 |
Also Known As: - |
|---|---|
| Year of first release: 2016 | |
| Creator: David Guggenheim | |
| Actors: Kiefer Sutherland (Flatliners, 24 TV-series), Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show), Adan Canto (Narcos TV-series), Italia Ricci (Supergirl TV-series), Maggie Q (Naked Weapon), Kal Penn (Superman Returns) | |
| Country: USA | |
| Genre: Polar, Thriller | |
| Conditions of visioning: December 2016, VOD, 10" tablet screen. | |
| Synopsis: After a terrorist bombing decimates the whole government, a planned survivor is revealed in the person of Tom Kirkman (Sutherland) that has now to assume the function of President of the USA. | |
| Review: It was easy for me to decide to start watching this series as it contains some part of political life in the White House (that I like since watching House of Cards), a disastrous terrorist attack (as in White House Down, Olympus has Fallen and London has Fallen, although not the best quality examples) and a Kiefer Sutherland under a lot of pressure like he played so well in the 24 TV-series. All the ingredients to produce a TV-series if not revolutionary, at least watchable and entertaining, with the hope of some reflection on terrorism. That hope you can forget. Designated Survivor turns out to be a good Thriller series, and various characters well played by good actors, but little more than a designated series of challenges for the FBI (nice to see Maggie Q play there) and the presidential couple, including familial ones, a couple that would by the way get eaten for breakfast by the Underwoods of House of Cards. The Kirkmans are just not built for it. It is not what is asked of them in fact, in a TV-series that focuses more on suspense that on power games. And suspense you have with twists at almost every episode, catastrophes happening at the worst times, security breaches, internal and external political tension, and suspicion and conspiracy all around, although likely less well rendered as in the other TV-series Homeland that I haven't seen but was recommended to me for its paranoid component. Note that it is the first series in many years (15?) that I have been watching episode by episode as they were released. Funny that Netflix decided to release it that way and not in one shot as usual. The waiting between episodes made me more eager to watch the series, but I am not sure I would repeat the experiment. Also I learned only after 10 episodes that the first season will contain 22 Episodes, the 12 remaining to be released after march 2017. A bit disappointing as the Episode 10: The Oath ends with a cliffhanger barely more tense than in any other episode. I will update this article after watching the whole season but wanted to publish this part at least while it is fresh in memory. |
|
Rating: 4 /10
| |
More than entertainment, an Art.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Designated Survivor - Season 1 (2016)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have watched the remaining 12 episodes in the series after they were all released around this summer of 2017. All the elements I described in my main article are still present, but after the surprise effect has passed, it feels a bit repetitive. The tension decreases progressively especially after Episode 15 One Hundred Days, when the president is more focused on normal affairs, and the whole terrorist story is left to be dealt with by Agent Wells (Maggie Q).
ReplyDeleteEvery episode shows its formatted amount of suspense, political intrigue and indecision from one or more of the main protagonists. A bit too soap opera for me. Towards the end the conspiracy comes back in front of the scene, but fails to deliver a really satisfying end of season.
But the worst of that second half of season is product placement. Netflix warns you about that when you start each episode but I didn't bother much, until a totally useless scene in Episode 18 Lazarus in which the FBI agents admire and toy with a new Ford Fusion shown from all angles (the remote ignition, seriously!?!). A quick Internet search shows that I was not the only one outraged by that scene.
I have now decreased the rating of that season from 5/10 to 4/10.