Take Three: Designated Survivor

Designated Survivor: Season 1, Episode 3 “The Confession” (B)

This episode was somewhat more focused than the second episode, ignoring both of the Kirkman children and instead just featuring the new first lady asking for the help of someone who is surely going to ask for a favor in return at a very bad time. What we’ve seen of Congresswoman Hookstraten, who feels the need to constantly remind everyone that she is currently half of Congress, so far is that she always shows up to be helpful and to the right thing in the moment, in a way that shows that she’s making power moves. Granting Alex’s request means that she’s just biding her time to come at the president in a way that’s really going to hurt him. Emily flying to Michigan to witness and safeguard the protest failed, and then Tom’s authoritative federalization of the National Guard tanked too when they wouldn’t acknowledge his authority either. Lying to Emily so that she would bring Royce to him where he could publicly arrest him without being challenged was cunning but also cutthroat, and it’s definitely the move that Aaron would have made but not something that feels like Tom, who made a good point that it doesn’t always feel good to do what needs to be done. Firing General Cochrane was another successful show of power, one made even more emphatic by his eventual authorization of the mission. Hannah is on the right track, but it would be nice if whoever had information about who was behind the attack on the Capitol didn’t insist of being so cryptic.