[woman] Found it.
Looks like y'all are ready for Halloween.
Oh, it is my favorite. [chuckles]
I use dry ice to make the house extra spooky for the young 'uns.
- Not from around here, are you? - What was my tell?
- Well, that accent, for one. [chuckles] - Guilty.
- What brings you to Pikeville? - Oh, I'm just passing through.
Funny how a town I've spent my entire life in
is just a rest stop for most.
Have a nice day, now.
Thank you.
[Tom] Hannah Wells...
saved this country and my own life
more times than should ever have been necessary.
And given everything that I owed her, I have to be honest.
Personally, I can't tell you that I knew her very well.
I always figured...
there would be time for that.
But as I stand here today, I can tell you what I do know.
She served this country with a kind of passion and commitment
that is unparalleled in my eyes.
The kind of commitment that led her to make the ultimate sacrifice.
She will be missed...
by me, her friends and her family.
Ave atque vale, Agent Wells.
I salute you.
[sighs]
I am so sorry for your loss.
Sir.
Deputy Director Lewis,
I understand that POTUS put you in charge of the Momberg investigation.
I'm heading up a fusion center coordinating a dozen warring agencies.
No one else wanted the job.
I want you to meet that bioweapons expert I told you about, Dr. Mays.
OPM set him up with a temporary appointment.
Our people out of Quantico deal with germ warfare.
Actually, it's bioterrorism, sir.
Nothing like warfare. Nothing like anyone's dealt with before.
All right, talk to me.
Wouter Momberg, a South African apartheid-era scientist,
is taking advantage of breakthroughs in gene editing
to accomplish what he couldn't back in the '80s.
He's CRISPR'ed together a virus targeting people with dark-skin pigmentation:
blacks, Arabs, Latinos.
We sent his picture to every law enforcement agency in the country.
And I've put out feelers to do-it-yourself labs across the US.
So we're looking for a mad scientist with genocidal intent.
We have no idea where he is.
I checked Genetical's records,
the company that supplied Momberg with the DNA he was using. It turns out...
[Aaron] There was an attempted delivery of genetic material to the brewery
the day after it burned down.
How does that help us?
This morning, another company delivered the same genetic sequence
to a post office in Pikeville, Tennessee.
- Did we pick up his trail? - It took too long to mobilize.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol had a bad reaction
to the feds telling them what to do.
And the turf wars begin. God damn it.
- This genetic sequence, what does it do? - It's hard to know without more context.
Get me some context now.
The fact that he's willing to risk getting caught by picking up a package
suggests that he is not going underground.
Which means we have to be prepared for the possibility
of a very real, very imminent bioterrorist attack.
- What's the playbook for this? - We're writing it.
We do have contingency plans in place for conventional bio attacks,
but the threat of rogue biologists creating incurable designer diseases...
Is something we've never had to deal with before.
- The technology didn't exist. - [Aaron] Until now.
For a couple of thousand bucks,
an amateur scientist can produce a plague that could wipe out all of humanity.
Except this son of a bitch isn't going after all of humanity.
Just the swarthier set. Who do we need to tell?
- The fewer the better. - [Tom] Not necessarily.
This threat is gonna require massive interagency cooperation.
I've relieved Dianne Lewis of her responsibilities at the CIA
so she can help us coordinate a response from the Situation Room.
Should we tell the press?
We don't know what Momberg's gonna do, and he doesn't know what we know.
We can't have them broadcasting that.
I'll have Lorraine cancel all the campaign obligations.
No, I think we need to proceed as if everything is normal.
I have my major TV endorsement from the unions later today.
If I don't attend that, that'll be noted.
That's all for now. Thank you, everyone.
Aaron.
[sighs]
- Are we gonna catch this guy? - Sooner or later.
But in time to stop him?
And I thought averting last week's nuclear threat was a triumph.
Makes me long for the days of mutually assured destruction.
At least then we knew who our enemies were.
Now anyone with a little bit of scientific knowledge
can unleash Armageddon.
It's hard not to be afraid, sir.
You'd be a fool not to be. Thank you.
Sir.
[theme music playing]
Ten days before the election, I'm busier than a whorehouse on nickel night.
This better be good.
- Got a heads-up from a reporter. - [Lorraine] Mmm-hmm.
There's gonna be a story tonight that implicates Moss.
