Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Two Ships
Jasmine Blu
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I had every intention of starting this off cracking a joke about sinking battleships, but that was far too emotional of an hour for that.
Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 6 was a strong hour that moved things along on multiple fronts, some unexpected, and others not so much.
One standout of the hour, however, was Gregory Smith's performance as Captain Griffin.
It has been a while since the Rookie Blue alum graced the small screen, and he knocked his performance right out of the park with his portrayal of Captain Griffin. In such a short period of time, Captain Griffin became one of those characters who touched the soul, so when he eventually made the ultimate sacrifice, it was truly devastating.
Despite being newly appointed to Captain, he knew that a Captain never abandons his ship. He lived by that and eventually died by that belief. That was truly gut-wrenching. There has been a great deal of death this season, hasn't there?
The angst is only compounded when you consider that Captain Griffin didn't have to die. There could have been another way to save him and make sure valuable intel didn't fall into enemies' hands.
I swore an oath to protect my country and my crew. My crew is safe, but my country is not.
Griffin
It was far from a surprise when it was revealed that Kumani deliberately crashed into the Verona, and the ambassador wasted no time turning the incident into his and his country's favor.
Kirkman would do whatever he could possibly do to get his people back, and the negotiations were typical and yet frustrating, especially since true to form, Kirkman wanted to at least start things off being diplomatic.
Kumani wants to deal with their potential weapons unimpeded, but they also wanted the warship. Kirkman wanted his people off that ship before it sank.
It's a game of back and forth before it's all resolved, but one thing was abundantly clear the entire time; Tom is getting increasingly frustrated with having his hands tied for every little thing. It was taking a toll on him throughout the hour, and it feels like Kirkman is reaching a breaking point.
Admiral, if they engage. Sink every ship they've got.
Kirkman
Every move he makes is a fight, and he has to walk past so many people before he can get something done, and sometimes he still can't do things the way that he wants. In situations that involve human lives at stake is when you see his irritation come out the most. By the time he gave them the go-ahead to do whatever it took to get those sailors back, I was right there with him.
But, his best moments of the hour were again, his conversations with Griffin. When they spoke one-on-one, it was easy to forget just how dire the situation is. Kirkman shines best when he's that relatable, a man of the people, type of person that he is because it's genuine.
Kirkman: Your story is not supposed to end here. You need to come home. Let me bring you home.
Griffin: I'm sorry, sir. It's been an honor.
The final conversation between the two was beyond emotional, and it took a toll on Kirkman and the rest of us, I'm sure. Even Mike, ever the Rock of Gibraltar for Kirkman knew Tom needed a break after that hectic day.
When he politely called Daynes off, I was relieved.
But, it's only temporary because Tom has to know sooner rather than later that Alex is in the worst position imaginable with the latest news regarding her mother. I just wanted to shake Eva when she was so resistant to signing the deposition only to reveal that it's not all factual.
Do you believe that the extent of her visit from Eric Little was just that of dropping off a Cabernet and lamenting the death of a mutual friend? For one, how did she just forget that she saw the man one more time in the 30 years since everything happened?
It feels like the woman is not forthcoming with everything and it's jeopardizing Alex, but Kirkman as well.
Mrs. Cray wasn't very forthcoming either. Hannah and Damien were trying their damnedest to get something out of that woman, but between her and her lawyer, it just wasn't working.
They surmised that she was the one likely behind everything, not Cray, but they couldn't exactly prove as much. Then Thorn's assistant was taken, and a ransom video was sent out. Mike found the burner phone, and it took Hannah and Damien right back to Mrs. Cray.
In exchange for Peyton, the assistant, they wanted Cray to be extradited to Malaysia to pay for his crimes, which would undoubtedly be a slap on the wrist due to his ties there. That obviously wasn't going to happen.
Peyton's impressive message led them to where she was being held, but was I the only one who thought it was a psych out and that she would be killed?
I had nothing to do with Thorne's murder.
Mrs. Cray
What we got from that, however, was that Cray didn't kill Thorne. Mrs. Cray said they needed her alive, so it didn't benefit them to kill her. But with that final jaw-dropping revelation via video footage, maybe Senator Cornelius Moss had something to do with her death. Otherwise, why was he outside her hotel room?
And as if all of these little revelations weren't enough for the hour, the show finally pulled the trigger on that Emily and Seth romance that they have been hinting at since the beginning of the season. Hmm.
Emily was in a vulnerable place after trying to spend time with her deadbeat father who she hadn't seen in 23 years. I don't fault her for trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt. I even thought he was a decent guy up until he pulled out that damn corkscrew.
Emily: He didn't want me. He wanted White House.
Seth: I know.
How awful was that? He just wanted to use his daughter and her connections for his own personal and business gain. With that move, it'll be another 23 years before she would want to be bothered with him.
I understood her thought process; it would have been more palatable if he came begging for a kidney or something.
Now her thought process when it comes to Seth is a bit murky. So, how are we feeling about this new ship? Is it necessary at all? Is it ill-placed?
This isn't the type of show where romance plays a significant role. It's not something you look to for romance at all. Hell, I was rather pleased that Hannah blew off Damian trying to sort out where they stood after their kiss.
It's just Seth and Emily had a nice friendship going. It was solid and sweet. It worked for them. They didn't have the type of chemistry that gave me the impression they would pursue something romantically, even though the show has been trying to set it up since the premiere.
Seth should have someone. That would be great, and I'm not opposed to it in the least bit, I'm just not sure if that person should be Emily.
I can take or leave this new relationship because it doesn't affect me either way, but the most frustrating aspect of it is that they already tried to set Emily up with Aaron in the first season and then they just abandoned it.
The Emily and Aaron relationship has been unresolved for a while, and it feels like we're supposed to act as if it never happened, which is ridiculous. There is no closure there. There is no nothing.
Why introduce another relationship with Seth and Emily when the one between Emily and Aaron was never resolved? It's absurd, and if it ends up being a pesky love-triangle, it's going to be infinitely worse.
Seth's line about bread was endearing and quintessentially him. Lyor bringing her homemade Kombucha was a funny moment that made me smile, but Aaron barely had a presence.
That didn't make any sense until Seth came in with food, dry wit, and lip-locks. They're not even going to make this transition smooth, are they?
How do you think Eva's indiscretion will affect Alex? Did Senator Moss kill Thorn? Are you all aboard the Seth/Emily 'ship? Sound off below!
Don't forget, you can watch Designated Survivor online right here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
