# Madam Secretary season 4

The fourth season of Madam Secretary an American political drama television series originally aired in the United States on CBS from October 8, 2017, through May 20, 2018. This season was produced by CBS Television Studios, with Barbara Hall and Lori McCreary as showrunner and executive producer, respectively. Debuting on September 21, 2014. Madam Secretary was renewed for a fifth season on April 18, 2018.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* 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 Dmitri 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
* Keone Young as Minister Myambyn Sendoo
* Elpidia Carrillo as President Daphne Tejeda

## Episodes

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 69 | 1 | "News Cycle" | Morgan Freeman | Barbara Hall | October 8, 2017 (2017-10-8) | 7.21 |
| Elizabeth meets with a representative from Timor-Leste who dies before telling her why he wanted to meet. Conspiracy theorists on the internet accuse Elizabeth of murder. Elizabeth discovers that the government of Timor-Leste has been corrupted by a Columbian drug cartel, and the murder was to prevent exposure. The U.S. helps Timor-Leste rid itself of the cartel members in its country. Dmitri passes a lie detector test so that he can work for Henry. He tells his sister that he was able to hide his drug addiction because of his training in Russia which enabled him to fool a lie detector test. |||||||
| 70 | 2 | "Off the Record" | Eric Stoltz | David Grae | October 15, 2017 (2017-10-15) | 6.36 |
| While Elizabeth is in Libya to attempt to stop a reignited civil war, a vehicle in her motorcade hits a young girl who ran into the road. The child's brain swelling is more severe than the local hospital can treat. Elizabeth begs the members of the two sides to grant a one-hour ceasefire, long enough for a helicopter to transport the girl to a nearby U.S. Navy medical ship. The surgeon on the ship is able to reduce the brain swelling. The Libyan opponents, moved by the situation, agree to work toward a peace agreement. Dmitri snaps at his two co-workers, then confesses his opiate addiction to Henry. |||||||
| 71 | 3 | "The Essentials" | Charlotte Brandstrom | Matt Ward | October 22, 2017 (2017-10-22) | 6.43 |
| Elizabeth negotiates with the Libyan ambassador and an Israel solar power company to get a solar grid installed at a refugee camp. Henry's boss at the CIA gets Dmitri admitted to an agency-approved rehabilitation facility. Budget negotiations between Conrad and the adversarial Senator Morejon are unable to prevent a government shutdown. Nadine, learning that she is going to be a grandmother, gives Elizabeth her notice as she prepares to join her son and his partner in California. |||||||
| 72 | 4 | "Shutdown" | Felix Alcala | Joy Gregory | October 29, 2017 (2017-10-29) | 5.83 |
| With the government shut down, Elizabeth lacks the staff and funds to deal with an Ebola outbreak. Senator Morejon releases a political ad that attacks Carlton on immigration. Elizabeth travels to a toy factory in Peoria, Illinois, that is staffed by Honduran immigrants, to highlight the value of immigrants to the country. Henry visits Dmitri in rehab to run some intelligence by him. Elizabeth chooses Jay to replace Nadine as her chief of staff. After Russell informs her of his plans to destroy Morejon, Elizabeth tells the senator of the plan and advises him to accept the president's budget offer. Morejon agrees, ending the shutdown. Stevie pulls out of a visit to England with Jareth at the last minute. |||||||
| 73 | 5 | "Persona Non Grata" | John Murray | Alexander Maggio | November 5, 2017 (2017-11-5) | 5.92 |
| The US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan is forcibly removed from the country and declared persona non grata for having an affair with the president's brother-in-law. The US later discovers that her lover was a Russian spy and that her computer had been compromised. Henry, who is in Afghanistan to set up a safe house, tells his team to evacuate when he learns that the ambassador to Afghanistan has communicated the safe house's location to the compromised ambassador's email. The team escapes just before the safe house explodes. Stevie confesses that Jareth ended their engagement just before modeling Ali's dress for Ali's mid-term. |||||||
