Designated Survivor (ABC>Netflix) (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Well, at least they kept Kirkman in the hospital for an entire episode. I bet when we see him next week, his life threatening injury/surgery are hardly a blip on the radar!

I binge-watched both this series and 24: Legacy a couple weeks ago (am now caught up on both). I am preferring this one over the 24 reboot.

I am wondering why they spent so much time and effort making MacLeish such an important part of the plot (the lone survivor, ascended to VP, eyeball deep in the conspiracy/plot against the government) and now he's...gone. That quickly. Sure, there'll continue to be ripples across an uncertain country, but... And the only thing he accomplished given the opportunity to be president for a day was be sure the Kirkman shooter was killed. I was thinking that wasn't much of an accomplishment. Important to the conspiracy for sure, but you'd think he'd have made some kind of really bold move...

 

[Nelson Au]

Maybe MacLeish had to be cautious. His wife was saying they had to keep a low profile now that Kirkman was on the mend as to not raise suspicion. His order to have the shooter killed was quite a shock to everyone in the administration. And when he went against the advise of his wife, and it looked like the plan was unraveling, they took him out.

I forgot to mention, now that Agent Wells is exonerated and working with Kirkman clandestinely, I'd have thought she should at least wear a disguise, glasses, a hat, when she went out to rattle that guy in the motorcycle shop.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I forgot to mention, now that Agent Wells is exonerated and working with Kirkman clandestinely, I'd have thought she should at least wear a disguise, glasses, a hat, when she went out to rattle that guy in the motorcycle shop.

But that would have made sense...kinda like NOT rushing out willy-nilly into the cemetery to confront MacLeish and his old army buddy all by herself!

 

[Nelson Au]

Ha, ha, yes, Agent Well's back-up seemed to take a while to get to her position.

I was just looking up the line of succession. If the VP dies, then the next person to succeed that role is the Speaker of the House; Kimble Hookstraten (Virginia Madsen). That should make things interesting unless she declines.

 

[Craig S]

Ha, ha, yes, Agent Well's back-up seemed to take a while to get to her position.

I was just looking up the line of succession. If the VP dies, then the next person to succeed that role is the Speaker of the House; Kimble Hookstraten (Virginia Madsen). That should make things interesting unless she declines.

There is no line of succession to the Vice Presidency. If the Veep dies or resigns the office stays vacant until a new VP is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This happened in recent history when Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace in October of 1973. There was no Vice President until Gerald Ford was confirmed as Agnew's replacement in December of the same year. This was repeated the following year when Ford became President after Nixon resigned on August 9th. The Vice Presidency was vacant again, this time for 4 months until Nelson Rockefeller was confirmed in December 1974.

It's when the Vice Presidency is vacant that the Speaker becomes the next in line for the Presidency - but he/she stays the Speaker throughout that period, only resigning their Speakership (and their seat in the House) if the Presidency becomes vacant and they have to step up - even temporariliy. The West Wing covered this scenario in the 4th season finale and first couple of episodes of the 5th season.

 

[Matt Hough]

I rejoined the show until it gets too soapy, and then I'm out. But this was an involving episode despite the plotting lapses. No way the Secret Service men would have remained in their positions with someone out there pointing a gun at the VP. And the VP's wife managed to get in the cemetery past the hidden FBI on one side and the Secret Service on the other? Not good writing.

But the conspiracy really does keep things interesting.

 

[Mike Frezon]

That entire cemetery sequence should be shown in classrooms far and wide as examples of how NOT to write a TV show. There were so many things wrong with it...

But I'm still enjoying the show.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

We can quibble about the execution, but I'm rarely surprised by shows any more and the Second Lady committing a murder-suicide against her husband the Vice President definitely qualifies. I figured we were being set up for a cat and mouse game between Kirkman and MacLeish for the back half of the first season. I was pleasantly surprised to see it addressed almost immediately upon the show's return.

It also speaks to there being some idealistic motive behind the conspiracy, since the Lady Macbeth of Number One Observatory Circle was willing to die to protect its secrets. If it was about oligarchy or personal enrichment, you'd never see that kind of devotion.

It's also nice to see series creator David Guggenheim continue to contribute scripts, even though he's not the showrunner.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Quibble about the execution?? Quibble?

