Netflix's algorithm decided that Designated Survivor was a high 90% match with previous programmes I'd watched and so I decided to give it a go.
I have to confess that I did enjoy season one and binged the fuck out of it, it was compelling viewing, but the intense jingoism of the series wasn't lost on me either, there are SEVERAL examples of this throughout the show, so much so that it's painful.
So this was an odd one: loved the concept, loved the pace, the characterisation was fine, nice balance of sub plots with main plot, so a very well crafted and enjoyable show, but the sheer promotion of American statism was PAINFUL, so a bit of a love-hate one this one!
And having given it a few days since my last Designated Survivor outing, I'm left with this growing sense of dislike and unease at the shameless pro-Americanism that runs through the show....
Without giving too much away...
Nearly the entire 1000 members of Congress and House get murdered when terrorists blow up Capitol Hill during the annual State of the Union address.
The designated survivor, previously secretary of state for housing, gets sworn in as president, and he's pretty much the most unsuited politician for the role with very little experience and maybe not the most presidential of manners.
Series one charts how he and his family cope with the challenges of getting a new government up and running and dealing with terrorist threat.
Besides the president and his family other main characters are the president's assistance, members of the conspiracy that carried out the attack and the FBI agents trying to track down the conspiracy.
I won't say more in case you haven't watched it, there are twists and turns.
I should have expected it, and it was fine while binge watching as you could kind of let it wash over you and just enjoy the plot unfolding but there are just TOO many examples of unrealistic pro-Americanisms...
This is the biggest red flag, and OK it's fiction, but the new president is about as close to an ordinary family guy as you can get... he cares about people, he does things like going to meet the Navy Seals and shaking their hands before they fly out for a mission abroad....
All the way through the show the president puts off his too aggressive generals who want to bomb the shit out of any possible group who might have carried out the attack.
The president always wants to wait for better intelligence and 100% certainty.
Not so sure this fits in with the way the American government actually uses force abroad?!?
At one point drones are used to take out bridges in an African country to prevent a rebel group reaching a major town, to buy some time to negotiate getting a UN Peacekeeping force on the ground.
Hmmm.. I thought drones were mainly used to kill people?
Obviously there's SEAL mission abroad which goes to plan except for one death of the commander who dies shielding children from evil terrorists.
I mean, come on.
They are bad, that's all I'm gonna say.... God Bless America!
Naturally.... relating the current administration back to the most esteemed of American presidents solidifying the myth history of American progress...
Yeah I shit you not, at one point they actually come to an agreement to limit the sale of guns to the mentally unstable through increasing background checks.
Like that's ever going to become a reality.
This is probably the most subtle and worse form of Jingoism. To say too much would give the plot away.. put basically ALL the problems America faces come down to a few bad apples, rather than the system itself being a problem.
Oh dear, I may actually have just shamed myself into NOT watching seasons 2 and 3!
