Nadine Tolliver quotes from Madam Secretary

Elizabeth

It's a classic negotiating tactic. The more I chase after him, the more control he has over the discussion. Secretary Albright actually taught me that one.

Nadine

I believe it was, uh, Wendy Rogers who taught me another classic negotiating tactic. If a guy won't talk to you, send in a close companion to bridge the gap.

Elizabeth

Wendy Rogers?

Nadine

The most popular girl in sixth grade.

Nadine

Any one of substance will dismiss the story.

Matt

And what about the rest of the country?

Nadine

All we know so far is President Suarez was addressing the National Assembly when the earthquake hit. We have no idea why he called a session on a Sunday.

Matt

Other than he thinks he's God?

Nadine

Why can't these people speak English?

Matt

'Cause then we could understand what they're saying.

Nadine

I hate the Pentagon so much.

Blake

I can't believe what it feels like to Juan-Luis or Soledad. I mean, when I was their age, I thought the pinnacle of pressure was being director of my acapella group.

Nadine

Now they're being groomed to run for office.

Nadine

Madam Secretary, I have your travel book for the trip.

Blake

And I have your briefcase.

Elizabeth

Oh. Well, it takes a village.

Blake

Well, there's nothing else you need here, and the car is waiting.

Nadine

As is the plane. They keep gently reminding me in all caps.

Blake

The window to visit Andrada in the Philippines and make it to Singapore in time is extremely tight.

Nadine

And the change of itinerary has caused a bit of, um, huffiness.

Elizabeth

Huffiness? Oh, well we better get going.

Blake

I don't get it. These monks spend all week, painstakingly arranging colored sand to fit this blueprint, and then "whoosh," they just sweep it away? What's the point?

Nadine

That is the point.

Daisy

Everything's transitory.

Matt

Everything ends.

Blake

That's...very sad.

Nadine

Even that feeling...that'll pass too.

Blake

Okay, now you're just piling on.

Daisy

[after Ambassador Dong vetos the ED education proposal] I really thought The Fonz would clinch it.

Blake

He was humming the theme song!

Nadine

Well apparently "Happy Days" can't beat cold hard cash.

Elizabeth

Okay, I want a name. Who took the last donut?

Nadine

[after no one responds] It was me, ma'am.

Elizabeth

Noble gesture, Nadine, but I didn't spend the last 20 years in the CIA profiling dissemblers and liars for nothing. Got anything to say, Matt?

Matt

Is that a new jacket?

Elizabeth

What just happened?

Nadine

I believe we just made a deal to convince an actress to go to a despot's birthday party in Central Asia so that we can combat human trafficking.

Nadine

On the other hand, if we don't engage --

Jay

We've potentially let a respected journalist, not to mention an American citizen, die in a foreign prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Matt

Which is a bad look for us.

Fine, I like you, Nadine. I like you, and I would like to go out with you.

Nadine

You sound like a teenager.

Americans have an underdeveloped language for romance. Yes or no?

Nadine

So you have anxiety about running into old colleagues?

Blake

Not unless you count waking up at two am in a cold sweat from stress nightmares where I'm back there and all the doors are locked and I'm naked, but...[Nadine laughs] not really.

Daisy

Have you at least, you know, trolled him?

Nadine

Oh....that's...stalky.

Daisy

Yesterday's stalky is today's getting to know you. Take it from the girl who got knocked up by a guy with a false identity.

Russell

You throwing patriotic temper tantrums on live TV isn't doing you any favors.

Nadine

Neither is sitting there mute after she's been ambushed by someone pretending to represent legitimate journalism. Instead of throwing your own tantrum and blaming the victim for this latest tool of terrorism, why don't you grow a spine and do something about it?!