Previously: Tom’s President now!
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The First Day
Samantha: Hokay. So this episode starts out at the bombing site, still the night of. The head FBI guy, Atwood, tells Maggie Q to look into all the usual suspects and to heighten security. I’m taking a moment to tell you that the playback on the ABC website is shitty, and makes rewatching this episode difficult. Get it together, ABC.
Marines: They also play like 27 years worth of commercials. Get it together, THIS IS THE INTERNET.
Samantha: Everything is grim. Maggie Q finds a tarnished picture of the Capital Building to emphasize how rubbley the building now is. She gazes at it mournfully.
Mari: I don’t know about picking up random things out of the rubble when they just found an in-tact bomb, but okay super smart FBI lady. Okay.
Dani: And why is this shit STILL on fire? Maybe put out the flames before you go picking through crap?
Samantha: The next morning, Tom gets ready while his speech from the night before plays on news networks. Is it just me or does Tom look a little too smiley during his speech? It feels like a weird acting choice for this moment. My boyfriend has a conspiracy theory that Tom is going to end up being a bad guy and behind the bombing. (M: We do have a new Conspiracy Theory Bench at Snark HQ…) (S: I’ll buy some throw pillows.) He flips through the 24 hour news cycles, all either commenting on how he shouldn’t be President (there are not a lot of options, people) or how this could have even happened. Tom turns it off and pulls his suit jacket on, complete with tiny flag pin. He means serious business now.
He peeks into his daughter’s room and finds his wife lying with her. They share meaningful looks before Jack heads out. He has to ask a secret service agent directions to the West Wing and I thought it was a nice, semi-subtle moment underlining how out of depth he is in a humanizing way. Also, his code name is Phoenix. Since it’s usually Eagle it’s a nice symbolic touch. Staffers are in the hallways, talking in shaken voices or crying. I was kind of relieved to see legit reactions because some of the main, named staffers are almost a little too chill. Before heading into the Oval, Aaron warns Tom that it’s going to be hectic in there.
People are throwing all sorts of problems at him: mass transit, immigration, the banks. It’s around this time I start to get suspicious of Tom’s old chief of staff, Emily. She looks awfully familiar… Tom asks about unrest in Michigan and finds out that the local police in Dearborn are targeting Muslims in reaction to the bombings. Oh no. A random staffer says that they need to do whatever they have to against everyone who could have ever been our enemy. Emily is shocked at the implication of “enhanced interrogation.” Pretty sure that’s just fancy talk for torture. Did they call it that in BrainDead? (M: “Enhanced questioning.“) Everyone starts shouting and ignoring Tom when he tries to restore order. He gets angry and overwhelmed and opens an Oval Office door. He looks confused about where he is for a moment and then thinks “fuck it” and slams the door behind him.
He finds an empty conference room and closes the door behind him, clearly trying to stop a panic attack. (D: This is obviously the President’s cabinet room, where Tom should have been many times before. If he’s still lost, then I’ma have to echo the media and say this guy totes does not belong here.) The chairs at the table all have fancy little plates on the back that state who sits where. He looks at the “Housing and Urban Development” chair before putting his hand on the “President” chair. Idk, it’s possible this all supposed to be symbolic, I’m not great at picking up on anvils.
Mari: They are sooooo heavy.
Samantha: Stripes! Jacket Flip! Silhouettes!
Emily and Aaron find Tom in the conference room. My suspicions about Emily turn into a revelation and I check imdb to confirm. Yep, Emily is none other than Siobhan, or the Silver Banshee, from Supergirl. Always trust those gut instinct dislikes, Mari. Damn. (M: WHY IS SHE FOLLOWING US?) Tom tells them that he needed somewhere quiet and that they have to pull the government back into order, fast. Aaron is all “yeah, and with me as your Chief of Staff we can do that!” *toothy smile*. Basically. Emily hisses at him about making a play right now and Tom disciplines the children. He tells them that they are closing the banks, keeping a close eye on Michigan, and staying on top of the bombing investigation. He also wants to go down to the Capital Building and see what’s left of it. Aaron tries to politicize it but Tom just wants to pay his respects to, you know, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HORRIBLY DIED? Damn, Aaron.
