Designated Survivor falls short of its promise

Audiences looking for the subtlety and writing genius of great political dramas like The West Wing or House of Cards will probably not find either in Designated Survivor.

In ABC’s new Wednesday night show, Kiefer Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, the lowly secretary of housing and urban development who had been demoted to a lesser post just hours before a bombing at the Capitol during the State of the Union address. Because Tom had been chosen to sit out the address as the “designated survivor,” the tragedy immediately thrusts him into the presidency.

The audience sits through scene after scene of Tom interacting with his family, doing mundane things like burning the pancakes. These moments are surely an attempt to make viewers care about him as a father, but they could have been summed up much faster.

Some of the worst moments in the show come from gems of dialogue such as, “Nobody around here ever gives up power,” “I’m not the guy for this,” and my personal favorite, “Mr. President, you need to be stronger than you’ve ever been before. We all need that right now.”

It’s too bad, because Designated Survivor is one of the most interesting premises for a political show in a while. Weeks before a national election, some might find it fascinating to ponder: What really would happen if every member of Congress and the cabinet disappeared at once? What would happen to the stock market or the federal budget? What kind of institutional knowledge would be lost?

The show seems poised to focus on at least two main themes: how Tom’s family handles the transition and how the vacuum of power will be filled. Surviving Gen. Harry Cochrane, played by Kevin McNally, is suspiciously pushy about using the tragedy as an opportunity to show force against Iran. One FBI agent, played by Maggie Q., doesn’t think a Mideast terror group was responsible for the bombing.

Show executives could have gone the route of careful research, hiring consultants with years of political experience to inform the writing process. Creator David Guggenheim told The Washington Post he is “obsessed with Washington, D.C., protocols.”

Instead, Guggenheim seems to be relying on Kal Penn, an actor who spent less than two years working in the Obama administration between stints on House, Harold & Kumar, and How I Met Your Mother. Penn might be a helpful voice to have in the writer’s room, but he shouldn’t be the main political authority tackling the challenge and possibility of this plot. (The Post story cited one of Penn’s contributions as knowing who would wear badges and who wouldn’t inside the White House.)

One line from Tom gives the audience some hope. After a backhanded insult from Harry about being a figurehead and being reluctant to exercise military force, he comments, “Well, general, this figurehead paid attention in cabinet meetings where we discussed this issue.”

We’re reminded that Tom was, after all, next in the line of succession, which was created for a reason. If he can hold onto his convictions, maybe we’ll get to see Jack Bauer, Sutherland’s tough-as-nails character in 24, come back to save America after all.

Designated Survivor airs Wednesday nights on ABC. The pilot includes a scene where Tom’s teenage son sells drugs and views of a smoldering Capitol building that could be unsuitable for children.