Designated Survivor (ABC>Netflix) (1 Viewer)

[Stan]

Needless to say, my opinion only...no intent to offend anyone who enjoys Designated Survivor...

I've been watching this show with a smirk on my face...perversely entertaining for me, as I subject myself to this inept political fantasy...I knew going in what to expect, and haven't been disappointed...

Tonight I had my best laugh yet...a boldly placed and explicit product placement...with lingering camera shots to drive the point home... for a Ford Motor Company Smart Phone app to perform the remote starter function on your brand new 2017 Ford Fusion...just another subtlety among many...ha, ha...

As good as they are as actors, I thought Maggie Q. and Malik Yoba weren't quite up to concealing their embarrassment while walking back to the Fusion...

This show is ridiculously unbelievable, and everybody is so "serious". It must be tough to be an actor on this show and try to pull off the crap they spew out. I enjoy it just because it's so silly, a good waste of 45 minutes once a week

 

[Yee-Ming]

That last shot of Hanna's situation reminded me of Agents of SHIELD And I kind of expected it when she's seen running through that maze.

Thing is, on an actual container ship, I don't think there's any space at all between them: they're stacked on top and against each other like bricks. It's only in port in a yard where they're spaced out. So more suspension of disbelief. Oh well, it's Hollywood… (or TV-land, if you prefer)

 

[Stan]

Thing is, on an actual container ship, I don't think there's any space at all between them: they're stacked on top and against each other like bricks. It's only in port in a yard where they're spaced out. So more suspension of disbelief. Oh well, it's Hollywood… (or TV-land, if you prefer)

"Suspension of disbelief" has seemed to fade away. A lot of shows now like "Guardians of the Galaxy", "The Librarians" and many others seem to have fun with what they do, knowing they're way over the top and we laugh along with them.

"Designated Survivor" on the other hand expects us to believe what they are showing. Yeah, like we're supposed to believe the President, VP, all of the other members of government are killed in one single bombing? Only to leave us with Kiefer Sutherland to run things.

I enjoy the show, but it's really a stretch at times.

Looking forward to the return of "The Last Ship". Also a bit unbelievable, but much more well done.

 

[Johnny Angell]

"Suspension of disbelief" has seemed to fade away. A lot of shows now like "Guardians of the Galaxy", "The Librarians" and many others seem to have fun with what they do, knowing they're way over the top and we laugh along with them.

"Designated Survivor" on the other hand expects us to believe what they are showing. Yeah, like we're supposed to believe the President, VP, all of the other members of government are killed in one single bombing? Only to leave us with Kiefer Sutherland to run things.

I enjoy the show, but it's really a stretch at times.

Looking forward to the return of "The Last Ship". Also a bit unbelievable, but much more well done.

Hey, that's how Jack Ryan became president, per Tom Clancy. This isn't a first.

 

[Josh Dial]

"Designated Survivor" on the other hand expects us to believe what they are showing. Yeah, like we're supposed to believe the President, VP, all of the other members of government are killed in one single bombing? Only to leave us with Kiefer Sutherland to run things.

Uh, have you ever watched one of the State of the Union addresses for your country? While it's true--as Adam posted pages back--that not every single major member in your government's line of succession are in attendance (people are sick, deliberately absent, have other stuff to do, etc), a lot of them are. This happens every single year. This show has some crazy stretches of the imagination, but a perfect scenario whereby the State of the Union has 99% attendance (for the line of succession) is not one of truly eye-rolling moments.

I seriously don't understand your disbelief on this. The Designated Survivor is a real concept in your own government, from actual life. Entire meetings are held on this subject. People legitimately plan for eventualities like the one shown in the show. It may be taken to its unlikely (not not impossible) extreme, but it's not pure fantasy.

 

[Stan]

Uh, have you ever watched one of the State of the Union addresses for your country? While it's true--as Adam posted pages back--that not every single major member in your government's line of succession are in attendance (people are sick, deliberately absent, have other stuff to do, etc), a lot of them are. This happens every single year. This show has some crazy stretches of the imagination, but a perfect scenario whereby the State of the Union has 99% attendance (for the line of succession) is not one of truly eye-rolling moments.

I seriously don't understand your disbelief on this. The Designated Survivor is a real concept in your own government, from actual life. Entire meetings are held on this subject. People legitimately plan for eventualities like the one shown in the show. It may be taken to its unlikely (not not impossible) extreme, but it's not pure fantasy.

Never really realized that. (Took a lot of Humanities classes in school, enabled me to skip English Lit and Government stuff ) If there was an easy way out, I found it.

It does seem like a bit of a stretch, but I guess it could happen.