Okay, and?
When Garrett Detwiler was Moss' FDA commissioner,
he rubber-stamped the approval of FlagKind's prescription painkiller.
So what?
FlagKind and the FDA knew how addictive it was,
and they pushed it through anyway.
- Where did you get this? - Does it matter?
You don't usually color outside the lines, Mars.
But when you do, God damn it, [whispers] it's sort of arousing.
Fuckers had it coming.
Did Moss know about the FDA pushing the opioid through?
Who cares?
If it happens under your administration, it's your problem.
You should care, because you took the president to Detwiler's fundraiser
and encouraged him to take dark money.
Or have we forgotten that tiny detail?
No, that money was used to pay striking teachers' salaries.
The Moss administration uncorked the opioid epidemic.
He is as good as guilty, so I need these new ads to just...
[grunts] grab him by the nut sack and twist.
Not a visual I needed.
And I want them running everywhere right up until the polls close,
online and on television,
especially in the Rust Belt, where opioid addiction is just rampant.
We gotta turn some of these red states gold.
I'll assign it to Dontae and his team.
Meanwhile, the latest data from the GOTV
says that West Virginia is definitely still going to Moss.
Yeah, but now we've got a chance at Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.
I think there's a real chance that we flip New York.
We got a home-court advantage.
Okay, but we really need Florida if we even want a chance.
[Lorraine] Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
I can't imagine it gets any crazier.
[Lorraine] Emily, I've been wondering...
You ever think about what you're gonna do next?
After November 5th?
Take care of my mom, sleep. Travel, maybe. Who knows?
I'll be sipping a Miami Vice on a Caribbean island.
Sounds lovely.
If we can pull off this win,
maybe I should take a cushy corporate consulting gig,
leave my career in politics on top.
I don't buy that for a second.
- You get off on this. - Yeah, you're right. I do.
Winning, it's everything. It's my life.
I think you get off on it, too.
Have you ever considered staying in the game?
An interesting special senatorial election is coming up in Virginia.
You should think about it.
Sixteen intelligence agencies. How do we get them all on the same page?
Secretary Wolenick from Homeland will coordinate the FBI response.
Good, they're not happy with me.
The director of National Intelligence doesn't want ownership.
It's too politically charged this close to the election.
- You'll wrangle the Security Council. - [Aaron] Done.
What about the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence?
An operation like this would need major funding.
I'll communicate with Treasury, work on the money flow.
I need you to brief the gang of eight.
I don't know if that's a good idea.
We have a responsibility here.
I don't want Congress hearing about this after the fact.
- I need you to do it. - Yes, sir.
Anybody gives you any resistance, send them to me. Let's get moving.
[Emily] We need people currently suffering from opioid addiction
and those in recovery.
All ages, races and economic classes.
This is all a little crass, no?
- I'll take care of it. - Thank you.
Oh, Lorraine asked me what my plans for the future are.
So?
Between taking care of my mom and working on the campaign,
I haven't even thought about what comes next.
Which is insane, because two years ago, all I thought about was the future.
I'll either be back at the EEOB dreaming about hashtags,
or at the unemployment line.
That's not true. The president likes you,
and he's seen how instrumental you've been to the campaign.
He'll take care of you.
[chuckles]
How's everything else? I haven't heard much about Troy lately.
Fire still burning?
Things are complicated.
Welcome to my world. All the good ones are.
- [phone ringing] - I need those right away, please.
[phone beeps]
[door opens]
[liquids gurgling]
Oh. Uh, hi.
Hello, miss. Beautiful morning, isn't it?
Sorry, uh, I'm just used to having the place to myself this early.
[typing]
- You at Ole Miss? - Visiting researcher from Rochester.
I didn't know we had an exchange with them.
I'm the first.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
[continues typing]
My desk is over there, so, uh, I'm gonna go.
Okay. Yeah.
So the problem we're having making an accurate risk assessment
is identifying his targets.
Sir, we've gamed out these scenarios.
If we get a clearer idea of what the virus is,
we can distribute treatment through postal workers.
We'd have to develop a treatment first.
What's the plan to evacuate people from infected areas?
There is no plan, sir.
[scoffs] Shouldn't that be our first priority?
In the case of a nuclear or chemical attack, yes.
But when a disease is introduced into the population,
the infected become a vector of transmission.
