Commander In Chief Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
Episode 1 - Commander In Chief (Pilot)Mackenzie Allen (Academy Award-winner Geena Davis), the 45-year-old Independent Vice President of the United States, is about to venture into territory no woman has entered before. While at an official ceremony with husband and Chief of Staff, Rod Calloway (Kyle Secor), she is informed by the President's Chief of Staff, Jim Gardner (Harry Lennix), and the Attorney General that President Bridges is about to undergo emergency brain surgery for a tumor. Mackenzie is stunned when Gardner tells her that in the event the President does not recover, the party doesn't want her to succeed him. Instead, she's asked to step down in order to allow the Speaker of the House to assume the post, as he shares the party's ideals. Mackenzie's doubts are confirmed when she visits President Bridges at the hospital and hears from him directly that he wants her to resign. Bridges dies before transition plans are finalized, however, and after sitting through an insulting and sexist conversation with Speaker of the House, Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland), Mackenzie decides to forge ahead and assume the presidency despite the obstacles that lie ahead. Aside from the challenges Mackenzie faces, husband Rod has his own hurdles to overcome, as he finds himself being ushered into a pink and feminine office by the first lady's aide. Her children, six-year-old Amy (Jasmine Anthony), as well as twins Horace (Matt Lanter), one of the most popular kids in school, and Rebecca (Caitlin Wachs), a rebellious teenager with raging hormones, must also learn to deal with their mother's new role of the leader of the free world. Meeting with a saddened Congress and addressing a stunned nation, Mackenzie delivers an inaugural speech with the help of press secretary Kelly Ludlow (Ever Carradine), which manages to unite a grieving country, quell the critics who feel she's not up to the task, and look to the bright future which lies ahead, led by the first female President of the United States.
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Episode 2 - First ChoiceAs Mackenzie Allen makes the challenging transition into the office of the President, among her first orders of business is selecting a Vice President... which Nathan Templeton tries to manipulate to his advantage. Meanwhile, her former speech writer cum press secretary, Kelly Ludlow, learns the ropes the hard way, and Mac’s daughter, Rebecca, faces a teenager's worst nightmare when her diary goes missing - containing sensitive information about her mother, the President, and causing a potential crisis.
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Episode 3 - First StrikeFaced with her first national crisis - the death of nine DEA agents in Latin America - Mackenzie shows strength and resolve in dealing with a corrupt leader. Meanwhile, Nathan Templeton is approached by an ambitious congressman who served with Mac's Vice Presidential candidate, Warren Keaton (Peter Coyote), and is eager to divulge potentially damaging info in an effort to derail his nomination. Mac's teenage twins resume public school, only this time it's complete with secret service detail and press spectacle, and while popular Horace welcomes the attention, shy Rebecca finds it overwhelming.
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Episode 4 - First DanceAll eyes are on Mackenzie Allen as she hosts her first official summit with the Russian President - which is threatened to be overshadowed by Nathan Templeton's plan to engineer a series of cabinet resignations to coincide with the summit. Templeton goes after Mac with a vengeance, vowing to run - and win - against her in the next presidential election. Meanwhile, as First Gentleman, Rod must host his first state dinner for the Russian President and his wife.
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Episode 5 - First...Do No HarmIn the middle of the announcement of her new National Security Advisor, Anthony Prado, Mac is caught off guard by breaking news of a terrorist smuggling explosives across the Canadian border. The way in which Mac and her Attorney General deal with the situation pits them squarely against each other, and Nathan Templeton takes great pleasure in publicly second-guessing Mac's every move. Meanwhile, it's Halloween, and Amy - who desperately wants to go trick-or-treating like a normal kid - is disappointed to learn that, due to security concerns, she may have to settle for a party this year instead. And when Rod as First Gentleman finds himself fodder for late-night comics, it hits son Horace especially hard.
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Episode 6 - First DisasterWhen a destructive hurricane hits Florida - Nathan Templeton's home state - Mac and Templeton fly to Florida to survey the damage. While there, Mac learns of an emergency situation with an oil tanker off the Florida coast which could have devastating consequences. Templeton, along with the Florida governor, has a showdown with Mac over the handling of the situation. Meanwhile, Rod seriously contemplates taking the Baseball Commissioner position, despite the fact that he hasn't yet consulted his wife and that no first spouse has ever worked in the private sector. And Rebecca, desperately hoping for some time alone with the boy she has a crush on, convinces her Secret Service agent to give her a little space… potentially putting her at risk and calling into question the agent's judgment.
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Episode 7 - First ScandalWhen confidential information appears in a tell-all book about Mackenzie Allen, suspicions of those in her closest circle arise. Meanwhile, Mac's vice presidential nominee, Warren Keaton, begins his confirmation hearings, and his nomination is put in jeopardy when events of a sensitive nature from his past come to light. On the home front, Horace is frustrated by his poor performance at school, and things are getting serious with Rebecca and her new boyfriend - but are they moving too quickly?
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Episode 8 - Rubie Dubidoux and the Brown Bound ExpressMackenzie Allen vows a new direction for her administration - one of action instead of reaction - and, finding few allies and lagging in the polls, turns to her closest advisor, Rod, appointing him to an official West Wing position of strategic planning advisor… which miffs Chief of Staff Jim Gardner who is already in a power struggle with her husband. Meanwhile, when Vince's random drug test comes back negative for drugs but outs him and his HIV status, Templeton, who has been digging for dirt on Mac and her staff, intends to use this to his own political advantage. At the same time, Mac is presented with damning information about Templeton's past and struggles with how to handle it. On the home front, Horace is having a hard time at school, and nearly gets into a fight with Rebecca's boyfriend when he finds out the rumors he's spreading about her.
