe. The problem is that Jung-Min is ensconced behind the fortress that is the East Hun Chiu consulate. Meanwhile, Lyor runs into an old colleague, Greg Bowen, at the summit, he who is officially part of the East Hun Chiu delegation, the two men who detest each other. What is obvious to Seth but to which Lyor seems totally oblivious is that the two men are alike in their idiosyncrasies. By the end of the summit, Seth will learn just how much alike the two men really are. And for insurance purposes, Kendra is asking both Seth and Emily to sign official disclosures as to their relationship in light of the White House's non-fraternization policy, the disclosure to prevent issues such as Seth, Emily's official subordinate, from ever claiming anything like sexual harassment. This process places their relationship into a different light, especially for Emily. She is dealing with this issue as she also has been tasked with finding the mole in the administration who has been leaking sensitive information to the media. 
President Kirkman and his team receive credible intelligence that a dirty bomb is on U.S. soil, Emily asks Chuck to help her with something that has dangerous and illegal consequences.
Following the Camp David summit with Chairman Kim and his entourage still in the US, Tom and his staff learn that there is a dirty bomb on American soil, the evidence pointing to Kim and the East Hun Chiu regime the ones behind the bomb. Although Kim denies the direct accusation, Tom is able to keep Kim in the US on the guise of his own safety of not knowing where the bomb is, keeping him in the hope that his operatives will not detonate it in fear of what would happen to Kim in the hands of the Americans. While the White House staff follows the leads of how any of the radioactive materials could have made their way into the US, Hannah and Detective Blakey, who still have Joon in protective custody, hope to pry him for information into further activities of his father related to the matter. When the bomb is discovered to be somewhere in the metropolitan DC area, Tom, the senior members of the executive branch and his senior staff have to go into lock-down into the bunker. Tom, however, believes it still better not to make a public announcement of a bomb until they know the exact location in fear of mass panic. As such, Seth has to run interference especially with the media, which may not be that easy seeing as to the tenacity of reporter Simon Day, who had previously been made privy to other government secrets. As the White House goes into lock-down, Hannah and Blakey believe the origination of the bomb is not quite what it appears on the surface, albeit it still originating with East Hun Chiu. This event marks the first direct contact between Forstell and Tom since the First Lady's death, Forstell who believes his relationship with his Commander-in-Chief boss strained because of the events with the First Lady. And Emily wants Kendra to to begin the proceedings to appoint a special prosecutor to deal with President Moss and what could be considered his treasonous activities. This item could place a wedge between Emily and Kendra, the latter who needs the process to follow the letter of the law. 
President Kirkman declares war on Kunami after a deadly explosion, while Hannah Wells finds that the Kunami ambassador is hiding something that could have deadly consequences.
Tom has ordered missile strikes on Kunami in retaliation for the dirty bomb the Kunami government detonated in the Washington DC metro station, and against Lyor's advice Tom has no qualms about calling it a declaration of war. The strikes will continue until the Emir of Kunami unconditionally surrenders, which includes an admission that he was behind the bombing. Those diplomatic discussions with the Emir are being handled through the Kunami Ambassador to the US, the discussions which seem to be stalled. Through the process, Tom has to decide what the end goal is, namely if the abdication of the Emir is sufficient to stop the missile strikes. The US receives intelligence as to a means to contact Amal Hamzi, the Kunami opposition leader who has been in hiding, his ascension to power which would end the conflict. Being in hiding, he is incommunicado via modern technological means. As such, Hannah, acting on behalf of the President to make an official offer of support, accompanied by a Navy SEAL team, need go clandestinely into Kunami territory to find Hamzi, they needing to trust that their Kunami handlers are indeed leading them to Hamzi. Tricia is unaware that her brother, Sgt. Royce Sims, is part of the Kunami mission, she turning to Mike as former special ops for some reassurance that not hearing from Royce of late means nothing. Meanwhile, Damian and Chuck continue to work on finding out the source of the hacks. While they do make some progress, Chuck does not take too kindly to sitting side-by-side with someone who tried to kill Hannah and who will be provided immunity if his efforts do indeed find the source of the hacks. 
As more leaks surface from President Kirkman's confidential therapy sessions, Vice President Darby meets secretly with the Cabinet, leading to attorney Ethan West looking into the president's past.
