Madam Secretary on Sunday closed its freshman season with a cliffhanger-free finale that tied up some loose ends from the season-long storylines.
Meanwhile, Senator Raymond Caruthers wants to get to the bottom of the events in Iran and personally gives Bess a subpoena to appear before a Senate investigation committee that investigates how involved the government was with the attempted coup. Bess is ready to fact the truth, but the President and Russell pressure to take the executive privilege. However, after doing so, Caruthers goes after Henry and gives him a subpoena to appear before the committee. Since Bess shared classified CIA info, it means she violated the espionage act. Henry is prepared to commit perjury to protect his wife, but right before the hearing starts, she walks in and tells everything. This might mean she is facing charges, and Russell tells her the President won't protect her. Fortunately, it all turns out fine when no charges are pressed against Bess because she acted due to extraordinary circumstances.
While this might have been a bit of a quiet finale, I believe it was an effective way to cap off the show's first season. All loose ends that were left hanging have been pretty much resolved. We know who killed Marsh and George, and that is where the show began. As such, the finale brings the season full circle. It might have felt a bit like a series finale, but I see it more as starting fresh in season 2. I personally wouln't have mind a cliffhanger, but in this case it feels right not to do one. I do hope season 2 has a season-long arc, because those episodes were the best of the season. The flashbacks were interesting, but I think we know too little about what happened to Juliet in Bagdad. Had Bess taken the job, I am sure her life would have been different but to what extent? Would she really have been a traitor to her country? Bess and Juliet are two different persons so it's possible Bess would have reacted entirely different to the events in Bagdad than Juliet did. In general, I think we didn't know enough about Juliet before the coup to really feel the level of betrayal that Bess did. Lastly, I am glad Stevie found someone of her own age instead of Arthur. We haven't seen too much of them yet, but I think Stevie and Harrison could make a good couple.
What did you think of the season finale? Do you agree that it was quiet, but effective? Are you glad nearly all storylines of season 1 have been resolved? Would you have liked to see the season end on a cliffhanger? What do you think happened to Juliet in Bagdad? And lastly, do you have any wishes for season 2? I would love to hear your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
So that was the last review of Madam Secretary's first season and it was a big pleasure for me to write these reviews and sometimes previews. The show will be presumably back in the fall, but keep an eye out for the CBS schedule in the next couple of days. It's likely I will do a review of the entire season, but that will likely be published somewhere in summer. Until then: see you around!
