# Madam Secretary Season 2 Spoilers



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Nice start to the season I thought.

They solved 'Who killed the Sec State' last season, so I guess, 'Who sabotaged AF1' is the season long arc for season 2. Could be interesting.

I didn't care much for the kids last season, but I didn't find them nearly as annoying for the this first episode anyway. Was the reporter that Elizabeth pardoned (that the son wrote the paper about) someone from last season?

I can't stop humming 'for the longest time'.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I also thought it was a nice start to the season.
Absurd - - - but still.

I agree with you - the kids are less annoying this season.

The "talent" show - wow 2 of the best female Broadway songstresses together kinda smart to find a reason for them to do a song.


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Ivanek is playing Alex Haig perfectly.


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## David Ortiz (Jul 8, 2002)

There was also a resignation due to a sick wife just like in Deep Impact.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

David Ortiz said:


> There was also a resignation due to a sick wife just like in Deep Impact.


And... Morgan Freeman!

Kids are less annoying, but the kids in her office are still annoying. When they were visiting her in the Oval Office, and curly hair goes "Are we under attack?". Ugh.

Yeah, I knew the minute they started discussing Tea in a musical, they would find a way to get Bebe Neuwirth on stage. She is phenomenal!


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## scooterboy (Mar 27, 2001)

Cainebj said:


> The "talent" show - wow 2 of the best female Broadway songstresses together kinda smart to find a reason for them to do a song.


I knew that Lilith had been on Broadway, and as soon as I saw the male assistant in the Jersey Boys movie last year, I figured they'd come up with a lame reason to have them sing on the show.

Wish I had been wrong. I HATE it when they do that. It's so contrived.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

scooterboy said:


> I knew that Lilith had been on Broadway, and as soon as I saw the male assistant in the Jersey Boys movie last year, I figured they'd come up with a lame reason to have them sing on the show.


That's right he was in Jersey Boys. I was trying to figure out if he had a musical theater background. The other girl - hmmm Patina (? not sure) took over the Ben Vereen role in the revival of Pippin on Broadway.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

I'd like to see more of Tea Leoni on the golf course. She's got game! We all know how many deals get inked on the links, so let's see her tear up some yardage


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

so did the president do the right thing, or the wrong thing?


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

I guess it depends on what their chances were for getting them out. If there was a good chance of not losing any men, keep your word. If our guys are going to die, no way. But you never know....


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

The LSAT story bothered me. She felt lost and just decided to "take the LSAT". I'm going to guess most viewers are aware that you don't just show up for an LSAT, even if that day happened to be one of the four times a year they offer it. And except for SecState daughters, most people take an LSAT prep course. 

I can overlook it, not a big deal. But it's sloppy, even for this show.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

astrohip said:


> The LSAT story bothered me. She felt lost and just decided to "take the LSAT". I'm going to guess most viewers are aware that you don't just show up for an LSAT, even if that day happened to be one of the four times a year they offer it. And except for SecState daughters, most people take an LSAT prep course.
> 
> I can overlook it, not a big deal. But it's sloppy, even for this show.


yeah, that was a bit slim. but if you're not in the legal field, you'd accept it the same way you'd accept the video technician always being able to "clean up" that image of the license plate from the space satellite so we can read the renewal sticker 😝


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

tvmaster2 said:


> so did the president do the right thing, or the wrong thing?


I think he should have kept his word. But it made for more drama in this ep and future eps, for him to leave those guys to the Taliban. But I think it sucks that he would do so.



tvmaster2 said:


> yeah, that was a bit slim. but if you're not in the legal field, you'd accept it the same way you'd accept the video technician always being able to "clean up" that image of the license plate from the space satellite so we can read the renewal sticker 😝


You don't have to be in the legal field to not accept it. Anyone who has ever taken any kind of exam like that (SAT's, GRE, GMAT) knows you don't just walk in some place and take the test. But you also have to accept that this is just how TV shows like this roll. If you can't suspend disbelief, then why watch (most) TV?


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

stellie93 said:


> I guess it depends on what their chances were for getting them out. If there was a good chance of not losing any men, keep your word. If our guys are going to die, no way. But you never know....


She painstakingly listed the armaments available on the two helicopters and the Pres seemed to ignore their abilities. Plus, we have got to get rid of that new advisor.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

Jon J said:


> She painstakingly listed the armaments available on the two helicopters and the Pres seemed to ignore their abilities. Plus, we have got to get rid of that new advisor.


it did seem like the choppers would have been enough. can't figure out his angle


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## RickyL (Sep 13, 2004)

2 seal teams with air support? My thought was that the taliban forces just walked into a world of hurt.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

If only it were the guys from The Last Ship on those helicopters - those Taliban dudes would be toast.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Seems like it would have taken just one Taliban RPG for everyone to have a bad day.


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

Just watched S2 E1, and I can't conceive of any situation where AF1 on an overseas flight, would be out of communication. Surely, through satellites, GPS, a chase plane, escorts or some tech I can't even think of, there's no way that could happen.

I had to Google the current line of succession, but the real real world deep bench really has me concerned. 

I did like the way Madam President slapped Russel down. And that she managed to pardon a journalist in her short stint.

The kids and her staff are still annoying. 

Still, I like the show and Tea Leoni, so I'm in for the long haul.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I think he should have kept his word. But it made for more drama in this ep and future eps, for him to leave those guys to the Taliban. But I think it sucks that he would do so.
> 
> You don't have to be in the legal field to not accept it. Anyone who has ever taken any kind of exam like that (SAT's, GRE, GMAT) knows you don't just walk in some place and take the test. But you also have to accept that this is just how TV shows like this roll. If you can't suspend disbelief, then why watch (most) TV?


Every TV shows rolls this way. They always have and always will. Every trade out there can see things they will roll their eyes at. But it isn't real life. TV/movies are fictional worlds.

That said, I am enjoying the second season of Madam Secretary. And best of all It looks like CBS has finally allocated extra time to their schedule. So the shows have a much better chance of starting at the scheduled time after football. At least I hope that was the reason the second episode was scheduled at 8:30pm.


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

OMG, I can't believe that the CIA would brutalize one of their own assets like that. And now, he's paranoid.

And I can't believe how blase Prof. McCord was about it.

I understand the need for the security tent in Russia, but how is the signal protected once it leaves there, encryption or something else?

I thought it was humorous how the President's widow was giving us her best Evita at the end.


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

RGM1138 said:


> I understand the need for the security tent in Russia, but how is the signal protected once it leaves there, encryption or something else?


Probably an encrypted satellite up-link.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

Evita for sure - megalomaniac, murdering Evita that is...


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Bleah, missed the 2nd half of last night's show. There's just too much on on Sunday nights for my poor dual-tuner TiVo to use enough padding to be sure to get all of it. Sigh.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I'm going with the flow but not sure I understand or accept that McCord would be ostracized from the administration except as some plot device.

I look forward to the episode where she comes out triumphant over that new guy.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I thought that communications tent seemed kind of silly. Every time they showed someone actually using it to communicate, someone else just opened up the tent flap and walked in. I'm not really a communications expert, but why bother having a special tent if anyone can just open up the door in the middle of it? Wouldn't stuff leak out?


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

astrohip said:


> Yeah, I knew the minute they started discussing Tea in a musical, they would find a way to get Bebe Neuwirth on stage. She is phenomenal!


I think it might be she WAS phenomenal (as in past tense).

I'm a big Bebe fan, but it seemed her pipes aren't what they used to be based on this episode.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

spartanstew said:


> I think it might be she WAS phenomenal (as in past tense).
> 
> I'm a big Bebe fan, but it seemed her pipes aren't what they used to be based on this episode.