| 74 | 6 | "Loophole" | Maggie Greenwald | Moira Kirland | November 12, 2017 (2017-11-12) | 6.63 |
| Nasifa, a member of Henry's team, is captured by the Taliban, who offer to release her for payment. Henry is frustrated by the policy that the US does not negotiate with terrorists. Elizabeth's team puts together a round-robin deal that results in Nasifa's release. Henry and his team are determined to find out who betrayed them. In his new role as chief of staff, Jay sets boundaries with Matt. Daisy has a baby girl. Stevie, having moved out of her apartment with Jareth, encounters Dmitri and gives him her number. |||||||
| 75 | 7 | "North to the Future" | Sunu Gonera | Kristi Korzec | November 19, 2017 (2017-11-19) | 5.86 |
| A Russian eco-activist sneaks onto a diplomatic plane to the US, but when he arrives, it is discovered that he has smallpox. Elizabeth initially suspects the Russian government, but is convinced by former United Nations employee Kat Sandoval that the cause is most likely the thawing permafrost in Siberia. The US, Canada, Greenland, China, and Russia agree to a program of efforts to prevent permafrost thaw. One of Henry's team tells him that there is an investigation into multiple agents across different agencies being revealed, just like Nasifa. Henry suspects that the leaker must be someone in the president's cabinet. Elizabeth hires Kat as policy advisor. Worried by Jason's obsession with his girlfriend, Henry and Elizabeth attempt to caution him about sex. |||||||
| 76 | 8 | "The Fourth Estate" | Sam Hoffman | Matt Chester | November 26, 2017 (2017-11-26) | 5.82 |
| Upset that his son is back in rehab, Conrad demands that Mexico extradite a major drug cartel leader, despite Russell and Elizabeth urging him to take a different approach. During the extradition, the cartel leader is released and 21 federales are killed. With information gathered by a journalist who has been murdered, Elizabeth's team confirms that Mexico's foreign minister is working with the cartel leader. The US provides intelligence to Mexico that results in the foreign minister's arrest and the recapture of the cartel leader. Henry's team indentifies the senator who is giving classified information to Russia. Blake's parents visit and pressure him to take a private sector job. Elizabeth tells Blake that she believes he has potential for greater things, so she plans to fire him in a year, giving him that time to decide what he wants to aim for. Dmitri and Stevie start dating. |||||||
| 77 | 9 | "Minefield" | Rob Greenlea | Matt Ward | December 10, 2017 (2017-12-10) | 6.45 |
| 78 | 10 | "Women Transform the World" | Eric Stoltz | Lyla Oliver | December 17, 2017 (2017-12-17) | 5.53 |
| 79 | 11 | "Mitya" | Geoffrey Arend | Alexander Maggio | January 7, 2018 (2018-1-7) | 6.11 |
| 80 | 12 | "Sound and Fury" | Debbie Reinsich | Barbara Hall & David Grae | January 14, 2018 (2018-1-14) | 7.25 |
| 81 | 13 | "Reading the Signs" | Phil Bertelsen | Moira Kirland | March 11, 2018 (2018-3-11) | 6.28 |
| 82 | 14 | "Refuge" | Eric Stoltz | Kristi Korzec | March 18, 2018 (2018-3-18) | 5.72 |
| 83 | 15 | "The Unnamed" | Felix Alcala | Joy Gregory | March 25, 2018 (2018-3-25) | 6.14 |
| 84 | 16 | "My Funny Valentine" | Rob Greenlea | Matt Ward | April 1, 2018 (2018-4-1) | 5.75 |
| 85 | 17 | "Phase Two" | Martha Mitchell | Leland Jay Anderson | April 8, 2018 (2018-4-8) | 6.19 |
| 86 | 18 | "The Friendship Game" | Sam Hoffman | Lyla Oliver | April 22, 2018 (2018-4-22) | 6.06 |
| 87 | 19 | "Thin Ice" | Felix Alcala | Moira Kirkland & Alexander Maggio | April 29, 2018 (2018-4-29) | 6.03 |
| 88 | 20 | "The Things We Get to Say" | Sunu Gonera | Joy Gregory | May 6, 2018 (2018-5-6) | 5.91 |
| 89 | 21 | "Protocol" | Charlotte Brandstrom | Matt Ward | May 13, 2018 (2018-5-13) | 5.90 |
| 90 | 22 | "Night Watch" | Rob Greenlea | Barbara Hall & David Grae | May 20, 2018 (2018-5-20) | 6.22 |