The latest issue in the continuing series of computer hacks has Dr. Louden's private recordings outlining Tom's therapy sessions made public, those therapy sessions which were not known to the public let alone the salacious nature of what snippets have been released thus far, which portray Tom as being possibly unstable mentally. With Dr. Louden admitting that there are about seven hours of recordings, Tom knows the leaks of the recordings will only continue and probably get worse in terms of what is divulged. To deal with the recordings, the White House staff want to portray Tom as the victim and that the recordings were meant to be for Dr. Louden's own use within the context of the private sessions. Dr. Louden, in turn, has to decide how much he will state publicly in the sanctity of taking the Hippocratic oath which is meant to protect patients, such as Tom. The staff also needs to find Tom's political supporters to bolster the administration under these trying circumstances. They may not only find that those supporters are hard to come by, but that the recordings will have a negative impact on the day-to-day dealings the White House has with government as well as non-government officials. In the process, Tom finds that he will have a fight for his political life. Under the circumstances, one staffer contemplates falling on the proverbial sword for some past misjudgment, which if it comes to light, would further damage Tom's credibility. The staff in general also advises Tom to cancel all public appearances, including at the National Science Fair which he was supposed to co-judge with Dr. Frost at the White House. Meanwhile, Aaron, Hannah, Damian and Chuck continue to investigate the source of the hacks. Because senior staff comprises the majority of the people who knew about the therapy sessions, they the ones who advised him to go into therapy, they move to the top of the suspect list as being behind the hacks. All the team knows is that the hacker goes by the handle "Gamine", an anagram for Enigma in reference to Dr. Alan Turing. Damian turns to an old source for some intel, this move which if known may further place Damian's credibility in jeopardy. 
As attorney Ethan West's investigation begins, he calls upon President Kirkman's closest advisers and staff.
The secret 25th Amendment proceedings are underway, with Ethan West only officially calling four witnesses: Dr. Louden, Aaron, Emily and Tom himself, although he is free is call whomever else he wants as the proceedings progress. Despite Kendra's assurances that they will win, Tom knows that his chances of ending the day as President are slim at best, especially as it is incumbent on them to prove that he deserves to keep the job. As things go from bad to worse, other testimony may have other repercussions on Tom's presidency regardless of the outcome. Some of the senior staff also muse about the "what if"s as they too may be out of jobs by day's end. Meanwhile, Tom still has to finalize the budget by the end of the day, failure to do so which will cause the government to shut down. Getting wind of the 25th Amendment proceedings, the majority Senate leaders decide to play hardball in requesting some last minute changes to the budget to which Tom had not previously agreed. Tom has to decide within this matter what he wants his legacy as president to be in either caving in to the demands or holding strong forcing the shutdown. And Hannah is certain that Dr. Frost is behind the hacks despite not having that conclusive piece of evidence. The evidence that Hannah does have is not enough to convince either Aaron or more importantly Tom, whose directive to Hannah is to find that conclusive evidence. Hannah has to decide what to do under the circumstances, as friends have died in service at the hands of the hacker, as there is the national security aspect making stopping the hacker of some urgency, and as Dr. Frost herself ends up having some connection to the 25th Amendment proceedings. 
President Kirkman negotiates with a foreign government to release an American being held overseas while the investigation of the hacker continues.
The US is in sensitive unofficial talks with the government of Bhutan regarding Bhutan's want to extract oil from an ecologically sensitive neighboring island which requires bipartisan approval and which the US will not grant. As leverage, Bhutan is holding an American citizen, Matthew Jennings, for some minor graffiti he did in Bhutan, he possibly sentenced to a lengthy and harsh prison term. While the US administration will not negotiate Matthew's release using the oil development as a bargaining chip, a diplomatic incident occurs at the White House which only inflames the situation, with the Bhutanese government blaming the American's for the incident. Matthew's life is at risk because of it. Mike and Chuck are tasked with trying to find out who was the cause of the incident at the White House and how to diffuse the issue with the Bhultanese government based on whatever their findings. Tom also learns that Matthew has new pro bono counsel whose sole mission is to free Matthew at any cost which may work against US policy on the matter. Meanwhile, Steven Flannery, Kendra's former boss and a mentor, is approached by Emily on Kendra's advice to fill a judge vacancy on the DC appellate court. In vetting Flannery, White House staff finds one "blip" in his history. In White House staff investigating that blip to see if it will affect his nomination, Kendra, based on that discovery, reviews her friend's nomination and their own history in a more critical light. And despite being fired, Hannah, in her loyalty to the President, continues to try and find conclusive evidence that Dr. Frost is the behind the series of hacks. In the process, she calls in help from a friend of Tom's and a White House staffer, the latter whose career could be on the line if it is discovered that he used White House resources to assist Hannah. 