Yeah, I actually didn't know that she had been on Broadway. I don't really know anything of her other than that she was on Cheers.  When she was singing, I was kind of cringing. The other female assistant was very good though.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

I'm trying to remember if she was ever really a top-level singer; I thought her forte was dancing (I saw her in _Chicago_ on Broadway umpteen years ago).


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

I'm starting to really enjoy this season, almost as much as last year. The international intrigue, seemingly [almost] ripped from the headlines, is very entertaining. It has become more of a same-day-watch program for me.

Her staff is finally starting to act like real grownups. And her husband's role as a religious studies prof has been expanded to an almost black ops mission specialist.

Now, if they could just work on the kids a little.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

RGM1138 said:


> Now, if they could just work on the kids a little.


Seriously... when the whiny one started crying about being invisible, I was just waiting for her to yell "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!!"


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

busyba said:


> seriously... When the whiny one started crying about being invisible, i was just waiting for her to yell "marcia, marcia, marcia!!" :d


Lol!


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

The kids definitely ruin the show for me. Not enough that I'll quit watching, but they seriously decrease my enjoyment of the show.

I still don't like the Defense guy (is he the Sec Def?) but he wasn't as bad this ep as he has been previously.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I still don't like the Defense guy (is he the Sec Def?) but he wasn't as bad this ep as he has been previously.


If you mean the new guy, I think he's the new National Security Advisor.

If you're talking about the other guy who's been around since the beginning and always sparring with McCord, he's the Chief of Staff.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

busyba said:


> If you mean the new guy, I think he's the new National Security Advisor.
> 
> If you're talking about the other guy who's been around since the beginning and always sparring with McCord, he's the Chief of Staff.


I mean the new guy. I love Russell, the Chief of Staff. Too much new guy and not enough Russell lately.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I mean the new guy. I love Russell, the Chief of Staff. Too much new guy and not enough Russell lately.


Agree with this. Did we even see Russell this ep?

The kids have been mostly ok so far, as they are background filler. The older one has had some screen time, the younger two not so much. But this episode veered dangerously close to the "whiny kid" syndrome. It destroyed a couple seasons of Homeland, among other series. I hope we can find a way to avoid it with this show.

I still find the curly haired young staffer (Christina Hendrick's husband) to be annoying. The rest range from tolerable to wonderful (Bebe).


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

Sorry if it has been said - it is hard to stop watching Tea Leoni.
(And I am a woman)
I know she was somewhat famous before, but this is the role of a lifetime and I think she is stupendous. 
Better actress than Julianna Margulies. Love both shows however.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

jilter said:


> Sorry if it has been said - it is hard to stop watching Tea Leoni.
> (And I am a woman)
> I know she was somewhat famous before, but this is the role of a lifetime and I think she is stupendous.
> Better actress than Julianna Margulies. Love both shows however.


+1 on the Tea Leoni angle. Hopefully she'll get some better movie roles from this show. But they need to work more golf into the scripts


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

jilter said:


> Sorry if it has been said - it is hard to stop watching Tea Leoni.
> (And I am a woman)
> I know she was somewhat famous before, but this is the role of a lifetime and I think she is stupendous.
> Better actress than Julianna Margulies. Love both shows however.


I agree, she's been fantastic. I have liked her since her early days in a comedy during the early days of Fox (I think it was the first Fox show I watched) where she played an attention seeking starlet.

I like where this show is heading. I think it's much more structured than last year when it was just the crisis of the day. I do think that this is heading toward her thinking of quitting. Between her losing influence with the Prez and her feeling like she's neglecting her family, I'll bet that topic comes up at some point (My bet is right before Christmas break).


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I don't think I'd seen Tea Leoni in anything really before this.

While looking her up on Wikipedia to see her filmography (I guess I probably at least saw her on her X-Files guest spot ), I wasn't too surprised to see that she and Tim Daly have apparently been dating since last December. They have great chemistry.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> I agree, she's been fantastic. I have liked her since her early days in a comedy during the early days of Fox (I think it was the first Fox show I watched) where she played an attention seeking starlet.
> 
> I like where this show is heading. I think it's much more structured than last year when it was just the crisis of the day. I do think that this is heading toward her thinking of quitting. Between her losing influence with the Prez and her feeling like she's neglecting her family, I'll bet that topic comes up at some point (My bet is right before Christmas break).





laria said:


> I don't think I'd seen Tea Leoni in anything really before this.
> 
> While looking her up on Wikipedia to see her filmography (I guess I probably at least saw her on her X-Files guest spot ), I wasn't too surprised to see that she and Tim Daly have apparently been dating since last December. They have great chemistry.


Flying Blind is the series I was referring to where I first saw her:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103415/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_23


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## tigercat74 (Aug 7, 2004)

I remember her first from Bad Boys the movie.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

tigercat74 said:


> I remember her first from Bad Boys the movie.


She is much prettier now than she was in the 90s.


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## Craigbob (Dec 2, 2006)

Steveknj said:


> Flying Blind is the series I was referring to where I first saw her:
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103415/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_23


Yeah, I also fell for her in this. The series situation reminded me a bit of my then current situation I was the shy introvert geek and I met this amazing woman in college and we began an on again off again relationship (she was very extroverted, the life of the party type girl similar to Tea's character).

I've been a fan of Tea Leoni's ever since. She's certainly matured as an actress.


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## jilter (Oct 4, 2002)

That Flying Blind looks great.
Any idea where it can be viewed?
/asked the lazy poster


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

laria said:


> I don't think I'd seen Tea Leoni in anything really before this.
> 
> While looking her up on Wikipedia to see her filmography (I guess I probably at least saw her on her X-Files guest spot ), I wasn't too surprised to see that she and Tim Daly have apparently been dating since last December. They have great chemistry.


two great films of hers: 'Family Man' with Nicholas Cage, and 'Fun With Dick And Jane' with Jim Carrey. She got the most screen time in those. And, a great indie film with Sir Ben Kingsley, 'You Kill Me', a weird little black comedy about Buffalo mafia assassins. She had some good scenes in that one. She was wasted in 'Tower Heist' with Ben Stiller.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

best celebrity golfers...Leoni plays to an eight at the height of her game. For some reason they omitted Anne Murray, who's actually the lowest handicapped women celebrity, or was.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

astrohip said:


> The kids have been mostly ok so far, as they are background filler. The older one has had some screen time, the younger two not so much.


At least the older one is beautiful...


astrohip said:


> I still find the curly haired young staffer (Christina Hendrick's husband) (...)


How did he end up with Christina?


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Amnesia said:


> How did he end up with Christina?


Absolutely no fracking idea. He must have a great personality. 

Just to be fair, I think it's more the role (ie, writing) than the actor. The last thing I remember him in was Body of Proof. He was decent. And Christina did a guest role one episode.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

astrohip said:


> Absolutely no fracking idea. He must have a great personality.
> 
> Just to be fair, I think it's more the role (ie, writing) than the actor. The last thing I remember him in was Body of Proof. He was decent. And Christina did a guest role one episode.


I liked him on Body of Proof. But they could cut Matt and Daisy from this show and I wouldn't miss either one. Have them take the kids and disappear! They could give more time to Blake. I think he's very entertaining! Nadine and Jay are ok, but I don't need to see more of them.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Apparently she likes a man who can make her laugh.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Amnesia said:


> At least the older one is beautiful...
> How did he end up with Christina?


