Guest Stars

Adina Porter As Kendra James Recurring	Chris Chalk As Gary Cooper Recurring
David Harbour As Elliot Hirsch Recurring	David Cromer As the Moderator
Elizabeth Marvel As Sharon	Jason Butler Harner As Lewis
Ned Vaughn As Dick Warren

Co-Guest Stars

John F. Carpenter As Herb Wilson Recurring	Margaret Judson As Tess Westin Recurring
Riley Voelkel As Jennifer Johnson Recurring	Thomas Matthews As Martin Smallworth Recurring
Trieu Tran As Joey Phan Recurring	Brian Huskey As Jake Watson
Celeste McMillan As a Waitress	Jill Remez As Sherri Stone
Kick Kennedy As Brenda	Ricky Mabe As Steven
Silvia McClure As Nancy Schiff	Steven Hack As Dr. Morris
Victoria Kelleher As Charlie's Secretary

Main Cast

Jeff Daniels As Will McAvoy	Emily Mortimer As Mackenzie MacHale
John Gallagher, Jr. As Jim Harper	Alison Pill As Maggie Jordan
Thomas Sadoski As Don	Dev Patel As Neal
Olivia Munn As Sloan	Sam Waterston As Charlie Skinner

Recap

The episode begins with a political debate, being held in front of a live audience. Will McAvoy who is one of the panelists, seems completely distracted and uninterested in the proceedings. He is then asked by a member of the audience about his political allegiance, but desists from giving an answer, possibly because he is a news anchor and hence can’t pick sides. He is then asked why America is the greatest country in the world, and he tells everyone that it’s not, much to everyone’s shock. He then mouths statistics to prove his point. He then tells everyone that America used to be the greatest country at one time, and there was a time when it fought for what was right, but no more. He then mouths the great things that America did and has achieved in the past. ..

