S01.E09: The Blueprint

[MerBearHou]

Yes, shapeshifter, they have a young, super perky daughter.  The less I see of her, the better.  Sorry, I sound so grumpy, but squeaky, too-perky kids on TV drive me nuts -- time for the mute button.

[piequinn35]

On 12/8/2016 at 5:02 AM, Princess Lucky said:

Best part of the episode:

Kiefer: "This hard drive contains critical, not to mention highly classified, information on the attack which eviscerated our nation's government. Here you go, Mike!"

I love Mike.

+1000

[BW Manilowe]

16 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

To be fair, that was when he was HUD Secretary, not President.

I think it kind of, sort of, maybe not has one.  I saw on the credits that Kal Penn is listed as a consultant.

Kal Penn was an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, in the Obama administration, from April 2009-July 2011. To take the job in the first place he had to leave, & was written out of, his supporting role in the TV series House. Then he left the White House post in June 2010 to film the third Harold & Kumar (Christmas) movie, after which he returned. He left the post again--for the last time--in July 2011 to take a role in the TV series How I Met Your Mother. So, in my opinion, the show kind of, sort of, maybe does have a political consultant. But mileage may vary.

[OtterMommy]

3 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

Kal Penn was an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, in the Obama administration, from April 2009-July 2011. To take the job in the first place he had to leave, & was written out of, his supporting role in the TV series House. Then he left the White House post in June 2010 to film the third Harold & Kumar (Christmas) movie, after which he returned. He left the post again--for the last time--in July 2011 to take a role in the TV series How I Met Your Mother. So, in my opinion, the show kind of, sort of, maybe does have a political consultant. But mileage may vary.

That is how I feel about it.  He probably knows the WH world more than most on the show, but I don't know if I'd go so far as saying he was "consultant" material.  

My niece works in DC in the federal government and started when Kal Penn was doing his DC thing.  Let's just say he wasn't considered by her (and her cohorts) to be a Hollywood guy moonlighting in politics.

[marinw]

On 12/8/2016 at 9:02 AM, Princess Lucky said:

Best part of the episode:

Kiefer: "This hard drive contains critical, not to mention highly classified, information on the attack which eviscerated our nation's government. Here you go, Mike!"

I love Mike.

Wasn't he the one who got shot a few episodes ago and now has the extra-fun job of watching Leo?

[Princess Lucky]

37 minutes ago, marinw said:

Wasn't he the one who got shot a few episodes ago and now has the extra-fun job of watching Leo?

Yep. Getting shot wasn't enough, they had to saddle him with Leo, too. How much pain can one man endure?

That said, Mike is also the one who, in the most recent promo, appears to be preoccupied with his ear piece while somebody, like, shoots Kiefer. Get it together, Mike! Personally, I'd jump in front of that bullet just so I wouldn't have to deal with Leo anymore.

[queenanne]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Yes, yes, yes, and maybe yes if she stops twirling her metaphorical mustache in every scene.

I wonder if they are making the wife and teen superfluous because they're red shirts and don't want the audience to get too upset when they are offed. Speaking of superfluous, does Kirkman still have another child?

I see it in reverse of the way you're interpreting it, but with the same potential results; I think the way the pilot was set up, they were fully intentioned all three to be hotly beloved characters, and the showrunners were somehow surprised and caught off guard that they weren't.  Some might die, but not because the show intended them as sacrifice characters.

Either that, or the show is doing so mediocrely and ABC so cheap they won't pay for the kid actors more than we're seeing them.  With Kirkman married, a lot of heavy weight on the romance angle is of necessity offloaded on Emily and Aaron, which I often find a mistake for the sake of sheer proportion; and I'm guessing Seth-and-reporter didn't focus test well with screening audiences.  Personally I'd find it a lot handier and more open for the sake of plotting, to have Kirkman be a grieving widower on the market.

Edited December 9, 2016 by queenanne

[MaryHedwig]

Quote

I'm guessing Seth-and-reporter didn't focus test well with screening audiences, so personally I'd find it a lot handier and more open to have Kirkman be a grieving widower on the market

If Kirkman becomes a widow this year on top of everything else that has happened to him, I will personally pay for his therapy sessions.

