Netflix fans urged to binge all 3 seasons of must-watch ‘perfect political thriller’
It's known for its unique and thrilling premise.
TV lovers might just have found their next binge-watch with the popular political thriller Designated Survivor on Netflix.
The 2016 series ran for two seasons on ABC before getting picked up by Netflix for a third and final season in 2019.
The show, created by David Guggenheim, follows a low-level Cabinet member Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) who is appointed the President of the USA after a Capitol bombing kills the most important members of the government – leaving only him behind.
The mild-mannered official is faced with political scandal, power struggles and a nation thrown into chaos in the aftermath of the devastation.
The first season, also starring Maggie Q and Kal Penn, secured a respectable 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and the show built up a dedicated fanbase.
‘A perfect political thriller with a perfect [dramatic] twist and plot! Characters are well shaped, script is well crafted, brilliant soundtrack and the premise is just real!’ Google reviewer Heidi Fawzy praised.
‘This series is supremely well-made, and I have started holding Kiefer Sutherland in extremely high esteem for his remarkable, phenomenal acting prowess,’ Rajeev K. Pathak shared.
‘Very good. Very entertaining. Really smart show, acting is solid and believable. Solid storytelling with no unnecessary exposition. Solid watch,’ Pedro I echoed on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Rewatching Designated Survivor for the 3rd time. This was my SHOW when it first came out,’ X user Whal510 shared.
‘This show is a masterpiece. Kiefer is the true depiction of range,’ Ian Mwaura said.
‘You guys have been gatekeeping Designated Survivor and it upsets me. This is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a while,’ zeezy_k_ said.
However, viewers should enter this journey with caution as there has been more criticism of later episodes and seasons, claiming the show ‘ran out of steam’.
‘Season 1 and 2 were great. It all went to hell on Netflix and I think I watched a few episodes and forgot about it as it was a completely different show,’ VirginiaUSA1964 reflected on Reddit.
Kal Penn also stars in the series which moved over to Netflix (Picture: ABC/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)‘I was thoroughly engaged with the first two seasons and the initial premise. Netflix killed this series both for me, and literally,’ user imgonnathrowaway2112added.
‘Watched the first season and the first few episodes of the second—so, basically the show’s original mystery/plotline—was pretty entertaining.
‘The rest of the series was basically “If people who never wrote for The West Wing tried to write The West Wing” and I lost interest quickly,’ DizzyLead agreed.
The show had five showrunners during its time on air, with Neal Baer helming the final Netflix season.
Fans enjoyed the start of the show, but some complained about later seasons (Picture: Ben Mark Holzberg/Abc/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)‘We had an amazing experience with Netflix and a kind of freedom that was wonderful.
‘But the reality is, because the contracts were so complicated and different from network television to Netflix, they didn’t book a lot of the actors who were on the show and they took other jobs. I don’t blame them for a second for that,’ Kiefer said about the slim chance of a season four.
And Netflix released a statement to announce the show’s end, saying they were ‘proud to have offered fans a third season’.
The streaming service added: ‘We’re especially thankful to star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland, who brought passion, dedication and an unforgettable performance as President Kirkman.’
Designated Survivor is streaming on Netflix.
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