Season 4

Broadcast
Original run	October 8, 2017 – May 20, 2018
No. of Episodes	22
Length
Nielsen rating	18-49 rating: TBA Viewers (million): TBA
Home video release
DVD release
Blu-ray Disc release
Seasons
Previous	Season 3
Next	Season 5

Season 4 of Madam Secretary premiered on October 8, 2017.

Cast

Main Cast

• Téa Leoni as Dr. Elizabeth McCord, the United States Secretary of State
• Tim Daly as Dr. Henry McCord, Elizabeth's husband and a Central Intelligence Agency operative
• Keith Carradine as Conrad Dalton, President of the United States
• Erich Bergen as Blake Moran, Elizabeth's personal assistant
• Patina Miller as Daisy Grant, Elizabeth's press coordinator
• Geoffrey Arend as Matt Mahoney, Elizabeth's speechwriter
• Sebastian Arcelus as Jay Whitman, Elizabeth's policy advisor and later chief of staff
• Sara Ramirez as Kat Sandoval, Elizabeth's new policy advisor
• Kathrine Herzer as Alison McCord, Elizabeth and Henry's younger daughter
• Evan Roe as Jason McCord, Elizabeth and Henry's son
• Wallis Currie-Wood as Stephanie "Stevie" McCord, Elizabeth and Henry's older daughter; later, Dmitri's girlfriend
• Željko Ivanek as Russell Jackson, White House Chief of Staff
• Chris Petrovski as Dimitri Petrov, a former Russian spy who joins the Central Intelligence Agency to work for Henry
• Bebe Neuwirth as Nadine Tolliver, Elizabeth's chief of staff

Guests

• Morgan Freeman as Frawley, the Chief Justice of the United States
• Yuval David as Matvey Sokolov, a Russian special agent
• Christine Ebersole as Lydia Dalton, the first lady of the United States
• Elpidia Carrillo as President Daphne Tejeda