Edited December 12, 2016 by MaryHedwig

[marinw]

34 minutes ago, MaryHedwig said:

If Kirkman becomes a widow this year on top of everything else that has happen to him, I will personally pay for his therapy sessions.

Kiefer's TV wives tend to not survive. His wife on Touch didn't even make it to that show's pilot.

[qtrim]

As I speculated in ep 8 thread, Peter and Beth's daughter went missing the night of the attack. Peter was called on the phone and told to hide in the special room and then do what he's told or his daughter would be harmed. Beth knows all of this because Peter has told her. She's tipping off Hannah. She has Hannah's phone number from when Hannah went to question Peter. So Pete is just a pawn. 

[thuganomics85]

Thought this was better then last week, even if it had some far-out moments.  But of all the crazy stuff, the 162 Independents getting elected to Congress was what blew my mind.  Man, I don't care what kind of horrific, terrible event happens: that wouldn't stop that many people from voting their respected party lines.  We can have a freaking alien invasion on our doorstep, and it would still be "Can Republicans or Democrats handle the aliens better?!" debates everyday on the news.

Anyway, so Hannah keeps digging and finds out that MacLeish is actually more war criminal then war hero, after he massacred a village, after a failed op.  Oh, and he served with the assassin as well, so that's bad.  I still think his son is being held hostage like Jason's was.  But Kirkman seems to be suspicious now, after he saw him nervously rubbing his hands.  I did think he put on a good show at the hearings at least.  Ashley Zuckerman is nailing that aspect down.  

But Hannah gets the info and plans to take it to Hookstraten, only to get T-bone, like I'm sure most saw coming.  I'm guessing it will end up being no mere accident.  She also has IA (Reed Diamond!) on her ass, so I don't see fun times for Hannah!

As for the main plot, Brent Sexton (yay!) plays a Snowden-ish character, who takes files from the NSA and leaks them on Wikileaks.  He doesn't go after Kirkman, but does get Emily in trouble over an email she made about a creepy, handsy Senator (man, is that topical.)  Senator wants her gone, but Aaron figures out he wants a meeting, helps make it happen, and Sexton's character then gives proof about Creepy Senator is creepy, to Kirkman.  All is good!  Especially since Emily and Aaron are so going to hook-up.  He's already memorized how she likes her coffee!  That's true love right there!  They probably would have started making out in the office had Seth not barged in.

In the end though, the big reveal is Mike decipher's the disk (full of surprises, I see), and Kirkman discovers that the bombing was actually taken from a "war games" type scenario from the government.  So, this means there is either a leak or some kind of conspiracy going on.  Better straighten those glasses, Kirkman!  Going to be a wild ride! 

[dwmarch]

23 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Thought this was better then last week, even if it had some far-out moments.  But of all the crazy stuff, the 162 Independents getting elected to Congress was what blew my mind.  Man, I don't care what kind of horrific, terrible event happens: that wouldn't stop that many people from voting their respected party lines.  We can have a freaking alien invasion on our doorstep, and it would still be "Can Republicans or Democrats handle the aliens better?!" debates everyday on the news.

 

Given how hyper-partisan US politics has been for the past decade or so, I think while this plot point is unrealistic it's also sadly necessary. FWIW, Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy's "Executive Orders" (which this show clearly borrowed some inspiration from) was a Republican appointed by a Democrat (because it used to be that the winner appointed the loser as VP or something along those lines) but to maintain friction in government had Ryan's congress consist of a proto-Tea Party (which was later crushed by the establishment when they reconstituted themselves). Clancy was trying not to explicitly take sides but when he did he turned the opposing party into cartoon villains. Can't say I blame this show's writers for avoiding that altogether.

