National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. At the door to Bridges's hospital room, Mac meets Jim, who reports that the President's doing pretty well, considering everything. She raises her eyebrows and is clearly a bit unsure about what will happen once she walks in. As she reaches for the door, Jim grabs her hand: "I love this man." "I know." I know what the writers were going for with this line, but right now I'm wondering just how much Jim might looooove this man, with that delivery.

Lying in bed, gauze around his head and tubes sticking out of his nose, is Teddy Roosevelt Bridges, President of the United States of America. Mac greets him: "Hey boss, how are you feeling?" Bridges: "Like crap." And to the credit of the show, he really does look like he came out of surgery. I think I've also possibly been watching too many soap operas where people come out of brain surgery in full makeup, with long flowing hair intact. Mac and Bridges talk, and he sighs, "Well...it finally took God to nail me." Mac looks concerned, but clearly is also trying to be strong for him. Bridges: "I hear you reorganized the sixth fleet while I was napping." Mac: "I was bored. I'd already read all the magazines on the plane." Bridges: "You're going to pluck her out, huh?" (Take that, Jim -- he did know exactly what she was doing.) Mac: "If given the opportunity." Bridges: "It's a mistake. You gave Jim Gardner a coronary." They share a chuckle -- oh, Jim, and your nervous, conservative ways. "I..." Bridges breathes heavily. "I want you to hear this from me. I want...I NEED you to resign." Mac looks upset and yet resigned. Until this point, I don't think she was convinced that these were really his wishes. "Sir, would you really rather have Nathan Templeton..." "You and I, Mac, we just see a different America. Templeton's an SOB and a liar and he cheats at poker, but he shares my vision, supports my will. Can you tell me, in your heart, that you'd do the same?" Bridges grunts in discomfort but manages to add with finality, "I will not resign until you do." Mac just looks sad.

We jump back to two and a half years earlier, complete with a strange patina on the film and a camera angle looking up, at Mac and Bridges sharing a meal, from the perspective of the table. It's kind of artsy and distracting, but is all made okay by the great white suit coat with a stand-up collar Mac has on, along with a necklace that looks totally sharp. They're having a friendly, coy conversation where she lets him know that it's the university policy to not endorse any candidate. He begins to lay it on, and we learn some more about her backstory: "You've done a hell of a job here at the University of Richmond. I mean, your leadership is unquestioned. Your research that's coming out of here...how many Nobel Prize winners do you have now? And your expertise in Middle Eastern politics is impeccable." Mac thanks him, clearly wondering where this is going. Bridges: "Well, hell, Mac, I'm just going to come straight out and ask you: I want you to be my running mate. Surprised?" Mac: "Did you just ask me to be your Vice-President?" Bridges: "Mm-hmm." And he takes a WHOPPING bite out of a sandwich. Going for casual, he actually comes off like he's going to be the master of that turkey croissant if it's the last thing he does. "Then...yes. I'm surprised." Still chewing, Bridges assures her that he's serious, throwing around words like "champ." He's asking her to be the first woman Vice-President, and she pointedly adds, "And the first Independent." He shrugs and throws up his hands like this is a complete non-issue. He works in some more exposition, and we learn that she was in Congress for four years and walked away because she didn't like to play the game. She points out that the press will eat her alive for her lack of experience, but Bridges isn't looking for experience: "We've had experience in the White House, what's it gotten us? Watergate, Vietnam, Iran-gate, WMD-gate. I want someone who hasn't learned the game of survival by deception. I want intellect. I want..." Mac: "You want someone who can help you with a 40\% approval rating with women." "Hell, Mackenzie. If my raw need for power is what opens the door for a woman, so what? And as for the media -- kiddo, you're gonna be a star." This is one brash and condescending man, but he's got a valid point.