What’s the best way to escape the real world turmoil of the Presidential election? Definitely not by turning on your favorite television show that’s embroiled in a Presidential election, but that’s exactly what I did anyway. Let’s talk “The Race.”
We begin with a McCord saving the life of Russell Jackson. It’s definitely not the McCord I envisioned would ever be literally beating his tiny, grey heart back to life, but that’s what makes it fun. I also think Elizabeth saving Russell’s life would’ve shifted the dynamic of their sometimes tenuous relationship.. and we can’t have that. So back to Stevie. I gotta give it to the girl. She stays cool under pressure. Definitely got that from both parents. I’m not sure if Elizabeth and Conrad didn’t want to get in her way or didn’t know CPR, but they both just stood over her, offering support. I like to think it’s the former and this was a time when a parent learns from their child. It was a proud mama moment for Elizabeth. Even Conrad looked on later with happy, satisfied eyes. Russell safely on his way to the hospital, Stevie finally breaks down. We’ve all had those moments when adrenaline takes over in a fight-or-flight situation, and then when the rush is finished, the emotional anguish and what-the-heck-just-happened begins. Russell’s wife is eternally grateful, as is Russell.. hence Stevie’s shiny new internship that’s about to start.
With questions of “Where did I go wrong” and “How did I not see this” plaguing her, Elizabeth visits Juliet in prison. Admittedly, I’ve been looking forward to this scene ever since I noticed her name in the press release. Thank Baby Jesus and Barbara Hall, her appearance wasn’t just a flashback. The visit was prompted by a middle of the night talk with Henry. Elizabeth was admitting her anxiety about missing something that Juliet saw, so Henry responds with, “Did you ever ask her about it?” It’s a simple question no one has really posed until now. Leave it to Henry to do it.
When Elizabeth walks into the prison, you can feel the anxiety radiate from the television. Here are two people who used to share their entire worlds with each other, now questioning how to even speak to each other. Juliet breaks the ice after a few seconds with, “Nice shoes.” It almost catches Elizabeth off guard. Even she admits she never expected Juliet to react nicely to her upon their first meeting post-Friendgate. Elizabeth is awkward. Juliet is not. Perhaps it’s because they’re meeting on Juliet’s turf, but she could have easily refused to speak to Elizabeth. It’s actually Juliet who makes all the first moves, saying it’s good to see Elizabeth, making cracks about high heels, asking about Henry and the kids. Elizabeth follows Juliet’s lead, quickly relaxing. They’re genuinely happy to see each other, and for a few seconds, it’s like they’re old friends catching up over wine at a restaurant. Of course you have to ignore the fact that one of them is in a horribly unflattering jumpsuit and wearing shackles. Minor details. The breezy conversation ends and Juliet immediately tenses up when Elizabeth mentions her kids. Juliet is almost disappointed that Elizabeth wasn’t visiting her simply to check in and say “hi.” Elizabeth then asks the question that she’s been grappling with for years: why? Juliet launches into a host of reasons she doesn’t believe a peace deal between Iran and the rest of the world could ever work. The two who used to work so closely on the same side are once again teaming up, in a sense. They have the same intelligence background and shared experiences, allowing them to open up to each other like they can’t to others around them. My question is, why didn’t Juliet say any of this to Elizabeth during the nuclear deal negotiations? Why resort to covert plots and killing Cabinet members and foreign leaders? I’m assuming it’s because she didn’t think Elizabeth would believe her, which is possibly true. However, in this bizarre setting, Juliet is able to lay out tangible reasons why she doesn’t think peace with Iran is possible, and in less than 3 minutes, she gets Elizabeth to understand, too. Elizabeth is now coming at the situation with hindsight, so that’s in Juliet’s favor. Juliet did manage to get one jab in: “Funny that the price of winning this argument is a life sentence.” Listen, girl. You did it to yourself. But I’ll give you that since you’ve been so helpful.
To me, this scene was so critical to see play out. For 1.5 seasons, we’ve wondered what happened to her. Is she brooding? Does she hate everyone? Is her heart deader than Russell’s and she just didn’t care about her country? They’re the same questions Elizabeth has been facing, so she was finally able to address those issues and alleviate some of her lingering guilt. It was also good for Elizabeth’s mental health. As she admitted, she’s run different scenarios in her head about how Juliet would greet her, should they ever meet again. I’m sure she was expecting an ice cold reception, so this was important for her to see that one of her closest friends doesn’t hate her for eternity. I’m sure they both miss the friendship. These two spent years together, sharing things that no one else can understand professionally, and being part of each other’s lives personally. I believe Juliet when she said it was good to see Elizabeth. Her big smile gave it away. The visit also allowed Juliet the chance to finally explain herself, offering insight as to why she risked her life attempting to tank a peace deal. Juliet laying out step by step why she doesn’t believe a nuclear agreement with Iran will ever work was a look into how those two probably used to work together. A step back in time to the CIA. They bounce scenarios off of each other, helping lead the other, using their shared knowledge about world events. The ironic part is that Juliet, in prison for trying to stop the deal, helped give Elizabeth ideas to continue on with the deal. Even Conrad asked Elizabeth how Juliet is doing, a nod to their shared history. He worked with her for years, too, afterall. “Thanks for thinking outside of the box,” Conrad said to Elizabeth about the prison visit. Yeah, dude. That’s why you hired her. Remember sitting in her farmhouse kitchen in the pilot? Related: Can Elizabeth have a girlfriend, please? I’ve been asking for years. I’m tired of begging. It’s not a good look.
