Ep 1. Pilot

Madam Secretary is an American political drama television series, which revolves around the life of former CIA analyst and professor Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) serving as the United States Secretary of State. The show is created by Barbara Hall and was premiered on September 21, 2014. The first episode of the show is titled "Pilot" and was directed by David Semel.

The episode starts with the sudden resignation of the United States Secretary of State, Vincent Marsh, after he dies in a plane crash. The President of the United States, Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) is now in search of a new Secretary of State who can fit the high standards of the job. His chief of staff, Russell Jackson (Zeljko Ivanek), recommends Elizabeth McCord for the job who is currently working as a lecturer at the University of Virginia. She worked as a CIA analyst in the past and has a strong knowledge of international affairs.

Elizabeth is initially hesitant to accept the job but eventually decides to take it up after discussing with her husband, Henry McCord (Tim Daly), who is a professor at the National War College. She meets the President who asks her to do things her own way and offers her complete autonomy. However, he warns her that the job comes with its own set of challenges and the bar is set very high.

As soon as Elizabeth takes up the job, she is handed over a report suggesting that a group of Syrian refugees is in danger as the Syrian government plans to hit them with chemical weapons. Elizabeth is in a fix as she can't share this information with the Russian ambassador, Dimitri Petrov, who is the only person who can pass the information to the Syrian government without raising any suspicion.

Elizabeth consults with her team, which includes her chief of staff, Nadine Tolliver (Bebe Neuwirth), her press secretary, Daisy Grant (Patina Miller), and Matt Mahoney (Geoffrey Arend), a speechwriter. They come up with a plan to share the information anonymously with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and eventually, it works. The Syrian refugees are saved, and Elizabeth has managed to avoid a significant international crisis.

Apart from the refugee crisis, Elizabeth also has to deal with her family life. She has two teenage children- a son, Jason, and a daughter, Alison. She feels guilty about leaving them behind in Virginia when she moves to Washington DC for work. Her daughter is upset with her for choosing the job over them. The episode portrays how Elizabeth balances her work and family.

Overall, the first episode of Madam Secretary which is titled "Pilot," sets the foundation for the series. It introduces the main character, Elizabeth McCord, and her team and showcases the kind of challenges Elizabeth would face as Secretary of State. The show has a good mix of political drama and family dynamics, making it an interesting watch for the audience.