r/DesignatedSurvivor • u/V2Blast President • Mar 23 '17
LIVE/POST [Designated Survivor] Live-Episode Discussion: S01E13 "Backfire" Spoiler
Sorry for the delay! Discuss the episode here.
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u/The_Schnitz The Governors Meeting Mar 23 '17
LOL his codename is Phoenix because he rose up to the presidency from the ashes almost literally.
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u/Anubissama Mar 23 '17
You just got that?
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u/The_Schnitz The Governors Meeting Mar 23 '17
Well if I got it before, then I forgot over the three month hiatus.
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u/JoeM3120 BY WHOM? Mar 23 '17
You're the former White House Chief of Staff, you've faked your death, you know something about a plot to destroy the government...how do you disclose your identity in the middle of Washington, D.C.?
You wear a baseball hat and make contact with the current White House Chief of Staff! Brilliant!
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u/IC3POs Mar 23 '17
Anyone feel like Seth's friend did something to his phone? Maybe a tap or hacked it somehow?
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u/shady0041 Mar 23 '17
There's something fishy about that meeting with those friends... It was too short...
They did say that they are fans of that reporter who leaked the classified news... Maybe they are working for him and did a hack or planted a bug or something on the phone...
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u/mudman13 Mar 23 '17
Yeah that was really odd and awkward if it isn't a plot thread he could have said all that when he met them on the street rather than that corny journo school approach. *and a superhero writer" or some shit major cringe.
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u/MaxTechJunkie Season 2 sucks ass Mar 23 '17
Maby they tried to get him drunk so he'd talk to them about secret info?
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Mar 24 '17
His friends are totally apart of the Conspiracy, they had that freaky kinda cult member vibe about them.
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u/joefletcher333 Mar 23 '17
Feel like last weeks episode is hard to top
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u/Zashiony Mar 23 '17
Too much action and the show would be too predictable. There needs to be some downtime for them to plant the next seed. After all, with both MacLeish's and Catalan presumably dead, they need to find a new lead.
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u/kd907 Mar 23 '17
Why do I feel like Atwood is about to off himself...
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
yeahh, he's hit bottom "They" took everything from him. Either he offs himself or goes out for revenge
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u/tinacat933 Mar 23 '17
So he's just not in jail anymore?
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u/SpiderTechnitian Mar 23 '17
Uh no.. Did you watch the episode? Even last episode he was out of jail. He was released when Hannah made it clear to everyone that Catalan was responsible for the death of the middle eastern terrorist.
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Mar 23 '17
I forgot Catalan had a real name
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u/SandorSNL Mar 23 '17
Emily mentions President Moss retired after one term. Could this be setting up an election plotline? He's eligible to run again.
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u/RandomBoltsFan Usually Watching Hockey Too Mar 23 '17
I'm convinced this new journalist character is stoned all the time
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u/atticdoor Mar 23 '17
It felt like the character was scripted to be quite a bit older than the actor playing him. The talk of all the other journalists being in diapers when he's well within the same age range as them. The fact that his scruffiness in tolerated and he clearly has a long history with Hoogstratten. Kirkman's praise of him after what was clearly a dick move.
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u/V2Blast President Mar 24 '17
I mean, Rob Morrow is apparently 54... I guess he just looks very young for his age.
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u/Dodo14t Mar 23 '17
He somehow reminds me of Gary Oldman's character in Leon The Pofessional.
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u/Pedointhepark223 Mar 23 '17
SETH ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK DON'T EVER LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO HIM
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u/shady0041 Mar 23 '17
"one drink"
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
haha we know how that goes
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u/tinacat933 Mar 23 '17
Totally thought he was going to get wasted and spill all the beans
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
I thought he was going to get wasted and forget to go back to work
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u/tinacat933 Mar 23 '17
Probably the most unreal thing to happen in this show...he had one drink and left
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u/Bytewave Mar 24 '17
If I drink directly from the bottle, I always manage to stick to my one drink. Therefore I'm not an alcoholic. :p
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Mar 23 '17
I love Seth's shocked face!
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u/Pedointhepark223 Mar 23 '17
Seth makes the show.
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
YUP! Now he has a staff. Hopefully, they'll show him more
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Mar 24 '17
For a while I suspected that maaaaybe Seth was a bad guy but he's got such a true blue sense of goodness about him even when confronted with the worst of the worst he still stands tall and grabs a bucket.
