Gretchen is at the opening of a new wing at the Rhode Island Hospital with her staff and several other members of the government.
Carol: Am I the only one who finds this painfully dull?
Jeanne: Are you the only one who finds the ceremony to open a hospital wing boring? No, you’re not special.
Carol: I feel bad, it’s for pediatric cancer research and that’s a great thing. But must we listen to the hospital director drone on thanking us for funding?
Sarita: You know they can hear us, right?
Carol: They’re just about done, anyway. Thank god.
Jeanne: I appreciate all the effort they put into this. It may not be exciting, but you should respect what they do.
Carol: Ah, don’t lecture me. I am a grown woman, I’m not about to be lectured about how it’s morally wrong to find the dedication ceremony of a hospital wing to not be a thrill.
Jeanne: I agreed it’s not a thrill, several times. I just think the respectful thing to do is sit and watch without complaining as it’s ongoing.
Gretchen What are they chirping about over there?
Mary: I don’t know, but I appreciate that we get to stand up while they all sit in the crowd. It separates us a bit from their tomfoolery.
Gretchen: Well, we’ve earned the right to be up here, since it is the dedication of the Gretchen A. Raymond Pediatric Cancer Wing.
Mary: We should probably be quiet and just wait our turn to talk.
Gretchen: Oh, I know, I’m sorry. They just concern me.
Mary: Oh, I know. I actually have some hot gossip to share with you then once this is over and we can get some privacy.
Gretchen: Is it about one of them?
Mary: Yep!
Gretchen: Messy bitches.
Mary: Actually, it’s about someone being messy towards one of them.
Gretchen: Oh, I’m intrigued now!
Carol: Gretchen, shh! Your mic is on!
Gretchen: Ah, crap.
Twenty minutes later…
Gretchen: All right, time for that gossip. It’s the only thing I’ve been able to think about since you mentioned it.
Mary: I knew it was a mistake to tease that. You love gossip just a bit too much.
Carol: Just a bit?
Gretchen: I am perfectly reasonable in my love of gossip.
Sarita: I’m lost, what gossip?
Gretchen: Mary has some fun information for us about… well, one of you.
Mary: Not one of them. It’s about Jeanne.
Carol: Ah, good, I was scared. I was afraid someone got a picture of me chugging wine in the car outside the liquor store.
Gretchen: You what?
Carol: I was in the passenger seat!
Gretchen: That doesn’t matter! Do you have a drinking problem?
Carol: There was nothing else to drink, I was thirsty. That’s all there is to it.
Sarita: We can get you help if you need it.
Carol: You were in the car with me!
Sarita: I didn’t see what you were doing until it was too late1
Mary: Anyway, moving back to my news… apparently, the state house Democrats picking me to replace Hank has really emboldened some of the more left-wing members of the senate who think Jeanne is holding back progress. They’re organizing a rebellion and trying to have a confidence vote to oust her and replace her with some young senator.
Gretchen: They can do that? It’s five months into the session! They could’ve done this months ago, it’s very sloppy.
Mary: I was surprised too! Apparently, there’s a little-known process where a member of the party can trigger a vote if 25% of the caucus agrees to it.
Gretchen: That feels… inefficient. Only 25%?
Mary: I don’t know, but it’s gaining steam fast. Jeanne’s in real trouble.
Gretchen: How much of the caucus needs to support the no confidence vote in order for it to pass?
Mary: 60%.
Gretchen: Well, she can survive that.
Carol: Do we want her to?
Gretchen: That’s a good question? Who are they trying to replace her with?
Carol: An outspoken progressive. I think her name’s Carrie Lyon?
Gretchen: Carrie Lione! She’s always been very supportive of me.
Sarita: I always see her on the news.
Gretchen: She’s sort of a media darling. She has a big following - for Rhode Island, at least - on social media, she’s always interviewed on the local news, she’s a big grassroots campaigner. She helped the party a lot in the last election. She’d be a good pick.
Mary: You sound sold!
Gretchen: Look, it’s not news that Jeanne and I don’t get along all that well.
Carol: That’s underselling it.
Gretchen: I’m not sure what to support at this time. Keeping Jeanne has its own challenges, but forcing her out of office only months into this term would certainly be a bloody and vicious battle.
Carol: Luckily, it’s not up to you.
Gretchen: Yeah, but I’ll certainly be asked about it.
Mary: I probably will, too.
Sarita: Yeah, you accidentally became important at work and it’s ruining your life.
Mary: I wouldn’t say “ruining.”
Sarita: It’s a Twitter meme.
Mary: Oh, I’m not allowed on there.
Gretchen: Did you get banned from Twitter?
Carol: Do you know how hard that is these days? A guy posted my address and a picture of a gun and I reported it and Twitter said it didn’t violate their terms of service.
