Kiefer Sutherland plays the president in one of this years most intense political dramas, Designated Survivor. The show airs on ABC every Wednesday at 10PM and has fans and critics raving. It is full of twists, turns and surprises that few can see coming.

The show is about the secretary of  housing and urban development named Thomas Kirkman. In the opening minutes of the pilot, he is asked to step down from his position, but things take an interesting turn when he is chosen to be a designated survivor; a cabinet worker who is taken to a secret location during a large congressional event in case there is an mass attack on the capitol. In such an event than the designated survivor would become the president.

Being a drama, such an event does occur. In the pilot, the Capitol Building is bombed, killing hundreds and causing Kirkman to take on the position of president of the U.S. The show’s circumstance put lots of pressure on Kirkman being one of the only surviving workers in the capital building. Not only must he find out who bombed the capitol, but also must face problems ranging from racism and violence against citizens, to dealing with spies, espionage and traitors and all without a cabinet to back him up.

However Sutherland’s character has some help in all of the chaos. Some of his associates that help him during all the madness are, Aaron Shore (played by Adan Canto), Emily Rhodes (played by Italia Ricci), Seth Wright (played by Kal Penn), and Kirkman’s wife, Alex Kirkman (played by Natascha McElhone). Each character faces conflicts both alongside the president and by themselves which adds dimension to an already powerful show.

The show has received many good reviews and scores, with IMDB giving the show and 8.1/10 and an 85% critic review on Rotten Tomatoes. However not just critics enjoy the show, some students at WMC also are fans. Sophomore Alex Massa gave his opinion on the show,

“ Designated survivor is a show that portrays what may occur during a national crisis in America and does an excellent job of portraying what may occur if America was faced with an epidemic like the one shown in the show. I enjoy the show because it demonstrates how Americans always need to have each other’s back no matter what is happening in the American society.”

The show’s many unexpected moments make it fast paced and hard to take your eyes off of. Its intensity and madness have no end, but it still is able to take breaks to unwind and show the humanity within everyone. Also like so many other political dramas Designated Survivor takes advantage of the problems in society today. It’s a nonstop thrill ride, that any fan of the genre would enjoy.