What Just Happened?

As we eagerly prepare for tonight's episode of Designated Survivor my mind is still trying to make sense out of the conclusion to last weeks show.

As season two began:

The Kirkman administration was engaged in a global manhunt for Patrick Lloyd which saw FBI agent Hannah Wells running leads in Europe alongside MI6 agent Damian Rennet. And by the conclusion of this episode Lloyd had returned to U.S soil, season two was already looking good!

Then last week felt like a step in completely the wrong direction.

As the White House prepared for the yearly correspondents dinner Patrick Lloyd made Tom Kirkman stand up and take notice when he broke into the residents of Kirkman's mother-in-law, he was sending a message that the presidents family was anything but off limits.

The FBI would later track Lloyd to an underground facility and the threat of unleashing toxic nerve gas upon an unsuspecting population would be used by Lloyd unless Kirkman went live on camera and granted him fully amnesty for his past crimes.  

Military advisers would suggest the use of a tactical drone to eliminate America's most wanted fugitive once and for all. This suggestion would lead Aaron into a last minute courtroom  confrontation with a constitutional lawyer over the use of military force against an American citizen HOWEVER in the end a drone would be used and Patrick Lloyd would be dealt a much deserving defeat.

Or would he?

As much as I understand the need to keep the story moving forward  I can't help but think that, had they wished it, there was so much more the writers could have done to develop this character and his story throughout season two.

Hopefully they will, maybe Patrick Lloyd isn't quite dead just yet.

One of the things that has made Designated Survivor interesting so far is that idea of a conspiracy of monumental proportions. With the dispatching of Patrick Lloyd, the mastermind of this conspiracy, I'm fearful that this show could become yet one more series based on the inner workings of the U.S political system as opposed to a narrative that has thus far been both engaging and entertaining.

Sadly if that happens then I'll be in search of something else to watch on Wednesday nights.

Thanks for reading, please remember to follow us on social media via CanGeek.com.

What's Next For Designated Survivor?

I generally try to avoid political dramas as a form of entertainment, with so much happening in the "Real World" I need not look any further than the six o'clock news if I want to become both disgusted and depressed. 

With that fact in mind I have never watched House of Cards or The West Wing, although many friends and family members have regularly recommended these shows to me. 

But there was something different about Designated Survivor, it was obvious from the beginning that this was not going to be your typical political drama. This story was going to focus on a conspiracy of epic proportions, one which would bring a nation to its knees as a government was dismantled and a man with no political ambitions was thrust into the most demanding role in the world.

This looked like a series that I could get behind, plus it starred Kiefer Sutherland so how could you really go wrong?

The first season didn't disappoint. 

As the designated survivor Sutherland's character Tom Kirkman was flung into the presidency when a homegrown terrorist attack leveled Washington's Capital Building and eliminated the bulk of the United States Government during the State Of The Union address.   

Kirkman would immediately be faced with many challenges, transitioning his family to the White House, navigating the minefield that is a political life in Washington, restoring the trust of a demoralized nation, and bringing those responsible for this attack to justice.

This did not feel like your typical political drama, and by the time season one drew to a close I was already eagerly anticipating season two and the journey that the writers would continue to take us on. 

That wait came to an end last night as season two began with a giant leap forward!

It has been a year since the events that began the series transpired, the Kirkman administration has rebuilt that which was destroyed at a considerable expense, the wealthy ringleader behind the attack has been identified and is now on the run, and the American people have begun to lose faith in Tom Kirkman and his ability to lead.

Last nights episode found the States being drawn into a conflict between Russia and Chechnya with American civilians being used as leverage, but as the episode concluded it saw Patrick Lloyd, the terrorist leader played by Terry Serpico sneaking back into Washington D.C.

The return of Lloyd to Washington is in my opinion the catalyst that will propel season two forward. Because at its core it is this homegrown conflict that made season one so enjoyable, and it is that same tension that the shows producers will need in order to not only have a successful second season but to also hopefully be renewed for a third season as well.

Are you watching Designated Survivor?  If so, let us know in the comments below what your hopes are for season two and please remember to follow us on social media via our website at cangeek.com