Netflix RUINED Designated Survivor!
Ok, I admit it… Waiting a year after the release of Season 3 to finally sit down and catch up on the show is pretty pathetic. Turns out, it was for good reason. Netflix ruined Designated Survivor – and I’m pretty pissed about it.
Some background…
In case you aren’t familiar with Designated Survivor… The show originally aired on ABC for the first two seasons. It follows Tom Kirkman, HUD Secretary-turned-President via a stroke of luck, surviving a terrorist attack that blows up the capitol during the State of the Union.
ABC canceled the show after the second season, primarily due to ratings that started dwindling… In walks Netflix to save the day, reaching an agreement to resurrect the show and give fans a 3rd season. A season that ended up being the last – and only Netflix is to blame for their atrocious decision making.
What did they do?
The show has a ton of great characters – let by a fantastic cast that kept you enthralled by their (mostly) endearing qualities. The problem is… Netflix axed A LOT of them… and blamed it on budget.
BUDGET? Didn’t they know going into this that it was going to cost a few bucks? Even the novice television fan knows that the cost of a great cast goes up after two seasons. So, rather than keeping some great people – they tossed em out like they were never part of the show. No emotional death scene, no sad goodbyes – just moved right on without them.
And it completely ruined the show.
Who got kicked to the curb?
The list is so much longer than it ever should have been… In no particular order (because each one makes me mad they’re gone…) – Let’s get started:
Mike Ritter
LaMonica Garrett plays the bad ass secret service agent, Mike Ritter. He’s been around since the start – and has been there for Kirkman through every conceivable scenario. I loved this guy! And season 3 rolls around – and he’s just gone. HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE GUY THAT’S KEPT KIRKMAN SAFE?
Kendra Daynes
Zoe McLellan tooks the reigns of White House Counsel, Kendra Daynes. When Kirkman grabbed her up as part of his team – I wasn’t set on her or her character, but she won me over quickly. Smart, tenacious, and a key component of the team that allowed the White House to be a success… How is she not back??? Makes. No. Sense.
Leo Kirkman
The son of the President, played by Tanner Buchanan – yeah, the kid from Cobra Kai. Glad he got another job. Even though he wasn’t a huge part of the overall story (and in Season 2 we find out he’s going away to college…) – how is the President’s son removed from the cast? I admit, his character drove me nuts – but family is just erased from the third season?
Chuck Russink
Geeky FBI computer nerd, played brilliantly by Jake Epstein. He partnered with Hannah Wells (which her, uh, story in S3 is RIDICULOUS) – and without Chuck – pretty much everyone would be dead… and if not dead, the whole administration would at least have failed. He was even the first to figure out Damien! How the hell is he not part of season 3???
Trey Kirkman
Played by Breckin Meyer, Trey is Tom’s brother – and although I didn’t quite like his character’s original arc… He grew on me. After the death of Tom’s wife – he needed to be there… not just for the President, but the kids as well… And even though Leo went off to college – Who the heck is gonna be there for Penny? He didn’t need a giant part, sure – but come on, Netflix – again, you can’t just remove family.
Lyor Boone
A masterclass in acting, Paulo Costanzo brings Lyor to life – with a character you probably should be annoyed with… But you love him anyway. He’s the “Political Director” of the team – basically making sure everything is spun in the right way. The character is quirky and you end up wanting to slap him at the same time you want to give him a hug. (Side note: He doesn’t do hugs anyway.)
This character brought so much to the show – there’s not one damn reason in the world he should have been removed from the cast. The show needed him as much as it needed Kiefer Sutherland as President Kirkman.
They are the 6 reasons why Netflix ruined Designated Survivor
There you have it – those 6 characters allowed the show to be what it was… Without them, it was destined for the Hollywood graveyard.
Shame on you, Netflix – shame on you.
*All photos, Credit: ABC and/or Netflix
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