So it’s been a week since the Channel 10 premier of the highly anticipated Madam Secretary, right after the somewhat abrupt end to the season finale of The Bachelor, which still seems to be making headlines for the wrong reasons. Or maybe they’re right when you consider the old adage any publicity is good publicity. Honestly, I’ve never seen the credits role so fast at the end of a show whose advertising chewed up prime time spots. At first I thought that the lion staring at the camera freaked out the couple and they had to make a quick getaway. The jury is still out on that one.

Back to the program as we head into episode two tonight; Tea Leonie figured it was time to make her return to television after a somewhat on-and-off flirtation with the big screen. That is in no way discrediting her ability to draw crowds or act – you simply have to read and listen to her interviews to understand she’s been very busy lately. Between her kids, her parents and continuing a friendship with her ex-husband, Leoni has had her leadership priorities set for quite some time. That is, until she was handpicked to take on a new and exciting leadership role. Now for those who don’t know the story, I will admit it sounded very cliché at first. Leoni plays an ex-CIA agent who hung up her boots to raise a family with an attractive husband and look after her horse, while teaching at college. You know the usual. One day (about 5 minutes into the premier) the President of the United States turns up to her home and asks that she comes back to office as his Secretary of State because he really needs her –  just another ordinary day. Leoni’s choice in the matter is outlined when the President says “I’ll give you the day to think about it, but I won’t take no for an answer”. Well I guess he also had his priorities right, even if they didn’t include hers.

Anyways, after that somewhat awkward ten minute opening, we skip through to two months later, where Leoni is faced with the usual task of having to negotiate the release of two American captives in Syria who were thought to be spies, cut through the cliché story-arch where’s she solves the problem by going behind the President’s back, paying for the boys ransom, being let of the hook by her boss and toasting with the ambassador of some country in Africa and his many attractive wives, all within the programs hour block. Yeah this concept has never materialised before. But here’s where things start to take a turn – for the better. While this show didn’t really win me over as far as believing the premise, it was Leoni’s acting that I found to be convincing, having to demonstrate the choice she needed to make when the lives of two boys are on the line, both close to the age of her own kids. The reality is, however, decisions aren’t just accepted like this and problems aren’t resolved so easily – especially in 60 minutes. Even Under the Dome knew how to stretch out two weeks across 26 episodes (7 months) and still end on a cliff-hanger.

But I don’t think that takes away from the leads role. I give the film credit for this, it really wanted to explore how female leadership roles are handled – in this case, an extremely powerful, leadership position, especially when family matters come first at all times. The show made every effort to emphasise that Leoni was struggling to make the difficult choice when her family was front of mind, but at the same time, it gave her reason to relate with sensitivity to the situation. Thus she was able to deliver empathy to the parents of the kidnapped boys, and take special precaution in bringing them home. In an ensuing scene, we also understand why Leoni was genuinely concerned with attacking the aids epidemic in Africa when speaking to the Ambassador. That for his many wives, the president most likely had three times as many kids and so the aids crisis was very close to home and something he wanted addressed urgently.

The show has its flaws when it comes to creating a realist scenario at times – but then again you could always brush it off by saying “it’s TV”. But Leoni played her role to a tee and if there’s anything you can take away from this, I think it’s that we need to be more understanding of the various ongoing challenges that women face in leadership roles, both in the public space and back home. They can get a make-up consultant (referring to one scene in the show) to help put on a brave and happy face for the camera, but at the end of the day emotions do come in to play, and for that reason maybe it’s why they can make the harder decisions. Therefore, it’s what’s underneath the make-up that creates that brave face. They know what’s at stake and they know the reality and outcomes of any situation.  Even with all her authority she had no problems breaking down in front of her husband and seeking council from him – and he was there to deliver an understanding of what she was going through. There’s one scene I recall where she walked away from a meeting with her board – all critical towards her – and she’s seeking advice from her assistant (a male) on how best to address them. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this concept, it goes to show that women do take into account the emotions of those around them and like anyone else, seek the diplomatic route. It’s what helps make them good leaders.

Welcome back to television Ms Leoni and kudos on taking up a brave performance. I do look forward to seeing how this will measure up against similar programs like VEEP, The Good Wife, or even the latest Australian gem Party Tricks, which I’m hoping to provide you with a review on shortly.