- Russell Jackson: Elizabeth, you know the Chief Justice.
- Chief Justice Frawley: Madam Secretary.
- Elizabeth McCord: Yes, I actually took your constitutional law class at UVA.
- [pauses then whispers]
- Elizabeth McCord: I got an A.
- Chief Justice Frawley: [Whispering back] I remember.
- Russell Jackson: [Gesturing to a large briefcase] This is the football. It's a remote device that can authorize a nuclear attack in the unlikely event that we are required to do that.
- [a Colonel hands Elizabeth a small card]
- Russell Jackson: This is the biscuit. It's an authenticator card containing all the launching codes. That stays with you. The football stays with the Colonel who's never far away.
- Elizabeth McCord: [Shakes the Colonel's hand] Thank you, Colonel. I hope we never work together.
- Colonel Preston: My hope as well, Ma'am.
- Henry McCord: [His DIA handler has asked him to recruit a Russian student by leveraging the fact that he is gay] So, you want me to tee him up so you can blackmail him. All while teaching military ethics.
- [Elizabeth is having a panic attack before the singing act for the Eastern Trade Conference. Daisy and Nadine find her breathing into a paper bag, with Blake by her side]
- Daisy Grant: You all right, ma'am?
- Elizabeth McCord: [composing herself] Yup. How much time do I have?
- Nadine Tolliver: Ten minutes. Or as long as you want...
- Elizabeth McCord: [faintly] Okay. Okay...
- [Elizabeth looks over the lyrics and tries humming to the lyrics of "For the Longest Time". However, this only causes her anxiety to spike]
- Elizabeth McCord: [distressed] I can't, I can't, I can't do it.
- Nadine Tolliver: Okay, Okay, Okay! We do have a tangency plan.
- Elizabeth McCord: What is it?
- Nadine Tolliver: [smiles] You're looking at it.
- [Scene cuts to Nadine, Daisy and Blake singing a stellar a cappella performance of the Eastern Trade rendition of The Longest Time to the audience]
- Theodore Gates: [about to take the oath of office to become Acting President] Oh, all right, right. The president will come back. I mean, he survived one assassination attempt. He's hard to kill.
- Elizabeth McCord: What do you mean, Senator?
- Theodore Gates: What do you think I mean? Talking about that Charles Manson lady. Tried to shoot him.
- Elizabeth McCord: Well, that was President Ford.
- Theodore Gates: Ah. Of course, you're right. I meant Hinckley. Where do I sign?
- Elizabeth McCord: Um... actually, Senator, Mm-hmm? I-I believe it is also protocol... you have to state the full name of the current President. For the record.
- Theodore Gates: Of course. Sure. Ronald Wilson Reagan.
- Russell Jackson: I'm sorry. Could we ask the senator to step outside? Just for a moment, while we prepare? Is that all right?
- Theodore Gates: That's fine.
- Russell Jackson: Thank you.
- Theodore Gates: Sure.
- Russell Jackson: [whispers] What the hell?
- Aide: Senator Gates had a series of mini strokes a few months ago, but we are working diligently to get him through his final term. He has his good days and his bad days.
- Russell Jackson: But basically, he's incompetent?
- Aide: To take the oath of office for President? Probably.
- Russell Jackson: Then I think we have to go to the next in line.
- Attorney General Louise Cronenberg: That would be the Secretary of State.