[Sake614]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 8:31 PM, scarynikki12 said:

While acknowledging that I've only been to DC one time for the standard 8th grade trip, what baffled me most was that Hannah had on her siren and NO ONE GOT OUT OF HER WAY!  Again, maybe DC doesn't care (which I doubt) but, here in Nashville, when you hear sirens you get to the side of the road or just hit the brakes and stay where you are until they pass.  You don't keep just keep driving and ignore the flashing lights trying to get by.

You do if you're in NY. I'm always amazed at how little regard people have for fire engines, ambulances etc.

[Raja]

The problem becomes that when the siren comes on there is no space to pull over and you have instant gridlock, in my big cities. Most of the time our emergency drivers turn off the siren so an intersection can clear and often counter the flow on the wrong side of the street 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Did An NSA Whistleblower Throw The Designated Survivor A Bone?

While Agent Wells chases all over town for a clue, a big guy in a sweater hands one to President Kirkman.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 12/8/2016 at 1:09 PM, MaryHedwig said:

 I noticed that he is back to wearing his BC glasses (BC=Birth Control)

I would suggest that he's "wearing" (air quotes) his glasses.  Because mostly he's back to pulling them off at dramatic moments.

[dmc]

My best friend loves this show and I tried it...and to me it's ehhh...

I feel like it could be so much better but it isn't for some reason...it needs something...

[Dowel Jones]

Such as believable characters, you mean?

[dmc]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Such as believable characters, you mean?

Yes  believable characters and more likeable, better plots.  I want to watch and feel like something is at stake and I don't.  It's not the West Wing and it's not House of Cards either...I don't know where they were supposed to be going with this.

On 12/12/2016 at 2:38 PM, Sake614 said:

You do if you're in NY. I'm always amazed at how little regard people have for fire engines, ambulances etc.

I am from DC we all get of the way as well

[CaptainE]

Anybody else wonder why the FBI doesn't go to Atwood's house and interview his wife?   I mean they talked to Hannnah.   Mz A must be curious where the hell her son is.

Edited December 14, 2016 by CaptainE

[MaryPatShelby]

1 hour ago, CaptainE said:

Anybody else wonder why the FBI doesn't go to Atwood's house and interview his wife?   I mean they talked to Hannnah.   Mz A must be curious where the hell her son is.

I'm assuming the son is back home.  Didn't the instructions to Atwood say that if Atwood told the President that he killed Nassar, the kid would be home the next day? We don't know that it happened, but I would think if the kid were still in the wind the wife would be all over the FBI, and the President would be aware.

[CaptainE]

44 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I'm assuming the son is back home.  Didn't the instructions to Atwood say that if Atwood told the President that he killed Nassar, the kid would be home the next day? We don't know that it happened, but I would think if the kid were still in the wind the wife would be all over the FBI, and the President would be aware.

So the wife then can go to the FBI or police re the abduction.  

[Roseanna]

On 12/7/2016 at 10:20 PM, shapeshifter said:

So was McLeish blackmailed because of his war crimes?

Why would they need to blackmail him if he was already a bad quy? In any way, I have never believed he was blackmailed: his child's disappearance was clearly arranged to get him an alibi not to be present if someone learned about it - remember that he didn't tell it on his own but only after Hannah showed him pictures.

I find the scenario of war crimes really naive: even if he was a "war hero", that does in no way guarantee that he couldn't have extremist views and it would indeed be more interesting so.    

On 12/14/2016 at 6:41 PM, MaryPatShelby said:

I'm assuming the son is back home.  Didn't the instructions to Atwood say that if Atwood told the President that he killed Nassar, the kid would be home the next day? We don't know that it happened, but I would think if the kid were still in the wind the wife would be all over the FBI, and the President would be aware.

Logically, they couldn't return the son, as Atwood could have taken his confession back (after his family had been taken a safe place). And as a FBI official, he surely would have known that he couldn't belive that the promise to return his son was kept.  

[Driad]

Does Atwood's son have another parent or regular caregiver?  What has that person been told?  

[Quof]

Yep, there's a wife.  If the boy has returned, how did he explain to his mother where he was?   If wife knows son was kidnapped, and presumably knows husband was arrested, surely she puts the pieces together. What stops her from going to the authorities?