Releases

Episodes

Title	Number	Season Number	Writer(s)	Original Airdate
"News Cycle"	69	1	Barbara Hall	October 8, 2017
At the United Nations General Assembly, Elizabeth McCord meets with the assistant vice minister of Timor-Leste, who suddenly collapses and dies in front of her before being able to tell her why he needed to meet with her so urgently. When the public is informed that the Assistant Vice-Minister died with Elizabeth McCord in the room, far-right news networks and conspiracy theorists using social media push a completely false narrative that Elizabeth McCord was behind his death. This narrative is emphasized when Senator Morejon of Arizona seems to indicate that he believes Elizabeth is guilty of murder. Elizabeth Meanwhile, Alison moves away to college, and Dmitri becomes a CIA operative.
"Off the Record"	70	2	David Grae	October 15, 2017
The situation in Libya is worsening, and Elizabeth helps negotiate a cease fire after she gains the confidence of both sides, following a car incident and the rescue of a local girl.
"The Essentials"	71	3	Matt Ward	October 22, 2017
The President is negotiating with Congress to avoid a government shutdown. Elizabeth works with her team to bring electric power to a refugee camp in Lebanon. Henry tracks down Dimitri, who was trying to wean himself off of pain drug addiction, and drives him to a rehab clinic. Nadine decides to take a leave and not come back to be close to her son and a future grandchild.
"Shutdown"	72	4	Joy Gregory	October 29, 2017
The government shutdown continues; Elizabeth negotiates an agreement, while picking a replacement for Nadine.
"Persona Non Grata"	73	5	Alexander Maggio	November 5, 2017
Elizabeth organizes a human trafficking summit in Kyrgyzstan. Her ambassador there is declared persona non grata for having an affair with a family member of the presidential family, who eventually turns out to be a Russian spy. Allison has doubts about her college direction, and Henry helps her to stay on track.
"Loophole"	74	6	Moira Kirland	November 12, 2017
Henry disagrees with Elizabeth about not paying for ransoms for an agent kept prisoner by the Taliban. Stevie has split from Jareth and has a hard time.
"North to the Future"	75	7	Kristi Korzec	November 19, 2017
Elizabeth works with the Russians to fight an outbreak of smallpox. Jason is in love.
"The Fourth Estate"	76	8	Matt Chester	November 26, 2017
Elizabeth and her staff work with the Mexican government to extradite a drug trafficker. Stevie starts dating Dmitri.
"Minefield"	77	9	Matt Ward	December 10, 2017
Elizabeth works on treaty to eliminate field mines. Henry uncovers a Russian spy within the senate.
"Women Transform the World"	78	10	Lyla Oliver	December 17, 2017
Elizabeth organizes a conference for women. The government is working on the situation in Afghanistan.
"Mitya"	79	11	Alexander Maggio	January 7, 2018
Elizabeth is working on the Russian ban on child adoption. Dmitri/Alexander is being followed by a Russian spy intent on killing him.
"Sound and Fury"	80	12	Barbara Hall, David Grae	January 14, 2018
The Bulgarian embassy is attacked with a sonic sound-wave weapon, and the President issues a dire warning to the Russians, who are suspected to be behind the attack, warning off "the might and ferocity of our military" to be used against Russia if they are found to be responsible for the attack. Despite the repeated complaints and objections of the NSC (National Security Counsel), President Dalton orders a military strike against Russia's military satellites, which could put the United States on a direct path to a military conflict with Russia. When Secretary of Defense Gordon Becker refuses to carry out the order, Dalton fires him and appoints his Deputy to acting Secretary of Defense and orders him to carry it out. Shocked about his brass decision, Elizabeth McCord, Russell Jackson, Ellen Hill (National Security Advisor), Gordon Becker, and the acting Secretary of Defense have a secret meeting about how to convince Dalton to back off giving the order and also how to create time to convince him. After being shown conclusive evidence that Russia was not behind the attack, Dalton still is intent on ordering the strike, leading to Russell Jackson organizing a meeting between Vice-President Teresa Hurst and all 15 cabinet officials in order to debate and vote on invoking Section 4 of the 25th amendment. They ultimately vote to invoke Section 4, making Teresa Hurst the first female acting President of the United States of America. Elizabeth McCord, Russell Jackson, and Lydia Dalton confront President Dalton in the situation room and convince Dalton to use Section 3 of the 25th amendment to let him be reinstated as President, but only after he has passed extensive mental stability and critical thinking tests. After Dalton is treated, before undergoing surgery, he thanks Elizabeth McCord and Russell Jackson for their proactive steps to prevent a potential military conflict with Russell & a potential nuclear war.
"Reading the Signs"	81	13	Moira Kirland	March 11, 2018
While Conrad Dalton is still recovering from his medical operation, Elizabeth McCord and Acting-President Teresa Hurst host the Sri Lankan president to discuss the almost-finalized trade agreement between Sri Lanka and the United States. During the meeting, the religious psychic who accompanies the Sri Lankan president sows doubt in the mind of the Sri Lankan president because of the impact it would have on a family member of the psychic's corporation. The psychic spooks members of Elizabeth McCord's inner staff circle by giving them vague, but oddly specific predictions. Allison decides to return to her dorm early to work things out with her room mate Lucinda but arrives to the scene of Lucinda unconscious with a bottle of Vodka & a container of unidentified pills nearby. It is determined that Lucinda attempted to commit suicide. Allison is devastated, fearing that she was the reason behind her attempt because of the tension that arose recently between them. Elizabeth and her team discover what is preventing the psychic and the "spirits" from signing off on their trade deal and call an emergency meeting to announce the new enticements to the President and the psychic. The psychic approves of the new deal, which provide new provisions for contracts for his family's telecom services corporation. At home, tensions are at high with Allison McCord being very anxious and depressed about Lucinda's suicide attempt. Acting-President Teresa Hurst decides to not go through with the deal after all the dishonesty that the Sri Lankan dealt out. Meanwhile, Allison returns home after confronting her mental health and the challenges Lucinda's suicide attempt presented. Throughout the episode, Henry McCord is tasked with securing funds to protect U.S. troops from a potential terrorist attack in Afghanistan but the Gang of Eight (a traditionally bipartisan group formed of 4 Democratic senators and 4 Republican senators who attempt to break the long-lasting gridlock in Congress to accomplish bipartisan legislative priorities, however traditionally these groups have been made up with moderates, whereas this group includes Senator Morejon, a fiscally conservative product of the Tea Party Movement and who appears to be a deficit hawk). Henry threatens to, or actually, resigns his position of Director of the Special Activities Division of the CIA because of the obstructionist ways of Morejon.
"Refuge"	82	14	Kristi Korzec	March 18, 2018
Jay and Kat work together to fight oppression against the LBGTQ community in Abkhazia.
"The Unnamed"	83	15	Joy Gregory	March 25, 2018
A humanitarian crisis in Myanmar takes place while its president is visiting in Washington. At the same time the President is having second thoughts about going back to the office after his recovery. Henry is reconnecting with his sister.
"My Funny Valentine"	84	16	Matt Ward	April 1, 2018
Around the anniversary of a terrorist bombing of the US Embassy in Uganda, emotions run high.
"Phase Two"	85	17	Leland Jay Anderson	April 8, 2018
Elizabeth McCord faces unforeseen trouble with the second phase of the Iranian peace talks. Morejon strikes again.
"The Friendship Game"	86	18	Lyla Oliver	April 22, 2018
Negotiations for an agreement to combat gang violence in South America become complicated when the US's partner is complicit in a kidnapping. Elizabeth worries she is no longer fun.
"Thin Ice"	87	19	Moira Kirland	April 29, 2018
Elizabeth attends a summit intended to resolve territorial claims on the North Pole, Jason gets caught having sex with his girlfriend.
"The Things We Get to Say"	88	20	Joy Gregory	May 6, 2018
Elizabeth must choose her words carefully while dealing with a refugee situation and being shadowed by a reporter
"Protocol"	89	21	Matt Ward	May 13, 2018
Terrorist threaten to flood the Middle East and Elizabeth must negotiate a way to close the dam. Stevie is tasked to help Russell relieve his stress.
"Night Watch"	90	22	Barbara Hall	May 20, 2018
Intelligence that Russia has launched a nuclear first strike leads President Dalton to order a devastating nuclear counterstrike that may cause a nuclear winter and endanger the entire world. When Dalton and his administration learn the intelligence regarding Russia's attack was false, the result of a US simulation run amok, Elizabeth proposes de-alerting US ICBMs but meets with opposition from other cabinet and government officials.

Behind the Scenes

Production

Season 4 was announced on March 23, 2017.

Madam Secretary Season 4 (2017 – 2018)
See also: S1 • S2 • S3 • S4 • S5 • S6