S01.E08: The Man Who Kept the Secrets

[TiffanyNichelle]

Xavier had some issues with his eyesight I think and that's why he couldn't become a professional pilot like his dad.

Edited Wednesday at 06:37 PM by TiffanyNichelle

[marinw]

12 minutes ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

Xavier had some issues with his eyesight I think and that's why he couldn't become a professional pilot like his dad.

Yet he could become a secret service agent?

[Paloma]

4 minutes ago, marinw said:

17 minutes ago, TiffanyNichelle said:

Xavier had some issues with his eyesight I think and that's why he couldn't become a professional pilot like his dad.

Yet he could become a secret service agent?

The vision requirements for pilots might be somewhat stricter than for SS agents. My husband was accepted to the Air Force Academy but told he could not be a pilot because he has a slight color deficiency (he can see red, but he doesn't see green clearly). Obviously perfect color vision is important for pilots, but I don't know if it's essential for SS agents. I don't see color vision mentioned in the SS qualifications, and they don't even require 20/20 vision uncorrected (though it does have to be 20/20 corrected): https://www.secretservice.gov/careers/special-agent/qualifications

[SeanBug]

24 minutes ago, chaifan said:

I vaguely recall something in their conversation about X planning on following in dad's footsteps, but couldn't for some reason.  So maybe he learned how to fly, but never pursued it further?  I can't remember 100%.  

Maybe we'll get a remembering flashback in S2.

Another thought, the supervisor/librarian waited 3 years to kill the wrong person? Cal was convinced to do this by Sinatra.  Why didn't he go to the media when he found out what was going on with the excavation?  Instead he made a Carrie from Homeland crazy board and killed a couple people to sneak into the compound, not knowing if he'd ever have the chance to do anything. 

Finale was a bit of a letdown. 

[bilgistic]

2 hours ago, marinw said:

In terms of the class structure, Sinatra was being served by a maid!! I wonder how she got on the approved list. Or if Sinatra snuck her in because god forbid Sinatra would have to make her own coffee.

I said to my husband, "Imagine being chosen as one of the 25,000 to rebuild humanity and you're forced to be a maid for a billionaire."

[chaifan]

1 minute ago, bilgistic said:

I said to my husband, "Imagine being chosen as one of the 25,000 to rebuild humanity and you're forced to be a maid for a billionaire."

Eh, I look at it more as "imagine being a maid (for a billionaire) and being given a chance to be one of 25,000 people to survive and rebuild humanity."

 

 

[meep.meep]

2 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I said to my husband, "Imagine being chosen as one of the 25,000 to rebuild humanity and you're forced to be a maid for a billionaire."

Reminds me of the Battlestar Galactica episode where the people trapped on the ore-processing ship decide they've done the most dangerous job too long.

It's also what Adam was ranting about at the end. 

I too was wondering about Xavier's piloting skills. 

[90sfan]

I still think there is something more on the Wii. The way Sinatra responded when Jane asked for it made it seem like she was crazy for asking...like it was too much. I know we see her just playing with it in the end, but my hunch is that either there are files on it or that Wii was a code word for something else in addition to just the game.

In one of the early episodes, we were told that Xavier had learned to fly. When Jeremy took Presley to see the airplanes, I remember thinking that this was a sign that Xavier was going to fly them out of there at some point. 

I agree with whoever said that it is strange that Xavier is so trusting of Jane. He would have questioned how she got a gun. Maybe not in that moment, but shortly afterwards.

[Js Nana]

On 3/4/2025 at 6:19 AM, Snazzy Daisy said:

Jane is diabolically cunning

But I kinda get the feeling that, in her own sociopathic little way, she genuinely likes Presley - - but then, I also believed that she was in love with Billy Pace until she was revealed to be the biggest, baddest thug in Sinatra's arsenal.

[Anela]

The VP grew a spine, and yelled at the people arguing in the boardroom. I've just remembered that. 

