Negotiating with the Chinese President
Selina takes Catherine to Camp David, ostensibly for a family Christmas celebration, but also to conduct secret talks with the Chinese government. Meanwhile, Amy and Dan try to help Jonah win as his election campaign reaches its conclusion.
Tropes:
- Brutal Honesty: Minna Hakkinen's signature Finnish bluntness returns. The first thing she says after greeting Selina is that they haven't seen each other since Selina didn't vote for her to be head of the IMF and she can tell that Selina's had oculaplasty since they last met. She later talks candidly about the onset of her menopause.Selina: (Talking about Catherine) Even labor and delivery with her was a nightmare.
Minna: Oh yes? Why is that, do you have a very narrow vagina?
Selina: Well tight. In the States we say tight. - The Bus Came Back: Minna Hakkinen returns as a mediator between the China and US parties. She says it's because President Lu likes her from a previous meeting, but Selina thinks he's just attracted to her.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Marjorie's resemblance to Selina is brought up earlier in the episode.
- The planned apple stunt from a few episodes ago returns, and Jonah predictably screws it up.
- Continuity Nod:
- Just as in "Mother", Selina has to watch her daughter be influenced by her narcissistic mother. And her asshole ex-husband only showing up and pretending at being a dad so he can try to siphon money from her family's estate.
- Catherine has been made so wealthy by inheriting her grandmother's wealth that she now has a black Amex card for only the most elite account holders.
- Deadpan Snarker: Catherine mentions that she's trying to be vegan now due to Marjorie's influence. Selina quips, “Oh, so that’s two things she’s turned you into.”
- She later dubs Minna's undergoing menopause as "Minnopause".
- Disappeared Dad: Andrew makes a visit, and gets Marjorie a first edition Gertrude Stein for Christmas. But the way he talks about it, it's implied that his current girlfriend probably bought it. Although Catherine doesn't notice.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Against all odds, Selina successfully negotiates with Lu. America will lift their retaliatory sanctions against China from earlier in the season. In exchange, instead of the original idea to have Chinese companies build factories in two battleground states, China will agree to a "framework" for Tibetan autonomy and returning the Dalai Lama and Panchem Lama to Tibet.Selina: I'm freeing Tibet?!
- Idiot Ball: Selina hosts a Chinese presidential negotiation - AKA one of the most important events she could do in all of foreign policy - during a family weekend WITHOUT telling her family, meaning their presence screws up negotiations several times.
- Meaningful Gift: Catherine gives her mother an antique pen that was used at the signing of the Second Hague Convention and hopes she'll use it to sign important peace treaties. Selina is genuinely impressed and touched by the gift... but it doesn't stop her from regifting it to the Chinese.
- Not What It Looks Like: The Chinese gift Selina an ornate robe, which a stressed Selina immediately privately regifts to an unknowing Marjorie. Later that day, the Chinese delegation are on a walk, and see (from behind) a brown-haired woman in said robe next to Catherine, and then embracing and kissing her. Bit of a mix-up there.
- Oedipus Complex: Catherine's mother variant is lampshaded, as Marjorie is mistaken for Selina and notes, “People make that mistake constantly.”
- Remember the New Guy?: We meet President Lu for the first time.
- Shout-Out:
- Jonah's apple stunt backfire gets described as looking like "Ike Turner handing Tina Turner a snack." This references a notorious incident where the abusive Ike nigh forcefed his current spouse a piece of cake by hand in front of a full restaurant, in a blatant display of his abusive behavior. They later divorced.
- Too Dumb to Live: Jonah. First he ends up chasing the widow Sherman around the stage trying to recreate Richard's "have an apple, teacher" stunt from a few episodes ago. Then, later in the episode, he literally shoots himself in the foot and has to go to the hospital.
