At a time when political drama on TV tends to be utterly cynical (House of Cards) or incredibly salacious (Scandal), this CBS series starring Téa Leoni as principled, dedicated Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord instead hearkens back to the spirit of The West Wing. Admittedly, the plotlines allow for twists that involve political chicanery—the re-election of President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine) as an independent, for example, requires a final decision by the House of Representatives, which the candidate of Dalton's former party threatens to challenge until he is effectively blackmailed by the wily White House Chief of Staff (Željko Ivanek). For the most part, however, Dalton, McCord, and their colleagues act in a relatively upright fashion, attempting to address serious issues like climate change at home while using diplomacy to avert conflict abroad. Subplots address the Secretary's domestic life with her husband Henry (Tim Daly), a religion professor who by the end of the season has become a CIA agent, and their children. To be sure, some of the crises that McCord must deal with—like Russian action in Eastern Europe—can seem a mite implausible, but overall Madam Secretary is a solid political drama that does not insult the viewer's intelligence. And Leoni, Daly, Carradine, and Ivanek—along with Bebe Neuwirth as McCord's chief of staff, and occasional guest stars like executive producer Morgan Freeman and Eric Stoltz—anchor the show with strong performances. Presenting all 23 episodes from the 2016-17 third season, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, and deleted scenes. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Madam Secretary: Season 3
Paramount, 6 discs, 991 min., not rated, DVD: $46.99 Volume 33, Issue 1
Madam Secretary: Season 3
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