Designated Survivor Episodes 1-2 Reviews: Jack Bauer For President (Season Premiere)

"Designated Survivor" recently premiered on ABC. It's not something I would normally watch but given the theme (a political thriller) and the star (Keifer Sutherland) I decided to check it out.

The show highlights the governmental protocol in which one member shelters in an undisclosed location during the State of the Union Address. This person would become president in the event of a catastrophic emergency. See US Presidential Line Of Succession for details. In reality, since 9/11 there have been TWO designated survivors-- a Cabinet member and a Congressman. In 2016 they were Jeh Johnson (Secretary of Homeland Security) and Orrin Hatch (President Pro Tempore of the Senate).

In "Designated Survivor" it's Tom Kirkman (the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development). He is technically #12 in succession. There's an explosion at the Capital Building. We dont know who is responsible yet but I'm sure it will be revealed later. The President and many members of the Cabinet, the Senate and the House of Representatives are killed. Tom is whisked away to be sworn in as President. And to make matters more interesting he was fired (technically asked to resign) earlier in the day.

As soon as Tom takes office parties both inside and outside the government begin conspiring against him. The Governor of Michigan refuted Kirkman's authority and begins to round up all the Muslims in the state. The Iranians move to cut off access to the world's oil supply. Tom is a decent guy with an impossible job.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). "Designated Survivor" is an enjoyable series thus far. I'm not sure I'll follow it each week (especially since there are 22 episodes) but will definitely check back from time to time. Kiefer Sutherland continues to be a compelling presence. I also enjoyed the supporting cast-- Virginia Madsen (as Republican Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten), Natascha McElhone (as the First Lady Alex Kirkman), Adan Canto (as Chief of Staff Aaron Stone), Kal Penn (as Speechwriter Seth Wright) and Maggie Q (as FBI Agent Hannah Wells).

There will lots of comparisons between "Designated Survivor" and "24" because... well... Jack Bauer. It also smacks of "West Wing" and "House Of Cards". For those interested in political intrigue, it's worth a watch.