He's a good snozzberry connoisseur?

--Carlos "I'm freaking out, man!" V.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

Last night's episode was really good. I think they did a good job capturing the emotions that go into what was defined as the key plot point.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

tvmaster2 said:


> Madame Secretary: Catch and Release
> Wow, they're going everywhere. Eric Stolz is a nice addition


I have a feeling he's a one and done. Maybe a very rare, occasional guest appearance.


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

astrohip said:


> I have a feeling he's a one and done. Maybe a very rare, occasional guest appearance.


Stoltz is also a co-executive producer on the show so he could be back but like you, I think it's going to be uncommon.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I liked him on Body of Proof. But they could cut Matt and Daisy from this show and I wouldn't miss either one. Have them take the kids and disappear! They could give more time to Blake. I think he's very entertaining! Nadine and Jay are ok, but I don't need to see more of them.


Woo hoo, got my wish this week. So little of the kids and Matt and Daisy that it was almost like they weren't there. Nadine and Blake were fun to watch negotiating for info. And the cherry on top was Russell presenting the opposite opinion to the Prez. I didn't miss new guy at all.

I'm getting tired of Henry the Spy. They need to find some other way keep Henry relevant to the show. I'm not buying this story line at all.


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I'm getting tired of Henry the Spy. They need to find some other way keep Henry relevant to the show. I'm not buying this story line at all.


Yes, they can get rid of the brooding Russian soldier they want to turn into a spy too.

That's the Barbara Hall producing syndrome.

She did the same exact thing on Judging Amy with Amy's brother and then cousin: have a sub-plot that can be completely fast forwarded over that has very little consequence to the main character storyline.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Cainebj said:


> Yes, they can get rid of the brooding Russian soldier they want to turn into a spy too.
> 
> That's the Barbara Hall producing syndrome.
> 
> She did the same exact thing on Judging Amy with Amy's brother and then cousin: have a sub-plot that can be completely fast forwarded over that has very little consequence to the main character storyline.


I forget, did Henry have any experience as a handler? He seems like a pro at it, yet I have trouble thinking of him as anything more than a Religious scholar.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Yes, his previous job was with No Such Agency after leaving the Marine Corps.

--Carlos V.


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## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

Unbeliever said:


> Yes, his previous job was with No Such Agency after leaving the Marine Corps...


... where he had served with Jack Ryan.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Wil said:


> ... where he had served with Jack Ryan.


That was Leoni's character. She was the former CIA buddy of POTUS.

--Carlos V.


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## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

Unbeliever said:


> That was Leoni's character. She was the former CIA buddy of POTUS..


Actually they're both Jack Ryan, if we want to go there.


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## JohnS-MI (Jan 25, 2014)

As annoying as the kids are, life must be hell. Mom is CIA, Dad is NSA. I feel a bit sorry for them.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Looks like they predicted something:

'Jihadi John' Believed Killed in US Drone Strike, US Officials Say

--Carlos V.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I only got through 2/3 of Sunday's episode before I had plans for something else. I guess I don't need to finish watching it now to find out how it ends!


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

laria said:


> I only got through 2/3 of Sunday's episode before I had plans for something else. I guess I don't need to finish watching it now to find out how it ends!


You're kidding, right? Reading a spoiler thread and complaining about spoilers? I can only assume you want to be spoiled when you click this thread without catching up, first.

--Carlos V.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Unbeliever said:


> You're kidding, right? Reading a spoiler thread and complaining about spoilers?
> 
> --Carlos V.


Yes, it was a joke.  About how the news media spoiled it for me, not conversation in the thread.


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## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

laria said:


> Yes, it was a joke.  About how the news media spoiled it for me, not conversation in the thread.


OK. Understood, now. Thank you.

--Carlos V.


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

tonight's show, 11/15/15 was good again. seems like they're running thru what happens in the house each week and basing scripts on it. Tonight, Cuba & Ferguson. Keep it topical


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## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

That was an _interesting_ take on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Mumia Abu-Jamal.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Oh boy, Elizabeth and Russell joining forces against the new guy. I like it!

I wondered if they actually filmed in Cuba, looks like they did. http://onyxreel.com/2015/09/16/images-behind-the-scenes-of-madam-secretary-season-2-in-cuba-sep-16-2015/


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

hummingbird_206 said:


> Oh boy, Elizabeth and Russell joining forces against the new guy. I like it!
> 
> I wondered if they actually filmed in Cuba, looks like they did. http://onyxreel.com/2015/09/16/images-behind-the-scenes-of-madam-secretary-season-2-in-cuba-sep-16-2015/


Thanks. I had wondered about that when I watched the episode last night.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

No more new guy! Makes me glad I didn't learn his name.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Henry can talk to Russell about the spy stuff, but if he talks to Elizabeth then they both go to jail. Why's that?


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> Henry can talk to Russell about the spy stuff, but if he talks to Elizabeth then they both go to jail. Why's that?


Just a reminder that this is a not a spoiler thread ...

It looks like Russell has security clearance to know this stuff and Elizabeth doesn't.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

madscientist said:


> Just a reminder that this is a not a spoiler thread ...


It's a season thread. Anything that has happened in the season can be discussed in this thread.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> It's a season thread. Anything that has happened in the season can be discussed in this thread.


But, there's nothing about season threads in the forum rules. There are just two types of threads discussed there: episode threads and any other thread. For any non-episode thread, if the word "spoilers" doesn't appear in the title then it shouldn't have untagged spoilers.

I think you can PM the mods and they'll fix the title to add "spoilers" (that's what's usually done). :up:


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

madscientist said:


> I think you can PM the mods and they'll fix the title to add "spoilers" (that's what's usually done). :up:


I reported the thread and asked to have spoilers added to the title.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

> blah blah blah spoiler blah


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

madscientist said:


> But, there's nothing about season threads in the forum rules. There are just two types of threads discussed there: episode threads and any other thread. For any non-episode thread, if the word "spoilers" doesn't appear in the title then it shouldn't have untagged spoilers.
> 
> I think you can PM the mods and they'll fix the title to add "spoilers" (that's what's usually done). :up:


We've reached an unwritten agreement that when a thread says "Season Thread" it's ok for spoilers. Been this way for a while. Honestly, why else would you have a season thread if not for spoilers?

Usually _spoilers _is in the title or first post, but not always.

To your point, a thread that has the title but no "season thread" would not be for spoilers. Like "Madam Secretary" and nothing else in the subject line.


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

astrohip said:


> We've reached an unwritten agreement that when a thread says "Season Thread" it's ok for spoilers. Been this way for a while. Honestly, why else would you have a season thread if not for spoilers?
> 
> Usually _spoilers _is in the title or first post, but not always.
> 
> To your point, a thread that has the title but no "season thread" would not be for spoilers. Like "Madam Secretary" and nothing else in the subject line.


What would you discuss in a thread with just the title?


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## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

RGM1138 said:


> What would you discuss in a thread with just the title?


Do you like the title of this show? I think it's WONDERFUL.

Do you think Vic Morrow would have been good in the role of the husband? I think he would have been WONDERFUL.

I would like the show better if there were a comic next door neighbor (I hope it's not spoiling it for anybody to say that there is not) and I think Jm J Bullock would have been WONDERFUL.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

astrohip said:


> We've reached an unwritten agreement that when a thread says "Season Thread" it's ok for spoilers. Been this way for a while.


 Really? I'm not aware of this. Although I guess if it's unwritten and this is an online forum, there's no way I could know about it by definition 



astrohip said:


> To your point, a thread that has the title but no "season thread" would not be for spoilers. Like "Madam Secretary" and nothing else in the subject line.