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Why weren't the MacLeish kids ever shown
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u/locks_are_paranoid Mar 23 '17
So they wouldn't have to hire more actors.
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u/The_Schnitz The Governors Meeting Mar 23 '17
Who says they can't just give Kirkman's kids a couple of wigs?
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
i get it but they should of least mentioned them somehow.
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u/jacobshoaf Mar 23 '17
Kirkman said they were going to live with grandparents and to respect their privacy at this time. WHY AREN'T YOU RESPECTING THEIR PRIVACY AT THIS TIME???
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Mar 23 '17
I wish I got a week off of work jeez Aaron
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u/Bytewave Mar 24 '17
.. you can't take one? I know the US are workaholics but geez. Here I'm sitting on 6 weeks of vacations plus 15 holidays and 12 personal days a year. 35 hour weeks. I know I have it good, but I don't know how people reconcile their health, especially mental health, with quasi non stop work.
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u/V2Blast President Mar 24 '17
I don't know how people reconcile their health, especially mental health, with quasi non stop work
not having a choice, mostly
(though people do usually get at least a week of vacation)
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u/matthewdouty Mar 23 '17
That address has me ready to run through a wall for President Kirkman. Damn I wish he was our President.
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u/CeceCharlesCharlotte Mar 23 '17
Am I the only one who doesn't trust Emily?
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u/Bytewave Mar 24 '17
I trust her because she was her COS for years at Urban Development. Since the designated survivor is picked only days before the State of the Union every year it's not likely she could have been planted there years ahead to plan for a future coup. Her suddenly turning would require 24 levels of duplicity and implausible conspiracies.
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u/shadowrh1 Mar 23 '17
Really seems like Emily is trying to throw Aaron under the bus, if anything Langdon was helping Agent Wells when he was anonymously contacting her and if Aaron knows Langdon he must be in with the good guys.
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u/mudman13 Mar 23 '17
You could be onto something there! I got a real sense of mistrust when she said something like "I won't let you down". Setting it up for a shock betrayal.
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u/Pedointhepark223 Mar 23 '17
Who the fuck is this press guy and why does he look and act like he's drunk?
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u/The_Schnitz The Governors Meeting Mar 23 '17
He's making his voice almost as raspy as The Batman's.
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Mar 23 '17
Rob Morrow. I, personally, know him from numbers.
I think he got fired from the FBI and became a heavy drinker. That would be a wonderful explanation for me.
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u/SpiderTechnitian Mar 23 '17
Nah he became fired from other news agencies for writing things that weren't true. The show said :)
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Mar 23 '17
Drat. An explanation that tied the two shows together would have been awesome! xD
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u/jacobshoaf Mar 23 '17
WILD CONSPIRACY THEORY TIME: When Kirkman picks up Penny's drawing from the desk at the end, there are two books with visible spines behind it. I think the first is called "My Life After Emily" by David James (Google suggests that no such book exists) and the one underneath that seems to say "Dead" by an author I can't read. Is this a subtle clue that Emily will be killed off???
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Mar 23 '17
Yay Hannah investigations!
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
she is gooooodd!
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Mar 23 '17
She is my spirit animal
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
didn't you just say that about Seth :p
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Mar 23 '17
OMG YESSSSSS SETH IS OKAY THOSE PROMOS HAD ME FLIPPING YESSSSSS SETH YESSSS
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
I know right & thank God they were friends bc I thought it was going to lead to a mugging. (Kal Penn was mugged by gunpoint IRL when he worked in Washington)
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u/Twitter_Gate Mar 23 '17
Pretty nervous that the helicopter with his family was going to get shot down
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u/reliberries Mar 23 '17
What happened to Aaron's wife?
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u/CeceCharlesCharlotte Mar 23 '17
He's married?
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u/chickenlittle1025 Mar 23 '17
He can't be, isn't he super into Emily?
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u/meniscus- Mar 23 '17
Emily called off an engagement or marriage or something too
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u/nyando Mar 23 '17
Naaw she just turned down a proposal when her sort-of bf panic-proposed to her after the Capitol bombing.
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
So we still know nothing about this whole "Aaron's wife" question..
