Here is what I expect from Keifer Sutherland’s new drama, Designated Survivor:
The big event happens early in the pilot, thrusting him to the presidency. It ends with a cliffhanger to make us wonder what happened and season one features a lot of flashbacks leading up to whatever it was.
Now let’s see if that’s what actually happens. I’m about to start watching and will live-blog my thoughts.
I’m choosing this over football, and the Patriots have some pretty solid looking Thursday night uniforms. This better be worth it.
I think we all know how this works. Explaining it is like showing the Superman origin for the 10,000th time.
Do you think the designated survivor (we’ll call him the DS) really wears jeans and a hoodie? And drinks a beer? That would be…unpresidential and actually kinda irresponsible.
Establishing that he has a kid. Solid. Hopefully she’s not as awful as whatever Jack Bauer’s daughter’s name was.
That was okay. It could have been more impactful or shocking or whatever but it was good.
A flashback! Check.
Would the television feed actually flicker out or would it just go out? What an odd thing to wonder.
Going from an explosion that wipes out government at night to eating scrambled eggs that morning feels like it killed a lot of momentum.
I would take an ambassadorship to the ICAO! #avgeek Being booted probably explains his lax attire later that night.
Do we need to talk about – wait…
“What do you want me to do, go to war with the president of the United States?” Um…okayyyy.
Anyway, do we need to talk about whether or not Sutherland’s scratchy voice is a good fit for this part? It was so perfect for Jack Bauer. Let’s give it some time. I assume he was cast to be a president, not a HUDdy duddy. #BureaucracyPuns
This is the first time I’ve thought about the fact that if the DS is elevated to president it can also mean we lost Congress. And the Supreme Court. Jesus. I wonder if networks do a dry run for what to do in this situation.
All of this has to be in place (Do we trust speechwriter guy?) on the night of the State of the Union. I take back what I said about not needing it explained. So hasty am I to judge.
Take control of the room, Mr. President. Do you think they screen cabinet appointees for whether or not they could handle this situation?
This bathroom talk is somewhat convenient.
Have you noticed that so far a lot of my thoughts are about real life and not the TV show? I can’t tell if that’s because the show is lacking or because I’ve always kind of been interested in continuity of government (having once worked in government).
Do we really let the prez hang out on the sidewalk after Congress was blown to bits? I suppose if this character was immediately presidential I would be like oh how convenient that the one guy they leave behind can immediately step into the role of president.
This military guy who wanted to go DEFCON 2 is going to be a problem isn’t he? Could he be any more stereotypical?
When are they going to tell us who this Agent Wills is calling, and why is it important enough that they aren’t revealing it yet?
I like that they’re having Agent Wills reference how real-life attacks seem to go. I think it gives the show credibility. I have to admit also that the possibility of it being the first attack never crossed my mind.
As a communications guy I’m interested to hear the speech they wrote him.
One of the ways I measure how engaging a show is is how many character names I remember. Agent Wills and Tom something that ends in orkman. Workman?
There’s almost always something I dread about a TV show or a movie. In Designated Survivor I think it’s going to be military guy. I really don’t want to put up with a show with such a cookie-cutter character. I hope they surprise me.
All in all I’m not sure yet what kind of show we have in Designated Survivor. There are so many potential elements it can string together from politics to thriller to conspiracy to character. That puts its realm of possibility anywhere between dreadful and brilliant.
Kiefer, it’s on you.
photo credit: ABC
The Wandering Lostie 