 Well first, the title here doesn't say "season thread"; it says (said) "Madame Secretary Season 2". By your definition this thread should not have untagged spoilers, because it has the title but no "season thread". 

To be clear, no one objects to season threads. No one objects to untagged spoilers in season threads. All we ask is that we can identify those threads that will contain those untagged spoilers, from the thread title. I know that request makes some roll their eyes and snort derisively. Sorry about that.

So, can someone write down the mysterious unwritten agreement for those of us too slow on the uptake to infer it for ourselves? Does the title have to use both words "season thread"? Does it have to have a season number in it? Is any thread with the word "season" in it automatically assumed to be a season thread with untagged spoilers allowed? Or is it more like porn, and you just have to know it when you see it?

It seems to me that following the simple rules already in place for 10+ years and putting "spoiler" in the title would be easier... but I'm game to try to learn new rules.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

madscientist said:


> Really? I'm not aware of this. Although I guess if it's unwritten and this is an online forum, there's no way I could know about it by definition
> 
> Well first, the title here doesn't say "season thread"; it says (said) "Madame Secretary Season 2". By your definition this thread should not have untagged spoilers, because it has the title but no "season thread".
> 
> ...


My take would be that if someone proposes that a *thread* titled "Madame Secretary *Season* 2" is not, by definition, a season thread, then how can that person be taken seriously?

It's not a spoiler in an episode thread to talk about things that have happened in that episode and the ones preceding; likewise, it's not a spoiler to talk about thing that have happened in the season as broadcast in a season thread. It's only a spoiler if you haven't seen the events performed yet. Any reasonable person would expect a season thread to discuss episodes that have been broadcast for that season, and avoid season threads if they are not current and they do not wish to be spoiled.


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

RPG headed towards the President and Secretary's limo!?! Hard to believe she'll survive that one. 

So we have a guy dressed in camo. Did he appear to be American to anyone else? And how the heck does he get that close to the meeting site? With an RPG!?!

Dontcha love how quickly the Swiss rolled over on the bank account info? IRL, if they did that (which I doubt), it would only take 3 years. Maybe. I know, I know, TV time...


----------



## lew (Mar 12, 2002)

I'm not by my TV, I'll spoilerize this but I'm 99℅ sure it's not necessary.


Spoiler



we're not suppose to know if the target is potus limo or russians limo


----------



## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

astrohip said:


> RPG headed towards the President and Secretary's limo!?! Hard to believe she'll survive that one.
> 
> So we have a guy dressed in camo. Did he appear to be American to anyone else? And how the heck does he get that close to the meeting site? With an RPG!?!


Someone had already dropped the RPG on the roof for him.

I just assumed that the guy was Russian. Although, given what the ambassador said to POTUS and McCord, he could have been Ukrainian.

And, he could have been shooting at Maria Ostrov.

What I find unbelievable is that POTUS would hold up his motorcade for McCord to make a personal call.

"I'll catch up" indeed.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I assumed that it was for the Russians, even though they ended it wanting you to think that it was for the US. At first I thought maybe they were going to blow up POTUS while she stepped away and was on the phone, but once she got back into the limo, I thought it was clear it wasn't going to be for them. They aren't going to kill off the person the show is named after.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

lew said:


> I'm not by my TV, I'll spoilerize this but I'm 99℅ sure it's not necessary.
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


I was going to say that there was a POV shot right down the sights of the RPG that made it clear he was targeting the POTUS limo, but I went back and rewatched it and it turns out the director did some psychological trickery.

So first there was the POV shot of the sights, then they cut to a wider shot from a little behind the shooter's head, and in that second shot the back of the POTUS limo is centered in the frame, so that's all you really notice, and you make the mental assumption that that's what he's aiming at.

But if you pay attention in the second shot, the RPG is in view and it isn't really aimed at the POTUS limo; he's aiming more to the right. Ostensibly it looks like he's aiming at the next limo behind the POTUS limo, which I think is the Russian limo. Also, his aim is more on the very front of that limo rather than the passenger section. It might even miss both limos and go between them, but if it's going to hit anything, it's the rear limo, not the front.

So the target is probably Ostrova, either by the Ukranians or by her own generals (maybe they somehow found out that she murdered her husband).

Other misc info:

Closeups of the RPG in the duffel and on the trigger being pulled showed cyrllic lettering on the weapon.

The shooter had a gray and black, shield-shaped patch on his left arm. It had a word across the top of it, but I could only make out the last three letters "...SSE"


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

astrohip said:


> RPG headed towards the President and Secretary's limo!?! Hard to believe she'll survive that one.
> 
> So we have a guy dressed in camo. Did he appear to be American to anyone else? And how the heck does he get that close to the meeting site? With an RPG!?!


So about the only part I had right was the guy was in camo.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

I love Elizabeth and Russell.
E: Henry's cover will be as arm candy?
R: Look at the guy.


----------



## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I love Elizabeth and Russell.
> E: Henry's cover will be as arm candy?
> R: Look at the guy.


It was a very good move to make them less adversarial than they were for much of the first season.

I get how it was an arc that first needed to be traveled to get there; I'm just glad that they traveled it. Some shows would have just left them as they were.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Would an RPG even do anything to the US Presidents limo? They bring the limos wherever the President goes and is supposed to be blast resistant.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

aaronwt said:


> They bring the limos wherever the President goes


Huh... you know, I never thought about that before, that they must bring their own cars for him (or really any world leaders).


----------



## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

But it really was odd to see the President and the SS sort of strolling outside in the sunshine, catching rays before flight home, one wandering off to make a phone call. I rather doubt anything like that could really happen, passage from building door to Beast Limo usually being done with a tented enclosure. Or am I only remembering novels and tv?


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

efilippi said:


> But it really was odd to see the President and the SS sort of strolling outside in the sunshine, catching rays before flight home, one wandering off to make a phone call. I rather doubt anything like that could really happen, passage from building door to Beast Limo usually being done with a tented enclosure. Or am I only remembering novels and tv?


or that the roof of the building next to the vehicle would not be watched. But it is TV and not real life.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

aaronwt said:


> Would an RPG even do anything to the US Presidents limo? They bring the limos wherever the President goes and is supposed to be blast resistant.


RPG is the Russian acronym for _Ruchnoi Protivotankovyi Granatomyot_, which means a hand-held anti-*tank* grenade rifle. Even POTUS's limo doesn't have the armor of a tank. Unless camo-man is aiming at the beauty queen's limo, I'd say Keith Carradine will soon be looking for a new gig. Lucky for him Fargo is moving back to the season 1 time frame.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

I like that they didn't drag out who was responsible for the RPG. I had forgotten the cliff hanger until I started watching the episode.


----------



## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

I liked the interplay among the ISS crew. I'd like to think that could happen in real life.


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

i thought most of the season thus far was amazing - except for these last 2 episodes - it's like they didn't know how to conclude their own storyline

this episode felt like they were trying to move on to whatever comes next


----------



## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I like that they didn't drag out who was responsible for the RPG. I had forgotten the cliff hanger until I started watching the episode.


agreed. keep it moving along


----------



## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

I love this show so much.

This and The Good Wife are just a one-two punch for a CBS knockout.

They actually have me looking forward to Sunday nights!!!


----------



## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

January 17 - cranky neighbors? garbage cans? this show keeps getting better


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. ?

I thought this was back on track now that the Russian storyline is over...


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Cainebj said:


> I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. ?
> 
> I thought this was back on track now that the Russian storyline is over...


