Pilot

Pilot is the name of the first episode of State of Affairs and aired on November 17 2014.

The team oversee the rescue of an American hostage from rebels in Kenya. Charlie has a close call with the acting director and starts receiving the mysterious text messages.

Plot Summary
The episode opens with a flashback of the Kabul Operation one year earlier. Charleston is in a therapy session trying to deal with the aftermath of Aaron's death in Kabul.

After asking Tim out of her apartment at 1.30AM, Charleston gets to work at CIA headquarters in Langley where she is greeted by security staff. While waiting for the lift she has a flashback of Aaron's death after seeing a news story about the one year memorial of his death on IBC News. As the lift door closes, Lucas enters at the last moment. The pair engage in light comedic small talk about Lucas' age and their education.

Charlie then introduces Lucas to the briefers and then start preparing the book when Dash finds a video of the American hostage, Dr Butler being abducted in Kenya. The video shows the al-Shabaab splinter group entering the refugee camp in a jeep, entering the medical tent, murdering the patients and beating Butler with rifle stocks. Mo and Charlie note how similar Butler looks like Aaron.

Quotes
David Patrick: "You don't make policy - the President of the Unites States does."

Dash Greer: "I don't know Tom Clancy, did she?"