Read the full recap

• Creator	Aaron Sorkin
• Executive Producer	Scott Rudin  |  Alan Poul  |  Aaron Sorkin
• Co-Executive Producer	Greg Mottola
• Supervising Producer	Charles Goldstein
• Producer	Leanne Moore
• Co-Producer	Eli Bush  |  Dauri Chase  |  Lauren Lohman
• Associate Producer	Sarah Rath
• Production Designer	Richard Hoover
• Editor	Anne McCabe
• Casting	Francine Maisler
• Unit Production Manager	Leanne Moore
• First Assistant Director	Kenneth Roth (1)
• Second Assistant Director	Zach Hunt
• Music	Thomas Newman
• Music Editor	Bill Bernstein
• Music Supervisor	Evyen Klean
• Costume Designer	Albert Wolsky
• Grip	Dave Wright  |  Jeff Baker (3)  |  Justin Blum
• Key Grip	Mike Alexonis
• Camera Operator	Andrea Rossotto
• Set Designer	Douglas Berkeley  |  Claire Bennett  |  Nicholas Scott
• Set Decorator	Sandy Struth
• Location Manager	Ralph Coleman
• Transportation Coordinator	Dusty Saunders
• Property Master	Dan Boxer
• Construction Coordinator	Mike Wells
• Production Sound Mixer	Jim Stuebe  |  Moe Chamberlain
• Script Supervisor	Kim Berner
• Production Coordinator	Matt McIntyre
• Script Coordinator	Jennifer Shaklan
• Assistant Editor	Craig Cobb  |  Joel Pashby
• Supervising Sound Editor	Mark Relyea
• Re-Recording Mixer	Todd Orr  |  Dennis Kirk
• Leadman	Hunter Cain
• Director of Photography	Barry Ackroyd
• Production Supervisor	Don Bensko
• Storyboard Artist	Dan Caplan
• Art Director	Karen Steward  |  Jeff Schoen
• Assistant Production Coordinator	Courtney Weiden
• Consultant	Nancy Bauer Gonzalez
• Costume Supervisor	Bob Mathews (2)
• Boom Operator	Rob Scott
• Key Makeup Artist	Karen McDonald
• Art Department Coordinator	Bethany Meyer
• Casting Assistant	Elizabeth Chodar
• Chief Lighting Technician	Kelly Clear
• Transportation Captain	Paul Saunders (3)
• "A" Camera Operator	Barry Ackroyd
• Assistant	Betsy Rosenbloom  |  Daniel Leviton  |  Jessica Held  |  Steven Cardwell  |  Dan Sarrow
• Set Dresser	Marc Duncan  |  Billy Hoye  |  Perry E. Ellis
• Costumer	Kenn Smiley  |  Valarie O'Brien
• Casting Associate	Kathy Driscoll-Mohler
• Key Hairstylist	Laurel Van Dyke
• Sound Director	David Barbee
• Post Production Assistant	Brian Wessel  |  Michael Kamens  |  Andrew Myatt
• Lighting Technician	Nathan December  |  Floyd Olson, Jr.  |  Dan McMahan  |  Marek Bojsza
• Post Supervisor	Lori Jones
• Foley Editor	Kevin McCullough
• On-set Dresser	Nat Magnuson
• Office Production Assistant	Matthew Rockel  |  Michael Gunn (2)  |  Mark Lutzker
• Set Production Assistant	R. Ben Parker  |  Dana Ledoux Miller  |  Jed Konieczny  |  Greg Bell
• Assistant Costume Designer	Susan Kowarsh Hall
• Rigging Gaffer	Kevin Blauvelt
• Special Effects Coordinator	Ron Nary
• Dolly Grip	Mike Epley  |  Jason Newton
• Payroll Accountant	Franny Altimarano
• Driver	Billy Prell  |  Lynda Dedmon  |  David Florio  |  Ray McLaughlin  |  Ebrahim Khaligh  |  Val Thorgusen  |  Fred Tepstein  |  Graham Ready
• Best Boy Grip	Tim Soronen
• Dialogue Editor	Robert Guastini
• Construction Foreman	Steve Callas  |  Peter Olexiewicz
• Rigging Electric	Burke Tackett  |  Jeff Tapley  |  Chris Tango
• Second Second Assistant Director	Stephen Dudycha
• Set Costumer	Marina Marit  |  Jose Hernandez
• Assistant Chief Lighting Technician	Dave Scott
• 2nd Assistant Accountant	Andrew Schark
• 1st Assistant Prop Master	Isaac Amondson
• Key Assistant Location Manager	Diana Lara
• Set Medic	Alex Barnoya
• Adr Editor	Ruth Adelman
• 1st Assistant Accountant	Venus Ventura
• Assistant Props	Bobby Everett
• Buyer	Ethan Goodwin
• Art Department Assistant	Emma Leslie
• Construction Medic	Michael McKelvey
• Utility Sound	Kevin Faber
• Additional Hairstylist	Gail Ryan
• 2nd Assistant Prop Master	Kim Bolanowski
• Dept. Head Make-up Artist	Jane Galli
• Dept. Head Hair Stylist	Kimberley Spiteri
• B Camera Operator/steadicam	Paul Donachie
• Archive Footage	Deborah Ricketts
• Vfx Supervisor	Rick Redick
• Special Effects Technician	Jeff Nary  |  Rob Nary
• Standby Painter	Jennifer Smiley
• Art Department Consultant	Julie Keller
• Additional Assistant Make-up Artist	Michelle Daurio  |  Alicia Danielle Friedman
• Scout	Barbara Heller (1)
• Rigging Best Boy	Nate Blauvelt
• Programmer	Scott Barns
• Rigging Key Grip	Bob Leitelt  |  Charles Smith (2)
• Rigging Best Boy Grip	William Kent  |  Tommy Lee (3)
• Labor Foreman	Ram Gutierrez
• Paint Supervisor	Kevin Mahoney
• Plaster Foreman	Raymond Lopez
• Toolman	Carlos Scally
• Construction Estimator	Carmen Miller
• Video FX Supervisor	Matt Morrissey
• Video Content Supervisor	Dave Henri
• Playback Engineer	Steve Irwin (2)  |  Mark Scott (5)  |  James Visconti  |  Matt Cohen (2)
• Playback Production Assistant	Matt Friedlander
• Mix Stage Technician	Daniel Nakamura
• Smoke Artist	Rob Williams (3)
• Vfx Coordinator	Michael Caplan (1)