Designated Survivor Review: Backfire (Season 1 Episode 13)

Designated Survivor Season 1 Episode 13 “Backfire” is pretty much what amounts to a filler episode. It just so happens that, on this show, even a filler hour is much better than what is usually on screen for most other shows.

That being said, this is not a suspenseful hour. It doesn’t keep you on the edge of your seat and it certainly doesn’t provide any answers.

What it does, however, is go into the political side of the show a bit more and provide a little more depth to certain characters, with mixed results.

I mean, I’m glad Seth has friends, I do, I just exist in a certain level of paranoia right now that I can’t but think they’re up to something. Either that or this was just a miss by the writers.

But hey, my trust in the writers is way bigger than my trust in Seth. Or Emily. Or, pretty much anyone.

And that’s why, as much as this hour feels a bit like a let-down, the show really needed it. It’s impossible to sustain the hurried pace they’ve been putting us for the past few weeks.

We needed a break. The characters needed a break.

It’s just that – a break is scary. A break gives us time to think. And when we think, we basically realize that the show has, effectively, brought us back to square one.

Except now all the characters know each other.

But they – and we – still have no idea what’s going on. Two weeks ago I thought MacLeish was going to be the big bad, and then he was killed, by his wife, no less. I didn’t really expect the show to come up with another person to fill the void, not so soon, but the absence of a recognizable face we can pin this on is more than a little concerning.

It means …it could be anyone.

Probably not Mrs. Kirkman, not with her so removed from the main action. I’ll say not Aaron either, he’s been too obvious for far too long. But if not them, who’s left?

Mike, Emily and Seth.

Otherwise known as that’s going to hurt, that’s going to murder me and no, I refuse.

So that’s where we stand right now. We have no idea what’s going on. The characters have no idea what’s going on.

But, in Hannah Wells we trust. In this writing team we trust. And, even if the truth might end up hurting – we’re pretty sure, in the end, it’s going to be a good story, a worthy story, one we’ll be proud to have witnessed live.

What else can you ask of TV? What else?

Other things to note:

• Let’s be for real here, if I were President Kirkman, I wouldn’t even stand near a window.
• People sleeping. What a relief. At the rate things are moving on this show, I was half expecting Seth, Emily and Aaron to be living off of coffee, which as we all know, is not really a sustainable plan long-term.
• Teen Mode = Teen Vogue and I’m really proud to see they’re still fighting the good fight.
• Even if, in this case, unlike in real life, I’m actually on the side of the President.
• What game is Hookstraten playing? Inquiring minds want to know. Because she’s too smart for there not to be a play here.
• Was I the one really, really concerned by how long the cameras followed the helicopter carrying Alex, Penny and Leo Kirkman? I half expected it to blow up.
• That’s how paranoid I am.
• Aaron looks so lost and sad, poor thing. I just want to give him a hug. I think Emily does too.
• Or maybe she’s pretending.
• I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ANYMORE.

What did you think of this episode of Designated Survivor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Designated Survivor airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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