[juliet73]

10 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

So does x know how to fly?  Father was a pilot i don't recall the details there for him. 

I just rewatched ep 2 tonight and it was explained.  When X’s daughter and Jeremy are talking in the library (when everyone else was at the town meeting and before they go look at the planes in storage), Jeremy talks about how lame his dad’s music is etc. X’s daughter complains that all her dad does is talk about planes.  She even said, “he’s so obsessed with them, he even got his pilot’s license.”  In one of the later episodes where X is talking with his dad at the airport, X said something about his eyesight not being good enough to be a commercial pilot. 

[AheadofStraight]

On 3/5/2025 at 12:23 AM, nilyank said:

I do wonder how X is able to fly the  plane that was sitting in that hangar for years. He didn't even check to see if he had enough fuel to fly out of there.

I came here specifically to see if there was any plane discussion. It's been sitting there for several years with old fuel - and it starts right up and should be fine? The show had me until then and it fell flat. I'm still in for season 2 but going to do some hand strengthening exercises for the hand waving I'm anticipating!

18 hours ago, SeanBug said:

  Why didn't he go to the media when he found out what was going on with the excavation?  Instead he made a Carrie from Homeland crazy board and killed a couple people to sneak into the compound, not knowing if he'd ever have the chance to do anything. 

I believe he did. In the beginning montage of him going off the rails, there was a paper that listed Wall Street Journal, NY Times, LA Times, CNN, Fox News, Denver Post, MSN and each were crossed off as if he contacted them. Also, one of the papers he had tacked up said "Bradford Industries sues for defamation over reports linking deaths to top secret Rocky Mountain facility". So I think he tried to do it the right way and was overpowered and then went off the rails.

[chaifan]

3 minutes ago, AheadofStraight said:

I came here specifically to see if there was any plane discussion. It's been sitting there for several years with old fuel - and it starts right up and should be fine? The show had me until then and it fell flat. I'm still in for season 2 but going to do some hand strengthening exercises for the hand waving I'm anticipating!

OK, here's my fanwank explanation that I'm totally making up out of nothing that will get the show off the hook...  even though they're in a mountain bunker and supposed to stay there for 100 years, the Air Force One pilots and mechanics (on board, of course, and living in the bunker) take their job seriously, service the plane daily, and have that plane ready to go at a moment's notice.  That's how things operate in the "normal" world, so they're just doing their jobs.  (Because, um, what else do they have to do down there?)

One glitch...  I really don't remember if X took AF1 or some other plane.  If it's some other plane, well... um... the AF1 pilots and mechanics are really really bored and work on the other planes for fun?  Yeah, I got nuthin'.  😁

[marinw]

X isn't wearing glasses, so either he has a lifetime supply of contact lenses, has had corrective eye surgery, or his vision is not that poor, just not good enough to be a commercial pilot.

Edited Thursday at 02:19 PM by marinw

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, marinw said:

X isn't wearing glasses, so either he has a lifetime supply of contact lenses, has had corrective eye surgery, or his vision is not that poor, just not good enough to be a commercial pilot.

Growing up, I had "better than perfect" vision.  15/20 in one eye, 20/20 in the other.  I remember being at an eye exam when I was in high school, and the doctor noted this created a "horizontal imbalance", causing me to see things on a slight slant.  I just tilted my head to compensate.  (Going back and looking at old pictures I see it.)  Anyways, the Dr. quipped "well, there goes your career as a pilot".  I really don't know if he was 100% serious or not, but yeah, I can see how that just would not work for piloting a plane.  So, you can have "perfect" vision and still have an issue that would prevent you from being a pilot.  

[Paloma]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

2 hours ago, marinw said:

X isn't wearing glasses, so either he has a lifetime supply of contact lenses, has had corrective eye surgery, or his vision is not that poor, just not good enough to be a commercial pilot.

