Madam Secretary: Season 2
Season 2 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Madam Secretary Season 1.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 2 Progress Shield
The Show Must Go On
Oct 4, 2015
The President’s plane is declared missing and Elizabeth is thrust into a situation of power she never imagined possible. Also, Henry butts heads with his new Defense Intelligence A
The Doability Doctrine
Oct 11, 2015
Elizabeth takes advice from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and ignores President Dalton's recommendation on how to negotiate the safe return of a State Department emp
The Rusalka
Oct 18, 2015
Elizabeth and President Dalton’s administration are met with hostility while trying to deal with the Russian government. Also, Dmitri is kidnapped and interrogated about being a Ru
Waiting for Taleju
Oct 25, 2015
Elizabeth finds herself pushed out of the President's inner circle after she disagrees with his response to the growing tension with Russia. Also, when incriminating photos of Stev
The Long Shot
Nov 1, 2015
In the wake of President Ostrov’s death, Elizabeth and President Dalton fear a power grab within the Russian government. Also, the government’s Cybersecurity Coordinator Oliver Sha
Catch and Release
Nov 8, 2015
After an American aid worker is killed in Syria by the first known American ISIS leader, Elizabeth recalls all aid workers stationed there, including her brother, and makes it her
You Say You Want a Revolution
Nov 15, 2015
With the support of President Dalton, Elizabeth attempts to get the Senate's support for a history-making effort to lift the Cuban trade embargo. Also, Henry and Alison bond while
Lights Out
Nov 22, 2015
As tensions rise with Russia, Elizabeth, Russell and Mike B. hatch a plan to oust National Security Advisor Craig Sterling without tarnishing President Dalton with a scandal. Direc
Russian Roulette
Nov 29, 2015
Shortly before Elizabeth is to deliver a speech at the United Nations accusing Russia for the attack on Air Force One, Henry shares information that makes her reconsider her theory
The Greater Good
Dec 13, 2015
After they uncover a secret that could ruin Maria Ostrov’s reputation, Elizabeth and President Dalton head to Switzerland to meet with her and use the information as leverage to fi
Unity Node
Jan 10, 2016
Elizabeth tries to salvage a peace deal with Russia after an unexpected turn of events threatens to dissolve the agreement. Also, Elizabeth gets dragged into dealing with an emerge
The Middle Way
Jan 17, 2016
Elizabeth, to her surprise, is met resistance when she travels to Myanmar to sign a Pacific Rim trade agreement, which will modernize the country's power grid and benefit several o
Invasive Species
Jan 31, 2016
After his father’s death, Henry’s family uncovers shocking secrets that open old wounds for them, including his grieving sister Maureen, who blames Henry for not spending enough ti
Left of the Boom
Feb 14, 2016
While Elizabeth oversees a mission to track down the culprits behind a uranium heist in Eastern Europe, she also contends with highly sensitive issues in Saudi Arabia, including th
Right of the Boom
Feb 21, 2016
Following a shocking event on U.S. soil, Elizabeth rushes to find answers to President Dalton's many questions about how it was able to occur.
Hijriyyah
Mar 6, 2016
After an Italian warship answers a distress call from a ship carrying Libyan refugees, Elizabeth is given 20 minutes to decide whether to question a passenger who claims to know th
Higher Learning
Mar 20, 2016
While Elizabeth accompanies Alison on a college campus tour, she is ambushed by protestors about a Chilean mining operation involving the U.S. and Chilean governments. Also, Henry,
On the Clock
Mar 27, 2016
As Elizabeth holds peace talks between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, a mysterious plane crash tied to both countries causes the three parties to reevaluate the deal. A
Desperate Remedies
Apr 10, 2016
Elizabeth learns that a member of the inner circle of the terrorist group Boko Haram has fallen ill with a deadly virus and, by leveraging his weakness, she formulates a plan to ge
Ghost Detainee
Apr 17, 2016
After Elizabeth delivers her first speech to the United Nations General Assembly formally condemning the terrorist group Hizb-al Shahid, she discusses forming a coalition against t
Connection Lost
Apr 24, 2016
When President Dalton gets word that the world’s most wanted terrorist, Jibral Disah, is hiding in Islamabad, he sends the “Murphy Station” – Henry, Jane and Jose – on a dangerous
Render Safe
May 1, 2016
The United States debates enacting a “render safe” mission to secure nuclear weapons that belong to the Pakistani government before it collapses, while the Murphy Station pursues t
Vartius
May 8, 2016
When Elizabeth receives shocking news about an important political operative, she navigates a tricky political situation with President Dalton, who she learns may be considering re