White House Counsel Kendra Daynes ends up in a dangerous situation putting another staffer's life at risk, while Hannah Wells unexpectedly takes a trip to find answers.
Tom, Emily and Aaron have managed to achieve bipartisan support for the ambitious defense plan and associated budget. But by the time it comes ready to approve the budget, both the Senate majority and minority leader renege on that support all having to do with both parties trying to woo Tom in being their presidential nominee in the next election sixteen months away, the likelihood of an incumbent winning being higher, and Tom turning both of them down, he preferring to remain an Independent if he does decide to seek reelection. The team has to decide how Tom should handle the situation as if both the Republicans and Democrats will continue to play hardball with him unless he sides with one of them, he will be a lame duck president for the remainder of his term with the likelihood that he won't see a second term even if he wants one. In the process, they learn that one side does have a fallback candidate which would also make Tom's run for a second term more difficult. Another problem that Tom is facing is that President Moss, despite not being the hacker, is making waves about Tom's inexperience making him a poor Commander in Chief. Tom is still angry about what he sees as Cornelius' disloyalty in leaking classified information to the press to further his own agenda. Tom, on feedback from Lyor and Emily, thinks he has a way to deal with Moss using an independent third party. Meanwhile, Kendra takes some time for herself to go on an unexpected date, the first in quite a while, but one that has larger repercussions within the White House. This aspect of her life coincides with a break-in at her apartment. With some information that comes to light, the investigators and Kendra believe the break-in was targeted and has something to do with one of her old cases. The investigation has the possibility to lead to tragic consequences on multiple levels. And Hannah has handed in her badge and gun so that she can go after Valeria Poreskova without placing a black mark on the White House. She will find that not having the backing of her usual supports in an official capacity may be problematic as she discovers that Valeria has her own game plan already in place to combat Hannah's moves. 
A natural disaster endangers two White House staffers while President Kirkman makes an announcement no one saw coming, as well as dealing with turmoil from the hacker and congressional investigation.
As President Kirkman continues to deal with the turmoil surrounding the hacker and Congressional investigation, a natural disaster threatens the lives of two White House staffers. Meanwhile, Kirkman's closest allies are surprised when the president makes an announcement no one saw coming.
Tom's presidency receives another blow as his decision to hire Ethan West to conduct an impartial investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing by President Moss backfires, Ethan who is recommending the Attorney General instead press charges against Tom, largely for activities conducted by Hannah on his behalf. Tom has to decide if he will accept the bipartisan senate compromise to avoid those criminal charges, either option which would effectively end his political career. Before Tom decides how to proceed, he has his senior staff of Kendra, Emily and Aaron try to devise other means to save his presidency while avoiding the charges. Whatever senior staff comes up with cannot involve Hannah who has gone off the grid. Unaware to Aaron who is her primary contact within the White House, where she has gone is London to protect Damian's teenaged daughter, Amy Bleecker, who Valeria is after. Hannah has to try and convince Amy that she is there to help her - not an easy task as Amy has no idea of her father's true work - while discover what Valeria's end game is, which involves something that Damian was hiding. Back with the White House staff, Lyor and Seth are tasked with dealing with an issue with the American territory of Taurasi, where a vote was held in favor of independence. Lyor and Seth have to convince the Governor of Taurasi not to sign the independence declaration, they seeing such a move for other strategic American territories to follow suit. And Leo hears back from the colleges to which he applied, he afraid to divulge to his father his true want for his post-secondary life. Against this backdrop of activity, a natural disaster occurs which affects the US directly and more close to home the lives of two White House staffers. Beyond finding and ensuring that those two staffers are alive and safe, and to provide aid to any US citizens to return back to the States, Tom wants to provide meaningful humanitarian aide. To do so, he will have to overcome political obstacles, which are placed in front of him with the pending charges against him. 
