Plot summary
The Canadian ambassador asks the Secretary to read, approve and release an environmental report that will allow a joint Canada-U.S. pipeline to be built. She reads the report and finds out that it has been prepared by a lobby group that supports the pipeline and contains falsified data. The Canadian ambassador tries to pressure her to approve the report but she counters with her own pressure tactics. The ongoing talks with Iran over dismantling their nuclear processing plants are deadlocked. Despite the Secretary's instructions, with the President's approval, to offer some trade ban relaxations in exchange, the Chief Negotiator only threatens military action during the talks which causes Iran to back-out completely.
So she goes behind his back to talk to a member of Iran's negotiation team and makes the offer which Iran accepts, resolving the crisis. And then she fires the Chief Negotiator for lying to the President and herself. She later asks Blake to conduct a confidential investigation on Nadine, her Chief of Staff.
Credits
Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Madam Secretary season 1. HTML formatting and reference markers removed.