 

[ScottH]

The actual premise of the show is probably the only plausible thing about it.

 

[Stan]

Hey, that's how Jack Ryan became president, per Tom Clancy. This isn't a first.

Don't think it's the same story, but "Clear and Present Danger" is being shown on Sundance the 15th. Hard to believe it's from1994, 23 years ago, but one of the better Jack Ryan stories.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Don't think it's the same story, but "Clear and Present Danger" is being shown on Sundance the 15th. Hard to believe it's from1994, 23 years ago, but one of the better Jack Ryan stories.

Well, no it's not the same story, except that Jack Ryan was way down the line of succession and so many were killed he became prez. Familiar?

 

[Matt Hough]

This week's episode continued to irritate with logic holes. Hard to imagine a vehicle with those contents could actually be sneaked into the FBI parking garage without content being searched and discovered. And, of course, news breaks at JUST the precise moment it's detrimental for the President. This assassin manages to be at the right place at the right time at every conceivable moment, and the mole is clever enough to anticipate being hacked and plant clones of his IP address to prevent capture.

The show takes suspension of disbelief to incredible heights with plot twists like these.

 

[ScottH]

I was really bothered by Hannah leaving every single door open that she went through. Really? There is no excuse for that. And you're telling me the guy giving her the food wouldn't have a gun?

And I'm not sure if I lost track of the timeline but is it my understanding that the guy that shot Jason is also the guy on the freighter? Does he also have a cape?

 

[Yee-Ming]

Well, no it's not the same story, except that Jack Ryan was way down the line of succession and so many were killed he became prez. Familiar?

Spoiler alert -- though it's for a book over 20 years old…


No, he was VP, so next in line, literally. I can't remember the exact details now (many years since I read it), but the wheeze was that just after he was sworn in, he was deliberately escorted away from Congress where the President was giving a major speech, precisely for the ostensible reason that Pres and VP don't typically appear together (e.g. they never fly together), to minimise both getting killed in the same incident. So he was being escorted out of Capitol Hill via a secure tunnel when Congress was hit, and so he survived the incident.

Well… we often have to suspend disbelief when it comes to Hollywood. Although one recent TV episode got the hackles of my countrymen up -- Criminal Minds Beyond Borders had a recent episode set in Singapore, and the mistakes they made were positively laughable (and insulting, if you want to be take it that way). But that's off-topic.

 

[Nelson Au]

Last week, we saw Lozano get into the back of the semi trailer to give Wells an eyeful that she's been captured by him and his men. So he and his men took Wells and placed her on the cargo ship. Later we see him knock her out on the ship.

The surprise was how they got her off the ship into that van and into The FBI parking garage so fast.

There was no reason why they kept her alive, maybe as a bargain chip later? But now they plan to blow her up, perhaps the plan was to make her look like the bomber, but that crazy.

I'm still not 100% convinced Jason is dead, not yet. He could be stashed somewhere else. I think he might have had a Kevlar vest on. There was no blood, but then I know it's TV with restrictions to showing too much blood.

 

[ScottH]

I think he might have had a Kevlar vest on. There was no blood, but then I know it's TV with restrictions to showing too much blood.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there was blood.

I still want to know how the dude that shot Jason was also on the freighter with Hannah.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there was blood.

I still want to know how the dude that shot Jason was also on the freighter with Hannah.

Yeah, that FBI dude is dead.

 

[Rick Thompson]

I'm still not 100% convinced Jason is dead, not yet. He could be stashed somewhere else. I think he might have had a Kevlar vest on. There was no blood, but then I know it's TV with restrictions to showing too much blood.

He's just waiting for his chainsaw to come back from the sharpener's.

 

[DavidMiller]

Yeah, that FBI dude is dead.

Yes, he is. I assume it is his wedding ring that Lozano gave Hanna in the cargo container.

 

[SamT]

So this was renewed for season 2. Are they going to stretch out the same conspiracy story for season 2? I sure hope they resolve it this season.

Who's the main bad guy who was in the White House and was traced? What's his official job?

 

[Johnny Angell]

So this was renewed for season 2. Are they going to stretch out the same conspiracy story for season 2? I sure hope they resolve it this season.

Who's the main bad guy who was in the White House and was traced? What's his official job?

Head of Homeland Security, I think. I agree, end the conspiracy this season, but I doubt they will.

 

[Nelson Au]

Yeah, the wedding ring is Jason's. Hanna recognized it when Lozano tosses it to her. He could have taken it off Jason's finger to play on Hanna's mind.

Sure, it's likely Jason is dead, but I want to believe he might have survived.