S03.E07: In the Dark

[HalcyonDays]

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Episode synopsis: The Nathan James must evade an overwhelming threat. A revelation in St. Louis puts President Michener in a terrible position.

[ottoDbusdriver]

If Takahaya was the local partner -- in Japan -- and has only been marshalling his forces in response to the clusterfuck with the cure (basically caused by the green mist Takahaya's wife was rambling about) in the months since the NJ arrived in the East Asian theater, how did he have time to organize his base of operations in the islands in the South China Sea (hundreds of miles away) and create a whole new type of underwater mine, build them, and install them in a minefield protecting his base of operations.  This show is giving 'Revolution' a run for its money in the ridiculousness in travel distances and and timelines.

Was no one in Takahaya's crew killed by the red flu ?  Where did he recruit from ?  Better yet, he had time to construct yet another mine field.  Another mine field that the NJ failed to detect until they were right on top of it.

Takahaya built multiple minefields in response to -- whom exactly ?  He wasn't at war with anyone by that time, just planning his revenge.

Michener hangs himself -- Kara only finds him after the Secret Service were being kind of dickish.  I guess much like Val and Dr. Scott, the actor playing him wanted the hell off this show.

As for this dick of a reporter, who was keeping all these travel records (they are a matter of public record, dontcha know) from before the red flu wiped out at least 80% of the population ?  The whole political drama portion of the his show is just so lame.

Where were the two other American ships all this time ?  They were a day away about 2 days ago.

[JackONeill]

I swear I will scream if they make the president's "suicide" some sort of nefarious plot. But they no doubt will, just to make things more confusing.

Oh, and Sasha is also a maternity nurse among all her other talents?!?

Didn't Stephen King write The Green Mist? (Just kidding.)

And where the hell is Tex?????

[Lonesome Rhodes]

So, the PRC missile cruisers all had the NJ triangulated.  She had already evaded.  And they.....don't fire.  They decide to risk being closer to the scared animal now in a corner.  Uh huh.

I laughed when the NJ went "FULL STOP" the first time and everyone did the Star Trek bridge fake.  Unfortunately, when she went flank from that dead stop, they did not do it again.  :)

I actually do buy Michener's suicide.  He seemed to miss the forest for the trees quite a lot.  We never did hear how they determined the VP.  Nor have we heard about any Congress.  So, they can make it all up as they go along.  Hmmm.  New guy, all new staff?  Why not?  They aren't exactly trustworthy, right?  

We had the MPs guarding the murderer and they weren't even going to leave the room.  Seconds later, they don't even bother to watch through the window.  Uh huh.

OK.  Comms are nominal between the NJ and CiC.  The president is dead, triggering one helluva political earthquake, on top of the dystopian society in much of the USA.  Of COURSE the NJ and Chandler will not be ordered home yesterday!  

Edited July 25, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Dowel Jones]

How does one hang oneself from a bedpost only 4-5' high? That looked like the most awkward method ever. 

At least we all got our dose of Navy stuff with the Nathan James playing cat and mouse with the Chinese, even though our guys should have sank them at the earliest opportunity.  Didn't they learn any lessons with the sub and the Russians?  And the anvil of delivering a baby that guarantees cooperation from the bad guy, well, we all saw that coming, right? 

Sasha, it's your turn now to speak up about the smoke monster  green mist.

I vote for Kara as the new, interim President.

[xaxat]

So the reporter gets a meeting with the most notorious assassin since John Wilkes Booth simply by saying he's the prisoner's "lawyer"?

Sasha is proficient in Chinese, Japanese, computer hacking and tactical operations?

After the cure was discovered, I knew the premise of the show would be different. But what they came up with this season doesn't come close to the previous two. It took until this episode for the crew dynamic that was so good to be re-established. (My favorite scene was the one with the with the survivors in the mess hall.) And the US plot is boring.

ETA Takahaya knows how to pilot a US navy cruiser?

Edited July 26, 2016 by xaxat

[Dowel Jones]

I think that sometime during a previous episode it was established that Takahaya was formerly in the Vietnamese Navy as an officer.

[Raja]

2 hours ago, xaxat said:

 

ETA Takahaya knows how to pilot a US navy cruiser?

 

1 minute ago, Dowel Jones said:

I think that sometime during a previous episode it was established that Takahaya was formerly in the Vietnamese Navy as an officer.

I thought it was the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force and he said he was high in command of those sent to get the vaccine. In any case how much difference is there in modern naval vessels? Their top ships use the same Aegis anti-aircraft systems that the top American and other NATO navies do.

[iMonrey]

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So the reporter gets a meeting with the most notorious assassin since John Wilkes Booth simply by saying he's the prisoner's "lawyer"?

And he can then release this info to the world, and the whole world believes the word of a notorious assassin. Because they're so trust-worthy. 

The promo department for TNT apparently put together the one and only promo spot for this season based solely on the season premier, because the spot keeps reiterating the idea that "the virus has mutated." Yet - that's not what this season has been about, at all. It's been about pirates kidnapping NJ crew members, and the rescue attempt of said crew, and the evil Chinese President trying to get rid of the NJ crew and captain. And some half-baked nonsense about US domestic politics involving regional leaders squabbling with the President. Very little about the virus itself.