The Presidential election continues to rumble on this episode. Conrad taps into his moral compass and decides to fight fair for his job. He doesn’t want to file a lawsuit or play the health card, letting the public know that Governor Evans is apparently predisposed to early onset Alzheimer’s. It’s just like when Donald Trump threw out accusations that Hillary Clinton has Parkinson’s… except it’s actually the exact opposite. Even Russell didn’t want to stoop so low as to reveal Evans’ health issues, an about-face that shocked everyone standing in his hospital room. “People aren’t gonna support you because of some political dirty trick. They trust you to make the difficult decisions, and to do the principled thing instead of what’s politically expedient.” Oh, Russell. If only that was true in real life. Just like the Grinch, Russell’s heart grew three sizes that day and a million shades of grey lighter. He even cried tears of overwhelming joy and absolute relief when he learned Conrad won re-election. It will be interesting to see how Russell’s personality will be going forward. Will he stay warm and mushy or will he resort back to his old ways? I kind of hate to see him lose his prickly exterior. It’s what makes me want to punch him and hug him at the same time. Given the circumstances, I’m expecting Old Russell to return soon enough.
Speaking of Conrad winning, he did the impossible. This is where we suspend belief and move on for storyline purposes. The question of how long he’ll remain President is now out there, thanks to good ol Sam Evans. His meeting with Elizabeth at the end all but promised Conrad’s second term will be eventful and, if he has his way, short-lived. For her part, Elizabeth throws some snarky jabs in, as only she can do. With a smirk on her face, she mentions “in passing” that she just returned from Geneva, rubbing the success of the Iran/Israel talks in his face. He then brings up her trip to Ohio and says he plans to challenge her visit to the Buckeye State. Who didn’t see that coming? OK. We all did. They made too much of a point in 3.04 assuring Elizabeth that her meeting was legal. She questioned it. Her staff questioned it. As I said back then, if the point has to be hit so hard, there’s a good chance it’s coming back. “Good luck in the race,” Evans leaves Elizabeth with. If that isn’t a double entendre. So does that mean the Sam Evans Health Card is really off the table for good or will it be dealt back in? Personally, I’m not ready for the Presidential storyline to continue. I need a cap put on it. Every episode or new scenarios is just extending my PTSD of our real election.
Elizabeth and Henry again prove how they’re each other’s biggest support system. In the hospital while she reveals her concerns about Iran and Juliet, Henry hugs her.. but he doesn’t just hug her. He literally holds her body up, allowing her to go limp and release the stress, passing the burden of simply supporting herself onto him, something he easily and gladly accepts. She repays the favor later in the kitchen while he’s lamenting about his brother. Side note: I love those intimate kitchen scenes. They’ve had several now in that dark room, revealing their deepest concerns (or yelling at each other), all while being illuminated simply by low or outside lighting. One minute, he’s her rock. The next, she’s his. Could a marriage be any more effective?
Other Things:
--While Elizabeth and Henry are discussing the Iran deal, Henry softly touches the spot where she was injured in the bombing, saying, ”You put your life on the line, too.” He hasn’t forgotten how close he came to losing her.
--Another visit to Geneva, the scene of the Season 2 crime. My, how I haven’t missed that place. It’s where Elizabeth and Henry spiraled even more out of control over Dmitri, but it’s also where Evita was blown to bits.. so it’s a draw.
--I appreciate the one-on-one meeting between Israel and Iran, a meeting that resulted in something positive, but I wish real life was that easy. If it was, thousands of people in Aleppo would still be alive.
--I thought the President only spoke on secure phone lines? When Russell talked to him in the hospital, a nurse brought in a phone from 1985 and plugged it into the wall outlet.
--That spider camera gave me the creeps. I hate spiders, no matter how high-tech they are.
--Sarah McCord was wearing an untied tie blouse, so apparently anyone who spends time in the McCord townhouse eventually assumes the wardrobe.
--Someone in wardrobe really likes the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I approve.
--Why wasn’t Elizabeth running? They’ve made a point to show her running for fun multiple times. I’d assume it was for security purposes, but she was out at the event already, which poses its own security issues.
--I’m sad we didn’t get any McCord Thanksgiving or Christmas scenes this year, despite having new episodes in the weekends around those holidays. Even last season, the season of family drama, we got a tree. Some year, God and Barbara willing, Elizabeth and the McCords will go caroling. I don’t care if Téa has to lip synch.
Do you think Evans has a shot at overturning the election results? Will Russell’s new rainbows and gumdrops outlook on life stick around?
