SECRETARY OF STATE MCCORD STRUGGLES WITH THE REALIZATION THAT SHE MAY NEED TO ADVISE THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT THAT A COMPROMISE WITH THE TALIBAN MAY BE BETTER THAN A WAR, ON "MADAM SECRETARY," SUNDAY, DEC. 17

"Women Transform the World" - Secretary of State McCord struggles with the realization that she may need to advise the Afghan government that a compromise with the Taliban may be better than a war with them. Also, Henry uses Dmitri as bait to convince a Russian spy to help the U.S., and Daisy returns from maternity leave and decides to finally tell Joe's mother about the baby, on MADAM SECRETARY, Sunday, Dec. 17 (10:30-11:30 PM ET/10:00-11:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

REGULAR CAST:

Téa Leoni (Elizabeth McCord)
Tim Daly (Henry McCord)
Sara Ramirez (Kat Sandoval)
�eljko Ivanek (Russell Jackson)
Keith Carradine (President Conrad Dalton)
Sebastian Arcelus (Jay Whitman)
Patina Miller (Daisy Grant)
Geoffrey Arend (Matt Mahoney)
Erich Bergen (Blake Moran)
Kathrine Herzer (Alison McCord)
Wallis Currie-Wood (Stephanie "Stevie" McCord)
Evan Roe (Jason McCord)

RECURRING CAST:

Chris Petrovski (Dmitri Petrov)

GUEST CAST:

Ephraim Ware (Clifton Davis)
Mike Pniewski (Gordon Becker)
Johanna Day (Admiral Ellen Hill)
Chris Ghaffari (Luis Garcia)
Sam Breslin Wright (Dylan Larsen)
Christine Garver (Molly Reid)
Anna Khaja (Amina Salah)
Yuval David (Matvey Sokolov)
Saundra Santiago (Margarita Garcia)
Tom Wiggin (Ash Mackey)
Vanessa Kai (CIA Agent)
Thom Bishops (General Nawroz Zrezou)
Jay Harik (President Sharza)
Dorcus Leung (Stage Manager)
Judith Lightfoot Clark (Mistress of Ceremonies)

WRITTEN BY: Lyla Oliver

DIRECTED BY: Eric Stoltz