Yes. I thought so too.


----------



## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

Cainebj said:


> I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. ?
> 
> I thought this was back on track now that the Russian storyline is over...


To me it seemed like a stand-alone filler episode to be inserted wherever there was a gap. I suspect there will be another madam-saving-the-world arc starting up soon enough.


----------



## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

Cainebj said:


> I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. ?
> 
> I thought this was back on track now that the Russian storyline is over...


no, it was great. loved it. Secretary of State dealing with everyday, household s$&@, such as cranky neighbors. how do you not love that. estranged offspring, crazy relatives (metaphorically speaking, the U.S. ambassador). The hour went by quickly. Tea Leoni's voice is infectious...


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I love the every day stuff like that and them having to volunteer at the school.


----------



## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

Wil said:


> To me it seemed like a stand-alone filler episode to be inserted wherever there was a gap.


my first thoughts, this ep could have been the season premier.


----------



## Flop (Dec 2, 2005)

NorthAlabama said:


> my first thoughts, this ep could have been the season premier.


Is the long, drawn out, boring Russia story-line over? I haven't watched the last 3 or 4 episodes because I couldn't even fake interest in it.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Yes, Russia stuff ended in the previous episode.


----------



## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

tvmaster2 said:


> Tea Leoni's voice is infectious...


That's so true. She wouldn't be half the actress if she had an ordinary voice.

I wonder if the thing about the vehicles running all the time is for real. I hope not, but you never know. Probably true enough how difficult it is to have stupid old rules changed.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

It was pretty obvious to me that things weren't going to go well with Ambassador Sledge Hammer from the get go.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

tvmaster2 said:


> January 17 - cranky neighbors? garbage cans? this show keeps getting better


:up: I thought that was great. I loved that Blake and Henry were supposed to be the calm ones and they ended up telling the neighbors to GTHO. Although I have to admit, the stuff the neighbors were complaining about are things that would annoy me, too.

I love Blake. Was fun to get to see a good amount of him. And he sings pretty well, too!

I'm missing Russell. Been a while since we've seen him.


----------



## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

JYoung said:


> It was pretty obvious to me that things weren't going to go well with Ambassador Sledge Hammer from the get go.


That's what he was in! I loved that show. Sledge Hammer...lol.
He's perfect as the crazy CIA guy - it's a role he fits like a glove


----------



## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing".

--Carlos V.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Well, the scenes between Russell and Nadine were entertaining. The rest of the episode, not so much. They just seem to be trying way too hard to make Henry as important as Elizabeth, and it just doesn't work for me. I want an international crisis of the week, not the family crisis of the week.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

If there was an international crisis of the week, she wouldn't be doing such a great job as Secretary of State...


----------



## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

I could be wrong but I thought I noticed her black suv caravan starting their engines before the family departed. Protocol says it's ok to shut your engine off if outside DC?


----------



## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Last week the President ordered the drives to shut off engines at her Washington address. Maybe it also applies to other family addresses.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

hummingbird_206 said:


> Well, the scenes between Russell and Nadine were entertaining. The rest of the episode, not so much. They just seem to be trying way too hard to make Henry as important as Elizabeth, and it just doesn't work for me. I want an international crisis of the week, not the family crisis of the week.


I really enjoyed this episode. I don't know why but I actually enjoyed it more than usual.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I enjoyed it because the more annoying staff members (curly haired guy especially, but Daisy to a lesser extent) had very small roles.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

laria said:


> I enjoyed it because the more annoying staff members (curly haired guy especially, but Daisy to a lesser extent) had very small roles.


Those 2 could never appear again, and I wouldn't miss them. I've missed Jay lately. Guess they still have him off on paternity leave. I really love Blake and Nadine.


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

laria said:


> I enjoyed it because the more annoying staff members (curly haired guy especially, but Daisy to a lesser extent) had very small roles.
> 
> 
> hummingbird_206 said:
> ...


This + 1,000,000. Can't stand those two. They're lousy characters, and no way the SoS has two babies as part of her key staff. The rest of the staff is ok. Love Nadine, but Bebe Neuwirth could silently read a phone book and I'd watch.

The kids are getting better. They're making them smarter, which makes them more watchable (although less realistic ).


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Daisy is not so bad when she's doing her actual job, but when she was sleeping with the curly haired guy and they kept having the office drama stuff, I was just like, how old are you? Stop acting like you are 14! 

Curly haired guy is just annoying in everything he is in. I used to watch the show where Dana Delaney was a neurosurgeon turned medical examiner, and he was the same super annoying character in that, too.


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I thought this was one of their better episodes and a perfect way to highlight Henry in the show - I would rather this than his time as a spy handler.

Kate Burton usually annoys me and I thought she was great.

When the mortician came in and said there was a problem, I thought they were going to say he couldn't be buried in a Catholic cemetery because he committed suicide. Now I wonder if that true...


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Cainebj said:


> When the mortician came in and said there was a problem, I thought they were going to say he couldn't be buried in a Catholic cemetery because he committed suicide. Now I wonder if that is true...


I had the same thought, so I looked it up. It turns out that it was indeed true at one time that suicide could prevent a funeral service or burial in a Catholic cemetery, but that is no longer church doctrine and hasn't been for some time.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Wow, I really enjoyed this episode. 
Jay-check
Blake-check
Nadine-half check
Russell-CHECK (loved him telling the new guy never to make the Pres repeat himself, and the convo with Elizabeth was quite entertaining.)
Very little of annoying Daisy and curly guy.

More family that I like, but at least they made sense in the storyline.

I'm guessing Henry is going to be sorry he went back in to perform first aid. Those guys in Hazmat suits cannot be a good thing. 

Walter cracked me up...it was in the report we sent up 5 months ago. And the complaints about paper cups. Too funny.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

hummingbird_206 said:


> Those guys in Hazmat suits cannot be a good thing.


That's certainly what I saw him thinking...


----------



## Craigbob (Dec 2, 2006)

I enjoyed this episode, including the the Malala doppelganger, this despite it being rather predictable and trope ridden. 

The chemistry between the characters keeps me coming back. I really hope we see more of Rene Auberjonois. I've been a fan of his since M*A*S*H. I'd love for Walter to be a recurring character.

Who was the bomber? I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of the sisters as they would still be in custody.


----------



## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I'm guessing Henry is going to be sorry he went back in to perform first aid. Those guys in Hazmat suits cannot be a good thing.


Maybe, but I don't think the character Henry is presented as someone who would regret making that kind of choice. Or even think of it as a choice.


----------



## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

ej42137 said:


> Maybe, but I don't think the character Henry is presented as someone who would regret making that kind of choice. Or even think of it as a choice.


Agreed but he will be rewarded according to the old adage, "No good deed goes unpunished."


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Craigbob said:


> I enjoyed this episode, including the the Malala doppelganger, this despite it being rather predictable and trope ridden.
> 
> The chemistry between the characters keeps me coming back. I really hope we see more of Rene Auberjonois. I've been a fan of his since M*A*S*H. I'd love for Walter to be a recurring character.
> 
> Who was the bomber? I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of the sisters as they would still be in custody.


That was the movie MASH right? Not the series?


----------



## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

aaronwt said:


> That was the movie MASH right? Not the series?


Yup. I just watched the 1970 MASH movie for the first time last weekend and did a "Woah, Auberjonois when he was really young!" He played Fr. Mulcahy.

Of course, at the time of MASH, "really young" was 30 years old at the time.

--Carlos V.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Having never seen M.A.S.H., to me he's that guy from Deep Space Nine.


