Watching this in 2021 after the issues we've all had with bad political leadership (bar NZ) it really makes me wish that we had leaders like Kirkman.
I thought the statue debates were good, really liking this especially in 2021.
This has been a borderline show for me since the beginning since I turn to fiction to escape politics of any kind, not so that I can get more of it in addition to real life. But the initial premise and mystery were enough to hook me. Going into season two, it's obvious that (a) this show has an identity crisis and (b) bears little resemblance to that initial premise and that (c) the writers have no idea what to do with a bunch of additional episodes that they probably weren't expecting to get. As such, I'm literally fast-forwarding through everything in the White House -- this week's viral outbreak (that will be resolved within 42 minutes) and Confederate monuments are a far cry from bombing Congress -- at this point because it's not my thing and because I can't stand New Guy at all.
Which leaves the Hannah stuff which, while far less interesting so far than it was last year, is at least more in line with my own interests. In short, it's the stuff that could have made an interesting show on its own instead of being a small part of the bloated and generic thing that DESIGNATED SURVIVOR has become. And at this point, Hannah has learned of some ties between the First Lady's parents and some possible shady contracts or deals done as favors were called in to move the First Lady's father to the top of a heart transplant list. Not quite "Who bombed the Capitol?" stuff, but better than statues. Still, it probably would have been better to end this as a one-season thing instead of trying to extend its lifespan like this.
Wow, it's actually getting worse, this is really just bad procedural crisis of the week writing. I should probably stop watching...
The writing is all over the place with every new episode. That conspiracy/Lloyd plot becomes less interesting each week. Now they come up with that stupid story about the mother seemingly involved into something shady and it is constructed basically out of nothing. Well, you need to put something into all this episodes.
Contrary to other comments I like the politcal stuff more but you should not take this serious. It is light entertainment at best. It's not how politics is but more like how we wish it to be. And the dialogue is way to cheesy and clichèd.
We take back this one that we had abandoned
So, aside from all the questions about whether this show is leaning more crisis-of-the-week than the original story that gave it life...
The whole trail that Agent Wells is compelling down has found some quirky developments that beg the question of what the heck Lloyd was setting them after -- is he simply setting up for a Presidential scandal to toss the White House into turmoil again? what's the point now? -- but even then... Who the hell set that bomb in the medical records facility, and shouldn't Agent Wells and the others be all over where the hell that weirdly coincident explosion came from? Feels a little too much like "Oh, damm; guess we can't search for those records, what else have we got?" Uhhh... Hopefully that'll come back around in future episodes. It just feels like it could have used a line in there somewhere recognizing the WTFness of that explosion...
"You have to trust me" / "You are doing this for the greater good" / "Your country owes you a great debt" / How many more times do we have to hear all of that again?
Have to say I love this show, for me and contrary to other opinions on here, I think the acting is getting better and the show goes from strength to strength each week. That's the great thing about tv and movies, we all have opinions and we never agree - all the time! Kirkman is the first fictional President since Bartlett's presidency in The West Wing that I would happily have voted for him!
Shout by mookieBlockedParentSpoilers2017-10-14T02:45:35Z
This season of Designated Survivor is absolute bizarre. This episode illustrates why perfectly. The series continues with it's aging framework of crisis-of-the-week. But, the tone of the show has gone sideways.
To illustrate: This week there is the possible pandemic that could wipe out most of America, there's the controversy over moving a monument and then there's the ongoing investigation headed by Hannah. But in the middle of all this -- remember there are thousands of people at risk of dying from an outbreak -- they introduce a frog that will be named after the President as an attempt at humor.
The attempt at humor is jarring and quite out of place when compared with the President dealing with a corporate executive more focused on profit than helping out a minority population. Any emotional investment from the audience is squandered when Paulo Costanzo shows up on screen -- don't get me wrong, I like Paulo, but this is not the show that he's needed in.
Tonally, this season of Designated Survivor is all over the place and that is not a good thing.