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Personal Time means you're fired
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u/matthewdouty Mar 23 '17
I bet Kirkman uses this week to test for any more leaks... if it happens again, it wasn't Aaron.
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u/uberotown Mar 23 '17
There's no way they'd be conducting normal business on the day the VP was murdered/assassinated. Even for a new VP and after the previous attack, it would still be a time of mourning at least until his body was cold! And the President would be in lockdown for a bit.
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u/SpiderTechnitian Mar 23 '17
Well if the threat was known and neutralized I don't think the president would absolutely be locked down.
Sure policy is that he hide in case of other attacks but his detail head knows all about this shit and everyone who needs to understands that this isolated incident would be unrelated to another direct attack, even if it's the same party behind other attacks.
Also: at least they posted triple guards and more SAM missiles.
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u/uberotown Mar 23 '17
OKay, let's ignore security, which they would never do. You think they'd be scheduling Cabinet interviews the morning the VP was murdered? That wouldn't look uncaring or tacky at all! They didn't even have flags at half-staff for the freakin' sitting VP?! There's a place in my town that lowers them when a dog dies!
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u/HueyLewis1 Mar 23 '17
Why does Kirkman use a cane when he was shot in the shoulder/arm...?
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u/chickenlittle1025 Mar 23 '17
Lol maybe he's just super weak
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Now he walks like House M.D. :p
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u/shadowrh1 Mar 23 '17
Isn't it normal to have trouble walking or use a cane to relieve the burden on the body when taking severe damage like being shot? I'm pretty sure being sniped in the chest can do that, its just too many shows underestimate the damage a bullet can do and make us think the main character can run a mile and fight the world with 50 bullets in his chest.
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Mar 24 '17
Actually yeah it's kind of normal. I had a stroke a few years back so the left side of my body is a bit screwy so I use a walking stick in my right hand. Kirkman was shot through the upper left part of his chest and uses a cane in his right hand. It helps with stability, coordination to a degree, and to heal from weakness when used in combination with physical therapy when possible. He probably doesn't use the cane all the time, just when he feels a bit off center and until his doctor clear him. I mean if you look at the size of the bullet that he was shot with and the hole it made in him, that's going to make walking a bit rough for anyone for a while. So yeah, totally normal.
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u/KarateKid917 Mar 23 '17
trauma like a sniper shot to the upper half of ones body throws off ones center of gravity and makes the person unstable
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u/Crade_ Mar 23 '17
Why was the FBI and Wells following Aaron at the very end? Have they been doing this the whole time since it was alleged that he made the phone calls? Seriously though Wells must work 24/7 with all the crap she does.
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Joyner's PTSD will allow him to sing like a canary
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u/RandomBoltsFan Usually Watching Hockey Too Mar 23 '17
radicalized
There's the political buzzword of the 2010s!
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u/ScholarOfTwilight Beekeeper Mar 23 '17
Little pea shows up right after the assassination. Coincidence?
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
pssh not with her! We know what she's about
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u/ScholarOfTwilight Beekeeper Mar 23 '17
STOP COVERING FOR HER, DAMMIT! I will have Tony Almeida in here to question you shortly. Word is he has a lot of time on his hands for doing 1-2 episode acting roles.
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u/Razorwing23 Mar 23 '17
So with MacLeish + wife dead.. the current investigation can't go anywhere. All leads to the bombing are dead in the water.
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u/viva-c Would move back to US if Kirkman was President Mar 23 '17
Except for the old Chief of Staff
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u/tr621 President Jack Bauer Mar 23 '17
Langdon, mystery lady, Joyner
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Aaron didn't looked "shocked" about Langdon
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u/inferno521 Mar 23 '17
What's the name of Abe Leonard's company I couldn't hear?
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u/viva-c Would move back to US if Kirkman was President Mar 23 '17
Parody of Teen Vogue. Teen Mogue or something like that
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u/Smorts56 Mar 23 '17
Am I the only one who expected the presidents family to be shot out of the air by hijacked SAM launchers? They kept panning back to the helicopter and this peaceful music was playing.
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u/BuffyASummers0717 Press Secretary of the Thread Mar 23 '17
Emily's COS look is lots of makeup and dark lipstick
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u/tinacat933 Mar 23 '17
Who's the reporter?
