Designated Survivor: Season 3
Ratings: 4.4/5
Creator: David Guggenheim
Executive Producers: Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper, Jeff Melvoin, Jon Harmon Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Suzan Bymel, Paul McGuigan, Amy Harris, Aditya Sood, David Guggenheim, Simon Kinberg, Neal Baer
Genre: Political Drama/Political Thriller
Release Date: 7th June 2019
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Star Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, LaMonica Garrett, Tanner Buchanan, Kal Penn, Maggie Q, Paulo Costanzo, Zoe McLellan, Ben Lawson
Plot:
“What does it take to make a leader? What price will he be willing to pay? This season will explore today’s world of campaigning, smear tactics, debates, campaign finance, and “fake news.” Democracy, as we know it, will hang in the balance.
Review:
By season three, President Kirkman is running for re-election when a mysterious viral outbreak emerges that threatens to target people of colour for sterilization. This particular situation focus fuels conspiracy theories about whether the origins of the virus were politically motivated.
Sounds a little realistic? Similar to the ongoing global pandemic?
Drawing similarities from the current situation, Neal Baer tells: “I’m hoping that COVID-19 provides us with a drill. Even though it’s caused terrible calamity, it’s also preparing us for what could be much worse. That was my idea in doing it in Designated Survivor.”
With the Season 3 writing process, Baer has been very meticulous about it. He met with experts from Johns Hopkins University, Harvard, and MIT in preparation for writing the season. The pandemic-related concerns he heard were so urgent that he decided to make it the focus of the entire season. The writing process began in August 2018, while shooting ran from October 2018 through February 2019.
The show indulges in a number of intense activities - On one hand; a political attack on Kirkman puts privacy and transgender rights in the spotlight while Aaron weighs a major decision. On the other hand, Wells and Eli track a bioterrorist, and later Wells finds a clue pointing to a conspiracy. Kirkman mobilizes a frantic hunt for the bioterrorist.
Emotions run high after despicable fake news goes viral; Isabel making waves with a controversial appeal and Lorraine pushing the opioid epidemic into the campaign fray; therefore everything culminating with - Kirkman turning to his therapist on the Election Day to ease his anxiety about the events and his own decisions of the highly significant event prior 36 hours.