Strangely the ratings seems to be rising this season, somehow. But I've already decided I won't be watching another season of this should it be renewed. There's just no point to it anymore.

[Raja]

Ratings may be up because a regular political thriller works better than death cults

[ttgreif]

On 25/7/2016 at 5:31 AM, JackONeill said:

 

And where the hell is Tex?????

YES. We want back Tex. ASAP.

[ttgreif]

On 25/7/2016 at 11:08 AM, Dowel Jones said:

 

I vote for Kara as the new, interim President.

Not a US citizen, but please, count me in.

Takahaya is former Japanese Naval SDF.

And Lonesome Rhodes is right:

Chinese cruisers have the NJ trapped.  And they.....don't fire.  Strange things DO happen sometimes...

Edited July 27, 2016 by ttgreif

[HalcyonDays]

On 2016-07-25 at 4:08 AM, Dowel Jones said:

I vote for Kara as the new, interim President.

Honestly, at the end of the episode, she mentioned her title/governmental position. Of course I didn't pay attention to what it actually was.

However, the moment I saw that poor Michener committed "suicide", I though immediately that Kara would be the next President, based on her position.

[ottoDbusdriver]

2 hours ago, HalcyonDays said:

Honestly, at the end of the episode, she mentioned her title/governmental position. Of course I didn't pay attention to what it actually was.

However, the moment I saw that poor Michener committed "suicide", I though immediately that Kara would be the next President, based on her position.

Kara told the Secret Service that she was the "deputy chief of staff", which isn't exactly in the line of succession.

[Dowel Jones]

Perhaps, but logic has been shown to be a casualty of the red flu all the way through the series.

[BasilSeal]

Surely the point of getting rid of Michener is to make things more difficult for the NJ. At the moment Michener is Chandler's man who respects his judgement and pretty much gives him a free reign to do what he (Chandler) wants.

I'd guess that someone will replace Michener who doesn't defer to Chandler and who has their own domestic agenda, and they will order the NJ home when Chandler will realise that there is an imperative to find out what is happening in Asia because it appears that someone, probably Peng, has control of a biological agent (the green mist), that can negate the function of the cure and could cause a critical threat to the US.

In the first two series, the NJ acted completely alone and autonomously, given the absence of any political hierarchy or command chain, now they have to defer to the commander in chief, whoever that may be, and it could be one of the arseholes who were regional governors, i think one mentioned having a claim to the office in their meeting with Michener a few episodes ago. 

Will Chandler and Slattery want to take what they know is a bad order from an unelected president with even less legitimacy than Michener? I think the writer are engineering a situation where it will once again be the NJ alone against the world.

Edited July 28, 2016 by BasilSeal
correct typos

[BasilSeal]

I'm also kind of sorry to see Michener go, although he was a flawed individual who had made selfish decisions that were damaging both to him personally and for those he had responsibility for, he was shaping up to be a competent leader, and he wasn't weak as one might have expected, he stood up to the regional governors and held firm to his chosen policies. I thought it was more interesting that he wasn't the stereotypical square jawed, not morally compromised inspirational leader, (like Chandler).

I'd guess there is an element of political conspiracy to his down fall, whether Jacob is acting as part of this conspiracy or simply an unwitting tool, someone is feeding him information to damage Michener. The stuff about Michener's son was on some sort of govt papers as the NJ crew found out about it at the time they were trying to break Michener's conditioning by the immunes, but it seems unlikely that Jacob would have found such an obscure document had he not been told about it.

I suppose any potential conspirators couldn't have known Michener would top himself, but they were presumably trying to force him from office some way or other, and must have their own candidate lined up to take over.

In the US your constitution is quite specific on who takes over if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, obviously the VP is next in line followed by the speaker of the house followed by the president pro tempore for the senate, after these come the members of the president's cabinet in a specific order. (if all these people are due to be at a specific location at once, one is nominated as the designated survivor and taken to a secret location, just in case, which is apparently the premise of a new show with Keifer Sutherland).

Michener was the only person on the list of succession still alive, so now he too is dead there is no clear choice of a successor and hence a constitutional crisis could ensue. however, State governors could appoint new senators, who could then elect a new president pro tempore for the Senate, who would then assume the role of president. All of this assumes that in the time he's been president, Michener hasn't appointed a VP, or a cabinet, who would have automatic rights of succession under the constitution, then again, when almost everyone in the govt has been killed, is there anyone left for him to appoint to these roles? i'm not familiar enough with the US political system to know who would be eligible.

Anyway, it would appear that state level govt has broken down as well because the 'regional governors' are now in place, so it's possible that they would claim the right to appoint new senators would would effectively choose the next president.

tl;dr? short version: The regional governors stuffed it up Michener and will now choose a replacement to suit their land grabbing ends.

Edited July 28, 2016 by BasilSeal

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think the writers are engineering a situation where it will once again be the NJ alone against the world.