C'mon, Adam. We were rushed to the cemetery (what WAS that all about between MacLeish and his former buddy)? And the laxity of the Secret Service... And even thinking that the Veep could have a secret nighttime meeting in a cemetery... And Agent Welles just sorta hiding behind a branch with her night vision binoculars. And the couple of vans of other agents keeping their eyes on things (not to mention all the offices in the White House tuned into the action.

She rushes into the clandestine meeting--alone--without warning to the others--upon hearing the first whiff of an admission of a crime instead of waiting to see what else MacLeish might've spilled.

And she did it with such impunity, she left her flank exposed (where were those Secret Service again?? Those same Secret Service that might've been a little concerned about this rogue FBI agent rushing the VP with a drawn gun...). This allowed the Veep's wife to magically appear from the wooded area on the side of the cemetery away from the main road and get the drop on them.

And on and on..

Not a master class in reasonable, logical actions by high-ranking officials, super-spys and well-trained federal law enforcement officials.

Hey, I know all these types of shows can be picked apart as being completely unrealistic...but that entire cemetery sequences just stood out to me as especially egregious!

 

[Nelson Au]

Oh yeah, I wasn't reading it right regarding line of succession. If both the President and VP are no longer able to do their jobs, then the Speaker of the House takes over. Hopefully I read that right.

 

[Nelson Au]

Mike, I thought I heard the guys watching and listening gave Wells the order to go and take MacLeish as soon as they heard enough.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Mike, I thought I heard the guys watching and listening gave Wells the order to go and take MacLeish as soon as they heard enough.

You're right, Nelson. I just checked on my DVR.

I guess I was so taken by the idea of a single agent rushing in on the scene declaring that she was arresting the VP that it seemed like she was acting on her own. But, frankly, its just as stupid that the guys in the office cut the conversation short because if you are planning to arrest the VP, you might want to get as much of an admission as possible.

Hah! They showed the other agents rushing out of the back of a van when she started to tangle with MacLeish's army buddy...but they never got to her until after she escaped her tussle with the army buddy, ran down MacLeish, confronted him and had an entire conversation with him, MacLeish got shot and then his wife killed herself. THEN, they arrived to help.

 

[SamT]

Yes what was MacLeish's Secret Service doing? It's their job.

How many episodes left? 2? more?

 

[Matt Hough]

Yes what was MacLeish's Secret Service doing? It's their job.

How many episodes left? 2? more?

Many more. It had a full season order and was offline for over two months, so I'd say there must be half a dozen or more left.

 

[DaveF]

Wow! I didn't expect any of that! I figured the buddy was going to be killed before the VP arrived to eliminate that loose end. I figured he was in the story through the season, at least.

I didn't expect Jason's son to be found dead at this point.

And the President's concern with Aaron is starting to be its own instigation as multiple people with limited info and partially aligned agendas give Aaron bits of half-info for him to construct his own narrative around.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Hey, I know all these types of shows can be picked apart as being completely unrealistic...but that entire cemetery sequences just stood out to me as especially egregious!

Yeah, I gave up on this show being the realistic, nuanced exploration of this extreme scenario that I wanted it to be three or four episodes in. Now, when they actually take the time to get things right, I'm pleasantly surprised. But the rest of the time I just go along for the ride.

 

[NeilO]

I was also surprised by the murder/suicide. Quite a turn there. One thing, remember that the VP's secret service agents were told to give him a wide berth.

Agent Wells was supposed to give the appearance of still being under arrest - they sure didn't handle that well.

By the way, one continuity thing in the previous episode - the flashbacks to Kirkman's earlier days before being appointed to his cabinet post - he should have been wearing glasses.

It has a full 22 episode order for the season and this was episode 12 - "The End of the Beginning."

 

[SamT]

Wow, if half the season is not showed yet, I don't know where they are going. Nobody is left. The bad guys have to be completely off screen and new. They have to bring new people.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The bad guys have to be completely off screen and new.

I've got my eyes on Kirkman's wife...

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I've got my eyes on Kirkman's wife...

Me too! I don't know if it's just that Natascha McElhone was miscast, but Mrs. Kirkman has never once felt genuine to me since this series began.