List of Commander in Chief episodes

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Commander in Chief title screen.
Commander in Chief title screen.

List of episodes of the American serial television drama, Commander in Chief.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Pilot

Originally aired September 27, 2005.

While on a diplomatic mission in Paris, France, Vice President Mackenzie Allen is informed that President Teddy Bridges has suffered from a possibly fatal stroke. Mackenzie is shocked at the news but is even more shocked when she is told of his wish that she resign so should he be unable to continue acting as president (due to death or otherwise physical and/or mental restraints) Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton could assume the presidency. Despite grief about giving up the chance to be the first female and first independent in office and reservations about allowing Templeton, whom she despises, to take office Mackenzie has her staff draft a resignation speech.

Upon the President's death, Allen is again asked by Templeton to step aside. But as she observes his prejudice towards Muslims and women, she chooses instead to take the oath of office and assume the presidency despite the challenges that lay ahead.

I, Mackenzie S. Allen, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

After assuming office, she is faced with hostility from within the Bridges administration, making her all the more aware of what an outsider she has been. The Secretary of Labor and the president's personal secretary offer their resignations, while Allen asks Bridges' Chief of Staff, Jim Gardner, to remain in his post.

As her first action in office, Allen finishes a mission she championed as Vice President by confronting the Nigerian ambassador. Making it clear that unless they release the woman who is sentenced to death by stoning for having sex outside of marriage, the United States military will use force to see that she is rescued.

Faced with skepticism from political insiders and within her own family Allen delivers a touching address to a joint session of Congress. As the President speaks, rather than risk U.S. invasion, the Nigerians quietly hand their prisoner over to the U.S. military and she is flown out of the country.

The episode also hints at future room for comedy regarding the First Gentleman's transition into his new role as "FLOTUS" (First Lady of the United States) and conflicts between the president and her rebellious teenage daughter, Rebecca.

[edit] First Choice

Aired October 4, 2005.

Allen faces the first political crisis of her presidency as her selection of a new Vice President is manipulated by Speaker Templeton. Templeton leaks incorrect information to the press regarding the nomination of a Republican former governor of Oklahoma named Tucker Baynes to fill the vacant seat of the Vice President. Meanwhile, the White House is still in disorder after the resignation of several other members of the Bridges administration, including the Press Secretary. Allen appoints her personal speech writer, Kelly Ludlow, to be the new Press Secretary.

Allen's daughter Rebecca is concerned when her personal diary disappeared from her possessions during the family's move to the White House. The Secret Service is summoned to by the President to help find the diary. It turned out the diary was not lost but had been mistakenly placed among the possessions of Allen's youngest daughter.

President Allen offers the Vice Presidency to her former political rival Warren Keaton, a former United States Army General and vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket that was defeated by the Bridges-Allen ticket. The episode ends with Speaker Templeton watching the announcement of the nomination and commenting that Keaton does not have a chance to be confirmed by Congress.

Guest starring Bruce Boxleitner as Tucker Baynes. Also the first appearance of Jason Wiles as the Deputy Press Secretary.

[edit] First Strike

Aired October 11, 2005

President Allen faces her first international crisis when nine undercover DEA agents are killed in the fictitious South American country of San Pasquale (presumably based upon real-life Bolivia or Panama). As she begins to ponder her options on retaliation, the President is distracted when the press begins to follow her son and daughter as they begin their new terms in public school. In the mean time, the First Gentleman begins coaching vice presidential nominee Warren Keaton for his upcoming confirmation hearings.

In a flashback to several months earlier, we see a conversation between the late President Bridges and Nathan Templeton. During which, aboard Air Force One, President Bridges notes his disdain for Allen's activism (presumably liberal-leaning or against Bridges' own philosophy). Bridges informs Templeton that he plans to appoint Allen to a Supreme Court vacancy and that he would like Templeton to become his new Vice President.

The President orders the Air Force and the DEA to destroy coca fields in San Pasquale and calls for the people of the country to ask for the arrest of General Sanchez, the dictator of San Pasquale. Before the attack begins, the military of the country overthrows Sanchez. Juan Duran, San Pasquale's exiled president, is asked to return to power.