They're weaponized, and we'll have to quarantine them.
So you're saying if this disease hits, one that targets people of color,
I'll be condemning the infected to death?
Yeah.
What is that? Is that algae?
Good eyes.
OMG, I wish I understood genetics.
I just don't have the head for it. I'm a chem girl all the way.
[chuckling] Okay.
I'm gonna grab a coffee. Do you want one?
Oh, no, thank you.
Okay.
[line rings]
- You have reached the voice-mail box of... - Come on.
[Eli] Eli Mays.
Eli, that guy you posted about is here. He's doing biosynth.
From what I could tell, something to do with a segment of norovirus.
And you know my thesis.
I... I...
Wait, I think he might have left. But you can track him...
Hey! Get off me.
[grunting]
[Tom] The FBI playing nice with Homeland Security?
Barely. I'm directing the NSA to sift through highway cam footage.
[man] Dr. Mays has some information.
We have a lead. Our DIY guy just got a call
placing Momberg at a lab in Oxford, Mississippi, near the university.
This DIY scientist with all the intel, why the hell isn't he here?
- There was a question of clearance, sir. - [Tom] I don't give a shit.
Get him in here now.
You can't expect Congress to keep quiet about a threat like this, Mars.
With all due respect, Speaker, Title 50 requires that you do just that.
This is a stunt to postpone the election.
I assure you, Senator, this is no such thing.
POTUS wanted to inform you, so that you, as congressional leadership,
can coordinate a calm, measured response when the time comes.
What is the calm, measured response for bioterrorism?
- Anything but this. - So what are we telling the public?
We say nothing for now.
All information flows from the White House.
I have a duty to inform my caucus.
[Mars] This gets out,
people are gonna start panicking every time someone coughs at a Starbucks.
We say nothing.
I have an election in ten days.
If the press found out I knew and didn't say anything...
You go public with this, then I go public with the fact
that your first thought in the face of a terrorist threat
was your reelection, not the safety of your constituents.
You leak, I plug you.
- Mr. President, Dr. Eli Mays. - Dr. Mays, what have you got for us?
A colleague out of Mississippi said she saw Momberg at her lab.
- He was doing something with norovirus. - Why norovirus?
He needs to infect as many people as quickly as possible.
Airborne delivery doesn't reach enough people fast enough,
but norovirus can survive in water.
[Dianne] The only reason for him to use it
would be to hit an entire population center at once.
What provisions do we have in place if he attacks a water supply?
We could trigger an asset protection plan.
Reach out to the National Guard to protect reservoirs, treatment plants,
coordinate with first responders on the ground to check for contaminants.
One call, we could mobilize by the end of day.
Show me.
Any of those reservoirs could be his target.
Or none of them. What routes could he have taken from the brewery?
To Pikeville to Oxford, Mississippi.
What's your call, Mr. President?
It's about time. Do you have anything for me?
[door closes]
Good afternoon. I'm doing great. Thanks for asking.
Okay, there's no time for pleasantries, Myles.
Is there anything about FlagKind?
Well, after I spent hours scrubbing through recordings
from Moss' computer and cell phone, I found it, yes.
[Phil] Cornelius, we can spin this.
I'm sure the FDA under Kirkman has some skeletons of their own.
- We just have to dig them up. - [chuckling]
Yeah.
He wants to infect as many people as possible.
If we move to protect Mississippi and we're wrong,
our mobilization will tip him off.
He'll just move somewhere else and strike.
But he is in Mississippi now,
a state that's nearly 40% African-American.
I don't think it's his final destination.
Nashville, Memphis, they're too small.
That leaves New Orleans, Houston, possibly Dallas.
Mr. President, every minute we wait
raises the chances there'll be a death toll.
I want the FBI monitoring assets here, here and here.
Get your first responders to every major water source along that route.
- Have them start testing for contaminants. - On it.
How do we get fresh water to people if they need it?
Isabel's office specializes in clean water initiatives.
Tell her we need help.
Sir, now that we know there could be something in the water,
should we alert the public?
No, I don't want to create mass hysteria. Not when we're this close to finding him.
I know the chance I'm taking.
[police siren blaring]
[Lorraine] There you are. I was getting worried.
AFL-CIO has been waiting for 20 minutes. Are you ready?
As ready as I'll ever be.
Oh, brother. Get your head in the game, K. Ten days until the election.
