Contact with the plane carrying the President of the United States has been lost, while his vice president is in the hospital. Elizabeth, the Secretary of State, finds herself at the center of events, and must make fateful decisions to protect the country.
Elizabeth receives advice from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and disregards President Dalton's advice on how to negotiate the release of a State Department employee abducted in Afghanistan.
Elizabeth and President Dalton's administration face new obstacles while trying to handle the Russian government, and Dmitri is abducted and questioned about being a Russian spy.
After she clashes with the President over his response to the increasing tension with Russia, Elizabeth finds herself outside his inner circle, then controversial photos of Stevie and Harrison emerge to further complicate the matter.
Following President Ostrov's death, Elizabeth and President Dalton worry about a power grab from within the Russian government. The government's Cybersecurity Coordinator tries to locate the hacker who penetrated the communications system of Air Force One.
An American aid worker is murdered in Syria by the first known American leader in ISIS, and Elizabeth remembers all the aid workers stationed there, including Will, her brother, and seeks justice for the victim.
Elizabeth gets the support of President Dalton in her efforts to get the Senate's support to end the US trade embargo on Cuba. Henry gets closer to Alison during their tour in Havana.
Elizabeth plans with Russell and Mike to overthrow the National Security Advisor without damaging President Dalton's reputation. Meanwhile, the Director of National Intelligence discovers the identity of the hacker of Air Force One.
Elizabeth is about to deliver a speech at the United Nations, accusing Russia of hacking into President Dalton's plane, before her husband, Henry, reveals new information to her that changes everything.
Elizabeth and President Dalton uncover a buried secret that threatens Maria Ostrov's reputation, while Dmitri decides to give up his secret life and stop working for the United States.
Elizabeth struggles to maintain a fragile truce after Maria's murder, while Henry sinks into deep grief after losing Dmitri, and attempts are underway to American astronauts from real danger.
Elizabeth travels to Myanmar to complete an important business agreement, but she faces major challenges there with a reluctant American ambassador and a hostage crisis, while she and her husband deal with problems with their neighbors.
In the wake of Henry's father's death, surprising family secrets are revealed, while Russell decides to hide important facts from Elizabeth's team.
Elizabeth faces a difficult mission in Saudi Arabia, where she is tasked with tracking those behind the theft of uranium from Eastern Europe and faces difficult decisions amid a tense atmosphere and complex political challenges.
After a horrific accident occurs on American soil, Madam Secretary Elizabeth races against time to find answers to President Dalton's questions about how this matter happened.
An Italian warship receives a distress call from a ship carrying Libyan refugees. Elizabeth finds herself at the heart of an international dilemma when she must make a difficult decision about interrogating a passenger who claims to know the location of the most dangerous terrorist in the world.
Elizabeth goes with Alison on a tour of a college campus when she is surprised by a group of angry demonstrators regarding a mining operation, in which the United States and the Chilean government are involved.
Elizabeth engages in peace negotiations between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, but a mysterious plane accident connected to the two countries complicates matters, while Henry tries to help the NSA find the terrorist Jibral Disah.
Attempts to rescue Nigerian girls from their kidnappers take a dangerous turn with the emergence of the deadly Marburg virus after an envoy sent to get them released is infected with it.
Elizabeth delivers a speech before the UN General Assembly denouncing a terrorist group known as Hizb-al Shahid, and discusses with the Russian Foreign Minister forming an alliance to confront them, but she clashes with Henry, who is trying to rescue Dmitri's sister.
As Henry heads to Pakistan on a risky assignment, the American President receives information about the presence of terrorist Jibral Disah in Islamabad and that he is suspected of getting direct support from the government of Pakistan.
The United States discusses a mission to obtain nuclear weapons belonging to the Pakistani government before it's too late, while the counter-terrorism team continues its hunt for Jibral Disah.
Elizabeth receives alarming news about a leading political official, and faces a serious political issue with President Dalton, who is considering removing her from her position at the Department of State.