[edit] First Dance

Aired October 18, 2005

  • Written by: Steven A. Cohen and Allison Adler
  • Directed by: Vincent Misiano

President Allen faces her first summit and state dinner with the President of Russia Dmitri Kharkov. The subject of civil liberties and dissident journalists is a source of deep division between the two world leaders.

To coincide with the summit, Nathan Templeton has organized the resignation of several members of Allen's Cabinet by offering them positions in a future administration with himself as President. Among the resignations were those of the National Security Advisor and the Secretary of the Interior. Chief of Staff Jim Gardner visits Templeton to demand explanations for his actions, but instead Templeton offers Gardner the opportunity to be his Vice-President if he resigns his position as Chief of Staff. Gardner refuses the offer as Templeton vows that he will run and defeat Allen in the next election.

During the State Dinner, the Russian President and President Allen seem to mend their differences and offer support for each others countries. The family life of the First Family has some controversies when Rebecca, the President's daughter, decides not to attend the dinner in order to have a date with a school friend.

At the end of the episode, President Allen presents Templeton with a biography of the 10th President of the United States, John Tyler, whose Cabinet largely resigned when he assumed the presidency. Tyler managed to stay in the White House until the end of his term.

[edit] First...Do No Harm

Aired October 25, 2005

  • Written by: Dahvi Waller and Anya Epstein
  • Directed by: Dan Minahan

Just after announcing Anthony Prado as the new National Security Advisor, President Allen is called out of the press conference. She is told that a terrorist has been caught attempting to cross the Canadian border into the United States with a car full of explosives. His intended target was an elementary school in Springfield, Missouri. Because the terrorist's organization always plans simultaneous, thematically-linked attacks, they must figure out what other locations were targeted and stop the attacks. A problem arises, however, when Allen and Attorney General Melanie Blackston have different views on how to deal with the situation; Allen wants to invade a known training camp for more information while Blackston believes that the information can be coerced from the captured terrorist. Allen finally decides to go ahead with the raid of the camp, but also permits Blackston to interrogate the prisoner, so long as Allen doesn't "hear" that he was tortured. Furthermore, when news of the situation is leaked to the press, Speaker of the House Nathan Templeton goes on TV and publicly second-guesses Allen's decisions on how to handle the threat.

At the same time it's Halloween, and Allen's daughter Amy desperately wants to go trick-or-treating like a normal kid. She is disappointed when, due to security concerns, Allen tells her daughter that she might have to settle for a party this year. More family matters arise when Rod, the first First Gentleman, learns that he is being humiliated by late-night comics. This seriously affects his son, Horace, who tries desperately at school to stand up for his father, nearly getting into a physical fight.

In the end, the terrorist plot is unraveled using information found in the raid, and Allen averts the first real security crisis of her administration. Amy is allowed to go trick-or-treating. But when Allen discovers, via comments from Templeton, that Blackston had indeed allowed the imprisoned terrorist to be tortured, she is horrified and fires Blackston.

[edit] First Disaster

Aired November 1, 2005

After a hurricane affects the state of Florida, an oil tanker off of the coast of the state is damaged. Large amounts of oil are spilled into the sea and though the ship stops leaking oil, it is only a matter of time before some hairline fractures break and more oil spills. President Allen is presented with two options: sink the ship in the hope that such a move would not rupture the hull or take it to a Florida port where it can be repaired. She orders it to return to Florida, so that should there be a further oil spill it will damage only a localized part of Florida as, alternatively, the oil could be carried with the Gulf Stream, which would carry the spill to a great part of the eastern coast. Nathan Templeton persuades the Governor of Florida to go to court so that the ship won't be allowed to go to port and it's instead forced to be sunk. However, the President then declares the ship part of the Coast Guard so that she can legally bring it into a naval port, which is federally controlled.

At the same time, there are controversies within the First Family, when the First Gentleman is considering to accept the office of Commissioner of Baseball, an action which disturbs the President, since her husband did not tell her about this offer and his serious consideration of it before telling their children and White House officials. The President's daughter Rebecca convinces her security officer to allow her to have ten minutes alone with her boyfriend outside of the view of the Secret Service which is making her self-conscious. However as a result of this the first child is swarmed by autograph-seekers and the First Gentleman removes the security officer from the presidential detail as a result.

