Designated Survivor Review [1×04]: “The Enemy”

Designated Survivor steadies the ship a little with a better fourth hour.

Last week’s ‘Designated Survivor‘ was a mess, an amalgamation of everything this series absolutely should not be: A seemingly never-ending web of betrayal and lies hidden from Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), with the threat of a conspiracy in there too. “The Enemy”, however, did a much better job at utilising the show’s strengths, even if those weaknesses are still problematically prominent.

In “The Enemy”, with the public now aware of Al-Sakar’s involvement in the Capitol Hill bombing, Kirkman was left under pressure to react once he receives word of their leader’s - Majid Nassar (Nicholas Massouh) - location. Unfortunately for him, there was an American agent likely captured inside the compound, and the pressure began to mount over whether to sacrifice the agent to avenge the thousand plus dead. Meanwhile, Michigan State Governor Royce (Michael Gaston) decided to reintroduce racial profiling, despite previously agreeing to Kirkman’s cease and desist, leaving Emily (Italia Ricci) to intervene. Elsewhere, Wells (Maggie Q) continued her investigation, her sights set on sole survivor Peter MacLeish (Ashley Zukerman), while Alex (Natascha McElhone) attempted to help prevent one of her asylum seeking clients from being deported.

Kirkman is beginning to seem more Presidential.

Though the first three episodes have swayed back and forth over Kirkman’s ability - or lack thereof - to lead the country, “The Enemy” indicated that while he may not necessarily be the ideal man for the job, he appears capable of performing his duties. In the face of doubters and potential coups, Kirkman showed his resolve, standing up to both Royce and General Cochrane (Kevin R. McNally). Royce was arrested for treason; Cochrane fired for insubordination.

Both events seemed like a long time coming. Royce backtracking on his prior agreement was a reasonable expectation, and Cochrane has had an itchy trigger finger since moment one. Eventually, he was always going to jump the gun and circumvent Kirkman’s authority.

It speaks to his rapid development as a leader, however, that he acted so justly and swiftly - with Cochrane, at least. But even with Royce, deceiving him to get him to D.C. before arresting him was an impressive move and, more importantly, one that the Tom Kirkman we met in the opening minutes of the pilot wouldn’t have made.

“General, you are fired.” - President Tom Kirkman

And yet, the lack of passing time since that episode - he’s been in office for a week - would suggest that these qualities were already ingrained within him. It’s a plausible thought, though one that arguably diminishes the potential for character development; at the very least, it changes our perception of how he’ll be developed. If he has to find it within himself to become this leader rather than beginning from scratch, his character trajectory becomes slightly clearer and can be operated on a more accelerated timeline (we were never really going to see half a season to a season of Kirkman finding himself, were we?).

The major issue here is how consistent ‘Designated Survivor’ can be with him. Past a certain point, the show can’t continue to randomly choose when he should be an ordinary guy and when he should be presidential. We’re not there yet, but it won’t be long, and the show needs to be aware of when that happens to do the character justice.

Is there a conspiracy? Probably.

Last week’s cliffhanger gave the impression that Congressman Peter MacLeish, the only surviving State of the Union attendee, was somehow involved after lying about not being in his seat. Sure enough, he - his wife, at least - had an explanation for why he wasn’t sat down, about to be turned into ash like the rest of his colleagues and peers. And while her excuse sounded completely fabricated and desperate, it actually checked out.

So, MacLeish wasn’t involved?

Oh, how wonderful if that were the case.

By episode’s end, and after Wells decided that her apparent misguided belief was an attempt to blame MacLeish for surviving when Scott didn’t, “The Enemy” decided to reveal an unidentified caller who claimed to be able to provide Wells with more information on the Congressman. Not only is it impossible to really care about anything happening here when Wells feels so disconnected from everything at the White House, but the show’s insistence not only that it is smarter than viewers (an incorrect belief) but that this bipolar storytelling is a good idea is going to get it into trouble.

At this point, it’s inevitable that MacLeish will have been involved and, worse still, it’s the show’s best way out of this mess; spending two episodes waiting teasing his involvement and then revealing him to be clean would be a total waste of time, and give Wells no entry point to the story.

The whole thing is tiring and the sooner the show moves past it, the better.

Alex owes a favour that will come back to haunt the Kirkmans.

Whenever a character close to the protagonist of a series makes a deal with or receives a favour from a secretly nefarious and potentially threatening character, it’s hard not to roll my eyes in frustration at the obviousness of how things will play out. Enter such a scene in “The Enemy”, as Alex needed help from Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten (Virginia Madsen) to save one of her clients.

Given the lengths ‘Designated Survivor’ has gone to in order to present Hookstraten as a ticking time bomb, it’s difficult not to see this coming back to cause numerous problems for both Alex and - by extension - Tom. As yet, the picture isn’t clear as to how Hookstraten will use the Kirkmans, but it would seem beyond all reasonable doubt that she will.

The story itself, however, was a useful way of giving Alex plot besides be the mother of two children. Nothing was especially gripping, but it was something, and that was all that was needed. Sure, something substantial is the ideal aim, but given that three episodes have done virtually nothing with her, getting off the ground like this isn’t terrible.

Final Verdict: The Tom Kirkman aspects of ‘Designated Survivor’ continue to work, while the rest does not.

That sentence is perhaps a slight over-exaggeration, but the sentiment is the same. Though what’s happening with everyone not named Tom Kirkman isn’t completely terrible, it’s not exactly the most captivating either. Not only do multiple characters feel like they’re on a different show, but it’s not a good show that they’re on.

But ‘Designated Survivor’ has proven in what it’s done with Tom that it has some handle on things; whether it’s the writing or Kiefer Sutherland, I don’t know, but his screentime works. If the show can find a way to better use those around him and better integrate them into his story, then this season could turn out to be great. And it’s still early, which means that could happen. But for the moment, it’s still struggling somewhat.

Questions and comments:

• That title card is not good. It is not good at all.
• The Michigan National Guard refusing the order to federalize was such empty tension.
• Seth (Kal Penn) has a new role! He was promoted to press secretary, after the guy who was given the job after the attack - Carter (Ben Lewis) - crashed and burned within seconds of taking the podium. And, unsurprisingly, Seth’s pretty great at it, even if he didn’t initially want to be paraded around as “the President’s friendly Muslim.”
• I don’t think either of the kids were in this episode. I certainly didn’t make any notes about an appearance. That’s not the worst thing.
• I made a bet with myself that Aaron (Adan Canto) and Emily would be hooking up by episode’s end - yes, despite her being in a ten-month long relationship. I was wrong. That, however, will not last.

‘Designated Survivor’ airs Wednesdays at 10pm on ABC.