We need labor to get their members to turn out,
which means wooing them with this speech.
[Tom] Got it. Ready to woo.
[Lorraine] Good, there's a lot riding on this.
Also, there's an article coming out tonight
about an unethical FDA opioid approval, and it implicates Moss.
Any risk for us?
Oh, no, on the contrary,
I think this is gonna give us a really big boost in the polls.
[Tom] Okay, good. Keep me informed.
You know what? Your excitement is just blowing my mind.
[announcer] Ladies and gentleman,
the president of the United States of America.
[crowd cheering]
[exhales heavily]
Let's get this over with.
[crowd continues cheering]
Ladies and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to be here.
[knock on door]
If you're here to beg for my forgiveness, save it.
- I'm here on official NSC business. - Of course you are.
I'm confused. Do you want me to be here to beg?
What do you need, Aaron?
If drinking water were to be contaminated, say with some kind of virus,
what additional resources would you have available?
- We could give out LifeStraws. - LifeStraws?
Yeah, they filter out bacteria, parasites and some viruses from water.
We used them in the Congo during the Ebola outbreak.
And you can get these quickly?
We could get about 10,000 with one phone call.
How many would you need?
Ten million.
- You're shitting me. - No.
- What the fuck is going on, Aaron? - I can't discuss it.
Is that it?
Okay.
- Where are you staying? - None of your business.
So that's it? You're just gonna pack up and leave?
We're not even gonna try to work through this?
I will work on finding ten million LifeStraws.
You can shut the door behind you.
[door closes]
The lab in Mississippi turned up nothing but a dead body.
- No joy from the highway cams in the area. - He's smarter than that.
The press is hounding me. They've picked up chatter from DIY...
Seth, not right now. Please, just handle it.
I'm sorry about your friend.
I knew her from conferences.
She worked in nanorobotics,
these crazy little machines small enough to enter a cell.
Her thesis.
We can track him.
My friend did her thesis at MIT on smart dust,
tiny nanites that can be tracked via radio-frequency identification.
I think she managed to plant some on Momberg.
Why do you think that?
Her voice mail. She said we could track him.
I'll have our people check the lab.
If she managed to put smart dust on Momberg, we could set up trackers,
tap into existing RFID devices, antitheft sensors, toll booths.
The radius would be limited, but it's something.
- What would it take? - [Dianne] We have agents in the field,
but we're talking hundreds of thousands of trackers.
If we were to focus all of our energy on New Orleans, Houston and Dallas,
would we have the resources to do this?
If that's where he's heading. And that's a big "if."
- Would we have the resources? - Yes, sir.
Then, do it.
[sighs]
What the hell am I doing here?
The best you can, sir.
[sighs] I was walking backstage at that union event
and Lorraine was going on about some opioid article that she was thrilled with,
and all I could think about was this madman
running around staging a genetic genocide.
We've come a long way from pressure-cooker bombs in backpacks.
I'm just pretending like I know what I'm doing.
The truth is, I don't have a clue.
Choosing not to notify the public, not to engage law enforcement...
I am guessing here. And what if the smart dust doesn't work?
This guy could strike anytime, anywhere.
You're concerned about making the wrong decisions.
Any leader worth a damn would be.
This is more than being concerned.
If I'm wrong, I'm gonna have the blood of thousands on my hands.
There's nothing more we can do here.
In the meantime, you need to get some rest while you still have the opportunity.
My four-year-old and I came home from church,
and my husband was dead in the bathroom of a heroin overdose.
[Troy] You working late?
If your plan is to pretend like nothing happened,
you need a better plan.
[Troy] Look, I don't have a plan.
I'm sorry for how I treated you.
Okay.
You know, after you told me, I ran to get tested.
I was freaking out.
And my very gruff and very gay doctor
told me there was no chance that I was infected.
There was no reason for me to react like I did.
I told you that.
I understand all that, but I'm still afraid.
And I'm still upset that you didn't trust me enough to be upfront.
But you could've brought it up.
You're right.
That's on me.
Look, I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner.
When I think about everything you have to go through,
how people treat you, how I treated you,
why did I think that you owed me an explanation?
I get it, though.
You think I'm not scared, having a disease that's killed millions?
You are gonna lead a long and happy life.
No, you don't know that.
I told you that first night...
I'm not done kissing you yet.