The episode ends with President Allen reaching an agreement with Templeton and the Governor of Florida; the president will work with more funding for the state and will ensure that military bases which are being shut down elsewhere are transferred to Florida, providing thousands of new jobs, while the Governor allows the damaged tanker to enter a port in Florida.

[edit] First Scandal

Aired November 8, 2005

A new book is released which reveals that President Bridges had asked Allen to resign the presidency on his deathbed. This results in a major crisis in the White House and protests in the streets outside. In the meantime, General Keaton's confirmation hearings are set to begin in the House of Representatives and Speaker Templeton appears set to reveal some damaging personal information on Keaton that a Republican congressman learned when the two were friends and serving together in the Army.

Rebecca convinces her father to allow her to go to a party hosted by her boyfriend and the two go alone to his room where he expresses his interest in having sexual intercourse with her. Rebecca, realizing that she likes him but this is something she is not yet ready for, declines and leaves and it is revealed to the viewers that her boyfriend was recording them with a hidden video camera.

Rod convinces President Allen to confront her chief of staff, Jim Gardner, on the book as Rod believed Gardner is the source. Gardner denies this and, citing the President's lack of trust in him, tenders his resignation. Eventually he and the President discuss this and Gardner suggests that President Bridges himself may have been the source as he was very close to the author and often used him as a sounding board for his ideas. This, however, does not explain how the author obtained Allen's handwritten resignation speech which she penned after Bridges's death. As Press Secretary Kelly Ludlow said, on the night the speech was written it was "a full house". Among others Attorney General Melanie Blackston, now a rival, and Speaker Templeton could have swiped the letter.

Finally, as the House hearings on Keaton's nomination to the Vice-Presidency enter the late evening, questioning begins on the damaging personal information, which seems to relate to Keaton's deceased daughter, who we learn was a medical doctor and a single mother. Templeton halts the hearings, then informs Keaton that he knew what was coming forward and would not permit such dirty politics. Keaton expresses his gratitude and Templeton indicates he will expect the favor to be returned.

In the end, President Allen has a news conference in which she admits that Bridges had asked her to resign but that she would have been derelict in her duty as the elected Vice-President to comply with his request. She agrees to answer all questions on the subject on the condition that the press gallery not raise the issue again. The Speaker announces that the House has held a snap vote and confirmed Keaton by a margin of 389-46 (a comment by the president that Keaton should "kick some tail, just like [he] did in the Senate" suggests that his nomination has already been confirmed by the Senate, as per the 25th Amendment) and the President returns Gardner's resignation letter unopened.

[edit] Rubie Dubidoux and the Brown Bound Express

Aired November 15, 2005

At the White House, President Allen names her husband Rod as strategic planning advisor to assist her in transitioning her administration from reactionary to visionary. Gardner protests saying that strategic planning should be the purview of the chief of staff but the President explains to him that as the chief aide to an Independent President, he has a far greater workload in coalition building from issue to issue to fully focus on the big picture.

Using information provided by lobbyists in the pharmaceutical industry, Speaker Templeton learns that Vince Taylor has HIV and plans to exploit this information to embarrass the president. The speaker's aide, Jane, warns Jim of this as she believes it is taking matters too far. In the meantime, friends of Kelly's from Florida provide her with a 1965 speech of Templeton's making strong statements in favor of segregation. The President at first refuses to use the tape against Templeton but when she learns of his plan to embarrass Vince, she shows him the tape and warns him against embarrassing her or her staff. The Speaker fires Jane for having revealed his plan to Jim.

Meanwhile, Rebecca's boyfriend turns out to have only been interested in sex and tells her that she can give him a call if she is interested in doing the same but in the meantime things are off.

Finally, Horace gets into a confrontation with Rebecca's former boyfriend as he is spreading rumours that he did in fact have sex with Becca. When Rod confronts Horace about getting an F and plagiarizing an essay, Horace responds, "What's worse a cheater or a slut?" Rebecca assures her parents that the rumors are false.

