Designated Survivor Review: Misalliance (Season 1 Episode 19)
When Designated Survivor premiered, back in September, and even before that, ever since ABC released the first screener, I was one of the first people to say this was going to be the best new show of the season.
I’m happy to say I was right. And yet, I’m also sad to say, I wasn’t.
Designated Survivor Season 1 Episode 19 “Misalliance” gives us a healthy dose of politics, showcases why this show has some of the strongest female characters on TV and does a more than adequate job of advancing the plot, and yet, it also leaves us wondering …what happened?
Where is the show that kept us on the edge of our seats? Where’s the show that had us so paranoid we considering Seth and Emily as possible moles?
Where is the suspense?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the show is bad now – it isn’t. As it stands, it’s still an entertaining, more than competent political drama. It’s just that …well, we’ve been spoiled.
We want more.
And yes, Designated Survivor did up the stakes to almost impossible levels. A let-down was expected. But, with two episodes left till the end of the season, I’m more and more convinced that the final resolution is going to be unsatisfactory.
That’s a problem. Your best episode of the season can’t be your mid-season finale – it should be your actual finale.
You can’t play all the cards in your hand too early, and increasingly, it feels like that’s what Designated Survivor did just that and now they’re getting burned.
Some things are still salvageable, though, and when I say some things, I mean some people. Characterization remains the strongest part of this show.
Tom Kirkman is still a presence, still someone we root for, no matter what.
Aaron, Emily and Seth are still OT3 and a hell of combo, even if they’re not working side by side anymore.
Alex Kirkman and Kimble Hookstraten have re-written the book on what it means to be a female character on a political show, by being neither conniving, downright evil nor plain stupid.
The show has done some good things, no, some great things. And that’s why we expected so much more from the lead-up to the finale, why we expected so much more from this conspiracy.
And yet, one thing the show has also done is earn our loyalty – at least till the end of this season. We might not be thrilled about how the conspiracy is being unmasked, but we still like these characters, we still care for them, and most importantly, we still trust these writers to do right by them.
That’s really the most important thing.
Other things to note:
- No one stops in the middle of a set to check their cell-phone. No one. You wait till the set is done. Have you people ever exercised before?
- Seth’s excitement about Air Force One is delightful – but, was I the only one worried he was going to be taken out by a sniper or something as they stood on the steps to Air Force One?
- I have trust issues. This show is to blame.
- Aaron, hair gel. How many times must we have this talk?
- Jason, I wish I could say I didn’t see this coming, but I did.
- When I grow up I want to be like Virginia Madsen.
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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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