Tonight on CBS Madam Secretary airs with an all new Sunday November 30, season 1 episode 11 called, “Game On” and we have your weekly recap below! On tonight’s episode, together Elizabeth [Elizabeth McCord], Henry [Tim Daly] and Isabelle [Marin Hinkle] investigate former Secretary of State Vincent Marsh’s secret Venezuelan bank account and soon discover that a member of Elizabeth’s staff has access to it.
On the last episode, when the State Department went on lockdown due to a deranged gunman outside the building, Elizabeth was confined with a delegation from Iraq whose translator threatened to reveal damaging information about her actions while in the CIA. Meanwhile, when Matt was stuck in an office with Daisy’s fiancé, Win, he spilled information that he shouldn’t have. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailedrecap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the CBS synopsis, “Elizabeth, Henry and Isabelle work together to find former Secretary of State Vincent Marsh’s secret bank account, but soon uncover that one of Elizabeth’s staff members already has access to it.”
This is definitely one series that you don’t want to miss. Don’t forget to stay tuned to Celeb Dirty Laundry where we will be live blogging every episode of Madam Secretary’s first season.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
#MadamSecretary starts now. Bess gets the door – it’s Isabelle there to keep an eye on the kids while Henry and Bess go out. Isabelle says Marsh’s secret bank account has three names on it. Isabelle says she stretched and found a tie between Nadine and the three names – she took a class on Bronte and the names match to it. Isabelle says they need Nadine for it because the accounts are iris scan security level. Bess says they can go to Venezuela on a diplomatic trip to check out the bank.
Henry says that’s a bad idea since the country doesn’t like the US. He says she’s not going without him. She agrees and they ask Isabelle to babysit but she says she only fake babysits. Bess asks her to dig into Russell for this project. Isabelle tells them to head out to their pretend movie and they go. Matt tells Daisy the trip down South should be fun but didn’t know that Venezuela was on the roster.
He shows her a form they can sign that says they are in a consensual relationship so no one can sue the other. It will also get them a bigger hotel room together. She says she’s not sure because her engagement just broke up two weeks ago. Blake tells Bess that President Suarez of Venezuela doesn’t want her. It’s a hot mess there and she says she wants to talk to him about not canceling the election.
Nadine says she needs to sweeten the pot. Daisy says Suarez loves baseball and suggests they take along Manny, a hot and really great baseball player. He’s a god in Venezuela where he was born. Jay says this might sway Suarez and Bess asks Daisy if she can pull it off. Daisy says she’s optimistic. Bess holds Matt back and asks about his meeting with Russell.
He tells her he never tells Russell anything more than the official line. Matt asks when the double agent gig ends. She says to give him some real info this time. She tells him to tell him about a private conversation with an Israeli Ambassador about Dubai but nothing more than that. She says to tell him he doesn’t know any more than that and he says he doesn’t so that makes it easy. She thanks him.
Nadine comes in and Bess asks her about the account names then asks if she is Carlotta. She says yes and then admits she set up the account for Marsh. Bess says she broke a ton of fraud laws. Nadine says she thought she was in love and Bess tells her to tell her everything she knows now. Nadine says he asked her to make a deposit at a private bank that required a fingerprint and eye scan.
Nadine tells her she’s sorry and Bess asks didn’t she think it was odd. She says Marsh told her it was money for them after his divorce for him to hide from his wife since she was an attorney. Nadine asks if this is why she’s trying to add Venezuela to the trip. Bess says she is but that no one else will know. Nadine agrees to help her access the account.
Russell busts in and asks about the Venezuela leg. She says she’s trying to stop bad from going to worse. He tells her Marsh seemed to friendly with the Venezuelans. She asks if he thinks Marsh was in bed with the oil people and Russell tells her to tread lightly and she promises to keep her informed. He tells her the last flight Marsh was one was to Caracas. He cracks an airline crash joke and she tells him that’s inappropriate.
Daisy meets with Manny and the team talks to him about what he’ll do. Nadine says Matt can help him write his speech. Bess comes in to meet him and thanks him for stepping up to the plate. She quotes some stats and says she knows nothing about baseball but Blake briefed her. He says he has no clue either. She tells him he’s already hit it out of the ballpark by getting them into Venezuela.