----------



## Marc (Jun 26, 1999)

Although I remember him from Star Trek: DS9, my mind still remembers him a bit from Benson, mostly because his different look on DS9 doesn't match him in my mind. How I do match him from DS9 is from his voice.


----------



## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

Marc said:


> Although I remember him from Star Trek: DS9, my mind still remembers him a bit from Benson, mostly because his different look on DS9 doesn't match him in my mind. How I do match him from DS9 is from his voice.


Yup - to me he is the guy from Benson.


----------



## Craigbob (Dec 2, 2006)

aaronwt said:


> That was the movie MASH right? Not the series?


Correct he played Father Mulchahey the role later taken over by William Christopher (who sometimes popped up on Hogan's Heroes as well), as well as Benson, and DS9. I loved him in Benson.

Very distinctive voice.


----------



## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

Know him from MASH, but always think about Benson first when I see him.

And of all the actors in existence, he has the greatest name to say - and I always do so with a little accent.


----------



## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

I thought they were actually going to kill him off. That would have been ballsy. At least thats what I first thought. Then I realized that would be stupid.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Too much Daisy and Curly, but other than that, I enjoyed the ep. 

Henry was exposed to enough radiation to give him burns on his hands, but they gave him paint and he's all better. Huh, I didn't see that coming.

I hope the new thing Henry is heading up makes a better story line than the Russian stuff. And at least State is being read in so he and Elizabeth can talk about it. And they can gang up on Russell.


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

I'm not crazy about Henry as a spy. We'll see.


----------



## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

Come on writers, try to surprise me a little. Once the meet 'n greet was set up in Libya, you know the Ex-FBI agent was a red shirt. Just a matter of waiting for the hammer to fall. Or, the vest to pop.

It was a nice twist that the bomber wasn't a (willing) terrorist, and offered up intel to the infidels.

Also refreshing that the kids, especially the mini Socialist wanna be, didn't savage the parents about missing a dinner, since they were busy out trying to save the world. Or, at least, the US.

And, OMG, who knew that Elyes Gabel, (Scorpion) is actually a Brit. Another furriner, taking an American job.  He was in a CBS Cares PSA inside the episode.


----------



## Unbeliever (Feb 3, 2001)

Kinda find it hard to believe that the boyfriend knew about the bomb, but missed the news about the family being there.

--Carlos V.


----------



## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

Unbeliever said:


> Kinda find it hard to believe that the boyfriend knew about the bomb, but missed the news about the family being there.
> 
> --Carlos V.


Yeah, I guess news the Secretary's family had been victims, (or near victims), of a dirty bomb would be all over the media.


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Unbeliever said:


> Kinda find it hard to believe that the boyfriend knew about the bomb, but missed the news about the family being there.
> 
> --Carlos V.


I was (guess still am) thinking the BF would turn out to be a spy or terrorist.

Too much of the kids in the ep, but I do like how they've finally made Henry relevant to the story.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Unbeliever said:


> Kinda find it hard to believe that the boyfriend knew about the bomb, but missed the news about the family being there.
> 
> --Carlos V.


Wouldn't they keep that info quiet?


----------



## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

Well, I guess putting up with the 2 daughters was worth all the Blake screen time. Blake is my favorite character.

I loved it when Mommy and Daddy threatened to make Jr pay for his own education if he didn't drop his lawsuit.


----------



## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

I like the older daughter. The younger, not so much.


----------



## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

It seems obvious they're setting up a Blake/Stevie thing. She's always amazed by him, and he seems mesmerized by her.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

astrohip said:


> It seems obvious they're setting up a Blake/Stevie thing. She's always amazed by him, and he seems mesmerized by her.


I hope they don't go there.:down:

Besides, Blakes character would need to be an idiot to do that.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Yeah, I like the British guy... no Blake/Stevie hookups please.


----------



## JYoung (Jan 16, 2002)

Well, I thought that Blake and Stevie wouldn't happen because my impression was that Blake plays for the other team.

NTTAWWT.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

JYoung said:


> Well, I thought that Blake and Stevie wouldn't happen because my impression was that Blake plays for the other team.
> 
> NTTAWWT.


Wasn't there a storyline about that way back? Where no one actually figured out if he was or wasn't? Or am I making that up in my head?


----------



## Marc (Jun 26, 1999)

laria said:


> Wasn't there a storyline about that way back? Where no one actually figured out if he was or wasn't? Or am I making that up in my head?


You're remembering it correctly. They left it explicitly ambiguous.


----------



## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

So irked with CBS for pushing Madame Secretary for something... March Madness games maybe? Also they moved Elementary to Sundays now so I get two shows I really enjoy ruined... and they aren't even back-to-back so I don't get to see at least on in its entirety. Luckily I installed Plex on my Linux system and can stream it with my Roku. Technology FTW!

"Are you always perfectly groomed?" "It's still before 10pm!" Heh. I'm in my pajamas 10 minutes after getting home. Of course I'm in no danger of being called out by the SoS for some emergency or other.

No to Blake/Stevie. That's just wrong.

Loved the parental video scolding and the kids in the dorm laughing. Unfortunately that scene was absolutely ruined with the ridiculous and heavy-handed moralizing set over swelling string instrumentation: GAG! I mean I didn't necessarily disagree with the sentiment but that was just some horrible, horrible writing. Ugh. If I was those parents I would have said "son, we changed our minds: sue them, just for making us listen to that dreck!"

Also the bit about the college protesters in costume blowing up on the internet was hilarious.


----------



## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

madscientist said:


> So irked with CBS for pushing Madame Secretary for something...


I gave up being irked by CBS on Sundays ages ago. 
Sounds like you don't watch The Good Wife.
Now that Elementary is on at 10, I am padding that by an hour and generally I get all 3 recorded. I usually check at some point on a Sunday night to see how late CBS actually is... but I don't think they have ever gone beyond the one hour mark...


----------



## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

I watch Madame Secretary and The Good Wife and pad them both 1 hour each. Been doing this with all my Sunday CBS shows for years.

Never miss a thing.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I automatically pad The Good Wife, which is the last show I watch on CBS on Sundays when there's a game that's scheduled to end right up against the CBS slate. And then I try to watch the shows in a block. It doesn't bother me much anymore because I expect it and I just pad for contingency.


----------



## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

The truth is that CBS knows full well that their programming gets farked almost every Sunday, but they do nothing about it.

If they just pushed everything up an hour, it would solve the whole problem.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

nyny523 said:


> The truth is that CBS knows full well that their programming gets farked almost every Sunday, but they do nothing about it.
> 
> If they just pushed everything up an hour, it would solve the whole problem.


Except, they ALSO know that when there's a sporting event leading into their shows, the ratings go up, and sometimes double. This is especially true of their early shows which don't have NFL competition (well the actual game) until 8:30. I don't think they get as big a ratings bump with CBB, but I would imagine there's some. So if your CBS, why would you change this? To make us happy? We are watching anyway.


----------



## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

+1 to padding the last show you watch on Sunday for many years. I can remember doing it back at least as far back as when _Shark_ was in the 10pm slot, so at least 10 years now.  I guess if you don't watch the one in the middle you'd either have to start... or pad both.


----------



## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> Except, they ALSO know that when there's a sporting event leading into their shows, the ratings go up, and sometimes double. This is especially true of their early shows which don't have NFL competition (well the actual game) until 8:30. I don't think they get as big a ratings bump with CBB, but I would imagine there's some. So if your CBS, why would you change this? To make us happy? We are watching anyway.