But at this point it would become a remake of another failed series called "The Last Resort." They already tried that and it didn't work. Honestly, I don't know what they're going for at this point. This season feels more like a desperate attempt to stretch the story for more $$$ than anything else. There just doesn't seem to be any purpose to it. They've been throwing every action-adventure cliche in the book at us in the A Plot, and the B Plot has been an incoherent and half-assed attempt at world-building. 

Edited July 28, 2016 by iMonrey

[ottoDbusdriver]

6 hours ago, BasilSeal said:

I'm also kind of sorry to see Michener go, although he was a flawed individual who had made selfish decisions that were damaging both to him personally and for those he had responsibility for, he was shaping up to be a competent leader, and he wasn't weak as one might have expected, he stood up to the regional governors and held firm to his chosen policies. I thought it was more interesting that he wasn't the stereotypical square jawed, not morally compromised inspirational leader, (like Chandler).

I'd guess there is an element of political conspiracy to his down fall, whether Jacob is acting as part of this conspiracy or simply an unwitting tool, someone is feeding him information to damage Michener. The stuff about Michener's son was on some sort of govt papers as the NJ crew found out about it at the time they were trying to break Michener's conditioning by the immunes, but it seems unlikely that Jacob would have found such an obscure document had he not been told about it.

I suppose any potential conspirators couldn't have known Michener would top himself, but they were presumably trying to force him from office some way or other, and must have their own candidate lined up to take over.

In the US your constitution is quite specific on who takes over if the president dies or becomes incapacitated, obviously the VP is next in line followed by the speaker of the house followed by the president pro tempore for the senate, after these come the members of the president's cabinet in a specific order. (if all these people are due to be at a specific location at once, one is nominated as the designated survivor and taken to a secret location, just in case, which is apparently the premise of a new show with Keifer Sutherland).

Michener was the only person on the list of succession still alive, so now he too is dead there is no clear choice of a successor and hence a constitutional crisis could ensue. however, State governors could appoint new senators, who could then elect a new president pro tempore for the Senate, who would then assume the role of president. All of this assumes that in the time he's been president, Michener hasn't appointed a VP, or a cabinet, who would have automatic rights of succession under the constitution, then again, when almost everyone in the govt has been killed, is there anyone left for him to appoint to these roles? i'm not familiar enough with the US political system to know who would be eligible.

Anyway, it would appear that state level govt has broken down as well because the 'regional governors' are now in place, so it's possible that they would claim the right to appoint new senators would would effectively choose the next president.

tl;dr? short version: The regional governors stuffed it up Michener and will now choose a replacement to suit their land grabbing ends.

Didn't they say at some point way back in the first episode of S2 that the Vice President was somewhere in South America ?

[thuganomics85]

Finally got around to this, after being away Sunday.  So, Michener really is dead, huh?  I'm kind of hoping it really is just suicide, and there wasn't some big conspiracy or sinister plan involved.  While Michener was getting better on surface, I can easily see him being exposed and all the guilt coming back, hitting him hard, and deciding to end it all.  Despite his brave face, I have to imagine that idea would always still remain.  I guess I'll kind of miss him since I did think Mark Moses was good, but I guess the Nathan James losing one of its most powerful supporters, can change the game a bit.  I guess there is going to some chaos over who takes over.  I have to think both Elizabeth Rohm and Nestor Serrano's character will make plays for it.  I know the latter has always been more openly hostile, but I have to think there is some reason to bother getting Rohm for what has mainly been a bit part, so I'm waiting for her to reveal something major.  But it would be hilarious if just ends up being Foster.  I could only imagine how Green would react to that!

Meanwhile on the Nathan James, it was basically the most dangerous game of hide and seek, with Fong's ships trying to take out the crew.  Naturally, it ends with them going down the "enemy of my enemy is my friend!" route, with them somewhat aligning with Takehaya, and him getting them out of there.  I guess this will keep going, although not sure how much they are willing to trust him.  He did seem somewhat sincere about regretting what he did, but you can never tell with these types of shows!

At this point, is there anything Sasha can't do?  I'm almost just going to believe that she is an actual a descendent of Agent Carter's Dottie, because she almost just as badass and all-knowing, if not as interesting or fun (sorry, Bridget Regan!  Still love you!)

Dr. Scott was brought up so many times in this episode, I was totally prepared for some kind of bizarre "She's actually alive!" reveal at the very end.  The reporter being able to interview her killer was probably the dumbest thing this show has done, which really says something.

So, now, it's this guns dealer that Chandler dealt with back in episode three, who ends up being the one responsible for the kidnapping.  Either way, I'm sure it will all end up being Fong's fault.

[BasilSeal]

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

But it would be hilarious if just ends up being Foster.  I could only imagine how Green would react to that!

It would, but you have to be at least 35 years old to be the American president. so that would rule Foster out as she's still in her 20's, isn't she?

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

 Naturally, it ends with them going down the "enemy of my enemy is my friend!" route, with them somewhat aligning with Takehaya,

Indeed, ever since they showed us his pregnant wife a few episodes ago i started to look likely that he would end up switching sides for the sake of his child.