She drives international diplomacy, battles office politics, and circumvents protocol, if needed, as she navigates global conflicts.

The site's consensus for the first season reads, "Bolstered by Tea Leoni's strong central performance, Madam Secretary is a solid but unspectacular political drama.

Shortly after the series' debut, Fox News asked if the show served as a campaign ad supporting Hillary Clinton, but quoted the Los Angeles Times saying the lead character was "no Hillary knock-off" and a New York publicist calling the casting of a woman "simple business and smart on CBS' behalf.

"[52] Conservative activist organization Culture and Media Institute said "The connections in the show between Elizabeth and Hillary are clear, from the blond hair to the pantsuits.

Viewers noticed parallels between Andrada and real-life Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who was known for making inappropriate and sexist remarks.

[53] The Philippine Embassy in Washington published a statement protesting the negative depiction of the presidential character on its Facebook page.

[54] The fourth-season premiere, "News Cycle", led to a protest from East Timor's Minister of State José Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Secretary McCord asks China to take measures to prevent the leader of the drug cartel from making a narco-state out of East Timor.

[55] In the fourth episode of the first season, "Just Another Normal Day", the series used stock footage shot in Hoi An, Vietnam, but noted the location as Fuling, China.