They’ve done it again. The producers of 24 have come up with another hit series, Designated Survivor. It’s every bit as exciting as 24 was. I am having a real blast watching this new drama with a more mellow character. No fighting, torture, jumping and running from building to building, just plain old fashion deceit, devious plots, murder, terror attacks and plenty of cover ups. Oh, and lets not leave out brains, meaning cleverness, logic and street smarts.
Imagine all the heads of state, thrown in with some VIPs from other places meeting somewhere in Washington D.C. Let’s say a bomb were to hit that meeting place and kill every single person there, including the President of the United State of America. Well, that is just what happens in Designated Survivor. That is why there is always one man left behind in case such a catastrophe should happen, thus eliminating an argument as to whom would run the country. In this case, Tom Kirkman, (Keiter Sutherland) U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was also appointed as the “designated survivor”. He ended up becoming the new President after the explosion claimed the lives of the President and all of his Cabinet at a State of the Union address. Needless to say, Tom was not welcomed with open arms, as no one felt he was really qualified to fill the shoes of the former President, so Tom was met with lots of resistance. As the series moves on, we find there is something a lot more sinister going on than an explosion. President Kirkman is under pressure to prove himself worthy, as well as resolve the ongoing problems of the country and punish the rightful terrorist of the attack on the US. Following another unprecedented attack, the suspense is heart thumping, as we wait for the series to resume, after the Winter break on Wednesday, March 8th.
Jason Atwood, (Malik Yoba) is the Deputy Director of the FBI who works closely with Hannah Wells, (Maggie Q) his most dedicated agent and closest friend in the FBI. Together they are trying to unravel, what Hannah expects is a sinister plot, that may involve the newly appointed Vice President, Peter MacLeish (Ashley Zukerman). Chuck Russink, (Jake Epstein) is an FBI technician who aids Hannah in her investigation. President Kirkman’s wife, First Lady Alex Kirkman, (Natascha McElhone) is also an attorney, employed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Their two children Leo Kirkman, (Tanner Buchanan) and Penny Kirkman, (Mckenna Grace) have suddenly been uprooted from their everyday routines to come and live in the White house while also dealing with personal issues. After an awkward encounter with President Kirkman, Seth Wright (Kal Penn), who was the former speechwriter for the late president, initially harbored strong doubts about Tom Kirkman’s abilities to lead the country but quickly becomes one of his closest advisors and the White House Press Secretary. Aaron Shore, (Adan Canto) who was the former White House Deputy Chief of Staff became the new White House Chief of Staff and a close friend to President Kirkman along with Emily Rhodes, (Italia Ricci) who happened to be Tom’s former Chief of Staff but is now his Special Advisor following his ascension to the presidency. Mike Ritter, (LaMonica Garrett) is Tom’s personal Secret Service agent, tasked with ensuring the Kirkman family’s safety in the wake of the attack. Kimble Hookstraten, (Virginia Madsen) is a Republican Congresswoman and the designated survivor for the GOP who supports Tom’s authority while secretly harboring her own agenda. She is later elected Speaker of the House by the new Congress.
In my opinion, Designated Survivor is well done and before the winter break, it left us panting, with our minds racing and our thoughts running rampart. The suspense in unbearable. Reminds me of Dallas in the old days when everyone wanted to know “Who Shot JR”? This time we want to know “Who Got Shot”? Well I advice everyone to check it out on FOX where Designated Survivor is currently airing.
CAROL's WORLDS 