Mary: Ignoring that absolute horror story you just told, no, my staff banned me from using it. Apparently, I post like a “boomer,” and it’s “embarrassing.”
Carol: The police caught the guy, by the way. He wasn’t even in the state or anything, he was just trying to scare us. I did get a restraining order against him, though! He served four months in prison for it, too.
Mary: I appreciate the update, actually.
Sarita: All right, I think we need to get back to the office.
Gretchen: Aww, we do? I was enjoying our gossip session!
Carol: Yeah, who made you boss?
Sarita: Hey, someone’s gotta keep this crew in line. That used to be Susana’s job!
Carol: Don’t remind me!
Later that night…
Lucinda: Gretchen, why are you moping?
Gretchen: I am not “moping!”
Lucinda: You’re not not moping.
Gretchen: You just said the same thing slightly differently. I’m pondering.
Lucinda: Pondering what?
Gretchen: There’s a campaign to oust my nemesis.
Lucinda: You have a lot, you’ll need to be more specific.
Anthony: Her main one lost re-election already. I assume this is about Jeanne.
Gretchen: Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
Lucinda: You should be happy about that, not looking like someone just shot you in the gut.
Gretchen: I don’t know if I can support it, though!
Lucinda: Why on earth would you not?
Gretchen: It’s not a great look. Especially if it fails!
Lucinda: Someone afraid to take risks should not be in public office.
Gretchen: You are almost too supportive.
Lucinda: I try my best to be a normal, loving mom, but sometimes, you test my limits.
Anthony: That’s definitely what a normal, loving mom would say.
Gretchen: I’m just not sure what you expect me to do.
Lucinda: She’s been a pain for you! You better help oust her!
Gretchen: If I do help with the effort to replace her, and it fails, she’s never going to help me again. That doesn’t just hurt me, it hurts the entire state.
Lucinda: Be bold!
Anthony: She’s not gonna let go of this.
Gretchen: I can tell!
Lucinda: You have the rare opportunity to help install a senate leader who won’t obstruct everything you do. You’re the most powerful politician in the state. Do it! THAT is something that’ll help Rhode Island!
Gretchen: But think of how messy I’ll look for me to make a public move against her!
Toby: Mom, everyone already says online about how messy you are!
Gretchen: Who says that?
Toby: Most people.
Lucinda: I see no reason not to be even more messy, then.
Gretchen: Oh, you guys have really helped me.
Lucinda: I didn’t say I was trying to help.
Anthony: No one would ever confuse what you do for help.
Lucinda: Thank you!
The next day…
Sarita: Governor, you have a visitor.
Gretchen: Is it Pratt? It’s Pratt, right?
Sarita: It is not the lieutenant governor.
Gretchen: Okay, then let them in.
Sarita: You can come in now.
Gretchen: Senator Lione! It’s good to finally meet in a professional setting. I think the only other time I’ve seen you was at a campaign rally a few years ago.
Carrie: It has been a while, madam governor. It’s great to get to sit down with you. I have a lot of respect for you, you’ve done so much for this state.
Gretchen: Flattery will get you everywhere, I’m incredibly vain.
Carrie: I’m not sure if I’m supposed to laugh at that or not.
Gretchen: I can sense you’re nervous. You have no reason to be. I’m very impressed by your record, you have a way of connecting with people that I have no choice but to respect.
Carrie: Thank you, that means a lot.
Gretchen: I want to say, I do know why you’re here.
Carrie: You do?
Gretchen: I do. As you know, my sister is the speaker.
Carrie: She’s wonderful, she’s so inspiring. From no political experience to speaker of the house in a year, it’s impossible not to find that miraculous.
Gretchen: Not to pad my own ego, but she had some help.
Carrie: Of course! The two of you are reshaping the political landscape of this state.
Gretchen: You are too sweet. It’s not something I’m used to. It honestly concerns me a bit, everyone around me is so.. abrasive.
Carrie: I can be abrasive!
Gretchen: Look, you’re young and optimistic. I don’t want you to lose that. So many politicians I know are so jaded. They see the worst in people.
Carrie: I believe in the power of humanity above all else.
Gretchen: And Jeanne Rivero does not, and I know you want to push her out and take her job.
Carrie: I’m glad I don’t have to explain it to you.
Gretchen: I get it entirely. She’s a shrewd political animal.
Carrie: Exactly! And she blocks so much from passing. Before, she could blame it on Speaker Matthews, but now, it’s clearly all on her. She’s crippling your agenda.
Gretchen: You want my help to get rid of her.
Carrie: I do.
Gretchen: First, I do respect your progressive vision. I am quite the progressive myself, I believe we need radical action in order to move our state forward.
Carrie: I want to make it very clear that this is not about ideology. This is about action. We need a Democratic majority that gets things done. Leader Rivero holds us back. She is not in favor of progress. She wants a stranglehold on it. Things in this state can only progress on her terms. I have Democratic senators across the political spectrum ready to boot her, a lot are just scared of the fallout. She’s been very influential in this state for some time now, it’s gone to her head, and many fear the retaliation.