Growing up, I had "better than perfect" vision.  15/20 in one eye, 20/20 in the other.  I remember being at an eye exam when I was in high school, and the doctor noted this created a "horizontal imbalance", causing me to see things on a slight slant.  I just tilted my head to compensate.  (Going back and looking at old pictures I see it.)  Anyways, the Dr. quipped "well, there goes your career as a pilot".  I really don't know if he was 100% serious or not, but yeah, I can see how that just would not work for piloting a plane.  So, you can have "perfect" vision and still have an issue that would prevent you from being a pilot.  

If the problem preventing him from being a pilot is some deficiency in color vision (red/green), as I suggested in an earlier post, then he would not need corrective lenses or surgery. As far as I know that deficiency would not affect distance vision, so he could still have 20/20 vision.

[Hanahope]

If X is a Secret Service agent, he has to have good vision without contacts.  so his vision deficiency to not allow him to be a commercial pilot must be something else, like the color issue.

I don't think the VP grew a spine so much as he's still a bit scared about being in charge and he's just yelling out.

Jane is clearly a psychopath.  I think Sinatra probably didn't have Gabby give psych exams to her or Billy (her chosen assassins) because she didn't want anyone to know that they were her 'secret cards to play.'  i bet Jane is wishing she had Gabby did the psych exams now.  

X ran off after Jane shot Sinatra because he cares more about his daughter than Sinatra.  he still believes Jane is a trustworthy (if maybe not a completely competent) SS agent, Presley was safe in her care and that Sinatra was just fucking with him.  

What will happen with the waitress?  She really didn't do anything really wrong.  will they let her keep doing what she's doing?  i mean, what's the point of putting her 'in jail?'  or will they push her out the door?  It is a real shame that Trent killed the wrong Bradford, but i can see that in his mind, Cal was probably just like his dad.  

someone mentioned above about the scientist guy just letting Trent go and not arranging for some 'accident.'  i'm sure no one thought Trent was going to do anything and would just let it go.  even if Trent believed more was going on and being built in the mountain, he didn't know about the imminent natural disaster, and likely no one "reliable" would believe him (as is shown in the note of all the 'mainstream' news media sources with lines crossed through them).  certainly quite the coincidence that Trent got sent to prison in colorado.  and then found the librarian that looked enough like him.  i'm sure he thought, yeah, i could bullshit enough to be a librarian.  what if he found say a calculus teacher? or a chef? 

I do think that Cal may have hoped X listened to the start of the DVD mix tape and realized he had to go to the library for the book.  

Its been 3 years, is X so sure that Teri is still in Atlanta?  I'm not sure the recording made that clear, but i guess its a starting point.  Did they show X making any preparations for the trip?  And just going alone?  I'm not sure that's really the best thing.  but i guess he doesn't have anyone he could really trust to go with him.  

 

[chaifan]

13 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

certainly quite the coincidence that Trent got sent to prison in colorado.  and then found the librarian that looked enough like him. 

I agree on the prison.  But I got the impression he was scouting out the cars, looking for someone who looked like him.   He chose that car for a reason.

14 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

Its been 3 years, is X so sure that Teri is still in Atlanta? 

My thought, too.  You could walk from Atlanta to Colorado in less time.  She could be anywhere.  I am trusting the writers to address that in Season 2.  Maybe there's more of her message (that we haven't heard yet) that gives her location?  Or a way to determine location from the recording?  If not, my guess is that he'll start with any existing hospitals.  

Maybe X will get a big banner attached to his plane that says "Teri, I'm coming for you! X"  😁

 

[Js Nana]

5 hours ago, Hanahope said:

I don't think the VP grew a spine so much as he's still a bit scared about being in charge and he's just yelling out.

My guess is that Henry Baines has finally realized his power now that Sinatra is on a ventilator - and I love Matt Malloy in that role, he is a character actor who has never disappointed in any film or TV show he's been in.

