Designated Survivor Review: The Results (Season 1 Episode 8)
Can President Kirman ever catch a break? Can the country?
If Designated Survivor Season 1 Episode 8 “The Results” is to be believed, the answer is not anytime soon. Because this thing is bigger than we ever imagined.
And I don’t think we can ever be accused of imagining this wasn’t big. This is TV, after all. We expected big.
Huge. Monumental.
We probably underestimated.
But, the good news is, if the first eight episodes of the season are any indication, the President of the United States is more than capable of handling what’s coming.
Just like he handles Leo, the Elections and a bioterrorism threat.
Let’s start with Leo, because this is the thing I was most worried about. When the storyline first came up I thought, dear God, no. Here we go again.
Drama, drama, drama.
Not the good kind of drama either. The cheap kind. The one that doesn’t attempt to send a message, the one that doesn’t move the plot forward.
And then, Designated Survivor did me one better – they handled this in the most mature, adult and, *gasp* progressive way possible. Because, no, it does not matter if Tom Kirkman is really Leo’s biological father, he’s still his dad in all the ways that count.
Family is what you make of it. Family is the people that love you and the people you love back. Family is a decision as much as an inevitably.
Yes, that’s the lesson of the day for this political/thriller drama.
But that’s not all, of course. President Kirkman also has to deal with bioterrorism and elections! Family drama is just not enough drama for this show.
The thing about being President – about being in any position of power, really, is that, at some point, you have to make decisions You don’t ever know if those decisions will turn out right or not, but you have to make them anyway. That’s your job.
President Kirkman has had some hits and misses in that department (though, to be fair, it does seem like the entire universe is conspiring against him at times), but with this show nearing midseason is fair to say that what was one a beautiful promise of a show has turned into a pretty gorgeous reality.
No, it wasn’t just the tragedy of it all that made us turn on the TV. We didn’t just care while Election season was going on. We weren’t just trying to gauge how different Tom Kirkman was from Jack Bauer.
Or maybe we were, and you changed our minds, Designated Survivor. Either way, you’ve got a captive audience.
And with Hannah moving one step forward and three steps back, MacTraitor confirmed to be working with the terrorists, Kimball wowing to take Kirkman down and a President who takes every single defeat, no matter how little, as a personal affront, I don’t think we run the risk of being bored anytime soon.
Other things to note:
- Refreshing – a Press Secretary who doesn’t lie. It all trickles down from a President who doesn’t lie.
- Next time, Mike, tackle him to the ground as soon as he says he’s a journalist.
- Italia Ricci’s wardrobe. All I ask for.
- Don’t you trust Wynonna Earp, Seth. I will never forgive you if you do.
- Does President Kirkman have no other advisors other than Aaron, Emily and Seth? It feels like he should. Name some people, for crying out loud.
- I’m calling him MacTraitor from now on. That’s his nickname. You can’t make me use his name.
- Also, why? Why can’t we have nice things? Why can’t we have heroes? Why?
- Oh, because we have Kirkman. Only one allowed per show. Gotcha.
What did you think of this episode of Designated Survivor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Reviewer Rating:
User Rating:
Designated Survivor airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
22 Episodes of The West Wing That Will Make You Feel Better About Politics
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz
Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat
One thought on “Designated Survivor Review: The Results (Season 1 Episode 8)”
Getting depressed with the disregard for the Constitution this show shows.
Before they pretended the state Governors had influence over Washington and were withholding,as a bargaining chip,the one thing that would give them influence (appointing their favorites as the new Senate ASAP).Now they’re pretending the President has any power to regulate the timing of special elections to the House (which are scheduled entirely according to state law,and I think the state laws differ enough that the nationwide simultaneous vote depicted here would be illegal).
Meanwhile,the timeline is shot.A couple of episodes ago it was said to have been six weeks since the bombing of the State of the Union address…which takes place in late January.The elections had (unrealistically) not been set yet.Now it’s February 7th and the elections are happening (though the trees already have leaves).
Argh.
Comments are closed.