“The First Day” (S-1,E2;09/28/16) – “The Confession” (S-1,E3;10/05/16) – “The Enemy” S-1;E3;10/12/16)
“Designated Survivor” is now 4 episodes strong and the evidence that “Jack Bauer” former CTU agent is now Tom Kirkman, secretary of Housing and Urban Development cum President of the United States after an attack kills most of the big whigs in power in the Nation’s Capitol.
Episodes 2, 3, and 4, offer a roller coaster ride of goodies: namely “typecasting”, promotions/demotions, and art imitating life.
Not only is the government in shambles in the series, but in many ways seems to be like art imitating life or life imitating art as we are also in the midst of the 2016 Presidential campaign to see whether Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton becomes the next president.
Tom enters the White House and is questioned on “enhanced interrogating issues”. As Jack Bauer, he would do ‘anything it takes’, but as resourceful housing man, Tom plays it safe. He’s not above taking a “wait and see” approach. Too bad our current political environment seems to be insistent on immediate at-any-cost decisions.
Ground Zero
Pres. Kirkman makes a visit to Ground Zero to pay respects to the people. The press catches wind and they meet them there. The president gives a speech but it’s interrupted by those in the crowd who are watching a Muslim kid getting beaten in Michigan (more on that later).
As the crowd gets excited, someone approached the president. Fear runs wild and the president is whisked away a.s.a.p. What started as a good moment, ends in disaster.
At the end of the episode, the President is able to circle back around looking more like Jack Bauer than a president to give his thanks to those that are working at the capitol, looking for Survivors.
Hookstraten
Come to find out, there is another ‘Designated Survivor’. She’s Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten. She appears to be on the newly minted President, but time will tell. If her name is any indication, ‘Hookstraten’ sounds like a pirate’s name. As an actress, Virginia Madsen, was recently killed off the summer show “American Gothic“, where she played a mother who helped her husband hide a murder. She pulled many illegal strings on that show to protect her family. My guess is that she’ll be more “foe” than “friend”, based on her last role. Maybe that’s unfair to take one role on one show and typecast her to another show, but it’s what my gut is telling me. This, even in spite of the fact that she told the president that she “cried then prayed” that morning after finding out about the destruction at the capitol.
She delivers a nice eulogy for the fallen president and is angling for Tom’s job. She smart and savvy and although she “honestly doesn’t want his position now”, it’s definitely in her sights.
Hookstraten – started as an ally but quickly turning into cunning foe.
Is Michigan always corrupt?
“You’re not my president” says Michigan Governor Royce to President Kirkman.
Must Michigan always be corrupt? Doesn’t it seem like they always have some investigation on corruption going on? Maybe they’re just “typecast”. At any rate, Gov. Royce doesn’t like the “brown people”. He’s taking away their civil rights and arresting anyone who seemingly looks Muslim. He’s stoking the fire of fear. It goes so far that even a 17-year old Muslim boy, Danny Fyed, is beaten, and later dies.
The Gov. calms down only later to freak out again. He’s threatening the Muslim community again. Emily shows up with a game plan. It works. Sort of. The Michigan National Guard has been federalized by the pres and they show up to save the day. Or not. The boss, Munoz, says he backs his local government. Emily is shut down and ordered to return to D.C. She modifies her game plan and offers the Gov. a place at the table to speak with the president and once he arrives in D.C. he’s arrested for “treason”. Emily is against this. It would seem that mild-mannered Pres. Kirkman pulled a Jack Bauer on this one. I don’t think we’ll see the last of Gov. Royce.
Mr. Angry Military
The old military guy, Harris Cochrane, is trigger-happy. He wants to attack someone and wants to do it yesterday. He looks like the stereotypical old military white guy on many a tv show or movie. He probably fought in Nam and Korea. Someone must pay and the fingers point to Al Zakari (or something like that).
Pres. Kirkman, is unswayed. He wants proof. How much proof? Not the 75% that he’s getting. As he says in Bauer-esque form “I lost friends colleagues, and people I love. Come back with more than 75% and I’ll launch the missiles myself.” I believe he even lets slip a “dammit”, even more proof that he’s Jack Bauer. He caught it just in time to not say “Dammit Chloe” which would have been a dead giveaway.