On 3/5/2025 at 2:01 PM, SeanBug said:

Finale was a bit of a letdown. 

Really, I loved the finale - that final "what is Xavier seeing out there" scene really hooked me, and I'm going to have a hard time being patient for Season 2 to start - did I mention that I love this show?

[SeanBug]

30 minutes ago, Js Nana said:

My guess is that Henry Baines has finally realized his power now that Sinatra is on a ventilator - and I love Matt Malloy in that role, he is a character actor who has never disappointed in any film or TV show he's been in.

Really, I loved the finale - that final "what is Xavier seeing out there" scene really hooked me, and I'm going to have a hard time being patient for Season 2 to start - did I mention that I love this show?

I loved it too. I just didn't get the whole thing with the guy who was the killer. He killed two people in cold blood and then if it was to avenge his crew, he killed the wrong person. All that crazy board and his research and he couldn't figure out it was Sinatra who came up with this bunker thing? 

I'll have to go back and rewatch the finale and see if I feel different. 

[Js Nana]

On 3/5/2025 at 2:12 PM, chaifan said:

I look at it more as

. . . imagine being one of 25,000 people to be trapped in a place called Paradise when "The Machine Stops" (see E.M. Forster short story of the same name from "Forster's The Eternal Moment and Other Stories" Sidgwick & Jackson 1928); Forster's story ends with the complete breakdown of the Machine, which the majority of below ground dwellers have come to worship as a god, to maintain life below ground and the realization of the story's two below ground dwelling protagonists, Vashti and her son, Kuno, that it will fall to the surface-dwellers who still exist to rebuild the human race and to prevent the mistake of the Machine from being repeated - you could view the "Machine" from Forster's story as a metaphor for the billionaires running Paradise.

6 minutes ago, SeanBug said:

I'll have to go back and rewatch the finale and see if I feel different. 

Thanks for your reply, SeanBug, I'll do the same thing and see if I feel different, too.

[marinw]

10 hours ago, chaifan said:

OK, here's my fanwank explanation that I'm totally making up out of nothing that will get the show off the hook...  even though they're in a mountain bunker and supposed to stay there for 100 years, the Air Force One pilots and mechanics (on board, of course, and living in the bunker) take their job seriously, service the plane daily, and have that plane ready to go at a moment's notice. 

That’s a great explanation. I’ve also handwaved X just taking off in the plane, I think he did a pre-flight check offscreen.

What I can’t explain is how the fuel hasn’t gone bad. Unless there is a little refinery somewhere?

[marinw]

It seems a little convenient that Trent had to impersonate a librarian (a job that requires education, but can maybe be faked) instead of a surgeon or something like that. And that the original librarian wife wasn’t something similar. I could see him impersonating a mechanic or construction worker who maintains the McMansions. 

[SeanBug]

41 minutes ago, Js Nana said:

. . . imagine being one of 25,000 people to be trapped in a place called Paradise when "The Machine Stops" (see E.M. Forster short story of the same name from "Forster's The Eternal Moment and Other Stories" Sidgwick & Jackson 1928); Forster's story ends with the complete breakdown of the Machine, which the majority of below ground dwellers have come to worship as a god, to maintain life below ground and the realization of the story's two below ground dwelling protagonists, Vashti and her son, Kuno, that it will fall to the surface-dwellers who still exist to rebuild the human race and to prevent the mistake of the Machine from being repeated - you could view the "Machine" from Forster's story as a metaphor for the billionaires running Paradise.

Thanks for your reply, SeanBug, I'll do the same thing and see if I feel different, too.

I have to say at the end of all the episodes, I have LOVED the twists and cliffhangers. Esp the "They're Lying to You". 

I think I wanted more of a showdown with someone we really disliked.  