And my doctor...
gave me a prescription for PrEP.
So what? You want, like, a gold star?
Maybe just a second chance.
You know,
you never did get to try my mama's hot-water cornbread.
You baked for me?
- You fry it, city mouse, in a skillet. - [chuckles]
[chuckles]
Who knows what tomorrow brings?
But I know I don't want to waste my time being afraid.
How you doing, Mom?
How do you think I'm feeling? I'm waiting for the Grim Reaper.
Don't say that.
Okay. I'm waiting to walk into a great beam of light
at the Pearly Gates. Better?
Are you hungry? Can I make you something to eat?
- No. - You have to keep your strength up.
Emily, I'm dying. Don't be so stubborn about this.
I am trying, Mom, but it is...
It's not easy. And I...
I just... [sighs] I keep thinking that...
You know, what if I'd gone to the NIH sooner?
[voice breaking] Or what if I didn't come back and work on the campaign?
- Things would be different. You would... - Just stop.
[crying]
None of this is your fault.
There isn't anything you could've done to prevent it.
And I need you to support me on this.
And I need to know you're gonna be okay, that you'll survive when I'm gone.
[voice breaking] You have to promise you will hold my hand...
and you will let me go.
[crying]
I promise. [sniffles]
[reporter on TV] Was this a dirty campaign trick
- from President Kirkman's camp? - No.
It's no coincidence
this years-old information came out just ten days before the election.
[reporter] It's alarming, nonetheless.
We all believed former President Moss to be a steady hand.
Either he turned a blind eye to this opioid approval
or fell asleep at the wheel.
Neither sounds presidential to me.
That is so fucking true.
[exhales] And...
another marriage down the drain.
[sighs]
That stellar of a day?
You can't even imagine.
Can you talk about it?
Or is it one of those "I can't discuss White House business" things?
[sighs]
There's a huge threat to national security.
A lot of people could get hurt.
I haven't a clue as to what to advise the president to do about it.
I'm scared out of my mind.
Well, if there's one thing I know about you,
it's that you always come through.
It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you.
This will be no different.
I'm glad you're home.
It was you, wasn't it?
The high-ranking government official who leaked to the press.
I almost lost you, Lynn. I had to do something about it.
So you risked your job?
It was the right thing to do.
Besides, you know how easy it is to leak from within the swamp.
Thank you, for doing this, for letting me in.
It's a nice change.
And it's kind of a turn-on.
[computer chiming]
Dr. Mays. Saw your Bat-Signal.
I got some info on this big bad you're hunting.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Sasha] Hi. - Hey.
Rough day?
Worst kind, where every decision you make could lead to an incredible disaster.
Isn't that every day for the president?
Not all disasters are created equal.
You wouldn't know it from how people in this town react
when someone wears a tan suit.
[Tom chuckles]
For me, the worst thing about being president...
It doesn't matter how many great advisors you have around you.
At the end of the day...
[sighs] it's down to you.
And when you're done, you come back here,
to this place that's supposed to be a home.
And I still...
You still expect to find Alex waiting for you.
Every goddamn day. And all I get is this empty room.
That emptiness never goes away. I feel it, too.
I know I'm not my sister.
God knows I don't have her patience.
Or her ability to pull off a pantsuit. [chuckles]
[chuckles]
But I'm here for you, Tom.
Thank you, Sasha. I mean it, thank you.
Okay, good night.
Hello? Anyone in there?
[Seth] What are you doing?
[Isabel] I'm trying to get in.
I think it's safe to say there's nobody in there.
Nice stilettos, by the way.
Shut up. They're pumps.
And I didn't think anyone else would be here this early.
The GSA is usually here by now. I cannot be reduced to taking a ho bath.
"A ho bath"?
You stay in the West Wing with Aaron last night?
You guys got into a fight.
We broke up.
Oh, shit. What did he do?
I don't wanna get into it.
I moved out, and into my office. Temporarily.
You've taken up residency in the EEOB? That's crazy.
I have a couch that feels like a cumulus cloud.
- You'll stay with me. - No, I can't.
- [keys jingling] - Finally.
You can and you will. It'll be like a middle-school sleepover.
You had girls coming over to your sleepover in middle school?
In my dreams.
The opioid epidemic is in every family throughout the USA.
I could probably go get a prescription for tramadol today if I wanted to.
