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Commander in Chief/First... Do No Harm
First... Do No Harm | |
Season 1, Episode 5 | |
Airdate | October 25, 2005 |
Production Number | 105 |
Written by | Dahvi Waller, Anya Epstein |
Directed by | Daniel Minahan |
← 1x04 First Dance |
1x06 → First Disaster |
Commander in Chief — Season One |
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First... Do No Harm is the fifth episode of the first season of Commander in Chief, and the fifth episode overall.
A terrorist is caught attempting to cross the border to America, he is equipped with bomb materials. Evidence shows that the captured is one of many who plans to bomb American property angled to young Americans. The terrorist is questioned but stays standing. President Allen, ready to attack the issue protects the one known target, a school, but due to a nervous administor the nation immediatly knows and reacts. Speaker Templeton uses this situation immedately and uses it on a local television interview where he warns Allen whatever happens will be on her head.
Guest Stars: Julie Ann Emery (Joan Greer), Steve Tom (Reporter Steve), Alex Fernandez (Anthony Prado), Charles Duckworth (Sean)
Contents |
Plot Overview
Mackenzie selects longtime coworker Anthony Prada to take the newly vacated National Security Advisor. This is met with friction by Attorney General Melanie Blackston, who thinks he is too much of a yes-man. The appointment quickly becomes critical as a suspected terrorist is captured crossing the Canadian border with elements of a bomb. His target identified as the Alexander Hamilton school in Springfield, MO, it is worried that other members of his cell were also going to schedule simultaneous attacks on other schools at the same time. This prompts a desperate attempt to gather more information. Blackston suggests an emphasis on interrogation on the captured terrorist while Prada supports the President's inclination to invade a terrorist camp in Lebanon to gather more intel. Both approaches are decided upon, with Mackenzie emphatically telling Blackston that 'she doesn't want to hear anything about torture'.
Horace and Rebecca deal with the ridicule their father is getting over being the First Gentleman, nearly leading to a fight at school. While on a tour preparing for an official visit to a baseball game in Baltimore, Rod is offered a job as Commissioner of Baseball. After a confrontation with Horace, he serious considers the offer.
Although attempting to keep the capture of the terrorist a secret to prevent the other members of his cell from accelerating their plans, the mayor of Springfield leaks the story and children nationwide stay away from school and Halloween festivities are also in question. Kelly and her assistant Alex, who carried over from the previous administration, are jockeying for control of the press during this crisis. When she confronts him about it at a bar, he tells her that he should have been promoted to press secretary and he crudely tells her she isn't qualified. She fires him on the spot.
The invasion of the Lebanon camp proves to be a success, giving them both the list of targets but also the cell members although at the cost of a few wounded soldiers. The attempts at interrogation have escalated to what amounts to torture, but also leads to credible information. Nathan Templeton visits to congratulate Mackenzie on her willingness to use interrogation to such lengths for the good of the people. Confused, Mackenzie gets Melanie Blackston to detail the lengths the interrogation had gone. Blackston had authorized torture, with the urging of a private conference with Templeton, under the rationale that the President asking not to 'hear' about it meant to do what was necessary. Mackenzie asks her to resign.
Notes
- 10 years ago, Rod and Mackenzie were entertaining political guests and he is surprised to find that they had political interest in his wife and not him.
- Vince appears to be very pro-aggressive interrogation of terrorists, even of fellow Palestinians.
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