But do they really? It doesn't effect the West Coast at all. It just pisses off their viewers on the East Coast!


----------



## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

Cainebj said:


> I gave up being irked by CBS on Sundays ages ago.
> Sounds like you don't watch The Good Wife.
> Now that Elementary is on at 10, I am padding that by an hour and generally I get all 3 recorded. I usually check at some point on a Sunday night to see how late CBS actually is... but I don't think they have ever gone beyond the one hour mark...


Bad enough padding 60 Minutes and Madam Secretary by an hour each, but I now deleted my One Pass to Elementary. I'm so sick and tired of CBS pulling this crap that I'm coming real close to cancelling everything CBS runs on Sunday night. I forgot Elementary moved to Sunday night. Looks like CBS wants to kill the series.


----------



## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

I too got caught by the Elementary switch. I have a long pad on TGW but it wasn't long enough to cover the new show. Back to the drawing board.


----------



## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

nyny523 said:


> But do they really? It doesn't effect the West Coast at all. It just pisses off their viewers on the East Coast!


I don't know if you look at the Daily Ratings thread, but pretty much every week there's an NFL overrun for instance, the ratings for 60 Minutes (the first show after the games for CBS) is always at least one whole point higher, and most often more than that. The shows after that get a bump as well. I would think if CBS thought that this was hurting ratings, then they would have done something long ago. Now Fox keeps that 7-8 time frame clear, but they've never had anything that was ever rated that highly to begin with there.

In this day and age of DVRs, it's pretty easy to fix by padding. It's really a non issue for me anymore.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

An hour pad is what you need. If the overrun is over an hour, which has actually happened a couple times in the last year or so, CBS will drop a show.

Part of me wants to stop watching CBS on Sunday to "teach them a lesson", but MS and Elementary are two of my favorite shows. I will be very sad if E isn't renewed (and moving it to Sunday makes me think they want to deep-six it).


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

astrohip said:


> An hour pad is what you need. If the overrun is over an hour, which has actually happened a couple times in the last year or so, CBS will drop a show.
> 
> Part of me wants to stop watching CBS on Sunday to "teach them a lesson", but MS and Elementary are two of my favorite shows. I will be very sad if E isn't renewed (and moving it to Sunday makes me think they want to deep-six it).


I used to have an hour pad until one week the delay was over an hour and I missed part of Madam Secretary. Since then I've had a 1.5 hour pad. (It was the first season that had a week that had over a one hour delay)


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Yeah the hour thing only works if you record the whole night. The last show will get dropped.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

I don't watch The Good Wife anymore (I liked it but I got behind in season 2 and never caught up). And I only have 2 tuners and there's lots of stuff to record on Sundays, so it's not so simple. I expect these issues during NFL season but somehow this last weekend caught me out. Oh well, I have a solution that works fine, it turns out. Just annoying.

I too am worried that the move to Sundays means Elementary is less likely to be renewed


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

madscientist said:


> I too am worried that the move to Sundays means Elementary is less likely to be renewed


Not to swipe the thread but I thought it meant the opposite. 
The Good Wife is ending so they are trying to solidify their Sunday night. CSI Cyber was not that good in my opinion and didn't fit in with the other Sunday night shows. I think they are gearing up for moving Madam Secretary to 9 to create a strong Sunday night block.


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## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

Cainebj said:


> Not to swipe the thread but I thought it meant the opposite.
> The Good Wife is ending so they are trying to solidify their Sunday night. CSI Cyber was not that good in my opinion and didn't fit in with the other Sunday night shows. I think they are gearing up for moving Madam Secretary to 9 to create a strong Sunday night block.


I did hear the Elementary may be on the chopping block. Hasn't been renewed yet and ratings aren't great... CSI Cyber is not canceled yet, but it's looking pretty bad.

So who knows.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Cainebj said:


> Not to swipe the thread but I thought it meant the opposite.
> The Good Wife is ending so they are trying to solidify their Sunday night. CSI Cyber was not that good in my opinion and didn't fit in with the other Sunday night shows. I think they are gearing up for moving Madam Secretary to 9 to create a strong Sunday night block.


That's what I think. But for me, my CBS block will end after MS, once The Good Wife is over. These CBS crime dramas are a dime a dozen and I don't watch any of them.


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## RickyL (Sep 13, 2004)

I have ended up doing a manual recording from 7PM-12PM on sundays. I still have the season passes for the shows I want and try to use that recording first but if it been delayed, I got to the manual recording.


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## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

RickyL said:


> I have ended up doing a manual recording from 7PM-12PM on sundays. I still have the season passes for the shows I want and try to use that recording first but if it been delayed, I got to the manual recording.


Problem with manual recording if you have Roamio or Bolt is loss of skip-mode.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> These CBS crime dramas are a dime a dozen and I don't watch any of them.


 I agree in general: I don't watch any CSI, NCIS etc. But, Elementary is very different from those (IMO) and I enjoy it a lot. I've liked everything I've seen Johnny Lee Miller in.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

madscientist said:


> I agree in general: I don't watch any CSI, NCIS etc. But, Elementary is very different from those (IMO) and I enjoy it a lot. I've liked everything I've seen Johnny Lee Miller in.


Might have to give it a try. I've been fooled a few times by CBS Crime dramas supposedly being different but they all wind up essentially the same with a different twist. There was Las Vegas a couple of years ago, which was the same crime drama set in the 60s. There was this years Limitless which was essentially something taking a pill to make him so smart, but in the end, he's just another agent solving the crime of the week. One guy uses mental powers, another uses deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes, but they are all kind of the same.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

Elementary and Limitless are 2 of my favorite shows.  Limitless is so much fun even though it's basically a crime of the week. And Elementary isn't just a guy who uses deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes... he IS Sherlock Holmes.


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## RickyL (Sep 13, 2004)

Steveknj said:


> Might have to give it a try. I've been fooled a few times by CBS Crime dramas supposedly being different but they all wind up essentially the same with a different twist. There was Las Vegas a couple of years ago, which was the same crime drama set in the 60s. There was this years Limitless which was essentially something taking a pill to make him so smart, but in the end, he's just another agent solving the crime of the week. One guy uses mental powers, another uses deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes, but they are all kind of the same.


yeah, but limitless is fun. Sinbad for the win!


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> Might have to give it a try. I've been fooled a few times by CBS Crime dramas supposedly being different but they all wind up essentially the same with a different twist. There was Las Vegas a couple of years ago, which was the same crime drama set in the 60s. There was this years Limitless which was essentially something taking a pill to make him so smart, but in the end, he's just another agent solving the crime of the week. One guy uses mental powers, another uses deductive reasoning like Sherlock Holmes, but they are all kind of the same.


I guess it depends on why you don't like them. If you don't like mysteries of the week at all and mainly like serialized shows maybe it won't be for you: there are usually longer plot arcs but fundamentally it's a MOTW show. I consider Elementary pretty different from CSI/NCIS. IMO it's a lot more character-driven and to me it stays interesting, even though sure, you can usually figure out whodunit.

Plus per the CBS renewal thread, it's coming back next year! Yay!


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

RickyL said:


> yeah, but limitless is fun. Sinbad for the win!


I watched Limitless for awhile and got bored with it. I was hopeful it was going to be less about the crime of the week and more about the main guy, but from what I saw, typical CBS crime stuff.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

madscientist said:


> I guess it depends on why you don't like them. *If you don't like mysteries of the week at all and mainly like serialized shows maybe it won't be for you:* there are usually longer plot arcs but fundamentally it's a MOTW show. I consider Elementary pretty different from CSI/NCIS. IMO it's a lot more character-driven and to me it stays interesting, even though sure, you can usually figure out whodunit.
> 
> Plus per the CBS renewal thread, it's coming back next year! Yay!