Let's rewatch and compare notes.  Thx

[DrSpaceman73]

3 hours ago, marinw said:

It seems a little convenient that Trent had to impersonate a librarian (a job that requires education, but can maybe be faked) instead of a surgeon or something like that. And that the original librarian wife wasn’t something similar. I could see him impersonating a mechanic or construction worker who maintains the McMansions. 

I assumed he searched around in the cars waiting for someone resembling him and with a job he could 'fake' reasonably. that guy we saw probably wasn't the first one he asked in the car line. 

[Js Nana]

4 hours ago, marinw said:

how the fuel hasn’t gone bad

This is what I got from google: "Military organizations often store jet fuel for extended periods (up to 36 months) with minimal quality changes, but this is contingent on good maintenance and storage practices."

[FemmeFataleEsq]

I can tell by this episode that season 2 is going to suck like all shows that start out strong and then just continue to drag out the storyline… because this episode was just too ridiculous and boring honestly 🥱😴

[SeanBug]

6 hours ago, FemmeFataleEsq said:

I can tell by this episode that season 2 is going to suck like all shows that start out strong and then just continue to drag out the storyline… because this episode was just too ridiculous and boring honestly 🥱😴

I felt the same way. Hopefully they can right the ship.  Usually I'm on board with the show, even the silliness. But this episode felt like "we have to wrap this up and we need to keep all the major characters in play". 

We had a cold blooded killer going after the wrong person. Didn't go to the media when he found out about the danger of the excavation.  And bringing the junk food lady in when she wasn't cleared. 

Sloppy writing. 

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, SeanBug said:

We had a cold blooded killer going after the wrong person. Didn't go to the media when he found out about the danger of the excavation.  And bringing the junk food lady in when she wasn't cleared. 

In fairness to the writers, Trent was consistent with who he targeted.  And I think from the character's perspective, blaming this all on the President makes sense.  We know differently, but there's no reason to believe Trent would.  He knew others involved, but it makes sense to think the President is at the top of the decision making chain.  (And, I think from the scenes in the White House, Cal was not a puppet in this, he was making some hard decisions, so Trent wasn't all wrong.)  Trent tried killing Cal once, didn't work, so he finished the job.

And, as someone pointed out above, Trent had a list of media agencies he tried to contact, but no one would listen.

As for bringing in whatever her name was, yeah, I don't think that was necessary.  When checking in he could have said his wife didn't make it.  He didn't need a replacement wife.  But, for plot purposes, that's how Gabriella figured out someone was there who didn't belong.  She knew the waitress ate the cheese fries, but her profile had her as having a medical condition that wouldn't allow that.  (Sorry, can't remember what that was.)  So she knew the waitress was a fake.  It takes a little handwaving to believe that she found the needle in the 25,000 resident haystack that quickly, but maybe she was able to filter things down to a few suspicious looking profiles.  

 

[lovett1979]

3 hours ago, chaifan said:

As for bringing in whatever her name was, yeah, I don't think that was necessary.  When checking in he could have said his wife didn't make it.  He didn't need a replacement wife.  But, for plot purposes, that's how Gabriella figured out someone was there who didn't belong.  She knew the waitress ate the cheese fries, but her profile had her as having a medical condition that wouldn't allow that.  (Sorry, can't remember what that was.)  So she knew the waitress was a fake.  It takes a little handwaving to believe that she found the needle in the 25,000 resident haystack that quickly, but maybe she was able to filter things down to a few suspicious looking profiles.  

I think they filtered by people who had had any issues getting in. Problems with their bands, etc. So both of them would have been flagged for that, but faked a panic attack to avoid further scrutiny to get in. But it was on the woman's file that she had a tree nut allergy. The "cheese" on the cheese fries was made from cashews so that was the giveaway.

[chaifan]

3 hours ago, lovett1979 said:

I think they filtered by people who had had any issues getting in. Problems with their bands, etc. So both of them would have been flagged for that, but faked a panic attack to avoid further scrutiny to get in.