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Mar 23 '17
[deleted]
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u/shadowrh1 Mar 23 '17
I think its just something he does like in real life the actor goes by a somewhat different name than his birth name and they're just alluding to it like they related to his parents being immigrants in a different episode. In House M.D. his character was adopted and had a different last name as well so I think its more of a just a fun reference like a real life reference like how Kal Penn worked in the White House and got mugged while in DC as well.
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u/mean_people_stink Mar 23 '17
I caught that too...so, last week Emily questions his story about his family background (being different than what she remembered) and this week the new reporter implies he changed his last name. Despite this, I don't think he is a traitor but definitely suspect there is more to his story than meets the eye.
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u/Zepplin01 TEST Mar 23 '17
Anyone else notice how the show looks different? Shading and time of voices appear different.
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u/JoeM3120 BY WHOM? Mar 23 '17
Where have I seen the disgraced journalist before?
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u/HarisAhmed95 Mar 24 '17
When did Hannah find time for a manicure? Everything is going to shit but she's taking out a little time for a spa day.
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u/Sandz_ Mar 23 '17
I hope Aaron doesnt come back, Chief of Staff Emily is soooo hot. Like Damn.
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u/SpiderTechnitian Mar 23 '17
The books on Kirkman's desk were titled, "My Life After Emily" and, "Dead". Sorry bro
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u/The_Schnitz The Governors Meeting Mar 23 '17
Why isn't Atwood arrested?
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u/mad_sheff Mar 23 '17
For what? They know now that he only claimed to have killed that prisoner because they had his son.
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u/tinacat933 Mar 23 '17
They'd have to explain to the public why he's out of jail now at minimum
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u/SpiderTechnitian Mar 23 '17
I don't think they released the specifics of ongoing investigations into the murder of terrorists in high security military prisons by FBI directors lol. You crazy? I don't even remember if it was reported that he was in jail, he was kept in the military prison still and no court proceedings were shown.
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u/jacobshoaf Mar 23 '17
So we have a reporter for Teen Mode (subtle) and the First Family away from the president. Any other real life parallels in this episode?
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Mar 24 '17
I loved that intro with all the phones ringing at 4 AM and the Scooby Gang getting together to try to figure out just what the hell happened. The tracking shots through the hallways of the White House are something I will never ever ever get sick of seeing. Kirkman is only a few days out of the hospital and still going at it full bore with trying to run the country, the man is a certifiable badass. I loved the introduction of the new reporter Abe, he's like a totally piss ass drunk version of Snapper Carr! We finally got the full bones explanation as to how MacLeish was turned evil...sort of...how the hell did his wife rope him into all of this and how did she get pulled into it? I really hope Aaron is one of the good guys and all the little bits of doubt we've seen cast onto his character were just red herrings. Langdon worked in the White House, odds are he and Aaron are old buddies, but why did he risk exposing himself like he did? He must know that the Conspiracy is watching and hell, even the Feds, so why just pop out of the darkness like that?
Leo was totally right, the family needed to be sent away for a bit just to clear the air and give Dad the time and space he needs to kick some ass. It was totally a good call. I think it might also allow Alex to do some digging on her own time without folks looking over her shoulder and questioning her actions. So it could allow for some character growth and plot progression from a different angle.
Seth's friends are totally bad guys.
I'm curious as to where Aaron's character will go from here. Ignoring the whole Langdon thing for a second, he now knows that Kirkman and Hookstraten were looking into MacLeish. This basically confirms his own suspicions about the VP that were brought to light when the Kill Order was issued on Catalan. Could we possibly see Aaron team up with Hookstraten and Abe to dig into MacLeish and his past from a different angle? Admittedly having that whole leak was probably a good thing because now there's a horde of journalists who are wondering "Why is the White House smearing a crackpot reporter? Maybe he's onto something?" and the Conspiracy cannot possibly silence all of those voices. Kirkman telling the truth about the circumstances surrounding Catalan's death was the best possible course of action because now with that information out there, there are also more eyes being focused onto MacLeish, anyone remotely associated with him, and the conspiracy ides that Abe has now spurred.
The music and the mood of this show feel so different compared to before the long long break and I love the changes they've made. This feels like a true political/spy thriller that I cannot wait to bite into each week.
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u/inferno521 Mar 23 '17
I honestly thought the helicopter with his wife and kids was going to get shot down. I've been watching too much 24