It's heroin. Of course the manufacturers know that.
They're made out of the same stuff.
When I think about all those people struggling out there,
they're suffering through this...
[voice breaking] like my cousin. Excuse me.
[crying]
They just need so much more love.
People will fight and say they do not want rehab facilities in their area.
I knew I was hooked at that point.
Eventually, I got in a car accident with my son.
I nodded out at the wheel,
and instead of getting my crying toddler out of the car
that was smoking and smoldering,
I got my drugs out first, and then I went back for my child.
- [sighs] So what'd you think? - It's good. Release it.
Add a photo of Moss' ugly mug to the next one.
And I want a voice-over that says,
"His name is Cornelius Moss, and he approved this drug."
- Wow. Not pulling any punches. - We need to be ready with the big guns.
I have a feeling that Moss' team
is gonna go through FDA approvals under Kirkman.
Why would you think that?
It's called gaming the possibilities, sweetie.
I've been doing this a long time. It's what I would do if I were them.
Let's find anything questionable and prepare statements.
- I'll reach out to the FDA. - Get Isabel's help.
[Seth] How was the night watch?
It's amazing what one can do on no sleep.
The White House creed. What's the latest?
The FBI was able to pull some data from a hard drive
recovered after the brewery fire.
They confirmed that Momberg was working with our trail of dead scientists.
He's the mastermind.
It looks that way, except Treasury found huge sums
wired to the brewery over the past year from a shell corp in Delaware.
Is this a mercenary job?
No, this is his life's work. He has a patron.
A wealthy American, by the look of it.
I'm heading to the Situation Room.
Aaron, come with me. Mars, hold down the fort.
[Seth] Sir, I spoke to the CDC.
They said the more information the public has
before something happens, the better.
Well, I'm sorry, we don't have any information.
I could put out some guidance under the guise of flu prevention.
Coughing into your elbow, frequent handwashing.
Seth, water might be how this thing spreads.
Okay, so not that, but we have to say something, Mr. President.
I'm sorry, it's too soon.
Sir, maybe if you and your kids were being targeted,
- you might feel differently. - [Mars] You're out of line.
No, say what you've gotta say.
Momberg's plan doesn't target anyone in this room except me.
And from where I stand, I'm sorry, sir, I...
I can't help but wonder if maybe it's easier
taking a chance on someone's life when they don't look like you.
Seth, I understand how you might think I'm taking this less personally than you,
but I am responsible for the safety and security of every American citizen.
I took an oath to that effect, and I didn't take it lightly.
We don't know what we're dealing with here.
We don't know if hand sanitizer helps this stuff grow
or if it has an affinity for the cotton in breathing masks.
The only chance we've got is to capture this monster,
and it's as simple as that.
["King of the Road" playing on radio]
[singing indistinctly]
Isabel.
- I'm a little busy right now. - I need your help.
- This better not be about water. - Water? No, uh...
Lorraine wants me to look into FDA drug approvals
under the president's governance.
- That sounds like a campaign issue. - Technically, it is.
But if the Moss campaign gets this information before we do,
it could also be attacking the administration.
So you want me to violate the Hatch Act
to help you and Lorraine beat Moss at his own game?
In simple terms, yes.
- Well, in simple terms, no. - Is something wrong?
Emily, you can drop the pretense. I know what's up.
Excuse me?
Don't fucking bullshit me.
Aaron told me.
[sighs]
[Eli] Davis Marlowe.
[Davis] I've ordered drinks. You a fan of Hefeweizen?
I just drove two hours
because you were worried the Illuminati were monitoring our video chat.
I have no time for drinks or get-to-know-you prattle.
Okay.
I had a visitor in my lab last year.
He was very Waspy. Skinny legs, painful sting.
He wanted to pay me to do research on infections
that precisely target population subgroups.
And this wasn't a red flag how?
I said no, obviously.
Pretty bananas, the sum of money he was offering.
- Did you catch his name? - He never told me.
My point is that even though I said no, doesn't mean everyone else will.
Momberg? He's on this guy's payroll?
An exiled scientist doesn't have the dough to pull this off.
Not without help from someone higher up in the food chain.
Can you believe the campaign wants me to dig through Kirkman's FDA approvals?
- Do it. - I'm sorry, what?
Looking into the president doesn't defy the Hatch Act.
