Premiere Week 2016 – Designated Survivor Is Damn Near Perfect.

Hail to the Chief, who in triumph advances…

I’ll be the first to admit it. I was very much looking forward to Designated Survivor largely because it meant that Kiefer Sutherland would be back on my TV. That man is a hell of an actor, and the ads instantly got my attention because he is playing the President of the United States this time. But as I always say on this blog, it is all in the execution. With possible comparisons to Tom Clancy’s Debt of Honor and Executive Orders firmly in the back of my mind, did Designated Survivor meet the expectations of my cold, jaded ass?

It didn’t just meet them. It surpassed them.

The Perfect Cast.

Hey guys, I’m the President now! What’s up?

As you might have guessed from the header, I’m not just going to drool over Kiefer’s interesting portrayal of Tom Kirkman. This is partly because of the fact that this is one part family drama, one part political piece, and one part conspiracy thriller. In order to make one of the finest actors of our day shine, one naturally has to put an equally exceptional actress alongside him in the form of Natascha McElhone. I’m also a fan of hers because of Californication, so it’s not much of a surprise to report that she nails the portrayal of Alex Kirkman with grace and charm. It’s nothing but a good sign when the two of them waltz onto our screens and are instantly likable.

Oh, you thought I was done?

Every single piece of the supporting cast does an excellent job of setting up the three major storylines without any headaches or issues. Of note, Kal Penn and Maggie Q present an interesting mix of fear, nervousness, and a willingness to get the job done. The nation has been attacked. There are only a few moments to grieve. Now, get the hell to work!

To be fair, though, Kal Penn did work in the White House at one point, so it’s not much of an acting stretch for him compared to, say, his time on House.

Italia Ricci, Adan Canto, and LaMonica Garrett round out the supporters of the Kirkmans in the pilot, although they have less reservations about the task at hand than most. I’m anticipating some major character growth as we get time with these characters. I suspect that Italia and Adan will be mostly dealing with the political side of things, whereas LaMonica might be more in the family storylines. That’s perfectly fine.

The small weak link that keeps this pilot from sheer perfection is in dealing with the kids. Tanner Buchanan and Mckenna Grace do a good job and are perfectly likable, but the silly trope of having the teenage son dealing drugs is a bit too tired for me. Sorry.

Politics, Family, And EVIL!

Instant humanization in a few seconds of screen time. Well done!

As you might have guessed from what I said above, the show tackles three different storylines rather nicely. As soon as Kirkman becomes President, he is immediately tested with Iranian tomfoolery in the Strait of Hormuz. It was a rather simple look at the diplomacy involved in the job, but I think it’s good enough for a pilot since it shows that Tom means business. Nicely done!

On the family side, it was also quite simple for an introduction. However, that’s fine because there’s not too much or too little of their story. With the exception of the molly pushing, the writers did a good job of humanizing these characters before their life changes with the bombing of the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill. There’s a sense of panic, but then comes the support for one another. It’s natural. I like it. Moving on.

On the conspiracy side of things, I’m going to be keeping my eyes peeled for some suspicious actions on the part of two key players that are revealed by the end of this pilot. I’m not going to mention who they are because I want you to enjoy this, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens. Are they involved in the bombing or are they just side players? Is it out of concern for the country or to finish a coup? Will it be a simple conspiracy or will it be brought out over multiple seasons?

I don’t know, but I want to find out.

On The Topical Issues.

Who does she keep calling?

One of the concerns that I had going into this is that it might be politically slanted, but I’m happy to say that nothing gave me that impression when I saw the pilot. I hope that it continues to be that way because it’s important to put nuance and reason into how Kirkman might put the government back together. Although Kirkman is clearly a Democrat, will he still be the good guy that we were introduced to several years down the line? Does power corrupt? What is he going to do when Congress or the Supreme Court are put back together?

I hope that this show has the guts to explore those issues carefully, especially with the three storylines. It is important to recognize that there are no easy solutions in office, so I hope there are certain circumstances where the liberal solution helps, others where the conservative one does, and yet more where some kind of compromise has to be reached for the common good.

It’s something that we all need right about now.

Conclusion.

What comes next?

Designated Survivor is not flawless, but damn, does it come close. It’s an interesting fusion of human drama and current issues, but one might also see it as kind of satirical. After all, it is about what would happen if a person that is the closest one will ever get to an Average Joe became the Leader of the Free World. As the cast steps into the shoes of these characters, I hope that they can live up to the challenge for years to come.

But for now, pop some champagne. Hollywood doesn’t often put out stuff that is original, timely, and well-executed to this level. When it does, it needs to be celebrated. This creative team has earned it.