He leaves and the old angry man is left with an itchy trigger finger. His itch must be scratched and later on, he’s caught preparing for war. The President shows up and immediatly relieves him of his command in a presidential way. Jack Bauer would have tasered him and locked him in a cell for interrogation later. Angry Military Guy is lucky!
Mr. Angry Military – Started out wanted to see the Pres. outsted. Will we see him reappear in some form, perhaps trying to get Aaron to align with him?
The Troubled Maggie Wells
FBI agent Maggie Wells seems troubled. Seems like a familiar story, right? If you recall on her most recent TV show “Stalker” she investigated stalkers in Los Angeles. Her character was troubled and had left behind a past which included her being stalked by a guy who eventually finds out where she is again, in spite of her changing her identity.
Maggie is still troubled, and lets her troubles trouble her until she can work them out. She finds it odd, even though it’s a bright ray of hope on a dismal day, that Congressman MacLeish lived through the explosion. Her boss wants to cut the guy from slack, having just survived a massive explosion. She thinks there might be answers.
She was hoping the rubble survivor was someone she loved. It turns out to be a with whom she was having an affair. She hoped he would have lived, but it wasn’t meant to be.
In discovered footage, the Congressman is in one clip but not another. She pounces on the information, only to get a story and later confirmation that the Congressman left the room to take a family phone call. She’s distraught. Until she gets a mysterious phone call telling her
Maggie will continue to be an ally, unless something in her past forces her to turn foe, albeit against her will
Chief of Staff: Aaron vs. Emily
Aaron and Emily are jockeying to see who will be the Chief of Staff. Pres. Kirkman, as usual, takes his time. This seems and feels odd and strong in the show, especially when in real life everyone who has Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram is crying and yelling for change all the time. It seems the luxury of being able to sit, think, and reflect is a dying art.
Emily seems to be a shoe-in as she has been with Kirkman for a long time. Aaron, however, is the new “boy toy” on campus (as it were) and after releasing video footage that he shouldn’t have, he tells the President he’s willing to quit. He even hands him an unopened envelope with his resignation letter, should the president accept it.
The president never opens it. My guess is it says “I know you are Jack Bauer” in all caps. Or, knowing how to play the president, it could be blank. He called the President’s bluff, or he forced his hand, or whatever card game metaphor can be used. And it works.
He gets the job as White House Chief of Staff and Emily gets the Ms. Congeniality prize of Senior Advisor.
Emily, although somewhat disappointed in her new role, is currently an ally. Aaron is a flip-flopper and could be trouble down the road, especially if Mr. Military man wants revenge on the President and can somehow pull Aaron in on his plot.
Speechwriter to W.H. Press Secretary
Seth Wright has grown a lot in a short time. A day early in the bathroom stall, he told the soon-to-be President Kirkman that he should stand down. He was then stopped by police outside his home on the way to work because of his skin color (see Gov. Royce). He’s had to write speeches on spur-of-the-moment. He encouraged stand-in newbie press secretary in dealing with the press (although the newbie failed miserably). He was offered the job by Aaron, who was recently promoted and turned it down. Then, when asked (and almost begged) by the President he accepted the job.
Seth is currently an ally and I don’t foresee any reason for him to switch sides.
Summary
Not being a very political person, but I am really digging this show. Whereas the best of “24” was action-heavy and I thought the political stuff seemed to slow it down, this is the opposite. Sure, there’s still action, but this show is all about the politics and what/how it changes us.
I think it’s very interesting that this show is coming out at the same time as the 2016 presidential election. Even though both parties are seemingly intact, everything seems to be in chaos. Trump vs. Clinton appears to be made more for reality TV than real life.
This show gives us a glimpse into what might occur should government become derailed. Some may think we are already there or will be there, regardless of whether Clinton or Trump becomes POTUS.
For me, I don’t think this show would have been as interesting if it had come out more than 2 years ago. Right now, it could be art imitating life or life imitating art. I find that exciting in the show, but somewhat scary in real life.
The show won’t be on Wed. 10/19/16, due to a Presidential debate. Is there anyway President Kirkman could show up for the debate and later become the next President of the U.S.?