Collaborate with the campaign on this one.
Due respect, sir, but why are you suddenly being so accommodating?
FlagKind is exactly what pharma shouldn't be.
They're worse than the dealers on the corner,
disguising addiction as healing.
- So this is about your wife? - I have an axe to grind, yes.
And I wanna put it right through their fucking heads.
Understood.
I'm glad someone's finally bringing companies like this down,
but it's a little messed up, don't you think?
Which part?
People of color have been battling addiction for decades.
All we get is the war on drugs and a prison sentence.
It isn't until white folks start dying that things change.
No offense.
You're right.
I like working with you.
You say what you mean and you mean what you say.
That is a good quality in this game. Don't lose it.
He's in Houston. We got a ping on the smart dust.
I've coordinated with the local PD,
and they're tapping into RFID sensors all across the city.
The whole town is one big detection grid.
- What did you tell them? - We're searching for a child kidnapper.
Aaron, inform the governor and the mayor on the situation.
Texas is a Republican stronghold and Moss' home state.
Whatever we tell the governor, it's going to come back to him.
Then we beat them to the punch.
We brief the Moss and Porter campaign as well.
They're not gonna mess with us here.
This isn't political. This is a national emergency.
Felix? Yeah, get Phil Brunton and Sophia Chase
from the Moss and Porter campaign in immediately.
Seth, set up that press conference you've been waiting for.
We're gonna catch this bastard.
[alarm blaring]
Sorry about that, sir. It's been malfunctioning all day.
I can get you checked in right over here.
- Thank you, son. - Of course.
Nearly scared an old man half to death.
[chuckles]
[clears throat]
[operator] 911. What is your emergency?
So you're telling us there's a credible bioterrorism threat
in the nation's fourth-largest city?
More than credible, yes.
And we're not allowed to say anything about it?
This is not a political issue, Sophia. It is national security.
[Sophia] So Porter's supposed to sit on his hands
while you go in with guns blazing and save the world?
That's page one out of the reelection handbook.
President Kirkman doesn't play by the book.
They all play by the book.
Phil, what do you think?
I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt.
You'll have plenty of time to spin this when it's all over.
Provided we're still here.
Thank you.
I didn't expect you to be so reasonable.
Doesn't exactly fit your reputation.
Country before party.
- What did the governor say? - See for yourself, sir.
We were made aware of the threat only moments ago,
and we were told to keep our mouths shut.
But unlike President Kirkman and his cronies,
I believe our constituents have a right to know when their lives are in danger.
So in consultation with President Moss, I decided to inform the public.
Are you kidding me?
Get me the governor and the mayor back on the line now.
[phone beeps]
Governor, what the hell were you thinking?
Do you have any idea what you've done?
I was well within my rights.
No, sir, you were not!
That was classified information I gave you out of respect to your office.
That political stunt that you just pulled may have tipped off our suspect
and will cause widespread panic across your state.
- We have it under control. - No, sir, you don't.
What you're gonna have is riots in the street over bottled water,
you son of a bitch.
Mr. President, what's the plan here? My city's in danger.
The plan was to capture the guy. If we fail to do that now,
we have measures in place to quarantine your city.
Quarantine a city of six and a half million?
We have the National Guard standing by.
Like hell you do. I command the National Guard in my state.
No, you don't, Governor.
My authority supersedes yours in this matter.
And because of what you've done, we have to consider invoking martial law.
"Martial law"? You can't be serious. It's been 100 years since...
You are the poster boy for government overreach.
- We will fight you on this. - [Dianne] Mr. President.
Excuse me.
We're closing in on him.
[agent] Sir, come with me please. This way.
- [agent 1] Freeze! - [agent 2] Drop the bag!
Drop the bag.
I said drop the bag now!
Fifty years of working for the betterment of mankind,
only to meet an ignoble end in some cheap hotel
at the hands of lesser men.
But don't worry.
My work will go on.
I said drop it!
[Momberg] Your days are numbered.
Pandora's box is open, and her demons will reshape the face of this earth,
and I will forever be known as the one who unleashed them.
[coughing]
Cyanide.
Won't be long now.
[agent 2] Let's get a medic!
[agent 3 over phone] Subject is down, medic attending.
The subject is unresponsive.
We got him. He's dead.
Great work.