Bingo. I do watch a few MOTW, but they seem much different than what CBS throws out there. For instance, I like The Blacklist. But there's a definite plotline behind all the guys they catch and that's the more interesting part to me.


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

nyny523 said:


> I did hear the Elementary may be on the chopping block. Hasn't been renewed yet and ratings aren't great...


Elementary has been renewed for the 2016/2017 season.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Cainebj said:


> I gave up being irked by CBS on Sundays ages ago.
> Sounds like you don't watch The Good Wife.
> Now that Elementary is on at 10, I am padding that by an hour and generally I get all 3 recorded. I usually check at some point on a Sunday night to see how late CBS actually is... but I don't think they have ever gone beyond the one hour mark...


Thanks to TiVo I have absolutely no idea when anything is on anymore. Shows just end up in my list, so I watch them. 

I had no idea until this thread that Elementary moved to Sundays. (I've been behind a few episodes on both shows). Time to pad that SP too...


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## tvmaster2 (Sep 9, 2006)

'Desperate Remedies' - anyone notice this was another suicide bomber show? It's becoming more common it seems.


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

Just like real life.


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## debtoine (May 17, 2001)

I've been saying to Toine that I didn't think Dmitri was dead. 

Well, it seems, I was right...at least, I hope that conversation she had with the Russian minister means he is alive. I wonder how long she can keep that chat to herself and not tell Henry.

deb


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

Well, I hope that she has a conversation with the president and chief of staff about the trade before she tells Henry anything....


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

debtoine said:


> I've been saying to Toine that I didn't think Dmitri was dead.
> 
> Well, it seems, I was right...at least, I hope that conversation she had with the Russian minister means he is alive. I wonder how long she can keep that chat to herself and not tell Henry.
> 
> deb





Amnesia said:


> Well, I hope that she has a conversation with the president and chief of staff about the trade before she tells Henry anything....


Based on the preview for next week she must do something that someone doesn't like.


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## RGM1138 (Oct 6, 1999)

Well, that was neat and tidy. Pakistan goes to sh*t, but they managed to neutralize all their nukes, drone Disah into oblivion, kill a scientist, find a sympathetic doctor, enlist the help of the Chinese government, hack the infrastructure of Pakistan, and rescue a black ops team with a heavily wounded man. All in 44 minutes, (sans commercials). And, there was even time for a bit of "comedic" relief at the end with the schoolmarm.

I was expecting a two-parter for all that action, but they got it in one. That's the kind of writing worthy of an episode of Scorpion.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

RGM1138 said:


> And, there was even time for a bit of "comedic" relief at the end with the schoolmarm.


That part was disappointing. Really, was there a single person watching that didn't see that coming? And the way she went on and on, actually made the scene more painful to watch.

Other than that, typical _save the world_ plot.


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## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

The truly unbelievable part about the school trip is that they were able to get tickets for _Hamilton._ Disarming all of Pakistan's nukes during a civil war would be a cakewalk by comparison.


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

Ron Chernow was on Cspan last week and he pointed out that they routinely have a couple rows of school kids at the performances. And the first row is given out via lottery at each performance.


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## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

efilippi said:


> Ron Chernow was on Cspan last week and he pointed out that they routinely have a couple rows of school kids at the performances. And the first row is given out via lottery at each performance.


That's a lovely gesture. I wonder how many schools are trying to get tickets? 

(There were roughly 98,000 schools in the U.S. as of 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and the number has been growing for years. DOE also estimated 55 million schoolchildren in K-12 as of fall 2015.)


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Now now now. The show was a hit off-broadway before it was on Broadway and had already been seen by Michelle Obama. Those tickets could have been booked before it became impossible AFTER it opened on Broadway. I easily got a ticket to a preview.

Personally - I thought the best scene was the confrontation with the Dean of the school. I would have been happier if Murphy Station had been blown up.

Wait - I take that back. Nice cliffhanger there. I did not see that coming. :up:


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

As soon as the Russian ambassador mentioned some spy by name that we'd never heard of before I _knew_ that would be integral to the next crisis after Pakistan


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## ADG (Aug 20, 2003)

Nit picking aside, this remains one of the smartest shows on TV.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Urk, TCF keeps logging me out and I keep losing my comment, so I'll just say Téa Leoni is one of my favorite actresses ever. She doesn't have to do as much heavy-lifting here as, say, Spader does on _Blacklist_ because her supporting cast is far superior to his, but for me she absolutely makes this show.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

I love this show. And I love how Elizabeth can so stick her foot in her mouth yet come out smelling like a rose. I love her so much!

I cannot believe Dimitri was alive and that the Russians made a trade for him. Loved how he spit on Henry and then went back for a hug. Will be interesting to see what happens there next. At least they got his sister, too. 

Was this the season finale? If so, bravo, was a great ending to a great season.


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## pkscout (Jan 11, 2003)

hummingbird_206 said:


> I love this show. And I love how Elizabeth can so stick her foot in her mouth yet come out smelling like a rose. I love her so much!
> 
> I cannot believe Dimitri was alive and that the Russians made a trade for him. Loved how he spit on Henry and then went back for a hug. Will be interesting to see what happens there next. At least they got his sister, too.
> 
> Was this the season finale? If so, bravo, was a great ending to a great season.


I'm pretty sure that was the season finale. Great season, and a great ending. A few things left hanging to build on next season, but if for some reason this was the end (I HAVE NO INFORMATION THAT IS THE CASE), it was a good run.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

That was the season finale. It was already renewed for next season, so it's not the end.

I wonder if they will change the show title? Or if she'll just decide she doesn't want to run and for some reason the President will be ok with that? You know he kinda has to win re-election, otherwise she'd most likely be out of a job entirely.


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## nyny523 (Oct 31, 2003)

Remember - she is still Madam Secretary until AFTER the election (if they win).

They could have Season 3 be all about the election.

She isn't Madam Vice President until they win.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

nyny523 said:


> Remember - she is still Madam Secretary until AFTER the election (if they win).
> 
> They could have Season 3 be all about the election.
> 
> She isn't Madam Vice President until they win.


True... I was not thinking about that, how she'd keep her title. I was just thinking it wouldn't be her current job title anymore.


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## hummingbird_206 (Aug 23, 2007)

I hope she does become the VP. I don't care if the name of the show becomes OBE.


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## Amnesia (Jan 30, 2005)

The show has already been renewed for next year.


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

She will recognize how effective she is as SoS and will ask Conrad to find someone else


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## stellie93 (Feb 25, 2006)

And then something will happen to Conrad and she'll be Madame President. :up:


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## spartanstew (Feb 24, 2002)

Amnesia said:


> The show has already been renewed for next year.


Glad to hear it. I was hoping it hadn't changed since yesterday.


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## Graymalkin (Mar 20, 2001)

stellie93 said:


> And then something will happen to Conrad and she'll be Madame President. :up:


Don't forget the season premiere, where she _was_ Madame President, if only for a few hours, because Conrad and the Speaker of the House were incommunicado on hacked Air Force One, the Veep became ill, and the president pro tempore of the Senate was a nutcase.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

Jon J said:


> She will recognize how effective she is as SoS and will ask Conrad to find someone else


And she did say in the finale that she is finally liking the job


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## RickyL (Sep 13, 2004)

Obviously, she's going to recommend he take the SoS candidate as the VP pick...purple state and all.


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