Madam Secretary - Left of the Boom - Review: "Ending with a bang"
Feb 21, 2016
DV Madam Secretary ReviewsThe latest Madam Secretary episode saw Elizabeth dealing with Saudi Arabia, but the episode hit much closer to home when it turned out a terrorist attack on US soil was imminent.
Bess basically has a lot of things to deal with in this episode. Her first problem starts when the episode opens in Moldova where two men in a truck are attacked and the driver is killed. We later learn that the truck was full of uranium, and that as been stolen. While no-one things it's really that important, Bess calls the International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau to investigate anyway. Walter Nowack from the ISN Bureau works with Jay to investigate the heist. They find out that the man in the truck who wasn't driving was actually the chief inspector of the power plant. He was taken by whoever attacked the truck. The US later finds the uranium and retrieve it in the middle of buy. The CIA lost a few men, but at least the uranium was safe. Jay is still worried about the uranium.
Problem number 2 is Bess is hosting a conference for women in eduction and her guest speaker is Noura Al-Kitabi. Noura stood up to the government of Saudi Arabian and demanded equal education and the right to work. However, she was attacked with acid and Saudi Arabia is none too thrilled with her speaking at the event. Russell informs Bess that she can't be present at the event, because they want to keep Saudi Arabia pleased. There is an upcoming arms deal with the Saudis so Bess can't piss them off by showing up at the event. Bess is reluctant, but she does as Russell says. Henry and the kids will still be there though.
A third problem is that two teen girls from Ohio ran away to join a terrorist group in Libya that is known as Hizb al-Shahid. The FBI Deputy Director of Counter-Terrorism Marguerite Sanchez comes to Bess' office and informs that the girls did not make it to Libya, but rather they were taken by the government of Saudi Arabai who claim the girls were plotting a terrorist attack against Saudia Arabia. Bess meets with Prince Asim of Saudi Arabia and believes that the Saudi citizens help fund Hizb al-Shahid. If the two American girls found out, the government is keeping them to ensure they won't tell that the country is funding terrorism. Asim agrees to let the girls go.
However, things become much more clearer when it turns out all three problems are connected. The two American girls were supposed to blow themselves up at the house of Noura Al-Kitabi. Also, Hizb al-Shahid was the party that wanted to buy the uranium. Bess realizes the conference is in danger and has it shut down. Sadly, it's too late when an a girl runs in and detonates a suicide vest. Bess' family got out safely, but Henry went back to check on the wounded. He shouldn't have done that, since the bomb wasn't just an ordinary bomb, but rather a dirty bomb. The episode ends when men in hazmat suits arrive, with Henry realizing he has been exposed to an unhealthy dose of radiation.
Wow, that was quite a bang at the end! I suspected that something bad would happen since this was the first of a two-parter and I believed the cases were connected. Sure, the show has had episodes before where Bess had to deal with two (or more) separate problems, but in this episode it seemed a bit too suspicious to have these three things going on all at the same time and not have some sort of connection between them. But that ending still got to me and there was a lot of tension throughout the episode. I don't think the show will really kill off Henry, but this might lead to a new arc for him. As always, I liked the moments with the family and the staff. Allison helping a bully is not something I would expect from her, but I know that teenagers can be unpredictable. Jay has a pure heart and I loved seeing him worry about the uranium. I also loved seeing his baby again, so cute!
Since there have been no review of the previous two episodes, here are some short things to say about these episodes.
2.12 "The Middle Way"
This episode really put the spotlight on Nadine and Blake, and I loved that it did that! Of course the show is called Madam Secretary and I love Téa Leoni in the lead role, but it's always nice to get some focus on the supporting characters. I loved how Blake took the 2030 report so seriously and it was great meeting Nadine's son. Nadine and Blake at a bar at the end of the episode was a nice moment that concluded with them singing.
2.13 "Invasive Species"
Wow, this episode was painfully realistic. It was sad to say goodbye to Henry's father already, I would have liked to see him again. I loved meeting Henry's family, but we especially got a lot of insight into Maureen. Kate Burton did an amazing job of portraying a grief-stricken woman who blamed her brother for her father's death. It was painful to see her falling out against Henry, but it was inevitable. I am glad the funeral made things a bit better between them. Other than that, I loved seeing some interaction between Nadine and Russell and it was great that Nadine stood up to Russell.
What did you think of "Left of the Boom"? Did you see the big boom at the end of the episode coming? How do you think Henry will come out of this? What will Bess do about this mess? And lastly, how do you think it will all end? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
The story continues tonight in the all-new episode of Madam Secretary. Watch a promo for the episode below.
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