Madam Mayor, it is with honor that I tell you
that the threat to your city has been neutralized.
Mr. President, I demand to know...
Thank you, Mr. President. Houston is in your debt.
[sighs]
Got an update on FDA approvals?
Isabel and I couldn't find a single contentious decision.
FlagKind's gonna have to give away their new drug free of cost.
- That's mighty specific. - What else are they gonna do? Apologize?
They could pay a fine.
I've never heard of a Big Pharma company giving away their drugs for free.
Sweetheart, I'm inside Moss' head.
- [cell phone chimes] - This could be the breaking point
for our Republican voters that are leaning to the center.
A new poll shows Porter is still ahead in New York by four points.
We cannot let this election slip through our fingers.
Go scrub through all the old footage we have for new spots.
We're gonna keep rolling 'em out. Go. Go.
I think Lorraine has a mole in the Moss campaign.
No way.
[inaudible]
That was an operation for the history books.
- I got lucky. - This is no time for modesty.
You saved a lot of lives today, Mr. President.
That's not gonna stop me from mourning the ones I didn't.
Which is the reason why you're the right man for this job.
Could you imagine a corporate shill like Porter at the helm today?
Or a petty dictator like Moss?
They don't care about service, country, the American people.
They care about power.
- But I'm the one losing. - You're gonna beat Porter.
But Moss does ignite a portion of this country
that many of us like to forget exists, which is why you have to beat him.
Today proved that.
Mr. President, Deputy Director Lewis.
The heroes of the hour.
Mr. President, I'm afraid Dr. Mays has some disturbing news.
I was taking down my posts about Momberg,
and I came across instructions to make his nightmare virus online.
How is that possible?
[Dianne] Before Momberg killed himself,
he uploaded his methodology to a public DIY forum.
They've scrubbed it, but it's already been downloaded at least a dozen times.
So you're telling me that anyone can access this information and use it?
Not anyone. It's an insanely difficult piece of genetic engineering,
and there's no way to know for sure
if it would have been lethal without testing it.
- Quantico's running a sample. - What can we do about this?
Start controlling the sale of genetic material.
Make lethal sequences hard, if not impossible, to get.
And, if Agent Wells taught me anything,
get people like me, scientists, to advise you.
- And if this happens again? - Not "if," sir, "when."
This wasn't the first time. It won't be the last.
[Detwiler on TV] As chairman of the board of FlagKind,
I take our responsibility to the public with the utmost seriousness.
The opioid epidemic is crushing our nation,
and while the idea that President Moss is responsible
is nothing but fake journalism,
he does feel a responsibility to those in need.
Which is why he's partnering with FlagKind
to make treatment for this addiction 100% free.
[imitates gunshot]
[Seth] You guys have to swear not to repeat what I just said.
If Harper finds out that I told you
before the "we narrowly avoided genocide" presser tomorrow, he'll kill me.
Like, murder me dead.
Doesn't sound like he's the only one who wants you dead.
- Or us dead. - [Seth] You might've had a chance.
You're more of a coffee and two creams than either of us.
Hey, Puerto Ricans have a long history
of being the targets of genocidal experiments.
- Read about it. - I'm a black gay man.
Pretty sure that trumps everything.
People think I'm a Muslim terrorist trying to do them harm.
Going through airport security's a bitch.
Like when I walk into a store and spend more than 15 seconds browsing?
But, guys, didn't you hear? This is what a post-racial society looks like.
We're all screwed.
Cheers.
Do you think he was able to infect anyone?
Before they got him?
Thanks for the heads-up.
- What's wrong, Daddy? - Nothing.
I just wanted to say good night to my favorite daughter.
I'm your only daughter, silly.
Well, it doesn't make it any less true.
You look sad.
Did something happen?
Nothing for you to worry about.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Come here, give me a hug.
[sighs]
Okay.
Time for you to go back to sleep.
- Good night, Dad. - Good night, sweetheart.
[cell phone ringing]
Hey.
[Davis] Remember that guy who came to my lab I told you about?
The one looking to make ethnic bioweapons?
Turn on CNBS.
While the Kirkman administration kept this dire news from the American people,
putting them in grave danger,
President Moss' bold leadership
can be credited for the swift resolution of this crisis.
That's him.
[reporter] Do you have anything to add, Mr. Brunton?
God bless President Moss, and God bless America.
[theme music playing]