Bess tells the kids they have lots of food and offers cash for pizza. Stevie is there to watch her younger sister. Bess says no parties and Stevie says the security detail won’t let them throw a kegger. Bess thanks her for helping out and Stevie says she’s there for Allie. The other is on a ski trip. Henry and Bess bustle out the door.
Russell asks Matt if Bess suspects anything and he says no and says he’s still in the loop. He tells Russell about the Israeli Ambassador and how she brought him in at the last minute and that he overheard something about Dubai. He asks for more info but Matt says that’s all he heard. He tells Matt to have a pleasant trip and keep his ears open.
Henry, Bess and her people show up to meet Suarez. He welcomes her alongside his wife Sylvia. She thanks him for having us and Matt says the president’s wife is hot. Manny says the homegrown women are amazing – they’ve won more Miss Universes than any others. Bess calls Manny up and he hugs Suarez warmly. Bess tells Henry they’re in as the men carry on in their native language about the sport.
Later, at a reception, Jay says he got Suarez away from Manny and says he agreed to look over a joint statement. They are alarmed when the see Sylvia touching Manny’s butt and Daisy says they need to run interference. She heads over and breaks into their conversation and keeps her hand on him while chatting. Matt tells Blake and Jay that Daisy seems to be enjoying it.
Nadine and Bess talk about the real progress they made on their fake trip. Nadine says they can try the bank in the morning. Bess asks to see the fake passport and asks her where Marsh had it made. Nadine says she doesn’t know. Nadine says she’s not used to this and Bess says she’ll give her the advice her first handler gave her – get in, get out, say as little as possible.
Bess joins Henry for some champagne and room service. He asks about Nadine and she says it’s good – she wants to know the truth about Marsh too. They mean to call the kids but have sex instead. Then they wake up and call home. She says Stevie ran out for milk. She says she needed to get soy milk. She says she was only gone for 10 minutes and Bess tells her not to go again.
They end the call and Bess says something is going on there. Henry asks what they could be up to with the security detail working. Henry says it’s fine. Stevie tells Allie she walked James in as her guest and security didn’t blink. Allie heads over to see her guy pal and Stevie goes to get out of their way. Matt knocks on Daisy’s door. He’s jealous of Manny and asks if that’s who she was expecting. She tells him to shut it.
We see Manny knocking on a door too but it’s not Daisy’s it’s Blake’s!! Blake tells him to go back to his room but Manny asks to come in. Blake asks if he ever hears no and tells him no. Manny says he’s playing hard to get and Blake says he’s working. He closes the door in Manny’s face. Stevie sees her sister straddling her BF and smooching and calls her away.
Stevie asks what her plans are and Allie asks if he can stay. She asks what Allie wants and says she needs to drive him home now if he’s going. Allie says he has protection and wants him to stay. She asks if Stevie will keep her secret and she agrees. Allie tells James he can stay and takes him upstairs. Stevie says stop and then says no and that she’s taking him home. She tells him to come on now.
James says bye. Allie isn’t happy. Nadine heads to the bank and the clerk looks at her passport then asks for her thumb print. Her hands are shaking as she touches it. She’s taken to the vault and steps up into it. The clerk accompanies her. She opens a ledger and reads it. The rest are working on meeting prep. Blake sees Manny making eyes at him. He looks away.
Nadine tells Bess the account had $40 million the week before his death but now is empty. She says the money was withdrawn the day after he died.
Nadine says Marie Porter withdrew the money and Bess says it’s a fake name but she doesn’t know who it is. Nadine says they need to find out who she is and what the hell Marsh was doing. Nadine tells her she’s glad he’s dead. Bess is called in to start the meeting. Manny asks to talk to Blake and apologizes but then asks him if he won’t tell anyone. Blake says of course not.
Blake says he must be worried about protecting his image but should worry about those looking up to him. Blake tells him he has the right to live the way he wants to, but others like him in Venezuela aren’t. Allie complains to Stevie that James won’t return her texts and says she ruined everything. Stevie says she was only going to let him stay to get back at their mom.
Bess says it’s a new day between the US and Venezuela. She says Manny is a special representative and introduces him. He takes the podium and thanks Bess. He says he’s the proud son of a Venezuelan mother and a proud US citizen. He says he represents the US and is thankful for its freedoms. He says he’s free to vote and be who he is. He says he’s gay. The room gasps.