The episode ends as the President reveals that she will be holding weekly news conferences and, with Vince at her side, reveals that he has HIV and tells the American people that victims of the disease can be very productive members of society.

[edit] Trivia

Starting with this episode Steven Bochco takes over as executive producer after replacing Rod Lurie.

[edit] The Mom Who Came to Dinner

Aired November 29, 2005

During the Thanksgiving holiday, Mackenzie's mother, Kate (Polly Bergen), comes to spend the holiday and is invited to remain permanently. Mac decides to invite Nathan Templeton and his wife to join them for dinner, which Kate insists on cooking herself much to the chagrin of White House tradition. When an independent commission proposes the closing of a major naval base in Mac's home state of Connecticut, which could devastate the local economy, Rod brings in Richard "Dickie" McDonald (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), a media consultant, to help build her image and lagging poll numbers. Mac also weighs her opinion on the fate of a woman on death row.

[edit] Sub Enchanted Evening

Aired January 10, 2006

  • Teleplay by: Joel Fields & Tom Szentgyorgyi
  • Story by: Steven Bochco
  • Directed by: Jesse Bochco

The first of a two-part-episode story arc, Allen is discussing the possibility of running for reelection with her family, when she is summoned to deal with a huge crisis: a submarine has just collided with a seamount and drifted into North Korean waters. Furious, she questions the Secretary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, and a member of the Joint Chiefs as to why a submarine was there, to which they reply that it was sent on a spy mission ordered by President Bridges. Annoyed that she was kept out of the loop, Allen tells the trio that nothing will be kept from her.

Several plans are tossed around: Vice President Keaton even suggests abandoning the sub in fears that North Korea will find out about the entire operation. However, Allen brings in the subject of possible assistance from the Chinese, and Templeton is brought in, since he is on friendly terms with the Chinese Ambassador and knows the situation well over there. The United States can't send a rescue boat in time to save the crewmen inside the sub, so Allen and Templeton brainstorm and come up with the idea to ask the Chinese to pilot their rescue boat. This information, of course, is kept from most people in the White House to ensure that the secret of the submarine will not be compromised.

Allen and Templeton meet with the Chinese Ambassador, and expecting that the Chinese will want something in return, come up with the deal that they will let China sell arms to Myanmar and Algeria. The Chinese Ambassador takes the deal back to his government, and they accept the terms.

Plans are underway for the rescue mission, and Mac retires to her private residence. However, she is alarmed to find that the North Koreans have found out about the submarine, and that they consider the submarine in their waters to be an "act of war". Mac rushes to the Situation Room, and the episode ends here.

The episode also deals with Rebecca's reluctance to be a part of the reelection campaign, the negative aspects of Jane's new job as well as Jane's friendly encounter with Dickie, and the staff trying to figure out what's going on with the secret meetings.

[edit] No Nukes is Good Nukes

Aired January 17, 2006

As the submarine situation with North Korea increases, Mac's is faced with a possible nuclear war. Templeton supports Mac by remaining at the White House but it becomes evident that he and Mac think differently on certain stands on leadership, determining how having Templeton in power might lead to a very different conclusion to the situation.

[edit] Wind Beneath My Wing

Aired January 24, 2006

Templeton and Mac travel to California for the dedication of former President Bridges' Presidential Library. As Air Force One lands, the plane is held hostage by a man who demands to speak with the President or he will blow up the plane. Meanwhile, Kate watches the children while the first couple is out of town, and allows Horace and Rebecca to throw a party for their friends.

[edit] State of the Unions

Aired April 13, 2006

Mac works on her upcoming State of the Union Address. Rod ends up in an odd position with an intern, after he trips on the way out of a restaurant as paparazzis take pictures of the incident. The following morning, a humiliating photo ends up on the front page of the papers, embarrassing Mac which threatens to politically deteriorate her image. Meanwhile, Templeton sets out to destroy Mac's Homeless Initiative Bill, in return for her to play "political hardball".