Seth is walking down his street. He waves to a white neighbor who basically gives him awkward racist face. Ugh. A police car pulls up and two white officers get out to racially profile Seth. They want to know what’s in his backpack and Seth, understandably flustered, tells him it’s his work things. They are insultingly derisive of him working at the White House and demand to see some ID. One officer goes to look him up and the other questions if “Seth Wright” is his real name. Because… it’s not foreign sounding enough… I guess? They condescendingly give him the all clear to go.
Aaron and Emily are debating the various merits and demerits of people who could fill cabinet roles. This is interrupted when Aaron’s phone buzzes because something has happened in Michigan.
Seth is sitting at his desk when Tom comes in. Seth jumps up and the President tells him that he doesn’t have to stand every time he walks in. But….
Tom apologizes for the press not liking him enough to like Seth’s speech? I guess? Seth tells him that the public isn’t ready to unite behind anyone yet. Emily and Aaron bust in to show Tom what’s happening in Michigan. Basically, the police are imposing a curfew on Muslim citizens or arresting them. President Tom gets on the phone with the Michigan governor, Royce. (D: HEY! That guy was just in BrainDead! I’m sensing a pattern …) He offers their help in getting the police to stand down but Royce is like “Nah, they’re acting on my orders because I’m a racist jerk.” I, uh, may have filled in some of the gaps. Tom tells him that just because they’re Muslim does not at all mean they’re radicalized. Royce actually says, “No, but I’m willing to bet they know someone who is.” OMFG. He goes on about how he has to think of his citizens safety and we all know he means his white citizens. Tom calls him out and tries to pull rank. Royce gives no fucks though because Tom isn’t his President, whatever that means. He hangs up on POTUS. This feels like a coup and it’s infuriating.
Mari: Forget sitting when the President stands. WHO HANGS UP ON THE PRESIDENT?
Samantha: After a real commercial break a woman flanked by an entourage walks down a hallway in the White House. Emily and Aaron tell Tom that calls of support are coming in from leaders all over the world. This is interrupted as the woman, Kimble, meets up with Tom’s group in the hallway. She tells him that she was moved by his speech last night. Tom wonders who she is and Aaron tells him that she’s Congresswoman Kimble Hookstraten. She tells him that she is the other Designated Survivor. What? The West Wing didn’t tell me about this? Aaron is clearly unfazed so I call bullshit on him not telling Tom “oh btw, there’s another survivor of the government” before now.
Dani: And I call bullshit on a presidential cabinet member like Tom having no clue who she is. I know they’re trying to paint him as this total Washington outsider, but he’s the HUD Secretary, FFS. He would’ve gotten ZERO accomplished if he didn’t know who’s who in Congress. Side note: Perhaps this is why the president was going to fire him??
Samantha: Interesting that it could be intentional ineptitude instead of lazy writing. Only time will tell!
Kimble and the President head into the Oval Office while Aaron explains that the Republicans chose someone to sit out as well so that they’d also have representation. Emily tells us that Kimble is very smart, was Whip, and knows everyone in town. Aaron points out that makes her more qualified than Tom. Yeah, I don’t know much about our line of succession beyond #3, but shouldn’t an actual elected official come first? Or is it a Cabinet member because they were appointed by the elected President? Idk.
Mari: I’ll just wait here patiently until TV decides to teach me these things about our government, honestly.
Samantha: Tom and Kimble are marveling over the fact that they survived. Tom laments about how the American people are stuck with him. Kimble tells him that the last time she cried and prayed together was 9/11. They got through that and they will get through this. She tells him that it shouldn’t matter about parties right now, they’re all Americans and he’s the leader. Man, I kind of like her so far and I really hope they don’t go the “shady Republican” route with her. It would be so refreshing if she wasn’t a sneaky villain. (M: MY EXACT THOUGHTS.) (D: If General Warmongerer is any indication of this show’s subtle writing, I wouldn’t hold your breath.) Tom invites her to go visit the Capitol with him as a show of unity.
FBI Headquarter-y place? Wow, I forgot there was a whole separate storyline with Maggie Q. I hope they join them together a bit more soon. She looks at a picture of her and a man, presumably the one she’s been calling, and gets a little emotional. She goes inside a hangar (I think) where bodies are on the ground covered in black tarps and people are analyzing stuff. (D: Shouldn’t the bodies be in cold storage? How are they air-conditioning this massive hangar? Who’s paying for this? I need answers, people!) A man starts to tell her about the bomb that didn’t explode: basically that it’s a mishmash of different countries’ parts. Maggie Q (Hannah) wonders if it didn’t explode on purpose, so that it could be found.