Oh, yeah.  You're right.  He needed an accomplice to fake the panic attack with and get by security.  When I was watching it, I thought he was just faking the panic attack to get her in (because she didn't match the ID for the wife), and was thinking then, why bring her in the first place. But he needed a distraction so they didn't look at him too closely, too.  Good catch!   So she was necessary for more than plot purposes of Trent getting caught in the end.  

 

[meep.meep]

8 hours ago, chaifan said:

 

As for bringing in whatever her name was, yeah, I don't think that was necessary.  When checking in he could have said his wife didn't make it.  He didn't need a replacement wife.  But, for plot purposes, that's how Gabriella figured out someone was there who didn't belong.  She knew the waitress ate the cheese fries, but her profile had her as having a medical condition that wouldn't allow that.  (Sorry, can't remember what that was.)  So she knew the waitress was a fake.  It takes a little handwaving to believe that she found the needle in the 25,000 resident haystack that quickly, but maybe she was able to filter things down to a few suspicious looking profiles.  

 

I don't think she found the needle in the haystack, she found a needle.  We'd already seen that the one guy smuggled in his dog.  Who knows how many more people have dodgy resumes.

[Zaffy]

Nice show, but with weak and quite unrealistic writing which is saved by the great performances of an amazing cast, good directing and editing.
Many questions...

1. Why the obsession with whiskey / bourbon? Almost everyone seemed to drink some... even in flashbacks, it became kind of silly after a while.
   Was the show sponsored by the bourbon association of America or something?
2. The nuclear war reasoning was stupid. It made absolutely no sense.
3. So in Cal's book there was a mention of 5 million survivors, but Sinatra's sensors managed to pick Teri's message. Sure...
4. Btw, wasn't supposed the EMP to kill every electronic circuit including the complex sensors as well? Did I miss something here?
5. Did the hangar doors close after Xavier left?
6. Why waste Cassidy Freeman for 2 very short scenes?
7. Prez Cal's taste in music was kind of meh... sorry Cal you son was right on this one!
8. Why no pets? Or any other animals.
   Is there a way to keep the town insects free? like ants or roaches? What about rats?
9. Jane is a good psycho-villain although  dangerously flirting with caricature
10. The Veep that become prez reminded me so much of the other Veep that became prez from the movie "The day after tomorrow" that I had to check if he is the same actor (he is not)
11. Hopefully they had stocked at least 2 football fields of Xanax-like pills cause everyone would need plenty of it sooner or later.
12. How you can keep a class system when there are no money or guns? 
13. The whole Paradise Town was way too unrealistic.
    Not sure how this would supposed to last for decades. 2 football fields of liquor would not last for long, especially with the frequency everyone was drinking.
14. I would prefer the show to end here. Xavier trying to find his wife in a post apocalyptic America is even more unrealistic than the town's logistics.
    Plus it sounds like a completely different show. 
    I think it would be more interesting If they stayed focused in all of the issues this isolated society would face.
15. All cast was good, but Julianne Nicholson and Sterling K Brown were fantastic.

Edited Yest. at 10:44 PM by Zaffy

[chaifan]

1 hour ago, Zaffy said:

Did the hangar doors close after Xavier left?

🤣🤣🤣

My tea almost hit the keyboard with that one!  You are so right!  Those doors would be wide open.  Better hope no one is wandering around looking for that survivor that Billy killed along with the scientists.  And, if someone does figure out how to close them, how is X going to get back in?  Is there a Ring camera doorbell on the outside of the hangar doors?

This is now my #1 question to be answered in Season 2.

😁

[Zaffy]

2 hours ago, chaifan said:

Is there a Ring camera doorbell on the outside of the hangar doors?

There should be! There should be many cameras outside. But I guess they spent all their money on whiskey and nothing left for more cams :D

[Paws]

Remember how the plane w the General and joint chiefs was landing in St. Louis because of damage to the plane? Do you think they a) survived  and b) set up a second government there? 