## Production
### Development

Madam Secretary was renewed for a fourth season on March 23, 2017.

### Casting

Bebe Neuwirth left the cast after the third episode of the season. Sara Ramirez joined the cast as Kat Sandoval as a series regular. Hall said of Ramirez: "She brings a fresh perspective and a fun, energetic quality to the State Department staff."

## Broadcast

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

## Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Madam Secretary season 4 :
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating/share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "News Cycle" | October 8, 2017 | 0.7/3 | 7.21 | — | 3.28 | — | 10.49 |
| 2 | "Off the Record" | October 15, 2017 | 0.7/3 | 6.36 | 0.5 | 3.16 | 1.2 | 9.52 |
| 3 | "The Essentials" | October 22, 2017 | 0.8/3 | 6.43 | — | 3.07 | — | 9.50 |
| 4 | "Shutdown" | October 29, 2017 | 0.6/2 | 5.83 | — | 2.87 | — | 8.71 |
| 5 | "Persona Non Grata" | November 5, 2017 | 0.6/2 | 5.92 | — | 3.13 | — | 9.06 |
| 6 | "Loophole" | November 12, 2017 | 0.6/2 | 6.63 | — | 2.92 | — | 9.55 |
| 7 | "North to the Future" | November 19, 2017 | 0.6/2 | 5.86 | — | 2.93 | — | 8.80 |
| 8 | "The Fourth Estate" | November 26, 2017 | 0.6/2 | 5.82 | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | "Minefield" | December 10, 2017 | 0.7/3 | 6.45 | — | 3.07 | — | 9.53 |
| 10 | "Women Transform the World" | December 17, 2017 | 0.7/3 | 5.53 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | "Mitya" | January 7, 2018 | 0.6/2 | 6.11 | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | "Sound and Fury" | January 14, 2018 | 0.7/3 | 7.25 | 0.5 | 3.15 | 1.2 | 10.40 |
| 13 | "Reading the Signs" | March 11, 2018 | 0.6/2 | 6.28 | — | 2.93 | — | 9.22 |
| 14 | "Refuge" | March 18, 2018 | 0.6/3 | 5.72 | — | 2.62 | — | 8.34 |
| 15 | "The Unnamed" | March 25, 2018 | 0.7/3 | 6.14 | — | 2.70 | — | 8.84 |
| 16 | "My Funny Valentine" | April 1, 2018 | 0.5/2 | 5.75 | 0.4 | 2.88 | 0.9 | 8.63 |
| 17 | "Phase Two" | April 8, 2018 | 0.6/2 | 6.19 | — | 2.68 | — | 8.87 |
| 18 | "The Friendship Game" | April 22, 2018 | 0.6/3 | 6.06 | — | 2.77 | — | 8.83 |
| 19 | "Thin Ice" | April 29, 2018 | 0.6/3 | 6.03 | — | 2.67 | — | 8.71 |
| 20 | "The Things We Get to Say" | May 6, 2018 | 0.5/2 | 5.91 | — | 2.55 | — | 8.46 |
| 21 | "Protocol" | May 13, 2018 | 0.6/3 | 5.90 | — | 2.82 | — | 8.72 |
| 22 | "Night Watch" | May 20, 2018 | 0.6/3 | 6.22 | 0.3 | 2.51 | 0.9 | 8.73 |