White House. Aaron is having difficulty getting the terrible Michigan governor on the phone. Seth is struggling with writing a speech about unity when cops are already starting to racially profile people. Emily and Aaron disagree about who should be attorney general. I dislike both of them but Aaron comes out on top in the dislike race with, “The governor of Michigan is basically declaring his state a sovereign nation. We don’t have time for values.” That’s probably exactly when you need them though, buddy. Man, so far the only staffer I like at all is Seth. (D: Same. I hope Emily and Aaron aren’t supposed to be sympathetic characters. Swing and a miss, people!)
Oval. Alex is horrified to hear what Royce has been saying and doing. Tom tells her that he’s got some lawyers coming and they’ll figure out what his legal options are. I was expecting a bit more of a POW response. They talk about how everything, including schools, are closed and wonder how Penny is handling all this. Alex has been trying to keep her away from the TV and Leo has been shut up in his room all day. This family moment is interrupted by the Mustache Twirling General barging in. Tom tries to let Alex stay but homegirl does not have code word clearance. The General announces, after Alex leaves, that they know who blew up the Capitol.
The Fancy Pants Bunker. The team tells Tom that Al-Sakar is responsible. Tom is less than impressed though, when they actually tell him it’s only 75% certain. The General makes matters worse when he says “I am giving you an enemy we can kill.” Wow, so, we’re just going to kill some people to make ourselves feel better or something? Regardless of if they did something wrong? Thankfully, Tom vehemently agrees with me and yells that he wants 100% before he kills people. I cheer him on.
Dani: Not when it’s directed at assholes. If it were directed at an inexperienced, spineless college girl then it would be weird. And also a bestseller. (M: A+)
Samantha: Atwood (why why does he have to have Ryan Atwood’s name?) recounts everything we know so far to his team. Hannah thinks it’s odd that Al-Sakar hasn’t taken credit but Atwood isn’t so sure. Hannah relays her theory that the bomb was meant to be found so that they would think it was Al-Sakar. She doesn’t have any proof, but she wants Atwood to tell the President anyway. (D: Works for General Angry Eyebrows.)
White House. Tom is getting his bulletproof vest on while Alex panics about how she should act at the Capitol. Mike comes in with a vest for her too and Tom wonders if these are really necessary. Uh, what? Of course they are? The entire government was killed less than 24 hours ago? But I guess this is the same guy who was just chilling on the balcony earlier, so. Anyway, Mike says that the President only leaves out the front door with a vest or out the back with a baseball cap. (D: Srsly, Mike?) Okay. Penny comes in and hugs her father and wonders what the vest is for. Tom tells her that it’s to protect him if he falls down.
It’s time to head out but not before Alex tells Leo to watch Penny and not to let her watch TV. So. Penny is probably going to watch TV. As they leave, Tom asks Mike what his code name was before he was President. Mike tells him it was Glasses and Tom looks all bummed out and takes them off. Why is this show weirdly picking on glasses?!?!?!?! Stop. It’s weird.
Dani: Guys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.
Mari: IT’S NOT MY FAULT I DIDN’T… eat… my… vegetables….
Samantha: In the motorcade, Aaron tells us that he still can’t get Royce on the phone. Seth makes the point that tragedy either brings out the best or worst in people. In his car, Tom waxes poetic about the irony of his fired-but-then-he’s-the-President situation.
Capitol Site. Tom and all the named White House people get out of the motorcade and stare in shock and horror at the ruins of the Capitol. Reporters, citizens, and rescue workers look on grimly. Atwood ushers Tom into a tent to receive the FBI briefing. Atwood doesn’t tell him anything about Hannah’s theories and she gives him A Look. He also explains that this type of bomb caused the entire chamber to collapse on itself, hence the extreme destruction. After the brief briefing, Tom takes off his bulletproof vest (???) because it doesn’t project confidence??? Apparently a confident President is a susceptible to easy bullets President.
Dani: This is stupid. The American public has suffered enough of a shock; they need to see their new president making smart decisions, not acting reckless and invincible.
