Madam Secretary (TV Series)

Pilot (2014)

Téa Leoni: Elizabeth McCord

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Dr McCord?

  Elizabeth McCord : Yeah?

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Hey, can I talk to you about my thesis?

  Elizabeth McCord : Uh, sure during office hours.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Yeah, your office hours don't really work for me.

  Elizabeth McCord : [laughs]  Sorry to hear that.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Thing is, I don't really want to write about the Cold War.

  Elizabeth McCord : You're aware that the class is called "Postwar Politics and the Cold War.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Yeah, but I feel like it's been done.

  Elizabeth McCord : That's why they call it history, Jake.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Thing is, my theory is that we are living through a new cold war.

  Elizabeth McCord : All right, compare and contrast to the original and convince me.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : Great; Also, I'll need an extension. My parents are coming to town and they're very needy.

  Elizabeth McCord : Oh. My husband bought tickets to the opera this weekend. I mean, normally, I love the opera, but I got to tell you, it's been a hell of a week, and the thought of sitting in a dimly lit room with a bunch of people singing at me in Italian it's just gonna make me fall asleep.

  Jake, a student in McCord's 'cold war' class : I'm so sorry.

  Elizabeth McCord : I thought we were telling each other our problems. No extension. Enjoy your parents.

• Russell Jackson : [waiting in her office]  You want to tell me how those kids got released?

  Elizabeth McCord : I guess the Syrians saw the error of their ways.

  Russell Jackson : So that would be a "no."

  Elizabeth McCord : I got the president to sign off.

  Russell Jackson : How could you do that without my knowledge?

  Elizabeth McCord : I, I don't know. By blatantly circumnavigating your authority?

  Russell Jackson : You'd better learn how to work with me instead of around me.

  Elizabeth McCord : My first choice, as well. I used your stylist, didn't I?

• Elizabeth McCord : [on the first day in her new job]  Hey, Blake, on a scale of one to ten, how much does Nadine hate me?

  Blake Moran : Oh, I think that one goes to 11.

  Elizabeth McCord : They all hate me as much? No. It's a mixture.

  Blake Moran : Why don't you hate me?

  Elizabeth McCord : Because you hired me... And you're awesome... I might have inadvertently reversed those.