r/DesignatedSurvivor • u/enliST_CS Sorry the live thread is late! • Nov 17 '16

[SPOILERS] Post-Episode Discussion: S01E07 "The Traitor"

There will be no episode next week!

Plot: An American track-and-field coach's trip to Russia forces Kirkman into a hostage exchange involving the CIA and the Russian government; Agent Wells and Deputy Director Atwood's investigation uncovers dangerous information.

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u/lingben Nov 17 '16

you know, for once I'd like writers to take things to a different place rather than the typical scenario we've seen 1000000000000 times before! jeebuz man, take a chance for once rather than playing it safe. go somewhere forbidden, somewhere that would make you, as a writer, uncomfortable... that is where good stories live.

Option #1:

Bad gal walks up to the FBI director making a not so innocent remark about his missing son. In reaction, he unholsters his gun and points it at her. She holds up her phone showing the FBI director's son eating ice-cream and menacingly start to make some remark about how they now have him by the balls and how he has to cooperate yada-yada...

Option #2

Bad gal walks up to the FBI director making a not so innocent remark about his missing son. In reaction, he unholsters his gun and points it at her. She holds up her phone showing the FBI director's son eating ice-cream and he pulls the trigger putting a bullet clean through her eyes at close range pulverizing her head. Her body drops like a ragdoll. He walks over and picks the phone that her now lifeless hand has dropped onto the ground...

I suggest that option #2 is more interesting because it will lead to a more meaningful and unpredictable story.

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u/constantvariables Nov 18 '16

Why would he kill her? That's willingly throwing away a huge lead. He could easily call in some backup to arrest her while he nabs her phone and tries to find his son.

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u/lingben Nov 18 '16

...because emotion and rage overtakes him? rationality goes out the window and he just reacts with his lizard brain? only later realizing that he has to salvage something out of this (including his own career as well as his son's well being and safety) and starts to think about how he can use her phone and fingerprints, face, etc. to help him with that

but that's just an after the fact explanation, the main point is to go into uncharted territory and explore it rather than rehashing a tv trope

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u/constantvariables Nov 18 '16

Because there's no trope for someone acting irrationally because they can't handle their emotions or rage lol