Samantha: White House. Penny and Leo are playing cards. Leo gets a phone call that he just has to leave the room to take and Penny, in a shocking turn of events, turns on the TV. Her parents’ visit to the Capitol is on.
Tom borrows a megaphone and climbs up on some rubble to give a speech. He thanks the rescue workers and talks about the best and worst in humanity but everyone stops paying attention as cell phones start going off. The situation in Michigan has gotten worse. Everyone starts muttering and watching awful video of a Muslim teenage boy being beaten by police. It was hard to watch because that may be an actor, but the situation is all too real.
Dani: I was too distracted by the sheer contrivance of EVERYONE getting the video at the exact time. It totally took away from the gravity of the situation for me, which is a shame because the message (and the all too real possibility of this situation) is too important to get lost in bad writing/directing.
Samantha: Reporters start to ask Tom questions about the situation and Aaron jumps in to try and wave them off. Everyone keeps yelling questions at Tom, although how they think he knows anything about it since he was standing right in front of them as it broke, I’m not sure. A man reaches into his coat and Mike thinks it could be a gun and yells at the man to put his hands up. He yells “Gun!” when the man doesn’t comply and mass chaos ensues. It turns out it was just a cell phone. (D: Dude’s lucky he was white, amiright?) Secret Service ushers Tom and Alex to the car.
Back at the White House. Tom wants to speak to some lawyers ASAP. The teenage boy is in surgery with internal bleeding. Alex makes a point to find out his name (Danny Fayad) and age (17, like Leo) before she’s whisked away because Penny needs her.
Capitol. Hannah is questioning why Atwood didn’t tell the President her theory. He tells her that he needs proof first.
Tom is sitting with two lawyers. They tell him that an Executive Order is too hostile, a Presidential Proclamation is too weak, and martial law could work except it would probably get him thrown out of office. So. Very unhelpful.
Alex sits down with Leo, furious because Penny saw the riot at the Capitol. She does the “You had one job” thing and Leo tries to say that he did keep her away from the TV. “Until you didn’t,” Alex retorts. She tells Leo he has to grow up faster because she needs to be able to count on him. Leo “I guess we’ll find out”s his way out of the room.
Mari: What a BRAT. This isn’t regular brattiness because he’s SEVENTEEN and it’s the day after 900 people were killed down the street. Like, shut up and try not to be mean to your parents who were visiting a bomb site, asshole.
Dani: I hate this kid so hard. Not impressed with the writers, either, though. Is it too much to ask that the children be written with just a teensy bit of nuance, rather than stock Adorably Precocious Daughter and Rebellious Teenage Son?
Samantha: The General walks up to Aaron to talk coup in the middle of a busy White House. Tom’s in over his head, he won’t pull the trigger, blah blah blah.
Dani: Anyone else keep picturing the cartoon dude from the car insurance commercials whenever this clown enters the room?
Samantha: Literally, yes.
Oval. Tom is pouring over law books because his lawyers were useless when Alex comes in. She reminds him of when Governor Wallace refused to integrate schools in Alabama and JFK federalized the National Guard. Yes, I like this plan, it speaks to all the anger inside of me. Tom thinks that it’s brilliant but nuclear, and he needs a political solution. Seth pages in that there’s a phone call. Danny Fayad died.
Dani: For a brand new president, Tom sure gets a lot of alone-time.
Samantha: After the commercial break, Emily tells Tom and us that Kimble helped to get Royce back on the phone. Yeah teamwork! Tom starts Skyping with Governor Royce and orders him to have his police stand down against the Muslim community and release everyone who was picked up without committing a crime. Royce eyerolls and nopes. Tom informs him that the police unknowingly picked up 3 undercover Homeland Security operatives. Everyone in the room exchanges “whaaaa” looks. Tom can’t release their names because it’s classified, so Royce has to release everyone. If he doesn’t, he’ll be obstructing a federal investigation. Royce protests that he’s just trying to keep his people safe and Tom shoots back, “How safe is Danny Fayad this evening?” Royce gives in. Tom aggressively hangs up the call and admits that he was bluffing about the agents. Everyone congratulates him. I mean he just straight up lied to this guy but I think I’m okay with it. (M: Yes.) He also admits that this was just a band aid. Kimble says, “Governor Royce is a good man. He was just wrong today,” and I eyeroll a little. (M: Girl, his racism wasn’t born today, I can guarantee.) As everyone files out of the room, Tom asks Seth to hang back.
