'Madam Secretary' Season 4, Episode 8 'The Fourth Estate' Recap: Drug War, Corrupt Officials, and Media Exposure [SPOILERS]

“Madam Secretary,” is dealing with the drug cartel of Mexico and its relationship with the United States in the eighth episode of Season 4. Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) and her staff work with the Mexican government to extradite a Mexican cartel leader. Meanwhile, the President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) refuses to work hand in hand with the Mexican government. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is trying to find other solutions than severing ties.

‘Madam Secretary’ and the Cartels

Word is out that death due to a drug overdose is increasingly rising in the country. The President’s son is also back in rehab which makes this issue personal. PotUS Chief of Staff Russel Jackson (Zeljko Ivanek) called on Elizabeth to the White House to meet with the President about measures they can take to address the drug problem. He shows her the profile of the Mexican cartel leader ordering her to place him in the responsibility of the United States. Extraditing the Mexican Cartel leader Macias would decrease the drug problem. Though it’s obvious that Dalton is putting his personal feelings into the issue, Elizabeth gives him another option.
Taking one drug leader out of Mexico won’t solve the problem according to Elizabeth. It would only give way for another cartel to take over. Instead, she proposes they address the corruption within the Mexican government. Macias was able to do business while in prison, which means that there’s a mole in the Mexican government. Elizabeth then talks to Secretary Gomez of Mexico about extraditing Macias. He finds it insulting that America cannot trust the Mexican justice system. The two end up with a deal where Gomez asks Elizabeth to lift the cyber security in trading, and in turn, he surrenders Macias to the American government. Luckily for Elizabeth, her new political strategist, Kat Sandoval (Sara Ramirez), was able to find a way to get private companies take down their cybersecurity.

Getting Help from the Fourth Estate

Sadly, the deal won’t push through since Macias was taken by his cartel on his way to the border. This angers the President as Elizabeth worries about the US and Mexico’s relationship. After Macias escaped during transport, a journalist who secured a gloating interview with him while on the lam is murdered. Elizabeth’s urgency to find the leader escalates. She enlists the help of Miguel (Desmin Borges), a journalist for Washington Chronicle. She tells him, off the record, about the corruption in Mexico and how it’s not helping the drug situation. She asks him to help since the Fourth Estate can be the ones to help or hinder the progress. Miguel agrees to see what he can find about the Mexican government.
But as soon as Miguel has enough information to write an article, he was killed. During this year alone, there were seven journalists who died covering the drug cartel situation in Mexico. Elizabeth’s team was able to get hold of Miguel’s notes and find out Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Gomez is a drug insider. This comes in the nick of time just as President Dalton called for a raid on Macias’ compound without the Mexican government. The cooperation from the Mexicans helped in addressing the issue of corruption.

Love and Family in ‘Madam Secretary’

While Elizabeth is dealing with Mexico, she made room to meet Blake’s (Erich Bergen) parents. Blake wants his parents to see how much he loves his job even though it doesn’t provide him a big suburban home. After talking to his parents, he starts contemplating about whether or not to get another job his parents would be proud of. Elizabeth weighs in on his dilemma, telling him that what he does is important and his paycheck shouldn’t matter. She gives good advice even though she is dealing with corrupt government officials.

Meanwhile, her eldest daughter Stevie (Wallis Currie-Wood) wants to have a casual relationship with Dimitri (Chris Petrovski). The two have a wonderful first date. They talked about America’s taste of tea, peanut butter, and Russian jokes. For Stevie, it looks like she can start over; but Dimitri has doubts. He sees the relationship as inappropriate since he works for her father. She asks him to at least give it a chance since she is not looking for anything serious. It took some time, but Dmitri put the consequences out of his mind and pursues a casual relationship with Stevie.
All in all, the show was able to bring in relationships and the Mexican drug war into one episode; while adding subtle commentaries on reporters being killed for the truth and the Mexican drug war.
“Madam Secretary” returns next Sunday with “Minefield,” 10:30 PM on CBS.