Manny says he’s a gay, Venezuelan-American and proud. Suarez stomps off the dais in anger. The press crowds in to talk to him. Jay says Suarez is kicking them out. Daisy says there were attacks on Suarez’s machismo in the last election and there were accusations about him fooling around with other boys while in school so he’s sensitive. Bess asks if anyone saw this coming.
Blake tells them all that Manny opened up to him about his sexuality and he encouraged him to be a role model. Suarez sends someone to get Bess and Nadine in private. He says he wants an apology and for Manny to recant. She says he can’t recant being gay. Suarez has a police chief there with video footage of Nadine at the bank.
Suarez tells her no talk of free elections and her endorsement of him as President for life or else he’ll broadcast that her chief of staff was in a bank known for money laundering. Bess says they have to figure something out. She tells Jay they have to beat Suarez at his own game and asks about currency conversion. She tells him to get Treasury on the phone and then tells Nadine they’re in this together.
Russell meets with Ambassador Dori in the park. He asks what Russell wants and he asks what he was talking privately with Bess about. The Israeli asks why he can’t ask her and refuses to answer. He asks I it was incident that happened when he was head of Mossad. Dori says he can’t be more helpful and Russell says he may have helped just enough.
Bess tells Suarez they differ on many issues but they can agree he’s clever. She says he knows she’s not there solely for diplomatic reasons. She says Nadine was gathering evidence for a US investigation and may indict him. She says he may be blackmailing people banking there. Jay says the Treasury Department is considering canceling all US dollar transactions with their banking system.
She says that will happen if he tries to declare himself President for life. Bess promises to advocate on his behalf and say he inherited the banking mess. Jay says Manny is blowing up on social media and that Venezuelans still see Manny as a hero. Bess says Manny wants to play in the World Baseball Classic playing for his home country.
Nadine says they best they’ve done was third in 2009 and Manny being part of the team could score them a win. Suarez is on board. Bess asks Colonel Fuentes, the police guy who had the footage, if she can ask for a favor. She asks about other signatories on the clandestine account and he says he will personally bring her the results.
Isabelle reports to Bess that Russell likely met with Dori today and Bess says that looks bad. She shows Isabelle a security photo of the woman who took out the $40 million. Isabelle says she’ll run facial recognition. Russell asks to talk to Bess – he was lurking outside her office. She asks if he wants to know what went on in Venezuela. He says he also wants to know about her secret investigation into Marsh’s death.
Russell calls her arrogant and says she’s showing contempt. He screams and says nothing gets by him. He tells her the NTSB report says Marsh died in an accident. He asks what he should think and she says Marsh was murdered. He asks why she didn’t share her suspicions. He rants about her not sharing with him and the President of the US.
He asks what reason she could have except that he had Marsh killed. She says he may have knowledge of it and he asks if she thinks he and the President had knowledge about it. She tells him she fed the info about Dori to him. She says he could have thrown her off the scent and created false evidence but what he’s doing now has shown her he wasn’t involved.
Russell is furious – he tells her bravo. Bess says she didn’t want it to be him and the President and asks if she can assume he’s not involved. He asks how could she go about her business thinking this. She says that’s what she was trained for. He’s stunned. He pours a drink and sighs. He tells her to tell him everything. She says it will take a while and he pours her a drink too. He sits and says – I’ve got all night.
Bess gets up late the next day and tells Stevie it’s good to have her back but she gives her mom the cold shoulder. She asks Henry if he started talking to her yet. They ask her about the visitor she signed in that was there til way late. Stevie covers for her sister and says James was a friend of hers and says one a.m. is not late for people her age. She says they talked and that was it.
Bess tells her she’d rather she tell them than lie and Stevie agrees. Allie lurks and hears her sister cover for her. Bess thanks her for staying and hugs her. Stevie acts a little warmer this time. Bess’ phone buzzes and she takes a call from Isabelle. She tells her she’s not going to like who Marie works for her. Later, Bess meets with Russell and tells him that the woman was Iranian and is Samila Mahdavi.
She’s a known affiliate of VEVAK, the Iranian foreign intelligence agency. Russell says it’s time for her to hand this off to the CIA to investigate. He says they can’t give the President another reason to start a war with Iran. He tells her if they find out that Iran killed Marsh, they will destroy the country so they have to be sure.
THE END!