Tom tells him that the police called the White House this morning to confirm that Seth worked there. (D: And naturally the President is informed about every employment verification call that comes through the switchboard.) Seth tells him it’s the same thing that happened in Michigan, what always happens. “When people don’t know who their enemy is, they start with people who look like me,” Seth concludes. Tom says that since the FBI can’t confirm it was Al-Sakar, he can’t do anything, otherwise he’d be just as bad as Royce. He wants to get this right. He offers to have the Secret Service drive Seth home but he insists that he’ll be fine. This got me worried for Seth’s safety. Never insist you’ll be okay! (D: Listen to her, Seth. Snark Lady Advice saves lives!!!) Tom asks an assistant for Danny Fayad’s parents’ number.
Seth heads outside to where a vigil is happening, while Tom talks to Danny’s parents. After he hangs up, he asks Mike for a baseball cap to visit the Capitol.
As Seth stands at the vigil a white cop spots him. I’m honestly not sure if it’s the same cop that stopped him earlier. Seth looks defeated and anxious as the officer approaches but he just asks Seth if he lost someone in the bombing. Seth tearily says that he lost everyone as a woman hands out candles.
Tom thanks rescue workers as Kimble googles him. (M: Do NOT be shady, Kimble. THAT’S AN ORDER.)
Hannah, gosh I keep forgetting about her, watches as Tom’s car drives away. She is studying the board of missing (including her guy) and deceased when the shouts start. They’ve found a survivor.
Well, I didn’t hate it, honestly. It has some flaws and I got bored at points, but parts of it were compelling. I have a feeling they’re going to have Kimble make a play against Tom and that will probably bum me out.
Mari: I thought this was better than the pilot, at least. The pacing was improved, and the parts where it got a little boring I think comes from the fact that I’m not sold on these characters yet. I’m at the “any of them could die and I wouldn’t care” stage, which doesn’t always bode well for slower or quieter moments.
I hope that they are soon getting over this thing where Maggie Q suggests a theory but then we see her doing absolutely nothing, except standing around and suggesting things. It’s weird and I want it to stop.
Dani: Agreed. Don’t squander Maggie Q, show! I want to root for her, but if she’s just going to get annoyed because her boss won’t listen to her gut, then I’m out.
I’m struggling with this show, guys. The side characters seem really one-note: the warmongering general, the resentful teen, the power-hungry chief of staff. Even the main characters are very “meh” to me. I don’t care about any of them, and I really should after spending two entire shows with them. (For comparison, watch the first two episodes of Pitch … that show is a master class on taking minor characters who look one-dimensional on the surface and then fully fleshing them out with a one- or two-minute scene.) These characters, OTOH, feel like those from a procedural show, like CSI or Law & Order. Is this show supposed to be a political procedural? Was the Michigan plot-line sort of like the Case of the Week? I don’t know … but I don’t think the writers know, either.
I also wish elements were more realistic. We have no cabinet (and thus zero line of succession), yet the president is allowed to go off at night and wander the bomb site (where there could be more bombs) in a ball cap with one Secret Service agent? Add that to all the stupid little details like all the pockets of fire still burning at the Capitol, and Tom somehow knowing DCPD called about Seth, plus him having no clue who Kimball (a former party Whip, FFS) was, and you can see why I watched most of the episode looking like this:
They do such a good job portraying the truly awkward moments (of which there are many) in such a convincingly realistic way that it makes this other stuff even more frustrating. And even more distracting. I know fiction requires a suspension of disbelief, but mine had been red-lining within the first ten minutes of these episodes. That said, I have great hope that things will even out as the series progresses.
Next time on Designated Survivor: There’s a security breach at the White House because they suck at security in S01 E03 – The Confession.
I am a 30-something year-old human woman who lives in Maine. I'm a freelance writer who mostly spends time that I should be doing that, watching T.V. I also love reading and comic books way too much.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I’m a serial procrastinator and a genuinely terrible singer, and if anyone knows how to monetize either of these skills please hit me up. In my spare time, I like to study Dutch painters, Italian architecture, and Canadian bacon.
