Another Wednesday night, another step closer to Tom Kirkman and his administration saving the nation from total destruction on Designated Survivor. Hannah and new partner Damian have followed Patrick Lloyd’s trail right back where it all started, Washington D.C. With the Correspondent’s Dinner hours away, are we looking at yet another tragedy where countless lives will be lost?
Designated Survivor Season Premiere Recap: New Faces Are in the White House>>>
Hiding in Plain Sight
In a busy parking lot with hundreds of people around, public enemy number one appears in broad daylight. He finds a car, hops in and takes off.
Gathered around Chuck’s computer, Hannah, Aaron and Damian all bear witness to Lloyd’s D.C. presence on surveillance footage. Hannah and Damian move to check it out while Aaron relays the information to Emily, Lyor and the President. How to proceed on informing the rest of the population is the topic on the table. Kirkman does not want the public to know and Emily and Aaron have the pleasure of explaining this to Senators Feller and Crowling of the Homeland Security Council. Feller of the “Show Me” State lives up to his state’s motto, declaring that the people must be informed of what’s going on.
Travis Lloyd, Patrick’s son, sits across good cop Hannah and bad, scary, British cop Damian. He’s easily spooked into giving the last known whereabouts of his father and where he’s known to be headed. Chuck is already on it, following the vehicle from overhead. Hannah calls bluff and says, “not him,” before rushing out of the door. Little does she know, we have all seen Lloyd do exactly what she finds to be far too obvious.
Getting Personal
Information that the HSC have visited the White House and Senator Feller’s name is attached, so Kirkman takes it upon himself to meet with him and firmly remind him to refrain from spreading “fake news.” Feller is officially in timeout. Meanwhile, the First Mother-in-Law (Bonnie Bedelia) has been spooked in her own home. Hannah and Damian find a distraught Mrs. Booker on her porch after Lloyd has made a mess of things. She’s unharmed, just startled. This makes things a lot more personal for the President.
An old abandoned stretch of land is found to have ties to Browning-Reed. Here is where Hannah and Damian uncover the stolen blue sedan. Shots are fired and Damian is immediately hit. Surely fans aren’t the only ones missing Jason right about now. Hannah follows Lloyd on foot where he nearly escapes into an old, rusted bunker door. (Missed him by that much!) Sometime between the narrow escape and our scene cut back to the White House, Lloyd has posted a video where he states some bold demands. Kirkman is to give a speech giving Lloyd amnesty in front of a national audience. If his needs are not met, then the entirety of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area will be at risk of losing their lives to sarin gas. Aaron suggests they fly an unmanned drone and drop a bomb on the bunker, taking out both Lloyd and keeping the military out of harm’s way.
The time has come for the Correspondent’s Dinner and everyone is dressed to the nines. Appearances are everything in time of a crisis. Quite the opposite of the bunker scene where a bandaged Damian’s light bulb turns on. “An escape hatch,” he wonders. He and Hannah spring into action. Bingo! Down the hatch they go.
Snooping Senator Crowling gains a bit of intel from Emily during the dinner as everyone anxiously awaits the President’s speech. With the news of a drone being used against a civilian, Aaron is swiftly called away from a perfectly good party before a judge to defend the Administration’s efforts against Lloyd. The Posse Comitatus Act states that the President cannot call military action against an American civilian and since there is no concrete evidence against Patrick Lloyd yet, she’s packing quite the punch against the administration’s strides to finally gaining some sort of justice. Aaron does his best to find even a shred of humanity left in this stern-faced woman who is all about the book, but the use of a drone may be shot down before it gets off the ground, literally.
As Aaron fights for the drone, Kirkman realizes that Pax Americana is all about revenge for Lloyd. “He’s blaming us,” he says. Political ideology is not a priority for him. He seeks revenge for the system that took his father and son from him. Time for Kirkman to step in. In true Kirkman fashion, the President sits down face to screen and speaks with Lloyd personally, man to man, father to father. Kirkman puts it simply, challenging Lloyd to take America to court, seek judgement in the appropriate place. “You’re not fit to judge me,” he barks, believing that he has already won.
Ka-Boom!
Hannah and Damian stumble upon a trip wire which triggers an explosion in the bunker. Not to fear, though. Both are alive and well, but empty handed.
Aaron may not have found a way through to Senator Cowling herself, but her representation, Attorney Kendra Daynes, is another thing. During her argument to the judge, she makes it obvious that the “military” cannot act. He calls for a quick recess and calls Emily. They need simply to have another entity make the call, the FBI. “Engage,” says Kirkman. John gives the order and we have our second explosion of the night! The bunker is obliterated.
Crews search through the rubble and there is no evidence of gas. It was all a bluff and now Kirkman must make his speech to the American people. Lyor and Emily advise him not to mention what’s just transpired, but he delivers the news anyway. Luckily for Seth, who has been tirelessly working over unfunny jokes all episode long, the speech is nixed. Instead, Kirkman takes to the Oval Office where he addresses the nation head on. “Lloyd has been neutralized,” he states. Kendra enters the Oval Office where Kirkman offers her an “overworked and underpaid” position as White House Counsel. They shake on it and the President of the United States retires to his family’s quarters where he gets to tuck his daughter in for the night.
The night isn’t over for Hannah, though. Workers have found Lloyd’s computer, half-melted and mostly fried. It seems Lloyd was uploading something when the bomb hit, but there’s no way of telling what it was.
Casting Bits: Major Exit for Designated Survivor>>>
Patrick Lloyd may be eliminated, but things are just getting started for Kirkman and crew. Hannah and Damian are still following their investigation’s leads while an outbreak is putting civilians at risk for their lives.
What do you think is next for Pax Americana? Can they or will they ever be stopped? Or will new characters carry on the legacy?
Designated Survivor airs Wednesdays on ABC 10/9c. Want more news? Like our Designated Survivor Facebook page.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
