Designated Survivor season 2, episode 11 recap and review: Grief

Kiefer Sutherland was outstanding on Designated Survivor’s return, as we saw a broken man in Kirkman, replaying his wife’s final voice mail over and over again.

There was something about Tom Kirkman replaying his wife’s final message repeatedly that hits home for anyone that’s ever lost a loved one. Sitting there in the Oval Office, blaming himself for what happened even though it was out of his control. The belief that a single divergence in life’s path would have changed everything. That sinking feeling the mother of his children is now gone potentially because of a decision he undertook, setting her’s life course in motion. Never-ending regret haunting Kirkman’s days and nights with no way to repair the unrepairable.

Alex Kirkman is gone, and she’s never coming back.

You could have just showed that one scene and ended this weeks’ Designated Survivor right there. Sutherland silently told a story that 100,000 pages of on-screen dialogue could not reproduce. Then came something we don’t often see on shows and films, a father having to deliver the news to his children that “mommy is not coming home.”

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When Tom Kirkman woke up his daughter Penny in the middle of the night to tell her “mommy was in heaven'”now and, “sometimes when accidents happen, people can’t come back” as she gently sobbed, it was if her childhood had ended instantly. Leo was no different, with Kirkman telling his therapist in the episode how he saw Leo’s “youth vanish right before his eyes.” Except as a young adult, Leo could comprehend the meaning of it on a more powerful level.

A youngster simply cannot understand the complexities and gray area of life and death in the way an adult does. Leo told his father that his mother hated it here, and he should have never brought them there. Words piercing through Kirkman as he maintained composure for the sake of his son.

The politics of ransom

After a back and forth conversation between Agent Hannah Wells and National Security Advisor Aaron Shore about Wells sleeping with the enemy, they go together as part of a trade delegation to Cuba. Wells is still defensive about the fact she slept with Agent Rennett despite feeling some type of closure post-bridge incident.

As Shore and Wells are on the bus, the ‘Army for the Liberation of the People’ run by leader Ramon Bravo takes everyone abroad to be held for ransom. Once the group discovers Shore is part of Kirkman’s administration, they have him deliver the message to the White House. The pressure is on President Kirkman to make a move. He wants to help everyone but as White House Political Director Lyor Boone states, “When you try to not lose anyone, you lose everyone.”

“Not making a decision is a BIG decision” – Negan

The Walking Dead’s chief season 7/8 villain Negan once told protagonist Rick Grimes, “Not making a decision is a BIG decision” on season 7’s premiere. It’s the focus of this week’s Designated Survivor in multiple ways.

The Kirkman administration is portrayed to have a tarnished image to the public because nothing has moved in 10 weeks. The timeline naturally coincides with what has happened to First Lady Alex Kirkman. White House Press Secretary Seth Wright starts talking back during a press session and is chastised by Chief of Staff Emily Rhodes for doing so. There’s more than meets the eye there.

During a therapy session, President Kirkman realizes he’s letting what happened effect his decision making unintentionally. He runs back his decision of paying the ransom with unknown results, instead sending the military in a show of force with potential casualties.

Meanwhile, Seth and Emily’s relationship is officially on ice. At first, Emily says they’re seeing each other too much, a bad sign. Seth says they can cut it down to once a week instead of five, which doesn’t make Emily happier in the slightest. When he asks essentially if she wants to end the relationship, she states, “I don’t know.” Which you already know means, “Yes.” Once again, “Not making a decision is a BIG decision.” Seth tries to salvage things and says “he does know” and “to call him when she does.”

Unresolved emotions

Dr. Adam Louden tells President Kirkman, “You know what happens to someone who treads water for too long,” to which Kirkman replies, “They drown.” President Kirkman decides to directly face his unresolved emotions and see the man responsible for his wife’s car accident, Evan Beeman.

Kirkman informs Beeman, the reason he’s making sure he’s being treated okay in prison is to make sure Beeman has undivided attention to focus on what he took away from him. He wants Beeman to face what he did everyday for the rest of his life.

Agent Hannah Wells discovers she’s not invulnerable

Despite Wells getting out at one point against Shore’s advice and taking out two guards, she quickly finds out the group is one step ahead, practically a mile. Wells is uncharacteristically apprehended and appears to not have everything together after all. Her Jack Bauer-style escape, put to an end in literally minutes.

Upon returning back home to the states Agent Ritter surprises Wells at her apartment to end this Designated Survivor episode. Again, Wells seems off her game. Ritter’s retaliation for what Wells did to him remains to be seen.

Overall Score: 9 out of 10

Kiefer Sutherland gave another master class in acting as President Tom Kirkman in “Grief.” It was quite reminiscent of 24’s season 3 conclusion when we see Jack Bauer tearing up in his car. It’s twice now that Sutherland’s characters (Jack Bauer, Tom Kirkman) have lost their on-screen wives on a TV series, leaving his characters permanently devastated in way that time will never heal.

Time moves forward, but Alex Kirkman’s story in life will always end with a single voice mail. The emotional pain will linger on with Kirkman forever and at the most unexpected of moment  especially as his son and daughter fully come to terms with what has happened as the years fly by.