Directed by Chris Grismer
Written by Jennifer Johnson
President Kirkman's plans to nominate Speaker Hookstraten for the vacant Vice-Presidency are derailed when old allegations surface of impropriety surrounding an arms deal with Turkey. Wells and Atwood are put in mortal danger by their investigation into The Conspiracy. Abe Leonard continues to receive leaked information from a mysterious source at the White House.
Tropes in this episode:
- Cliffhanger: After her investigations once again come too close to unmasking The Conspiracy, Lozano and several Mooks track Agent Wells to the motel where she is staying, drug her into unconsciousness, and take her away to parts unknown.
- Death Faked for You: Agent Wells figures out that the conspirators used a decoy to stand in for Catalan during his supposed flight and the firefight in an abandoned building, and then swapped out the decoy's dental records and fingerprints for the real Nestor Lozano's files so that they would match. Lozano actually left the building where he took the shot the next day after the attempt on Kirkman's life, and walked away scot-free.
- Get Out!: After delivering a political equivalent of a Curb-Stomp Battle to her former-staffer-turned-rookie-Congressman, Hookstraten remarks that he "can leave now".
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Hookstraten figures out that the person who leaked the allegations is a former staffer who she fired years ago for taking money from lobbyists, and who has since become a Congressman in the wake of the Capitol bombing. She shares her file on him with Senator Bowman, ending the Congressman's hopes for riding Bowman's coattails to higher office.
- Instant Sedation: Agent Wells is out in a matter of seconds as soon as she is injected with a tranquilizer.
- The Mole:
- The source of Hookstraten's troubles turns out to be a former staffer who she had fired years prior, who held a grudge and turned to Senator Bowman in an effort to take her down after they were both elected to Congress. Unfortunately for the former staffer, he was even more crooked in the past (hence the firing), and Hookstraten has the evidence to prove it.
- Within the White House, this turns out to be the Homeland Security advisor.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Atwood is shot during his and Wells' escape from the conspirators' property in North Dakota. It does, however, end up forcing him to seek medical attention in short order.
- Right-Wing Militia Fanatic: Again present in numbers at the gathering in North Dakota, and well-armed enough to immediately take shots at Wells and Atwood, forcing them to flee the property for their lives.
- Serial Numbers Filed Off:
- Any identifying marks on Lozano's helicopter have been covered up or removed, preventing Director Forstell and the FBI from finding any information on it.
- Abe Leonard's mysterious source drives a car that is part of a general White House pool, preventing their specific identification from vehicle records.
- Smug Snake: The Congressman who leaks information about Hookstraten to Senator Bowman and the media is one of these — until Hookstraten airs his own dirty secrets to Senator Bowman, prompting an Oh, Crap! reaction from the Congressman.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!/"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Hookstraten delivers a swift one of these to her former-staffer-turned-rookie-Congressman, who was starting to collude with Senator Bowman to defame her.