[jhlipton]

On 12/23/2016 at 4:57 PM, Quof said:

Yep, there's a wife.  If the boy has returned, how did he explain to his mother where he was?   If wife knows son was kidnapped, and presumably knows husband was arrested, surely she puts the pieces together. What stops her from going to the authorities?

PLOT!!!!!!

[John Potts]

So... the attack on the Capitol had inside help! I could have told them that. Even ignoring things like Room 105 (or whichever number it was) it was too well co-ordinated (and, I would imagine, evaded too many security procedures) to not have somebody on the inside involved. I get that they don't want to believe it was an inside job (though I'm pretty sure it was), it's still possible that somebody was accidentally leaking or being blackmailed into it but the idea that the conspiracy had somebody on the inside was a near certainty, given the nature of the attack. Especially as the computer simulation indicated there were several bombs involved - that's a lot of security they've managed to evade/compromise to make the attack.

Could Agent Nikita's crash have been more telegraphed? She might as well have said "I'll be there in 5 minutes. I mean, unless something unfortunate happens to me in the next 2 minutes, but how likely is that?"

Maybe it's just me... but if 5 people tell exactly the same story (as the intercutting seemed to imply) about an event that happened years ago, I'd be mighty suspicious that they'd been fed the same lines.

President Kirkman played firing (or not firing) Emily all wrong. You don't back down and grovel when challenged - at least not if you want to be successful. I also don't believe Kirkman is the ONLY CLEAN MAN in Washington. Give him a few misfiled taxes or unpaid parking tickets, if they're daring give him have a college era DUI (I'm sure Kiefer could play that...). He doesn't have to be a habitual criminal, but some flaws would be more believable that St Kirkman.

It would be nice if when we're told "He could hold up all our policies!" we were told what policies Kirkman actually has. I don't need to see a completely worked out budget (or whatever), but they could at least mention him coming out of complex negotiations with his new Cabinet.

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 5:20 AM, TobinAlbers said:

Sheesh even if MacLeish is being blackmailed, dude is unstable! Wiped out how many towns/communities in retaliation for an op gone bad? Definitely shouldn't be anywhere near the Oval Office.

I interpreted that differently. I assumed he wasn't unstable, but that attacking the village was part of some (CIA?) Black Op that he was involved in.

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 5:20 AM, TobinAlbers said:

Hannah and Wikileaks Guy can you not speak cryptically and just tell people what they need to know?

But then they wouldn't be needed next week!

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 7:12 AM, Happy Harpy said:

McLeish might be manipulated but he's a rat bastard all the same. I wanted to kick him in the balls when he threw Hannah under the bus.

He did it so smoothly too, "casually" dropping that she was sleeping with a dead Senator. That's impressively evil!

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 11:06 AM, marinw said:

Over one hundred Independents in the new Congress? All-rightly then.

In an implausible scenario, that has to be about the most unbelievable! In a hastily arranged election (it seemed there was only one week between Kirkman's conference with the Governors and the elections taking place) only the main political parties would be able to get nominations in on time. Unless there were no nomination requirements (signatures, deposits and so on) whatsoever.

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 1:02 PM, Princess Lucky said:

because what else is there to ship? Other than Kirkman/Mike?

Well there's always First Lady/Convict Ex...

On ‎12‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 11:07 PM, CaptainE said:

Anybody else wonder why the FBI doesn't go to Atwood's house and interview his wife?

Or just talk to the DC PD. I assume Mrs Atwood did as her husband suggested and reported their son missing after he spoke to her.

[Taryn74]

Hubby and I are watching DS for the first time. We just finished this ep tonight, I've been skimming through the discussion threads for the episodes we've watched so far. I don't know what's going to happen, but I've got to say I'm a little surprised that so far people in the discussions were split on whether McLeish was actually dirty or not. I find him nauseating. I told hubby tonight anybody that throws their arm out of socket patting themselves on the back that hard automatically has my distrust.

I think his wife is dirty, too. No real reason why, she just bugs me.