Gretchen: It is risky for me as well. And, you know, Jeanne and I are not friends. The woman tried to impeach me a year and a half ago! But if this fails, it will fracture whatever sort of relationship we do still have. She’ll make my last two and a half years in office a living hell.
Carrie: I know. I get the risk in you speaking out. Just give it some thought, okay?
Gretchen: I will. And, even if I decide I can’t help, I want to be an ally for you. I want to help set you up for greatness in the future. This party will be at its best when we embrace our brightest young leaders, young leaders who can command the attention and support of younger voters. You have something special.
Carrie: I really appreciate that.
Gretchen: I think you could be governor if this challenge to Jeanne doesn’t pan out.
Carrie: Governor?
Gretchen: The ceiling is incredibly high for you. You are a political superstar in the making. I’d say senator, but one of ours is a dear friend, and I appointed the other, so I don’t want to go putting ideas in your head to challenge either of them like you are with Jeanne.
Carrie: I wouldn’t. I don’t want to live in DC.
Gretchen: Good girl!
Later that day…
Carol: Gretchen, you have a visitor. Again.
Gretchen: Carrie’s back?
Carol: No, much worse.
Gretchen: Ah, Pratt’s finally here for our daily annoyance session.
Carol: Worse.
Gretchen: Oh no.
Carol: Shall I send her in?
Gretchen: If you must.
Carol: The governor will see you now.
Jeanne: Gretchen…
Gretchen: Jeanne.
Jeanne: I know what’s going on. I am begging you to stop.
Gretchen: I don’t know to what you are referring.
Jeanne: My job. You are trying to steal it from me.
Gretchen: No, I am not. I see now that you know about the plot going on in the senate, though.
Jeanne: Yeah. I have my finger on the pulse of my senate. I always have, I always will. It’s why I’m here to beg you to side with me.
Gretchen: Excuse me?
Jeanne: Gretchen, if you come forward to back Carrie, I’m done.
Gretchen: Oh!
Jeanne: She’s not experienced, neither is your sister. I know how appealing it is to negotiate with two people who have minimal government experience. You think you can walk all over them. Let me keep my job and you can walk all over me, too!
Gretchen: Is Jeanne Rivero really telling me what I think she’s telling me?
Jeanne: Yes! Please, just let me stay! I need this job! I’m a proven, experienced leader. Just let me finish this term and not get embarrassed in a public fashion. I’l stop blocking what you push forward. I recognize now that you’ve ushered in a political revolution in Rhode Island, you’ve gotten ideological allies elected in the senate, and it’s spelling doom for me if I don’t adjust. I’m willing to adjust.
Gretchen: This is a new look for you. You usually vow to destroy me.
Jeanne: I just want to finish my term, Gretchen!
Gretchen: That’ll also finish my term, too. When this senate term ends, I’ll be gone. A new governor will come in, you’ll block them, too.
Jeanne: I won’t! I can evolve! Give me the chance!
Gretchen: You’re serious.
Jeanne: Of course! This is my job I’m talking about.
Gretchen: I’m going to weigh my options. I will not publicly throw my weight behind you, that is certain. It would be a clear about-face. But I won’t throw it behind Carrie for now, either. I’m going to let it play out. I’m going to give you a chance to make good on your promise. If you fail, I will back Carrie. If you get ousted regardless, that’s not on me.
Jeanne: You’re giving me a chance, at least. I appreciate that.
Gretchen: Now, I’d recommend you leave while knowing you got something from this, before you annoy me enough to change my mind.
Jeanne: I’m already on my way out!
Gretchen: One last thing.
Jeanne: Yes?
Gretchen: I’m very excited to begin working with you to push our state forward. Starting tomorrow! We’ve got a big, left wing bill we’re very proud of, and we’re proposing it tomorrow. I expect to see it speed through both houses of the legislature!
Jeanne: Yep!
Gretchen: Good girl!
Carol: So, what happened?
Gretchen: Jeanne promised to help me pass what I want, she won’t keep blocking progress. In exchange, I won’t endorse Carrie’s challenge. I’m giving her a chance to make good on that.
Carol: Wow, I’m shocked. I thought for sure you’d toss her to the curb.
Gretchen: Yeah, so did I. But… I saw the look in her yes, and I pitied her. And I used that to make her my bitch. After six years of torturing me non-stop, Jeanne Rivero is my bitch.
Carol: Good for you, Gretchen!
Sarita: Madam governor, you have a visitor.
Gretchen: Is it -
Samantha: Gretchen! I need you to catch me up on everything!
Gretchen: Ugh. Not now.
What did you think of the midseason premiere of Raymond Island? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to read the new episode next week!
