If you scroll through the posts of this blog you'll probably realise that I love Kiefer Sutherland/Jack Bauer/24 so it should come as no surprise that I sampled Designated Survivor, Sutherlands latest outing on the small screen. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't enthused when I first heard about it. It's not often that someone comes off a successful television show and jumps straight into another, Sutherland attempted to do so with the two season Touch which I didn't hate but I was put off by the network meddling which changed the show completely in its second season. The premise of Designated Survivor didn't quite appeal to me, we already have an entertaining enough real life presidential school fight going on so do I need to waste a part of my week to watch this?
Yes. For now anyway. Designated Survivor follows Tom Kirkman (Sutherland) as he is thrust into the role of being the president of the United States following a catastrophic attack during the State of Union address. Most of the members of the cabinet were present with the exception of Kirkman, the Secretary of Housing and Urban development, who was named designated survivor. A designated survivor is something I knew nothing about but it is a member of the line of presidential succession who is forced to sit out in group meetings and in the case of an event that would wipe out the heads of state they would take on the presidency and make efforts to rebuild the cabinet. I did kick myself for believing that this wouldn't be of any interest to me, it may be because my expectations were low but I enjoyed almost every minute of the first couple of episodes.
Kirkman wasn't destined for the presidency, nor did he want it, he just wanted to make a difference in his role as Secretary of Housing and Urban development. He was being forced out of his position in the cabinet which makes his appointment all the more shocking for him, his family and what remains of The US. He is your typical every man figure who is placed in exceptional circumstances, just because you work for the government doesn't automatically mean you're well equipped to head one up. I'm sure most of us wouldn't handle the position of our employers if they were all killed off in some horrifying manner, he is essentially the same as us. Kirkman lacks confidence in himself as do those around him so as he tries to settle in his role as president there are rumblings of a coup d'état afoot.
Another central story line within the series is that of the bombing itself, who was behind it and why. We follow Hannah Wells (Maggie Q), an FBI agent, as she struggles to discover the origins of the bomb so the US are able to retaliate. Most of the people involved in the FBI and military want answers quickly, even if it is only partially fact and mostly presumption, so they can strike back and ensure that people know that the US is still one of the most powerful nations in the World and they are not to be trifled with. Hannah's intuition tells her that the culprits are smart and leaving them clues to misdirect them, also believing that they aren't finished yet. Everyone around her is willing to side with the minimal evidence they have rather than investigate further which leads me to believe that her and Kirkman will officially be meeting soon as their personalities are quite similar, they both want to be 100% sure before making their next move.
The series is also planting in several subplots, some interesting and some not so much. The character I constantly have my eye on is Seth Wright (Kal Penn), a speechwriter of Asian descent. One of the reasons I enjoy watching him appear on screen is the relationship he is slowly building with Kirkman as initially when he first heard about the appointment he had doubts about him which he vocalised. Gradually throughout the first two episodes he's questioning his harsh judgement of Kirkman as he sees him as an honourable man who is making the best out of the situation he's in. It's only been two episodes but they are already developing a friendship through their mutual respect for one another and I hope to see much more of it. Another reason I appreciate Seth's character is his background, through him we are able to see what it's like for a person of his race living in the US in the midst of this terrorist attack and among panicked citizens which the series doesn't shy away from.
As it stands the series does have a lot of promise right now but I don't quite know how they can stretch this out to 22 episodes a year for the next 5-7 years. I'm hoping it wouldn't take the better part of a decade for Kirkman to settle into his role as president, or for people to stop questioning his leadership because it will get stale. In two episodes he has already shown that although he wasn't well equipped for the role he has enough empathy, smarts and is shockingly good at deception so I don't see this particular plot running for years. Additionally the writers are attempting to get some mileage out of the terrorist plot by implying that the perpetrators aren't finished yet, does that mean we'll get a bombing every season? A couple of times a season? Again, this'll get repetitive. Also, I don't see some of the subplots regarding his family being well received, such as his son's possible drug habit, so I fail to see them standing the test of time.
The series has already been picked up for a season and networks are starting to honour their orders and usually air all episodes that have been recorded. I don't see them pulling the show anytime during the season as it seems to be doing well with the ratings and the critics so far but I don't see it lasting long term. It does pain me to say it because I have been enjoying the series but I don't see how the writers are planning to evolve it from its initial premise to sustain its longevity. I hope I'm wrong, I could very well be as it has only aired two episodes and sometimes that's not long enough to judge.
The series does prove one thing though, it proves what I have been saying for over a decade. Kiefer Sutherland may have been born in Britain and raised in Canada but for the love of all that is holy just make him president.
Live Long and Blog!
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