Oh, hello! It's the Oval Office, and it's full of people. It's like they're having a cocktail party in there. It's everyone from the cabinet, although there's no way to be sure they're the same people as last episode. Chief of Staff Peel and Director of National Security Sterling are in there, but no one else has ever had, or will ever get, a line of dialogue. They're just background extras with nice suits. Jarvis enters and tells the Chief Justice that he's ready to be sworn in. The oath of office starts. While he takes it, we cut between the Oval Office and the hospital, where President Martinez's stretcher is being wheeled down the hallway. There's lots of shouting in that half of the scene. Also sobbing, because Mrs. Martinez is involved in it. There's less drama in the Oath scene, although Sterling does his best to glower. And right when Jarvis gets to the "So help me God" part, there's no fluid inside Martinez's skull. That doesn't seem likely. Even if he's dead, there's still going to be something in there. Even that Siberian mummy had glop inside. So you can see how important this situation is. And then they lose Martinez's pulse. Jarvis finishes the oath and adopts a sinister expression for the camera.

After the credits, the President is still being zapped with shock paddles. He gets a pulse, but his pupils are still fixed and dilated. A doctor soberly announces that he's lapsed into a coma. So I guess Blair Underwood has the rest of the episode off, then. Good for him!

Following established tradition, we cut from this storyline to Alientown, where someone is watching a news report about what's going on in the White House. In this case, it's Simon, who's still tied to a bed. But someone has kindly positioned a television in the next room, so he has something to watch. Carlos (the guy who was supposed to be watching Leila and Samantha) brings in a sandwich and puts it on Simon's bed. That's going to be really helpful, since Simon's hands are attached to the headboard. Even if he could kick the sandwich up towards his hands, he's not going to be able to eat it. Simon wants to know what's going on with Martinez, because he's genre-savvy enough to know that if something happens on the television news, that means it must be important to the plot. Carlos says that Sophia takes no pleasure in what she's doing, but Simon characterizes it as genocide. He asks Carlos how he knows he won't be the next one to be tied to a bed, but Carlos thinks that not being a traitor is a good way to avoid that sort of thing. Simon's legs are unrestrained, and he gets Carlos in a scissorhold. Carlos starts choking Simon, but he rips a hand free of the restraints. Simon seems to have a chance, but Carlos punches him a few times and pulls a gun on him. Carlos tells Simon that the native population is doomed. Why, they've all but surrendered! "What do you mean?" asks Simon, who knows the value of a good scene segue.