[edit] The Price You Pay

Aired April 20, 2006

  • Written by: Joel Fields
  • Directed by: Jesse Bochco

Mac stands by her longtime friend and nominee for Attorney General, Carl Brantley (Adam Arkin), who suffers during his first Senate confirmation hearings after his background is checked. A cargo plane in Pakistan carrying sensitive military weapons goes missing and the Vice President uses his military skill to resolve the situation. Kate leaves for a date which troubles Mac and Rod who mistake her for being lost.

[edit] Ties That Bind

Aired April 27, 2006

  • Written by: Alex Berger & Cynthia J. Cohen
  • Directed by: Dan Lerner

Mac asks the Attorney General to research the growing urban unrest in nearby Prince George's County, Maryland, the origin of Chief of Staff Jim Gardner. Meanwhile, a friend from Jim's past pays him a visit at the White House to deliver a first-hand account of the situation. Mac is then informed on the situation of the missing surface-to-air missiles that went down during a military plane crash in Pakistan and are now available on the black market. Mac must use all of her necessary means to determine that the weapons do not fall into the wrong hands. Templeton champions the Templeton Act targeting domestic crime, which Mac threatens to veto, instead supporting more law enforcement and education over the bill's calls for harsher jail sentences. When Dickie learns of Vince's plans for a commitment ceremony with his partner, he urges him not to invite Mac since it may hurt her in the polls.

[edit] The Elephant in the Room

Aired May 31, 2006

Mac has an appendix attack and is hospitalized en route to a west coast trip. Prior to the operation, she invoked the 25th amendment. She assumes that Templeton (Speaker of the House) would decline a short term presidency as it would require him to resign as congressman. Then the President pro tempore of the Senate would assume the temporary position. She assumed incorrectly. Her appendix is removed in Oklahoma, while Templeton takes the oath of the presidency.

Of course Templeton takes the opportunity to grandstand and forces a mandatory end to the crippling airline strike, undoing Mac's careful negotiations. An actual resolution was looming but is now dashed by Templeton's cheap trick.

Upon her healthy return to the White House, she calls Templeton into her office and gives him an angry piece of her mind. He's not the least repentant and she throws him out with a "Get the hell out of my office".

[edit] Trivia

Dee Johnson replaces Steven Bochco as executive producer after he is fired by ABC. This marks the 3rd and final producer to take over the show in a period of 10 episodes.

[edit] Happy Birthday, Madam President

Aired June 7, 2006

On Mac's birthday, she faces American hostages being taken in Turkey by a militant Kurdish group. Mac is also interviewing candidates to be her new Vice President which Dickie is very opinionated about. Rebecca's new IM buddy is shown to be a very unlikely friend.

[edit] Unfinished Business

Aired June 14, 2006

Mac's determination to pass the Equal Rights Amendment divides her staff and family over the issue of women's rights. Jim ponders Mac's vice president offer which he then accepts. Kelly's ex-husband, a journalist, pitches a story to the First Family which Kelly vouches for him on a professional level however is stunned to learn about his new family. Mac fires Dickie and he then joins Templeton's team. Rebecca is charmed by a new boy she chats with online, who is revealed to be an intern working for Templeton. Templeton announces his presidential bid. The President and Templeton "debate" in a town hall style meeting, and the press and audience widely declare Mac as the winner.

[edit] Episodes Not Shown

ABC had planned for 23 episodes but it was cut down to 18 episodes. However all 23 were made but never aired and are not on the DVD.

[edit] Little Shop of Horace

This episode was due to air after "Wind Beneath My Wings", and a promo was released.

Mac weighs her options on how to deal with a situation in Africa when she learns genocide is taking place in a country there, and it becomes clear there are no easy solutions. Meanwhile, at Dickie's suggestion, Mac considers firing her current Cabinet - many of them holdovers from Teddy Bridges' administration - and bringing in her own in order to start with a clean slate going into her re-election campaign.

At the same time, Rod makes a scheduled appearance at a joint U.S.-Cuban children's gymnastics convention, where a freak accident sparks an international situation, and Horace asks Caitlin's friend, Stacey, for help with his homework -- but the two end up doing more than just studying.

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