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Episode 9 - The Mom Who Came to DinnerIt's Thanksgiving at the White House, and Mackenzie's mom, Kate Allen (Polly Bergen), comes to spend the holiday. Mac, in an effort to rise above the political fray, invites Nathan Templeton and his wife to join them for dinner… which Kate insists on cooking herself, bucking protocol. Meanwhile, when an independent commission proposes the closing of a major naval base in Mac's home state of Connecticut - which would be devastating to the local economy - Rod brings in Richard "Dickie" McDonald (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), a savvy media consultant, to help with her image and lagging poll numbers. And in the midst of all this, Mac weighs the fate of a woman on death row.
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Episode 10 - Sub Enchanted EveningMac must deal with a crisis of international proportions - with potentially devastating consequences - when a U.S. submarine in a covert operation off the coast of North Korea runs into trouble. Meanwhile, Mac considers running for election in the next presidential race, with Dickie McDonald advising what her campaign strategy should be, and her family - minus Rebecca - supportive of the decision. And Jayne Murray, in her new role of lobbyist, finds herself questioning what her future holds, on the first of a special two-part story.
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Episode 11 - No Nukes Is Good NukesAs the situation with North Korea escalates rapidly, Mac's leadership is put to the test as the country faces the threat of a possible nuclear war. Templeton remains at the White House throughout the crisis, and it becomes apparent that his leadership style and direction for the country are squarely at odds with Mac's, underscoring how having him in power might lead to a very different outcome to this tense conflict, on the dramatic conclusion of a special two-part story arc of "Commander In Chief".
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Episode 12 - The Wind Beneath My WingTempleton accompanies Mac on Air Force One for a trip out West for the dedication of former President Bridges' Presidential Library. While on the ground in California, Air Force One is held hostage by a man who demands to speak directly with the President or he will blow up the plane. Meanwhile, Kate watches the kids while Mac and Rod are out of town, and realizes she may have opened a Pandora's Box by allowing Horace and Rebecca to have friends over to the White House for a party, on "Commander In Chief."
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Episode 13 - State of the UnionsWhile Mac prepares to deliver her first State of the Union Address, Rod, out solo at a reception, winds up in a compromising position with an intern… while the cameras flash. An incriminating photo ends up on the cover of the papers the next day, humiliating Mac and threatening to overshadow her State of the Union. Meanwhile, Templeton sets out to sabotage Mac's Homeless Initiative Bill, forcing her to play political hardball in return.
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Episode 14 - The Price You PayMac stands by her longtime friend and nominee for Attorney General, Carl Brantley (Adam Arkin), who takes a beating during his confirmation hearings for being soft on crime. Meanwhile, a cargo plane carrying sensitive military weapons goes missing over Pakistan, and Vice President Keaton uses his military expertise to spearhead the situation. And having resigned his job in the West Wing, Rod settles into family life, but the entire First Family is thrown for a loop when Kate disappears unexpectedly.
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Episode 15 - Ties That BindMac calls on her new Attorney General to look into the growing urban unrest in nearby Prince George's County, Maryland, which she learns is where Chief of Staff Jim Gardner is from. At the same time, a friend from Gardner's past unexpectedly visits him at the White House and gives him a first-hand account of the situation, one that hits closer to home. Meanwhile, Mac is briefed on the situation of the missing surface-to-air missiles that went down in a military plane crash over Pakistan and have now surfaced on the black market, and she must use all means necessary to ensure the weapons don't fall into the hands of terrorists. On the Hill, Templeton is championing the Templeton Act targeting domestic crime, which Mac threatens to veto, opting for more law enforcement and education over the bill's calls for tougher sentencing. And when Dickie learns of Vince's plans for a commitment ceremony with his partner, he urges him not to invite Mac, lest it hurt her in the polls.
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Episode 16 - The Elephant In the RoomMac's appendix bursts mid-flight on Air Force One, and without a Vice President in place, Templeton, as Speaker of the House, becomes acting President. Meanwhile, an airline strike is crippling air traffic across the country, and on the eve of Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel times of the year, Templeton - who is enjoying the power of the presidency immensely and hoping it to be a dry run for the near future - oversteps his bounds and handles the situation his own way.
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Episode 17 - Happy Birthday, Madam PresidentIt’s Mac's birthday, yet instead of celebrating, she's faced with American hostages being taken in Turkey by a militant Kurdish group. At the same time, Mac is interviewing candidates to be her new Vice President, and Dickie is very opinionated about whom she should chose, as her choice will impact her chances at re-election. And Rebecca's new IM buddy turns out to be a very unlikely friend.
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Episode 18 - Unfinished BusinessWhen a longtime outspoken critic of the Equal Rights Amendment passes away and his wife prepares to take over his Congressional seat, Mac sees the opportunity to amend the Constitution and finally pass the ERA. Meanwhile, she prepares to participate in a previously scheduled "Get Out the Vote" event with Templeton, which turns into more of a presidential debate. On the home front, Rod is approached about doing a story on his relationship with Mac - a Presidential marriage - and it turns out Kelly has a past with the writer. Rebecca continues her relationship with her IM buddy, but they're each shocked at the other's identity when they meet in person. And the differences between Mac and Dickie's beliefs become glaringly apparent.
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