[marinw]

9 hours ago, Zaffy said:

There should be! There should be many cameras outside.

Yes, but someone has to go out to clean.

[Zaffy]

23 minutes ago, marinw said:

Yes, but someone has to go out to clean.

And you get the crossover award the week!! 
hmm... wait a moment.. Atlanta....right... his wife was in Atlanta! OMG!!! 

[Paloma]

9 hours ago, Paws said:

Remember how the plane w the General and joint chiefs was landing in St. Louis because of damage to the plane? Do you think they a) survived  and b) set up a second government there? 

I wouldn't be surprised if they survived, because I'm assuming that St. Louis would not be a nuke target and would not have severe effects from the climate disaster because of its location (correct me if wrong). I doubt that their plane carried enough supplies to set up a community, but if St. Louis and the surrounding area did not have too much damage, the generals could work with the locals for long-term survival. And Google tells me that the distance between St. Louis and Denver is about half the distance between DC and Denver, so if there was a survivors group in St. Louis that included generals who knew about the Colorado bunker, they might have sent an expedition to Colorado (though they might be better off staying in St. Louis if is not in bad shape). 

[Zaffy]

2 hours ago, Paloma said:

I wouldn't be surprised if they survived, because I'm assuming that St. Louis would not be a nuke target and would not have severe effects from the climate disaster because of its location (correct me if wrong). I doubt that their plane carried enough supplies to set up a community, but if St. Louis and the surrounding area did not have too much damage, the generals could work with the locals for long-term survival. And Google tells me that the distance between St. Louis and Denver is about half the distance between DC and Denver, so if there was a survivors group in St. Louis that included generals who knew about the Colorado bunker, they might have sent an expedition to Colorado (though they might be better off staying in St. Louis if is not in bad shape). 

I guess they would need to find/go to the nearest military base, cause they would need some kind of law enforcement to establish order and safety. But, after the president said on TV that "go to the ones you love cause the world ends" would any soldier stay on base? Very interesting topic.

Edited 6 hours ago by Zaffy

[chaifan]

11 hours ago, Paws said:

Do you think they a) survived  and b) set up a second government there? 

I still don't understand the whole EM pulse thing, but wouldn't an EM pulse take out any planes in the air?  It doesn't make sense that it didn't affect AF1, but if we're able to handwave that away, wouldn't it have taken out the Joint Chief's plane?

Assuming the EM pulse didn't take them out, I think it's possible - in the realm of the show - for them to have survived.  But, I think it would make it messy for plot purposes.  They knew/had good reason to believe AF1 made it to the bunker.  These guys could have walked to Denver by now, and you'd think getting to the bunker would be their first priority.  Setting up a 2nd gov't when you have reason to believe the President is alive would be sorta kinda treason. Doesn't seem to be the Joint Chiefs style.

But, who knows?  I don't think we need a 3rd plot line for Season 2 to add to 1) X's search for Teri, and 2) life in Paradise.  So I hope X determines quickly they're all dead, too, we answer this question and move on.

The EM pulse is the biggest mystery for me for Season 2.  If it was supposed to take us "back 500 years", how are Teri and others using radios?  I just don't understand how an EM works or what it really does.  

 

 

[marinw]

2 hours ago, Zaffy said:

And you get the crossover award the week!! 
hmm... wait a moment.. Atlanta....right... his wife was in Atlanta! OMG!!! 

I hadn't even thought about that! LOL.

[Zaffy]

1 hour ago, chaifan said:

I still don't understand the whole EM pulse thing, but wouldn't an EM pulse take out any planes in the air? 

When Prez-Cal described to Sinatra the EMP he said it will burn every electronic circuit and bring the world back 500years..
Sinatra then protested that this will fry the complex's external sensors and they won't know that happens outside. 
If every electronic circuit was fried then how they could listen to survivors ? what the survivors used for broadcasting?

Edited 5 hours ago by Zaffy