Ep 7. First Scandal

As the seventh episode of 'Commander In Chief' Season 1, 'First Scandal' introduces a new challenge to the President of the United States, Mackenzie Allen, played by Geena Davis. Mackenzie has been on the job for a short time, and her presidency is already being tested. The White House has faced several challenges and opposition to Mackenzie's presidency, but this episode marks the first scandal that the newly appointed President has to deal with.

The episode starts with the President's advisor, Jim Gardner, revealing a gossip magazine's articles about the Chief of Staff, Jim's personal life. Gardner is deeply concerned about these allegations, and he fears that the scandal could jeopardize his credibility in the White House and also the President's. Unknown to the President and her team, the Chief of Staff is already aware of the rumors. However, the article reveals, not everything is under control.

Mackenzie is advised to let Jim take the fall for this scandal. But as a President who has promised honesty and transparency in her administration, Allen must prioritize her conscience and do what is right. She goes to Jim and informs him about the rumors. The Chief of Staff, who had been hiding the rumors from the President, is visibly shaken, disappointed, and ready to leave his role. The President persuades him to stay, promising her support throughout the ordeal.

Mackenzie, determined to get to the bottom of the alleged personal scandal, orders an investigation by the FBI. At the same time, the country deals with a potentially deadly flu epidemic, and everything looks bleak. The President has to navigate through these two issues simultaneously, and as the day progresses, the pressure mounts.

The situation at the White House intensifies as journalists start showing up seeking Jim Gardner's comments. The press is hawkish and smells a scandal brewing; they want to know more about the rumors. Mackenzie, in her resolve to be transparent to the public, faces the challenges squarely and says the truth, which Jim Gardner has already vehemently denied.

Meanwhile, the ongoing investigation into the Chief of Staff's personal life takes its time, and there is no way for Mackenzie to tell whether it will end up revealing anything incriminating or exonerating. The President promises to stand by the Chief of Staff, but as events unfold, she realizes that sometimes, being truthful has consequences and that she cannot protect everyone.

The President seeks solace by talking to her therapist, who helps her realize that she has been so focused on helping others that she has neglected her personal life, specifically her husband. That night she goes home and talks things out with her husband, who had no idea how his presence makes her relax and unwind towards everything that she has had to deal with previous times.

'First Scandal' is an intense episode that resonates with anyone watching as it shows how the people we trust with the highest offices in the land are humans too, with feelings and personal lives that are not always perfect. It highlights the essential need for truth and transparency and how it can never be a bad thing. In a world where the truth seems to be a rare commodity, the show portrays that even in the highest office in the land, upholding the truth is always worthwhile.